659.人所思考的邪恶不会被归给他，因为他就是如此受造，以便他能理解、从而思考善或恶，以及善出自主，恶出自地狱。人被置于这中间，凭借属灵事上的选择自由拥有选择这一个或那一个的权力。有专门章节讨论过选择自由的问题。既然人有选择的自由，那么他既能意愿一件事，也能不意愿它。他所意愿的一切被意愿接受，并被归给，而他所没有意愿的一切则不被接受，也不会被归给。人生来所倾向的一切邪恶都被刻在其属世人的意愿中。只要人吸取这些邪恶，它们就会流入其思维。同样，善与真从主流下，也进入思维，它们在此就象天平两边的砝码一样达到平衡。然后，如果人为自己取得邪恶，那么它们就会被旧意愿接受，并被添加到以前的邪恶中。但如果他为自己取得善与真，那么主会在旧意愿上面形成一个新意愿和一个新觉知，祂在此藉真理相继植入新的善，并藉这些善制服下面的恶，移走它们，将一切整理得井井有条。这也清楚表明，思维是净化和排出遗传自父母的邪恶的过程。因此，如果人所思考的邪恶真的被归给他，那么改造和重生将是不可能的。
659. 人所思考的邪恶不会被归给他, 因为他就是如此受造, 以便他能理解, 从而思考善或恶, 以及善出自主, 恶出自地狱。 人被置于这中间, 凭借属灵事上的选择自由拥有选择这一个或那一个的权力。 有专门章节讨论过选择自由的问题。 既然人有选择的自由, 那么他既能意愿一件事, 也能不意愿它。 他所意愿的一切被意愿接受, 并被归给, 而他所没有意愿的一切则不被接受, 也不会被归给。 人生来所倾向的一切邪恶都被刻在其属世人的意愿中。 只要人吸取这些邪恶, 它们就会流入其思维。 同样, 善与真从主流下, 也进入思维, 它们在此就象天平两边的砝码一样达到平衡。 然后, 如果人为自己取得邪恶, 那么它们就会被旧意愿接受, 并被添加到以前的邪恶中。 但如果他为自己取得善与真, 那么主会在旧意愿上面形成一个新意愿和一个新觉知, 祂在此藉真理相继植入新的善, 并藉这些善制服下面的恶, 移走它们, 将一切整理得井井有条。 这也清楚表明, 思维是净化和排出遗传自父母的邪恶的过程。 因此, 如果人所思考的邪恶真的被归给他, 那么改造和重生将是不可能的。
659. Why are we not blamed for any evil thing we think about? Because we have been created with the ability to understand and think about both what is good and what is evil. What is good comes from the Lord and what is evil comes from hell. We are in the middle. We have the capacity to choose one or the other, because we have free choice in spiritual matters (see the treatment of this topic in its own chapter [463-508]). Because we have the capacity to choose in freedom, we are able either to will something or else not to will it. What we choose to will is taken on by our will and becomes part of it; what we choose not to will is not taken on and does not become part of our will.
[2] All the evils that we have a tendency toward from the day we are born are a lasting part of the will of our earthly self. When we allow ourselves to be influenced by these evils they flow into our thinking. Good things along with truths flow down into our thinking from above, from the Lord. In our thoughts the two are weighed against each other, like weights on a pair of scales. If we choose evil things, they are received by our old will and become part of it. If we choose good things along with truths, a new will and a new intellect are formed by the Lord above our old will and our old intellect. Gradually over time, the Lord uses the truths that are in our new intellect to implant new forms of good on that higher level. Through these truths he also gains control over the evils that are below, moves them out of the way, and sets everything in order.
[3] This also makes it clear that our thought process purifies and excretes, so to speak, the evils that are resident in us from our parents. If we were assigned spiritual blame, then, for the evils we think about and consider, our reformation and regeneration could never take place.
659. The reason no evil a person thinks is imputed to him is that man is so created that he can understand and so think about good or evil, the good coming from the Lord, the evil from hell. Man is placed in the middle, with the power to choose one or the other by reason of his free will in spiritual matters, a matter already discussed in the chapter on that subject. Since he has freedom to choose, he can will a thing or not will it. What he wills is received by the will and made its own; what he does not will is not received and so is not made its own. All the evils to which a person tends from birth are written upon the will of his natural man. To the extent that he draws upon these evils, they flow into his thoughts. Likewise good things together with truths flow down into his thoughts from the Lord, and there they are balanced, like weights on the pans of a pair of scales, If a person then takes to himself evils, they are received by his old will and added to the former ones. But if he takes to himself good things together with truths, the Lord forms a new will and a new understanding above the old one, and there the Lord plants new forms of good one after another by means of truths. By means of this good He overcomes the evils which are below and removes them, setting all in order. This also makes it plain that thought is the process which purifies and excretes the evils inherited from one's parents. If therefore the evils one thinks were to be imputed, reformation and regeneration would be impossible.
659. No evil that a man thinks is imputed to him, because he was so created as to be able to understand and thus think either good or evil - good from the Lord and evil from hell - for he is between these two, and from his freedom of choice in spiritual things has the ability to choose either one or the other. This freedom of choice has been treated of in its own chapter. And because man has the ability to choose from freedom he can will or not will, and what he wills is received by the will and appropriated, while what he does not will is not received and thus is not appropriated. All the evils to which man inclines by birth are inscribed upon the will of his natural man; and so far as the man draws upon these evils they flow into his thoughts; in like manner goods with truths flow from above the Lord into the thoughts and there they are balanced like weights in the scales of a balance. If the man then adopts the evils, they are received by the old will and added to those in it; but if he adopts goods with truths, the Lord forms a new will and a new understanding above the old, and there by means of truths He gradually implants new goods, and by means of these subjugates the evils that are below and removes them, and arranges all things in order. From this also it is clear that thought is the seat of purification and excretion of the evils resident in man from his parents; consequently if the evils that a man thinks were to be imputed to him, reformation and regeneration would be impossible.
659. No evil which is an object of thought only is imputed to man, because he is so created as to be able to understand and consequently to think either good or evil, good from the Lord, and evil from hell. For he is midway between them and has the power of choosing either the one or the other from free will in spiritual things, a subject which has already been dealt with in its own chapter. Since he has this power of choice from freedom, he can will and not will. What he wills is received by his will and appropriated, but what he does not will is not received and thus is not appropriated. All the evils to which man is prone by birth are inscribed on the will of his natural man, and these, so far as he draws upon them, flow into his thoughts. Similarly goods and truths from above from the Lord also flow into his thoughts, and are there poised like weights in the scales of a balance. If a man then adopts evil, it is received by the old will, and added to its store; but if he adopts good and truth, the Lord then forms a new will and a new understanding above the old. There the Lord successively implants new goods by means of truths, and by means of these subdues the evils that are beneath, removes them and reduces all things to order. From this it is evident that thought has a purifying and purging effect upon hereditary evils. If, therefore, evils which are objects of thought only, were imputed to a man, reformation and regeneration would not be possible.
659. Quod non aliquod malum imputetur homini quod cogitat, est quia homo ita creatus est, ut possit intelligere et inde cogitare bonum aut malum, bonum ex Domino, et malum ex Inferno, est enim in medio, et in facultate eligendi unum aut alterum ex libero arbitrio in spiritualibus, de quo in suo Capite actum est; et quia in facultate eligendi ex libero est, potest velle et non velle, et quod vult, hoc recipitur a voluntate et appropriatur, at quod non vult, non recipitur, et sic non appropriatur.
[2] Omnia mala, ad quae homo inclinat a nativitate, inscripta sunt voluntati naturalis ejus hominis; illa, quantum desumit ex illis, influunt in cogitationes; similiter bona cum veris desuper 1 in illas a Domino, et ibi librantur sicut pondera in scalis bilancis; si tunc homo adoptat mala, recipiuntur illa a voluntate veteri, et addunt se illis; at si adoptat bona cum veris, formatur a Domino nova voluntas et novus intellectus supra veterem, et ibi Dominus nova bona per vera successive implantat, et per haec subjugat mala quae infra sunt, et removet illa, ac disponit omnia in ordinem.
[3] Ex his etiam patet, quod Cogitatio sit purificatorium et excretorium malorum a parentibus insidentium; quare si mala, quae homo cogitat, imputarentur, non fieri posset reformatio et regeneratio.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: defuper.