178、人不可以知道未来，也是为了人能出于自由照着理性行动；因为众所周知，一个人会渴望实际拥有凡他所爱的，并通过自己的理性引导自己达到这个目的。人们还知道，一个人以理性深思的一切都来自对通过思维把它付诸实施的爱。因此，如果他通过神性预言知道效果或结果，他的理性就会停止行动，他的爱也随之停止行动；因为爱与理性一同终止于结果，并从该结果重新开始。理性的快乐就在于出于爱在思维中看见结果，不是实现之后，而是实现之前的结果，也就是说，不是当下，而是将来的结果。这就是带给我们所说的希望的东西，这希望随着人翘望或期待一个结果而在理性中消长变化。这种快乐完全存在于结果中，但之后会与属于它思维一道消退。
如果预知一个结果，同样的情况也会发生。人类心智不断处于三样事物中，它们被称为目的，原因和结果。其中无论缺失哪一个，人类心智都不在自己的生命中。意愿的情感是起源上的目的；理解力的思维是有效的原因或方法；身体行为，口中的言语或外在感觉则是通过思维所实现的目的的结果。谁都能清楚看出，当人类心智仅在意愿的情感中，接下来什么也没有时，或同样当它仅在结果中时，它就不在自己的生命中。因此，心智不从分离的这三者当中的任何一个，只从结合在一起的这三者中获得生命。如果预言发生的事，心智的这种生命或活动就会削弱并消失。
178. That also is why it is not granted a person to foreknow events, that he may be able to act in freedom in accordance with his reason. For as people know, whatever a person loves, he wishes to bring into effect, and he guides himself to it by means of his reason. People know, too, that everything a person considers with his reason springs from a love for it to come through his thought into effect. Consequently, if in consequence of some Divine prediction he were to know the end result or outcome, his reason would surrender, and with reason his love. For love comes to rest with reason in the effect, and from it then begins anew.
Reason's essential delight is to envision from love the effect in thought - not at the time of the effect, but prior to it, or not at the present time, but in a time to come. It is this that gives a person what we call hope, which grows or dwindles in his reason as it envisions or anticipates the outcome. This delight is fulfilled in the outcome, but afterward erased, along with thought about it. The same would be the case with any outcome foreknown.
[2] A person's mind is continually governed by these three elements called end, cause and effect. If one of them is missing the human mind is dispossessed of its life. The will's affection is the initiating end, the intellect's thought is the enabling cause, and the action of the body, speech of the mouth, or external sensation is the effect of the end operating through the thought.
The human mind is dispossessed of its life when it dwells only in an affection of the will and nothing else. So, too, when it exists only in an effect. This is apparent to everyone. Consequently the mind does not have its life from any one of these by itself, but from the three together. This life of the mind would be diminished or would withdraw in the face of an outcome foreknown.
178. The need to preserve our ability to act in freedom and to act rationally is also the reason we are not granted foreknowledge of events. That is, it is common knowledge that if we love something, we want it to happen and we use our reason to move in that direction. Further, whenever we are considering something rationally, it is from a love of having it become a reality by means of our thought. So if we knew the result or the outcome because of some divine prediction, our reason would yield, and our love would yield along with it. Love and reason together find closure in results, and a new love takes over from there.
The very delight of our reason is to see a result that comes from love by thought, not as it happens but beforehand, or not in the present but in the future. This is what gives us what we call hope, waxing and waning in our rationality as we see or await a result. This delight finds its fulfillment in the outcome, but then both it and thought about it are cancelled.
[2] The same thing would happen if an outcome were foreknown.
The human mind is constantly engaged with three matters called purposes, means, and results. If any of these is lacking, our mind is not engaged in its own life. The impulse of our volition is the originating purpose; the thinking of our discernment is the effectual means; and the action of the body, the speech of the mouth, or our physical sensation, is the result of the purpose that is achieved through thought. Anyone can see that the human mind is not engaged in its life when it is occupied only with the impulse of its volition and nothing more, and that the same is true if it is occupied only with the result. This means that our minds do not have their life from any one of these elements by itself, but from the three of them together. This life of our minds wanes and ebbs when an outcome is foretold.
178. Man is not granted a knowledge of future events, also for the reason that he may be able to act from freedom according to reason; for it is well known that a man desires to have in effect whatever he loves, and he leads himself to this end by his reason. It is also known that everything a man meditates in his reason arises from the love of bringing it into effect by means of his thought. Therefore, if he knew the effect or result from Divine prediction his reason would come to rest, and with it his love; for love with reason comes to an end in the effect, and from that point it begins anew. It is the very delight of reason to see from love the effect in thought not the effect in its attainment, but before it, that is, not in the present but in the future. Hence man has what is called Hope, which increases and decreases in the reason as he sees or looks forward to the event. This delight is completed in the event, but it thereafter fades away with the thought concerning the event. It would be similar in the case of an event that was foreknown.
[2] The mind of man is continually in these three things, called end, cause, and effect. If one of these is wanting the human mind is not in its life. The affection of the will is the originating end (a quo); the thought of the understanding is the operative cause (per quam); and the action of the body, as the speech of the mouth, or external sensation, is the effect of the end by means of the thought. It is clear to anyone that the human mind is not in its life when it is in nothing beyond the affection of the will, and similarly when it is only in the effect. Therefore, the mind has no life from one of these separately, but only from the three conjointly. This activity of the mind would diminish and pass away if the event were foretold.
178. A knowledge of future events is not granted to man for the same reason, namely, that he may have the ability to act from freedom in accordance with reason; for it is known that any thing that a man loves he wills to possess in effect, and he leads himself thereto by means of his reason; also that every thing that a man contemplates in his reason is from a love for it to come into effect by means of his thought. If, therefore, he knew the effect or event by Divine prediction his reason would cease to act, and with it his love; for the love rests with the reason in the effect, and from the effect then begins anew. It is reason's essential delight to see from love the effect in the thought, not after but before the effect is reached, that is, not in the present but in the future. This is the source of what is called Hope, which increases and decreases in the reason as man sees or anticipates the event. The delight is made complete in the event, and thereafter fades away with the thought belonging to it.
[2] Thus would it be if the event were foreknown. The mind of man is continually in these three things, called end, cause, and effect. If one of these is lacking, the human mind is not in its life. The affection of the will is the end from which; the thought of the understanding is the cause by which; and the action of the body or the speech of the lips, or the external sensation, is the effect of the end by means of the thought. That the human mind is not in its life when it is in the affection of the will alone, and nothing follows, or when it is likewise merely in the effect, must be clear to any one. Thus the mind has no life from one of these separately, but from the three conjointly. This life of the mind would be diminished and pass away if the event were foretold.
178. Quod non detur homini praescire eventus, est quoque causa, ut possit ex libero secundum rationem agere; nam notum est, quod quicquid homo amat, ejus effectum velit, et ad hunc per rationem se ducat; tum quod nihil sit quod homo ratione volvit, quod non est ex amore ut per cogitationem veniat ad effectum; quare si effectum seu eventum ex Divina praedictione sciret, acquiesceret ratio, et cum ratione amor; amor enim cum ratione desinit in effectu, et ex illo tunc incipit novus. Ipsum jucundum rationis est, quod ex amore in cogitatione videat effectum, non in eo, sed ante eum, seu non in praesenti, sed in futuro: inde est homini id quod vocatur SPES, quae in ratione crescit et decrescit, sicut videt aut exspectat eventum; hoc jucundum completur in eventu, sed dein obliterator cum cogitatione de eo; similiter foret cum eventu praescito.
[2] Mens hominis 1continue est in tribus his, quae vocantur finis, causa, et effectus; si unum ex his deest, non est mens humana in sua vita; voluntatis affectio est finis a quo, intellectus cogitatio est causa per quam, et actio corporis, loquela oris, aut sensatio externa, sunt effectus finis per cogitationem: quod mens humana non sit in sua vita, dum solum est in voluntatis affectione, et non praeterea, similiter dum modo in effectu, cuivis patet; quare menti non est aliqua vita ex uno illorum separatim, sed ex tribus illis conjunctim; haec vita mentis diminueretur et recederet in eventu praedicto.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: bominis