317、⑶人说服自己相信并在自己里面所确认的一切都会留在他里面，成为他自己的。许多人以为，如果真理不被确认或证实，人就无法看见它；但这是一个错误。在国家或政府的民政和经济事务中，我们若不知道一系列法规和条例，就无法看到有用和良善的东西；在司法事物中，若不知道法律，也是如此；在自然学科领域，如物理学、化学、解剖学、力学等等，若不是深谙此道的科学家，同样如此。然而，在纯理性、道德和属灵的事务上，真理只能在真理本身的光中被看到，只要人通过正确的教育变得有点理性、道德和属灵。这是因为就其灵而言（正是人的灵在思考），每个人都在灵界，是灵界里的人当中的一员，因而就在光照其理解力的内层，可以说指明方向的属灵之光中。因为属灵之光本质上是主的神性智慧的神性真理。正因如此，人能分析思考，能就司法事务中的公义和公平得出结论，能看到道德生活中的可敬之事，属灵生活中的良善，还能看见由于被当作真理接受的虚假而陷入黑暗的其它大量真理。人看见这些真理，几乎跟他仅仅利用每个人与生俱来的知识就能从脸上看到别人的心情，从语气感受到他的情感差不多。就连动物都无不从流注知道自己的属世需求，为什么人就不能从流注在某种程度上看见自己属灵和道德的生命内层呢？一只小鸟尚且知道如何筑巢，产卵，孵化幼雏，辨别食物，以及除此之外、被称为本能的其它奇事。
317. (3) Every persuasion and conviction remains in a person as something his own. Many people believe that a person can see no truth without proofs, but that is not the case. In civil and economic matters relating to a kingdom or republic, nothing useful or good can be seen without knowing many of the statutes and enactments there, and in judicial matters, without knowing the laws, and in natural studies, as in physics, chemistry, anatomy, mechanics, and others, without the person's being steeped in the sciences. But in purely rational, moral and spiritual matters, truths appear in their own, true light, provided the person has become somewhat rational, moral and spiritual from a right education.
The reason is that in respect to his spirit, which is the component that thinks, every person is in the spiritual world and one of the inhabitants there, so that he is in spiritual light, which enlightens the inner regions of his intellect and, as it were, issues dictates. For spiritual light in its essence is the Divine truth of the Lord's Divine wisdom.
It is because of this that a person can think analytically, draw conclusions about what is just and right in judicial matters, and see what is honorable in living morally and what is good in living spiritually. And he can see also many truths, which fall into darkness only as a result of confirmed falsities.
A person sees these truths almost in the way that he sees another's disposition from the look of his face and perceives his affections from the tone of his voice, having no other knowledge than the knowledge instinctive in everyone. Why should a person not see to some extent from influx the interior constituents of his life, which are spiritual and moral, when there is no animal that does not know from influx the things necessary to it, which are natural? A bird knows how to make a nest, lay eggs, and hatch its young, and it knows its proper food - not to mention other marvels, which we call instincts.
317. 3. Everything we adopt and justify becomes virtually a permanent part of us. Many people think that we cannot see any truth except as we can support it with data, but this is not so. We cannot see what is right and useful in civic and economic matters of the country and the state unless we know a host of regulations and protocols; we cannot do the same in legal affairs unless we know the laws, and in material subjects such as physics, chemistry, anatomy, engineering, and the like unless we are skilled scientists. However, in matters that are purely rational, moral, and spiritual, truths can be seen simply in their own light provided a decent education has made us rational, moral, and spiritual individuals. This is because as far as our spirits are concerned--and it is our spirit that thinks--we are in the spiritual world. We are among people there who are in a spiritual light that enlightens the deeper levels of our own discernment and, so to speak, gives direction, since in its essence spiritual light is the divine truth of the Lord's divine wisdom. It is the reason we can think analytically, decide what is fair and proper in legal matters, and see what is honorable in moral matters and good in spiritual matters. We can also see a great deal that is true that lapses into darkness only because of distortions that have been accepted as truths. We see this truth very much the way we see people's moods in their faces and sense their feelings from their tones of voice, using only the knowledge we are born with. Given the way the inflow happens, why should we not be able to see at least to some extent the deeper processes of our lives, which are spiritual and moral, when there is not a single animal that does not know from its inflow what it needs to know, its physical needs? Birds know how to build nests, lay eggs, hatch their chicks, and recognize their own foods, and there are other wonders that we call "instincts."
317. III. EVERYTHING OF WHICH MAN HAS PERSUADED HIMSELF AND WHICH HE HAS CONFIRMED IN HIMSELF REMAINS WITH HIM AS HIS OWN. It is believed by many that no truth can be seen by man except from proof; but this is false. In the civil and economic affairs of a kingdom or of a republic what is useful and good cannot be seen unless several statutes and ordinances in force there are known, and in judicial matters unless the laws are known; and in the things of nature, as physics, chemistry, anatomy, mechanics and other subjects, unless one has been instructed in the sciences. But in matters purely rational, moral and spiritual, truths are apparent in their own light, provided man has from a right education become in some degree rational, moral and spiritual. This is because every man as to his spirit, or that which thinks, is in the spiritual world as one among those who are there; and consequently he is in spiritual light which enlightens the interiors of his understanding, and as it were dictates. For spiritual light in its essence is the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Wisdom.
Hence it is that man can think analytically, form conclusions about what is just and right in judicial matters, can see what is honourable in moral life and what is good in spiritual life, and also can see many truths which do not become obscured unless by the confirmation of falsities. What is good and true in the spiritual life man sees almost in the same way as he sees the mind (animus) of another in his face, and perceives his affections from the tone of his voice, with no other knowledge than what is inherent in everyone. Why should not a man see in some measure from influx the interior things of his life, which are spiritual and moral, when there is no animal which does not know by influx the things necessary for it, which are natural? A bird knows how to build nests, lay its eggs, hatch its young and knows its own food; besides other wonderful things which are called instinct.
317. (3) Every thing that a man has adopted by persuasion and confirmation remains in him as his own. Many believe that no truth can be seen by man except when it has been confirmed; but this is a falsity. In the civil and economical affairs of a kingdom or republic what is useful and good can be seen only by a knowledge of many statutes and ordinances there; or in judicial matters only by a knowledge of the laws; or in the things of nature, like physics, chemistry, anatomy, mechanics, and so on, only when man has been well instructed in the sciences. But in things purely rational, moral, and spiritual, truths are seen from the light of truth itself, provided man has from a right education become somewhat rational, moral, and spiritual. This is because every man, in respect to his spirit, which is that which thinks, is in the spiritual world, and is one among those who are there; and consequently is in spiritual light, which enlightens the interiors of his understanding, and as it were dictates. For spiritual light in its essence is the Divine truth of the Lord's Divine wisdom. From this it is that man can think analytically, can form conclusions about what is just and right in judicial affairs, can see what is honorable in moral life and good in spiritual life, and many other truths, which are sunk in darkness only by confirmed falsities. These are seen by man comparatively almost as he sees another's disposition from his face, and perceives his affections from the tone of his voice, with no other knowledge than what is inherent in every one. Why should not man see in some measure from influx the interiors of his life, which are spiritual and moral, when there is no animal that does not know from influx its own necessities, which are natural? A bird knows how to build its nest, lay its eggs, hatch its young, and distinguish its food, besides other wonderful things which are called instincts.
317. III. Quod omne persuasum et confirmatum permaneat sicut proprium apud hominem. Creditur a multis, quod non videri aliquod verum ab homine possit, nisi ex confirmatis, sed hoc est falsum: in illis quae civilia et oeconomica Regni et Reipublicae 1sunt, non videri potest utile et bonum, nisi sciantur plura statuta et sancita ibi, inque rebus judicii nisi sciantur leges, inque rebus naturalibus, ut in physicis, chymicis, anatomicis, Mechanicis et aliis, nisi homo imbutus sit scientiis; 2sed in puris rationalibus, moralibus et spiritualibus, apparent vera ex ipsa luce eorum, modo homo ex justa educatione aliquantum rationalis, moralis, et spiritualis factus est: causa est, quia unusquisque homo quoad spiritum suum, qui est qui cogitat, est in Mundo spirituali, ac unus inter illos ibi, proinde in luce spirituali, quae interiora intellectus ejus illustrat, et quasi dictat; nam lux spiritualis in sua essentia est Divinum Verum Divinae Sapientiae Domini: inde est quod homo possit analytice cogitare, de justo et recto in judiciis concludere, ac honestum 3in morali vita, et bonum in spirituali, videre; et quoque multa vera, quae non in tenebras cadunt nisi quam ex confirmatis falsis: illa videt homo comparative vix aliter quam sicut videt animum alterius ex facie ejus, ac percipit affectiones ejus ex sono loquelae ejus, absque alia scientia, quam quae cuivis insita est: cur non homo suae vitae interiora, quae sunt spiritualia et moralia, aliquatenus ex influxu videret, cum nullum animal est, quod non scit sua necessaria, quae sunt naturalia, ex influxu; avis scit nidos facere, ova ponere, pullos excludere, et novit suas escas; praeter mirabilia alia, quae vocantur instinctus.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: Republicae
2 Prima editio: scientiis;
3 Prima editio: honestrum