249、属世人分为三类：对神性诫命一无所知者组成第一类；知道这些诫命的存在，却不思想照之生活者组成第二类；藐视和否认这些诫命者组成第三类。关于由对神性诫命一无所知者组成的第一类人，他们只能继续是属世的，因为他们无法从自己那里获得教导。每个人接受关于神性诫命的教导都不是通过直接的启示，而是通过从宗教知道它们的其他人；关于这个主题，请参阅《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》(114-118节)。由知道神性诫命的存在，却不思想照之生活者组成的第二类人也仍旧是属世的，因为他们只关心属于世界和肉体的东西。这些人死后照着他们能为那些属灵之人所发挥的功用而成为用人和仆人。因为属世人就是用人和仆人，而属灵人则是主人和主。由藐视和否认这些诫命者组成的第三类人不但仍旧是属世的，还根据他们藐视和否认的程度而变得感官化。感官人是最低级的属世人，他们的思维无法超越肉体感官的表象和谬误。这些人死后都在地狱里。
249. There are three kinds of earthly-minded people. One kind is made up of individuals who have no knowledge of divine precepts, a second of people who know that such precepts exist but give no thought to living by them, and a third of people who trivialize and deny them. As for the first kind, the ones who have no knowledge of divine precepts, they cannot help remaining earthly-minded because there is no way for them to teach themselves. We all learn about divine precepts from others, who know about them from their religion. We do not gain them by direct revelation (see Teachings for the New Jerusalem on Sacred Scripture 114-118).
People of the second kind, the ones who know that divine precepts exist but give no thought to living by them, also remain earthly-minded and are not concerned with anything except what is worldly and physical. After death they become employees and servants of the spiritual-minded, performing for them the functions for which they are fitted. This is because an earthly-minded individual is an employee or servant, while a spiritual-minded one is an employer or householder.
People of the third kind, the ones who trivialize and deny divine precepts, not only remain earthly-minded but even become sense-centered to the extent that they trivialize and deny divine precepts. Sense-centered people are the lowest of the earthly-minded, unable to raise their thoughts above deceptive physical appearances. After death, they are in hell.
249. Natural people fall into three classes. The first class consists of those who know nothing of Divine precepts, the second of those who know of the existence of these precepts but give no thought to living in accordance with them, and the third of those who regard these precepts with disdain and reject them.
As regards the first class, which consists of people who know nothing of Divine precepts, they cannot help but remain natural, because they cannot learn these precepts on their own. Everyone learns of Divine precepts from others who know them from religion, and not as a result of direct revelations (on which subject see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture 114-118).
[2] People of the second class, who know of the existence of Divine precepts but give no thought to living in accordance with them, also remain natural, being concerned only with matters connected with the world and their own person. After death they become menials and servants according to the services they are able to perform for those who are spiritual. For the natural self is a menial and servant, while the spiritual self is master and lord.
[3] People of the third class, who regard Divine precepts with disdain and reject them, not only remain natural, but become also sensual to the extent of their disdain and rejection. Sensual people are the lowest class of natural people, being unable to rise in their thinking above appearances and the misconceptions of their bodily senses. Such people after death are in hell.
249. There are three kinds of natural men. The first consists of those who know nothing about the Divine precepts. The second of those who know that there are such precepts but think nothing of a life according to them. And the third of those who despise and deny those precepts. As regards the first kind which consists of those who know nothing about the Divine precepts, they cannot do otherwise than remain natural because they cannot be taught from themselves. Every man is taught about the Divine precepts by others who know them from religion, and not by immediate revelations, on which subject, see THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (114-118). Those of the second kind who know that there are Divine precepts but think nothing of a life according to them, also remain natural, caring about nothing but the things of the world and the body. After death these become slaves and servants according to the uses they are able to perform for those who are spiritual. For the natural man is a slave and servant, but the spiritual man is a master and lord. Those of the third kind who despise and deny the Divine precepts, not only remain natural, but also become sensual in the measure of their contempt and denial. Sensual men are the lowest natural men, who are unable to think above the appearances and fallacies of bodily senses. These are in hell after death.
249. There are three kinds of natural men; the first consists of those who know nothing of the Divine precepts; the second, of those who know that there are such precepts, but give no thought to a life according to them; and the third, of those who despise and deny these precepts. In respect to the first class, which consists of those who know nothing of the Divine precepts, since they cannot be taught by themselves they must needs remain natural. Every man is taught respecting the Divine precepts, not by immediate revelations, but by others who know them from religion, on which subject see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Concerning the Sacred Scriptures (n. 114-118). Those of the second class, who know that there are Divine precepts but give no thought to a life according to them, also remain natural, and care about no other concerns than those of the world and the body. These after death become mere menials and servants, according to the uses which they are able to perform for those who are spiritual; for the natural man is a menial and servant, and the spiritual man is a master and lord. Those of the third class, who despise and deny the Divine precepts, not only remain natural, but also become sensual in the measure of their contempt and denial. Sensual men are the lowest natural men, who are incapable of thinking above the appearances and fallacies of the bodily senses. After death they are in hell.
249. Sunt tria genera hominum naturalium; unum Genus est illorum, qui nihil sciunt de praeceptis Divinis; alterum illorum, qui sciunt quod sint, sed nihil cogitant de vita secundum illa; et tertium illorum, qui contemnunt et negant illa. Quod Primum Genus, quod est illorum, qui nihil sciunt de praeceptis Divinis, concernit, illi non possunt aliter quam manere naturales, quia a seipsis non possunt doceri; omnis homo de praeceptis Divinis docetur ab aliis qui illa sciunt ex religione, et non per revelationes immediatas, de qua re videatur in 114-118 1 .
[2] Qui ex Altero Genere sunt, qui sciunt quod praecepta Divina sint, sed nihil cogitant de vita secundum illa, 2 illi quoque manent naturales, nec curant alia quam quae mundi et corporis sunt[;] hi post mortem fiunt famulitia et servitia secundum usus quos praestare possunt illis qui spirituales sunt; nam naturalis homo est famulus et servus, ac spiritualis homo est herus et dominus.
[3] Qui ex tertio Genere sunt, qui praecepta Divina contemnunt et negant, illi non modo manent naturales, sed etiam fiunt sensuales secundum contemtum et negationem: sensuales sunt infimi naturales, qui non possunt supra apparentias et fallacias sensuum corporis cogitare; hi post mortem sunt in Inferno.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: HIEROSOLYMAE
2. Prima editio: illa,