480.有无数细节可以证明：人在属灵事物上的选择自由，和在属世事物上的选择自由一样多，都是不计其数的。只要愿意，让每个人留意一下自己，看他能否一天七十次，或一周三百次来思想神、主、圣灵和神性事物，它们都是所谓的教会属灵事物；也让他看看，如果快乐、甚至欲望促使他这样思想，那么他会感觉到强迫吗？他如此是否是出于信？也考虑一下，不管在哪种情况下，或谈话、向神祷告、布道、甚或聆听，若没有选择自由，人能否思考任何事？难道不是选择自由把一切细节带进这些行为吗？更进一步说，在一切细节，甚至最细微处，倘若没有选择自由，那人就和雕像一样无法呼吸；因为呼吸紧随着思维和由此而来的言词（它处处表达思维）。与其说和雕像无异，毋宁说和动物无异，因为动物出于属世的选择自由呼吸，而人既出于属世的选择自由，也出于属灵的选择自由呼吸，人生来就跟动物不同。动物一出生，就拥有由其属世爱欲带来的关于觅食与繁殖等方面的一切认知；但人生而无知，只有去认识、理解、变得智慧的能力和去爱自己爱世界、也爱邻爱神的倾向。这就是为什么说，若将选择自由从人的意志和思维的方方面面取走，他就和雕像无异，也和动物无异。
480. 有无数细节可以证明: 人在属灵事物上的选择自由, 和在属世事物上的选择自由一样多, 都是不计其数的。 只要愿意, 让每个人留意一下自己, 看他能否一天七十次, 或一周三百次来思想神, 主, 圣灵和神性事物, 它们都是所谓的教会属灵事物; 也让他看看, 如果快乐, 甚至欲望促使他这样思想, 那么他会感觉到强迫吗? 他如此是否是出于信? 也考虑一下, 不管在哪种情况下, 或谈话, 向神祷告, 布道, 甚或聆听, 若没有选择自由, 人能否思考任何事? 难道不是选择自由把一切细节带进这些行为吗? 更进一步说, 在一切细节, 甚至最细微处, 倘若没有选择自由, 那人就和雕像一样无法呼吸; 因为呼吸紧随着思维和由此而来的言词 (它处处表达思维)。 与其说和雕像无异, 毋宁说和动物无异, 因为动物出于属世的选择自由呼吸, 而人既出于属世的选择自由, 也出于属灵的选择自由呼吸, 人生来就跟动物不同。 动物一出生, 就拥有由其属世爱欲带来的关于觅食与繁殖等方面的一切认知; 但人生而无知, 只有去认识, 理解, 变得智慧的能力和去爱自己爱世界, 也爱邻爱神的倾向。 这就是为什么说, 若将选择自由从人的意志和思维的方方面面取走, 他就和雕像无异, 也和动物无异。
480. There are countless particular arguments that would show that we have just as much free choice in spiritual matters as in earthly matters.
If you wish, you could do an experiment on yourself. See if you are able to think about God, the Lord, the Holy Spirit, and the divine matters known as the spiritual concepts of the church seventy times a day or three hundred times a week. And if it is some pleasure or even some craving that brings you to do it (whether you happen to have faith or not), do you feel any compulsion in doing so? Whatever state you are in, consider whether you could think at all if you did not have free choice. Surely, free choice is of supreme importance in what you say, in prayers to God, in preaching, and in listening. In fact, since you take a breath after each instance of speaking your thoughts, if your free choice did not extend to specific things even down to the most minute details, would you be able to breathe any more than a statue can?
I say "any more than a statue" rather than "any more than an animal," because an animal breathes as a result of its earthly free choice. We breathe as a result of our free choice in earthly matters and also our free choice in spiritual matters. We are born different from animals. From birth, animals and all the ideas they have, which are associated with their earthly love, are focused on food and reproduction. We, however, have no innate ideas at birth; we have only a faculty for knowing, understanding, and becoming wise, and an inclination to love ourselves and the world and also to love our neighbor and God. This is why I said that if free choice were taken away in regard to the individual things we will and think, we would breathe no more than a statue does; I did not say we would breathe no more than an animal does.
480. There are countless particular considerations showing that there is just as much free will in spiritual matters as in natural ones. Let everyone, if he will, ask himself whether he can think seventy times a day, or three hundred times a week, about God, the Lord, the Holy Spirit, and the Divine matters known as the spiritual things of the church. Is he then aware of any compulsion, if any pleasure, even if any desire, prompts him to do so, and this whether he is a believer or not? Test yourself too, whatever your present state, to see if you can think anything at all without free will, whether in your conversation, in your prayers to God, and your preachings or your listenings. Is not free will the all-important feature in them? In fact, without free will in each respect, even the tiniest details, could you breathe any more than a statue? For breathing follows thought and the speech that expresses it at every step. I say no more than a statue, and not any more than an animal, for an animal's breathing depends upon its natural free will, but a human being's breathing depends upon his free will in natural and spiritual matters at once, since man does not acquire abilities at birth like an animal. An animal with all the ideas which attend upon its natural love acquires by birth a knowledge of such matters as are necessary for feeding and reproduction. Man, however, lacks any ideas born with him, and only acquires by birth the capacity to know, understand and be wise, and a tendency to love himself and the world, and also the neighbour and God. Therefore, if he were deprived of free will in every act of will and thought, we say that he would not breathe any more than a statue, not any more than an animal.
480. The particulars which prove that man has freedom of choice as much in spiritual things as in natural things, are innumerable. Let anyone, if he wishes, give attention to himself, and see whether he cannot, seventy times a day, or three hundred times a week, think of God, the Lord, the Holy Spirit, and Divine things, which are called the spiritual things of the church; and let him see whether in this he feels any compulsion, whether he is moved to think so by any pleasure, or even by any lust, and this whether he has faith or not. Consider also, in whatever state you may be, whether you are able to think about anything without freedom of choice, either in your conversation, or in your prayers to God, or in preaching, or even in listening. Does not freedom of choice carry every point in these actions? And still further, without freedom of choice in every particular, even to the most minute particulars, you could no more breathe than a statue; for respiration follows thought and speech therefrom in every step. I say, no more than a statue, rather no more than a beast, because a beast breathes from a natural freedom of choice, but man from a freedom of choice both in things natural and in things spiritual; for a man is not born like a beast. A beast is born with all the ideas that are attendant upon its natural love in matters pertaining to nutrition and propagation; but a man is born destitute of connate ideas, having only the capacity to know, understand, and become wise, and an inclination to love both himself and the world, and also the neighbor and God. This is why it is said that if freedom of choice were taken from man in all the particulars of his volition and thought, he could no more breathe than a statue, and why it is not said, no more than a beast.
480. The particular indications that man enjoys free will in spiritual as well as in natural things are innumerable. Let each one consider, if he will, whether he cannot think of God, of the Lord, of the Holy Spirit and of the Divine things which are called the spiritual things of the Church, seventy times a day, or three hundred times a week; and whether he then feels any compulsion, especially if he is led to such meditation by any pleasure, or even by any lust, and whether he has faith or not. Consider also, whatever your circumstances may be, whether without free will you can think at all; and whether in your conversation, in your prayers to God, in preaching and even in listening, free will does not operate at every point. Indeed, without free will even in the most minute particulars, you would no more breathe than a statue; for respiration attends upon thought, and thence upon speech at every step. I say, no more than a statue; I do not say, no more than a beast, because a beast breathes from natural free will, but a man from free will both in natural and in spiritual things, for a man is not born like a beast. A beast is born with all the ideas attendant upon its natural love, and thus into such knowledge as concerns nutrition and propagation; whereas a man is born without any innate ideas, but only with the faculty of knowing, understanding and becoming wise, and with an inclination to love himself and the world, and also the neighbor and God. This is why it is here said that if he were deprived of freedom in the various activities of his will and thought he would no more breathe than a statue, instead of saying, no more than a beast.
480. PARTICULARIA quod Liberum Arbitrium in spiritualibus aeque sit ac in naturalibus, sunt innumerabilia. Consulat se quisque, si lubet, numne potest intra diem septuagies, aut intra septimanam tercenties cogitare de Deo, de Domino, de Spiritu Sancto, deque Divinis quae vocantur spiritualia Ecclesiae; num tunc sentit aliquod coactum, si ad id ex aliqua voluptate, imo si ex aliqua concupiscentia fertur, et hoc sive fidem, sive non fidem habeat: explora etiam, in quocunque statu sis, Numeri cogitare potes quicquam absque libero arbitrio, tam in loquelis tuis, quam in orationibus ad Deum, tum in praedicationibus, et quoque in auscultationibus; numne Liberum Arbitrium in illis fert omne punctum: imo quod absque Libero Arbitrio in singulis imo in singularissimis, nec respirares plus quam statua, nam respiratio sequitur cogitationem et inde loquelam in omni passu; dico non plus quam statua, et [non dico] non plus quam bestia, quia haec ex naturali libero arbitrio respirat, homo autem ex Libero Arbitrio in naturalibus et simul in spiritualibus, nam homo non nascitur sicut bestia; bestia cum omnibus ideis pedissequis amoris naturalis sui, in talia quae nutritionis et prolificationis sunt, homo autem absque ideis connatis solum in facultatem sciendi, intelligendi et sapiendi, et in inclinationem ad amandum se et mundum, et quoque proximum et Deum, quare dicitur si ei Liberum arbitrium auferretur in singulis quae vult et cogitat, non plus respiraret quam statua, et non dicitur non plus quam bestia.