117、许多人没有意识到自己受邪恶驱使，因为他们害怕法律和名声丧失，故表面上并未作恶，因而出于习俗和习惯学会避开损害其名利的邪恶。然而，如果他们避开邪恶不是出于宗教原则，不是因为它们是罪，与神对立，那么恶欲及其快乐仍留在他们里面，就像堵塞或停滞的污水。让这些人检查一下自己的思维和意图，他们就会发现这些欲望，只要他们知道何为罪。
这就是许多确认与仁分离之信，以为律法不定自己的罪，甚至不思想罪之人的状态。有些人甚至质疑这些罪是否存在，即便存在，它们在神眼里是否是罪，因为它们已经得到赦免。属世的道德家们也处于类似状态，他们以为文明道德的生活及其谨慎能实现一切，而圣治成就不了任何事；那些为了赢得赞誉和物质利益而热切追求诚实正直的名声和名气的人也是这样。不过，具有这种性质，同时蔑视宗教的人死后会成为淫灵；这些淫灵在自己看来好像是人；但在远处的其他人看来，就像普里阿普斯。此外，他们就像夜鸟或猫头鹰，在黑暗中看得见，在光明中却看不见。
117. Many people do not know that they are impelled by evils because they do not do them in outward deeds. For they fear the civil laws and also the loss of their reputation, and so out of custom and habit they learn to refrain from evils as harmful to their honor and material gain. However, if they do not refrain from evils in conformity with a principle of religion, because they are sins, and sins against God, then lusts for evil with their delights remain in them, like polluted waters stopped up or stagnant. Let them examine their thoughts and intentions and they will discover these lusts, provided they know what sin is.
[2] Many people are of such a character, who have confirmed themselves in faith apart from charity, and who, because they believe that the law does not condemn, do not even take any notice of their sins. Some even doubt whether those sins exist, or if they do, whether they exist in the sight of God, because He has pardoned them.
Of such a character, too, are natural moralists, who believe that civil and moral life with its prudence occasions everything, and Divine providence nothing.
Of such a character as well are people who strive zealously to gain a reputation and name for being honorable and honest for the sake of acclaim and material gain.
But people who are of such a character, and who at the same time have spurned religion, become after death lustful spirits who appear to themselves as though they were quite human, but to others at a distance as sileni. 1Moreover, they see in the dark and not at all in the light, like owls.
Footnotes:
1. In Classical mythology, woodland spirits or demigods, lecherous followers - like satyrs - of the dissolute Dionysus, having the ears, tails and hoofs of horses. Literally, priapi.
117. There are a great many people who do not know that they are involved in evil because they do not do evil things outwardly. They are afraid of civil laws and of losing their reputations, so by habitual practice they have trained themselves to avoid evil deeds as harmful both to their reputations and to their purses. However, if they do not avoid evil deeds on religious grounds, because they are sins and are in conflict with God, then the cravings for evils and their pleasures are still there within them like foul water that is dammed up and stagnant. They might examine their thoughts and intentions and discover these compulsions if they only knew what sins were.
[2] A great many people who have settled on faith divorced from charity are like this. Since they believe that the law does not condemn them, they pay no attention to sins. They even doubt whether there are such things as sins. If there are, they are not sins in God's sight, because they have been pardoned.
Natural moralists are like this as well, people who believe that everything depends on our civic and moral life and its vigilance and nothing on divine providence. People are like this too who take great care to cultivate a reputation and a name for decency and honesty for the sake of position or profit. After death, though, people like this who have had no use for religion become spirits that embody their compulsions. They look absolutely human to themselves, but from a distance they look like images of Priapus to others. They see everything in darkness and nothing in light, like owls.
117. Many are not aware that they are in evils, because they do not commit them outwardly; for they fear the civil laws and also the loss of reputation; and so from custom and the disposition thus acquired they learn to shun evils as detrimental to their honour and interest. But if men do not shun evils from a religious principle, because they are sins and against God, the lusts of evil with their delights still remain like polluted waters dammed up or stagnant. Let them examine their thoughts and intentions and they will find these lusts, provided they know what sin is.
[2] This is the state of many who have confirmed themselves in faith separate from charity who, believing that the Law does not condemn them, pay no regard to sins; and some doubt whether there are any sins, and if there are, they think they are not sins in the sight of God, because they have been remitted. Such also are natural moralists, who believe that civil and moral life, together with the prudence belonging to it, accomplishes all things and that nothing is effected by the Divine Providence. Such also are those who with great zeal strive after a reputation for honesty and sincerity for the sake of honour and gain. Those, however, who are of this character and who have also despised religion become after death lustful spirits, appearing to themselves as real men, but to others some distance off as lewd deities; and like birds of night they see in the dark and not in the light.
117. Many are not aware that they are in evils, inasmuch as they do not do them outwardly because they fear the civil laws and the loss of reputation, and thus from custom and habit fall into the way of shunning evils as detrimental to their honor and profit. But when evils are not shunned from a religious principle, on the ground that they are sins and antagonistic to God, the lusts of evil with their enjoyments still remain, like impure waters confined and stagnant. Let such examine their thoughts and intentions, and they will find these lusts, provided they know what sins are.
[2] This is the state of many who have confirmed themselves in faith separate from charity, who, believing that the law does not condemn them, do not even think about sins; and some question whether there are any sins in them, or if there are, whether they are sins before God, since they have been pardoned. In a like state also are natural moralists, who believe that civil and moral life with its prudence accomplishes everything and Divine providence nothing. Such also are those who strive with great eagerness after a reputation and name for honesty and sincerity for the sake of honor or gain. But those who are of this character, and who have also despised religion, become after death spirits of lusts, appearing to themselves as if they were men, but to others at a distance like treacherous forms (priapi); and like birds of night they see in the dark and not in the light.
117. Plures sunt qui non sciunt quod in malis sint, quia non in externis faciunt illa; timent enim leges civiles, et quoque jacturam famae, et sic ex assuetudine et habitu imbuunt fugere mala ut damna sui honoris et sui lucri: sed si mala non fugiunt ex principio religionis, quia peccata sunt, et contra Deum, tunc apud illos concupiscentiae mali cum jucundis illarum remanent, sicut aquae impurae obturatae aut stagnatae; explorent cogitationes ac intentiones suas, et invenient illas, modo sciunt quid peccatum.
[2] Sunt tales multi, qui se in fide separata a charitate confirmaverunt, qui quia credunt, quod Lex non damnet, ne quidem attendunt ad peccata, et quidam dubitant num sint, et si sunt, non coram Deo sint, quia condonata. Tales etiam sunt naturales moralistae, qui credunt civilem et moralem vitam cum ejus prudentia producere omnia, et Divinam Providentiam non aliquid. Tales etiam sunt, qui honestatis et sinceritatis famam et nomen propter honorem aut propter lucrum multo studio affectant. Sed illi qui tales sunt, et simul aspernati religionem, post 1mortem fiunt spiritus concupiscentiarum, qui apparent sibi sicut forent ipsi homines, sed aliis e longinquo sicut priapi; ac vident in tenebris, et nihil in luce, sicut noctuae.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: poss ut videtur