a man’s mind (animum), enticing him into her chamber, and inflaming his passions to such a degree as to leave him no longer master of his judgement; and especially if, at the same time, she also threatens to expose him if he does not consent:  in like manner, in case any meretricious wife is skilled in deceitful allurements, or by powerful stimulants inflames the man to such a degree, that the raging lust of the flesh deprives the understanding of the free use of reason:  in like manner, in case a man, by powerful enticements, so far works upon another’s wife, as to leave her no longer mistress of herself, by reason of the fire kindled in her will; besides other like cases.  That these and similar accidental circumstances lessen the grievousness of adultery, and give a milder turn to the predications of the blame thereof in favor of the party seduced, is agreeable to the dictates and conclusions of reason.  The imputation of this degree of adultery comes next to be treated of.

489.  IX.  ADULTERIES COMMITTED BY SUCH PERSONS ARE IMPUTATORY, ACCORDING AS THE UNDERSTANDING AFTERWARDS FAVORS THEM OR NOT.  So far as the understanding favors evils, so far a man appropriates them to himself and makes them his own.  Favor implies consent; and consent induces in the mind a state of the love of them:  the case is the same with adulteries, which in the beginning were committed without the consent of the understanding, and are favored:  the contrary comes to pass if they are not favored.  The reason of this is, because evils or adulteries, which are committed in the blindness of the understanding, are committed from the concupiscence of the body; and such evils or adulteries have a near resemblance to the instincts of beasts:  with man (homo) indeed the understanding is present, while they are committing, but in a passive or dead potency and not in active and living potency.  From these considerations it follows of course, that such things are not imputed, except so far as they are afterwards favored or not.  By imputation we here mean accusation after death, and hence judication, which takes place according to the state of a man’s spirit:  but we do not mean inculpation by a man before a judge; for this does not take place according to the state of a man’s spirit, but of his body in the deed; and unless there was a difference herein, those would be acquitted after death who are acquitted in the world, and those would be condemned who are condemned in the world; and thus the latter would be without any hope of salvation.

490.  X. ADULTERIES OF THE THIRD DEGREE ARE ADULTERIES OF THE REASON, WHICH ARE COMMITTED BY THOSE WHO WITH THE UNDERSTANDING CONFIRM THEMSELVES IN THE PERSUASION THAT THEY ARE NOT EVILS OF SIN.  Every man knows that there exist such principles as the will and the understanding; for in his common speaking he says, “This I will, and this I understand;” but still he does not distinguish them, but makes the one the same as the other; because he only reflects