Conjugial Love #176

Door Emanuel Swedenborg

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176. 17. These duties also join the two into one, and at the same time make a single household, depending on the assistance they render each other. One of the things people know in the world is that a husband's duties are in some way joined together with the duties of his wife, and that a wife's duties are connected to the duties of her husband, and that these conjunctions and connections are the assistance they give each other and depend on that assistance.

But the primary duties which confederate, affiliate, and bring the souls and lives of two married partners together into one are those which involve their joint concern in bringing up children. In this concern a husband's duties and a wife's duties differ and at the same time are joined together. They differ, because the responsibility of suckling and bringing up little children of both sexes, and also of educating girls to the age when they are handed over to the custody of men and associate with them - this is a responsibility having to do with the distinctive duty of a wife. On the other hand, the responsibility of educating boys after early childhood to the time of adolescence, and after that until they become independent - this is a responsibility having to do with the distinctive duty of a husband. Nevertheless, these duties are joined together through the counsel, support, and many other kinds of assistance that the two partners give each other.

People know that these duties bind the hearts of two partners together into one - both those duties which are joined together and those which are different in nature, or those which are mutual duties and those which are distinctive ones - and that this is owing to the love called storge 1 (the natural affection of parents for their offspring). People also know that these duties, viewed in respect to their difference and conjunction, make a single household.

Voetnoten:

1. From the Greek storg, pronounced stor'gee (like psyche), in use in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries to mean natural or instinctive affection, usually that of parents for their offspring, but no longer current.

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.