58、至于性质不同于天使和人类的宇宙其它事物，也就是人类之下动物界中的事物，动物之下植物界中的事物，以及植物之下矿物界中的事物，也是神-人的神性之爱与神性智慧的接受者；这一点还不能解释清楚。因为必须先详细说一说生命的层级和生命接受者的层级。与这些事物的结合取决于它们的功用；因为良善的功用若不通过与神的一种类似结合，就没有其它任何起源，而这种结合照着层级而不同。该结合在下降的过程中逐渐具有这种性质：由于它里面没有任何理性元素而不再有任何自由元素，因而不再有任何生命的迹象存留其中，但它们仍是接受者。它们因是接受者，故也是起反应的；因起反应，故为盛纳的容器。至于与非良善的功用的结合，等到论述邪恶的起源时，我们再予以讨论。
58. There are many things that need to be said about levels of life and levels of vessels of life before I can give an intelligible explanation of the fact that other things in the universe, things that are not like angels and people, are also vessels for the divine love and wisdom of the Divine-Human One--for example, things below us in the animal kingdom, things below them in the plant kingdom, and things below them in the mineral kingdom. Union with them depends on their functions. All useful functions have their only source in a related union with God that is, however, increasingly dissimilar depending on its level. As we come down step by step, this union takes on a nature in which there is no element of freedom involved because there is no element of reason. There is therefore no appearance of life involved; but still these are vessels. Because they are vessels, they are also characterized by reaction. It is actually by virtue of their reactions that they are vessels.
I will discuss union with functions that are not useful after I have explained the origin of evil [264-270].
58. As for the other constituents of the universe that differ in nature from angels and people - such as those which are of a lower order than people in the animal kingdom, and those which are of a lower order than these in the plant kingdom, and those which are of a still lower order in the mineral kingdom - that they are also recipients of the Divine love and wisdom of the human God cannot yet be explained to the intellect. For more must first be said about degrees of life and about the degrees in recipients of life.
Conjunction with these depends on the uses they serve; for all good and useful forms originate solely as the result of a like conjunction with God, but one that differs in accordance with degrees. In its descent this conjunction becomes progressively such that no element of freedom remains, owing to an absence of any element of reason, and consequently its recipients have nothing of any apparent life in them. But still they are recipients. Because they are recipients, they are also reactive, for as recipients they are containing vessels.
As for conjunction with forms of use that are not good, this we will discuss after we have demonstrated the origin of evil.
58. It cannot yet be intelligibly explained how other things of the universe which are unlike angels and men, such as the things below men in the animal kingdom, and the things below these in the vegetable kingdom, and below these in the mineral kingdom are also recipients of the Divine Love and Wisdom of God-Man. For many things need first to be said about degrees of life and degrees of the recipients of life. Conjunction with them is according to their uses. For all good uses derive their origin from no other source than through a similar conjunction with God, but different according to degrees. This conjunction in its descent becomes successively of such a nature that there is nothing of freedom because nothing of reason in it and therefore nothing of the appearance of life, but still they are recipients. Because they are recipients they are also reactive for in as much as they are reactive, they are containants. Conjunction with uses which are not good will be discussed after the origin of evil has been shown.
58. It cannot yet be intelligibly explained how all other things of the universe which are unlike angels and men, that is, the things below man in the animal kingdom, and the things below these in the vegetable kingdom, and the things still below these in the mineral kingdom, are also recipients of the Divine Love and of the Divine Wisdom of God-Man; for many things need to be said first about degrees of life, and degrees of the recipients of life. Conjunction with these things is according to their uses; for no good use has any other origin than through a like conjunction with God, but yet different according to degrees. This conjunction in its descent becomes successively such that nothing of freedom is left therein, because nothing of reason, and therefore nothing of the appearance of life; but still they are recipients. Because they are recipients, they are also re-agents; and forasmuch as they are re-agents, they are containants. Conjunction with uses which are not good will be discussed when the origin of evil has been made known.
58. Quod reliqua Universi, quae non sunt sicut angeli et sicut homines, etiam sint recipientia Divini Amoris et Divinae Sapientiae Dei Hominis, sicut quae infra homines sunt in Regno animali, et quae infra haec in Regno vegetabili, et quae infra haec in Regno minerali, non potest adhuc ad intellectum exponi, prius enim plura de gradibus vitae, et de gradibus recipientium vitae, dicenda sunt. Conjunctio cum illis est secundum usus illorum; omnes enim usus boni non trahunt aliunde suam originem, quam per similem conjunctionem cum Deo, sed dissimilem secundum gradus; quae conjunctio successive in descensu fit talis, ut nihil liberi quia nihil rationis, et inde nihil apparentiae vitae insit, at usque sunt recipientia: quia sunt recipientia, etiam sunt reagentia, nam per id quod sint recipientia, 1 sunt continentia. De conjunctione cum usibus non bonis, dicetur postquam origo mali ostensa est.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: reagentia,