494.然而，必须清楚指出的是，人出于爱所吸收、并经其觉知确认的圣言和教会属灵事物会存留在他里面，而社会与政治事务并非如此。因为属灵事物会升到心智的最高区域，并在那里成形。这是因为主携圣真与圣善进入人内的入口就在此处，该区域就象祂所居住的圣殿。但由于社会与政治事务属于尘世，所以它们占据心智的较低区域，有些在那里如同环绕圣殿的小建筑，有些则如同通向入口的门廊。教会属灵事物居于心智最高区域的另一个原因是，它们属于灵魂，关乎灵魂的永生；灵魂处于最高层次，唯有通过属灵食物才能获得滋养。这就是为何主称自己为“粮”，因为祂说：
我是从天上降下来生命的粮；人若吃这粮，就必永远活着。（约翰福音6:51）
该区域也是爱的居所，是人死后幸福的源头；也是他在属灵事物上选择自由的主要居所，并由此降下人在属世事物上所拥有的一切自由。由于这就是属灵自由的源头，所以它进入属世事物上所有形式的自由中，并且占据最高区域的主导爱藉这些自由，吸取有助于其目的的一切。它们之间的关系，好比小溪与它流出的溪水之间的关系，又好比种子本身的繁殖力与树的各个部分，特别是结出新种子的果实之间的关系。但是，当人否认并因此弃绝属灵事物上的选择自由时，他就为自己另造一个源泉，并由此开辟一个通道。这就将属灵自由转变成纯粹的属世自由，并最终变成地狱自由。地狱自由也像一粒种子所具的繁殖力，自由地通过树干和分枝进入果实，这果实因其源头而从内败坏。
494. 然而, 必须清楚指出的是, 人出于爱所吸收, 并经其觉知确认的圣言和教会属灵事物会存留在他里面, 而社会与政治事务并非如此。 因为属灵事物会升到心智的最高区域, 并在那里成形。 这是因为主携圣真与圣善进入人内的入口就在此处, 该区域就象祂所居住的圣殿。 但由于社会与政治事务属于尘世, 所以它们占据心智的较低区域, 有些在那里如同环绕圣殿的小建筑, 有些则如同通向入口的门廊。 教会属灵事物居于心智最高区域的另一个原因是, 它们属于灵魂, 关乎灵魂的永生; 灵魂处于最高层次, 唯有通过属灵食物才能获得滋养。 这就是为何主称自己为“粮”, 因为祂说:
我是从天上降下来生命的粮; 人若吃这粮, 就必永远活着。 (约翰福音6:51)
该区域也是爱的居所, 是人死后幸福的源头; 也是他在属灵事物上选择自由的主要居所, 并由此降下人在属世事物上所拥有的一切自由。 由于这就是属灵自由的源头, 所以它进入属世事物上所有形式的自由中, 并且占据最高区域的主导爱藉这些自由, 吸取有助于其目的的一切。 它们之间的关系, 好比小溪与它流出的溪水之间的关系, 又好比种子本身的繁殖力与树的各个部分, 特别是结出新种子的果实之间的关系。 但是, 当人否认并因此弃绝属灵事物上的选择自由时, 他就为自己另造一个源泉, 并由此开辟一个通道。 这就将属灵自由转变成纯粹的属世自由, 并最终变成地狱自由。 地狱自由也像一粒种子所具的繁殖力, 自由地通过树干和分枝进入果实, 这果实因其源头而从内败坏。
494. It is essential, however, to understand that what stays with us are the spiritual matters related to the Word and the church that we drink in with love and support with our intellect. This does not happen to the same extent with civil and political matters. Spiritual matters ascend into the highest region of the mind and take shape there, because that is the level where the Lord enters us, bringing divine forms of truth and goodness. That level is like a temple that he inhabits. Civil and political matters, because they have to do with the world, occupy lower areas of the mind. Some of them are like smaller buildings outside the temple, and some are like points of entry into it.
The reason why spiritual matters related to the church dwell in the highest region of the mind is that they belong to our soul and exist to serve our eternal life. Our soul exists on the highest level and its nourishment comes exclusively from spiritual food. This is why the Lord refers to himself as bread. He says, "I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever" (John 6:51). Our love, which is the source of our blessedness after death, also dwells on that level; and our free choice in spiritual matters principally resides there.
All the freedom we enjoy in earthly matters comes down from this higher freedom; and because freedom originates there, it has a share in all the free choices we make in earthly matters. From among our earthly options, the love that is dominant in us on the highest level selects everything that is well suited to itself. That higher freedom is present the way a spring is present in all the water that flows from it, or the way the fertility of a seed is present in each and every part of the tree that results from it - especially the fruit, in which the seed renews itself.
All those who deny and reject free choice in spiritual matters, however, tap into another water source and give it an outlet in themselves. They turn spiritual freedom first into a freedom that is merely earthly, and finally into a freedom that is hellish. This freedom too is like the fertility of a seed, and it too passes freely through trunk and branches into fruits, but those fruits are rotten inside because of the source from which they sprang.
494. It needs to be appreciated that the spiritual ideas of the Word and the church, which a person is impelled by love to absorb and which his understanding supports, last in a person in a way which social and political ideas do not. This is because spiritual ideas rise to the highest level of the mind and take on a form there. The reason is that this is where the Lord enters bringing a person various kinds of Divine truth and good, so that this is a kind of temple for Him to live in. Social and political ideas, being worldly, occupy the lower levels of the mind; some of them there serve as chapels outside the main temple, others, as fore-courts leading to the entrance. Another reason why the church's spiritual ideas reside in the highest levels of the mind is that they are peculiar to the soul, seeking its everlasting life; and the soul is at the highest level, feeding upon nothing but spiritual kinds of food. That is why the Lord calls Himself bread, when He says:
I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever, John 6:51.
This region is also the seat of a person's love, and this is what makes him blessed after death; there too is the chief residence of his free will in spiritual matters, and from this source comes all the freedom a person has in natural matters. This being its source, it is in communication with all acts of free will in natural matters, and by their means the love that is dominant at the highest level attracts everything which is of use to it. This communication is like that between the force of a spring and the waters that flow from it, or between the reproductive principle of a seed and every part of a tree, especially its fruits, because in them it renews itself. If, however, anyone denies the existence of free will in spiritual matters, and takes it away from them, he makes for himself another spring and opens up a channel to that, changing spiritual freedom into purely natural freedom, and eventually into the freedom of hell. This sort of freedom too resembles the reproductive principle of a seed; it passes freely through the trunk and branches to reach the fruits, which are so teeming with it that they are rotten inside.
494. But it must be well understood that the spiritual things of the Word and church which man imbibes from love, and which his understanding confirms are what remain in him, but not so things civil and political; because spiritual things ascend into the highest region of the mind, and there take form. This is because the Lord's entrance into man with Divine truths and goods is there, and that region is like a temple in which He resides. But because things civil and political belong to the world, they occupy the lower regions of the mind, and some of them become there like little buildings around that temple, and some like vestibules through which there is entrance. Another reason why the spiritual things of the church dwell in the highest region of the mind, is that they belong to the soul, and have regard to its eternal life; and the soul is in things highest, and derives its nourishment from no other than spiritual food. This is why the Lord calls Himself "Bread," for He says:
I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever (John 6:51).
That region is also the seat of man's love, which is the source of his happiness after death; and there too his freedom of choice in spiritual things chiefly resides, and from this descends all the freedom that man possesses in natural things; and such being the origin of this freedom it enters into all forms of freedom of choice in natural things, and by means of these the ruling love, which occupies the highest region, takes on whatever is conducive to its own ends. The communication between these is like that between a spring and the waters that flow from it, or like the communication between the prolific principle itself of a seed and each and all parts of the tree, especially the fruit, in which it renews itself. But when anyone denies freedom of choice in spiritual things, and thus rejects it, he makes for himself another fountain, and opens a channel from that; and this changes spiritual freedom into merely natural and finally into infernal, freedom. And infernal freedom becomes like the prolific principle of a seed, freely traversing the trunk and branches to the fruit, which owing to its origin is inwardly rotten.
494. It ought to be widely known that the spiritual things of the Word and of the Church which a man receives from love, and which his understanding confirms, remain with him, but not so civil and political matters. For spiritual things ascend into the highest region of the mind, and there dispose themselves. The reason of this is that there is the place of the Lord's entrance into man with Divine truth and good, and this region is as a temple in which the Lord dwells. Whereas civil and political matters, because they belong to the world, occupy the lower regions of the mind; and some of them are like the little buildings on the outside of the Temple, and some like the courts leading to it. Another reason why the spiritual things of the Church reside in the highest region of the soul is, that they belong peculiarly to the soul, and regard its eternal life; for the soul is in the highest regions, and its nourishment consists solely of spiritual food. This is why the Lord calls Himself Bread, for He says:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever" John 6:51.
In that region also resides a man's love, which constitutes his blessedness after death. There also especially resides his free will in spiritual things, from which descends all the freedom that he enjoys in natural things. Free will in spiritual things, being the source of all this freedom, is thus imparted to all forms of free will in natural things; and by means of these the love ruling in the highest regions assumes whatever is conducive to its purposes. The communication between spiritual and natural freedom is like the channel between the fountain and the waters that are fed from it, and like that between the prolific principle in the seed and every single part of the tree, particularly the fruit, in which it is reproduced. If, however, anyone denies and rejects free will in spiritual things, he forms for himself another fountain and opens up a channel to it, and changes spiritual freedom into freedom that is merely natural, and at length into that which is infernal. This latter freedom also is like the prolific principle of a seed, which passes freely through the trunk and branches of the tree into the fruit, which from its source is inwardly rotten.
494. Sed probe sciendum est, quod Spiritualia Verbi et Ecclesiae, quae homo ex amore haurit, ac intellectus confirmat, maneant apud hominem, non autem similiter civilia et politica, quia spiritualia in supremam mentis regionem scandunt, et ibi se formant; causa est, quia ibi est introitus Domini cum Divinis veris et bonis apud hominem, et sicut templum in quo est; at civilia et politica, quia Mundi sunt, inferiora mentis occupant, et quaedam ibi sunt sicut aediculae extra templum, et quaedam sicut atria, per quae intrandum est; quod spiritualia Ecclesiae in suprema regione mentis habitent, est quoque causa, quia illa propria sunt animae, et spectant ejus vitam aeternam, et anima est in supremis, et nutritio ejus non ex aliis cibis quam ex spiritualibus est; quare Dominus se vocat Panem, dicit enim, Ego sum Panis vivens, qui e Coelo descendit; si quis comederit ex hoc Pane, vivet in aeternum, Johannes 6:51; 1 in illa regione etiam residet amor hominis, qui facit ejus beatitudinem post mortem, et ibi etiam principaliter residet ejus Liberum arbitrium in spiritualibus, et ex hoc omne Liberum, quod homini in naturalibus est, descendit, et quia origo ejus ibi est, communicat id cum omnibus liberis Arbitriis in naturalibus, et per illa assumit amor in supremis regnans omne quod sibi conducit; est communicatio sicut venae fontis cum aquis ejus inde, et sicut ipsum prolificum seminis cum omnibus et singulis arboris, imprimis cum fructibus, in quibus se renovat. Si vero quis negat Liberum arbitrium in spiritualibus, et inde rejicit illud, is facit sibi alium fontem, et illuc aperit venam, et commutat Liberum spirituale in Liberum mere naturale, et tandem in infernale: hoc Liberum etiam fit sicut prolificum seminis, quod etiam libere transit caudicem et ramos in fructus, qui ex scaturigine sua intus sunt putres.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: 6:5.