Marriage #46
46. On the plurality of wives among Mohammedans
I spoke with Mohammedans about spiritual marriage, saying that it is a marriage of good and truth; that good loves truth and truth good like a married couple; and that these wish to be joined and bring forth goods and truths like daughters and sons, and as it were to procreate families. They understood this well, as also that conjugial love comes down from that spiritual origin, and that everything spiritual in man undergoes a change, so that it is scarcely recognisable, when it comes down to the natural; it can only be recognised by correspondences. From these facts it is plain that they, having several wives allowed by their religion, cannot have truly conjugial love. It was said that they are allowed several wives, that is, polygamy is permitted, because they live in hot climates and therefore are more heated with lust than those who live in cold climates. 1 Therefore if they were not permitted polygamy, more of them would rush into adultery than would Europeans, and thus act contrary to their religious tenets; and to act contrary to one's religious tenets is to profane what is sacred. It was shown further that all their love of marriage is lascivious, and so not spiritual; nor can it become spiritual unless they acknowledge the Lord.
Footnotes:
1. Two clauses have been inverted, with suppression of the word 'and' in order to make sense here. It is also possible that a word is missing from the text.
Arcana Coelestia #7178
7178. EXODUS CHAPTER 6.
TEACHINGS ABOUT CHARITY
No one can know what good is, good understood in a spiritual sense, unless he knows what love towards the neighbour and love to God are; and no one can know what evil is unless he knows what self-love and love of the world are. Neither can anyone within himself acknowledge and therefore know what truth composing faith is unless he knows what good is and is governed by it; nor can anyone know what falsity is unless he knows what evil is. No one therefore can engage in self-examination unless from the two kinds of love that go with good he knows what good is, and from good what truth is, and unless from the two kinds of love that go with evil he knows what evil is, and from evil what falsity is.
