139、没有人在一种恐惧的状态下被改造，因为恐惧会夺走自由和理性，或自主和理智。爱打开心智的内层，而恐惧会关闭它们；当它们被关闭时，人很少思考，仅仅意识到冲击心智或感官的东西。困扰或占据心智的一切恐惧都是这个样子。
前面（104节）说明，人有思维的一个内在和一个外在。恐惧决不能占据思维的内在；这内在始终处在自由之中，因为它处于其生命之爱。但它能占据思维的外在，并且当它如此行时，思维的内在就关闭；一旦内在关闭，人就不能再出于自由照着他的理性行动，因而不能再被改造了。
占据思维外在并关闭其内在的恐惧，主要是对丧失地位和利益的恐惧。思维的内在不会因害怕民事处罚和外在的教会处罚而关闭，因为这些法律所规定的处罚，只针对那些言行违反国家的民事原则和教会的属灵原则之人，不针对那些仅在思维上违反它们的人。
对地狱惩罚的恐惧的确能占据思维的外在，但仅持续几分钟、几小时或几天。不久之后，人的思维会因思维的内在而回到它自己的自由之中；严格来说，思维属于人的灵和生命之爱，被称为心之思维。
然而，对丧失地位和利益的恐惧占据人思维的外在；当它如此行时，就会从上面关闭思维的内在，阻止来自天堂的任何流注，使人的改造成为不可能。这是因为，人与生俱来的生命之爱是对自己和世界的爱；而对自己的爱与对地位的爱构成一体，对世界的爱与对利益的爱构成一体。因此，当一个人获得地位或财富时，出于失去它们的恐惧，他会为自己而将提升其地位和财富的手段合理化。这些手段可能是民间的，也可能是教会的，两种都是权力的手段。人若尚未获得地位和财富，却又贪恋它们，也会如此行；只是在这种情况下，他如此行是因为害怕在寻求它们时丧失名声。
我说过，这种恐惧会占据思维的外在，从上面关闭内在，阻止来自天堂的流注。还说过，当内在完全与外在构成一体时，它就会被关闭，因为这时它不在自己里面，而是在外在里面。
由于对自己和世界的爱是地狱之爱，是一切邪恶的源头，所以清楚可知，以这些爱为其生命之爱的人，或这些爱在里面掌权的人，其思维的内在本身是何性质，即：它充满各种恶欲。如果人们因害怕丧失自己的显赫和财富而狂热地信奉自己的宗教，尤其他们的宗教涉及他们被拜为半神，同时被拜为地狱的统治者，那么他们是不会意识到这一点的。他们可能看似对拯救灵魂热情似火，但这火是一种地狱之火。由于这种恐惧尤其会夺去在起源上属天堂的理性本身和自由本身，所以显而易见，它会阻碍人被改造的可能性。
139. States of fear: No one is reformed in a state of fear because fear takes away freedom and reason or liberty and rationality. For love opens the interiors of the mind, but fear closes them, and when they have been closed, the person thinks but little, and only about what then presents itself to his consciousness or senses. All fears that invade the mind have this effect.
[2] We showed above that a person has an internal level of thought and an external level of thought. It is never possible for fear to invade the internal level of thought. This remains always in a state of freedom, because it is impelled by its life's love. However, fear can invade the external level of thought, and when it does, the internal level of thought closes, and if this is closed the person can no longer act in freedom in accordance with his reason, thus cannot be reformed.
[3] The fear that invades the external level of thought and closes the internal one is chiefly the fear of losing honor or material gain. Fear of civil penalties or of external ecclesiatical penalties does not close anything, because these laws prescribe penalties only for people who speak or behave in opposition to the civil requirements of the country or to the spiritual requirements of the church, but not for those who think in opposition to them.
[4] A fear of punishments in hell does indeed invade the external level of thought, but only for some moments, hours, or days. Presently, however, it is restored to the freedom it has from the internal level of thought, which is properly that of the person's spirit and life's love and is called the thought of his heart.
[5] A fear of losing honor or material gain, on the other hand, invades the external level of a person's thought, and when it does, it then closes the internal level of thought above to influx from heaven and renders the person incapable of being reformed. That is because every person's life's love from birth is a love of self and the world, and the love of self is inseparably bound up with a love of honor, and love of the world with a love of material gain. Consequently, when a person possesses honor or material gain, for fear of losing them he justifies to himself the means which serve him for achieving honor or material gain, means which are, whether civil or ecclesiastical, means of power. One who has not yet achieved honor or material gain, if he aspires to them, does the same, but for fear of losing reputation in seeking them.
[6] We say that this fear invades the external level of a person's thought and closes the internal level of thought above to influx from heaven. We say that the internal level is closed when it conforms totally with the external, for it exists then not in itself but in the external.
[7] However, because the loves of self and the world are hellish loves and the wellsprings of all evils, it is apparent what the internal level of thought is like in itself in people for whom these loves are the life's loves or governing ones, namely that it is filled with lusts for evils of every kind.
[8] People who are strongly persuaded of the religion in which they are for fear of losing status and wealth are unaware of this, especially if their religion involves their being worshiped like deities and at the same time like so many wealthy Plutos 1in Hades. These may seem to blaze with zeal for the salvation of souls, and yet do so with an infernal fire.
Because this fear especially takes away genuine rationality and freedom, which from their origin are heavenly, it is apparent that it stands in the way of a person's capability to be reformed.
Footnotes:
1. The Roman deity Pluto, god of the underworld, was in later times often confused with the minor Greek deity Plutus (Plou'to"), god of abundance and wealth, a confusion reflected also here and elsewhere in the writer's works.
139. The reason no one is reformed in a state of fear is that fear takes away our freedom and rationality, or our "freeness" and our "reasonableness." Love opens the inner reaches of the mind, but fear closes them; and when they are closed, we do very little actual thinking, being conscious then only of what is impinging on our feelings or our senses. All the fears that beset our minds are like this.
[2] I have already explained [104] that we have inner and outer processes of thought. Fear can never occupy our inner thought processes. These are always in freedom because they are in our life's love. Fear can occupy our outer thought processes, though, and when it does, it closes off the inner thought processes. Once they are closed, we are no longer able to act freely and rationally, so we cannot be reformed.
[3] The fear that occupies our outer thought processes and closes in the deeper ones is primarily a fear of losing rank and losing wealth. The fear of outward civil and ecclesiastical penalties does not close them in, because these laws prescribe penalties only for people who speak and act contrary to the civil principles of the state and the spiritual principles of the church, not for people who think contrary to those principles.
[4] A fear of punishments in hell actually does occupy our outer thought processes, but only for a moment or a few hours or days. Before long, our thinking is released back into its own freedom because of our inner thinking, the thinking proper to our spirit and our life's love, the thinking we call the thought of the heart.
[5] However, a fear of the loss of position and profit does occupy our outer thought processes, and when it does it closes off our inner thinking from above, from any inflow from heaven. This makes it impossible for us to be reformed. The reason is that from birth, our life's love is a love for ourselves and for the world. Love for ourselves and love of rank are a unity, and love for the world and love of wealth are a unity. So when we have rank or wealth, we justify for ourselves whatever means promote our rank and our wealth, because of our fear of losing them. These means may be both civil and ecclesiastical, from either domain. We do the same if we do not yet have rank and wealth but covet them, though in this case it is from a fear of losing reputation on their account.
[6] I have just mentioned that the fear occupies our outer thought processes and closes off the inner ones from above, from any inflow from heaven. We say that the inner thinking is closed when it is wholly identified with the outer thinking, because then it is not functioning on its own, but is governed by the outer.
Since love for ourselves and love for the world are hellish loves and are the wellsprings of everything evil, we can see the intrinsic quality of the inner thinking of people for whom those are their life's loves, people in whom those loves are in control. It is full of compulsions to all kinds of evil.
People are unaware of this if they are fanatically convinced of their own religion because they are afraid of losing their own eminence and splendor, especially if their religion involves their being revered as demigods--and as rulers in hell at the same time. They can be on fire for the salvation of souls even though the fire is a hellish one. Since this fear especially robs us of our essential freedom and our essential rationality, which are heavenly in origin, we can see that it blocks us from any possibility of reformation.
139. No one is reformed in a state of fear, because fear takes away freedom and reason, or liberty and rationality; for love opens the interiors of the mind but fear closes them; and when they are closed man has but few thoughts, and then only those which present themselves to his mind (animus) or to his senses. Such is the nature of all fears that invade the mind (animus).
[2] It was shown above that man has an internal and an external of thought. Fear can in no wise invade the internal of thought, this being always in freedom because it is his life's love; but it can invade the external of thought, and when it does this the internal of thought is closed; and when this is closed man can no longer act from freedom according to his reason, and therefore cannot be reformed.
[3] The fear that invades the external of thought and closes the internal is chiefly a fear of the loss of honour or of gain; but the fear of civil punishments and of external ecclesiastical punishments does not close the internal of thought, because the laws relating to these only prescribe penalties for those who speak and act contrary to the civil interests of the state and the spiritual interests of the Church, but not for those who think in opposition to them.
[4] The fear of infernal punishments does indeed invade the external of thought, but only for some moments, hours or days: it is soon restored to the freedom it has from the internal of thought which properly belongs to its spirit and its life's love, and which is called the thought of the heart.
[5] However, fear of the loss of honour and gain invades the external of man's thought; and when it does this it closes the internal of thought from above against influx from heaven and makes it impossible for man to be reformed. This is because the life's love of every man from his birth is the love of self and of the world; and the love of self makes one with the love of honour, and the love of the world makes one with the love of gain. Therefore, when a man is in possession of honour or wealth, from fear of losing them he strengthens in himself the means that serve to promote his honour and gain. These means are both civil and ecclesiastical, and in each case they pertain to rule. He who is not yet in possession of honour or wealth acts in similar fashion if he aspires to win them, but he does so from a fear of the loss of reputation on account of them.
[6] It is said that this fear invades the external of thought and closes the internal from above against influx from heaven; and this is said to be closed when it completely makes one with the external, for then it is not in its self, but in the external.
[7] Since, however, the loves of self and of the world are infernal loves and the source of all evils, it is clear what the nature of the internal of thought is in itself in those in whom these loves are their life's loves, or in whom they reign, namely, that it is full of the lusts of evils of every kind.
[8] This is not known to those who, from fear of the loss of dignity and wealth, under strong persuasion hold to the religiosity which they profess, especially as it is a form of religion which involves the worship of themselves as deities and also as rulers (plutones) in hell. These can burn, as it were, with zeal for the salvation of souls, and yet they do so from infernal fire. Since this fear especially takes away rationality itself and liberty itself which are heavenly in their origin, it is clearly a hindrance to the possibility of man's reformation.
139. No one is reformed in a state of fear, because fear takes away freedom and reason, or liberty and rationality; for while love opens the interiors of the mind fear closes them; and when they are closed man thinks but little, and only of what then presents itself to the mind or the senses. Such is the effect of all fears that take possession of the mind.
[2] It has been shown above that man has an internal and an external of thought; fear can in no wise take possession of the internal of thought; this is always in freedom because in its life's love; but it can take possession of the external of thought, and when it does this the internal of thought is closed; and when that is closed man can no longer act from freedom in accordance with his reason, and therefore cannot be reformed.
[3] The fear that takes possession of the external of thought and closes the internal is chiefly a fear of the loss of honor or gain. The internal of thought is not closed by a fear of civil punishments or of external ecclesiastical punishments, because such laws only prescribe penalties for those who speak and act contrary to the civil interests of the kingdom and the spiritual interests of the church, and not for those who merely think in opposition to them.
[4] A fear of infernal punishments may take possession of the external of thought, but only for a few moments or hours or days; it is soon brought back to its freedom from the internal of thought, which belongs strictly to its spirit and its life's love, and is called the thought of the heart.
[5] But a fear of the loss of honor and gain takes possession of the external of man's thought; and when it does this it closes the internal of thought from above against influx from heaven, and makes it impossible for man to be reformed. This is because every man's life's love from his birth is a love of self and the world; and the love of self makes one with the love of honor, and the love of the world makes one with the love of gain. When, therefore, a man has gained honor or wealth, from a fear of losing them he strengthens with himself the means that are serviceable to him for honor and gain, whether civil or ecclesiastical, both of which are means of power. One who has not yet gained honor and wealth does the like if he desires them; but he does it from a fear of the loss of reputation on their account.
[6] It is said that that fear takes possession of the external of thought, and closes the internal from above against the influx from heaven. The internal is said to be closed when it completely makes one with the external, for it is not then in itself but in the external.
[7] But inasmuch as the loves of self and the world are infernal loves, and are the fountain heads of all evils, it is clear what the internal of thought is in itself in those in whom these loves are the loves of the life, or in whom these loves rule, namely, that it is full of the lusts of evils of every kind. This is not known to those who from a fear of the loss of dignity and wealth are strongly persuaded respecting the religion they accept, especially if the religion involves their worship as deities, and also as having supreme power over hell. Such may seem to be in a blaze of zeal for the salvation of souls, and yet this may be from an infernal fire. As such a fear especially takes away rationality itself and liberty itself, which are heavenly in their origin, it is evidently a hindrance to man's ability to be reformed.
139. Quod nemo reformetur in STATU TIMORIS, est quia timor aufert 1liberum et rationem, seu libertatem 2et rationalitatem; amor enim aperit interiora mentis, sed timor claudit illa, et cum clausa sunt, homo pauca cogitat, et non nisi quam quae tunc animo aut sensibus se offerunt: 3omnes timores qui invadunt animum, tales sunt.
[2] Quod homini sit internum cogitationis ac externum cogitationis, supra ostensum est: timor nusquam potest invadere internum cogitationis; hoc semper in libero est, quia in amore suae vitae, sed potest invadere externum cogitationis, et cum hoc invadit, clauditur internum cogitationis, quo clauso homo non amplius ex libero secundum rationem suam potest agere; ita non reformari.
[3] Timor qui invadit externum cogitationis et claudit internum, est praecipue timor jacturae honoris aut lucri; timor autem pro poenis civilibus et pro poenis Ecclesiasticis externis, non claudit, quia illae leges solum poenas dictant pro illis qui loquuntur et faciunt contra civilia Regni et spiri tualia Ecclesiae, non autem pro illis qui cogitant contra illa.
[4] Timor pro poenis infernalibus quidem invadit externum cogitationis, sed modo per aliquot momenta, aut horas, aut dies, sed mox remittitur illud in suum liberum ex interno cogitationis, quod est proprie ejus spiritus et amoris vitae, et vocatur cogitatio cordis.
[5] At timor pro jactura honoris et lucri invadit externum cogitationis hominis, et cum invadit, tunc claudit internum cogitationis a superiori pro influxu e coelo, et facit ut homo non reformari possit: causa est, quia amor vitae cujusvis hominis a nativitate est amor sui et mundi, ac amor sui unum facit cum amore honoris, [et] amor mundi unum facit cum amore lucri; quare cum homo in honore aut in lucro est, ex timore pro jactura illorum, confirmat apud se media, quae inserviunt illi pro honore et lucro, quae sunt tam civilia quam ecclesiastica, utraque imperii; similiter facit, qui nondum in honore aut lucro est, si ad illa aspirat, sed ex timore pro jactura famae propter illa.
[6] Dicitur, quod timor ille invadat cogitationis externum, et claudat internum a superiori pro influxu e Coelo; hoc clausum dicitur quando prorsus unum facit cum externo, nam tunc non est in se, sed in externo.
[7] At quia amores sui et mundi sunt amores infernales, et scaturigines omnium malorum, patet quale est internum cogitationis in se, apud quos illi amores sunt amores vitae seu regnant, quod nempe sit plenum con cupiscentiis malorum omnis generis.
[8] Hoc non sciunt illi, qui ex timore jacturae dignitatis et opulentiae in forti persuasione 4sunt de religioso, in quo sunt, maxime in religioso quod involvit ut colantur sicut numina, et simul sicut plutones in inferno; hi possunt sicut zelo flagrare pro salute animarum, et hoc tamen ex igne infernali. Quia hic timor imprimis tollit ipsam Rationalitatem et ipsam Libertatem, quae coelestes ex origine sunt, patet quod ille obstet, quin homo reformari possit.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: auferr
2 Prima editio: libettatem
3 Prima editio: offerunr:
4 Prima editio: persvasione