162、由此可见，将一切归因于自然界的人何等愚蠢。那些确认支持自然界的人给自己带来这样一种状态：他们不再愿意将心智提升到自然界之上；所以他们的心智向上关闭，向下打开。人就这样变得感官-属世，也就是说，在灵性上是死的。此外，那时他仅照着从身体感官，或通过它们从世界所获得的观念进行思考，所以甚至从心里否认神。由于与天堂的联结中断，故与地狱的联结就形成了；他们只剩下思考和意愿的能力，即照理性思考的能力和出于自由意愿的能力；每个人都从主拥有这两种能力，它们不会被拿走。魔鬼和天使同等享有这两种能力，只是魔鬼用来思想疯狂并行恶，而天使则用来思想智慧并行善。
162. From this we can see the folly of people who attribute everything to nature. If we decide in nature's favor, we adopt a state in which we no longer want to raise our minds above nature. So our minds are closed upward and open downward, and we become focused on nature and our senses--spiritually dead. Further, since all we can think about is based on the kind of information we get through our physical senses, or from the world through those senses, at heart we deny God.
The result is a union with hell because our union with heaven has been broken. All we have left is the ability to think and intend--the ability to think coming from our rationality and the ability to intend coming from our freedom, two abilities the Lord gives every one of us and never takes away. Demons and angels alike have these abilities, but demons use them for madness and malice, while angels use them for wisdom and good.
162. One can see from this the foolishness of people who ascribe all things to nature. People who have confirmed themselves on the side of nature have induced in themselves a state of mind so set that they are no longer willing to raise their minds above nature. Consequently their minds are closed upwardly and opened downwardly, so that they become sensually natural people who are spiritually lifeless. Moreover, because they then think only in accord with ideas they have gained from their bodily senses, or by means of them from the world, they also at heart deny God.
Because any conjunction with heaven is then broken, a conjunction with hell is formed, leaving them only the faculties of thinking and willing - the faculty of thinking in accord with rationality, and the faculty of willing in freedom - two faculties which every person has from the Lord and which are not taken away.
These two faculties exist in devils and angels alike, but devils devote them to thinking insanely and doing evil, whereas angels devote them to thinking wisely and doing good.
162. From these considerations can be seen the idiocy of those who ascribe all things to nature. Those who have confirmed themselves as pro-nature have induced upon themselves the state that they no longer wish to raise their mind above nature. Wherefore their mind is closed above and opened below, and so the man becomes natural-sensual which spiritually is dead. And because he then thinks only from such things as he has drawn from bodily senses, or through those senses from the world, at heart he even denies God. Then because conjunction with heaven has been broken, there comes about a conjunction with hell, there remaining only the capacity of thinking and willing. The capacity of thinking from rationality and the capacity of willing from freedom which two faculties every man has from the Lord, are not taken away. Devils equally with angels have these two faculties, but devils apply them to becoming insane and to evil-doing, while angels apply them to becoming wise and doing good.
162. From all this the folly of those who ascribe all things to nature can be seen. Those who have confirmed themselves in favor of nature have brought such a state on themselves that they are no longer willing to raise the mind above nature; consequently their minds are shut above and opened below. Man thus becomes sensual-natural, that is, spiritually dead; and because he then thinks only from such things as he has imbibed from his bodily senses, or through the senses from the world, he at heart even denies God. Then because conjunction with heaven is broken, conjunction with hell takes place, the capacity to think and will alone remaining; the capacity to think, from rationality, and the capacity to will, from freedom; these two capacities every man has from the Lord, nor are they taken away. These two capacities devils have equally with angels; but devils devote them to insane thinking and evil doing, and angels to becoming wise and doing good.
162. Ex his videri potest fatuitas illorum, qui omnia Naturae adscribunt; illi qui pro Natura se confirmarunt, induxerunt sibi statum, ut non amplius velint elevare mentem supra naturam, quare Mens eorum clauditur superius et aperitur inferius, et sic fit homo naturalis sensualis, qui est spiritualiter mortuus; et quia tunc non cogitat nisi quam ex talibus quae hauserat ex sensibus corporis, seu per illos e mundo, etiam corde negat Deum. Tunc quia rupta est conjunctio cum Coelo, fit conjunctio cum Inferno, remanente solum facultate cogitandi et volendi, facultate cogitandi ex rationalitate, ac facultate volendi ex libero, quae duae facultates sunt cuivis homini a Domino, nec auferuntur: illae duae facultates sunt aeque diabolis ac sunt angelis, sed diaboli applicant illas ad insaniendum et ad malefaciendum, at angeli ad sapiendum et ad benefaciendum.