294、我在前面（289节）提到：当有些人确信，没有人从自己，而是只从其他人思考，并且其他人也不从自己，而是从经由天堂来自主的流注思考时，他们惊奇地宣称，这意味着作恶不能怪他们；这样看来邪恶似乎来自主；他们不理解唯独主如何能使所有人都作不同的思考。由于这三种观点必定会流入那些仅从结果思考结果，不从原因思考结果之人的思维，所以有必要从原因的角度来接过并解释它们。
①这意味着作恶不能怪他们。因为如果一个人所思想的一切都是从其他人那里流入的，那么责任似乎在作为源头的这些其他人身上。然而，真正的责任在于那些接受所流入之物的人，因为他们把它当成自己的东西来接受，不知道并且不想知道别的。每个人都想成为他自己的，并被自己引领，尤其想从他自己思考和意愿。这就是每个人所享有、似乎属于他自己的那种自由本身，或说自由的本质。那么，他若知道他所思想和意愿的一切都是从别人那里流入的，就会觉得自己就像一个被抓住并关在笼子里的人，不再是自己的主人；因此，他生命的一切快乐都会消失，最后连人性本身也一并消失。
我经常看见这一点得到证明。当有些人被允许觉察并感受到他们正被其他人引领时，他们就勃然大怒，以至于脑子一片混乱，丧失了所有自控力，声称若不允许他们照自己的意愿去思想，照自己的思想去意愿，他们宁愿在地狱受捆绑。他们称不允许如此行的这种束缚就是让他们的生命本身受捆绑，这比肉体捆绑还要严酷、难以忍受。若不允许他们照其思想和意愿说话和行动，他们不称之为束缚；因为束缚他们的，是文明道德生活的快乐，这快乐在于说和做，会减缓这种感觉，使束缚更容易承受。
既然人不想知道是其他人在引领他思考，而是愿意从他自己思考，并相信他就是如此行的，那么可推知，他是有责任的；只要喜欢思想他正在思想的，他就无法避免这种责任；不过，一旦不再喜欢这样，他就会摆脱与其他人的这种联系。当他意识到某事是邪恶，并因此想要避开并克制它时，这种情况就会发生。这时，主就会把他从专注于这恶的社群中解救出来，并转到没有这恶的一个社群。然而，他若知道这恶，却不避开它，就难辞其咎，犯下这恶的罪。因此，凡一个人以为他从自己所做的任何事，可以说都来自他，而不是来自主。
②这样看来邪恶似乎来自主。这一点可被视为从前面的说明（288节）所推出的一个结论，即：从主流入的良善在地狱被转变为邪恶，真理被转变为虚假。但谁都能看出，邪恶和虚假不是来自良善和真理，因而不是来自主，而是来自接受的器皿或物体，因为它专注于邪恶和虚假，扭曲并败坏了所流入之物，这在前面（292节）已充分说明。我已经多次解释（15，204，286节）了人里面的邪恶和虚假的源头是什么。在灵界，在那些以为主能除去恶人的邪恶，并放上良善以取代之，由此将所有地狱都转到天堂，拯救所有人的人身上曾作过一个实验。但在本书结尾（331-340节）你会看到，这是不可能的，我在那里论述了瞬间得救和脱离方法的怜悯，或说直接怜悯。
③他们不理解唯独主如何能使所有人都作不同的思考。主的神性之爱是无限的，祂的神性智慧也是无限的；爱与智慧的无限事物从主发出，并流入天堂里的所有人和地狱里的所有人，又从天堂和地狱流入世上的所有人。这意味着没有人会缺乏思考和意愿的能力，因为无限事物就是没有限制的一切事物。从主发出的这些无限事物既普遍又最为具体地流入进来；因为神性由于其最小细节而是普遍的；被称为普遍的，正是这些神性最小细节，如前所示（202节）；此外，一切神性最小细节也是无限的。由此可见，唯独主使每个人照着他的性质和圣治的律法思考和意愿。我在前面（46-69节）和《圣爱与圣智》一书（17-22节）已说明，在主里面并从主发出的一切事物都是无限的。
294. We said in no. 289 above that when some spirits were convinced that no one thinks on his own but from others, and that neither do all those others think on their own but from an influx through heaven from the Lord, in a state of wonderment they said they were then not at fault for doing evil; moreover that it seemed then that evil comes from the Lord; and also that they did not comprehend how the Lord could by Himself cause all people to think so diversely.
Now because these three notions cannot but flow into the thoughts in the case of people who think of effects solely from the perspective of the effects and not from the perspective of their causes, we need to take them up and explain them in terms of causes.
[2] FIRST, that people would then not be at fault for doing evil: If indeed everything a person thinks flows in from others, the fault does seem to lie with those from whom the thought originates. But still the fault itself lies with him who receives, for he accepts the thought as his own, nor does he know anything to the contrary, or want to know anything to the contrary.
The fact is that everyone wishes to be his own person and to be directed by himself, especially to think and will of himself. For this is the essence of the freedom which every person has, which appears as something his own. If he were to be aware, therefore, that whatever he thinks and wills flows in from another, he would seem to himself to be held bound and captive, no longer his own master, and thus would die all the delight of his life, and finally his essential humanity.
[3] The reality of this is something I have quite often seen confirmed. Some spirits were granted to perceive and sensibly feel that they were directed by others. The spirits then blazed with such anger as to almost lose their minds, and they said that they would rather be held bound in hell than not to be allowed to think as they will and to will as they think. Not to be allowed to do this they called being bound as to their very life, a condition worse and more intolerable than being bound physically. Not to be allowed to speak and act as they think and will - this they did not call being bound, because the enjoyment of a civil and moral life, which consists in speaking and doing, produces restraint and at the same time alleviates it.
[4] Now because a person does not wish to know that he is directed to think by others, but wishes to think on his own, and also believes that he does, it follows that he himself is at fault for doing evil; nor can he free himself from being at fault as long as he likes to think what he is thinking. On the other hand, if he does not like it, he frees himself from any connection with its sources. This he does when he knows that something is evil, and therefore wills to shun it and desist from it. He is also released then by the Lord from the society of spirits that is caught up in that evil and transferred to a society in which that evil does not exist. However, if he knows that something is evil and does not refrain from it, the fault is then imputed to him and he becomes guilty of that evil.
Whatever a person believes that he does on his own, therefore, is said to be done by the person, and not by the Lord.
[5] SECOND, that it seems then that evil comes from the Lord: This may be supposed as a conclusion from the observations presented in no. 288 above, namely, that in hell good flowing in from the Lord is turned into evil, and truth into falsity. Who cannot see, however, that evil and falsity do not arise from goodness and truth, thus from the Lord, but from the recipient vessel or object which is in a state of evil and falsity, and which perverts and inverts the good and truth flowing in, as we also fully showed in no. 292 above. In previous discussions, moreover, we have shown many times the origin of evil and falsity in people.
An experiment, too, was performed in the spiritual world with spirits who believed that the Lord could remove the evils in evil people and in their stead introduce goods, and so convey the whole of hell into heaven and save them all. But the impossibility of this will be seen toward the end of this treatise, where we are going to discuss instantaneous salvation and mercy apart from means. 1
[6] Third, that they do not comprehend how the Lord could by Himself cause all people to think so diversely: The Lord's Divine love is infinite, and His Divine wisdom is infinite, and infinite radiations of love and infinite radiations of wisdom emanate from the Lord. These in turn flow into all the inhabitants in heaven, and from there into all the inhabitants in hell, and from both heaven and hell into all people in the world. Consequently there can be no one without the ability to think and will, for infinite things are all things infinitely.
The infinite radiations which emanate from the Lord flow in not only universally but also most particularly, for the Divine is universal in consequence of its presence in the least particulars, and the most particular Divine elements constitute what we call universal, as we showed above. Moreover, the least particular Divine element is also infinite.
It can be seen from this that the Lord alone causes everyone to think and will according to his character, and in accordance with the laws of His Divine providence.
That all the elements present in the Lord and emanating from the Lord are infinite is something we showed in nos. 46-69 above, and also in our treatise Divine Love and Wisdom 17-22.
Footnotes:
1. See no. 338[7].
294. I mentioned in 289 above that when some people were shown convincingly that we do not think on our own but receive thoughts from others, all of whom in turn are not thinking on their own but from an inflow from the Lord, in their wonderment they claimed that it meant that they were not to blame for doing evil and that it seemed as though evil came from the Lord. They did not understand how the Lord alone could work things out so that we all think differently, either.
Since these three thoughts are bound to occur to people who think about effects as coming solely from effects and not from causes, I need to pick these up and look at them in terms of causes.
[2] First, it meant that they were not to blame for doing evil. If everything we think is flowing in from others, it does seem as though the blame rests on those others as the source. However, the real blame rests on us who accept what is flowing in, since we accept it as our own. That is all we know and all we want to know. We all want to be our own people and find our own way. Particularly, we want to think our own thoughts and make our own decisions. This is the essence of that freedom we enjoy that seems to be our very own. If we knew, then, that what we are thinking and intending was flowing in from someone else, we would feel caught and caged, no longer under our own control, and all the joy would go out of our lives. Eventually, our very humanity would go, too.
[3] I have often seen this demonstrated. When some individuals were allowed to feel and sense that they were being led by others, their rage blazed up so that they could no longer think straight. They said that they would rather be chained and imprisoned in hell than not be allowed to think what they wanted to think and intend what they were thinking. They called this restriction having their life itself bound, which was harsher and more intolerable than being bound physically. They did not say the same about being restrained from saying and doing what they were thinking and intending, because what held them in check was the pleasure of civil and moral life, and this made the restraint easier to bear.
[4] Since we do not want to know that others are leading us to think what we think, then, but want to think on our own and believe that we do, it necessarily follows that we ourselves are to blame and cannot avoid that blame as long as we are in love with our own thinking. If we are not in love with our own thinking, though, we extricate ourselves from our engagement with these others. This happens when we realize that something is evil and want therefore to abstain and refrain from it. Then the Lord rescues us from the community that is focused on this evil and moves us to a community that is not. However, if we recognize that something is evil and do not abstain from it, then we are held responsible for it and become guilty of that evil.
Whatever we believe we are doing autonomously, then, is said to come from us and not from the Lord.
[5] Second, it therefore seemed as though evil came from the Lord. This can seem as though it follows from what I said in 288, namely, that in hell, the goodness that flows in from the Lord is turned into evil and the truth into falsity. Surely, though, anyone can see that the evil and falsity do not come from what is good and true and therefore from the Lord. They come from the receiving subject or object that is focused on what is evil and false and that distorts and inverts what it is receiving, as has been amply demonstrated in 292. I have already explained several times [15, 204, 286] how the evil and falsity in us originate.
There have been experiments in the spiritual world with people who believed that the Lord could take the evils out of evil people and replace them with good qualities, thereby taking all hell into heaven and saving everyone. You may see that this is impossible, though, at the end of this book [331-340] where I deal with instant salvation and direct mercy.
[6] Third, they did not understand how the Lord alone could work things out so that we all think so differently. The Lord's divine love is infinite, and his divine wisdom is infinite, and infinite forms of love and infinite forms of wisdom radiate from the Lord and flow into everyone in heaven and everyone in hell. From heaven and hell they flow into everyone in the world. This means that none of us can lack the ability to think and intend, since infinite forms are everything infinitely.
The infinite things that radiate from the Lord flow in not only in a general way but in full detail, since divinity is all-inclusive because of those smallest details, and the divine smallest details are what we call "the totality," as already explained [202]. Further, every divine detail is also infinite.
We can tell from this that it is the Lord alone who makes each one of us think and intend in keeping with our own natures and in keeping with the laws of his providence. I have explained in 46-69 and in Divine Love and Wisdom 17-22 that everything that is in the Lord and that radiates from the Lord is infinite.
294. It was stated above (n. 289) that when some were convinced that no one thinks from himself but only from others, and that all those others think not from themselves but from influx through heaven from the Lord, they said in their astonishment that in this case they are not in fault for doing evil; also that it thus seems that evil originates from the Lord; and also that they do not understand that the Lord alone can cause all to think so differently. Now since these three ideas cannot but flow into the thoughts of those who think only of effects from effects, and not of effects from causes, it is necessary that they be taken up and explained from causes.
[2] First: In this case they are not in fault for doing evil. For if every thing that a man thinks flows into him from others the fault seems to rest with those from whom it comes. Nevertheless, the fault is in him who receives, because he receives it as his own; and he neither knows nor desires to know otherwise. For everyone desires to be his own, and to be led by himself, and especially to think and to will from himself; this is freedom itself and it appears as his proprium in which every man is. Therefore, if he knew that what he thinks and wills flows in from another he would seem to himself to be bound and captive and no longer master of himself; and thus all the delight of his life, and at length his human itself, would perish.
[3] That this is so I have often seen proved. It was granted to some spirits to perceive and to feel that they were being led by others. Thereupon they were so enraged that they became as it were demented; and they said they would rather be kept bound in hell than not be allowed to think in accordance with their will and to will in accordance with their thought. Not to be allowed to do so they called being bound as to life itself, which was harder and more intolerable than being bound as to their body. Not to be allowed to speak and act in accordance with their thought and will they did not call being bound; because the delight of civil and moral life, which consists in speaking and doing, acts as the restraining influence and, at the same time, mitigates the restraint.
[4] Now since man is not willing to know that he is led to think by others, but desires to think from himself and also believes that he does so, it follows that he himself is at fault, nor can he free himself of blame so long as he loves to think what he is thinking; but if he does not love it he breaks his connection with those from whom his thought flows. This happens when he knows that it is evil, and therefore desires to shun it and to desist from it. Then also he is taken away by the Lord from the society which is in that evil and is transferred to a society where it does not exist. If, however, he knows the evil and does not shun it the fault is imputed to him, and he becomes answerable for that evil. Therefore, whatever a man believes that he does from himself is said to be done from the man and not from the Lord.
[5] Second: It thus seems that evil originates from the Lord. This may be thought to be the conclusion from what was shown above (n. 288), namely, that good flowing in from the Lord is turned in hell into evil and truth into falsity. Anyone can see that evil and falsity do not originate from good and truth, and consequently not from the Lord, but from the recipient subject and object which is in evil and falsity and which perverts and inverts that which flows in, as was fully shown above (n. 292). However, the source of evil and falsity in man has been frequently shown in the preceding pages. Moreover, an experiment was made in the spiritual world with those who believed that the Lord could remove evils in the wicked and introduce good in their place, and in this way could transfer all hell into heaven and save all. But that this is impossible will be seen towards the end of this treatise, where instantaneous salvation and immediate mercy are to be considered.
[6] Third: They do not understand that the Lord alone can cause all to think so differently. The Lord's Divine Love is infinite and infinite also is His Divine Wisdom; and infinite things of love and wisdom proceed from the Lord, and these flow into all in heaven, and thence into all in hell, and from both of these into all in the world; therefore, thinking and willing cannot fail in anyone, for infinite things are all things without limit. Those infinite things which proceed from the Lord flow in not only universally but also most individually; for the Divine is universal from the most individual things, and these Divine individual things constitute what is called the Universal, as was shown above; and the most individual Divine thing is also infinite. Hence it may be evident that the Lord alone causes everyone to think and to will in accordance with his own peculiar quality and in accordance with the laws of His Providence. That all things which are in the Lord and which proceed from Him are infinite has been shown above (n. 46-69); and also in the treatise THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM (n. 17-22).
294. It has been stated above (289) that when some were convinced that no one thinks from himself but only from others, and that all these others think not from themselves but from influx through heaven from the Lord, they said in their wonder that they could not then be blamed for doing evil; also that this made evil seem to be from the Lord; also that they did not comprehend how the Lord alone can cause all to think so diversely. As these three opinions must needs flow into the thoughts of those who think of effects only from effects, and not of effects from causes, it is necessary to take them up and explain them from causes.
[2] First: They could not then be blamed for doing evil. For if every thing that a man thinks flows into him from others the blame would seem to rest on those from whom it comes; and yet the blame itself rests on him who receives, for he receives it as his, and he does not know and is unwilling to know anything to the contrary. For every one wishes to be his own and to be led by himself, and especially to think and to will from himself; for this is freedom itself, which appears as the own (proprium) in which every man is. If, then, he knew that what he thinks and wills flows in from another he would seem to himself like one bound and captive, and no longer his own master; and thus all the delight of his life would perish, and finally the human itself.
[3] That this is so I have often seen proved. It has been granted to some to perceive and feel that they were led by others; they then became so enraged as to lose all self-control, and declared that they would rather be kept bound in hell than not be allowed to think in accordance with their will and to will in accordance with their thought. Not to be allowed to do this they called being bound in their very life, which is harder and more intolerable than being bound in body. Not to be allowed to speak and act in accordance with their thought and will they did not call being bound; because the delight in civil and moral life, which consists in speaking and doing, checks and as it were soothes this feeling.
[4] Since, then, man is not willing to know that he is led to think by others, but wishes to think from himself, and believes that he does so, it follows that he is blameable; nor can he rid himself of blame so long as he loves to think what he is thinking; but as soon as he ceases to love this he releases himself from this bond to others. This takes place when he knows that a thing is evil, and wishes in consequence to shun it and refrain from it. And then he is taken away by the Lord from the society that is in that evil, and is transferred to a society that is not in that evil. But if he knows that evil and does not shun it the blame is imputed to him and he becomes guilty of that evil. Anything, therefore, that a man believes that he does from himself is said to be done from him, and not from the Lord.
[5] Secondly: This makes evil to seem to be from the Lord. This may be thought to be a conclusion from what has been shown above (288), namely, that good flowing in from the Lord is turned in hell into evil, and truth into falsity. But any one can see that evil and falsity are not from good and truth, and thus from the Lord, but are from the recipient subject and object, which is in evil and falsity, and which perverts and inverts that which flows in, as is also fully shown above (292). But it has been frequently shown in the preceding pages what the source of evil and falsity is in man. In the spiritual world an experiment was made with those who believed that the Lord could remove evils in the wicked and could put goods in their place, and thus transfer all hell into heaven and save all. But that this is impossible will be shown near the close of this work, where instant salvation and mercy apart from means are to be treated of.
[6] Thirdly: They do not comprehend how the Lord alone can cause all to think so diversely. The Lord's Divine love is infinite and His Divine wisdom is infinite, and infinite things of love and of wisdom go forth from the Lord, and these flow into all in heaven, and therefrom into all in hell, and from both of these into all in the world; therefore thinking and willing fail in no one, for infinite things are all things without limit. Those infinite things that go forth from the Lord flow in both universally and also most particularly; for the Divine is universal from its least particulars; and it is these Divine least particulars that are called the universal, as has been shown above; and every Divine least particular is also infinite. From this it can be seen that the Lord alone causes every one to think and to will in accordance with his quality and in accordance with the laws of the Divine providence. That all things that are in the Lord and go forth from the Lord are infinite has been shown above (46-69); and also in Divine Love and Wisdom 17-22).
294. Dictum est supra 289, quod cum quidam convicti sunt, quod nullus cogitet ex se, sed ex aliis, et quod omnes alii non ex se, sed ex influxu per coelum a Domino, in admiratione dixerint, quod sic non in culpa sint quod malum faciant; tum, quod sic videatur, quod malum sit a Domino: ut et, quod non comprehendant, quod Dominus Solus possit facere, ut omnes tam diversimode cogitent. Nunc quia haec tria non possunt non influere in cogitationes apud illos, qui solum cogitant effectus ab effectibus, et non effectus a causis, necessum est ut illa assumantur, et ex causis detegantur.
[2] PRIMUM; Quod sic non in culpa forent, quod malum faciant: si enim omne quod homo cogitat, ab aliis influit, videtur sicut culpa sit apud illos a quibus; sed usque ipsa culpa est apud illum, qui recipit, nam recipit ut suum, nec scit aliud, neque vult scire aliud: quisque enim vult suus esse, et a semet duci, imprimis a semet cogitare et velle; hoc enim est ipsum liberum, quod apparet sicut proprium, in quo omnis homo est; quare si sciret quod id quod cogitat et vult, ab alio influat, videretur sibi sicut vinctus et captivus, non amplius sui juris, et sic periret omne jucundum vitae ejus, et tandem ipsum humanum.
[3] Quod ita sit, vidi saepius confirmatum; datum est quibusdam percipere et sentire quod ducerentur ab aliis; tunc exarserunt ira, ut facti sint sicut impotes mentis, et dixerunt, quod potius vellent vincti teneri in inferno, quam non licere cogitare sicut volunt, et velle sicut cogitant: hoc non licere, vocabant ligari quoad ipsam vitam, quod durius et intolerabilius 1est quam ligari quoad corpus; non licere loqui et facere sicut cogitant et volunt, hoc non vocabant ligari, quia jucundum vitae civilis et moralis, quod consistit in loquendo et faciendo, id refraenat et simul quasi lenit.
[4] Nunc quia homo non vult scire, quod ab aliis ducatur ad cogitandum, sed vult cogitare a se, et hoc quoque credit, consequitur quod ipse in culpa sit [quod malum faciat], nec potest rejicere illam a se, quamdiu amat cogitare quod cogitat; at si id non amat, exsolvit se a nexu cum illis; hoc fit, cum scit quod malum sit, ac ideo vult fugere illud et desistere ab illo; tunc etiam ille a Domino eximitur a societate, quae in illo malo est, et transfertur in societatem, in qua id non est; si autem scit malum, et non fugit illud, tunc imputatur ei culpa, et fit illius mali reus. Quicquid ergo homo ex se credit facere, hoc dicitur ex homine fieri, et non a Domino.
[5] SECUNDUM. Quod sic videatur, quod malum sit a Domino: hoc sicut conclusum potest cogitari ex illis, quae supra 288, ostensa sunt, quae sunt, quod bonum influens a Domino vertatur in malum, ac verum in falsum in inferno: sed quis non potest videre, quod malum et falsum non sint a bono et vero, ita a Domino, sed a subjecto et objecto recipiente, quod in malo et falso est, ac id pervertit et invertit, ut plene etiam ostensum est supra 292. Unde autem malum et falsum est apud hominem, in praecedentibus pluries ostensum est. Facta etiam est experientia in Mundo spirituali cum illis, qui crediderunt, quod Dominus potuisset apud malos removere mala, et loco illorum inferre bona, et sic transferre totum infernum in coelum, et salvare omnes; sed quod id impossibile sit, ad finem hujus Transactionis, ubi de momentanea salvatione, et de immediata Misericordia, agendum est, videbitur.
[6] TERTIUM. Quod non comprehendant, quod Dominus solus possit facere, ut omnes tam diversimode cogitent: est Divinus Amor Domini Infinitus, ac Divina Sapientia Ipsius Infinita, ac Infinita amoris et Infinita sapientiae a Domino procedunt, et illa influunt apud omnes in coelo, et inde apud omnes in inferno, et ab utroque apud omnes in Mundo; quare non potest alicui deesse quod cogitet et velit, nam infinita 2sunt infinite omnia. Infinita illa, quae a Domino procedunt, non solum universaliter influunt, sed etiam singularissime, nam Divinum est universale ex singularissimis, et Divina singularissima sunt quae vocantur Universale, ut supra ostensum est; et Divinum singularissimum etiam infinitum est. Ex his constare potest, quod Solus Dominus faciat unumquemvis cogitare et velle secundum quale ejus, et secundum leges suae Providentiae. Quod omnia quae in Domino sunt, et a Domino procedunt, Infinita sint, supra 46-69, ostensum est; et quoque in Transactione de DIVINO AMORE ET DIVINA SAPIENTIA 17-22.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: intollerabilius
2 Prima editio: infiuita