527、⑷邪恶照各人的意愿和理解力的性质报应他；良善同样如此。众所周知，有两个要素构成人的生命：意愿和理解力，人所行的一切都是由他的意愿和理解力行出的；没有这两个代理人，人就和机器一样没有行为或言语。由此明显可知，人的性质取决于其意愿和理解力的性质；人之行为的根本性质取决于产生它们的意愿之情感；人之言谈的性质则取决于产生它的理解力的思维。因此，许多人可能言行都差不多；而事实上，他们的言行却截然不同，有些人的言行出于错误的意愿和思维，而有些人的言行则出于正确的意愿和思维。
由此明显可知每个人照之受审判的行为是什么意思，也就是说，这行为就是意愿和理解力；因此，恶行是指一个邪恶意愿的行为，无论它们外在表现如何；而善行是指一个良善意愿的行为，哪怕它们外在似乎与恶人的行为一样。人的内在意愿所行的一切都是有意而行的，因为意愿将它在意图上所行的事作为一个目标摆在自己面前。理解力所行的一切都是经确认而行的，因为理解力确认这个意图。由此明显可知，邪恶或良善照各人行为中的意愿的性质，和对它们的理解的性质报应各人。
我能通过以下经历确认这个说法：在灵界，我遇见过很多人，他们在世时的生活和其他人没什么两样，他们也是锦衣玉食，和别人一样做买卖赚钱、去剧院看戏，开一些有关性的相当不雅的玩笑，诸如此类。然而，天使却认为其中一些人有罪，一些人无罪，声称这一组是无辜的，而那一组是有罪的。他们被问及为何这样做，因为这两组人所行的都差不多，天使回答说，他们从打算、意图或目的的角度来看待每个人，并据此作出区分。因此，他们宽恕或谴责那些目的宽恕或谴责他们的人，因为凡在天堂者皆以良善为目的，凡在地狱者皆以邪恶为目的。
527、（4）人们知道意愿和才智两种因素构成了人的生命；人所做的一切都来自于他的才智和意愿；没有这二者，人也就不会有各种行为和语言。很明显，人的性质也就是他的才智和意愿的性质。人的言行的性质也是与产生言行的才智和意愿的性质是一样的。因此，许多人可能说得一样，但在实质上却不同，有的可能出于扭曲了的意愿和思想，有的则出于良好的意愿和思想。
这就是所讲的按每个人的行为而对其进行审判的意思。即按人的意愿和才智。恶行是出于恶的意愿。无论在外在上表现如何，善行是指善的意愿所产生的行为，尽管有时在外在上看它好象是出自于恶人。
人出于意愿而做的一切都是有目的的，而出于才智所做的一切都是故意的。
可见每个人都因其意愿或理解力的性质而有善或恶的性质。
在精神世界中我见过很多精灵。他们在世间时与别人一样锦衣玉食，从事有利润的工作，并以淫秽的态度谈论男女 关系。但是天使却将这些人中一些人的行为定为有罪的，而另一些人的行为是无辜的。对此我向天使询问。天使说天使是按人的目的，意图来判断的。好的目的是天国的，而恶的目的是地狱的。
527. (iv) The evil imputed to everyone depends upon the nature of his will and on the nature of his intellect; and likewise the good.
It is well known that there are two factors which make a person's life, the will and the intellect, that all his actions are the result of his will and his intellect, and that without their agency a person could neither act nor speak except mechanically. From this is it plain that a person's nature is determined by the nature of his will and his intellect; the essential nature of his actions is determined by the affection of the will which gives rise to them; the nature of a person's conversation is determined by the intellectual thinking that gives rise to it. It is therefore possible for a number of people to act and talk alike, and yet in fact they act and talk differently, in one case due to wrong willing and thinking, in another due to right willing and right thinking.
[2] These facts establish what is meant by the actions or deeds according to which each individual will be judged, namely, the will and the intellect, and in consequence evil deeds mean the deeds of a wicked will, whatever they look like outwardly. Also good deeds means the deeds of a good will, even though outwardly they look like the deeds of a wicked person. Everything done by a person's inner will is done of set purpose, since the will sets before itself as an aim what in intends to do. Everything done by the intellect is done by assent, since the intellect assents to it. These facts can establish that everyone has evil or good imputed to him according to the nature of his will shown in his actions and the nature of his intellect with regard to them.
[3] I can support this statement by the following. In the spiritual world I have met many people whose life in the natural world was no different from others'; they wore fine clothes, dined elegantly, engaged in business deals like other people to make profits, went to the theatre, joked about love affairs as if lusting for them, and did other things of the same sort. Yet the angels held some of them guilty of sinful evils, and to others they did not impute these actions as evils, declaring one group innocent, and the other guilty. When they were asked why, when both groups had done much the same, they replied that what they looked for in all cases was the aim, intention or end in view, and they distinguished cases on this basis, so that those who were excused or condemned by their end in view, they themselves excused or condemned, since all in heaven have good as their end in view, all in hell evil.
527. 4. Evil is imputed to a person in accordance with the nature of his will and in accordance with the nature of his understanding; so, too, good. People know that there are two components which form a person's life, will and intellect; that everything a person does emanates from his will and intellect; and that without these two agencies a person would be incapable of any action or speech other than a mechanical one. It is apparent from this that a person's character is such as that of his will and intellect. So, too, that the character of a person's action in itself is such as that of the affection of his will which produces it, and that the character of a person's speech in itself is such as that of the thought of his intellect which produces it. Therefore a number of people may do and say the same things, and yet be acting and speaking differently, one doing so from a corrupt will and thought, another from an upright will and thought.
[2] It is clear from this what is meant by the deeds or works according to which everyone will be judged, namely, that it is the will and intellect; consequently that by evil works are meant the works of an evil will, however they may have appeared in outward respects, and that by good works are meant the works of a good will, even if they appeared in outward respects like works emanating from an evil person.
Everything that a person does from his inner will is done purposefully, since whatever that will intends to do it purposes to itself. And everything that a person does from his intellect is done deliberately, since the intellect deliberates.
It follows in consequence of this that everyone has imputed to him evil or good in accordance with the nature of his will in these and in accordance with the nature of his understanding regarding them.
[3] I am able to confirm this by the following account. In the spiritual world I have encountered many spirits who, in the natural world, had lived like others - dressing grandly, dining elegantly, doing business like others at a profit, attending theatrical performances, joking about the actions of lovers in a seemingly lustful manner, and other like things. And yet angels attributed these things to some as sinful evils, and did not attribute them to others as evil, declaring the former guilty, but the latter innocent. Upon my asking the reason for this, when the people had done much the same things, the angels replied that they regard everyone in the light of his purpose, intention or end, and make distinctions accordingly; and that they therefore excuse or condemn those whom the end either excuses or condemns, since an end for good is the end of all in heaven, and an end for evil the end of all in hell.
527. 4. Everyone's evil is imputed to him in keeping with what his desire is like and in keeping with what his intellect is like. Likewise his good. It is well known that there are two things that make a person's life - will and intellect - and that all the things a person does come from his will and his intellect, and that without these active forces a person would not have action or speech different from a machine.
This makes it clear that what a person is like in his will and intellect is what he is like. And also, a person's actions in their own right are like the desire of his will, which produces the act, and a person's speech, in its own right, is like the intellect of his thought, which produces it. So two or more people can act and speak alike and still be acting and speaking differently - one from a vicious desire and thought and another from an upright desire and thought.
These observations establish what the "acts" or "works" that anyone is judged by mean - his intent and his comprehension. So
"evil actions" means actions of an evil will, whatever they may seem like outwardly. And "good works" means works of a good will, even though they might seem the same outwardly as the works of an evil person.
All the things that are done from a person's inner desire are done on purpose, since that desire plans to do what its intention carries out. And all the things he does from his intellect he does from confirmation, since intellect confirms. These observations can establish that good or bad is credited to anyone according to what kind of intention is behind the acts, and according to what kind of understanding is behind them.
Let us confirm these things. In the spiritual world I have encountered many people who lived like others in the natural world, dressing splendidly, eating in style, doing profitable business like others, seeing plays, joking about love affairs as if with pleasure, and other things just like that, and yet angels condemned these things as sinful evils in some of them and did not condemn them as sins in others. They pronounced the first group guilty and the other innocent. To the question why it was like that, even though both did the same things, the angels answered that they size everyone up by his plan, intention, and aim and separate people according to those things, and so they excuse or condemn those whose aim excuses or condemns, since everyone in heaven has a good end in view and everyone in hell has a bad end in view.
527. IV. THAT EVIL IS IMPUTED TO EVERY ONE ACCORDING TO THE NATURE OF HIS WILL AND THE NATURE OF HIS UNDERSTANDING. It is known that there are two things which make man's life: will and understanding, all that is done by a man being done by his will and his understanding; also that without these agents man would have no action or speech other than that of a machine. It is evident from this that a man is such or such a man according to his will and understanding; also that a man's action, viewed in itself is such as is the affection of his will which produces it; and that his speech viewed in itself is such as is the thought of his understanding which produces it. Therefore, a number of men may act and speak in the same way and yet be acting and speaking differently, some from a depraved will and thought, and others from an upright will and thought.
[2] From this it is evident that what is meant by the deeds or works according to which every one will be judged, is the will and understanding; and consequently, that by evil works are meant the works of an evil will, howsoever they may have appeared in externals, and by good works, the works of a good will even though in externals they may have seemed to be the same as the works of an evil man. Everything that is done by man's interior will is done from purpose; for that will proposes to itself that which it does in intention; and because the understanding confirms that intention, everything that is done by the understanding is done from confirmation. From this it is evident that evil or good is imputed to every one according to the nature of the will in his deeds, and according to the nature of his understanding concerning them. It is allowed to confirm this by the following:
[3] In the spiritual world I have met with many who in the natural world had lived in the same way as others, dressing finely, faring sumptuously, doing business for gain like other men, attending dramatic performances, jesting about amatory matters as if from lust, besides other like things; yet in some the angels condemned these things as evils of sin, and in some they did not account them as evils; and the latter they declared guiltless, and the former guilty. To the question why they did so when yet the men had done the same things, they answered that they view all men from their purpose, intention or end, and make distinction accordingly; thus that those whom the end excuses or condemns, they excuse or condemn, for all in heaven have good as an end, and all in hell have evil as an end.
527. (iv) Evil is imputed to one in accord with the character of his will and the character of his understanding; good in like manner. It is known that there are two things which constitute man's life, will and understanding; also that all a man does is done by his will and understanding; and that apart from these agents the human being would have no more activity or speech than a machine. Plainly then a man is such as are his will and understanding - a man's action is such in itself as is his will's affection which produces it, and his speech is such in itself as is the thought of his understanding, which produces it. A number of men may act and speak similarly, therefore, and yet they act and speak dissimilarly, some from a depraved will and thought, others from an upright will and thought.
[2] It is evident from this what is meant by the deeds or works according to which one will be judged, namely, the will and understanding; consequently, that by evil works are meant the works of an evil will, of whatever quality they seem in externals; and that by good works the works of a good will are meant, though in externals they have resembled the works of an evil man. All things done from the man's interior will are done of purpose, since that will purposes what it does by intention; and all things done with understanding are done from confirmation, for the understanding confirms. It may be evident from this that evil or good is imputed to every one according to the character of the will in the deeds and according to the character of the understanding of them.
[3] We may confirm this by the following: 1
I have encountered many in the spiritual world who had all lived alike in the natural world, dressing well, faring sumptuously, doing business for gain, attending the theater, joking about love affairs as though from lust, besides other similar habits; and yet the angels charged some with these things as evils of sin, and some they did not charge with them as evils; they pronounced these guiltless and those guilty. To the question why they did so, when yet all had done similar things, they replied that they view all action from the purpose, intention or end, and make distinctions accordingly, and that therefore they excuse or condemn those whom the end excuses or condemns, since all in heaven pursue an end of good and all in hell an end of evil.
Footnotes:
1. Recounted previously at453, and occurring again in True Christian Religion 523 and Brief Exposition,113.
527. (4) That the evil of everyone is imputed according to the quality of his will, and according to the quality of his understanding. It is known that there are two things which make man's life, will and understanding; that all things done by a man are done by his will and by his understanding; and that without these acting, man would have no action nor speech other than as a machine. From which it is plain that such as is the quality of his will and understanding such is the man; and that the action of man in itself is such as the affection of his will is which produces it; and that a man's speech in itself is such as is the thought of his understanding which produces it. Therefore a number of men may act and speak alike, and yet act and speak unlike, one of them from a depraved will and thought, another from an upright will and thought. From this it is evident what is meant by the deeds or works, according to which everyone will be judged, namely, the will and the understanding; consequently that by evil deeds are meant the deeds of an evil will, of what quality soever they may outwardly appear; and that by good deeds are meant the deeds of a good will, although outwardly they appear similar to the works of an evil man.
All things that are done from a man's interior will are done for a purpose, for that will does the thing which it purposes to itself in its intention. And all things that are done from the understanding are done from confirmation, since the understanding confirms. It is evident from this that the evil or the good imputed to anyone is according to the quality of his will in the things done, and according to the quality of his understanding concerning them. This may be confirmed by the following. I have met with many in the spiritual world who in the natural world had lived like others, clothing themselves splendidly, faring sumptuously, trafficking for gain like others, attending dramatic performances, jesting about love affairs as if from lust, and other like things, and yet with some the angels accounted these as evils of sin, and with others accounted them not as evils; and these they declared innocent, but those guilty. To the question why it was so, when yet they had done like things, they answered that they regard all from their purpose, intention, or end, and according to this distinguish them, and that therefore, those whom the end excuses or condemns they excuse or condemn, for all in heaven have an end of good, and all in hell have an end of evil.
527. IV. Quod malum cuivis imputetur secundum quale voluntatis, et secundum quale intellectus ejus [similiter bonum]. Notum est, quod duo sint, quae faciunt vitam hominis, Voluntas et Intellectus, et quod omnia, quae fiunt ab homine fiant a voluntate et ab intellectu ejus, et quod absque his agentibus non foret homini actio nec loquela, alia quam machinae; inde patet, quod homo, qualis est ejus voluntas et intellectus, talis homo sit; tum etiam, quod talis sit hominis actio in se, qualis est ejus voluntatis affectio, quae producit illam, et quod talis sit hominis sermo in se, qualis est ejus intellectus cogitatio, quae producit illum; quare possunt plures homines similiter agere et loqui, et tamen dissimiliter agunt et loquuntur, unus ex voluntate et cogitatione prava, alter ex voluntate et cogitatione proba.
[2] Ex his constat, quid per Facta seu Opera, secundum quae unusquisque judicabitur, intelligitur, nimirum quod voluntas et intellectus, consequenter quod per opera mala intelligantur opera voluntatis malae, qualiacunque apparuerint in externis, et quod per opera bona intelligantur opera voluntatis bonae, tametsi in externis similia apparuerint cum operibus ex homine malo. Omnia quae fiunt ab interiore voluntate hominis, fiunt ex proposito, quoniam illa voluntas id quod sua intentione agit, proponit sibi; et omnia quae fiunt ab intellectu, fiunt ex confirmato, quoniam intellectus confirmat: ex his constare potest, quod cuivis imputetur malum aut bonum secundum quale voluntatis ejus in illis, et secundum quale intellectus ejus de illis.
[3] Haec confirmare licet per hoc; in Mundo spirituali offendi plures, qui in Mundo naturali similes aliis vixerant, splendide se vestiendo, laute epulando, cum foenore sicut alii negotiando, ludos scenicos spectando, de amatoriis sicut ex libidine jocando, praeter consimilia alia, et tamen Angeli quibusdam inculpabant illa ut mala peccati, et quibusdam non imputabant illa ut mala, et hos declarabant insontes, illos autem sontes: ad interrogationem cur ita, cum tamen parilia fecerant, 1respondebant, quod ex proposito, intentione seu fine, omnes contemplentur, et secundum illa distinguant; et quod ideo illos, quos finis aut excusat aut damnat, ipsi excusent aut damnent, quoniam finis boni est omnibus in Coelo, et finis mali omnibus in inferno.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: fecerant;