71、众所周知，人有自由去随心所欲地思考和意愿，但没有自由去说凡他所想的，去做凡他愿的；所以此处所说的自由是指属灵自由，而不是指属世自由，除非两者合而为一。因为思考和意愿是属灵的，但说话和行动是属世的。此外，这些在人里面分得很清楚；因为一个人能思考他所不说的，能意愿他所不做的。这清楚表明，属灵的和属世的在人里面是有区别的。因此，人无法从这一边跨越到那一边，除非通过一个边界。这个边界好比一扇门，必须被松开并打开。在那些按照政府的文明法律和社会的道德法律、基于理性思考和意愿的人里面，这扇门可以说是开着的；因为像这样的人会说他们所想的，会做他们所愿的。但在那些违反这些法律思考和意愿的人里面，这扇门可以说是关着的。凡密切关注自己的意图和这些意图所促发的行为之人，都会发现，这种边界会介入到两者之间，有时在一次谈话或一个行动中多次介入。在此预先说明这些事，是为了叫人们清楚明白，在自由中照理性行动是指自由地思考和意愿，从而自由地去说和做合乎理性的事。
71. It Is a Law of Divine Providence That a Person Act in Freedom in Accordance with His Reason
People know that a person has the freedom to think and will as he pleases, but not the freedom to say whatever he thinks, nor the freedom to do whatever he wishes. Consequently by freedom here we mean spiritual freedom and not natural freedom, except when the two are in accord. For thinking and willing are spiritual, while speaking and acting are natural. They are also clearly distinguished in a person, as a person can think what he does not express, and can will what he does not do. It is apparent, therefore, that the spiritual and natural components in a person have been made distinct, so that a person cannot slip from the one into the other except as the result of a conscious decision. This decision may be likened to a door which must first be unlatched and opened. However, the door stands open, so to speak, in people who think and will rationally in conformity with the civil laws of the kingdom and the moral laws of society, for they say what they think and do as they will. But the door stands closed, so to speak, in people who think and will in opposition to those laws.
One who pays attention to his wishes and consequent actions will observe that such a conscious decision intervenes, and sometimes more than once in a single conversation or in a single course of action.
We have premised this much in order to have it known that by acting in freedom in accordance with one's reason we mean thinking and willing freely, and then speaking and doing freely that which is in accord with one's reason.
71. It Is a Law of Divine Providence That We Should Act in Freedom and in Accord with Reason
It is generally recognized that we have a freedom to think and intend whatever we wish but not a freedom to say whatever we think or to do whatever we wish. The freedom under discussion here, then, is freedom on the spiritual level and not freedom on the earthly level, except to the extent that the two coincide. Thinking and intending are spiritual, while speaking and acting are earthly.
There is a clear distinction between these kinds of freedom in us, since we can think things that we do not express and intend things that we do not act out; so we can see that the spiritual and the earthly in us are differentiated. As a result, we cannot cross the line from one to the other except by making a decision, a decision that can be compared to a door that has first to be unlocked and opened.
This door stands open, though, in people who think and intend rationally, in accord with the civil laws of the state and the moral laws of society. People like this say what they think and do what they wish. In contrast, the door is closed, so to speak, for people who think and intend things that are contrary to those laws. If we pay close attention to our intentions and the deeds they prompt, we will notice that there is this kind of decision between them, sometimes several times in a single conversation or a single undertaking.
I mention this at the outset so that the reader may know that "acting from freedom and in accord with reason" means thinking and intending freely, and then freely saying and doing what is in accord with reason.
71. 1. IT IS A LAW OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE THAT MAN SHOULD ACT FROM FREEDOM ACCORDING TO REASON.
It is well known that man has the freedom of thinking and willing as he pleases, but not the freedom to say whatever he thinks and to do whatever he wills. Therefore the freedom that is here meant is spiritual freedom, and not natural freedom, except when the two make one; for thinking and willing are spiritual but speaking and doing are natural. Moreover, these are clearly distinguished in man; for a man can think what he does not speak, and can will what he does not do. From this it is clear that the spiritual and the natural in man are discriminated, so that he cannot pass from one to the other unless by an act of determination. This determination may be compared to a door, which must first be unfastened and then opened, a door which stands open as it were in those who think and will from reason in accordance with the civil laws of the state and the moral laws of society; for they say what they think and do what they will; but a door which stands closed as it were in those who think and will in opposition to those laws. He who pays attention to what he wills and to his consequent actions will observe that such determination takes place, sometimes frequently in a single conversation and in a single action. These things have been stated at this point to make it clear that by acting from freedom according to reason is meant to think and will and thence to speak and do freely what is in accordance with reason.
71. IT IS A LAW OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE THAT MAN SHOULD ACT FROM FREEDOM IN ACCORDANCE WITH REASON.
Everyone knows that man has the freedom to think and will just as he pleases, but not the freedom to say whatever he thinks, or to do whatever he wills; therefore the freedom that is here meant is spiritual freedom, and not natural freedom, except when the two make one. For thinking and willing are spiritual, but speaking and doing are natural. Moreover, these are clearly distinguished in man; for a man is able to think what he does not speak, and to will what he does not do; which makes clear that the spiritual and the natural in man are discriminated; consequently man can pass from one to the other only through a boundary, such a boundary as may be likened to a door that must be unfastened and opened. This door stands open as it were in those who think and will from reason in accordance with the civil laws of the government and the moral laws of society; for such say what they think and do as they will; but the door stands shut as it were in those who think and will in opposition to those laws. Whoever attends to his volitions and consequent actions will notice that such a boundary intervenes, and sometimes frequently in a single conversation or a single action. This has been premised to make clear that to act from freedom in accordance with reason means to think and will freely and thus to speak and do freely what is in accordance with reason.
71. Quod Lex Divinae Providentiae sit, ut homo
Ex libero secundum rationem agat
Quod homini sit liberum cogitandi et volendi sicut lubet, sed non liberum loquendi quicquid cogitat, nec liberum faciendi quicquid vult, notum est: quare Liberum, quod hic intelligitur, est liberum spirituale, et non naturale, nisi quando unum faciunt; cogitare enim et velle est spirituale, at loqui et facere est naturale: distinguuntur etiam manifeste apud hominem; nam homo cogitare potest quod non eloquitur, et velle quod non facit; ex quo patet, quod spirituale et naturale apud hominem discriminata sint, quare non potest homo ab uno in alterum transire, nisi quam per determinationem; quae determinatio comparari potest januae, quae prius recludenda et aperienda est; sed haec janua stat sicut aperta apud illos qui ex ratione secundum leges civiles Regni et morales Societatis cogitant et volunt, hi enim 1loquuntur 2quae cogitant, et faciunt sicut volunt; at janua illa stat sicut occlusa apud illos, qui contra illas leges cogitant et volunt: qui attendit ad suas voluntates et inde facta, animadvertet quod talis determinatio intercedat, et quandoque pluries in una sermocinatione, et in una actione. Haec praemissa sunt, ut sciatur quod per agere ex libero secundum rationem, intelligatur libere cogitare et velle, et inde libere loqui et facere quod secundum rationem est.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: enim ["i" is upside down]
2 Prima editio: loqnuntnr