487、⑺这些人所犯的奸淫是轻罪。这一点从前面所述（486节）清楚可知，无需进一步证明。因为众所周知，一切行为的性质，以及总体上一切事件的性质，皆视当时的情况而定，这些情况或减轻或加重它们。鉴于他们是初犯，这种级别的奸淫是温和的；并且只要他/她在以后的生活中弃绝这类行为，因为它们是违反神，或邻舍，或国家利益的邪恶，并由于违反这些也是违反理性的邪恶，它们仍是温和的。然而，另一方面，若作恶者没有出于上述原因中的一个弃绝它们，那么这些奸淫就被算为更严重的那一类。这符合神性律法（以西结书18:21，22，24等）。然而，人无法基于这些理由或宽恕或谴责它们，或将它们定性并判为是轻还是重，因为他看不到它们。事实上，它们不在人的审判范围之内。所以，必须这样来理解：死后，它们会被如此清算和归罪。
487、（7）这种人犯的通奸罪是较轻的。
基于486，不用多讲。每种情况都会因情况不同而被决定其罪状。这些通奸者的程度是轻的，若这是第一次犯。它会继续因为当事者认为它是与神相反或对他人不好的罪行并避免发生而保持这种轻罪状。
但这样的通奸者若不限制自己而履履犯罪，则他的罪行会变得严重起来。
即使这样，这种通奸者也不能被人按以上原因而做出判断，因为内在的原因是不可见的，他们死后也会得到相应的定罪。
487. (vii) Adultery committed by these people is a mild offence.
This is clear without further proof from what was said above (486). For it is well known that the nature of every deed, and in general of everything, depends upon the circumstances, which may mitigate or aggravate it. But adultery of this type is a mild offence in the first periods after its commission; and it remains mild in so far as the person concerned abstains from it in the course of his or her life thereafter, because it is an evil against God, or an evil against one's neighbour, or an evil against the good of the state, and for all these reasons because it is an evil contrary to reason. On the other hand however, such adultery is counted as serious, if its perpetrators do not abstain for one of the reasons listed. This is in accordance with Divine law (Ezekiel 18:21-22, 24 and elsewhere). A person, however, is not in a position to excuse or condemn such acts, or to qualify and judge them as mild or serious because of the circumstances, since they are not visible to him, nor in fact are they within his competence to judge. It must therefore be understood that they are so reckoned and imputed after death.
487. 7. Adulteries committed by such people are mild. This follows from the observations made above in no. 486, without need of further demonstration. For people know that the character of every deed, in general the character of every event, depends on the circumstances, and that these mitigate or aggravate it.
Adulteries of this degree are mild, however, the first time they are committed. And they also remain mild to the extent in the subsequent course of his or her life the adulterer or adulteress refrains from them for the reason that they are evils against God, or are evils against the neighbor, or because they are evils contrary to the good of civil society, and in consequence of one or the other of these, because they are evils contrary to reason. But on the other hand, adulteries of this degree are also reckoned among the more grave ones if they do not refrain from them for one of the aforementioned reasons. Thus the case is in accordance with the Divine law, in Ezekiel 18:21-22,24, 1and elsewhere.
Still, such adulteries cannot by man be excused or condemned or attributed and judged as mild or grave on these grounds, because they are not visible to his sight; indeed, neither are they within the scope of his judgment. What we mean, therefore, is that they are so reckoned and imputed after death.
Footnotes:
1. "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.... But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die."
487. 7. The adulteries committed by these people are mild. This stands from what was said above (no. 486) without more explanation, for obviously the nature of every act - of everything generally depends on the circumstances, and these make it mild or serious.
But adulteries on this level are mild when they are committed.
And they also remain mild insofar as a man or woman abstains from them over the course of life afterwards for the reasons that they are evils against God or evils against one's neighbor or evils against the civic good or, for these reasons, they are evils against reason. On the other hand, these also count as more serious adulteries if the people do not abstain from them for one of the reasons mentioned. This is so by Divine law (Ezekiel 18:21,22,24, and elsewhere).
But a person cannot forgive or condemn or accuse someone of them and judge them as mild or serious on the basis of these circumstances, because they do not appear to his eyes - in fact are not for him to judge. So this means that they are accused and blamed in this way after death.
487. VII. THAT ADULTERIES COMMITTED BY THESE ARE MILD. From what has been said above (no. 486), this is manifest without further confirmation, for it is well known that the quality of every deed and, in general, of every affair depends upon the circumstances, and that these mitigate or aggravate. Adulteries of this degree are mild the first time they are committed; and they remain mild so far as, in the subsequent course of life, he or she abstains from them because they are evils against God, or against the neighbor, or against the good of the state, and being against these, are evils against reason. On the other hand, these adulteries are numbered among the more grievous kinds if the parties do not abstain from them for one of the above reasons. Thus this is according to the Divine law in Ezekiel 18:21, 22,24, 1and elsewhere. By man, however, they cannot be either excused or condemned, or predicated and judged as light or grievous on these grounds, because they are not seen by him; indeed, they are not within the province of his judgement. What is meant, therefore, is that they are so accounted and imputed after death.
Footnotes:
1. "If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him.... But when the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be remembered."
487. (vii) Adulteries committed by such persons are mild. This is plain from what was said above (486) without further substantiation. For it is known that the quality of every deed and of every thing in general depends on circumstances, and that these mitigate or aggravate. But adulteries of this degree are mild when they are first committed; and they remain mild as the man or woman abstains from them in the subsequent course of life on the ground that they are evils against God, or against the neighbor, or against the good of the state, and as a result are evils in reason's view. On the other hand, they are numbered among serious adulteries, if they are not abstained from for one of the reasons mentioned. It is so according to Divine law (Ezekiel 18:21-22, 24 and elsewhere). But no mortal can thus excuse or blame adulteries or predicate and adjudge them as mild or serious according to circumstances, for these inner circumstances are not apparent to him, indeed are not subjects for his judgment. Therefore the meaning is that adulteries are so accounted and imputed after death.
487. (7) That adulteries committed by such are mild. This is manifest from what has been said above in n. 486 without further confirmation; for it is known that the quality of every deed and of everything in general, depends upon the circumstances, and that these mitigate or aggravate. But adulteries of this degree are mild the first time they are committed; and they also remain mild in so far as he or she in the after course of life abstains from them for the reasons that they are evils against God, or that they are evils against the neighbor, or that they are evils against the good of the state, and because being either of these they are evils against reason. But, on the other hand, if they do not abstain from them for one of the reasons mentioned, these also are numbered among grievous ones. It is so according to the Divine law in Ezekiel 18:21-22, 24, and elsewhere. And yet by man they cannot be exculpated and inculpated, or accounted and judged as light or grievous from those circumstances, because these do not appear before him, yea, are not within the province of his judgment. Therefore, the meaning is, that they are so accounted and imputed after death.
487. VII. Quod Adulteria ab his facta sint mitia. Constat ex supradictis n. 1486 absque ulteriore confirmatione; notum enim est, quod qualitas omnis facti, in genere qualitas omnis rei, dependeat a circumstantiis, et quod hae mitigent aut aggravent: sed hujus gradus adulteria sunt mitia primis temporibus dum fiunt; et quoque manent mitia quantum ille vel illa in sequente vitae curriculo, abstinet ab illis, propter causas, quia sunt mala contra Deum, vel quia sunt mala contra proximum, vel quia sunt mala contra bonum civitatis, et ex his aut ex illis quia sunt mala contra rationem; vicissim autem numerantur illa etiam inter gravia, si non abstinent ab illis propter unam ex memoratis causis: ita est secundum Legem Divinam, Ezech. 18:21-22, 24, et alibi: ab homine autem exculpari et inculpari, aut praedicari et judicari, ut mitia aut gravia, ex illis circumstantiis, non possunt, quia non apparent coram illo, imo nec ejus judicii est; quare intelligitur, quod post mortem ita reputentur ac imputentur.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: n (absque puncto)