373. 義與信匯合在善行之中
由一個人產生的每個行為裡, 完全呈現此人的屬性, 關於他的思想, 或者基本性格。這裡所說的"思想", 是指人的喜愛與欲望以及源自它們的想法。這些形成他的屬性, 總體上說, 形成他的生命。倘若我們用這樣的方式來看一個人的行為, 它們可以說是人的鏡子。
這可用野獸與牲獸類似的事實來說明這點。在每個動作方面, 一頭牲口就是頭牲口, 一隻野獸就是只野獸。在所做的每個動作上, 狼是狼, 虎是虎, 狐狸是狐狸, 獅子是獅子。綿羊或山羊在它們所有的行為上也是如此。如果人的屬性只針對他的內在而言, 人也是如此。如果他像只惡狼或狐狸, 每個內心的行為就是殘暴或狡詐。另一方面, 如果他像只綿羊或羊羔, 情況也是如此。但是, 內在屬性的每個行為並不一定表現於外在人, 因為外在人有能力在內在人的周圍東竄西跑(改變方向, 與內在屬性不一致), 儘管內在人依然隱蔽地留在裡面。主說:"善人從他心裡所存的善,就發出善來。惡人從他心裡所存的惡,就發出惡來"(路加福音6:45)。祂還說:"凡樹木看果子,就可以認出它來。人不是從荊棘上摘無花果,也不是從蒺藜裡摘葡萄"(路加福音6:44)。
人死後就會變得明顯, 一切從他發出的行為, 都是他的內在屬性, 因為那時活著的, 全是內在人, 不再是外在人。
當主,義與信住在內在人之中, 便有良善在人裡面, 從他發生的一切作為都是善的。這個觀點可按以下順序來說明:
(1)"義"是對他人的善念; "善工"是從善念而來的善行。
(2)義與信只不過是多變的精神層面的概念而已, 除非有機會轉變成行為, 並且體現在行為中。
(3)唯獨義產生不了善行, 唯獨信更是不可, 義信一起方可產生善行。
373. 8. Goodwill and Faith Come Together in Good Actions
Every action that we take contains our whole self with the full measure and quality of our mind or our essential nature. Our "mind" means our love and our desire and the thoughts that come from them. These form our nature and our life in general. If we look at a person's actions in this way, they are like mirrors of the person.
This can be illustrated by a comparison with wild and domesticated animals. A wild animal is a wild animal, and a domesticated animal is a domesticated animal, in everything it does. A wolf is a wolf in everything it does. A tiger is a tiger in everything it does. A fox is a fox in everything it does. A lion is a lion in everything it does. The same goes for a sheep or a goat in all its actions. It is the same for us, except that our quality is determined by our inner self. If we are wolves or foxes inside, everything we do is inwardly wolfish or foxlike. The opposite is true if we are inwardly like a sheep or a lamb. Nevertheless, the inner quality that is present in everything we do is not necessarily apparent in our outer self, because our outer self can turn in different directions around our inner self, although our inner self remains nonetheless hidden within it. The Lord says, "Good people bring what is good out of the good treasure in their heart, and evil people bring what is evil out of the evil treasure in their heart" (Luke 6:45). He also says, "Every type of tree is known by its fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from a bramble bush" (Luke 6:44).
After we die it becomes very obvious to us that everything that comes from us has the nature of our inner self, since we are then living as our inner self and no longer as our outer self.
When the Lord, goodwill, and faith dwell in our inner self, then there is goodness within us, and all the work that comes from us is good. This point will be demonstrated in the following sequence.
a. "Goodwill" is benevolence toward others; "good works" are good actions that result from benevolence.
b. Goodwill and faith are transient and exist only in our minds unless, when an opportunity occurs, they culminate in actions and become embodied in them.
c. Goodwill alone does not produce good actions; even less does faith alone produce them. Good actions are produced by goodwill and faith together.
Now I will take up these points one by one.
373. VIII. Charity and faith are present together in good deeds.
In every deed which proceeds from a person his whole nature is fully present, as regards his mind, or essential character. By mind is meant the affection of his love and his thought from this; these form his nature and, in general terms, his life. If we consider deeds in this way, they are so to speak mirrors reflecting the person. This can be illustrated by similar facts about animals and wild beasts: an animal is an animal, and a wild beast is a wild beast, in every one of its acts. A wolf is a wolf in every one of its acts, a tiger is a tiger in every one of its, a fox is a fox in every one of its, and a lion is a lion in every one of its. Likewise a sheep and a kid in all of their acts. The same is true of man, but his nature is such as it is in the internal man. If in this he is like a wolf or a fox, every internal deed of his is wolf-like or fox-like; and on the other hand the same is true if he is like a sheep or a lamb. But the fact that he is like this in every one of his deeds is not plain in his external man, for this can be twisted round the internal, although this character lies concealed within. The Lord says:
The good man brings forth good from the good treasury of his heart, and the wicked man brings forth wickedness from the wicked treasury of his heart, Luke 6:45.
And again:
Every tree is known by its own fruit; they do not gather figs from thorns, nor harvest grapes from the bramble, Luke 6:44.
[2] After death it is vividly shown that such as a person is in his internal man, such he is also in all the details proceeding from him. For then he lives as an internal man, and the external is no more. There is good in a person, and every deed proceeding from him is good, when the Lord, charity and faith dwell in his internal man, as will be shown in the following order.
(i) Charity is having good will, and good deeds are doing good from a good will.
(ii) Charity and faith are merely unstable mental concepts unless, when possible, they are realised in deeds and come into existence together in them.
(iii) Charity alone does not produce good deeds, much less does faith alone, but charity and faith together do.
These propositions will be examined one by one.
373. VIII. CHARITY AND FAITH ARE TOGETHER IN GOOD WORKS.
In every work that proceeds from man there is the whole man such as he is in his disposition or essentially. By disposition his love's affection and thought therefrom is meant; these form his nature, and in general his life. If we look at works in this way, they are like mirrors of man. This may be illustrated by like things in brutes and wild beasts. A brute is a brute, and a wild beast is a wild beast, in all their actions. In everything pertaining to it a wolf is a wolf, a tiger is a tiger, a fox is a fox, and a lion is a lion; the same is true of a sheep and a kid. It is the same with a man; but man is such as he is in his internal man. If in this he is like a wolf or a fox, then everything he does is inwardly wolfish and fox-like, and the reverse if he is like a lamb or a kid. But that such is the man everything he does is not evident in his external man, because the external takes on various forms round about the internal; nevertheless in the internal the quality lies inwardly hidden. The Lord says:
The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil (Luke 6:46).
And again:
Each tree is known by its own fruit; of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes (Luke 6:44).
That in each and all things that go forth from him man is such as he is in his internal man, he makes clear in himself after death to the very life, since he then lives an internal and no longer an external man. It will be shown in the following order how, when the Lord, charity and faith reside in man's internal, there is good in him and that every work that goes forth from him is good.
(1) Charity is willing well and good works are doing well from willing well.
(2) Charity and faith are only mental and perishable things unless they are determined to works and coexist in them when possible.
(3) Good works are not produced by charity alone, still less by faith alone, but by charity and faith together.
But on these points separately.
373. VIII. CHARITY AND FAITH ARE TOGETHER IN GOOD WORKS.
The whole of man as to his mind (animus), 1 that is, his essential nature, is in every work which proceeds from him. By mind, is meant the affection of his love and his consequent thought, which form his nature, or in general, his life. Works viewed in this light are like mirrors, reflecting the man. This may be illustrated by what is the same in animals, harmless and wild; for they are revealed in all their respective actions; the wolf is a wolf in all it does, a tiger a tiger, a fox a fox and a lion a lion; and the same is true of a sheep and a kid. It is similar with a man, but his nature is according to the quality of his internal man. If in this he is like a wolf or a fox, all his works are interiorly wolfish and fox-like; and on the other hand the contrary is true if he is like a sheep or a lamb. That the internal quality of a man is revealed in all his works is not obvious is the external man, for this, with its power to assume appearances, surrounds and conceals the internal within it. The Lord says:
"A good man out of the treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil" Luke 6:45.
And again:
"Every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble gather they grapes" Luke 6:44.
That the nature of the internal man is in all the works which proceed from him, is vividly made clear to him after death, for then he lives an internal, and no longer an external man. When the Lord, charity and faith reside in the internal man, then good is in him, and every work that proceeds from him is good. This will be shown under the following heads:
(1) Charity consists in willing what is good, and good works consist in doing what is good from willing what is good.
(2) Charity and faith are merely fleeting mental abstractions unless, whenever it is possible, they are expressed in works, and exist together in them.
(3) Charity alone does not produce good works, still less does faith alone; but good works are produced by charity and faith together.
These points will now be considered separately.
Footnotes:
373. VIII. Quod Charitas et Fides simul sint in Operibus 1 bonis.
In omni Opere quod procedit ab homine, est homo totus quantus et qualis 2 est quoad animum seu qualis essentialiter est; per animum intelligitur ejus amoris affectio et inde cogitatio; hae formant ejus naturam, in genere ejus Vitam; si opera ita intuemur, sunt illa sicut specula hominis: hoc illustrari potest per simile apud bestias et feras; bestia est bestia, ac fera est fera, in omni suo 3 actu; lupus est lupus in omni suo, tigris est tigris in omni suo, vulpis est vulpis in omni suo, et leo est leo in omni suo, pariter ovis et haedus in omnibus suis; similiter homo, sed hic talis est, qualis est in Interno suo homine; si in hoc est sicut lupus aut sicut vulpis, est omne ejus opus interius lupinum et vulpinum, vicissim si est sicut ovis aut agnus; sed quod talis sit in omni suo opere, non patet in externo ejus homine, quia hic versatilis est circum Internum, sed usque intus in hoc latet; dicit Dominus, Bonus homo ex bono thesauro cordis sui profert bonum, et pravus homo ex pravo thesauro cordis sui profert pravum, Luca 6:45, tum etiam, Omnis Arbor ex proprio fructu cognoscitur; non ex spinis colligunt ficus, neque ex rubo vindemiant uvam, Luca 6:44.
[2] Quod homo talis sit in omnibus et singulis quae procedunt ab ipso, qualis est in Interno suo homine, hoc ad vivum se apud illum manifestat post mortem, quoniam ille tunc vivit Internus homo, et non amplius Externus. Quod bonum sit in homine, et quod omne opus quod procedit ex illo sit bonum, quando Dominus, Charitas et Fides in Interno ejus homine resident, in hac serie demonstrabitur. I. Quod Charitas sit bene velle, et quod bona Opera sint ex bene velle bene facere. II. Quod Charitas et Fides sint modo res mentales et caducae, nisi, dum fieri potest, determinentur in Opera, et in illis coexistant. III. Quod sola Charitas non producat bona opera, et minus adhuc sola Fides, sed quod Charitas et Fides simul. Sed de his singulatim.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Operihus.
2. quantus et qualis ubi in prima editione quantus qualis.
3. Prima editio: sao.