96、⑺在圣治的整个过程中，主都保护人里面的这两种官能不受侵犯、完好无损，如同神圣之物。原因有三：首先，没有这两种官能，人就不会拥有理解力和意愿，因而不会是人；其次，没有这两种官能，人无法与主结合，从而不能被改造和重生；最后，没有这两种官能，人无法拥有永恒不朽的生命。事实的确如此，这一点可从前面章节所给出的关于这两种官能，即自由和理性的概念在某种程度上看出来，但看得不清晰，除非刚才作为原因来阐述的那些观点明显呈现为结论，所以我需要对它们作一些解释。
没有这两种官能，人不会拥有意愿和理解力，因而不会是人。这是因为人拥有意愿，仅仅是由于他能貌似凭自己自由意愿；他貌似凭自己自由意愿的能力来自主不断赋予他的、被称为自由的官能。人拥有理解力，仅仅是由于他能貌似凭自己理解某事是否合乎理性，他理解某事是否合乎理性的能力来自主不断赋予他的、被称为理性的官能。这两种官能在人里面就像意愿和理解力那样结合在一起；也就是说，人因拥有意愿的能力，故也拥有理解的能力，因为意愿不可能离开理解力。理解力是意愿的配偶或伴侣，没有意愿，它无法存在。这就是为何被称为自由的官能伴随着被称为理性的官能；又为何你若从理解力中拿走意愿，就什么也理解不了。
此外，你能理解多少，取决于你愿意理解的程度，只要被称为概念或知识的辅助性帮助存在，同时被打开，因为这些就像工人的工具。我们说你能理解多少取决于你愿意理解的程度，也就是取决于你喜爱理解的程度，是因为意愿和爱行如一体。的确，这一点看上去似乎有点问题；但只在那些不喜爱，因而不愿意理解的人看来是这样；那些不愿意理解的人会说，他们不能。在接下来的讨论中，我们将说明谁不能理解，谁理解起来有点困难。
无需证据就能说明，人若不从被称为自由的官能中获得意愿，从被称为理性的官能中获得理解力，就不会是人。动物没有这两种官能。表面上看，动物似乎也能意愿和理解，其实不能。只有一种本身为欲望的属世情感和伴随它的知识，引导并驱动它们去它们所做的事。诚然，它们的知识里面有某种文明道德的东西；但这种东西不会超出它们的知识，因为它们缺乏能使它们感知道德之物，因而分析思考它的属灵成分。它们的确能被训练做某件事，但这只是添加于其知识，同时添加于其情感，并要么通过视觉，要么通过听觉而重复做出的某种属世之事；不过，这种事在它们里面决不会成为思维的事，更不会成为理性的事。关于这个主题的一些观察，可参看前文（74节）。
前面已说明，没有这两种官能，人无法与主结合，因而无法被改造和重生。因为主在人里面，无论恶人还是善人，就住在这两种官能中，并通过它们与每个人结合。正因如此，恶人和善人都拥有理解的能力，从而拥有意愿良善和理解真理的潜能。他没有实际拥有它们是由于他对这些官能的滥用。主在每个人里面都住在这些官能中，这是由于主之意愿的流注，因为祂的意愿就是被人接受，在他里面拥有自己的住处，并赐予他永生的幸福。这一切都是主意愿的对象，因为它们是主的神性之爱的对象。正是主的这个意愿在人里面制造了这种表象：他所思、所言、所愿和所行的，都是他自己的。
正是主意愿的流注实现这一切，这一点可通过来自灵界的许多证据被证实。有时主以其神性充满一位天使，以至于这位天使不知道他不是主。亚伯拉罕、夏甲和基甸所看见的，就是被如此充满的天使，所以他们自称耶和华，如圣言所记载的那样。而且一个灵人也能被另一个灵人如此充满，以至于他只知道自己就是那个灵人。我经常看到这种情形。此外，天堂里的人都知道，主通过意愿一切事来成就一切事，凡祂所意愿的都会成就。由此明显可知，正是通过这两种官能，主与人结合，并使人与祂相互结合。至于人如何通过这些官能与主结合，从而通过它们被改造和重生，这在前面已经解释了，我们将在下文进一步予以说明。
没有这两种官能，人无法拥有永恒不朽的生命，这一点从刚才的说明可推知，即：通过它们才会有与主的结合，以及改造和重生；人通过结合拥有不朽，通过改造和重生拥有永生。由于通过这两种官能才会有主与每个人的结合，无论恶人善人，如前所述，所以每个人都拥有不朽。但永生，就是天堂的生命，只赐给那些从其最内在的成分到最外在的成分都拥有一种相互结合在里面的人。理性由此明显看出，为何在主的圣治的整个过程中，祂都保护人里面的这两种官能不受侵犯、完好无损，如同神圣之物。
96. (7) Throughout the whole progress of His Divine providence, the Lord preserves these two faculties in a person intact and as sacred. The reasons are that without these two faculties a person would not have understanding or will, and so would not be human; further, that without these two faculties a person could not be conjoined with the Lord, and so could not be reformed and regenerated; and so, too, that without these two faculties a person would not have immortality and eternal life.
From a concept of what these two faculties, freedom and rationality, are, a concept presented in the preceding discussions, the reality of this can indeed be seen, but not clearly unless they are visibly presented as conclusions. Therefore they must be elucidated.
[2] That without these two faculties a person would not have will or understanding, and so would not be human: That is because a person has will solely for the reason that he is able to will freely as though of himself, and his ability to will freely as though of himself is due to the faculty continually given to him by the Lord called freedom. So, too, a person has understanding solely for the reason that he is able to understand as though of himself whether something accords with reason or not, and his ability to understand whether something accords with reason or not is due to the second faculty continually given to him by the Lord called rationality.
These faculties operate conjointly in a person like the will and intellect. That is to say, because a person has the ability to will, he has also an ability to understand, for willing is not possible without understanding. Understanding is its consort or mate, without which it cannot exist. Consequently the faculty called freedom is accompanied by the faculty called rationality.
[3] Moreover, if you take away willing from understanding, you understand nothing; and you can understand as much as you are willing to understand, provided the auxiliary supports called concepts are present or at the same time laid open, for these are like tools to a workman.
We say that you can understand as much as you are willing to understand, that is, as much as you have a love to understand, for will and love go together. This may appear indeed to be questionable, but it appears so only to people who have no love and so no will to understand; and people who have no will to, say that they cannot. But just who cannot, and who can only with difficulty, will be told in the next discussion.
[4] It is apparent without confirmation that if a person did not have will from the faculty called freedom, and understanding from the faculty called rationality, he would not be human.
Animals do not have these faculties. It appears as though animals, too, can will and understand, but they cannot. It is only a natural affection, which in itself is desire, with its accompanying knowledge, that leads and moves them to do what they do. There are, indeed, civil and moral elements in their knowledge, but these do not extend beyond that knowledge, because they lack a spiritual component to enable them to perceive what is moral and so to think analytically about it. Granted, they can be taught to do something, but it is only something natural, which is incorporated into their knowledge and at the same time into their affection, and duplicated as a result of some visual or auditory stimulus, but which never becomes in them a matter of thought, and still less a matter of reason.
Some observations on this subject may be seen in no. 74 above.
[5] That without these two faculties a person could not be conjoined with the Lord, and so could not be reformed and regenerated: This we have already shown above. For the Lord resides in people, both good and evil, in these two faculties, and by means of them conjoins Himself with every person. It is because of this that an evil person as well as good one can understand, and so has the potential of a will for good and an understanding of truth. That they are not actual is due to his abuse of these faculties.
The Lord resides in every person in these faculties because of an influx of the Lord's will - His will being to be received by the person, to have His abode in him, and to impart to him the felicities of eternal life. These are objects of the Lord's will because they are the objects of His Divine love.
It is this, the Lord's will, which creates in a person the appearance that what he thinks, speaks, wills and does is his own.
[6] The fact that it is an influx of the Lord's will that accomplishes this can be confirmed by many proofs from the spiritual world. For the Lord sometimes fills an angel with His Divinity, so that the angel does not know but that he is the Lord. He thus filled the angels who appeared to Abraham, Hagar, and Gideon, and who therefore called themselves Jehovah, as recorded in the Word. So, too, one spirit can be filled by another to the point that he does not know but that he is the other. This I have seen quite often. Moreover, people in heaven know that the Lord accomplishes everything by willing it, and that what He wills comes to pass.
It is apparent from this that it is by means of these two faculties that the Lord conjoins Himself with a person and causes the person to be reciprocally conjoined with Him. But how a person is reciprocally conjoined with Him by means of these faculties, and consequently how he is reformed and regenerated by means of them, has been explained above, and more will be said about it below.
[7] That without these two faculties a person would not have immortality and eternal life: This follows from what we have already said, that by means of these faculties conjunction with the Lord is effected, and so also reformation and regeneration. By that conjunction a person has immortality, and by reformation and regeneration he has eternal life. Moreover, because by means of these faculties a conjunction of the Lord with every person is effected, with an evil person as well as with a good one, as we have said, therefore every person has immortality. But only that person has eternal life, that is to say, the life of heaven, who has in him a reciprocal conjunction from his innermost constituents to his outermost.
From this one can see the reasons why, throughout the whole progress of His Divine providence, the Lord preserves these two faculties in a person intact and as sacred.
96. 7. The Lord protects these two abilities untouched within us and as things that are sacred through the whole course of his divine providence. There are several reasons for this. One is that without these two abilities there, we would have no discernment or volition and would therefore not be human. Another is that without these two abilities we could not be united to the Lord and therefore could not be reformed and regenerated. Then too, without these two abilities we would not have immortality or eternal life. We can see this to some extent from the view already given [71-95] of what freedom and rationality are (these are the two abilities). We cannot see this clearly, though, unless the propositions are presented to view as inferences, so I need to shed some light on them.
[2] Without these two abilities there we would have no discernment or volition and would therefore not be human. The only basis of our volition is our ability to intend as though we were doing so ourselves. Intending freely, with this apparent autonomy, comes from the ability the Lord is constantly giving us, the ability called freedom. For another thing, the only basis of our discernment is our ability to discern whether something is reasonable or not, again as though we were doing so ourselves. Discerning whether something is reasonable or not comes from the second ability that the Lord is constantly giving us, the ability called rationality.
These two abilities unite within us the way volition and discernment do, because there is no intent without discernment. Discerning is the mate or match of intending, necessary to its existence; so along with the ability called freedom we are given the ability called rationality.
[3] Then too, if you take away intending from discerning, you will not discern anything at all. You can understand to the extent that you try to, provided you have or have access to the resources called perceptions, since these are like an artisan's tools. When I say that you can discern to the extent that you try, it means to the extent that you love to discern, since volition and love are the same thing.
This may seem like a paradox, but that is only how it seems to people who do not love to discern and therefore do not try to; and people who do not try to discern claim that they cannot. I will, however, be explaining later [98] which people really cannot discern and which ones find it hard.
[4] We need no further support for the statement that if we did not have volition based on the ability called freedom and discernment based on the ability called rationality, we would not be human. Animals do not have these abilities. It may seem as though animals, too, can intend and can discern, but they cannot. There is an earthly desire, basically an impulse, with matching knowledge, that guides and impels them to do what they do. There is a social and moral component to this knowledge, but it does not transcend their knowledge, because animals have no spiritual level that would enable them to perceive what is moral and therefore think about it. They can be taught to do particular things, but this is strictly on the physical level. What they learn is added to their knowledge and to their impulses and is called forth either by sight or by hearing. However, it never becomes something that they think about, let alone something that they reason about. There is more on this subject above (see 74).
[5] Without these two abilities we could not be united to the Lord and therefore could not be reformed and regenerated. This has already been explained [82-86]. The Lord dwells within us in these two abilities whether we are evil or good, and uses them to unite everyone to himself. This is why evil people are as capable of discernment as good people, why potentially they intend what is good and discern what is true. If they do not have these characteristics in act, that is because of their misuse of the abilities.
The reason the Lord dwells in these abilities in each of us is found in the inflow of the Lord's intent, an intent that wants to be accepted by us, to make its dwelling within us, and to give us the happiness of eternal life. This is the Lord's intent because it comes from his divine love. It is this intent of the Lord that makes whatever we think and say and intend and do seem to be our own.
[6] There is ample evidence in the spiritual world that the inflow of the Lord's intent makes this happen. Sometimes the Lord fills an angel with his divine nature so completely that the angel's whole consciousness is of being the Lord. That is how the angels were filled whom Abraham, Hagar, and Gideon saw, angels who therefore called themselves Jehovah, as we read in the Word. In the same way, one spirit can be filled by another to the point of not realizing that she or he is not that other. I have seen this happen often. It is also common knowledge in heaven that the Lord always works through intention and that what happens is what he intends.
We can see from this that it is through these two abilities that the Lord unites himself to us and works things out so that we are united to him in return. I have already explained how we are united mutually through these abilities and how we are therefore reformed and regenerated, and will have much more to say about this below.
[7] Without these two abilities we would not have immortality or eternal life. This follows from what has already been presented, namely, that these abilities are the means to our union with the Lord and to our reformation and regeneration. It is through them that we have immortality and through reformation and regeneration that we have eternal life. Since we are all united to the Lord through these two abilities whether we are evil or good, as just noted, we all have immortality. However, we have eternal life, heaven's life, only if that union is mutual, from the core of our being to its outer limits. This enables us to see why the Lord protects these two abilities untouched within us and as things that are sacred through the whole course of his divine providence.
96. VII. THE LORD PRESERVES THESE TWO FACULTIES IN MAN UNIMPAIRED AND AS SACRED IN EVERY STEP OF HIS DIVINE PROVIDENCE. This is because without these two faculties man would not have understanding and will and thus be would not be man; and because without these two faculties man could not have been conjoined to the Lord, and thus could not have been reformed and regenerated; and also because without these two faculties man would not have immortality and eternal life. That this is so can indeed be seen from a knowledge of what liberty and rationality are, which are these two faculties, as given in the preceding pages; but it cannot be seen clearly, unless the propositions just stated as reasons are presented to view as conclusions; they must therefore be explained.
[2] Without these two faculties man would not have will and understanding, and thus he would not be man. For man has will from no other source than from being able to will freely as from himself; and to will freely as from himself is from the faculty continually given him by the Lord which is called liberty; and man has understanding from no other source than from being able to understand as from himself whether a thing is in harmony with reason or not; and to understand whether a thing is in harmony with reason or not is from the other faculty continually given him by the Lord which is called rationality.
[3] These faculties unite together in man, like the will and the understanding; and obviously because a man can will he can also understand. For willing is not possible without understanding: understanding is its married partner or companion without which it cannot exist; and therefore together with the faculty called liberty the faculty called rationality is given. Moreover, if you take away willing from understanding you understand nothing; and as far as you will, so far you can understand, provided there are present, and at the same time opened, the aids called knowledges, for these are like tools to the workman. It is said, as far as you will, so far you can understand, that is, as far as you love to understand, for the will and the love act as one. This, indeed, appears as absurd; but it appears so to those who do not love and therefore do not wish to understand; and those who do not wish to understand say that they cannot. It will be shown, however, in a subsequent article who they are who cannot understand and who they are who can understand with difficulty.
[4] It needs no proof to show that unless man had will from the faculty called liberty, and understanding from the faculty called rationality, he would not be man. Beasts do not have these faculties. It appears as if beasts also were able to will and to understand; but they cannot. Natural affection, in itself desire, with its companion knowledge, alone leads and moves beasts to do what they do. There is indeed something of the civil and moral in their knowledge; but this is not on a higher plane than their knowledge, for they have not the spiritual which gives the capacity to perceive the moral and consequently to think analytically about it. They can indeed be taught to do something, but only something natural that adds itself to their knowledge and at the same time to their affection, and is reproduced either through the sight or the hearing; but in no wise does it become a matter of thought, still less of reason in them. But something concerning this may be seen above (n. 74).
[5] Without these two faculties man could not have been conjoined to the Lord, and thus could not have been reformed and regenerated. This has been shown above. For the Lord abides with men, with the evil as well as with the good, in these two faculties, and by means of them He conjoins Himself to every man. It is from this that an evil man as well as a good man can understand, and consequently he has in potency the will of good and the understanding of truth; that he does not have them in actuality is owing to his abuse of these faculties. The Lord abides with every man in these faculties from the influx of His will, in that He wills to be received by man, to have His abode with him and to give him the felicities of eternal life. These things are of the Lord's will, for they are of the Divine Love itself. It is this will of the Lord that causes the appearance in man that what he thinks, speaks, wills and does is his own.
[6] It may be confirmed by many illustrations from the spiritual world that the influx of the Lord's will produces this result. For sometimes the Lord so fills an angel with His Divine that the angel does not know that he is not the Lord. The angels seen by Abraham, Hagar and Gideon were so filled, and therefore they called themselves Jehovah, as recorded in the Word. Again, one spirit can be so filled by another as not to know but that he is the other; and this I have often seen. Moreover, it is well known in heaven that the Lord does all things by willing, and that whatever He wills is done. Hence it is clear that these two faculties are the means by which the Lord conjoins Himself to man and causes man to be reciprocally conjoined to Him. But how man is reciprocally conjoined by means of these faculties and how he is consequently reformed and regenerated by means of them, has been stated above, and more will be said on this matter later.
[7] Without these two faculties man would not have immortality and eternal life. This follows from what has just been said, that by means of them there is conjunction with the Lord and also reformation and regeneration: by conjunction man has immortality and by reformation and regeneration he has eternal life. Since by means of these faculties there is conjunction of the Lord with every man, with the evil as well as with the good, as has been said, therefore every man has immortality. But eternal life, that is, the life of heaven, is given to that man in whom there is reciprocal conjunction ranging from inmost things to ultimates. From these considerations may be evident the reasons why the Lord preserves these two faculties in man unimpaired and as sacred in every step of His Divine Providence.
96. (7) The Lord preserves these two faculties in man inviolate and as sacred in the whole course of His Divine providence. This is because without these two faculties man would not possess understanding and will, and thus would not be man; also because without these two faculties man could not be conjoined with the Lord, and thus could not be reformed and regenerated; also because without these two faculties man could not have immortality and eternal life. That this is so can be seen indeed from a knowledge of what liberty and rationality are (which are the two faculties here meant), as given in the preceding pages; but not clearly unless the above propositions are presented to view as conclusions; these therefore must be made clear.
[2] Without these two faculties man would not possess will and understanding, and thus would not be man. For man has will from no other source than being able to will freely as if from himself; and to will freely as if from himself is from a faculty continually given him by the Lord that is called liberty. And man has understanding from no other source than being able to understand as if from himself whether a thing is in harmony with reason or not: and to understand whether a thing is in harmony with reason or not is from the other faculty continually given to man by the Lord that is called rationality. In man these two faculties are conjoined, like the will and the understanding in this respect, that man has the ability to understand because he has the power to will; for willing is not possible apart from understanding; understanding is its consort or mate, without which it cannot exist. This is why along with the faculty called liberty the faculty called rationality is given; and why if you take away willing from understanding you understand nothing.
[3] Moreover, in the measure of your willing you have the ability to understand, provided the aids that are called knowledges are present and are also opened, for these are like tools to the workman. It is said that you have the ability to understand in the measure of your willing, that is, in the measure of your love to understand, for the will and love act as one. This indeed may seem absurd; but it seems so only to those who do not love and therefore do not wish to understand; and those who do not wish to understand say that they cannot. But who those are that are unable to understand, and who those are that are able to understand with difficulty, will be told in a subsequent article.
[4] No proof is needed to show that unless man possessed a will from the faculty that is called liberty, and an understanding from the faculty that is called rationality, he would not be a man. Beasts do not have these faculties. There is an appearance that beasts also are able to will and to understand, but they are not. Natural affection, which in itself is desire, with its mate, knowledge, is what alone leads and moves beasts to do what they do. There is, it is true, something of the civil and moral in their knowledge; but this is not above their knowledge because they have no spiritual which gives perception of the moral, and consequently have no ability to think analytically about it. They can, indeed, be taught to do something; but this is only something natural that adds itself to their knowledge and also to their affection, and is reproduced either through the sight or through the hearing; but in no wise becomes a matter of thought still less of reason in them. But something respecting this may be seen above (74).
[5] Without these two faculties man could not be conjoined with the Lord, and thus could not be reformed and regenerated. This has been shown above. For the Lord has His residence in man, both in the evil and in the good, in these two faculties; and it is by means of them that He conjoins Himself with every man. It is from this that an evil man as well as a good man has the ability to understand, and in consequence has in potency the will of good and the understanding of truth; that he does not have them actually is owing to the abuse of these faculties. That the Lord has His residence in every man in these faculties is from the inflow of His will, in that He wills to be received by man and to have an abode in him and to give him the happy things of eternal life. All this belongs to the Lord's will, for it belongs to His Divine love. It is this will of the Lord that causes the appearance in man that what he thinks, speaks, wills and does is his own.
[6] That it is the inflow of the Lord's will that does this can be established by many things from the spiritual world. Sometimes the Lord so fills an angel with His Divine that the angel does not know that he is not the Lord. Thus were the angels filled that were seen by Abraham, Hagar, and Gideon, and therefore they called themselves Jehovah, of whom in the Word. Again, one spirit can be so filled by another as not to know but that he is the other. This I have often seen. Furthermore it is known in heaven that the Lord does every thing by willing it, and that whatever He wills is done. All this makes clear that it is by means of these two faculties that the Lord conjoins Himself with man and causes man to be reciprocally conjoined with Him. But how man is reciprocally conjoined by means of these faculties, and how he is consequently reformed and regenerated by means of them, has been told above, and more will be said about it further on.
[7] That man without these two faculties could not have immortality and eternal life, follows from what has just been said, that by means of them there is conjunction with the Lord, also reformation and regeneration; through conjunction man has immortality and through reformation and regeneration he has eternal life. And as by means of these two faculties there is a conjunction of the Lord with every man, both the evil and the good, as has been said, therefore every man has immortality. But eternal life, that is, the life of heaven, is given to him in whom there is a reciprocal conjunction from inmosts to outmosts. From all this the reasons are evident why the Lord preserves these two faculties in man inviolate and as sacred, in the whole course of His Divine providence.
96. VII. Quod Dominus binas illas facultates apud hominem 1illibatas ac ut sanctas in omni Divinae suae Providentiae progressione custodiat. Causae sunt, quod homini absque binis illis facultatibus non forent intellectus et voluntas, et sic ille non foret homo; tum, quod homo absque binis illis facultatibus non potuisset conjungi Domino, et sic non reformari et regenerari; ut et, quod homini absque binis illis facultatibus non foret immortalitas, et vita aeterna. Quod ita sit, ex cognitione, quid Libertas et Rationalitas, quae sunt binae illae facultates, quae data est in praecedentibus, quidem videri potest, sed non clare, nisi illa ut conclusiones sistantur ad visum, quare illustranda sunt.
[2] Quod homini absque binis illis facultatibus non forent voluntas et intellectus, et sic ille non foret homo; non enim aliunde est homini voluntas, quam quod possit libere velle sicut ex se, ac libere velle sicut ex se, est ex facultate illi a Domino continue data, quae vocatur Libertas; et non aliunde est homini intellectus, quam quod possit sicut ex se intelligere num rationis sit vel non; ac intelligere num rationis sit vel non, est ex altera facultate illi a Domino continue data, quae vocatur Rationalitas. Hae facultates se conjungunt apud hominem sicut Voluntas et Intellectus; quod nempe quia homo potest velle, etiam possit intelligere, nam velle non datur absque intelligere; intelligere est ejus consors seu compar, sine qua non potest esse; quare cum facultate quae vocatur libertas, datur facultas quae vocatur rationalitas; etiam si aufers velle ab intelligere, nihil intelligis,
[3] et quantum vis, tantum potes intelligere, modo adsint vel simul aperiantur adminicula, quae vocantur cognitiones, nam hae sunt sicut instrumentalia operanti: dicitur quantum vis potes intelligere, hoc est, quantum amas intelligere, nam voluntas et amor unum agunt; hoc quidem apparet sicut paradoxon, sed ita apparet illis, qui non amant intelligere, et inde non volunt, et qui non volunt, dicunt se non posse: quinam autem non possunt, et quinam aegre possunt, dicetur in sequente Articulo.
[4] Absque confirmatione patet, quod nisi homini foret Voluntas ex facultate quae vocatur Libertas, ac Intellectus ex facultate quae vocatur Rationalitas, ille non foret homo. Bestiis non illae facultates sunt; apparet sicut quod bestiae etiam possint velle, et quod possint intelligere, sed non possunt; est affectio naturalis, quae in se est cupido, cum ejus compare scientia, quae unice ducit et fert illas ad faciendum quod faciunt: civile et morale est quidem in illarum scientia, sed non sunt supra illam, quia illis non est spirituale, quod dat percipere morale, et inde analytice cogitare illud: doceri quidem possunt aliquid facere, sed hoc solum est naturale, quod se addit scientiae et simul affectioni illarum, ac reproducitur vel per visum vel per auditum, sed nusquam fit cogitationis, et minus rationis apud illas: aliqua de hac re videantur supra 74.
[5] Quod homo absque binis illis facultatibus non potuisset conjungi Domino, et sic non reformari et regenerari, ostensum est supra; nam Dominus in binis illis facultatibus residet apud homines tam malos quam bonos, et per illas Se 2conjungit unicuivis homini: inde est, quod tam malus quam bonus possit intelligere, et inde illi in potentia est voluntas boni ac intellectus 3veri; quod 4non actu sint, est ex abusu illarum facultatum. Quod Dominus in illis facultatibus apud unumquemvis hominem resideat, est ex influxu voluntatis Domini, quod velit recipi ab homine, et mansionem apud illum habere, ac dare ei felicia vitae aeternae; haec voluntatis Domini sunt, quia Divini Amoris Ipsius sunt. Haec Domini Voluntas est, quae facit ut appareat in homine sicut ejus quod cogitat, loquitur, vult et facit.
[6] Quod influxus voluntatis Domini id operetur, multis confirmari potest ex Mundo spirituali: quandoque enim Dominus implet Angelum suo Divino, ita ut Angelus non sciat aliter quam quod sit Dominus; ita impleti sunt Angeli visi Abrahamo, Hagari, Guideoni, qui inde se vocaverunt Jehovam, de quibus in Verbo: ita quoque potest unus spiritus impleri ab altero, usque ut non sciat quam quod alter sit; hoc saepius mihi visum est: notum etiam est in Coelo, quod Dominus operetur omnia per Velle, et quod fiat quod vult. Ex his patet, quod binae illae facultates sint, per quas Dominus Se 5conjungit homini, et per quas facit ut homo reciproce conjungatur. Quomodo autem homo per illas facultates reciproce conjungitur, consequenter quomodo per illas reformatur et regeneratur, supra dictum est, et de eo infra plura dicentur.
[7] Quod homini absque 6binis illis facultatibus non foret immortalitas et vita aeterna, sequitur ex nunc dictis, quod per illas sit conjunctio cum Domino, tum reformatio et regeneratio; per conjunctionem est homini immortalitas, ac per reformationem et regenerationem est vita aeterna: et quia per illas facultates est conjunctio Domini cum omni homine, tam malo quam bono, ut dictum est, ideo omni homini immortalitas est; sed illi homini vita aeterna, hoc est, vita coeli, apud quem est conjunctio reciproca ab intimis ad ultima. Ex his videri possunt causae, cur Dominus binas illas facultates apud hominem illibatas ac ut sanctas in omni Divinae suae Providentiae progressione custodiat.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: bominem
2 Prima editio: se
3 Prima editio: intellectus
4 Prima editio: qnod
5 Prima editio: se
6 Prima editio: ahsque