373、由于意愿和理解力是接受爱和智慧的容器，所以这二者是有机形式，或由最纯净的物质组织起来的形式；因为它们要成为接受的容器，就必须具有这种性质。至于它们的组织结构不为肉眼所察觉，这并不重要。它隐藏太深，以至于看不见，哪怕用显微镜放大也是看不见。最小的昆虫也是太小，以至于看不见；然而，它们却拥有感觉器官和运动器官，因为它们有感觉、会行走和飞行。它们还拥有脑、心脏、肺管和内脏，一些敏锐的观察者从通过显微镜所观察到的它们的解剖结构发现了这一点。既然肉眼连小昆虫本身都看不见，更不用说构成它们的内脏了，然而又不可否认，它们是有组织的，甚至连它们里面的每一个粒子也都是有组织的，那么又怎能说，被称为意愿和理解力的爱和智慧的这两个容器，不是有机形式呢？
爱和智慧，也就是来自主的生命，怎能作用于一个非接受主体，或某种没有物质存在的东西呢？没有有机形式，思维如何能存在呢？如果思维不存在，又如何从思维说话呢？头脑不就是思维在其每个部分上都完整而有组织地呈现出来的地方吗？有机形式本身在那里甚至不为肉眼所见；在其最初成分中的意愿和理解力的容器，在灰质中是清晰可见的，在那里会清楚看到小腺体状的成分(对此，可参看366节)。请不要认为这些东西存在于真空之中。真空就是无，无中什么也不会发生，从无中出来的是无(关于真空的概念，可参看82节)。
373. Since volition and discernment are vessels of love and wisdom, they are two organic forms, or organized forms made out of the purest substances. They need to be like this in order to be vessels. The fact that their organization is not visible to the eye offers no objection because their organization is finer than eyesight, even when amplified by a microscope. Tiny insects are finer than eyesight, too, insects containing sensory and motor organs, since they feel and crawl and fly. Careful observers of their anatomy have discovered with their microscopes that insects also have brains, hearts, windpipes, and viscera. If these insects are invisible to our eyesight--to say nothing of the tiny inner organs they are made of--and we do not deny that they are organized down to the last detail, how can anyone say that the two vessels of love and wisdom called volition and discernment are not organized forms? How can love and wisdom, which are life from the Lord, act on some nonagent or on something that has no substantial presence? How else could thought have a residence? Or could someone talk on the basis of thoughts that had no residence? Is the brain where thinking happens not a complete whole, with every single component organized? We can actually see its organized forms with the naked eye, seeing the vessels of volition and discernment in their primary forms quite clearly in the cortical substance, where they look like very small glands (see above, 366).
Please do not think about these matters in terms of a vacuum. A vacuum is nothing, and nothing happens in nothing or comes from nothing. On the concept of a vacuum, see 82 above.
373. Since the will and intellect are the recipient vessels of love and wisdom, therefore the two are organic forms, or forms organized of the purest substances. For in order to be recipient vessels, they must be of such a character.
It does not matter that their organization is not evident to the eye. It is too deeply hidden for visual sight, even when amplified by the use of microscopes. The tiniest insects are also too small to be seen, and yet they have in them sense organs and motor organs, since they have senses and walk and fly. They also have brains, hearts, pulmonary passages, and viscera, as some keen observers have discovered from their anatomy seen through microscopes. When little insects are themselves not visible to the eye, and still less the little organs of which they are composed, and yet no one denies that they are organized down to the least particulars in them, how then can it be said that the two recipient vessels of love and wisdom called will and intellect are not organic forms?
[2] How can love and wisdom which are life from the Lord operate into a nonrecipient, or into something which has no substantial existence? How else can thought be retained, or someone speak from thought if it is not retained? Is not the brain where thought exists full, and everything in it organized? The organic forms themselves there are visible even to the naked eye, and the vessels of the will and intellect in their first elements plainly so in the gray matter, where little gland-like constituents are clearly seen (concerning which, see no. 366 above).
Please do not think of these things as existing in a vacuum. A vacuum is nothingness, and in nothing nothing happens, and from nothing nothing springs. (Regarding the notion of a vacuum, see no. 82 above.)
373. Since the will and understanding are receptacles of love and wisdom, these two are organic forms, or forms organized out of the purest substances, for such they must be to be receptacles. It does not matter that their organization is imperceptible to the eye. Even when the vision of the eye is magnified by the microscope, the organization lies within, imperceptible. The smallest insects also are imperceptible to vision, yet they have organs of sense and motion, for they feel, and walk and fly. Acute observers have discovered from their anatomical studies by means of the microscope, that they, too, have brains, hearts, lung tubes, and viscera. When the tiny insects themselves are not visible and still less their component viscera, and it is not denied that they are organized even to each single particle in them, how then can it be said that the two receptacles of love and wisdom, called will and understanding, are not organic forms? How can love and wisdom, which are life from the Lord, act on what is not a subject, or on anything which has no substantial existence? How otherwise can thought inhere, and how can anything be spoken from non-inherent thought? Is not the brain, where thought presents itself complete and organized in every part thereof? There the organic forms themselves are visible even to the naked eye; and the receptacles of the will and understanding in their first principles emerge in the cortical substance, where they are clearly seen as small glands, concerning which see above (366). Do not, I beg you, think of these things from an idea of vacuum. Vacuum is nothing, and in nothing, nothing takes place, and from nothing, nothing comes forth. (Concerning the idea of vacuum, see above,82).
373. Because the will and understanding are the receptacles of love and wisdom, these two are organic forms, or forms organized out of the purest substances; for such they must be to be receptacles. It is no objection that their organization is imperceptible to the eye; it lies beyond the reach of vision, even when this is increased by the microscope. The smallest insects are also too small to be seen, yet they have organs of sense and motion, for they feel, walk, and fly. That they have brains, hearts, pulmonary pipes, and viscera, acute observers have discovered from their anatomy by means of the microscope. Since minute insects themselves are not visible, and still less so their component viscera, and since it is not denied that they are organized even to each single particle in them, how can it be said that the two receptacles of love and wisdom, called will and understanding, are not organic forms? How can love and wisdom, which are life from the Lord, act upon what is not a subject, or upon what has no substantial existence? Without organic forms, how can thought inhere; and from thought inherent in nothing can one speak? Is not the brain, where thought comes forth, complete and organized in every part? The organic forms themselves are there visible even to the naked eye; and the receptacles of the will and understanding, in their first principles, are plainly to be seen in the cortical substance, where they are perceptible as minute glands (On which see above, n. 366). Do not, I pray, think of these things from an idea of vacuum. Vacuum is nothing, and in nothing nothing takes place, and from nothing nothing comes forth. (On the idea of vacuum, see above, n. 82.)
373. Quoniam Voluntas et Intellectus sunt receptacula amoris et sapientiae, ideo sunt illa duo 1 formae organicae, seu formae ex purissimis substantiis organizatae; ut enim receptacula sint, erunt tales: non obstat, quod organizatio illorum non pateat coram oculo[;] est intra ejus visum, etiam exaltatum per microscopia: intra visum etiam sunt minima insecta, in quibus etiam sunt sensoria et motoria, sentiunt enim, ac gradiuntur et volant; quod etiam illis sint cerebra, corda, fistulae pulmonares, viscera, ex anatome illorum per microscopia a perspicacibus detectum est; cum ipsa insectula non patent coram visu, et minus adhuc viscerula ex quibus, 2 et non negatur quin illa usque ad singula in illis organizata sunt, quomodo tunc dici potest, quod non bina receptacula amoris et sapientiae, quae vocantur voluntas et intellectus, formae organicae sint;
[2] quomodo potest amor et sapientia, quae sunt vita a Domino, agere in non subjectum, aut in aliquod quod non substantialiter existit[;] quomodo alioquin potest cogitatio inhaerere, et aliquis ex cogitatione non inhaerente loqui; estne Cerebrum, ubi cogitatio existit, plenum, et unumquodvis ibi organizatum; ipsae formae organicae ibi coram nudo oculo etiam apparent, et exstanter in substantia corticali receptacula voluntatis et intellectus in principiis suis, ubi sicut parvae glandulae conspiciuntur, de qua re videatur supra 366. Ne quaeso ex idea vacui de his cogites[;] vacuum est nihilum, et in nihilo nihil fit, et ex nihilo nihil existit; de idea vacui videatur supra 82.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: duo,
2. Prima editio: quibus;