ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING MARRIAGE. ¹

ORDER OF THE CHAPTERS.

PART FIRST.

I. - MARRIAGES IN HEAVEN [See the same subject treated of in the published work concerning Conjugial Love 27-41].

II. - THE STATE OF CONSORTS AFTER DEATH [Conjugial Love 45-54].

III. - LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL [Conjugial Love 57-73].

IV. - THE ORIGIN OF LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL, FROM THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH [Conjugial Love 83-102].

V. - THE MARRIAGE OF THE LORD AND THE CHURCH, AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH IT [Conjugial Love 116-131].

VI. - THE CHASTE AND THE UNCHASTE [Conjugial Love 138-150].

VII. - UNIVERSALS CONCERNING CONJUGIAL LOVE [Conjugial Love 209-230]. ²

The delight of conjugial love is holy and chaste [Conjugial Love 144, 346].

Conjugial love regards the eternal [Conjugial Love 38, 44, 200, 216].

VIII. - THE CAUSES of COLDNESSES, OF SEPARATIONS, AND OF DIVORCES, WITH CONSORTS [Conjugial Love 234-260].

IX. - THE CAUSES OF APPARENT LOVE, FRIENDSHIP AND FAVOR WITH CONSORTS [Conjugial Love 271-292].

X. - THE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF LIFE WITH MAN AND WITH WOMAN BY MARRIAGE, FROM WHICH THE YOUNG MAN BECOMES A HUSBAND, AND THE VIRGIN BECOMES A WIFE [Conjugial Love 184-206].

XI. - CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS BY MARRIAGE; WHICH CONJUNCTION IS MEANT BY THE WORDS OF THE LORD, THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO, BUT ONE FLESH [Conjugial Love 156-181 ³ ].

XII. - BETROTHALS AND NUPTIALS [Conjugial Love 295-314].

XIII. - REPEATED MARRIAGES [Conjugial Love 317-325].

XIV. - POLYGAMY [Conjugial Love 332-352].

XV. - JEALOUSY [Conjugial Love 357-379].

XVI. - THE LOVE OF INFANTS, OR PARENTAL LOVE, AND ITS CONJUNCTION WITH CONJUGIAL LOVE [Conjugial Love 385-414].

PART SECOND.

I. - THE OPPOSITION OF CONJUGIAL LOVE AND SCORTATORY LOVE [Conjugial Love 423-443].

II. - FORNICATION; ALSO CONCERNING KEEPING A MISTRESS [Conjugial Love 444-460[*]].

III. - CONCUBINAGE [Conjugial Love 462-476].

IV. - ADULTERIES AND THEIR DEGREES [Conjugial Love 478-499].

V. - THE LUST OF VARIETIES [Conjugial Love 506-510].

VI. - THE LUST OF DEFLORATION [Conjugial Love 501-505].

VII. - THE LUST OF VIOLATION [Conjugial Love 511, 512].

VIII. - LUST OF SEDUCING INNOCENCIES [Conjugial Love 513, 514].

IX. - THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SCORTATIONS AND ADULTERIES WITH THE VIOLATION OF SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE, WHICH IS THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH [Conjugial Love 515-520].

X. - THE IMPUTATION OF EACH LOVE, SCORTATORY AND CONJUGIAL [Conjugial Love 523-531].

GENERAL CONTENTS.

1. Marriages in heaven (2-30) [Conjugial Love 27-41].

2. The origin of conjugial love (31-76) [Conjugial Love 83-102].

3. The delights of love truly conjugial (77-146) [Conjugial Love 183; see also 69, 144, 155, 293, 294].

4. The connection of conjugial love with all the loves of heaven (147-222) [Conjugial Love 388-390].

5. Masculine and feminine conjugial love, specifically; and the intelligence of each (223-303) [Conjugial Love 218; see also 32, 61, 88, 90, 168].

6. The marriage of good and truth (304-407) [Conjugial Love 83-102, 122, 123].

7. The differences and the variety of conjugial love, according to the states of the church with men (408-568) [Conjugial Love 130].

8. The increments of love truly conjugial, and the decrease of love not truly conjugial (769-763) [Conjugial Love 162, 184-200, 213, 214, 432, 433]. ⁵

9. Conjugial similitude and dissimilitude (564-852) [Conjugial Love 227-229, 246].

10. The causes of coldnesses, separations, and divorces, with consorts (853-1018) [Conjugial Love 234-260].

11. Polygamy, or plurality of wives (1019-1110) [Conjugial Love 332-352].

12. Betrothals and nuptials (1111-1193) [Conjugial Love 295-314].

13. The difference between the love of the sex with beasts and the love of the sex with men (1194-1251) [Conjugial Love 94, 137, 230, 416; see also the posthumous treatise, Concerning Divine Love, 21].

14. The change of state of woman and of man by marriage; from which change the virgin becomes a wife, and the young man a husband (1252-1286) [Conjugial Love 184-200].

15. The state of widowers and of widows; also concerning repeated marriages (1287-1300) [Conjugial Love 317-325].

16. The marriage of the Lord with the church (1301-1344) [Conjugial Love 116-131].

17. Correspondence of the marriage of the Lord and the church with things relating to marriage with angels and men (1345-1457) [Conjugial Love 125-127].

18. Natural conjugial potency and spiritual conjugial potency (1459-1585) [Conjugial Love 220, 221].

19. The causes of love, friendship, and favor, between consorts (1586-1641) [Conjugial Love 180, 214, 290].

20. The love of infants, or parental love (1642-1700) [Conjugial Love 176, 211].

21. The conjunction of conjugial love with love of infants or parental love (1701-1718) [Conjugial Love 385-414].

22. The state of two consorts after death (1719-1737) [Conjugial Love 45-54].

SCORTATORY LOVE (1738. seq.).

1. Jealousy (1739-1791) [Conjugial Love 357-379].

2. Fornication (1792-1848) [Conjugial Love 444-460][*].

It there treats:

(1) Concerning keeping a mistress (1806, seq. [Conjugial Love 459, 460]):

(2) Concerning the lust of varieties (1811) [Conjugial Love 506-510]):

(3) Concerning the lust of defloration (1814) [Conjugial Love 501-505]):

(4) Concerning the lust of violation (1419) [Conjugial Love 511, 512]):

(5) Concerning the lust of seducing innocencies (1823) [Conjugial Love 513, 514].

3. Concubinage (1849-1873) [Conjugial Love 462-467].

4. Adulteries (1874-1909) [Conjugial Love 478-499].

5. The opposition of conjugial love and scortatory love (1910-1949) [Conjugial Love 423-443].

6. The correspondence of whoredoms and adulteries with the violation of spiritual marriage, which is the marriage of good and truth (n.) 1950-2001) [Conjugial Love 515-520].

CONTENTS OF THE REMAINING ARTICLES.

1. The perception and the wisdom proper to man and proper to woman, also the conjunction of man and woman by them (2007) [Conjugial Love 163-173].

2. Duties proper to man and proper to woman; also the conjunction of man and woman by them (2023) [Conjugial Love 174-176].

3. The transcription of the love of his own (proprii) with the man, into conjugial love with the wife (2036) [Conjugial Love 32, 88, 156[*], 192, 293, 353].

4. The faculties, inclinations, affections and qualities of men and of women, and their conjunction by marriage (2047) [Conjugial Love 163-180].

5. Proprium in man, and proprium in woman; and their transcription into conjugial love (2048) [Conjugial Love 32, 156, 163-173].

6. Coldnesses in marriages (2049) [Conjugial Love 234-260].

7. Difficulties in understanding the conjunctions of consorts, and the varieties therefrom (2050).

MEMORABILIA.

Consorts from the third heaven were seen, borne in a chariot, and descending; described as to face and as to garments; having spoken with me, they let down a parchment on which were inscribed arcana of conjugial love (1, p. 16) [Conjugial Love 42, 43].

The correspondence of conjugial love with fire, with the colors of the rainbow, with fragrant things, with rose-gardens and arbors, with winged things and animals, represented by angels (29, p. 42 1/2, 43) [Conjugial Love 76, 293, 294, 316].

The nuptial garden which appears round about the houses while nuptials are celebrated; and the Divine Providence which encompasses marriages: from the discourse of a certain wise person in the garden (76, p. 49) [Conjugial Love 316].

There were seen consorts from the third heaven; at first appearing as infants decked with garlands, afterwards of their proper stature. They had lived a thousand years in conjugial blessedness. Conjugial love, as it is in that heaven, is described; it is from wisdom and from the love of wisdom, and it is with those who do uses, etc. (146, p. 50) [Conjugial Love 137].

Something about the magnificent and splendid things in heaven: next it is told whence angels have perpetual potency: confirmed by reasons, given by an angel (222, p. 46 1/2, 47) [Conjugial Love 12-20, 355, 356].

A paper on which was inscribed, "The marriage of Good and Truth;" - how it appeared on the way, when let down to the earth by an angel, and how it was changed: also many things about that marriage, in the whole heaven and in the church (301, p. 46) [Conjugial Love 115].

Adulterers seen like satyrs, in the company of harlots, in a wood and in a cavern there; afterwards in a house: where they were speaking heinous things about marriages, nature, and religion (407) [Conjugial Love 521].

A discussion concerning God and nature, - (1) Whether nature is of life, or life of nature: (2) Whether the center is of the expanse, or the expanse of the center: (3) Concerning the center and the expanse of nature and of life (568, p. 79) [Conjugial Love 380].

Concerning a certain garden, in which there were several married pairs; also conversations there respecting love, wisdom and use; that the three proceed from the Lord, and that hence are conjugial love and its ineffable delights: much concerning these and their origin (763, p. 41) [Conjugial Love 183].)

Concerning a young man who boasted of his whoredom; he was conducted into heaven, and there he was held by turns in his externals and his internals: while in externals he saw heavenly things, but while in internals he saw the opposite (concerning which see 852, p. 77) [Conjugial Love 477].

While following the light, I came to the Temple of Wisdom, around which there dwelt those who were wise; there I conversed with them concerning the cause of the beauty of the female sex (1018, p. 45) [Conjugial Love 56].

Of the new things revealed by the Lord: as concerning the spiritual sense of the Word, and concerning correspondences, concerning heaven and hell, concerning the spiritual world and the sun there; also concerning conjugial love, as being according to religion: but that these things are not received in the world was testified by experience (1108, p. 48, also 50) [Conjugial Love 532-534].

Discussions, by the wise, of the following subjects:

(1) What the image of God is, and what the likeness of God:

(2) That man is not born into love and into knowledge, as the beasts are, but only into capacity to know and inclination to love:

(3) Concerning the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (1193, p. 60) [Conjugial Love 132-136].

Concerning Athenaeum, Parnassium, and Heliconeum: conversation with ancient wise men, and with two newly come from the earth, about men who had been found in the forest; also concerning things that were said in favor of nature and the life of beasts, compared with the life of men (1251, p. 64) [Conjugial Love 151-154[ ¹ ].

Again three new-comers were conducted to Athenaeum, - a priest, a politician, and a philosopher; who reported, as news from the earth, that a certain person had written various things about the life of men after death and about the spiritual world; and they told how these subjects were discussed on earth (1286, p. 66) [Conjugial Love 182].

A tumult against three priests, who preached that with adulterers there is no acknowledgment of God, and consequently that they have not heaven; also what happened to them, out of heaven (1300, p. 75) [Conjugial Love 500].

Concerning a novitiate who meditated about heaven and hell, and who was told to make inquiry, and to learn what delight is: he was led to three assemblies; in which he learned what the delight of heaven is, and what the delight of hell (1344, p. 54) [Conjugial Love 461].

A disputation by spirits concerning God and concerning nature, in favor of nature from devils, and in favor of God from angels: also that man may confirm himself in favor of God, more than for nature, from the things that he can see: those things are adduced which were written on this subject in Angelic Wisdom concerning Divine Love and Divine Wisdom (1458, p. 62) [Conjugial Love 415-422].

A melody was heard concerning chaste love of the sex; and that they have that love who are in love truly conjugial, and thence in fullest potency (1585, p. 64) [Conjugial Love 55].

Various reasonings about the soul; and finally that the soul is the man living after death, because it is the form of all the affections of love, and of all the perceptions of wisdom, and is their receptacle (1641, p. 70) [Conjugial Love 315].

After this there was a conversation about the spiritual and the natural; and it was shown what differences there are between them, as to languages, writings, and thoughts: the conversation was renewed when looking at a moth, and observing that when divided it was more and more multiform, and not more and more simple (1699, p. 72) [Conjugial Love 326-329].

Wise men were called together from nine kingdoms of Europe, to give their opinion concerning the origin of conjugial love, and concerning its virtue and potency; and at last the prize, which was a turban, was given to an African (1718, p. 30) [Conjugial Love 103-114].

Three orators from France discoursed concerning the origin of the beauty of the female sex; one said that it was from love, another from wisdom, and the third from the conjunction of love and wisdom (1737, p. 57 1/2, 58) [Conjugial Love 381-384].

Concerning two angels, who had died in infancy, and who could not perceive what whoredom is, because it is not from creation. Conversation about it, and concerning evil; how evil exists, when from creation there is only good (1738, p. 86) [Conjugial Love 444].

Exclamations were heard, "O how just," "O how learned," "O how wise;" and it is here said of those called just, that they were those who gave judgment from friendship, and were able skillfully to pervert all things; they had no understanding of things that were just: their assemblage is described (1791, p. 37) [Conjugial Love 231].

Preliminary statements concerning the joys of heaven, and concerning nuptials there (1826-1848, p. 1) [Conjugial Love 1-25].

Concerning the love of dominion from the love of self; with politicians, that they wish to be kings and emperors; with canons, that they wish to be gods. Concerning devils that were seen, who had been in such love; also concerning two popes (1873, p. 56) [Conjugial Love 261-266].

Again in Athenaeum; where three new-comers were heard to say that they had believed that in heaven there were no administrations and works, because there was eternal rest; and it was shown that doing uses is that rest; there was also mention of books and writings; and it was said that there are these also in heaven, for all substantial things which are called spiritual are there (1909, p. 68) [Conjugial Love 207].

Of those concerning whom was the exclamation, "O how learned:" they were those who go no farther in their reasoning than to question whether a thing is so, and who are called reasoners (1948, p. 38) [Conjugial Love 232].

Of those concerning whom was the exclamation, "O how wise:" they were those who were able to make whatever they pleased to be true, and were called confirmers (1949, p. 30) [Conjugial Love 233].

A conversation of angels with three novitiates concerning nuptials in heaven (various things, 2001, p. 17) [Conjugial Love 44].

Golden rain was seen: I was conducted to a hall where husbands and wives instructed me concerning conjugial love; also concerning its delights, from the wives there (2002, p. 34) [Conjugial Love 155 [*].

Conversation with those who lived in the golden age, concerning conjugial love, and in regard to their marriages (2003, p. 20, seq. [Conjugial Love 75].

Conversation with those who lived in the silver age; this, too, concerning conjugial love (2004) [Conjugial Love 76].

Conversation with those who lived in the copper age (2005) [Conjugial Love 77].

Conversation with those who lived in the iron age; they were polygamists (2006) [Conjugial Love 78].

Conversation with those who lived after those four ages; they were whoremongers and adulterers (2034) [Conjugial Love 79, 80].

Of the conversion of this age into a golden age by the Lord; concerning which the angels glorified the Lord (2035) [Conjugial Love 81].

Concerning one's own intelligence or prudence, that it, is not [anything] (2051, p. 59) [Conjugial Love 353].

Whether conjugial love and love of [their own] beauty coexist in women; and whether conjugial love and the love of their own intelligence coexist in men (2052, p. 52) [Conjugial Love 330, 331].

Again the golden rain was seen, and some arcana respecting conjugial love in women were disclosed (2053, p. 35) [Conjugial Love 208].

Spiritual coldness has its seat in the highest region (2054, p. 51) [Conjugial Love 270].

Concerning those who are in the love of the world (p. 90) [Conjugial Love 267-269].

The delights of conjugial love are delights of wisdom (p. 91) [Conjugial Love 293]. ⁵

And the pleasures of scortatory love are pleasures of insanity (p. 92) [Conjugial Love 294].

სქოლიოები:

268. After that the two angels were affected with a desire, as was I, to see some of those people who from a love of the world are caught up in a delusionary lust or fantasy that they possess all riches. And we perceived that this desire was inspired in us in order that we might learn something about them.

Their abodes lay beneath the ground under our feet, but above hell. Consequently we looked at each other and said, "Let's go." Seeing then an opening with a stairway in it, we descended by it; and we were told to approach them from the east, in order not to enter into the mist of their fantasy, which would cloud our understanding and with it our vision.

[2] Suddenly, then, we saw a house built of reeds, being thus full of cracks, standing in a cloud of mist, which continually poured out like smoke through the crevices in three of the walls. Going in, we saw a group of fifty people on one side and fifty on another, sitting on benches, with their backs to the east and south so that they faced toward the west and north. Each had a table in front of him, and on the table some bulging moneybags, surrounded by a quantity of gold coins.

We inquired, "Is that the wealth of all the inhabitants of the world?"

To which they replied, "Not of all the inhabitants of the world, but of all the inhabitants in our kingdom."

Their speech had a hissing sound; and they themselves had what appeared to be roundish faces, which glistened like snail shells. The pupils of their eyes also seemed to glitter in fields of green, an effect arising from the light of their fantasy.

Standing now in the midst of them, we said, "You believe, then, that you possess all the wealth in your kingdom."

"Yes," they said, "we do."

"Which of you does?" we asked then.

"Each of us," they said.

So we asked, "How can each of you possess it when there are so many of you?"

They replied, "We each know that all that is his is mine, nor is anyone permitted to think, still less say, 'What is mine is not yours.' However, we may think and say, 'What is yours is mine.'"

The coins on the tables looked as though they were made entirely of gold, even to us. But when we let in some light from the east, they turned out to be specks of gold which the people had magnified into coins by a united effort of their common fantasy. They said that everyone who entered had to bring with him some gold, which they would cut into bits, and the bits into specks; and by the combined force of their fantasy they would then enlarge these into grander-looking coins.

[3] At that we then said, "Were you not born human beings capable of reason? What is the reason for this delusionary foolishness of yours?"

"We know it is only imaginary nonsense," they said, "but because it pleases the inner longings of our minds, we come in here and entertain ourselves with thinking as though everything were ours. We do not stay here, however, more than a few hours. After that we leave, and every time we do our minds recover their sanity. Nevertheless, from time to time our delusionary pleasure overcomes us, causing us periodically to return, and periodically to leave. Thus we are sometimes wise and sometimes mad.

"Besides, we know that a hard fate awaits those who craftily steal the property of others."

"What fate is that?" we asked.

"They are swallowed up," they said, "and thrust naked into some prison in hell, where they are made to toil for food and clothing, and afterwards for a few pennies. They accumulate these pennies and set their heart's delight in them. But if they do any mischief to their companions, they have to give them part of their pennies as a fine."

423. THE OPPOSITION OF LICENTIOUS LOVE TO CONJUGIAL LOVE

At this threshold we must first disclose what we mean in this chapter by licentious love. We do not mean the fornicatory love which precedes marriage, nor that which follows it after the death of one's partner; nor the taking of a mistress which is entered into for legitimate, just and weighty reasons. Nor do we mean the milder kinds of adultery, nor the more serious kinds of which a person actually repents; for the first are not opposed to conjugial love, and the latter do not become opposed. (That they are not opposed will be seen in discussions that follow, where each will be considered in turn.)

But what we mean by licentious love that is opposed to conjugial love is a love of adultery, when it is of such a nature that it is not regarded as a sin, nor even as something evil and dishonorable contrary to reason, but as something permissible, in accord with reason. This kind of licentious love not only deems conjugial love to be no different from it, but also ruins it, destroys it, and finally loathes it.

[2] The opposition of this love to conjugial love is the subject of this chapter. That no other love is meant can be seen from the subsequent chapters on fornication, the taking of a mistress, and the various kinds of adultery.

To make this opposition evident to rational sight, however, it must be demonstrated according to the following outline:

1. The nature of licentious love is not known unless the nature of conjugial love is known.

2. Licentious love is opposed to conjugial love.

3. Licentious love is opposed to conjugial love as one's natural self, regarded in itself, is opposed to one's spiritual self.

4. Licentious love is opposed to conjugial love as the connubial alliance of evil and falsity is opposed to the marriage of good and truth.

5. Thus licentious love is opposed to conjugial love as hell is opposed to heaven.

6. The uncleanness of hell springs from licentious love, and the cleanness of heaven from conjugial love.

7. So, too, uncleanness in the church, and cleanness in it.

8. Licentious love makes a person less and less human and less and less a man, while conjugial love makes a person more and more human and more and more a man.

9. There is an atmosphere of licentious love, and an atmosphere of conjugial love.

10. An atmosphere of licentious love ascends from hell, and an atmosphere of conjugial love descends from heaven.

11. In both worlds these two atmospheres meet, but do not combine together.

12. Between these two atmospheres there is an equilibrium, and mankind lives in it.

13. A person can turn himself in the direction of either atmosphere, but in the measure that he turns to one, in the same measure he turns away from the other.

14. Each atmosphere brings with it delights.

15. The delights of licentious love arise from the flesh, and are delights of the flesh even in the spirit; while the delights of conjugial love arise in the spirit, and are delights of the spirit even in the flesh.

16. The delights of licentious love are pleasures of insanity, whereas the delights of conjugial love are delights of wisdom.

Explanation of these statements now follows.