145、⑸自我强迫不违背理性和自由。前面（103-104节）说明，人有思维的一个内在和一个外在，它们就像在先之物和在后之物，或高层之物和低层之物那样彼此有别。它们因如此有别，故既能分开行动，也能联合行动。当一个人基于外在思维说话和行动，不按着他的内在思维和意愿时，它们分开行动；当一个人按着他的内在思维和意愿说话和行动时，它们联合行动。后一种状态是诚实人的特征，前一种状态是不诚实之人的特征。
由于心智的内在和外在如此有别，所以内在甚至会与外在争战，并通过争战强迫它服从或同意。当一个人认为邪恶是罪，并因此决心停止邪恶时，争战就产生了；因为当他停止时，门就打开了；当门打开时，主就把占据内在思维的恶欲逐出，并植入对良善的情感以取代之。这一切都是在内在思维中完成的。但由于占据外在思维的恶欲快乐无法同时被逐出，所以一场争战就在思维的内在与外在之间产生了。内在思维想要逐出这些快乐，因为它们是邪恶的快乐，与内在思维现在所享有的对良善的情感不一致。它想用一致的良善快乐来取代这些邪恶快乐。良善的快乐就是那被称为仁之良善的。争战就是由这种对立产生的；争战若变得更加激烈，就被称为试探。
既然人之为人是由于他思维的内在，实际上就是人的灵，那么明显可知，当一个人强迫他的外在思维同意，或接受其情感的快乐，也就是仁之良善时，他就是在强迫自己，显然，这不违背理性和自由，反而与它们一致，因为正是理性发起了这场争战，而自由则继续它。此外，自由本身与理性一起住在内在人中，并从那里进入外在人。
所以，当内在得胜时，如当内在使外在同意并服从时的情形，主就赋予人自由本身和理性本身。因为这时，主把人从本身为奴役的地狱自由中带出来，把他带入本身为真自由的天堂自由中，并赐给他与天使的相交。主在约翰福音中教导我们，所有犯罪的都是奴仆，主叫那些通过圣言从祂接受真理的人得自由（约翰福音8:31-36）。
145. (5) It is not contrary to rationality and freedom to compel oneself. We have already shown that a person has an internal level of thought and an external level of thought, and that these are distinct like something prior and something subsequent, or like something higher and something lower. And because they are thus distinct, they can operate separately, and they can operate conjointly. They operate separately when from his external level of thought a person speaks and behaves otherwise than he interiorly thinks and wills, and they operate conjointly when he speaks and behaves as he interiorly thinks and wills. The latter is commonly the case with honest people, but the former with dishonest ones.
[2] Now because the internal and external levels of the mind are so distinct, it is possible also for the internal level to battle with the external and by battling force it to consent.
A battle ensues when a person thinks that evils are sins and therefore resolves to desist from them; for when he desists, a door is opened, and after it is opened the Lord casts out the lusts for evil which occupied the internal level of thought and in their stead implants affections for good. This He does in the internal level of thought. But because the delights of the lusts for evil, which occupy the external level of thought, cannot be cast out at the same time, a battle therefore ensues between the internal and external levels of thought. The internal level wishes to cast out those delights because they are delights in evil and are incompatible with the affections for good that the internal level possesses now, and in place of the delights in evil it wishes to introduce delights in good that are compatible. Delights in good are what we call goods of charity.
From this discordance a battle commences, which, if it becomes severe, is called a temptation or trial.
[3] Now because a person is human owing to the internal level of his thought - for this is the person's very spirit - it follows that a person compels himself when he compels the external level of his thought to consent to or to admit the delights of its affections, which are goods of charity.
It is apparent that this is not contrary to rationality and freedom, but in accord with them, for it is rationality that initiates the battle and freedom that prosecutes it. Freedom itself also resides with rationality in the internal self, and from that in the external self.
[4] When the internal self conquers, therefore, which happens when the internal self has reduced the external self to a state of consent and compliance, the Lord then gives the person real freedom and real rationality. For the Lord then delivers the person from hellish freedom, which in itself is enslavement, and introduces him into heavenly freedom, which in itself is real freedom, and grants him affiliation with angels.
That people caught up in sins are slaves, and that the Lord makes those free who through the Word receive truth from Him, the Lord Himself teaches in John 8:31-36.
145. 5. Self-compulsion is not inconsistent with rationality and freedom. I have already explained [103-104] that we have inner and outer thought processes and that these are as distinct from each other as prologue and consequence, or as height and depth. I have explained that because they are so distinct, they can act separately as well as together. They act separately when we talk and act on the basis of our outer thought in ways that differ from our deeper thought and intent; and they act together when we say and do what we think and intend inwardly. This latter state is characteristic of honest people, while the former is characteristic of dishonest people.
[2] Since the inner and outer processes of our minds are distinct, then, the inner can even fight against the outer and forcibly make it consent. The struggle starts when we think of evils as sins and therefore try to refrain from them; since to the extent that we do refrain a door is opened for us. Once this door has been opened, the Lord expels the compulsions to evil that have kept our inner thought processes penned in. In their place, he plants desires for what is good, again in the inner levels of our thought. However, since the pleasures of our compulsions to evil that have been besieging our outer thought processes cannot be expelled at the same time, a fight starts between our inner and outer thinking. The inner thinking wants to expel those pleasures because they are pleasures in evil deeds and are incompatible with the desires for goodness that the inner thinking now enjoys. It wants to replace the pleasures of evil with pleasures in goodness because they are in harmony with it. The "pleasures in what is good" are what we refer to as the benefits that arise from our caring.
The struggle begins with this disagreement; and if it becomes more severe, it is called a temptation.
[3] Since we are human because of our inner thought, which is actually the human spirit, it follows that we are compelling ourselves when we force our outer thought processes to consent, or to accept the pleasures of our inner desires, the benefits that arise from our caring.
We can see that this is not inconsistent but in accord with our rationality and freedom, since it is our rationality that starts this struggle and our freedom that pursues it. Our essential freedom, together with our rationality, dwells in our inner self, and comes into our outer self from there.
[4] So when the inner conquers (which happens when the inner self has brought the outer self into agreement and compliance) then we are given true freedom and true rationality by the Lord. Then, that is, the Lord brings us out of that hellish freedom that is really slavery and into the heavenly freedom that is truly, inherently free.
The Lord teaches us in John that we are slaves when we are in our sins and that the Lord liberates us when we accept truth from him through the Word (John 8:31-36).
145. V. IT IS NOT CONTRARY TO RATIONALITY AND LIBERTY TO COMPEL ONESELF. It was shown in what has gone before that man has an internal and an external of thought; that these are distinct like what is prior and what is posterior or like what is higher and what is lower; and that, because they are so distinct, they can act separately and also conjointly. They act separately when from the external of his thought a man speaks and acts otherwise than as he thinks and wills interiorly; and they act conjointly when he speaks and acts as he interiorly thinks and wills. The latter is, generally the case with the sincere, but the former with the insincere.
[2] Now since the internal and the external of the mind are in this way distinct, the internal can even fight with the external and by combat force it to compliance. Combat takes place when a man thinks that evils are sins and therefore resolves to desist from them; for when he desists a door is opened, and when it is opened the lusts of evil which occupied the internal of his thought are cast out by the Lord and affections of good are implanted in their place. This is done in the internal of thought. But as the delights of the lusts of evil which invest the external of thought cannot be cast out at the same time, a combat takes place between the internal and the external of thought. The internal wishes to cast out these delights because they are delights of evil and not in accord with the affections of good in which the internal now is; and instead of the delights of evil it wishes to introduce delights of good that are in accord. The delights of good are what are called goods of charity. From this opposition arises a combat, and if it increases in severity it is called temptation.
[3] Now since a man is a man by virtue of the internal of his thought, this being the spirit of man itself, it is evident that a man compels himself when he forces the external of his thought to compliance, that is, to receive the delights of his affections, which are the goods of charity. It is evident that this is not contrary to rationality and liberty but is in accordance with them; for rationality causes the combat and liberty carries it on. Liberty itself with rationality also has its seat in the internal man and from that in the external.
[4] When, therefore, the internal conquers, as happens when the internal has reduced the external to obedient compliance, then liberty itself and rationality itself are given to man by the Lord; for man is then withdrawn by the Lord from infernal freedom, which in itself is slavery, and is brought into heavenly freedom, which in itself is freedom itself and he is granted association with angels. That those are slaves who are in sins, and that the Lord makes those free who receive truth from Him through the Word, He teaches in John 8:31-36.
145. (5) To compel oneself is not contrary to rationality and liberty. It has been shown already that man has an internal of thought and an external of thought, and that these are distinct like what is prior and what is posterior, or like what is higher and what is lower; and because they are so distinct they can act separately and can act conjointly. These act separately when from the external of his thought a man speaks and acts in one way while interiorly he thinks and wills in another way; and these act conjointly when a man speaks and acts as he interiorly thinks and wills. The latter is generally true of the sincere, the former of the insincere.
[2] Inasmuch as the internal and the external of the mind are so distinct, the internal can even fight with the external, and can force it by combat into compliance. Combat arises when a man thinks that evils are sins and therefore resolves to refrain from them; for when he refrains a door is opened, and when it is opened the Lord casts out the lusts of evil that have occupied the internal of thought, and implants affections for good in their place. This is done in the internal of thought. But as the enjoyments of the lusts of evil that occupy the external of thought cannot be cast out at the same time, a combat arises between the internal and the external of thought, the internal wishing to cast out these enjoyments because they are enjoyments of evil and not in accord with the affections for good in which the internal now is, and to bring in, in place of these enjoyments of evil, enjoyments of good that are in accord. The enjoyments of good are what are called goods of charity. From this contrariety a combat arises; and when this becomes severe it is called temptation.
[3] Since, then, a man is a man from the internal of his thought, for this is a man's very spirit, it is clear that when a man compels the external of his thought to acquiescence or to an acceptance of the enjoyments of his affections, which are goods of charity, he is compelling himself. This evidently is not contrary to rationality and liberty, but is in accord with them, for rationality excites the combat and liberty carries it on. Moreover, liberty itself with rationality has its seat in the internal man, and from that in the external.
[4] When, therefore, the internal conquers, as it does when the internal has reduced the external to acquiescence and compliance, the Lord gives man liberty itself and rationality itself; for the Lord then withdraws man from infernal freedom, which in itself is slavery, and brings him into heavenly freedom, which is in itself real freedom, and bestows upon him fellowship with the angels. That those who are in sins are servants, and that the Lord makes free those who accept truths from Him through the Word He teaches in John (John 8:31-36).
145. V. Quod contra rationalitatem et libertatem 1non sit semetipsum cogere. Prius ostensum est, quod homini sit internum cogitationis et externum cogitationis, et quod illa distincta sint sicut prius et posterius, seu sicut superius et inferius; et quia ita distincta sunt, quod possint separatim agere, et possint conjunctim agere; separatim agunt quando homo ab externo cogitationis suae loquitur et facit aliter quam interius cogitat et vult; et conjunctim agunt, quando loquitur et facit quod interius cogitat et vult; hoc commune est apud sinceros, illud autem apud insinceros.
[2] Nunc quia internum et externum mentis ita distincta sunt, potest etiam internum pugnare cum externo, et hoc per pugnam adigere ad consensum: pugna existit, quando homo cogitat mala esse peccata et ideo vult desistere ab illis, nam quando desistit, aperitur porta, qua aperta a Domino ejiciuntur concupiscentiae mali, quae internum cogitationis obsiderunt, et loco illarum implantantur affectiones boni; hoc in interno cogitationis: sed quia jucunda concupiscentiarum mali, quae externum cogitationis obsident, non simul ejici possunt, ideo pugna existit inter internum et externum cogitationis; internum vult ejicere jucunda illa, quia sunt jucunda mali, et non concordant cum affectionibus boni, in quibus nunc internum est, et loco jucundorum mali inferre jucunda boni, quae concordant; jucunda boni sunt quae vocantur bona charitatis. Ex hac contrarietate oritur pugna, quae si ingravescit, vocatur tentatio.
[3] Nunc quia homo est homo ex interno cogitationis suae, hoc enim est ipse spiritus hominis, constat quod homo seipsum cogat, cum cogit externum suae cogitationis ad consensum, seu ad recipiendum affectionum suarum jucunda, quae sunt bona charitatis. Quod hoc non sit contra rationalitatem, et libertatem, sed secundum illas, patet, nam rationalitas facit illam pugnam, [et] libertas exsequitur 2illam; ipsa etiam libertas cum rationalitate residet in interno homine, et ab hoc in externo.
[4] Quando itaque internum vincit, quod fit cum internum ad consensum et obsequium redegerat externum, tunc a Domino datur homini ipsa Libertas et ipsa Rationalitas; nam tunc homo a Domino aufertur a libero infernali, quod in se est servum, ac infertur in liberum coeleste, quod in se est ipsum liberum, et datur ei consociatio cum angelis. Quod servi sint, qui in peccatis, et quod Dominus liberos faciat, qui per Verbum veritatem recipiunt ab Ipso, docet Ipse apud Johannem 8:31-36.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: lihertatem
2 Prima editio: exequitur