527. (4) Evil is imputed to a person in accordance with the nature of his will and in accordance with the nature of his understanding; so, too, good. People know that there are two components which form a person's life, will and intellect; that everything a person does emanates from his will and intellect; and that without these two agencies a person would be incapable of any action or speech other than a mechanical one. It is apparent from this that a person's character is such as that of his will and intellect. So, too, that the character of a person's action in itself is such as that of the affection of his will which produces it, and that the character of a person's speech in itself is such as that of the thought of his intellect which produces it. Therefore a number of people may do and say the same things, and yet be acting and speaking differently, one doing so from a corrupt will and thought, another from an upright will and thought. [2] It is clear from this what is meant by the deeds or works according to which everyone will be judged, namely, that it is the will and intellect; consequently that by evil works are meant the works of an evil will, however they may have appeared in outward respects, and that by good works are meant the works of a good will, even if they appeared in outward respects like works emanating from an evil person. Everything that a person does from his inner will is done purposefully, since whatever that will intends to do it purposes to itself. And everything that a person does from his intellect is done deliberately, since the intellect deliberates. It follows in consequence of this that everyone has imputed to him evil or good in accordance with the nature of his will in these and in accordance with the nature of his understanding regarding them. [3] I am able to confirm this by the following account. In the spiritual world I have encountered many spirits who, in the natural world, had lived like others - dressing grandly, dining elegantly, doing business like others at a profit, attending theatrical performances, joking about the actions of lovers in a seemingly lustful manner, and other like things. And yet angels attributed these things to some as sinful evils, and did not attribute them to others as evil, declaring the former guilty, but the latter innocent. Upon my asking the reason for this, when the people had done much the same things, the angels replied that they regard everyone in the light of his purpose, intention or end, and make distinctions accordingly; and that they therefore excuse or condemn those whom the end either excuses or condemns, since an end for good is the end of all in heaven, and an end for evil the end of all in hell.