113. A rectangular screen had been set up in the palace in front of the doors, and behind it stood foreigners from Africa, who called to the natives of Europe, "Permit one of us to present an opinion, too, regarding the origin of conjugial love and its vigor or potency."
All the tables then signaled with their hands permission for him to do so.
Then one of them entered and stood beside the table on which the miter had been placed. He said:
"You Christians trace the origin of conjugial love from the love itself. We Africans, on the other hand, trace it from the God of heaven and earth.
"Is conjugial love not a chaste, pure and holy love? Are the angels of heaven not in an enjoyment of it? The whole human race, and therefore the entire angelic heaven - are they not the offspring of this love? Could anything so wonderful spring from any other source than God Himself, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe?
"You Christians trace the origin of conjugial vigor or potency from various rational and natural causes. We Africans, however, trace it from a person's state of conjunction with the God of the universe. (We call this state a state of religion, but you call it a state of the church.) We trace it from this origin, for when love comes from this source and is constant and lasting, it cannot help but maintain its vigor, a vigor that is like the love, thus also constant and lasting.
"Truly conjugial love is not known except to the few who are near to God. Neither, therefore, is the potency of this love known to others. Angels in heaven describe the potency accompanying this love as the delight of endless spring."
