446. 不考慮一個人的屬靈性質而締結交心的友誼, 死後會有傷害
這裡所說的"交心的友誼"指一種內在的友誼關係, 在不考慮對方的內在或靈的性質如何的情況下, 不僅愛朋友的外在人, 還愛他的內在人; 意思是不考慮他思想之中的情感是源自於愛鄰舍與愛上帝,因而能與天國之天人聯合, 還是與鄰舍和上帝作對,因而能與魔鬼聯合。
為了不同的理由與目的, 許多人互相建立了這樣交心的友誼。這種友誼與平常所說的純粹個人朋友關係不同(就是為了身體與世俗之樂, 以及為了各種社交而建立的友誼)。後者所指的友誼可以與任何人建立, 甚至與公爵餐桌邊上逗樂的小丑。這一種被簡單稱為友情, 而另一種, 則是交心之友情。友情只是屬世層面的關係, 而交心之情是屬靈層面的關係。
446. A Bond of Love That We Form with Others without Considering Their Spiritual Nature Is Damaging after Death
A "bond of love" is an inner friendship in which we love not only other people's outer selves but also their inner selves without investigating what their inner selves or spirits are like. We should investigate this to see whether the feelings in their minds relate to loving their neighbor and loving God and are therefore compatible with angels in heaven or whether they relate to forms of love that go against their neighbor and God and are therefore compatible with devils.
Many people form deep bonds of love like this, for a variety of reasons and purposes. This is different from friendship with someone's outer persona alone, which we develop for the sake of various physical and sensual pleasures and different types of social interaction. This second type of friendship can be formed with anyone, even with a jester who jokes around at a duke's table. I am calling this latter type of friendship simply "friendship" while the former type I am calling "a bond of love," because friendship is an earthly connection but love is a spiritual connection.
446. XV. A bosom friendship 1 contracted with a person without regard to his spiritual character is harmful after death.
A bosom friendship means one so intimate that it involves loving not only the friend's external man but also his internal man, and this without enquiry into what sort of a person he is inwardly or in spirit. This means without enquiring whether the affections of his mind derive from love towards the neighbour and love to God, and are thus capable of association with the angels of heaven; or whether they derive from love directed against the neighbour and love directed against God, so being capable of association with devils. Many people enter into such friendships for various reasons and for various purposes. This kind of friendship is to be distinguished from external friendship which is merely personal, and exists for the sake of various pleasures of the body and the senses, and for various kinds of contact. This personal sort of friendship can be contracted with anyone, even with the clown who plays the fool at a duke's table. This is simply called friendship, the other, bosom friendship; friendship is a link at the natural level, love a link at the spiritual level.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin phrase means literally 'a friendship of love'.
446. XV. A FRIENDSHIP OF LOVE, CONTRACTED WITH A MAN WITHOUT REGARD TO HIS SPIRITUAL QUALITY, IS DETRIMENTAL AFTER DEATH.
A friendship of love means interior friendship, which is such that not only is the man's external man loved but his internal also, and this without scrutiny into the quality of his internal or spirit, that is, into his mind's affections, as to whether these spring from love towards the neighbor and love to God, and are thus adapted to association with angels of heaven, or whether they spring from a love opposed to the neighbor and a love opposed to God, and are thus adapted to association with devils. Such friendship is contracted in many instances from various causes and for various purposes. It is distinct from external friendship, which relates only to the person and exists for the sake of various bodily and sensual delights, and for the sake of mutual interaction in various ways. This kind of friendship may be formed with anyone, even with the clown who jokes at the table of a nobleman. This is called friendship simply; but the former is called the friendship of love, because friendship is natural conjunction, while love is spiritual conjunction.
446. XV. THE FRIENDSHIP OF LOVE, 1 CONTRACTED WITH A PERSON WITHOUT REGARD TO HIS SPIRITUAL CHARACTER, IS DETRIMENTAL AFTER DEATH.
The friendship of love means interior friendship, which is such that not only is the external man, if a person, loved, but also his internal, without regard to the real nature of the internal man, or spirit; that is, without regard to the affections of his mind. These may be inspired by love towards the neighbor, and by love to God, and thus are capable of association with the angels of heaven; or they may arise from opposite loves, and thus are capable of association with devils. Such friendship is contracted by many from various causes, and for various ends. It is distinct from that external friendship which regards the person alone, and which exists for the pleasures of personal attraction as well as for various business reasons. This friendship may be formed with any one, even with a clown who cracks jokes at a great man's table. This is called simply friendship, but the other, the friendship of love; for mere friendship is a natural union, whereas love is a spiritual union.
Footnotes:
1. Note the distinction between the two forms of friendship which differ in kind, amicitia amoris and amicitia externa.
446. Quod Amicitia amoris ligata cum homine, qualiscunque est quoad spiritum, post mortem detrimentosa sit.
Per amicitiam amoris intelligitur interior amicitia, quae talis est, ut non modo ametur Externus ejus homo, sed etiam Internus, et hoc absque scrutinio qualis est quoad Internum seu spiritum, hoc est, quoad mentis affectiones, sive hae sint amoris erga proximum, ac amoris in Deum, ita consociabiles cum Angelis coeli; sive sint Amoris contra proximum ac amoris contra Deum, ita consociabiles cum Diabolis. Talis amicitia apud plures ligatur ex variis causis, et propter varios fines. Distinguitur haec 1 ab amicitia externa quae solius personae est, et datur propter varia jucunda corporis et sensuum, et propter varia commercia; haec amicitia cum unoquovis potest sociari, etiam cum hariolo qui ad mensam Ducis joculatur: haec vocatur simpliciter amicitia, illa autem amicitia amoris, quia amicitia est conjunctio naturalis, amor autem est conjunctio spiritualis.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: haee.