Life74.就属世意义而言，第六诫（它通常被称为第七诫）所提到的“奸淫”不仅表示通奸或淫乱，还表示淫秽的行为、猥亵的话语和肮脏的思维。但就属灵意义而言，“奸淫”表示玷污圣言的良善，歪曲圣言的真理。就至高意义而言，“奸淫”表示否认主的神性，亵渎圣言。这些就是“各种奸淫”。属世人凭理性之光能知道“奸淫”包括做淫秽的事，说猥亵的话，思想肮脏的东西；但他不知道奸淫也表示玷污圣言的良善，否认圣言的真理；更不知道它表示否认主的神性，亵渎圣言。因此，他也不知道奸淫是一个如此之大的邪恶，以致它可称作恶魔本身，或邪恶的巅峰，因为凡陷入属世奸淫的人也陷入属灵奸淫，反之亦然。这一点在另一本关于婚姻的小册子中有所说明。而事实上，那些出于其信仰和生活并未将奸淫视为罪的人每时每刻都陷入各种奸淫。
74. To the Extent That We Turn Our Backs on All Kinds of Adultery Because They Are Sins, We Love Chastity
UNDERSTOOD on an earthly level, the adultery named in the sixth commandment means not only acts of fornication but also lecherous behavior, lewd conversation, and filthy thoughts. Understood on a spiritual level, though, adultery means polluting what is good in the Word and distorting what is true in it, while understood on the highest level it means denying the divine nature of the Lord and profaning the Word. These are "all kinds of adultery."
On the basis of rational light, earthly-minded people can know that "adultery" also means lecherous behavior, lewd conversation, and filthy thoughts, but not that adultery means polluting what is good in the Word and distorting what is true in it, and certainly not that it means denying the divine nature of the Lord and profaning the Word. So they do not know that adultery is so evil that it can be called the height of wickedness. This is because anyone who is intent on earthly adultery is also intent on spiritual adultery, and the reverse. This will be shown in a separate booklet on marriage. But in fact, people whose faith and way of life do not lead them to regard adultery as a sin are engaged in the totality of adultery at every moment.
74. Insofar as Someone Refrains from Every Form of Adultery as Being a Sin, So Far He Loves Chastity
In the natural sense of the sixth of the Ten Commandments, to commit adultery means not only to behave licentiously, but also to engage in obscene acts, to speak lasciviously, and to entertain filthy thoughts. In the spiritual sense it means to adulterate the Word’s goods and falsify its truths. And in the highest sense to commit adultery means to deny the Lord’s Divinity and profane the Word. These are all forms of adultery.
From rational sight the natural person may know that to commit adultery also means to engage in obscene acts, to speak lasciviously, and to entertain filthy thoughts. But he does not know that to commit adultery means in addition to adulterate the Word’s goods and falsify its truths. And still less does he know that it also means to deny the Lord’s Divinity and profane the Word. Consequently, neither does he know that adultery is so great an evil that it may be called the height of diabolical conduct. For someone engaged in natural adultery is also engaged in spiritual adultery, and the converse. The reality of this will be demonstrated in a separate little publication on marriage.
Still, the kinds of people who are engaged in all these forms of adultery simultaneously are those who do not, in faith or life, regard adultery as a sin.
74. IX. SO FAR AS ANY ONE SHUNS ALL KINDS OF ADULTERY AS SINS, SO FAR HE LOVES CHASTITY
In the sixth commandment of the Decalogue, by committing adultery in the natural sense is meant not only to commit whoredom, but also to commit obscene acts, to speak lascivious words, and to think filthy thoughts. But in the spiritual sense, by committing adultery is meant to adulterate the goods of the Word and to falsify its truths; while in the supreme sense, by committing adultery is meant to deny the Lord's Divinity and to profane the Word. These are all the kinds of adultery. The natural man may know from rational light (lumen) that by committing adultery is also meant to commit obscene acts, to speak lascivious words and to think filthy thoughts; but he does not know, that by committing adultery is also meant to adulterate the goods of the Word and to falsify its truths; still less does he know that it means to deny the Lord's Divinity and to profane the Word. Consequently he does not know that adultery is so great an evil that it may be called devilishness itself; for whoever is in natural adultery is also in spiritual adultery, and conversely. That this is so will be shown in a particular treatise on MARRIAGE. 1But they who do not regard adulteries as sins, both in faith and in life, are at the same time in adulteries of every kind.
Footnotes:
1. De Conjugio, a little work, written circa 1767, and first published in 1860.
An English translation appears in POSTHUMOUS THEOLOGICAL WORKS Vol. II. The work De Amore Conjugiali was published in 1768.
74. IN PROPORTION AS ANY ONE SHUNS ADULTERIES OF EVERY KIND AS SINS, IN THE SAME PROPORTION HE LOVES CHASTITY.
To "commit adultery," as mentioned in the sixth (or as it is usually called, the seventh) commandment, means, in the natural sense, not only to commit whoredom, but also to do obscene things, to speak lascivious things, and to think about filthy things. But in the spiritual sense to "commit adultery" means to adulterate the goods of the Word, and to falsify its truths. In the highest sense to "commit adultery" means to deny the divinity of the Lord, and to profane the Word. These are the "adulteries of every kind." The natural man is able to know from rational light that to "commit adultery" includes in its meaning the doing of things obscene, the speaking of things lascivious, and the thinking of things that are filthy; but he does not know that to commit adultery means also to adulterate the goods of the Word and to falsify its truths, and still less that it means to deny the divinity of the Lord and to profane the Word. Consequently neither does he know that adultery is so great an evil that it may be called diabolism itself, for he who is in natural adultery is also in spiritual adultery, and the converse. That this is so will be shown in a separate little work entitled De Conjugio. 1But those who from their faith and their life do not regard adulteries as sins, are in adulteries of every kind at once.
Footnotes:
1. This projected little work was afterwards expanded by Swedenborg into a large one, and was published by him in Amsterdam in the year 1768, under the (translated) title: The Delights of Wisdom concerning Conjugial Love; after which follow the Pleasures of Insanity concerning Scortatory Love. The original MS outline for the De Conjugio is now preserved in the library of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. It was published in the original Latin at Tubingen by Dr. Jo. Fr. Im. Tafel in the year 1860. [Tr.]
74. (IX.) QUOD QUANTUM QUIS OMNIS GENERIS ADULTERIA UT PECCATA FUGIT, TANTUM CASTITATEM AMET.
Per "adulterari" in Decalogi sexto praecepto in naturali sensu non modo intelligitur scortari, sed etiam obscena facere, lasciva loqui, et spurca cogitare. Per "adulterari" autem in spirituali sensu intelligitur adulterare bona Verbi et falsificare vera ejus. In supremo autem sensu, per "adulterari" intelligitur negare Divinum Domini et profanare Verbum. Omnis generis adulteria haec sunt. Homo naturalis ex rationali lumine scire potest, quod per "adulterari" etiam intelligatur obscena facere, lasciva loqui, et spurca cogitare; sed non scit, quod per "adulterari" etiam intelligatur adulterare bona Verbi et falsificare vera ejus; et adhuc minus quod intelligatur negare Divinum Domini et profanare Verbum; inde nec scit, quod adulterium sit tantum malum ut vocari possit ipsum diabolicum, nam qui in adulterio naturali est, ille etiam in adulterio spirituali est; et vicissim. Quod ita sit, in singulari opusculo De Conjugio demonstrabitur. Sed illi in omnis generis adulteriis simul sunt, qui adulteria ex fide et vita non faciunt peccata.