98、前面（73节）已说明，每个人都拥有被称为自由的意愿官能和被称为理性的理解力官能。不过，要清楚明白的是，这些官能可以说是人与生俱来的，几乎是本能的，因为使得人成为人的，正是它们。如刚才所说的（97节），出于自由照着理性行动是一回事，出于自由本身照着理性本身行动是另一回事。只有那些允许自己被主重生的人才会出于自由本身照着理性本身行动，而其他人都是出于自由照着一种被他们塑造为理性形像的思维行动。然而，每个人，除非生来愚痴或极其蠢笨，都能获得理性本身，并通过它获得自由本身。人们之所以没有获得，原因有很多，我将在下文讨论这些原因。在此只提一下能被赋予自由本身或自主本身和理性本身或理智本身的是哪种人，很难被赋予的是哪种人。
自由本身和理性本身无法被赋予那些生来愚痴的人，或那些变得愚痴的人，只要他们仍是愚痴的。它们无法被赋予那些生来蠢笨或迟钝的人，或那些由于懒散，或某种扭曲或彻底关闭心智内层的疾病，或对野兽生活的热爱而变得蠢笨的人。
自由本身和理性本身无法被赋予基督教界那些完全否认主的神性和圣言的神圣，并顽固坚持这种否认，直到生命结束的人。因为这就是“干犯圣灵的罪”所表示的，这罪今世来世总不得赦免（马太福音12:31-32）。
自由本身和理性本身也无法被赋予那些将一切事物都归于自然界，丝毫不归于神性，并通过基于可见事物的论据使这一点成为其信仰的一部分的人，因为他们是无神论者。
自由本身和理性本身很难被赋予那些坚信虚假的宗教原则之人，因为虚假的坚信者就是真理的否认者。但它们能被赋予那些还没有如此坚信的人，无论他们的宗教信仰是什么。关于这个主题，可参看《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》（91-97节）。
小孩子和青少年在成年之前无法获得自由本身和理性本身，因为人的心智内层是逐渐被打开的；在此期间，它们就像未成熟果实中的种子，无法在土壤中发芽。
98. We said above that every person has the faculty of willing, called freedom, and the faculty of understanding, called rationality. But it should be rightly known that a person has these faculties as though they were inherent in him, for in them lies his essential humanity. However, as we just said, it is one thing to act in freedom in accordance with one's reason, and another to act in genuine freedom in accordance with genuine reason. Only those people who have allowed themselves to be regenerated by the Lord act in genuine freedom in accordance with genuine reason. All others, by contrast, act in freedom in accordance with thinking which they make to seem like reason.
Still, unless he is born foolish or extremely stupid, every person can attain to genuine reason and through it to genuine freedom. If he does not, it is for various reasons that we will disclose in subsequent discussions. Here we will mention only those who cannot be given genuine freedom or liberty and with it genuine reason or rationality, and those who can be given them only with difficulty.
[2] Genuine freedom and rationality cannot be given to people foolish from birth, nor to people who have become foolish later, as long as they remain foolish.
Genuine freedom and rationality cannot be given to people born stupid and dense, nor to some who have become so owing to the torpor of idleness, or to illness which has deranged or entirely closed up the interiors of the mind, or to a love for an animal-like life.
[3] Genuine freedom and rationality are impossible in the case of people in the Christian world who deny altogether the Lord's Divinity and the holiness of the Word, and who have retained that denial and defended it in themselves to the very end of their life. For it is this that is meant by the sin against the Holy Spirit, which is not forgiven in this age or in the age to come (Matthew 12:31-32).
[4] Genuine freedom and rationality are impossible in the case of people who attribute everything to nature and nothing to the Divine, and who by reasonings based on observable phenomena have made the attribution an article of their faith. For these, indeed, are atheists.
[5] Genuine freedom and rationality are possible only with difficulty in the case of people who have in great part confirmed themselves in falsities of religion, since a maintainer of falsity is a denier of truth. But they can be given to those who have not so confirmed themselves, in whatever religion they may be - on which subject, see what we reported in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture 91-97.
[6] Little children and preadolescents cannot come into genuine freedom and rationality until they reach a more mature age, since the interiors of the mind in the human being are opened only gradually. In the meantime these interiors are like seeds in unripe fruit, which cannot yet sprout in the soil.
98. I have stated [73] that everyone has the ability to intend called freedom and the ability to discern called rationality, but it needs to be clearly understood that these abilities are virtually instinctive in us. They are what make us human.
As I have already explained [97], it is one thing to act freely and rationally and another thing to act in true freedom and with true rationality. Only people who have allowed themselves to be regenerated by the Lord can act in true freedom and with true rationality. Others act freely and in keeping with a kind of thinking that they shape into an image of rationality. Still, everyone can attain to true rationality, and through that rationality to true freedom, except people who are born feebleminded or terribly dense. There are many reasons why people do not do so, reasons I will be disclosing later. For now, let me simply mention the kinds of people who cannot be given true latitude or true freedom, and true reason or true rationality, and the kinds of people who have great difficulty.
[2] Real freedom and real rationality are impossible for people who are born feebleminded or who have become so, as long as they remain feebleminded. Real freedom and real rationality are impossible for people who are born dense and dull or who have become so through idleness or some sickness that distorts or shuts down the deeper levels of the mind, or else through a love for bestial living.
[3] Real freedom and real rationality are impossible for people in the Christian world who resolutely deny the Lord's divine nature and the holiness of the Word and who maintain this denial decisively all the way to the end of their lives. This is what "the sin against the Holy Spirit" means, the sin that is not forgiven in this age or in the age to come (Matthew 12:31-32).
[4] Real freedom and real rationality are also impossible for people who attribute everything to the material world and nothing to Divinity and who make this a part of their faith by arguments based on visual evidence, because they are atheists.
[5] Real freedom and real rationality are difficult for people who have to a large extent convinced themselves of false religious principles, because people who convince themselves of false principles are denying true ones. If they have not convinced themselves, though, they can [have true freedom and rationality] no matter what their religion is. On this point, see the material collected in Teachings for the New Jerusalem on Sacred Scripture 91-97.
[6] Little children and youths cannot attain to true freedom and rationality until they reach the age of maturity, because the deeper levels of our minds are opened only gradually. In the meanwhile they are like seeds in unripe fruit that cannot sprout when they are planted.
98. It was said above that every man has the faculty of willing called liberty and the faculty of understanding called rationality. It should, however, be well known that these faculties are as it were implanted in man, for his humanity itself (humanum) resides in them; but, as has just been said, it is one thing to act from freedom according to reason, and another thing to act from freedom itself according to reason itself. Only those act from freedom itself according to reason itself who have suffered themselves to be regenerated by the Lord; all others act from freedom according to thought, to which they give the semblance of reason. Yet every man unless born foolish or excessively stupid is able to attain to reason itself, and by means of this to freedom itself; but there are many reasons why every man does not do so that will be made known in what follows. Here it will only be told who those are to whom there cannot be given freedom itself or liberty itself and at the same time reason itself or rationality itself, and who those are to whom they can be given with difficulty.
[2] Liberty itself and rationality itself cannot be given to those who are born foolish, or to those who have later become foolish, as long as they remain so. They cannot be given to those born stupid and dull, or to any who have become so from the torpor of idleness, or from disease that has perverted or completely closed the interiors of the mind, or from the love of a bestial life.
[3] Liberty itself and rationality itself cannot be given to those in the Christian world who totally deny the Divinity of the Lord and the sanctity of the Word, and who have confirmed this denial in themselves and maintained it to the end of their life. For this is meant by the sin against the Holy Spirit which is not forgiven either in this world or in the world to come, Matthew 12:31-32.
[4] Neither can liberty itself and rationality itself be given to those who attribute all things to nature and nothing to the Divine, and who have made this part of their faith by reasoning from visible things; for these are atheists.
[5] Liberty itself and rationality itself can with difficulty be given to those who have strongly confirmed themselves in falsities of religion, for a confirmer of falsity is a denier of truth; but they can be given to those who, whatever the form of their religion may be, have not so confirmed themselves. On this matter see what has been presented in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (n. 91-97).
[6] Infants and children cannot attain to liberty itself and rationality itself before they reach the age of maturity; for in man the interiors of the mind are opened gradually; and in the meantime they are like seeds in unripe fruit, that cannot sprout in the soil.
98. It has been said above that every man possesses the faculty to will that is called liberty, and the faculty to understand that is called rationality; but it should be well understood that these faculties are, as it were, innate in man, for his human itself is in them. But, as has just been said, it is one thing to act from freedom in accordance with reason, and another thing to act from freedom itself in accordance with reason itself. Only such as have suffered themselves to be regenerated by the Lord act from freedom itself in accordance with reason itself; all others act from freedom in accordance with thought to which they give the semblance of reason. And yet every man, unless born foolish or excessively stupid, is able to attain to reason itself, and through it to freedom itself. But there are numerous reasons why every man does not do this that will be made known in what follows. Here it will only be told who those are to whom freedom itself or liberty itself, together with reason itself or rationality itself, cannot be given; and to whom they can scarcely be given.
[2] Liberty itself and rationality itself cannot be given to those that are born foolish, or to those who have become foolish, so long as they remain so. They cannot be given to those born stupid and gross, or to any who have become so from the torpor of idleness, or from any disease that has perverted or wholly closed the interiors of the mind, or from the love of a beastly life.
[3] Liberty itself and rationality itself cannot be given to those in the Christian world who wholly deny the Lord's Divinity and the holiness of the Word, and have maintained this denial confirmed in them to the end of life; for this is meant by the sin against the Holy Spirit which is not forgiven either in this age or in the age to come (Matthew 12:31-32).
[4] Neither can liberty itself and rationality itself be given to those who attribute all things to nature and nothing to the Divine, and who have made this to be their belief by reasonings from things visible; for such are atheists.
[5] Liberty itself and rationality itself can scarcely be given to those who have strongly confirmed themselves in falsities of religion, for a confirmer of falsity is a denier of truth. But they can be given to those who, whatever their religion may be, have not so confirmed themselves (on which see what is presented in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture 91-97).
[6] Infants and children cannot come into liberty itself and rationality itself until they are grown up; for the interiors of the mind in man are opened gradually; and in the mean time they are like seeds in unripe fruit, that cannot sprout in the soil.
98. Dictum supra est, quod omni homini sit facultas volendi, quae vocatur Libertas, et facultas intelligendi quae vocatur Rationalitas; sed probe sciendum est, quod illae facultates homini sicut insitae sint, est enim ipsum humanum in illis: sed ut mox dictum est, aliud est ex libero secundum rationem agere, et aliud ex ipso libero secundum ipsam rationem agere: ex ipso libero secundum ipsam rationem agunt non alii, quam qui se passi sunt regenerari a Domino, reliqui autem ex libero secundum cogitationem, quam instar rationis faciunt, agunt. At usque omnis homo, nisi natus sit fatuus aut summe stupidus, potest ad ipsam rationem, et per illam ad ipsum Liberum venire; sed quod non veniat, sunt plures causae quae in sequentibus detegentur: hic solum dicetur, quibus ipsum Liberum seu ipsa Libertas, et simul ipsa Ratio seu ipsa Rationalitas, non dari possunt, et quibus aegre dari.
[2] Ipsa Libertas et ipsa Rationalitas non dari possunt fatuis ex nativitate; nec fatuis postea factis quamdiu fatui sunt. Ipsa Libertas et ipsa Rationalitas nec dari possunt stupidis et obesis natis, et quibusdam factis ex torpore otii, aut ex aegritudine quae pervertit aut prorsus occlusit interiora mentis, aut ex amore vitae bestiae.
[3] Ipsa Libertas et ipsa Rationalitas nec dari possunt apud illos in Christiano Orbe, qui prorsus negant Divinum Domini, et sanctitatem Verbi, ac negationem apud se usque ad finem vitae confirmatam retinuerunt; hoc enim intelligitur per peccatum contra Spiritum Sanctum, quod non remittitur in hoc saeculo, nec in futuro, 1Matthaeus 12:31-32.
[4] Ipsa Libertas et ipsa Rationalitas nec dari possunt apud illos, qui omnia naturae, et nihil Divino, attribuunt, et id per ratiocinia ex visibilibus fecerunt suae fidei: hi etenim 2sunt athei.
[5] Ipsa Libertas et ipsa Rationalitas aegre dari possunt apud illos, qui in falsis religionis se multum confirmaverunt, 3quoniam confirmator falsi est negator veri: at [illis] qui non confirmaverunt se, in quacunque religione sint, possunt, de qua re videantur quae in DOCTRINA NOVAE HIEROSOLYMAE DE SCRIPTURA SACRA 91-97, allata sunt.
[6] Infantes et pueri non possunt in ipsam Libertatem et in ipsam Rationalitatem venire, prius quam aetate adolescunt, 4quoniam interiora mentis apud hominem successive aperiuntur; sunt interea sicut semina in fructu immaturo, quae in humo non possunt egerminare.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: futuro"
2 Prima editio: etnim
3 Prima editio: confirmaverunt;
4 Prima editio: adolescunt;