281、⑷所以允许邪恶是为了救赎的目的。众所周知，人有完全的自由去思想和意愿，但没有完全的自由去说和做凡他所思想和意愿的。因为他能像一个无神论者那样思想，能否认神，亵渎圣言和教会的圣物，甚至能渴望通过言行摧毁它们，直至它们彻底灭绝；但这会被文明、道德和教会的法律阻止。于是，他在思维、意愿和意图，但没有在行为上沉浸于这些不敬神的邪恶。非无神论者也有完全的自由去思想许多恶事，如欺诈、淫欲、报复和其它疯狂行为；有时，他甚至会做出来。谁能相信，人若没有完全的自由，不仅不能得救，甚至还会彻底灭亡？
请听听原因。每个人自出生时就沉浸于许多种邪恶；这些邪恶在他的意愿里面；凡在意愿里面的，都是为他所爱的。也就是说，人都爱凡从里面来的意愿，并意愿凡他爱的。意愿之爱流入理解力，并使它的快乐在那里被感受到，再由此进入思维，也进入意图。因此，如果人不被允许照他通过遗传而植入他的意愿之爱去思想，那爱就仍被封闭在里面，永远不会被他看到。没有被看到的邪恶之爱，就像埋伏的敌人，溃疡里的病灶，血中的毒素，或胸部的感染物；它们若被封闭在里面，就会加速死亡。而另一方面，如果人被允许思想他生命之爱的邪恶，甚至到了想要行出来的地步，它们就能通过属灵的方法得到医治，就像疾病通过属世的方法得到医治一样。
我需要解释一下，他若不被允许照着他的生命之爱的快乐去思想，将不再是一个人。他将丧失系人性本质、被称为自由和理性的两种官能。这些邪恶的快乐会掌控他心智的内层，甚至到了门要敞开的地步。在这种情况下，他只能照着这些快乐说话和行动，因而不仅在他自己眼里，而且在世人面前行事疯狂，最终甚至都不知道掩盖羞耻。为避免这种情况发生，他被允许思想并意愿他遗传来的邪恶，但不允许谈论并行出它们。与此同时，他学习文明、道德和属灵的事物，这些事物也进入他的思维，并除去疯狂，他通过这种知识被主医治，然而仅被医治到知道如何守住这扇门的程度，但前提是他承认神，祈求祂的帮助，好叫他能抵制这些疯狂。他抵制它们到何等程度，就在何等程度上不让它们进入他的意图，甚至不让它们进入他的思维。
既然人有随心所欲思考的自由，好叫他的生命之爱可以从它潜伏的地方出来，进入他的理解力之光，否则，他对自己的邪恶一无所知，从而不会避开它，那么可推知，邪恶会在他里面获得力量，增长到不给他留下任何恢复空间的地步，若生育孩子，则几乎不留给孩子任何恢复的空间，因为父母的邪恶会传给他的后代。但主规定，这种情况不会发生。
281. (4) Thus the permitting of evil occurs for the sake of the end, to make possible salvation. It is a known fact that people have complete freedom in what they think and will, but not complete freedom to say and do whatever they think and will. For one can think as an atheist and deny God and blaspheme the sanctities of the Word and church. Indeed, a person can will to destroy them by word and deed until they are utterly annihilated, but he is restrained from doing so by civil, moral and ecclesiastical laws. Consequently he harbors these impious and wicked thoughts within, thinking and willing them, and even intending them, but still not doing them.
Someone who is not an atheist also has complete freedom to entertain many thoughts that are thoughts of evil - thoughts of fraud, for example, or lascivious, vengeful, and other irrational thoughts - which he also occasionally does.
Who can believe that if a person did not have complete freedom he not only could not be saved, but would even totally perish?
[2] But hear now the reason. Every person is from birth impelled by evils of many kinds. These evils are present in his will, and whatever is present in his will he loves. For what a person wills from within, that he loves, and what he loves, he wills. Moreover, the will's love flows into the intellect and causes its delight to be felt there. It comes therefore into the person's thoughts, and also into his intentions. Consequently, if a person were not permitted to think in accord with his will's love which he has implanted in him by heredity, that love would remain shut in and never come to the person's sight. And a love of evil unseen is like an enemy lying in ambush, like pus in a wound, like poison in the blood, and like putrefaction in the breast. If they are kept shut in, they lead to death.
But on the other hand, when a person is permitted to think about the evils of his life's love even to the point of intending them, they are curable by spiritual remedies, as diseases are by natural remedies.
[3] We will now say what a person would be like if he were not permitted to think in accord with the delights of his life's love. He would no longer be human. He would lose his two faculties called freedom and rationality in which his essential humanity consists. The delights of the aforesaid evils would occupy the interiors of his mind until they threw open the door, and then he could not help but speak and do those same evils, and so behave irrationally, not only in his own sight, but in the sight of the world. And finally he would not know enough to cover his private parts.
However, to keep him from becoming of such a character, he is permitted indeed to think and will the evils of his heredity, but not to speak and do them. Meanwhile he learns civil, moral and spiritual precepts, which also enter into his thoughts and displace those insanities, and he is healed by the Lord by means of them, but only to the extent that he knows to guard the door, unless he also acknowledges God and implores His aid to be able to resist those insanities. To the extent that he then does resist, to the same extent he does not allow them into his intentions, and eventually not even into his thoughts.
[4] So then, since it lies within a person's freedom to think as he pleases, in order that his life's love may emerge from its hiding-places into the light of his intellect, and as he would otherwise not be at all aware of his evil and so would not know to expel it, it follows that it would increase in him, even to the point that no room for recovery would be left in him, and scarcely any in his children, if he should beget any, for the evil of a parent is carried over into his offspring. But the Lord provides against this happening.
281. 4. So the permission of evil is for the purpose of salvation. We know that we are quite free in our thinking and intentions, but are not free to say and do whatever we think and intend. We can be atheists in our thoughts, denying the existence of God and blaspheming the holy contents of the church's Word; we can even want to destroy them utterly by what we say and do; but civil and moral and ecclesiastical laws hold us back. So we indulge in these ungodly and criminal practices in our thoughts and our wishes and even in our intentions, but still not in our actions. People who are not atheists are still quite free to harbor any number of evil thoughts, thoughts about cheating, lust, vengeance, and other senseless things, and even act them out at times.
Is it credible that if we did not have this complete freedom we would not only be beyond salvation but would completely perish?
[2] Listen to the reason. We are all immersed in many kinds of evil from birth. They are in our volition, and we love whatever is in our volition. That is, we love all the intentions that come from within; and we intend whatever we love. This love of our volition flows into our discernment and makes itself felt there as pleasure. It moves from there into our thoughts and into our conscious intentions. So if we were not allowed to think the way the love of our volition wants us to, the love that is within us by heredity, that love would stay closed in and never come out where we could see it. Any such hidden love for evil is like an enemy plotting against us, like pus in a sore, like a toxin in the blood, and like an infection in the chest. If they are kept hidden, they hasten us to our end.
On the other hand, when we are allowed to think about the evils of our life's love even to the point of wanting to act them out, they are healed by spiritual means the way a life-threatening illness is cured by physical means.
[3] I need to explain what we would be like if we were not allowed to think in keeping with the pleasures of our life's love. We would no longer be human. We would have lost the two abilities called freedom and rationality that are the essence of our humanity. The pleasures of those loves would take control of the inner reaches of our minds so completely that the door would be opened wide. We then would not be able to avoid talking and acting in similar fashion, displaying our madness not only to ourselves but to the whole world. Eventually we would not know enough to cover our private parts. It is to keep this from happening that we are allowed to think about and to intend the evils we have inherited, but not to utter and do them. In the meanwhile, we learn civic, moral, and spiritual principles that also work their way into our thinking and displace these insane principles. The Lord heals us by this means, though only to the extent that we know how to guard the door, and not unless we believe in God and ask for his help to resist our evils. Then to the extent that we resist them, he does not let them into our intentions, and eventually not into our thoughts.
[4] We do therefore have a freedom to think as we wish, in order that our life's love may come out of hiding into the light of our discernment; otherwise we would have no knowledge of our evil and could not abstain from it. It would then follow that the evil would gain strength within us to the point that there was no space for recovery within us and, since the evil of parents is passed on to their progeny, hardly any space for recovery in any children we might beget. The Lord makes sure, however, that this does not happen.
281. IV. THUS THE PERMISSION OF EVIL IS FOR THE SAKE OF THE END, NAMELY, SALVATION. It is well known that man is in full liberty to think and to will, but not in full liberty to say and to do whatever he thinks and wills. For he may think as an atheist, deny God and blaspheme the holy things of the Word and of the Church. 1He may indeed desire by word and deed to destroy them even to their extermination; but this is prevented by civil, moral and ecclesiastical laws; and he therefore inwardly cherishes these impious and wicked things, by thinking and willing and also purposing to do them, but not committing them. One who is not an atheist is also in full liberty to think many things that are of evil, such as things fraudulent, lascivious, revengeful and otherwise insane [spiritually]; and at times he also commits them. Who can believe that unless man had full liberty not only could he not be saved but would even utterly perish?
[2] Hear now the reason for this. Every man from his birth is in evils of many kinds. These evils are in his will, and whatever is in the will is loved; for that which a man wills from his interior he loves, and that which he loves he wills, and the will's love flows into the understanding and there causes its delight to be felt; and from that it enters into the thoughts and also into the intentions. If, therefore, man were not permitted to think in accordance with the love of his will, which is implanted in him by inheritance, that love would remain shut in and would never be seen by him; and a love of evil which does not make itself apparent is like an enemy in ambush, like matter in an ulcer, like poison in the blood and like corruption in the breast which, if they are kept shut in, cause death. But when a man is permitted to think the evils of his life's love, so far even as to intend them, they are cured by spiritual means, as diseases are by natural means.
[3] It will now be shown what man would be like if he were not permitted to think in accordance with the delights of his life's love. He would no longer be a man, for he would lose his two faculties called liberty and rationality, in which humanity itself consists. The delights of these evils would occupy the interiors of his mind to such a degree that they would open up the door. 2Then he would not be able to do otherwise than speak and commit such evils, and thus his insanity would be manifest not only to himself but also to the world, and he at length would not know how to cover his shame. In order that a man may not come into this state he is permitted indeed to think and to will the evils of his hereditary nature, but not to say and commit them; and in the meantime he learns civil, moral, and spiritual things. These enter into his thoughts and remove such insanities, and by means of this knowledge he is healed by the Lord; but yet no further than to know how to guard the door, unless he also acknowledges God and implores His help that he may be able to resist the insanities. Then so far as he resists them he does not admit them into his intentions, and eventually not even into his thoughts.
[4] Since, then, man is at liberty to think as he pleases, to the end that his life's love may come forth from its lurking places into the light of his understanding, and since otherwise he would not know anything of his own evil, and consequently would not know how to shun it, 1it follows that the evil would so increase in him that there would be no possibility of amendment in him, and scarcely any in his children, should he have children; for the evil of the parent is transmitted to his offspring. The Lord, however, provides that this may not take place.
Footnotes:
1. Worcester Latin edition (1899) inserts "et," wanting in Original Edition and Tafel Latin edition (1855).
2. The verb is "recludo" which means either to open or to close, according to the context.
3. The text is ". . . et quod alioquin non sciret aliquid de suo malo, et ita nec fugare illud, sequitur" meaning "and since otherwise he would not know anything of his own evil, and consequently would not know how to shun it, it follows. . ." Tafel Latin edition (1855) and Worcester Latin edition (1899) change "fugare" to "fugaret," and Ager's 1899 English version translates it "could shun."
281. (4) Thus the permission of evil is for the sake of the end, that there may be salvation. It is admitted that man has full liberty to think and will, but not full liberty to say and to do whatever he thinks and wills. For he can think like an atheist, can deny God, and blaspheme the holy things of the Word and the church; and can even desire to destroy them by word and deed to their utter extermination, but this is prevented by civil, moral and ecclesiastical laws; consequently he cherishes inwardly these wicked and impious things, by thinking and willing and also purposing them, but not doing them. One who is not an atheist has also full liberty to think about many things that pertain to evil, such as things fraudulent, lascivious, revengeful, and other insanities; and at times he does them. Who can believe that unless man had full liberty he not only could not be saved but would even perish utterly?
[2] Now let the reason be heard: Every man is from birth in evils of many kinds; these evils are in his will; and whatever is in the will is loved; for that which a man wills from the interior he loves, and that which he loves he wills, and the will's love flows into the understanding and makes its delight to be felt therein, and from that it comes into the thoughts, and also into the intentions. If, therefore, man were not permitted to think in accordance with his will's love, which is implanted in him by inheritance, that love would remain shut in, and would never be seen by him, and a love of evil that is not seen is like an enemy in ambush, like matter in an ulcer, like poison in the blood, or corruption in the breast, which, if they are kept shut in, induce death. But on the other hand, if man is permitted to think about the evils of his life's love, even so far as to intend them, they can be cured by spiritual means, as diseases are by natural means.
[3] What a man would be if he were not permitted to think in accordance with the delights of his life's love shall now be told. He would no longer be a man. His two faculties called liberty and rationality, in which the essential humanity consists, would be destroyed. The delights of these evils would occupy the interiors of his mind, even to the extent that the door would be closed; and in that case he could speak and act only in accordance with those delights, thus he would act insanely, not only in his own sight but also before the world, and at last he would not know enough to cover his shame. But that he may not become such he is indeed permitted to think about and to will the evils of his inherited nature, but not to talk about and do them; and in the meantime he learns civil, moral, and spiritual things, and these also enter into his thoughts and remove the insanities, and by means of this knowledge he is healed by the Lord; and yet no further than to know how to guard the door, unless he also acknowledges God and implores His help that he may be able to resist the insanities. Then so far as he resists them so far he refuses them admittance into his intentions, and finally into his thoughts.
[4] Since, then, man is free to think as he pleases, to the end that his life's love may come forth from its lurking-places into the light of his understanding, and since otherwise he would know nothing about his evil, and therefore would not shun it, it follows that the evil would so grow in him that no spot for restoration would be left in him, and scarcely any in his children if he should beget any, for the parent's evil is transmitted to the offspring. But the Lord provides that this shall not take place.
281. IV. Quod sic permissio mali sit propter finem ut salvatio. Notum est, quod homo in plena libertate cogitandi et volendi sit, sed non in plena libertate loquendi et faciendi quicquid cogitat et vult, potest enim cogitare sicut atheus, negare Deum, et sancta Verbi [et] Ecclesiae blasphemare, imo potest velle loquela et facto illa perdere usque ad eorum internecionem, sed hoc leges civiles, morales et ecclesiasticae arcent, quare impia et scelesta illa intus fovet cogitando et volendo, et quoque intendendo, sed usque non faciendo. Homo qui non atheus est, etiam in plena libertate est cogitandi plura quae mali sunt, ut fraudulenta, lasciva, vindicativa, et alia insana, quod etiam facit per vices. Quis potest credere, quod nisi plena libertas foret homini, non modo non salvari posset, sed etiam in totum periret.
[2] Audiatur nunc causa; omnis homo in malis plurium generum a nativitate est; illa mala insunt voluntati ejus, et quae voluntati insunt, amantur, nam quod homo ex interiori vult, hoc amat, et quod amat, hoc vult; et amor voluntatis influit in intellectum, et ibi facit ut jucundum ejus sentiatur; inde venit in cogitationes, et quoque in intentiones; quare nisi permitteretur homini cogitare secundum amorem voluntatis ejus, qui illi ex haereditario insitus est, amor ille inclusus maneret et nusquam in conspectum hominis veniret; et amor mali non apparens est sicut hostis in insidiis, sicut sanies in ulcere, sicut venenatum in sanguine, et sicut putredo in pectore; quae si inclusa tenentur, lethum inducunt. At vero cum licet homini cogitare mala amoris vitae suae usque ad intentionem, sanantur illa per media spiritualia, sicut morbi per media naturalia.
[3] Qualis homo futurus esset, si non liceret ei cogitare secundum jucunda amoris vitae suae, nunc dicetur: non foret homo amplius; perditurus esset binas suas facultates, quae vocantur libertas et rationalitas, in quibus consistit ipsa humanitas; jucunda malorum istorum occuparent interiora mentis ejus, usque adeo ut recluderent portam, et tunc non posset aliter quam similia loqui et agere, et sic insaniret non solum coram se, sed etiam coram mundo, et tandem non sciret velare pudenda: sed ne talis fiat, permittitur quidem ei cogitare et velle mala haereditatis suae, sed non loqui et facere illa; ac interea discit civilia, moralia et spiritualia, quae etiam cogitationes ejus intrant, et removent insanias 1illas, et per illa a Domino sanatur, sed usque non ultra quam ut sciat custodire portam, nisi etiam agnoscat Deum, et imploret opem Ipsius, ut possit resistere illis: et quantum tunc resistit, tantum non admittit illas in intentiones, et tandem nec in cogitationes.
[4] Cum itaque in hominis libertate est cogitare sicut lubet, propter finem ut amor vitae ejus e latibulis suis in lucem intellectus ejus prodeat, et quod alioquin non sciret aliquid de suo malo, et ita nec fugare illud, sequitur quod id apud illum accresceret, usque ut non locus redintegrationis superesset apud illum, et aegre apud liberos, si quos gigneret; nam malum parentis traducitur in prolem; sed hoc ne fiat, Dominus providet.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: insanias,