491.神不但将自由植入人类里面，还植入所有动物里面，甚至植入非生物的相似功能中，使各自能照其属性接受它，因为神还将良善供应给万有；但善所作用的对象将善转变成恶，这一点可通过对比说明。大气将呼吸的能力赋予每个人，同样赋予所有兽类，无论家养还是野生，也赋予所有鸟类，猫头鹰与鸽子一样；大气还赋予飞翔的能力。然而，大气的馈赠被本质和性情对立的生物所接受，这一点却不能归咎于大气。海洋为所有鱼类提供居所，并供应食物，但海洋并没有使这鱼吞吃那鱼，或让鳄鱼将食物变成杀人的毒药。太阳为万物提供光和热，但它们所作用的对象，如地上各种植物，却以不同方式接受它们，好树和灌木以这种方式接受，荆棘和蒺藜却以那种方式接受；或无害草本以这种方式接受，有害草本则以另一种方式接受。雨水从高处的大气落到地面，地由此向所有灌木、草本和青草供应水份，它们各取所需。
这就是所谓选择自由的类似功能，因为它们通过其小口、气孔和导管（它们在温暖的季节会一直敞开），自由吸收雨水，地仅仅供应水分与元素，植物根据饥渴程度吸收它们。人也一样，因为主携属灵之热（它本质上是爱之善）和属灵之光（它本质上是智之真）流进每个人；但是人照着他是转向神还是转向他自己来接受这些事物。故，主在教导爱邻时，说：
你们可以作天父的儿子；因为祂使太阳照好人，也照歹人；降雨给义人，也给不义的人。（马太福音5:45）
在别处，祂还说，祂盼望所有人得救。
491. 神不但将自由植入人类里面, 还植入所有动物里面, 甚至植入非生物的相似功能中, 使各自能照其属性接受它, 因为神还将良善供应给万有; 但善所作用的对象将善转变成恶, 这一点可通过对比说明。 大气将呼吸的能力赋予每个人, 同样赋予所有兽类, 无论家养还是野生, 也赋予所有鸟类, 猫头鹰与鸽子一样; 大气还赋予飞翔的能力。 然而, 大气的馈赠被本质和性情对立的生物所接受, 这一点却不能归咎于大气。 海洋为所有鱼类提供居所, 并供应食物, 但海洋并没有使这鱼吞吃那鱼, 或让鳄鱼将食物变成杀人的毒药。 太阳为万物提供光和热, 但它们所作用的对象, 如地上各种植物, 却以不同方式接受它们, 好树和灌木以这种方式接受, 荆棘和蒺藜却以那种方式接受; 或无害草本以这种方式接受, 有害草本则以另一种方式接受。 雨水从高处的大气落到地面, 地由此向所有灌木, 草本和青草供应水份, 它们各取所需。
这就是所谓选择自由的类似功能, 因为它们通过其小口, 气孔和导管 (它们在温暖的季节会一直敞开), 自由吸收雨水, 地仅仅供应水分与元素, 植物根据饥渴程度吸收它们。 人也一样, 因为主携属灵之热 (它本质上是爱之善) 和属灵之光 (它本质上是智之真) 流进每个人; 但是人照着他是转向神还是转向他自己来接受这些事物。 故, 主在教导爱邻时, 说:
你们可以作天父的儿子; 因为祂使太阳照好人, 也照歹人; 降雨给义人, 也给不义的人。 (马太福音5:45)
在别处, 祂还说, 祂盼望所有人得救。
491. God granted freedom not just to human beings but also to every type of animal; he even granted to inanimate things something analogous to freedom. Each entity receives that gift in accordance with its own nature. He also provides them all with what is good, but the entities themselves turn it into evil.
This can be illustrated by comparisons: The atmosphere gives every human being the ability to breathe, and does the same for every animal, whether domesticated or wild, and also for every bird, whether it is an owl or a dove; it also gives birds the ability to fly. Yet the atmosphere is not responsible for the fact that what it offers is taken up by creatures that are opposite to each other in nature and character.
The ocean offers itself to every type of fish as a place to live and also provides them all with food, yet the ocean is not responsible for the fact that one type of fish eats another, or that a crocodile turns the ocean's generosity into poison that it uses to kill people.
The sun supplies light and heat to all things, but its objects, which are the various types of vegetation on earth, use them in different ways. A good kind of tree or bush uses that heat and light one way; a thorn or a bramble uses them another way. A harmless plant does something very different with them than a poisonous plant does.
[2] Rain from high up in the atmosphere falls everywhere on the ground. The ground then distributes that water to every bush, plant, and blade of grass, and each of them takes up as much of it as it needs. This is what I meant by something analogous to free choice, because these plants freely drink the water in through orifices, pores, and passageways that are open when it is warm. The earth does no more than offer moisture and nutrients; the plants take them in according to their thirst and hunger, so to speak.
It is similar with human beings. The Lord flows into every one of us with spiritual heat, which is essentially the goodness of love, and spiritual light, which is essentially the truth of wisdom. How open we are to these qualities depends on which way we are turned, either toward God or toward ourselves. Therefore in teaching us about loving our neighbor, the Lord says, "You are to be children of your Father, who makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45). Elsewhere we read that "he wills the salvation of all" [1 Timothy 2:4; Ezekiel 18:23, 32].
491. Comparisons can be drawn to illustrate the propositions that God bestowed freedom, not only on every human being, but also on every animal, and indeed an analogous faculty even on inanimate objects, giving each the power to receive it according to its nature; and that God intends good to all, but this is turned into evil by the objects upon which it acts. The atmosphere enables everyone to breathe, and likewise every animal and wild beast, every bird, the owl as much as the dove; it also enables birds to fly. Yet the atmosphere is not to blame for the opportunity given to creatures of contrary nature and character. The ocean affords in itself a home and provides food for every fish; but it is not to blame for one fish swallowing another, or for the crocodile turning its food into poison to kill people. The sun provides light and heat for all, but the objects it acts upon, the various plants on earth, receive them in different ways; a good tree or shrub does so in one way, a thorn or briar in another, and a harmless plant in a different way from a poisonous one.
[2] Rain from the upper levels of the atmosphere falls to the ground everywhere, and the ground supplies water from this source to every tree, plant and grass, each of which uses the water to serve its own needs. This is what is meant by the faculty analogous to free will: the plants freely suck up the water through their openings, pores and passages, which in warm weather stand open, and the earth merely provides moisture and elements, which the plants take up in a manner reminiscent of thirst and hunger. It is much the same with people. The Lord flows in to provide every person with spiritual heat, which is in essence the good of love, and with spiritual light, which is in essence the truth of wisdom. But the way the person receives these depends upon which way he turns, whether to God or to himself. That is why the Lord says where He teaches us about love towards the neighbour:
So that you may be sons of the Father, who makes the sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous, Matthew 5:45.
And in another passage He speaks of Him desiring the salvation of all.
491. That God has implanted freedom not only in man, but also in every beast, and an analogue of it even in things inanimate, enabling each to receive it according to its nature, as He also provides what is good for them all; but that the objects themselves turn the good into evil, may be illustrated by comparisons. The atmosphere gives to every man the ability to breathe, and in like manner to every beast tame or wild, also to every bird, the owl and dove alike; it also gives the ability to fly, and yet it is not the atmosphere that causes its gifts to be received by creatures of contrary genius and nature. The ocean furnishes in itself an abode and also offers nourishment, to every fish; but the ocean does not cause one fish there to devour another; or the crocodile to turn its food into poison with which it kills men. The sun provides heat and light for all things; but objects, such as the various vegetable productions of the earth, receive these diversely, a good tree and a good shrub in one way, and the thorn and thistle in another; or a harmless herb in one way, and a poisonous herb in another. The rain falls from the higher region of the atmosphere upon all parts of the earth; and the earth administers the waters therefrom to every shrub, herb, and grass, and each one of them takes to itself according to its need. This is what is called an analogue of freedom of choice, because they drink in the rain freely through their little mouths, pores, and ducts, which stand open in the warm seasons, the earth merely supplying the fluids and elements, and the plants partaking of them from a certain kind of hunger and thirst. The like is true of men, in that the Lord flows into every man with spiritual heat, which in its essence is good of love, and with spiritual light, which in its essence is the truth of wisdom; but man receives these according to whether he turns towards God or towards self. Therefore the Lord, in teaching about love towards the neighbor, says:
That ye may be the children of the Father, who maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45).
And elsewhere He says:
That He desires the salvation of all.
491. God has given freedom not only to man but also to every beast, and indeed something analogous to freedom to inanimate things, a gift to be received by all according to their own nature; moreover, He provides good for all, but it is the recipients who turn that good into evil. This may be illustrated by the following comparisons. The atmosphere affords to every man the means of breathing, and to every animal and wild beast; and also to every bird, to the owl and to the dove alike, affording to these in addition the means of flying; and yet the atmosphere is not the cause of what it supplies being received so variously by creatures of such different natures and dispositions. The ocean affords in itself an abode and provides nourishment to every fish; but it is not the cause of one fish devouring another, nor of the crocodile turning its food into poison with which it destroys man. The sun provides light and heat for all, but recipients like the plants of the earth, receive these in different ways; the useful tree and shrub in one way, and the thorn and bramble in another; or the harmless herbs in one way and the poisonous in another. Again, the rain from the upper reaches of the atmosphere descends upon all parts of the earth, supplying it with water for all shrubs, herbs and grasses, which every one of these applies to its own needs.
This is what is meant by something analogous to free will, since the plants freely absorb these things through little mouths, pores, and channels, which stand open when the weather is warm. The earth merely offers to them its moisture and elemental substances, and the plants appropriate these in accordance with something answering to hunger and thirst. In like manner the Lord enters by influx into every man with spiritual heat and light, which are in essence the good of love and the truth of wisdom; but man receives them according to the direction in which he turns either towards God or towards himself. Therefore the Lord says in His teaching concerning love towards the neighbor:
"That ye may be the children of your Father... for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" Matthew 5:45;
and in another place:
That He willeth the salvation of all.
491. Quod Deus indiderit Liberum non modo homini, sed etiam omni bestiae, imo etiam analogon ejus inanimatis, cuilibet ad recipiendum illud secundum suam naturam, ut et quod prospiciat omnibus illis bonum, sed quod objecta vertant illud in malum, illustrari potest per comparationes; Athmosphaera dat cuivis homini copiam respirandi, similiter cuivis bestiae et ferae, et quoque cuivis avi, tam buboni quam columbae, et quoque copiam volandi, et tamen athmosphaera non in causa est, quod copia illa recipiatur a contrariis genio et indole. Oceanus dat habitaculum in se, et quoque affert alimoniam omni pisci, sed non in causa est, quod unus ibi deglutiat alterum, et quod crocodilus vertat hanc in venenum, quo occidit hominem. Sol prospicit omnibus lucem et calorem, 1 sed objecta, quae sunt varia vegetabilia terrae, recipiunt illa diversimode, aliter Arbor bona, et virgultum bonum, et aliter spina et sentis, aut aliter herba innocua quam toxicata.
[2] Pluvia e superiore regione athmosphaerae ubivis in terras defluit, et terrae subministrat aquas inde cuivis arbusculo, herbae et gramini, et quodlibet horum applicat illas sibi secundum indigentiam; hoc est quod vocatur analogon Liberi arbitrii, quia insorbent illa libere per oscula, poros et meatus, qui tempore caloris stant aperti, et terra modo suggerit et latices et elementa, et virgulta secundum quoddam simile sitis et famis illa adducunt. Simile est cum hominibus, quod Dominus apud unumquemvis hominem influat cum Calore spirituali, qui in sua essentia est bonum amoris, et cum luce spirituali, quae in sua essentia est verum sapientiae, sed homo recipit illa secundum suam conversionem, vel ad Deum, vel ad Semet; quare dicit Dominus, ubi de amore erga proximum docet, "Ut filii Patris sitis, qui Solem facit exoriri super malos et bonos, et pluviam mittit super justos et injustos," Matthaeus 5:45 et alibi, quod velit omnium salutem.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: luce et calore.