Conjugial Love · §§ 241–280

241. (6) That the second of the internal causes of cold is, that one has religion and not the other. The reason is that their souls cannot but be discordant, for the soul of one is open for the reception of conjugial love, but the other is closed to the reception of that love. It is closed with the one who has not religion, and open with the one who has religion. Hence in the soul there can be no cohabitation, and when conjugial love is banished thence, cold ensues, but this with the consort who has no religion. This cold is not dissipated except by the reception of a religion congruous with that of the other, if this be true. Otherwise, with the married partner who has no religion there comes a cold which descends from the soul into the body, even to the cuticles, by the effect of which at length the one cannot bear to look the other directly in the face, nor to speak in a communion of respiration, or in any but a subdued tone of voice, nor to touch the other with the hand, and scarcely with the back, to say nothing of the insanities that from this cold creep into the thoughts which they do not divulge, which is the reason why such marriages are of themselves dissolved. Besides, it is known that an impious person holds the married partner in slight esteem, and all are impious who are without religion.

242. (7) That the third of the internal causes of cold is, that one is of one religion and the other of another. The reason is that with them good cannot be conjoined with its correspondent truth. For a wife is the good of the husband’s truth and he is the truth of the wife’s good, as has been shown above. Hence from the two souls there cannot come to be one soul, consequently the fountain of that love is closed, which being closed they come into a conjugial which has a lower seat, that is, of good with another truth or truth with another good than its own, between which there is not any concordant love. Hence cold begins with the married partner who is in falsities of religion, which is increased as he or she advances in difference from the other.

I was once wandering through the streets of a great city seeking a place of lodging; and I entered a house where dwelt married partners who were of different religions. While I was ignorant of the fact the angels spoke to me and said, “We cannot stay with you in this house, because the married partners there are in discordant religion.” They perceived this from the internal disunion of their souls.

243. (8) That the fourth of the internal causes is falsity of religion. The reason is that falsity in spiritual things either takes away religion, or defiles it. It takes it away from those with whom genuine truths are falsified. It defiles it with those with whom, though there are falsities there are not genuine truths, which therefore could not be falsified. With these there may be goods with which those falsities may be conjoined, through applications, by the Lord; for these falsities are like various discordant tones which by skilfull arrangements and combinations are brought into harmony, from which there arises its agreeableness. With these there can be some conjugial love; but with those who have falsified in themselves the genuine truths of the church there cannot be. Thence comes the prevailing ignorance as to love truly conjugial or negative doubt whether it can exist. And from them also comes the insanity, seated in the minds of many, that adulteries are not evils of religion.

244. (9) That the causes above mentioned are causes of internal cold, but with many not at the same time of external cold. If the causes thus far indicated and established-which are causes of cold in internals-should produce a like cold in externals, then they would effect as many separations as there are internal colds; and there are as many colds as marriages of those who are in falsities of religion, who are in different religion, and who are in no religion, who have been treated of above. And yet it is known that many live together as loves, and as if in mutual friendship. But whence it is so with those who are in internal cold, shall be told in the following chapter, On the Causes of Apparent Love, Friendship, and Favor between Married Partners. There are many causes which conjoin the lower mind but yet do not conjoin souls. Among the causes are some of those recounted above in n. 183. But still the cold lies interiorly hidden within, and here and there makes itself observed and felt. With them the affections mutually draw apart, but the thoughts, when they go out in speech and conduct, for the sake of apparent friendship and favor draw near. They therefore know nothing of the loveliness and joyousness, still less of the felicity and blessedness of love truly conjugial. These, to them, are scarcely other than fables. They are among those who derive the origins of conjugial love from the same causes as did the nine companies of the wise brought together out of the kingdoms, about which in the Relation in n. 103-114.

245. The objection may be raised, against the things confirmed above, that still the soul from the father is propagated, although it is not conjoined with the soul of the mother, yea, although cold residing there separates. But the reason why nevertheless souls or offspring are propagated, is that the understanding of the man is not closed, but that it can be elevated into the light in which the soul is, although the love of his will is not elevated into the heat correspondent to the light there, except by a life which from natural makes him spiritual. Hence it is that nevertheless the soul is procreated; but in its descent, while it is becoming seed, it is covered over by such things as are of his natural love. From this springs hereditary evil. I will add to this a secret which is from heaven: That between the disunited souls of the two, especially of married partners, a conjunction is effected in a middle love, and that otherwise with men (homines) conceptions would not take place. Besides these things respecting conjugial cold, and relating to the seat of it-that it is in the highest region of the mind-see the last Relation of this chapter, n. 270.

246. (10) That the external causes of cold are also numerous; and that of these the first is dissimilitude of dispositions and manners. There are internal and there are external similitudes and dissimilitudes. The internal take their origin from no other source than from religion. For this is implanted in the souls, and through the souls is derived as a supreme inclination into the offspring. For the soul of every man derives its life from the marriage of good and truth, and from this is the church. And as this is various, and different in the different parts of the globe, consequently the souls of all men likewise are various and different. Thence, therefore, come internal similitudes and dissimilitudes; and according to these are the conjugial conjunctions that are treated of.

But the external similitudes and dissimilitudes are not of souls, but of minds. By minds (animos) are meant the external affections and thence inclinations which are insinuated, chiefly after birth, by education, social intercourse, and the consequent habits. For example, it is said, “I have a mind to do this or that,” by which is meant an affection and inclination to it. Persuasions adopted respecting this or that kind of life, are also wont to form those minds. Hence come inclinations to enter into marriage even with unequals, and also to decline marriage with equals. But yet these marriages are varied, after a period of cohabitation, according to the similitudes and dissimilitudes, contracted from heredity and likewise by education; and dissimilitudes induce cold. And so with dissimilitudes of manners. For example, a man or woman uncultivated, with one who is refined; a clean person, with one unclean; a contentious person, with one that is peaceable; in a word, an unmannerly man or woman with one who is mannerly. Marriages of such dissimilitudes are not unlike conjunctions of different kinds of animals with one another, as of sheep and goats, of stags and mules, of hens and geese, of sparrows and noble birds, yea, as of dogs and cats, which do not consociate because of their dissimilitudes. But in the human race it is not the faces but the habits that indicate the dissimilitudes; therefore there are colds from these.

247. (11) That the second of the external causes of cold is that conjugial love is believed to be one with scortatory love, except that by law this is illicit and that is licit. That from this cause there is cold, reason sees manifestly, when it considers that scortatory love is diametrically opposite to conjugial love. Therefore when it is believed that conjugial love is one with scortatory love each love in idea becomes the same, and then the wife is looked upon as a harlot, and marriage as uncleanness, and the man himself is an adulterer, if not in body yet in spirit. Hence it follows inevitably, that between the man and his woman there flow out contempt, loathing, aversion, and thus intense cold. For nothing has stored up conjugial cold with in itself more than scortatory love; and as it also passes into that cold it may not undeservedly be called conjugial cold itself.

248. (12) That the third of the external causes of cold is, a striving for super-eminence between partners. The reason is that marriage love, among its first things, looks to a union of wills, and thence to freedom to do its pleasure. Striving after super-eminence, or for rule, casts these two out of marriage; for it sunders and separates the wills into parties, and transforms freedom of action into servitude. While this striving lasts, the spirit of the one meditates violence against the other. If their minds were then opened and seen by spiritual sight, they would appear as if fighting with daggers, and it would appear that they regard each other with alternate hatred and favor-with hatred in the vehemence of their strife, and with favor while in the hope of dominion, and when they are in lust. After victory of one over the other, the combat withdraws from externals and betakes itself to the internals of the mind, and there abides in restless concealment. Hence to the subjugated man or slave there is cold, and also to the victress ordominant wife. That to her also there is cold is because there is no longer conjugial love, and the privation of that love is cold (n. 235). Instead of conjugial love he or she has heat from super-eminence; but this heat is utterly discordant with conjugial heat, yet it can agree outwardly, through the medium of lust. After tacit agreement between them it appears as if conjugial love had made friendship; but the difference between conjugial friendship and servile friendship in marriages is as the difference between light and shade, between living fire and unreal fire, yea, as between a man in full flesh and a man consisting only of skin and bone.

249. (13) The fourth of the external causes of cold is, no determination to any pursuit or business whence comes wandering lust. Man was created for use, because use is the containant of good and truth, from the marriage of which is creation, and also conjugial love, as has been shown in its own chapter. By pursuit and business are meant every application to use; for while a man is in some pursuit and business, or is in use, his mind is limited and circumscribed-as by a circle within which it is successively coordinated into a form that is truly human; within which, as from home, he sees the various concupiscences outside of himself, and from sanity of reason within exterminates them, and consequently also the wild insanities of scortatory lust. Hence it comes to pass that with them conjugial heat lasts better and longer than with others. The contrary happens to those who give themselves up to idleness and ease; their mind is unrestrained and indeterminate, and therefore the man (homo) admits to the whole of it every vain and frivolous conceit that flows in from the world and from the body, and it bears him along into the love of them. That then also conjugial love is cast into exile is evident; for by idleness and sloth the mind is rendered stupid and the body torpid, and the whole man becomes insensible to every vital love, especially to conjugial love, from which as from a fountain go forth the activities and alacrities of life. But conjugial cold with them is different from that cold with others. It is indeed the privation of conjugial love, but from deficiency.

250. (14) That the fifth of the external causes of cold is, inequality of station and of condition in matters external. There are many inequalities of station and of condition which, during the time of living together, destroy the conjugial love begun before the nuptials; but they may be referred to inequalities in respect to age, to social station, and to wealth. That unequal ages induce cold in marriages, as of a young man with an old woman, or of a youthful virgin with a decrepit man, there is no need to confirm. And that inequalities of social station in marriages induce cold, as of a man in princely station with a servant maid, or of an illustrious matron with a servant man, is also acknowledged without confirmation. Likewise that disparity as to wealth induces cold is plain, unless a similarity of dispositions and manners, and the application of one to the inclinations and native desires of the other consociates them. But in either case compliance by one on account of the superior station and condition of the other yields only a servile conjunction, and this is but a frigid conjunction; for with them the conjugial is not of the spirit and of the heart, but only of the mouth and in name, of which the inferior may glory but the superior blushes with shame. But in the heavens there is no inequality of age, nor of rank, nor of wealth. As respects age, all there are in the bloom of youth, and remain in it to eternity. As to station, all there regard others according to the uses that they perform; the more eminent look upon those in lower station as brethren, and do not put the dignity above the excellence of the use, but this above that. And also when virgins are given in marriage they do not know of what lineage they are, for no one there knows his father on earth, but the Lord is Father of all. As regards wealth likewise, this is there the gift of attaining wisdom; according to this, riches are given to them in sufficiency. How marriages are initiated there may be seen above, n. 229.

251. (15) That the causes of separation are also several. There are separations from bed and separations from the house. The causes of separations from bed are numerous. Equally so are those of separations from the house. But here legitimate causes are treated of. As the causes of separation coincide with the causes of concubinage, to be treated of in their own chapter in the following part of this work, the reader is referred to that, to the end that he may see the causes in their order. The legitimate causes of separation are those that follow.

252. (16) The first cause of legitimate separation is a vitiated condition of mind. The reason of this is that conjugial love is a conjunction of minds; wherefore if the mind of one goes off in a contrary direction from that of the other the conjunction is dissolved and with it love departs. What vitiated conditions separate, may appear from a recital of them. They are chiefly these: mania; frenzy; insanity; actual foolishness and idiocy; loss of memory; severe hysteric disease; extreme simplicity, so that there is no perception of good and truth; supreme obstinacy in refusing to yield to what is just and equitable; the utmost pleasure of gabbling, and talking of nothing but what is insignificant and frivolous; an unbridled propensity to divulge the secrets of home, and to quarrel, to strike, to revenge, to do mischief, to pilfer, to lie, to deceive, to blaspheme; neglect of infants; profligacy; luxury; excessive prodigality; drunkenness; filthiness; immodesty; addiction to magic and witchcraft; impiety; and many others. By legitimate causes here are not meant judicial causes, but legitimate in respect to the other partner. Separations from the house are in fact seldom decreed by a judge.

253. (17) The second cause of legitimate separation is a vitiated condition of the body. By vitiated conditions of the body are not meant accidental diseases which befall one or the other married partner during the time of marriage and which pass away, but inherent morbid conditions are meant which do not pass away. Pathology teaches them. They are multifarious, as, diseases by which the whole body is infected to a degree that may lead to fatal results by contagion. Such are malignant and pestilential fevers; leprosy; venereal diseases; gangrenes; cancers; and other like maladies. So also diseases by which the whole body becomes weighed down to such a degree that there is no consociability, and from which hurtful effluvia. and noxious vapors are exhaled, either from the surface of the body or from its interiors, especially from the stomach and the lungs. On the surface of the body are malignant pocks, warts, pustules, scorbutic phthisis, virulent scab,-especially if the face is defiled with them. From the stomach come foul, rank, foetid and crude eructations; from the lungs, noisome and putrid breath, exhaled from apostemes, ulcers, abcesses, or from vitiated blood or vitiated lymph therein. Besides these are also other maladies of various names, as lipothymy, which is a total languidness of body and failure of strength; paralysis, which is a loosening and laxation of the membranes and ligaments that serve for motion; certain chronic diseases arising from loss of tensibility and elasticity of the nerves, or from too much density, tenacity, and acrimony of the humors; epilepsy; permanent debility from apoplexy; certain wasting diseases by which the body is consumed; the iliac passion; the celiac affection; hernia; and other like diseases.

254. (18) The third cause of legitimate separation is impotence before marriage. The reason why this is a cause of separation is, that the end of marriage is the procreation of offspring, and by such it is impossible; and as they know this beforehand they purposely deprive their married partner of the hope of it, the hope which yet should nurse and strengthen their conjugial love.

255. (19) That adultery is the cause of divorce. For this there are many reasons, which are in rational light and yet at this day are concealed. It may be seen from rational light that marriages are holy, and that adulteries are profane; and thus that marriages and adulteries are diametrically opposite to each other, and that when opposite meets opposite one destroys the other, to the very last spark of its life. It is so with conjugial love when a married man with determination and thus with set purpose commits adultery. With those who know something of heaven and hell these considerations come into a clearer light of reason; for they know that marriages are in heaven and from heaven, and that adulteries are in hell and from hell; and that these two cannot be conjoined, just as heaven cannot be conjoined with hell, and that if they are brought together in a man, heaven instantly departs and hell enters in. This then is the reason why adultery is the cause of divorce. Therefore the Lord says:-

Whosoever shall put away his wife except for fornication (scortatio), and shall marry another, committeth adultery (Matt. xix. 9).

He says, if he shall put away and marry another except for scortation he committeth adultery, because putting away for this cause is the complete separation of minds which is called divorce; but all other puttings away, for their causes, are the separations just treated of above. If after these another wife is married, adultery is committed; but not after divorce.

256. (20) That adventitious causes of cold are also many; and that of these the first is being common, from being continually permitted. The reason why being common, from being continually permitted, is an adventitious cause of cold is that it befalls those who think of conjugial love and of the wife lasciviously, but not those who think holily of marriage, and with confidence of the wife. That from being common from being continually allowed, even joys become indifferent, and also wearisome, is manifest from plays and scenic entertainments, from musical harmonies, dances, banquets, and other like enjoyments, which in themselves are charming because enlivening. It becomes similar with cohabitation and intercourse between married partners, especially between those who have not put away the unchaste love of the sex from their love for each other, and when in want of ability they vainly think of it as common, from being continually permitted. That this commonness is a cause of cold to them, is self-evident. It is called adventitious because it adds itself to intrinsic cold as a cause, and stands with it as a reason. To remove the cold arising also from this cause, wives, from a prudence inherent in them, by various repugnances make the permissible not permissible. But it is very different with those who judge chastely of their wives. With the angels, that it is common from being continually permitted is, for that reason, the very delight of the soul, and is the containant of their conjugial love. For they are in the enjoyment of that love continually, and in ultimates according to the presence of their minds not interrupted with cares, thus from the good pleasure of judgment on the part of the husbands.

257. (21) That of the adventitious causes of cold the second is, that cohabitation with the consort from covenant and law seems constrained and not free. This cause exists only among those with whom conjugial love is cold in the inmosts, and as this adds itself to the inward cold it becomes an accessory or adventitious cause. With them love outside of the conjugial by their consent and favor of it is inwardly in heat, for the cold of the one is the heat of the other, which if not felt is yet there, yea, in the midst of the cold; and if it were not also then present there would be no recuperation. This heat is what causes the constraint, which is increased according as the covenant by agreement, and the law by right, are regarded by one party as bonds that may not be broken. It is different if on the part of both they are unloosed. The contrary is with those who have abhorred love outside of the conjugial, and who think of conjugial love as heavenly, and as heaven; and the more with those who perceive that it is so. With them the covenant with its agreements and the law with its obligations are written in their hearts, and are more and more inscribed upon them continually. With them the bond of that love is not secured by covenant obligation, nor by legal enactment, but these two are inherent from creation in the love itself in which they are. From these are the bonds in the world and not the reverse. Hence it is that everything which is of that love is felt as free. There is nothing free which is not of love. I have heard from the angels that the freedom of love truly conjugial is the freest, because it is the love of loves.

258. (22) That of the adventitious causes of cold the third is affirmation by the wife, and talk by her about love. With the angels in heaven there is no refusing and repugnance on the part of wives, as there is with some on earth. With the angels in heaven there is also talk about love by the wives, and not such silence as there is with some on earth. But the reason of these differences I may not tell, as it would not be becoming of me. They may however be learned from the wives of the angels, who freely disclose them to their husbands, as told in four Relations following the chapters; by the three wives in a hall over which I saw the golden rain,* and by the seven who were sitting in a rose garden;** which Relations are presented, to the end that all things may be disclosed which relate to the conjugial love here treated of, both in general and in particular.

* N. 155:2, 208.

** N. 293, 294.

259. (23) That of the adventitious causes of cold the fourth is, the thought of the man by day and by night about the wife that she is willing, and on the other hand the thought of the wife about the man that he is not willing. That this is a cause of cessation of love with wives, and that it is a cause of cold with men, is passed by without observation; for it is among the things known to husbands, who study the secrets of conjugial love, that if a man at the sight of his wife by day or by her side at night thinks that she desires or wishes, he would be chilled to the extremities; and on the other hand, that if a wife thinks of the man that he can and does not wish, she loses her love. These facts are adduced to the end that this work may be perfected, and the delights of wisdom pertaining to conjugial love be made complete.

260. (24) That as is the cold in the mind, so is it also in the body; and that according to the increase of that cold the externals of the body also are closed. It is believed at this day that the mind of man is in his head and nothing of it in the body, when the fact is that both the soul and the mind are in the head as well as in the body. For the soul and mind are the man, and together constitute the spirit which lives after death. That this is in a perfect human form has been abundantly shown in our treatises. Hence it is that as soon as a man thinks any thought he can instantly utter it by the mouth which is of the body, and at the same moment can represent it by gesture; and as soon as he wills anything he can instantly act and effect it, through the members of the body, which could not be if the soul and the mind were not together in the body, and did not make his spiritual man. This being so it may be seen that, while conjugial love is in the mind, it is like to itself in the body; and because love is heat, that from the interiors, it opens the externals of the body; but on the other hand that the privation of it, which is cold, from the interiors closes the externals of the body. From these considerations the cause of the fact that ability abides with the angels to eternity is very manifest; and the cause of deficiency from cold with men.

261. To this I will add three Relations. First:- In the upper northerly quarter near the east, in the spiritual world, there are places of instruction for boys, and for youths, and for men, and also for old men. To these places are sent all who die in infancy and who are educated in heaven; likewise all who have newly come from the world and who desire knowledge respecting heaven and hell. This region is near to the east in order that all may be instructed by influx from the Lord; for the Lord is the east, because He is in the sun there, which is pure love from Him. Hence the heat from that sun in its essence is love, and the light from it in its essence is wisdom. These are inspired into them by the Lord from that sun, and they are inspired according to reception, and reception is according to their love of becoming wise. After periods of instruction those that have become intelligent are sent out from there, and are called the Lord’s disciples. They are sent first into the west; and those that do not remain there go on into the south, and some through the south into the east; and they are introduced into the societies where their dwellings are to be.

Once when I was meditating on heaven and hell I began to desire a universal knowledge of the state of both, knowing that he who has a knowledge of universals, can afterwards comprehend the particulars, because these are in them as parts are in a whole. With this desire I looked towards that region in the northerly quarter near the east where the places of instruction were, and by a way then opened to me I walked thither, and entered one of the schools where young men were. And I went to the chief teachers who were giving instruction there and asked them if they knew the universals respecting heaven and hell.

They replied that they had some little knowledge of them, “But if we look towards the east, to the Lord, we shall be enlightened and know.” And they did so and said, “The universals of hell are three; the universals of hell are however diametrically opposite to those of heaven. The universals of hell are three loves: the love of ruling from the love of self; the love of possessing the goods of others from the love of the world; and scortatory love. The universals of heaven are the three loves opposite to these: the love of ruling from the love of use; the love of possessing the goods of the world from the love of performing uses by means of them; and love truly conjugial.”

This said, with a valediction of peace I left and returned home. After I reached home it was told me from heaven, “Examine these three universals, above and below, and afterwards we shall see them in your hand.” It was said “In your hand” because all things that a man surveys with the understanding appear to the angels as written upon his hands.

262. After this I examined the first universal love of hell, which is the love of ruling from the love of self; and then the universal love of heaven corresponding to it, which is the love of ruling from the love of use. For I was not permitted to consider the one love without the other, because the understanding does not perceive the one love without the other, for they are opposites. Wherefore in order that each may be perceived they must be placed in contrast, one against the other. For a comely and beautiful face shines forth by contrast with a face that is uncomely and deformed. While I was examining the love of ruling from the love of self it was given me to perceive that this love is in the utmost degree infernal, and hence is with those who are in the deepest hell; and that the love of ruling from the love of use is in the highest degree heavenly and is therefore with those who are in the highest heaven. The reason why the love of ruling from the love of self is to the last degree infernal is, that to rule from the love of self is from man’s own, and man’s own is by nativity evil itself, and evil itself is diametrically contrary to the Lord; wherefore the more men progress in that evil the more they deny God and the holy things of the church, and adore themselves and nature. Let those, I pray, who are in that love explore it within themselves and they will see. This love is also of such a nature that in so far as the reins are given to it, which is when the impossible does not prevent, it rushes on from step to step, yea, even to the highest; and is not bounded there, but if there be no step higher it laments and grieves. Among politicians this love mounts up until they wish to be kings and emperors, and if possible that they might dominate over all things in the world, and be called kings of kings and emperors of emperors. But among clergymen the same love ascends so far that they would even be gods, and as far as possible rule over all things of heaven, and be called gods of gods. It will be seen in what follows that neither these nor those acknowledge any God. On the other hand they that desire to rule from the love of uses do not wish to rule from themselves, but from the Lord-since the love of uses is from the Lord and is the Lord Himself. They regard dignities no otherwise than as means of performing uses. These they place far above dignities; but the former place dignities far above uses.

263. While I was reflecting upon these things it was said to me by an angel from the Lord, “Just now you shall see and be confirmed by seeing what the infernal quality of this love is.”

Then suddenly on the left the earth opened and I saw a devil coming up out of hell, who had on his head a square cap pressed down over the forehead even to the eyes, his face full of pustules as of a burning fever, his eyes ferocious, his bosom swelling into a rhomb. Out of his mouth belched forth a fume as of a furnace; his loins were all aflame; in the place of feet were bony ankles without flesh; and from his body exhaled a stinking and unclean heat. I was terrified at the sight of him, and called out to him:

” Do not come near. Tell me whence you are?”

He answered hoarsely, “I am from the lower regions, and am there in a society with two hundred which is super-eminent above all societies. We there are all emperors of emperors, kings of kings, dukes of dukes, and princes of princes. No one there is a mere emperor, or a mere king, duke, and prince. We sit there upon thrones of thrones, and send forth mandates thence into all the world and beyond.”

I said unto him, “Do you not see that you are insane from the fantasy of pre-eminence?”

He replied, “How can you speak so? We altogether see ourselves to be such, and are also acknowledged to be such by our companions.”

Hearing this, I did not wish to say again, “You are insane,” for from the fantasy he really was insane. And it was given me to know that this devil, while he lived in this world was only the steward of the house of some one, and that he was then so elated in spirit that he despised the whole human race in comparison with himself, and indulged the fantasy that he was worthier than a king, or even an emperor, from which pride he had denied God, and counted all holy things of the church as nothing to him, but of some account to the stupid multitude.

At length I asked him, “How long do you two hundred thus glory among yourselves there?” He said, “To eternity. But those of us who torment others for denying their super-eminence sink down, for we are allowed to glory, but are not allowed to do harm to others.”

I asked again, “Do you know what is the lot of those who sink down?” He said, “They sink into a kind of prison where they are called viler than the vile, or most vile, and they work.”

Then I said to this devil, “Have a care then that you also do not sink down.”

264. After this the earth opened again, but on the right, and I saw another devil rising up, upon whose head was as it were a tiara twined about with the coils, as of a serpent, whose head rose up from the top of it. His face was leprous from the forehead to the chin, and both hands also. His loins were naked and black as soot, through which fire gleamed darkly as of a hearth; and the ankles of his feet were like two vipers Seeing him the former devil fell upon his knees and adored him.

“Why do you do that?” I asked.

He answered, “He is the God of heaven and earth, and is omnipotent.”

And then I asked the other, “What do you say to that?”

He replied, “What should I say? I have all power over heaven and hell. The lot of all souls is in my hand.” I asked again:

“How can he who is emperor of emperors thus submit himself, and you receive his adoration?” He answered:

“He is nevertheless my servant. What is an emperor before God? In my right hand is the thunderbolt of excommunication.”

I then said, “How can you be so insane? In the world you were only a canon; and because you labored under the fantasy that you also had the keys, and thence the power of binding and loosing, you raised your spirit up to such a height of insanity that now you believe you are God Himself.”

Angry at this, he swore that he was, and that the Lord has no power in heaven, “Because He has transferred it all to us. We need only command, and heaven and hell reverently obey. If we send any one to hell the devils immediately receive him; and so do the angels any one whom we send to heaven.” I asked further, “How many are you in your society?” He said, “Three hundred; and we all there are gods; but I am the god of gods.”

After this the earth opened under their feet and each sank down into his hell. And it was given me to see that there were workhouses under their hells into which those that do harm to others sink down; for his own fantasy is permitted to every one in hell, and also to glory in it, but he is not allowed to do harm to another.

Those who are there are such because man is then in his spirit, and the spirit after it is separated from the body comes into the full liberty of acting according to his affections and his thoughts thence.

Afterwards it was granted me to look into their hells. The hell where they were emperors of emperors and kings of kings was full of all uncleanness, and they appeared as various wild beasts with ferocious eyes. And so likewise in the other hell where they are gods and god of gods. In this hell dreadful birds of night also appeared flying about them which are called ochim and ijim. Thus did the images of their fantasies appear to me. From these experiences it was made evident what is the nature of the political love of self, and of the ecclesiastical love of self, that the one is to wish to be gods, and the other to wish to be emperors; and that men do thus wish, and strive to attain it, in so far as the reins are given to these loves.

265. After this a hell was opened where I saw two, one sitting on a bench holding his feet in a basket full of serpents, which appeared to be creeping up over the breast to his neck, and the other sitting upon a blazing ass, at whose sides red serpents were crawling, with necks and heads uplifted, and following the rider. I was told that these were popes, who had deprived emperors of their dominion and defamed and ill-treated them at Rome, whither they came supplicating and adoring them; and that the basket in which serpents appeared and the blazing ass with serpents at its sides, were representations of their love of ruling from the love of self, but that such things do not appear to any except to those who look thither from a distance. There were several canons present of whom I asked whether these were those same popes. They said they had been acquainted with them, and knew that they were.

266. After I had seen these sad and dreadful things, I looked around and saw two angels standing and conversing not far from me, one clad in a woolen toga bright with flamy purple* and under it a tunic of shining linen, the other in similar raiment of scarlet, with a tiara, set, on the right side of it, with a number of rubies. I approached them, gave the salutation of peace, and reverently asked, “Why are you here below?”

They replied, “We were sent here from heaven by the Lord’s command, to speak with you about the blessed lot of those who desire to rule from the love of uses. We are worshipers of the Lord. I am the prince of a society. The other is the high priest there.”

The prince said he was a servant of his society, for that he served it by performing uses; and the other said he was the minister of the church there, because in their service he administered holy things for the uses of their souls; and that they both are in perpetual joys, from the eternal happiness that is in them from the Lord.

And they said that all things in that society are resplendent and magnificent, resplendent with gold and precious stones, and magnificent from palaces and paradises: “The reason is that our love of ruling is not from the love of self, but from the love of uses, and as the love of uses is from the Lord, all good uses in the heavens are therefore resplendent and refulgent. And as in our society we all are in this love, the atmosphere there appears golden from the light there which is derived from the flamy quality of the sun. The flamy quality of the sun corresponds to that love.”

At these words there appeared also to me a like sphere about them, and an aroma was perceived therefrom, as I also told them; and I asked that they would add something more to what they had said about the love of uses.

And they continued, saying, “The dignities in which we are we indeed sought to attain; but for no other end than that we might the more fully perform uses, and more widely extend them. And we are also surrounded with honor, and accept it, yet not on our own account, but for the good of the society. For our brethren and consociates, who are of the common people there, scarcely know but that the honors pertaining to our dignities are in us, and hence that the uses we perform are from ourselves. But we feel otherwise. We feel that the honors of the dignities are outside of us and that they are in fact as garments with which we are clothed; but that the uses we perform are from the love of them within us from the Lord, and that this love receives its blessedness from communication with others through uses. And we know by experience that so far as we perform uses from the love of them the love increases, and with the love the wisdom by which the communication is effected; but that so far as we retain the uses within us, and do not communicate them, the blessedness perishes, and the uses then become as food hidden away in the stomach, which does not, by being distributed, nourish the body and its parts, but remains undigested and produces nausea. In a word the whole heaven is nothing but a containant of uses, from things first to last. And what are uses but love of the neighbor in act? And what but this love holds the heavens together?”

Hearing this I asked, “How can any one know whether he performs uses from the love of self or from the love of uses? Every man good as well as evil performs uses, and performs the uses from some love. Suppose that in the world there were a society of mere devils, and a society composed only of angels, I think the devils in their society, from the fire of the love of self, and the brightness of their own glory, would per. form as many uses as the angels in theirs. Who then can know from which love and from what origin the uses are?”

To this the two angels responded, “Devils perform uses for the sake of themselves, and for the sake of fame, that they may be advanced to honors or acquire wealth. But not for these do the angels perform uses, but for the sake of the uses, from the love of them. Man cannot distinguish these uses; but the Lord distinguishes them. Every one who believes in the Lord and shuns evils as sins performs uses from the Lord; but every one who does not believe in the Lord, and does not shun evils as sins, performs uses from himself and for the sake of himself. This is the distinction between uses performed by devils and uses performed by angels.”

Having said this the two angels went away, and from afar they appeared to be carried like Elijah in a chariot of fire and taken up into their heaven.

* i. e. royal purple or crimson.

267. The Second Relation:-

After some interval of time I entered a certain grove, and was walking about there, in meditation upon those who are in the lust and thence in the fantasy of possessing the things which are of the world, when at some distance from me I saw two angels conversing together, and by turns looking at me. I therefore went nearer, and as I approached they spoke to me and said, “We perceive within us that you are meditating on what we are saying, or that we are speaking on the subject of your meditation, which comes from a reciprocal communication of affections.”

And so I asked them what was the subject of their conversation. They said they were speaking of fantasy, of lust, and of intelligence, and just now about those who delight themselves with the vision and imagination of possessing all things in the world. I then asked them to express their minds on those three, lust, fantasy, and intelligence.

Beginning their discourse they said, that every one is interiorly in lust from birth; but is in intelligence, exteriorly by education. And no one is in intelligence interiorly, that is in spirit, except from the Lord: “For every one is withheld from the lust of evil and kept in intelligence according to his looking to the Lord and at the same time conjunction with Him. Without this man is nothing but lust; but still in externals, or as to the body, he is in intelligence from education. For man lusts after honors and riches, or eminence and wealth; and he does not attain these two unless he appears moral and spiritual, thus intelligent and wise, and therefore from infancy he learns to appear so; which is the reason why as soon as he comes among men or into company, he inverts his spirit, draws it away from lust, and speaks and acts from the idea of what is decorous and honorable which he has learned from infancy, and retains in the memory of his body; and he takes the greatest care that nothing of the insanity of lust, in which his spirit is, shall come forth. Hence every man who is not inwardly led by the Lord is a dissembler, a deceiver, a hypocrite, and thus an apparent man and yet not a man; of whom it may be said that his shell or body is wise and his kernel or spirit insane; and that his external is human and his internal bestial. Such men look upward with the back of the head and downwards with the front and so walk as if oppressed with heaviness, with the head drooping and the face prone to the earth. When they put off the body and become spirits and are set free, they become the insanity of their own lust; for those that are in the love of self have a burning desire to rule over the universe, yea, to extend its limits further to amplify their dominion. They never see the end.

They who are in the love of the world desire to possess all things thereof, and grieve and envy if any of its treasures lie hidden with any others. To the end therefore that such may not become mere lusts, and thus not men, it is given them in the natural* world to think from fear of the loss of reputation, and thus of honor and gain, and also from fear of the law and its penalty. And it is also given them to apply the mind to some study or occupation, by which they are kept in their externals, and thus in a state of intelligence, however delirious and insane they are inwardly.”

I then asked whether all who are in lust are also in the fantasy of it. They replied that those who think within themselves inwardly, and indulge too much in their own imagination by talking with themselves, are in the fantasy of their lust; for they almost separate their spirit from its connection with the body, and by vision inundate the understanding, and fatuously delight themselves as if with universal possession. Into this delirium the man is let after death who has abstracted his spirit from the body, and who was not willing to

withdraw from the delight of the delirium by thinking from religion about evils and falsities, and still less about the unbridled love of self, that it is destructive of love of the Lord, and about the unbridled love of the world, that it is destructive of love towards the neighbor.

* The word here in the original is spirituali, but the context appears to show that by mistake, perhaps of the printer, spirituali is put for naturali. [TR.]

268. After this a desire came upon the two angels, and also upon me, to see those who from love of the world are in the visionary lust or fantasy of the possession of all riches. And we perceived that this desire was inspired to the end that they might be known. We therefore looked at each other and said “Let us go.”

Their places of abode were under the earth beneath our feet, yet above hell; and an opening appeared and a ladder there. By this we descended, and were told that they must be approached from the east, lest we should enter into the dark cloud of their fantasy, and our understanding and at the same time our vision, be overshadowed. And lo! there appeared a dwelling constructed of reeds, and thus full of chinks, standing in the thick cloud which flowed continually, like smoke, through the chinks of three of the sides. We entered and saw fifty here and fifty there sitting upon the benches, and turned away from the east and south, they looked towards the west and north. Before each one was a table, and on the table purses, distended, and around the purses abundance of gold coin.

We asked them, “Are these the riches of all in the world?”

They said, “Not of all in the world but of all in the kingdom.”

Their speech had a hissing sound; and they appeared of rotund face, which had a reddish glow like a snail-shell; and the pupil of the eye glittered as it were on a plane of green which was from the light of fantasy.

We stood in their midst and asked, “Do you believe that you possess all the riches of the kingdom?”

They responded, “We do possess them.”

Then we asked, “Which of you?” They answered:

“Each one.” And we asked, “How each one? You are many.”

They said, “Each one of us knows that all his are mine. It is not permitted any one to think, still less to say �Mine are not yours,’ but he may think and say �Yours are mine.”

The coins on the table appeared as of pure gold, even to us. But when we let in light from the east, they were little grains of gold which by common united fantasy they thus magnified. They said that every one who entered there had to bring some gold with him, which they divide into small bits, and these into little grains which by the unanimous power of fantasy they enlarge into coins of larger form.

Then we said, “Were you not born men of reason? Whence have you this visionary foolishness?”

They said, “We know that it is an imaginary vanity, but as it delights the interiors of our minds we come in here and are delighted as if from the possession of all things. But we do not remain here, except for a few hours, and when these are passed we go out and just as often a sound mind returns to us. But yet, at alternate periods our visionary pleasure comes over us and makes us by turns come in again, and by turns go out, so that we are alternately wise and insane. We know also that a hard lot awaits those who craftily deprive others of their goods.”

We asked, “What lot?”

They said, “They are swallowed up and cast naked into some infernal prison where they are made to work for clothing and for food, and after that, for a few small coins, which they collect, and on which they set their heart’s joy. But if they do evil to their companions they are made to give up a part of their little coins as a fine.”

269. After this we ascended from these lower regions into the south, where we were before; and there the angels related many things worthy to be remembered, respecting lust not visionary or fantastical, in which every man is from nativity, “That while they are in it they are as it were infatuated, and yet seem to themselves as wise in the highest degree; and that by turns they are remitted from this infatuation into the rational, which with them is in the externals, in which state they see, acknowledge and confess their insanity; and yet from this rational state they long for their insane state, and also cast themselves into it, as from what is forced and undelightful into what is free and delightful. Thus lust and not intelligence is inwardly pleasing to them.”

“There are three universal loves of which, from creation, every man is composed: the love of the neighbor which is also the love of performing uses; the love of the world which is also the love of possessing wealth; and the love of self which is also the love of ruling over others. The love of the neighbor or the love of performing uses is a spiritual love; but the love of the world which is also the love of possessing wealth is a material love; and love of self or the love of ruling over others is a corporeal love. Man is man when the love of the neighbor or the love of doing uses makes the head, and the love of the world makes the body, and the love of self, the feet. But if the love of the world forms the head, man is not a man-other than as it were a humpback; and when the love of self makes the head, he is not a man standing on his feet but on his palms, with his head downwards and the buttocks upwards. When the love of the neighbor forms the head, and the other two loves in order make the body and the feet, man appears from heaven of an angelic countenance, with a beautiful rainbow about his head; and if the love of the world makes the head he appears from heaven with a pallid countenance, as of a dead person, with a yellow circle about his head; but if the love of self makes the head he appears from heaven of dusky countenance, with a white circle around the head.”

At this I asked, “What do the circles about the head represent?” They answered, “They represent their intelligence. A white circle around the head with a dusky countenance represents that his intelligence is in things external, or around him, but in things internal or within him is insanity. Such a man also is sane while he is in the body, but insane when in the spirit. And no man is sane in the spirit except from the Lord, which comes to pass when he is born and created again or anew from Him.”

After these things were said the earth opened at the left, and I saw a devil coming up through the opening having a white lucid circle around his head, and I demanded:

“Who are you?”

He said, “I am Lucifer, Son of the Dawn. And because I made myself like the Most High I was cast down.”

Yet he was not, but believed himself to be that Lucifer.

I said, “As you were cast down how can you rise again out of hell?”

He replied, “I am a devil there, but here I am an angel of light. Do you not see my head encircled with a lucid sphere? And you will see also if you wish that I am super-moral among the moral, super-rational among the rational, yea, super-spiritual among the spiritual. I can also preach, and also have preached.”

I asked, “What have you preached?”

He said, “Against defrauders, against adulterers, and against all infernal loves. Yea, then I called Lucifer (myself) a devil, and proclaimed with an oath against him (against myself) and for this was exalted with praises even to heaven. Hence it is that I am called the Son of the Dawn. And, whereat I myself have wondered, when I was in the pulpit I thought no otherwise than that I was speaking rightly and properly. But I have discovered to myself the reason. It was because I was in externals, and these were then separated from my internals; but though I discovered this to myself, I could not change myself, because on account of my pride I did not look to God.”

I then asked him, “How could you speak in this way when you yourself are a defrauder, yourself an adulterer, and yourself a devil?”

He replied, “I am one person when I am in externals or in the body, and another when in internals or in the spirit. In the body I am an angel, but in the spirit a devil. For in the body I am in understanding, but in spirit in the will, and my understanding carries me upwards, but the will carries me downwards; and when I am in understanding a white halo encircles my head, but when the understanding surrenders itself entirely to my will, and becomes its understanding, which is our final lot, then the halo grows dark and perishes and when this comes to pass we are no longer able to ascend into this light.”

Afterwards he spoke of his two-fold state, external and internal, more rationally than any one else; but suddenly when he saw the angels with me he was inflamed in face and voice, and became black, even as to the circle about his head, and sank down into hell through the opening by which he rose.

Those standing by formed this conclusion from the things seen: That a man is such as is the quality of his love, and not such as the quality of his understanding, because the love easily carries the understanding over to its side, and subordinates it.

I then asked the angels, “Whence have devils such rationality?”

They said, “It is from the glory of the love of self. For the love of self is encircled with glory, and glory elevates the understanding even into the light of heaven. For with every man the understanding can be elevated according to its knowledges, but not the will, except by a life according to the truths of the church and of reason. Hence it is that even atheists who are in the glory of reputation from the love of self, and thence in the pride of their own intelligence, rejoice in a sublimer rationality than many others; but it is when they are in the thought of the understanding, and not when they are in the affection of the will, and the affection of the will has possession of the internal of man, but the thought of the understanding of his external.”

Further, the angel told the reason why man is constituted of the three loves above mentioned, of the love of uses, of the love of the world, and of the love of self, which is, so that he may think from God though as if from himself. He said that the highest things in man are turned upwards to God, the intermediate things outwards to the world, and the lowest things downwards to himself, and because these are turned downwards man thinks just as if from himself, although from God.

270. The Third Relation:

One morning after sleep my thought was deeply engaged on some of the secret things of conjugial love; and finally on this: In what region of the human mind does love truly conjugial reside, and hence in what region does conjugial cold reside? I knew that there are three regions of the human mind, one above another, and that natural love dwells in the lowest region, spiritual love in the higher, and celestial love in the highest, and that in each region there is a marriage of good and truth; and as good is of love and truth is of wisdom, that in each region there is a marriage of love and wisdom; and that this marriage is the same as the marriage of the will and the understanding, since the will is the receptacle of love and the understanding is the receptacle of wisdom.

While I was in the depth of this thought, lo! I saw two swans flying towards the north, and presently two birds of paradise flying towards the south, and also two turtle doves flying in the east; and as I followed their flight with my sight I saw that the two swans bent their way from the north towards the east, likewise the two birds of paradise from the south; and that they joined the two turtle doves in the east and flew together to a certain lofty palace there, surrounded by olive trees, palms, and beeches. The palace had three tiers of windows one above another; and as I was directing my attention to them I saw the swans fly into the palace through windows opened in the lowest tier, the birds of paradise through windows opened in the middle tier, and the turtle doves through windows opened in the highest tier. As I observed this an angel stood by, and said:

“Do you understand the things you have seen?” I replied, “In some small degree.”

He said, “This palace represents the dwelling-places of conjugial love as they are in the human mind. The highest part of it, into which the turtle doves entered, represents the highest region of the mind, where conjugial love dwells in the love of good with its wisdom; the middle part into which the birds of paradise entered represents the middle region, where conjugial love dwells in the love of truth with its intelligence; and the lowest part into which the swans entered represents the lowest region of the mind, where conjugial love dwells in the love of what is just and right with its knowledge. These are also signified by the three pairs of birds-the pair of turtle doves signify conjugial love of the highest region, the pair of birds of paradise conjugial love of the middle region, and the pair of swans conjugial love of the lowest region. Like things are signified by the three kinds of trees around the palace, the olives, the palms, and the beeches. We, in heaven, call the highest region of the mind celestial, the middle spiritual, and the lowest natural; and we perceive them as habitations in a house, one above another, and the ascent from one to another by degrees, as by stairs; and in each part as it were two apartments, one for love, the other for wisdom; and in front as it were a bed-chamber, where love with its wisdom, or good with its truth, or, what is the same, where the will with its understanding consociate in bed. In that palace all the secrets of conjugial love stand forth as in effigy.”

Hearing these things, and kindled with a desire to see the palace, I asked whether it is granted any one to enter in and view it, as it is a representative palace. He answered:

“To none but those in the third heaven, because to them every representative of love and wisdom becomes real. From them I heard what I have related to you. And this also, that love truly conjugial dwells in the highest region in the midst of mutual love, in the marriage chamber or apartment of the will, and also in the midst of the perceptions of wisdom, in the marriage chamber or apartment of the understanding; and that they are consociated in bed in the bed-chamber which is at the front and in the east.”

I asked, “Why are there two marriage chambers?” He said, “The husband is in the marriage chamber of the understanding, and the wife in the marriage chamber of the will.”

And I asked, “Since conjugial love dwells there, where then is conjugial cold?”

He answered, “That also is in the highest region, but only in the marriage chamber of the understanding, the marriage chamber of the will there being closed. For the understanding with its truths can as often as it pleases ascend by a spiral stairway into the highest region, into its marriage chamber; but if the will with the good of its love does not at the same time ascend into the consociate marriage chamber, this is shut, and there comes cold into the other and this is conjugial cold. The understanding, when there is such cold toward the wife, looks down from this highest region to the lowest, and descends also if not restrained by fear, that it may be warmed there by illicit fire.”

Having said this, he would have told still more about conjugial love, from its effigies in that palace, but he said:

“Enough for the present. First inquire whether these things are above the common understanding. If they are, why say more? But if they are not, more will be disclosed.”

271. OF THE CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, AND FAVOR IN MARRIAGES.

As the causes of colds and separations have been treated of, it follows in order that the causes of apparent love, friendship, and favor in marriages should also be treated of. For it is known that although at this day colds separate the minds (animos) of married pairs, nevertheless they dwell together and procreate-which would not be if there were not also loves that are apparent, and at times similar to or emulative of the heat of genuine love. That these appearances are necessities and utilities, and that without them houses, and therefore societies, could not hold together, will be seen in what follows.

Besides this, some conscientious person may labor under the idea that disagreements of minds (mentium) between them and their consort, and the consequent internal alienations, are their own fault, and will be imputed to them, and they grieve at heart on that account. But as internal differences are not in their power to help, it is enough for them to quiet the troubles that arise from conscience, by apparent loves and favors; and thence also friendship may return in which conjugial love on his part lies concealed, even if not on the part of the other.

But this chapter, on account of the number of the varieties of this subject-matter, shall be divided like the former into sections. Its sections are these:-

(1) That in the natural world almost all can be conjoined as to external affections, but not as to internal if these disagree and appear.

(2) That in the spiritual world all are conjoined according to internal affections, and not according to external unless these act as one with the internal.

(3) That the affections according to which matrimony is commonly contracted in the world are external.

(4) But that if there are not internal affections within, which conjoin the minds, matrimony is loosened in the house.

(5) That nevertheless matrimony in the world is to endure to the end of the life of both.

(6) That in cases of matrimony in which internal affections do not conjoin there are external affections which simulate internal, and consociate.

(7) That from these come apparent love, or apparent friendship and favor between married partners.

(8) That these appearances are conjugial simulations which are laudable, because useful and necessary.

(9) That these conjugial simulations with a spiritual man conjoined to a natural, savor of justice and judgment.

(10) That these conjugial simulations with natural men savor of prudence for various causes.

(11) That they are for the sake of amendment and for accommodation.

(12) That they are for the sake of preserving order in domestic affairs, and for mutual help.

(13) That they are for the sake of the unanimous care of infants and in respect to children.

(14) That they are for the sake of peace in the house.

(15) That they are for the sake of reputation out of the house.

(16) That they are for the sake of various favors expected from the married partner, or from his or her kindred, and thus for fear of the loss of them.

(17) That they are for the sake of having blemishes excused, and thus for avoidance of disrepute.

(18) That they are for the sake of reconciliation.

(19) That if on the part of the wife favor does not cease when faculty ceases with the man, there may spring up a friendship emulating conjugial friendship as they grow old.

(20) That there are different kinds of apparent love and friendship between married partners, one of whom is subjugated, and is therefore subject to the other.

(21) That there are infernal marriages in the world between married partners who inwardly are the bitterest enemies and outwardly like the most intimate friends.

Now follows the explanation of these.

272. (1) That in the natural world almost all can be conjoined as to external affections, but not as to internal affections if these disagree and appear. The reason is that in the world man is endowed with a material body, and this is filled with cupidities, which are there as the dregs that precipitate themselves to the bottom when the must of wine is clarified. Of such things do the materials consist, of which the bodies of men in the world are composed. Hence it is that the internal affections, which are of the mind (mens), do not appear, and with many scarcely a trace of them shows through. For either the body absorbs and involves them in its dregs, or from the simulation learned from infancy hides them deeply from the sight of others; and thereby one lets himself into the state of any affection that he observes in another, and attracts his affection to himself, and thus they conjoin themselves. The reason why they conjoin is that every affection has its delight, and the delights bind together the external minds (animos). But it would be otherwise if internal affections like external appeared to the sight in face and gesture, and to the ear in the tone of the voice, or if their delights were perceived by the nostrils, or scented as they are in the spiritual world. Then, if they should differ so far as to be discordant they would separate the minds (animos) one from the other, and they would draw apart to a distance according to the perception of antipathy. From these considerations it is clear that in the natural world nearly all can be conjoined as to external affections, but not as to internal affections if these disagree and appear.

273. (2) That in the spiritual world all are conjoined according to internal affections, and not according to external, unless these act as one with the internal. The reason is that the material body-which as has just been said above was able to receive and manifest the forms of all affections-has then been cast off, and, denuded of that body, man is in his own internal affections, which his body before concealed. Hence it is that these homogeneities and heterogeneities, or sympathies and antipathies, are there not only felt, but also appear-in the face, in speech, and in gesture; wherefore similitudes are there conjoined and dissimilitudes are separated. This is the reason why the universal heaven is arranged by the Lord according to all the varieties of the affections of the love of good and of truth; and hell on the contrary according to all the varieties of the affections of the love of evil and of falsity.

Since angels and spirits, equally with men in the world, have internal and external affections, and as internal affections cannot there be concealed by the external, they show through and manifest themselves. Hence with them, both are brought into similitude and correspondence, after which their internal affections through the external, are effigied in their faces, are perceived in the tones of their speech, and are also apparent in the gestures of their deportment. That angels and spirits have affections, internal and external, is from the fact that they have a mind and a body, and affections and thence thoughts are of the mind, and sensations and thence pleasures are of the body.

It often occurs there after death that friends meet, and their friendship in the former world comes to mind, and then they believe they are to associate in a life of friendship as before. But when that consociation, which is only of the external affections, is perceived in heaven, there comes a separation according to the internals; and then from that meeting together some are sent away to the north, and some into the west, and each to such distance from the other that they never see or know each other more. For in their places of abode they are changed in face, which becomes the effigy of their internal affections. From this it is plain that in the spiritual world all are conjoined according to internal affections, and not according to external unless these act as one with the internal.

274. (3) That the affections according to which matrimony is commonly contracted in the world are external. This is because internal affections are rarely considered, and if considered their similitude is not seen in the woman; for by native gift she withdraws her internal affections into the interior recesses of her mind. The external affections which induce men to contract matrimony are many. The first affection of this age is for the enlargement of family estate by wealth, both that they may be enriched and that they may have abundance; another is aspiration after honors, either to be held in high esteem, or to be in an enlarged state of fortune. Besides these, there are various allurements and concupiscences, neither do these give room for searching into the agreements of internal affections. From these few considerations it is clear that matrimony is commonly contracted in the world according to external affections.

275. (4) But that if there are not internal affections within, which conjoin the minds, matrimony is loosened in the house. It is said in the house, because it is between them privately. This comes to pass when the first fires, kindled at the time of betrothal and burning into a flame as the nuptials approach, afterwards, on account of discordance of internal affections grow successively less ardent, and finally pass away into cold. It is known that then the external affections, which led and lured them into matrimony, are sundered so that they no longer conjoin. That colds arise from various causes, internal, external, and adventitious, which all derive their streamlets from the dissimilitude of internal inclinations, has been confirmed in the preceding chapter. From this the truth is evident, that if there are not internal affections within the external, which conjoin the minds (mentes), matrimony is loosened in the house.

276. (5) That nevertheless matrimony in the world is to endure to the end of life. This is stated, that there may be presented more manifestly to the reason the necessity, the utility, and the truth, that where there is not genuine conjugial love it is yet to be feigned, or to have it appear as if there were. It would not be so if marriages entered into were not covenanted to the end of life, but were dissolvable at will, as they were with the Israelitish nation, which arrogated to itself the liberty to put away wives for whatever cause, as appears from these words in Matthew:-

The Pharisees came unto Jesus, saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And when Jesus answered, that it is not lawful to put away a wife and marry another except for scortation, they replied that yet Moses commanded to give her a bill of divorcement and put her away; and the disciples said, If the case of a man with a wife be so it is not expedient to marry (xix. 3-10).

As the marriage covenant is therefore a covenant for life, it follows that appearances of love and friendship between married partners are necessities. That the matrimony contracted is to endure to the end of life in the world, is from Divine law; and because it is from this, it is also from rational law; and thence from civil law. It is from the Divine law that a man may not put away his wife and marry another except for scortation as above; it is from rational law, because this is founded upon the spiritual-for Divine law and rational law are one law. From the latter and the former, or through the latter from the former may be seen the great number of enormities, and the destructions of societies that would come from the* dissolutions of marriages or the putting away of wives before death at the pleasure of the husband. Those enormities, and the destructions of societies may be realized in some fulness from the discussion concerning the origin of conjugial love by those gathered together from the nine kingdoms, in the Relation at n. 103-115, to which there is no need to superadd further reasons. But these reasons do not prevent the permission of separations for their own causes, of which above at n. 252-254; and also of concubinage, of which in the Second Part.

* In the Latin: “Societies, and the dissolutions, etc.”

277. (6) That in cases of matrimony in which internal affections do not conjoin, there are external affections which simulate internal and consociate. By internal affections are meant mutual inclinations in the minds of both which are from heaven; and by external affections are meant inclinations in the mind of both which are from the world. These affections or inclinations are indeed equally of the mind, but they occupy the lower region of it, but those the higher region. But both being allotted their seat in the mind, it may be believed that they are alike and agree; but though not alike they can yet appear as if alike, and with some they exist as conformities, but with others as soothing simulations. There is implanted in each from the first covenant of marriage a certain community, which though they disagree in minds (animis) yet remains inseated, as community of possessions, and with many a community of uses, and of the various necessities of the household, and thence community also of thoughts, and of certain secrets. There is community also of the bed, and community in the love of infants, besides others, which likewise are inscribed upon their minds because upon the conjugial covenant. From these especially, come the external affections that resemble internal. Those, however, that only simulate them are partly from the same origin, and partly from an other. But both are treated of in what follows.

278. (7) That from these come apparent love, apparent friendship, and favor between married partners. Apparent loves, friendships, and favors between married partners follow from the conjugial covenant binding to the end of life, and from the conjugial community thereby inscribed upon the parties to the covenant-whence the external affections are born that resemble internal, referred to just above. And from other causes, which are the uses and the necessities, whence conjunctive or simulated external affections arise in part, whereby external love appears like internal, and external friendship like internal friendship.

279. (8) That these appearances are conjugial simulations which are laudable, because useful and necessary. They are called simulations because they exist between those who disagree in mind, and from these disagreements are inwardly in cold. When, nevertheless, they in externals live a consociated life, as is proper and becoming; the intercourse in their dwelling together may be called simulations, but conjugial simulations, which being laudable because for the sake of uses, differ entirely from hypocritical simulations; for by them all those goods are provided for that are recounted in order below, in sections 11-20. That they are laudable from the fact that they are necessities, is because without them those goods would be banished, and yet the cohabitation is enjoined, by the covenant and by law, and is therefore incumbent upon them both as a duty.

280. (9) That these conjugial simulations, with a spiritual man conjoined to a natural, savor of justice and judgment. The cause of it is that what the spiritual man does, he does from justice and judgment, and therefore does not see the simulations as estranged from his internal affections but coupled with them; for he acts seriously and looks to amendment as an end, and if this does not follow he looks to accommodation for the sake of order in the house, for the sake of mutual help, for the sake of the care of infants, for the sake of peace and quietness. To this he is led from justice; and from judgment he carries it into effect. That a spiritual man cohabits thus with a natural, is because even with the natural a spiritual man acts spiritually.