156、⒁婚姻状态好于独身状态。这一点从前面关于婚姻和独身的论述明显可知。婚姻状态更可取的原因在于：婚姻状态自创世时就存在；它的源头是良善与真理的婚姻；它对应于主与教会的婚姻；教会和婚姻之爱是永恒的伴侣；它的功用高于其它一切造物的功用，因为它是人类照正当次序的繁衍，以及天使天堂的繁衍，因为天堂出自人类。再者，婚姻是一个人的圆满，因为它使人成为一个完整的人，这将在下一章予以证明。所有这些因素都是独身状态所不具备的。
然而，如果有人提出“独身状态好于婚姻状态”的命题，并且这个命题经得起推敲，能通过证据被肯定和证实，那么结论如下：婚姻不是神圣的，也不可能是贞洁的；事实上，女性不可能贞洁，除非她们放弃婚姻，发誓永保童贞；而且，那些发誓永远独身的人是“为天国的缘故自阉的”（马太福音19:12）所指的人。此外，从这种伪命题中还能推出许多其它伪结论。“为天国的缘故自阉的”表示属灵的阉割，是指那些在婚姻状态中弃绝淫乱之恶之人，显然不是指意大利的阉人歌手。
156a、对此，我补充两个记事。记事一：
我从智慧的竞技会（参看132节）回家时，在路上碰见一位蓝衣天使。他来到我旁边，说：“我见你离开智慧的竞技会，因在那里所听到的而感到喜乐。但我发觉你并不完全在这个世界，同时也在自然界，想必你不知道我们的奥林匹克体育馆。古代的智者便在此聚会，从你们世界新来的人那里了解智慧目前已经历并仍在经历的状态变化和兴衰。你若乐意，我就带你去一个地方。许多古代智者，连同他们的子孙，就是他们的门徒都住在那里。”于是，天使把我带到东北交界的一个地方；当我从一块高地朝那个方向望去时，发现有一座城，城一侧有两座小山，离城近一点的是两座山中较低的一座。天使告诉我：“这城叫雅典娜，低一点的山叫帕尔纳索斯山，高一点的叫赫利孔山。它们之所以取这些名字，是因为古希腊的智者，如毕达哥拉斯、苏格拉底、亚里斯提卜和色诺芬及其门徒和新成员，就住在这座城市及其周边地区。”我问起柏拉图和亚里士多德，天使告诉我，他俩及其追随者住在另一个地方，因为他们教的是与理解力有关的推理，而这里的智者教的是与生活有关的道德。
天使说，经常有学者特使从雅典娜城被派到有教养的基督徒那里，通过他们了解人们现在对神、宇宙创造、灵魂不朽、人类本性与动物本性的对比，以及其它涉及内在智慧之事的看法。天使还说，今天一位信使宣布要举行一个集会，这表明特使遇见了从地上来的新人，从他们那里听到一些趣闻。然后，我们看到许多人从城内和周边地区出来；有的头戴桂冠，有的手拿棕榈枝，有的腋下夹着书本，有的左太阳穴的头发下插着笔。我们便加入他们，一起上去。只见山上有一座八角形的宫殿，他们称其为“帕拉斯”，我们就进去了。看哪，我们发现那里有八个六角形的壁龛，每个壁龛里有一套书柜，还有一张桌子，头戴桂冠的人便坐在那里。此外，在帕拉斯里面，我们发现有石头雕成的长凳，其他人就坐在这上面。
这时，左侧的门开了，两位地上来的新人进来了。头戴桂冠的人中有一位先和他们打招呼，然后问道：“你们从地上带来什么新闻？”于是，新来的人说：“有这样一则新闻：有人在森林中发现一些形似动物的人，或形似人的动物。然而，据报道，从它们的面部和身体特征获知，它们生而为人，两三岁时在森林里失踪或被遗弃。据说它们不会用语言表达想法，也没能学会如何清晰发声，以形成话语。它们也不像动物那样知道哪种食物适合自己，而是在森林中无论找到什么，都往嘴里塞，也不管这些东西能不能吃。我们的一些学者根据这些事实对人类本性与动物本性的对比作出许多猜想和结论。”
听到这里，一些先哲问道：“他们根据这些事实得出什么猜想和结论？”两个新来的人回答说：“很多，不过，可简化为以下几条：
⑴人因自己的本性，以及自出生时就比任何动物更愚蠢、因而更糟糕。若不接受教育，就会变成那样。
⑵人之所以能接受教育，是因为他学会了如何发出清晰的声音，从而学会说话，并以这种方式开始表达自己的思想，渐渐地，他做这种事越来越频繁，直到他能制定共同生活的法则；然而，其中许多法则自动物出生时就铭刻在它们身上。
⑶动物具有和人类一样的推理能力。
⑷因此，动物若能说话，在推理任何主题时和人类一样聪明。证据就是，它们照着和人类一样的理性和谨慎来思考。
⑸理解无非是阳光通过以太在热的协助下的一种调节；因此这只是一种内在性质的活动；这种活动能被拔高，直到它看似智慧。
⑹因此，认为人死后仍活着，就像认为动物死后仍活着一样，都是不切实际的。顶多在人死后若干天，由于身体生命的发散物，他有可能显为类似一个幽灵的水汽，直到这水汽蒸发，回归自然，这和从灰烬中复苏的灌木仍以它原先形状的样式显现差不多。
⑺因此，教导死后生命的宗教是一种发明，好让简单人因着宗教律法从内在保持顺服，就像他们因着世间法律从外在保持顺服那样。”
对此，他们补充说，这些只是某些聪明人的推理，不是智慧人的推理。于是听众接着问道：“那智慧人如何推理？”新来的人说未曾听闻，不过，他们想得估计差不多也是这样。
156b、听到这些话，坐在桌旁的人都惊呼：“世上如今是什么时代！唉，智慧到底经历了怎样的变化！它这不是沦落为愚蠢的聪明了吗？日头已经落山，沉到地面以下，与它的子午线正好对立！从森林中所发现的这些失踪之人的例子，谁看不出若不接受教育，人的本性就是这样子？他不是照着所接受的教导而成为一个人吗？他生来不就是比动物更无知吗？他不是得学习走路、说话吗？他若不学习走路，会挺直站立吗？若不学习说话，会说出自己的任何想法吗？每个人不都是被教导的样子，因被教导虚假而失去理性，因被教导真理而变得智慧吗？人若因被教导虚假而失去理性，岂不完全陷入幻想，以为自己比因被教导真理而变得智慧的人更有智慧？和森林中所发现的人一样不是人的傻瓜、疯子不也有吗？没有记忆的人，不是和他们一样吗？
“从这些考虑和观察，我们自己得出结论：人若不接受教育，既不是人，也不是动物，而是一种能将使人成为人的东西接收到自己里面的生命形式。因此，我们断定，人不是生而为人，而是变成人；人生来就是这样一种生命形式，好叫他能成为从神接受生命的有机体，以致他能变成一个容器，神可以将各种良善引入其中，并凭与祂自己的结合而赐福给它，直到永远。我们从你们的叙述发现，如今智慧已经失落，变成了愚昧，以致人们竟然丝毫不知道与动物生命性质相比之下人类生命的性质。这就是为何他们也不知道人死后生命的性质。然而，那些能知道，却不想知道，因而否认死后生命的人，如你们许多基督徒那样，可比作森林中所发现这些人。倒不是说他们变得如此愚蠢是因为缺乏教育，而是因为依赖感官谬论，而这些感官谬论正是掩盖真理的黑暗。”
156c.但这时，有人站在帕拉斯中间，手拿棕榈枝说：“请解开这个奥秘。人既被造为神的形式，如何又变成魔鬼的形式？我很清楚，天上的使者是神的形式，地狱的使者是魔鬼的形式；这二者是完全对立的形式，即一个是疯狂的形式，一个是智慧的形式。那么，请告诉我，人既被造为神的形式，何以从白昼堕入黑夜，以至于能否认神和永生的存在？”
对此，教师们依次作答，首先是毕达哥拉斯学派，然后是苏格拉底学派，再后来是其他人。其中有一位柏拉图的追随者最后发言，他的观点占了上风。其观点如下：“在土星时代或黄金时代，人们知道并承认自己是从神接受生命的形式。智慧因此被铭刻在他们灵魂和内心上，所以他们从真理之光看见真理，并通过真理出于良善之爱的快乐而觉悟良善。但在以后的时代，人类因逐渐疏于承认他们当中的一切智慧之真理，因而一切爱之良善不断从神流入，故不再是神的居所。然后，与神对话并与天使交流也随之停止了。因为其心智内层本来一直被神提升到神那里，却偏离了原先的方向，并且偏离得越来越远，逐渐往外朝向世界，从而经由世界被神引向神。最后，它们转到完全相反的方向上，也就是往下朝向自己。内在完全颠倒之人不可能仰望神，所以人们与神分离，变成地狱、因而魔鬼的形式。
“由此可知，在上古时代，人们从内心和灵魂承认，一切爱之良善，因而一切智慧之真理都是从神来到他们那里的；而且，这良善与真理属于他们里面的神，以致他们纯粹是从神接受生命者；这就为何他们被称为神的形像、神的儿子、从神生的。但在以后的时代，人们不再从内心和灵魂承认这一点，却被某种不正确的信仰所影响，后来被历史信仰影响，最后仅仅口头承认。仅仅口头承认不是承认，而是发自内心的否认。由此可见，如今基督徒当中的智慧是何性质。尽管他们由于书面启示而被神启发，却依然不知人和动物之间的区别。结果，许多人认为，如果人死后依活着，那么动物也必活着；或由于动物死后不能活着，所以人死后也不能活着。我们那照亮心灵视觉的属灵之光，在他们当中岂不成了黑暗？而他们那仅照亮身体视觉的属世之光，岂不成了辉煌？”
156d.这事以后，他们都转向这两位新来的人，为他们的到来和讲述表示感谢，并请他们将所听到的报告给他们的弟兄。两位新来的人回答说，他们会让自己的弟兄确认这一真理：人越将一切仁之良善和信之真理归于主，不归于自己，就越是人，并且越变成天上的天使。
156e.记事二：
一天清晨，我被最甜美的歌声唤醒，只听见它从我上面某个高处传来。因此，刚醒来的那一刻，比这一天任何时候都要内在、平安和甜蜜。我能在灵里呆上一会儿，仿佛出离肉体，还能敏锐地觉察到歌声所表达的情感。天上的歌声无非是以有声的旋律经由口所发出的内心情感，因为源于爱之情感的语气才是那赋予言语以生命的，这语气不同于说话者所说的话。在这种状态下，我发觉天上的妻子们正在用旋律表达婚姻之爱的快乐之情感。我从歌唱的声音发现这一点，因为歌声以奇妙的方式再现了各种各样的快乐。此后，我起身向灵界望去，只见在东方，太阳下面似乎下起了金色雨露。原来是丰沛的晨露降下来，一触及阳光，便在我眼前呈现出金色雨露的景象。看到这一幕，我更加清醒了。于是，我在灵里走出去，恰巧遇见一位天使，便问他是否看见有金雨从太阳降下来。
天使回答说，每当他默想婚姻之爱时，就会看见它。然后，他把目光转向那个方向，说：“这雨露落到了一个大厅上，大厅里有三对夫妻，他们住在东方乐园的中央。之所以看见这样的雨露从太阳落到这大厅上，是因为关于婚姻之爱及其快乐的智慧就居于他们当中；关于婚姻之爱的智慧居于丈夫当中，关于婚姻之爱的快乐居于妻子当中。不过，我发觉你正在默想婚姻之爱的快乐，所以要带你到大厅，替你引见一下。”于是，他带我穿过乐园地带，来到一些房子前，房子是由橄榄木建成的，门前有两根香柏木柱。天使将我引见给丈夫们，并请求他们允许我当着他们的面和他们的妻子交谈。丈夫们同意了，便把她们叫过来。妻子们仔细看着我的眼睛，我询问原由。她们说：“我们能敏锐地看出你在两性情爱方面的倾向，进而看出你的情感，由此看出你在想什么。我们发现，你正在集中精力思索它，不过是贞洁的。”然后，她们问：“关于它，你想让我们告诉你什么？”我回答说：“请告诉我关于婚姻之爱的快乐的一些情况。”丈夫们点头同意，说：“你们要是乐意，就向他们透露有关它们的一些情况。他们的耳朵是贞洁的。”
于是，妻子们问我：“是谁指教你问我们有关这爱的快乐？为何不问我们的丈夫？”我回答说：“与我同在的这位天使对我附耳悄声说，接受并感觉这些快乐的是妻子，因为她们天生就是爱，一切快乐属于爱。”对此，她们嘴角噙笑回答说：“要小心谨慎，不要说这种事，除非模棱两可地说。因为这是存于我们女人内心深处的一点智慧，我们不会透露给任何丈夫，除非他享有真正的婚姻之爱。对此，原因有很多，我们将这些原因也藏在心里。”丈夫们接着说：“我们的妻子了解我们心智的一切状态，没有什么东西能瞒得了她们。她们能看出、觉察并感受到从我们的意愿所发出的一切；但反过来，我们却不知道我们的妻子经历了什么。妻子们之所以拥有这样的天赋，是因为她们是最温柔的爱，对维护婚姻友谊和信任、因而维护双方的幸福生活可以说充满热情。她们出于其爱所固有的智慧为丈夫和自己小心看顾这一切；这智慧充满谨慎，以致她们不愿，因而不能说她们在爱，只能说她们被爱。”于是，我问妻子们为何不愿，因而不能这样说。她们回答说，若有一丁点暗示这种事的话从她们嘴里溜出去，她们的丈夫就会寒意丛生，这种寒冷会将他们从床铺、卧室和视线里分开。她们说：“不过，这种事只发生在那些不视婚姻为神圣，因而并非出于属灵之爱热爱自己妻子的丈夫们身上；而那些出于属灵之爱热爱妻子的人则不是这样。在他们心里，这爱是属灵的，由此在身体中变得属世。我们在这个大厅里便享有由属灵之爱所产生的属世之爱，所以才会把我们关于婚姻之爱的快乐秘密交托给我们的丈夫。”
于是，我强烈要求她们把这些秘密也透露给我。她们立刻朝南边的窗户看过去，只见那里有一只闪光的白鸽，双翅仿佛泛着银光，头上似乎饰有金冠，正站在长有一棵橄榄的树枝上。当它试图展开双翅时，妻子们说：“我们会透露一些事。鸽子的出现意味着我们可以这样做。”她们接着说：“每个人都有视、听、嗅、味、触五种感觉。但我们还有第六感，这第六感使我们能感受到我们丈夫的婚姻之爱的一切快乐。当我们触摸丈夫的胸膛、手臂、双手或脸颊，尤其是胸膛，以及被他们触摸时，我们的手掌心就有这种感觉。他们心智中思维的一切愉悦和乐趣，其意识中的一切欢喜和快乐，以及其胸中的欢乐和快活都从他们那里传递给我们，并取得一个形式，变得可察觉、可感受、可触知。我们还能敏锐、准确地辨别它们，就像耳朵辨别音符、舌头辨别美味一样。一言以蔽之，我们丈夫的属灵快乐可以说在我们里面披上一种属世的化身。我们的丈夫因此称我们是贞洁的婚姻之爱及其快乐的感觉器官。不过，我们这种性感觉照着我们的丈夫出于智慧和判断爱我们，并且我们反过来也因着他们的智慧和判断爱他们的程度而存在、维持生存、持续存在并增长。在天上，我们这种性感觉被称为智慧与其爱，以及爱与其智慧的游戏。”
这些话使我充满一种渴望，想问更多问题，如这些快乐的种类。她们回答说：“其种类是无限的，不过，我们不愿多说，也不能多说。因为在我们窗户上、站在橄榄枝上的鸽子飞走了。”我只好等它回来，却徒劳一场。期间，我问丈夫们：“你们对婚姻之爱也有类似感觉吗？”他们回答说：“我们有一种总体上的感觉，但没有具体的感觉。我们感觉到一种总体上的幸福、快乐和愉悦，是由我们妻子所感受到的具体感觉所产生的。我们从她们那里所获得的这种总体上的感觉就像平安的宁静。”说完这些话，我们透过窗户看见一只天鹅站在一棵无花果树的树枝上，并展翅飞走了。看到这一幕，丈夫们说：“这意味着我们要对婚姻之爱保持沉默了。另找时间再来，或许能透露更多。”然后，他们转身走了，我们也离开了。
156f、从创世记和主的话明显可知，自创世时男人和女人就被赋予可以说联结为一体的倾向和能力；这二者仍存在于男人和女人里面。在创世之书，也就是创世记中，我们读到:
耶和华神就用那人身上所取的肋骨造成一个女人，领她到那人跟前。那人说，这是我骨中的骨，肉中的肉。她的名要叫女人，因为她是从男人身上取出来的。因此，人要离开父母与妻子连合，二人成为一体。（创世记2:22-24）
主在马太福音中也说了同样的话:
这经你们没有念过吗？那起初造男造女者说，因此，人要离开父母，与妻子连合，二人成为一体。既然如此，夫妻不再是两个，乃是一体的了。（马太福音19:4-6）
从上述经文明显可知，女人是从男人被造的，二者都有重新联结为一体的倾向和能力。重新联结是指合为一个人，这一点从创世记中将在一起的这二者称为“人”的经文明显看出来；因为我们读到：
当神造人的日子，祂造男造女，称其名为人。（创世记5:1，2）
我们在此读到：“祂称其名为亚当”，而在希伯来语，“亚当”和“人”是同一个词。此外，在一起的这二者也被称为“人”（创世记1:27;3:22-24）。“一体”也表示一个人，这一点从圣言中提到“凡有血气的”这个词的经文明显看出来；“凡有血气的”就表示每个人（如创世记6:12，13，17，19;以赛亚书40:5，6;49:26;66:16，23，24;耶利米书25:31;32:27;14:5;以西结书20:48;21:4，5等）。
我在《属天的奥秘》（此书解释了《创世记》和《出埃及记》这两本书的灵义）一书已经说明，被建成一个女人的“男人的肋骨”、在其原处合起来的“肉”、“我骨中的骨，肉中的肉”、“人结婚后要离开的父母”，以及“与妻子连合”分别是什么意思。那里说明，“肋骨”不是指一根肋骨，“肉”不是指肉，“骨”不是指骨头，“连合”也不是指连合，而是指与它们相对应、因而由它们所表示的属灵事物。它们表示将二人合为一个人的属灵事物，这一点从以下事实明显可知：正是婚姻之爱将他们联结起来，这爱是属灵的。我在前面数次提及，男人对智慧的爱被转录到妻子里面，接下来的章节将充分证明这一点。但目前我不能离题，远离此处所讨论的主题，也就是夫妻二人通过灵魂和心智的联结而成为一体的结合，现按以下顺序阐明这种联结：
⑴自创世时，两性就被赋予可以说联结为一体的能力和倾向。
⑵婚姻之爱将两个灵魂，因而两个心智联结为一体。
⑶妻子的意愿与丈夫的理解联结，因此丈夫的理解与妻子的意愿联结。
⑷就妻子而言，与男人联结的倾向是恒久不变的；但就男人而言，这种倾向则是变化无常的。
⑸妻子照她的爱将这种联结赋予男人，这男人则照他的智慧接受它。
⑹这种联结从婚姻最初的日子起就逐渐进行，对那些享有真正婚姻之爱的人来说，它会变得越来越深入，直到永远。
⑺妻子与丈夫理性智慧的联结是从内进行的，但与其道德智慧的联结是从外进行的。
⑻为实现这种联结，妻子被赋予洞察丈夫情感，并极其谨慎地引导它们的能力。
⑼妻子们出于极其必要的理由而将这种洞察力藏在自己里面，瞒着丈夫，以便婚姻之爱、友谊和信任，因而同居的祝福和生活的幸福能牢固建立起来。
⑽这种洞察力是妻子的智慧；它不可能存在于男人里面，男人的理性智慧也不可能存在于妻子里面。
⑾妻子出于其爱不断思想丈夫对她的倾向，怀有与他联结的意图；而男人则不然。
⑿妻子通过关注丈夫意愿的渴望而与他联结。
⒀妻子通过她对丈夫的爱所发出的生命气场而与他联结。
⒁妻子通过吸收丈夫的阳刚之气而与他联结；不过，这一切取决于他们对彼此的属灵之爱。
⒂妻子就这样将丈夫的形像接收到自己里面，由此觉察、看见并感受他的情感。
⒃既有适合男人的职责，也有适合妻子的职责；妻子不能参与适合男人的职责，男人也不能参与并正确履行适合妻子的职责。
⒄这些职责还随着他们互相帮助而将这二人联结为一体，同时构成一个家庭。
⒅随着他们以上述方式联结，夫妻越来越变成一个人。
⒆那些享有真正婚姻之爱的人觉得自己是一个联合的人，如同一体。
⒇就本质而言，真正的婚姻之爱是灵魂的联结，心智的结合，是在胸腔，因而在身体里面结合的努力。
(21)这爱的状态是纯真，平安，宁静，亲密的友谊，充分的信任，全心全意、竭尽所能为对方行一切良善的相互渴望；所有这些事物都会带来祝福、幸福和快乐；并通过他们永恒的享受带来天上的幸福。
(22)这些若不是在一个男人和一个妻子的婚姻中，是绝无可能存在的。
现逐一解读上述要点。
156、（14）处于婚姻中的状态好于独身状态，这一点紧跟着上一节。婚姻状态更好是因为它在创世时就存在。它的来源是善与真理的结合，它与主与教会的结合，教会及婚姻之爱相伴存在，它所起到的作用比其它任何作用都更美好，它关系到人类及天使的繁衍。因为天国因人类而存在，另外，婚姻使一个人完整，这一点在下章继续谈，这些点是独身状态所不具有的。
另一方面，若有人不同意上述观点，认为独身状态好于婚姻状态。若要证明这一点则会得到以下结论：婚姻不是神圣的，也非圣洁。在女性方面，贞洁只有不结婚永远处于处女状态才可能存在，另外，那些宣誓独身的人就象是所谓“为了神而自阉的人”（《马太福音》19:12）
为了神而自阉的人在精神上也被阉了。在婚姻中有淫乱关系的人在精神上就是这样的。
151（重复）在此要补充以下陈述：
在我从132节中提到的智慧学校回家的路上，我看到了穿着蓝色衣服的天使。
天使走到我身边说：“我看到你到智慧学校去了并且对所见所闻很高兴，我想你并不是完全处于精神世界中，因为你同时还处在尘世中，所以我想你并不知道我们的奥林匹克馆，在那里圣人们会见从世间刚到精神世界的人，从他们那里了解世间学界正在发生的事情，你若感兴趣，我可以带你到年长的圣人及他们的后裔学生中去。”
他随后带我到东方和南方交界的边缘。从高处看去，有一座城市出现在面前。城的一侧有两座山，靠近城市的那座山低一些。
天使告诉我说：“那座城市被称作雅典娜，低些的山被称作帕娜莎，高的山被称为海伦纽姆 。它们被叫做过些名字是因为这里住着来自古希腊的智者及他们的学生，象毕达哥拉斯，苏格拉底。
我问道：“柏拉图和阿里斯多德住在哪里呢？天使说，他们及他们的信奉者住在另一个地区，因为他们的学术是关于智慧及推理的，而这里住的智者的学术思想是关于生命中的道德伦理的。
天使又说：“雅典娜城经常派人到有学问的基督徒中去了解如今世间的人怎么样看待神，怎样看宇宙的起源，灵魂的不朽，人与动物的区别以及其它与内在智慧有关的方面。天使说派出去的使者将召集一个聚会，因为它们从一个刚从世间到来的人那听到了有趣的消息。
我们看到许多人从城中出来，有的头上戴着桂枝编的花环，有的手里拿着橄榄枝，有的胳膊下夹着书，有的头上插着笔。
我们进入其中，只见在山上有一个八角形的宫殿，我们走了进去，只见里面有八个六角形的房间，每个房间中都有一些书架和一张桌子，戴桂花环的人在桌子周围坐着。另外在宫殿中还有用石头雕成的椅子，其它的人坐在那些椅子上，之后，在旁边的一扇门打开了，两个刚从世间回来的人进来了，问候他们后，戴花环的人问道：“你们从世间带来了什么新消息？”
新到的人说：“我们的消息是在森林中发现了象兽类的人或者说象人类的兽。从他们的脸及身材上看，他们生来是人，在他们两三岁时被遗落在森林中。
“根据报告所说，他们不能用语言表达思想，他们也学不会说话。他们也不知道哪些食物能吃，哪些食物不能吃。他们会将能吃和不能吃的东西放到口中，根据这一报告，学者们对人和动物的本性进行了比较。
听到这些，一些智者问：“学者们从这一发现中得到了什么结论呢？”
新到者说以下几个：
1、从本性上来讲，人生来是愚蠢的，不如动物，没有教育的话人会一直是愚蠢的。
2、人能够在受到教育后学会讲话，并且表达自己的思想，渐渐地会适应社会生活，而许多动物生来就有适应生存的本领。
3、动物与人一样有思维的可能。
4、所以若动物能讲话，它们会与人一样聪明，它们会有与人一样的能力。
5、才智就象是被大气过滤后的光和热，是内在本性的活动，这种活动能够被提升到一定高度以至于它看上去好象是一种智慧。
6、因此认为人死后会继续存在是徒劳的，人的躯体会渐渐消逝，回到自然中去。
7、因此宗教所教导的死后的生命，只是束缚头脑简单的人的夹锁。
在座的人问道：“智者们的结论又是什么呢？”
新到的人说他们还没有听到智者的结论，但他们想它会与前者不同。
152（重复）听到这些坐在桌边的人说：“哎，世间怎么是这个样子！智慧怎么变成了无稽之谈了呢？太阳真是落山了呀！”
“从森林中的人的例子中，任何人都知道那是人类没有受教育的结果，人岂不就是他所被教导的样子吗？人岂不是生来就是处于一种无知状态吗？人岂不是要去学如何说话如何走路吗？若不学说话，人怎么能表达自己的思想呢？每个人都是若受到错误的教导就会变得没有理性，若受到正确的教导就会变得有智慧，受到错误教导的人会比在森林中发现的人好多少呢？丧失记忆的人不是与他们相似吗？”
“从以上推理中我们得出结论：没有受过教育的人不称其为人，但也不是动物，他是一个生命。这个生命能够接受外在影响使其成为人，所以我们推断，人生来并非完全是人，人生来是一种生命形式，这种形式能够接受来自神的生命，以致于他能接受来自于神的每一种善，通过与神相结合，人就会获得永生。
“从你们所说的，我们认为如今世上的智慧已经不存在了，如今的人不知道人的本性和动物的本性的区别。因此他们也就不知道人死后的情形。同时那些可以有智慧但却选择不要有智慧并且否认智慧的众多的基督徒们就好象那些在森林中发现的人一样，这些人不是因为缺乏教育而变得无知，而是他们相信感官的误导，它掩盖了真理，他们使得自己变得愚蠢。”
153（重复）这时，宫殿中间的一些人站起来了，手中拿着棕榈叶子说道：“请解释为什么以神的形象而被创造出来的人会变成恶魔。我们知道，天国中的天使是神的形象，他们拥有智慧，而地狱中的恶灵是魔鬼的形象，他们是疯傻的，以神的形象而创造出来的人怎么也会走入黑暗而否认神及永生呢？”
智者们依次做出解释，首先是毕达哥拉斯派，然后是苏格拉底派以及其它的学派。
在他们中有一个柏拉图派的人，他最后发言，他的观点最完好。他说神农记和金纪的人知道人是来自于神的生命的接受者，因此他们拥有智慧。从真理之光中他们能看到真理，通过真理，出于对善的爱，他们接受善。
他说，在接下来的世纪中，人们开始否认一切智慧的真理及善是来自于神，这时人们就脱离了神。另外，与神的交流及与天使的沟通也停止了。因为他们头脑中对神的倾向已经转向了尘世，直至最后这种倾向完全改变了方向而指向自我。因为内在思想完全颠倒的人心中没有神，这也就脱离了神而成为代表地狱或恶魔的形式。
“因此在最初的那些世纪中，人们在心中及灵魂上都承认爱及真理都来自于神。这些道德就是属于神的道德在他们身上的体现。人自身只是来自于神的生命的接受者。因此，人被称为神的形象，神之子，生来就是属于神，但是在接下来的世纪中人们开始不再在心中和灵魂上承认以上所述，他们只会因为传统的信仰而接受以上，并且在接下来的世纪中只是口头上接受以上内容，这也就是在实际对它的否认。”
“由此可知如今世上基督徒们的智慧是怎样的。他们甚至不知道人和动物的区别。因此许多人认为若人死后会继续存在，动物也会同样死后继续存在，或者说动物死后就不复存在，人也是同样，是不是我们的精神之光已经暗淡了呢？
154（重复）此后人们转向来访的人，感谢他们所讲的一切，他们还请来访者告诉他们的同伴在此所听到的一切。
来访者答应他们会传达这些真理，告诉他们只有认为一切善及真理都来自于主而非来自于他们自己，这样人才能称之为人。天使也应该是这样。
155（重复）第二点：
一天早晨我被一阵甜美的歌唱唤醒，此时刚刚醒来的状态比一天其它时候都更平静，我这时还可以保持在精神状态之中。我体会到歌中所传达的情感（天国中的歌就是用甜美的歌声表达的情感，它是不用词汇而表达的思想）
我感觉到所听到的歌中表达着婚姻之爱中的愉悦，天国中所有的妻子们将它编成了这首歌。
我起来向精神世界望去，只见在东方在太阳下好象下着金色的雨，其实那是清晨的薄雾被阳光照成了金色。此时我清醒过来，走进精神世界，正巧遇到一个天使，我问他是否看到太阳下方的的金色的雨。
天使回答说：“每当他们想到婚姻之爱时向那个方向看都会看到金色的雨。
他又说：“金色的雨落到一个大厅上， 这其中是住在东方乐园中的三对夫妇，这种雨看上去好象是从太阳中落下是因为在那些男人中体现的是关于婚姻之爱的智慧，在那些女人身上体现的是关于婚姻之爱的愉悦的智慧。”
既然你在思考婚姻之爱，我就带你到大厅中去见见那三对夫妇。
我被带到一个乐园中，那里有用橄榄木建的房子，门前有两根香柏木的柱子。经介绍后，那里的男人带着我们去见他们的妻子。
我感觉他们的妻子们象是在我的眼中搜索着什么。于是我问：“你们在看什么？”
他们说：“我们可以看到原因和你的思想，也就是你对异性的爱的想法。我们看到你对此的想法是纯洁的。他们又说，你要我们讲些什么呢？”
我说：“请讲一下婚姻之爱的愉悦。”
他们的丈夫点头说：“他是真诚的，你们若愿意话就讲讲吧。”
于是他们说：“是谁告诉我说妻子们是婚姻之爱的愉悦的接受者，她们对此很敏感，因为女人生来是爱的形式，所有的愉悦都与爱有关。”
她们笑着说：“对此要谨慎些，因为这是深藏在我们女性心中的一种智慧。只有处于真正的婚姻之爱中的丈夫们才知道这些。我们将之深藏在心中有很多原因。
说到这儿丈夫们说：“我们的妻子知道我们头脑所想的一切，没有什么是瞒着她们的。他们能看到，感觉并体会到我们的意愿，相反，我们却不能象他们那样。妻子们精心的爱及对婚姻关系的维护及信任，进而她们有维护双方的快乐的能力，她们出于生来就有的爱的智慧来维护这种快乐，这种爱的智慧使得双方成为爱的接受者。”
我问为什么妻子们不能轻易讲讲婚姻之爱的愉悦呢？
妻子们回答说若她们透露了这点，她们的丈夫会感到心凉，会使得他们与丈夫们分离。
“但是这种情况发生在那些不认为婚姻是神圣的人身上，那种人并不是以一种精神的爱去爱他们的妻子。以精神的爱去爱他们的妻子的人是不同的。他们的爱是精神的，在躯体上体现的自然的爱是精神的爱，因此我们才向我们的丈夫透露了与婚姻之爱相连的愉悦。”
此时，我真诚地请她们给我透露一点秘密，她们立刻向南面的窗户望去，窗前突然出现一只白鸽，它的翅膀象银子一般闪着光，它的头上戴着金冠，它站在长着一橄榄的树枝上。
当他们看到白鸽将要展开翅膀时，她们说：“我们可以透露一点儿”，鸽子的出现暗示着我们可以这样做。
她们接着说：“每个人都有五种感觉：视觉、听觉、味觉、嗅觉和触觉。我们女人都有第六感觉，也就是我们丈夫的婚姻之爱中的愉悦的感觉。当我们接触到丈夫的胸、手臂、手和面颊，尤其是接触到他们的胸时，我们手中就会有这种第六感觉。丈夫们头脑中的喜悦，心中的快乐，胸中的愉悦都会传递到我们身上，并在我们身上展现，我们对这些就象是耳朵对歌声及舌头对美味一样的敏感。”
“总而言之，我们丈夫的精神上的快乐在我们身上，以各种自然的形式展现。因此，我们的丈夫称我们为贞洁的婚姻之爱及其愉悦的感觉器官。但是我们的这种感觉的灵敏程度与我们丈夫对我们的智慧，判断力以及我们对丈夫同样的爱的程度有关，在天国中，我们的这种感觉被称为智慧与它的爱及爱与它的智慧的相互作用。”
我受到触动想要问更多的问题，比如这种愉悦的种类。
她们回答说：“种类有很多，但是我们不想再多说了，因为外面那只白鸽已经飞走了。”
我等了等，白鸽没有回来，于是我问那些丈夫们：“你们也有对婚姻之爱类似的感觉吗？”
他们回答说：“我们有总体上的感觉，但是不是具体的，我们能感到一种祝福，一种愉悦，一种满足感，这种总体上的感觉来自于我们的妻子。”
说到这时，突然间窗前出现了一只天鹅，站在无花果树枝上，它展开翅膀又飞了。
看到这些，丈夫们说：“那是让我们保持沉默的暗示，以后你再来也许你会了解到更多。”
他们之后退去了，我们也离开了。
灵魂和思想通过婚姻的结合
即主所说的不再是两个人而是一体
156（重复）合二为一的倾向和能从创世时起就深植于男人和女人之中，在《创世纪》中可以看到这点：
参见（《创世纪》2:22—24）；《马太福音》19:4—6）
从以上可见女人是从男人而来。男人女人都有相互结合为一的倾向及能力。这一点在创世纪中的男人和女人都被称为人（man在英语中指男人）可以看出。
在这天神创造了人……男人和女人，并且称他们为人……（《创世纪》5:1，2）
在创世纪中还有“神称他们为亚当”，但是“亚当”和“男人”在希伯来语中是同一个词。另外，他们一起被称为“人” 《创世纪》1:27）“一体”也是指一个人。
在《Arcana Coelestia》中对《创世纪》和《出埃及记》的解释中，由男人的肋骨而创造出女人一语中的“肋骨”并非意味着肋骨，男人的肉也并非实际意义上的肉。这些都有精神上的含义，它们是指精神上将两个人合二为一的事物，通过婚姻之爱使得二人合二为一，这种婚姻之爱也是精神的。
我们在从前章节中讲过许多次男人的对智慧的爱被传递到女人身上，在此后将详细阐述，接下来按以下顺序讲述，通过灵魂和思想的结合而使两个人合二为一。
（1）男女两个性别在创世时起就有一种能力和倾向使得他们会合二为一。
（2）婚姻之爱使两个灵魂和两个思想合二为一。
（3）妻子的意愿会与丈夫的理解能力相结合，同时丈夫的理解能力也会与妻子的意愿相结合。
（4）妻子希望丈夫与其合二为一的愿望是持续不间断的，而丈夫与妻子相结合的愿望却是有间歇的。
（5）妻子通过爱激发丈夫合二为一的愿望，丈夫通过他的智慧而接受妻子的爱。
（6）这种结合从婚姻第一天起渐渐加深，处于真正的婚姻之爱中的人的这种结合会持续到永远。
（7）妻子与丈夫的才智上的智慧的结合是内在的，在道德上的智慧的结合是外在的。
（8）为了能实现这种结合，妻子拥有对丈夫情感的体会，并且完全谨慎地调和他的情感。
（9）妻子们将她们的体会深藏在心中，这对于维护婚姻之爱，友谊和信任是必要的。因此他们能够得到祝福幸福地生活在一起。
（10）这种体会是一种妻子们独有的智慧，丈夫们做不到这一点。正如妻子们不可能有丈夫们的才智方面的智慧。
（11）妻子出于爱会不间断地考虑丈夫对自己的感受，希望他与自己合二为一。这一点在丈夫身上却非如此。
（12）妻子通过吸引丈夫的意愿而使自己与丈夫结合。
（13）妻子通过她的爱所产生的氛围而与丈夫结合。
（14）妻子通过与丈夫男性性格的同化而与丈夫结合，这一点取决于他们彼此精神上的爱。
（15）妻子因此将丈夫的形象融入自身之中，并由此体会观察感受丈夫的情感。
（16）丈夫有适应他的职责，妻子有适应她的职责，他们不能很好地履行对方的职责。
（17）这些职责也使得丈夫和妻子合二为一，同时构成一个家，双方彼此依赖来维护家庭。
（18）当上述的结合都完成后，双方就更加成为一个人了。
（19）处于真正婚姻之爱中的配偶会感觉他们就像一个人一样。
（20）真正婚姻之爱实际就是灵魂，思想的结合，是努力从胸部到全身的结合。
（21）真正的婚姻之爱创造出一种天真、平和、宁静、内在的友谊，完全的信任。双方彼此真心希望对方好，同时，也就产生了祝福，愉悦，永恒的属于天国的幸福。
（22）这些祝福只有在一夫一妻的婚姻中才是可能的。
156. (xiv) The married state is preferable to the celibate.
This is evident from what has already been said about marriage and celibacy. The reasons why the married state is preferable are: that the married state exists from creation; that its source is the marriage of good and truth; that it corresponds to the Lord's marriage with the church; that the church and conjugial love are constant companions; that its purpose is higher than that of all else in creation, since it is the propagation in due order of the human race, and also of the heaven of angels, since this comes from the human race. A further consideration is that marriage is a person's fulfilment, since it makes a person fully a person, as will be proved in the next chapter. All these reasons are lacking in the case of celibacy.
[2] If, however, we suppose that the celibate state is superior to the married state, and this supposition is subjected to enquiry to enable it to be affirmed and established by proofs, the consequences are as follows. Marriages are not holy and cannot be chaste; in fact chastity is impossible in the female sex, except for those who abstain from marriage and take a vow of perpetual virginity. Moreover, it is those who have taken a vow of perpetual celibacy who are meant by 'eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of God's kingdom' (Matthew 19:12). There are many other untrue consequences which follow from such an untrue supposition. 'Eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of God's kingdom' means spiritual eunuchs, those who in the married state refrain from the evils of promiscuity. It is evident that Italian castrati are not meant. 1
151b. I shall add here two accounts of experiences, of which this is the first.
When I was going home from the contest of wisdom (described above in 132), I saw on the way an angel dressed in blue. He came and walked beside me, and said: 'I see that you have come away from the contest of wisdom, and that you took great pleasure in what you heard there. But I perceive that you are not fully in this world, because you are at the same time in the natural world, so you do not know about our Olympic sports. At these the wise men of antiquity meet, and learn from newcomers from your world what changes of state and what vicissitudes wisdom has up to the present undergone and is still undergoing. If you like, I will take you to the place where many of the wise men of antiquity live together with their sons, that is, their disciples'.
So he took me to a place on the border between the north and the east, and when I had a view in that direction from a piece of high ground, I caught sight of a city with two hills at one side, the one nearer the city being the lower of the two. 'This city,' he told me, 'is called Athenaeum, the lower hill is called Parnassium, the higher Heliconeum. They bear these names because in the city and its neighbourhood the wise men of ancient Greece live, men such as Pythagoras, Socrates, Aristippus and Xenophon, 2with their disciples and recruits.'
I asked about Plato and Aristotle. He told me that they and their followers were in a different region, because they had taught about reasoning, purely intellectual matters, but the others about moral issues relevant to the conduct of life.
[2] He said that scholars from the city of Athenaeum were frequently sent on embassies to the educated Christians of the day, to report what they thought about God, the creation of the universe, the immortality of the soul, the condition of man as compared with that of animals, and other matters which belong to inner wisdom. He told me that the crier had announced a meeting for that day, a sign that their emissaries had met some newcomers from the earth and heard some interesting news.
We saw a lot of people coming out of the city and its neighbourhood, some of them with laurel-wreaths on the heads, some holding palm-fronds in their hands, some with books under their arms, and some with pens tucked under the hair of the left temple. We joined them and went up together, and found on the hill an octagonal palace, which they called the Palladium. When we went in, we found eight hexagonal recesses, in each of which there was a bookcase, as well as a table, at which those who wore laurels sat down. In the Palladium proper we saw seats carved out of stone, on which the remainder seated themselves.
[3] Then a door on the left was opened, and by it two newcomers from the earth were brought in. When they had been welcomed, one of those wearing laurels asked them, 'What news is there from earth?'
'The news,' they said, 'is that in forests men have been found resembling animals, or animals resembling men. It was recognised from their faces and bodies that they had been born men, but that at the age of two or three they had been lost or abandoned in the forests. It was said that these creatures could not voice any of their thoughts, nor learn how to make articulate sounds so as to utter words. Neither did they know what food was fit for them, as animals do, but they put in their mouths what grew in the forest whether clean or dirty, and much more of the same kind. From these facts some of our learned men made many guesses and some drew many deductions about the condition of men as compared with that of animals.'
[4] On hearing this some of the wise men of antiquity asked, 'What were their guesses and deductions from these facts?' The newcomers replied that there was a great deal, but it could be reduced to the following:
(a) Man by his nature and also from birth is more stupid and so more vile than any animal, and if not taught becomes like one.
(b) He can be taught because he has learnt to make articulate sounds, and so to talk; and by this means he has begun to express his thoughts; and by degrees he has done so more and more, until he could frame the laws of living together, many of which, however, have been imprinted on animals from birth.
(c) Animals equally with men are capable of reasoning.
(d) If therefore animals could talk, they would reason as cleverly on all subjects as men. A proof of this is that they think from reason and prudence just as much as men.
(e) The intellect is merely a modification of sunlight with the co-operation of heat by means of the ether, so that it is simply an activity of a more inward nature. This activity can be raised to such a height that it looks like wisdom.
(f) It is therefore useless to believe that man lives after death any more than an animal does, except that perhaps for a few days after death an exhalation of the life of the body may appear as a cloud in the form of a ghost, before being dispersed into nature. This is very much as when a twig picked out of the ashes of a fire may appear to retain the likeness of its shape.
(g) Consequently religion, which teaches that life continues after death, is an invention so that the simple may be kept inwardly obedient by its laws, just as they are kept outwardly obedient by the civil law.
They added that these were the reasonings of those who were only clever, not intelligent. 'What do the intelligent think?' they asked. The reply was that they had not heard, but they were of the opinion that they thought the same.
152b. On hearing this all who were sitting at the tables said: 'What times they live in on earth now! What sad changes has wisdom undergone! It seems to have been turned into foolish cleverness. The sun has set and is beneath the earth, diametrically opposite its noon position. How can anyone fail to know from the evidence of the people abandoned in the forests, that this is what man is like if he receives no instruction? Surely he is what he is taught to be. By birth he is more ignorant than animals. He must then learn to walk and to talk. If he did not learn to walk, would he stand upright on his feet? And if he did not learn to talk, would he be able to utter any of his thoughts? Surely everyone is what he is taught to be, crazy if taught falsities, wise if taught truths? And if he is crazy from being taught falsities, does he not imagine himself to be wiser than the man who is wise from being taught truths? Are there not foolish and deranged people who are no more human beings than those who were found in the forests? Are not those who have lost their memory like them?
[2] 'From both these sets of facts we draw the conclusion that a man is not a man without instruction, and is not an animal either, but he is a form capable of receiving in himself what makes a man human, so that he is not born a man, but becomes one. Man has by birth a form such that he can be an instrument for the reception of life from God, with a view to being a subject into which God can put all good, and by union with Himself make blessed for ever. We perceive from what you say that wisdom at the present time is so far extinct or turned to foolishness, that there is total ignorance about the terms upon which human being live as compared with those on which animals live. As a result, they do not know either anything about how a person lives after death. But those who are able, but unwilling, to know about this, and so deny its reality, as many of you Christians do, can be likened to the people found in the forests. It is not that they have become so stupid through being deprived of instruction, but they have made themselves stupid by relying on the fallacies of the senses, which are the darkness that conceals truths.'
153b. But then someone standing in the middle of the Palladium and holding a palm-frond in his hand said: 'Please unravel this mystery. How could a man having been created a form of God be changed into the form of a devil? I am well aware that the angels of heaven are forms of God, and the angels of hell are forms of the devil, and that these two are completely opposite forms, one of madness, the other of wisdom. Tell me, then, how could man created as a form of God pass from daylight into such a night as to be able to deny the existence of God and everlasting life?'
[2] The teachers replied one after the other, first the Pythagoreans, then the Socratics, and afterwards the rest. But among them there was a certain follower of Plato, who was the last to speak. His opinion, which was adopted, went like this. The people of the age of Saturn, the golden age, knew and acknowledged that they were forms for the reception of life from God, and consequently they had wisdom written on their souls and their hearts, so that they saw truth by the light of truth, and truths enabled them to perceive good by the pleasure of its love. 'But,' he said, 'as in the following periods the human race retreated from the acknowledgment that all the truths of wisdom and thus all the good of love they had was continually flowing in from God, they ceased to be dwelling-places of God, and then too they stopped talking with God and mixing with angels. For the interiors of their minds were diverted from their previous direction, which was being raised upwards by God towards God, and they were turned further and further aside, outwards towards the world, and so directed by God to God by way of the world. Finally they were turned in the opposite direction, which is downwards towards oneself. Because a person who is inwardly turned upside down or away cannot look to God, people separated themselves from God and became forms of hell, and so of the devil.
[3] 'It follows from this that in the earliest ages people acknowledged with heart and soul that all the good of love, and so all the truth of wisdom, came to them from God, and also that this good and truth were God's in them, so that they were purely receivers of life from God; which is why they were called images of God, sons of God and born of God. But in the following ages people no longer acknowledged this with their heart and soul, but were influenced by some incorrect belief, later by historical faith and finally merely professing it with their lips. Acknowledging anything of this kind merely by professing it with the lips is not acknowledging it, but is in fact denying it at heart.
'These facts enable us to see what wisdom is like on earth among present-day Christians. They can still be inspired by God as the result of a written revelation, while not being aware of the difference between man and an animal. Thus many people believe that if a man lives after death, so too must an animal; or because an animal does not live after death, neither can man. Surely our spiritual light, which enlightens our mental vision, is in their case turned to thick darkness; and their natural light, which only enlightens the bodily vision, has become dazzling light to them?'
154b. After this speech all turned to the two newcomers and thanked them for coming and bringing them their report; and they begged them to carry back to their brethren a report of what they had heard. The newcomers replied that they would strengthen their people in their belief in this truth, that in so far as they attribute all the good of charity and all the truth of faith to the Lord and not to themselves, so far are they human beings and so far do they become angels of heaven.
155b. The second experience.
One morning I was woken up by the sweetest singing, heard coming from some height above me. So in the earliest moments of waking, a period which is inward, peaceful and sweet compared with the rest of the day, I could for some while remain in the spirit as if outside the body, and give the most detailed attention to the affection expressed by the singing. Singing in heaven is simply a mental affection which is expressed through the mouth as a modulation of sound, since it is the sound, distinct from the speaker's words, coming from the affection of his love which gives life to speech. In that state I perceived that it was the affection for the delights of conjugial love, which wives in heaven had made into a song. I could tell this was so by the sound of the singing, in which those varied delights were reproduced in wonderful ways.
After this I got up, and looked out into the spiritual world, and saw to the east what looked like golden rain below the sun there. It was morning dew falling so densely that it seemed to my view like golden rain as it caught the rays of the sun. This made me still more fully awake, so I went out in spirit and asked an angel whom I chanced to meet whether he had seen the golden rain falling from the sun.
[2] 'Yes,' he answered, 'I see it every time I meditate about conjugial love,' and then he turned his gaze in that direction. 'That rain,' he said, 'falls on a hall where three husbands live with their wives in the middle of the eastern park. The reason such rain is seen falling, 3from the sun over that hall is that there wisdom about conjugial love and its delights abides with them, about conjugial love with the husbands and about its delights with their wives. But I perceive that you are meditating about the delights of conjugial love, so I will take you to that hall and introduce you.'
He took me through park-land to some houses built of olive wood with two cedar columns in front of the door. He introduced me to the husbands, and asked if I might talk with their wives in their presence.
They agreed and summoned them. The wives looked piercingly at my eyes, so I asked, 'Why do you do that?'
'We can,' they said, 'see exactly what is your inclination and so affection, and thus what you are thinking about sexual love. We see you are meditating deeply but chastely about it. What,' they asked, 'do you want us to tell you about it?'
'Please be so good,' I answered, 'as to tell me something about the delights of conjugial love.' Their husbands agreed and said, 'Yes, you can reveal something about that if you like; they have chaste ears.'
[3] 'Who was it,' they asked, 'told you to question us about the delights of that love? Why not our husbands?' 'This angel with me,' I replied, 'whispered in my ear that it is wives who receive and feel those delights, since they are born to be loves, and all delights belong to love.'
They replied to this with a smile, 'Be careful, and don't say anything like that, except with ambiguous meaning, because we women have wisdom deeply stored in our hearts, and we do not disclose it to any husband unless he enjoys truly conjugial love. There are many reasons for this, which we keep hidden away.'
'Our wives,' said the husbands, 'know every state of our minds, and nothing escapes their notice. They see, perceive and feel anything that proceeds from our will, but we in turn perceive nothing in our wives. Wives have this privilege, because they are very tender loves and as it were burning with zeal to preserve friendship and trust in marriage, and thus a happy life for both. They take care to maintain this for their husbands and themselves due to the wisdom inherent in their love, which is so full of prudence that they are unwilling and thus unable to say they love, but only that they are loved.'
'Why,' I asked, 'are they unwilling and thus unable?' They replied that if the slightest hint of this escaped their lips, a chill would grip their husbands, and banish them from their bed, their bedroom and their sight. 'But this,' they said, 'happens to those who do not regard marriage as holy, and therefore do not love their wives with spiritual love. It is different in the case of those who do; in their minds that love is spiritual and from this it becomes natural in the body. We in this hall enjoy natural love arising from spiritual, so we entrust our husbands with our secrets about the delights of conjugial love.'
[4] Then I pressed them strongly to reveal some of these secrets to me too. At once they started looking towards the window facing the south, where we saw a shining white dove, with its wings glistening as if of silver and its head decorated with a crest as if of gold, standing on a branch from which sprang an olive. When the dove tried to stretch its wings, the wives said, 'We will reveal something; when that dove appears, it is a sign that we may.'
'Every man,' they said, 'has five senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. But we also have a sixth, which allows us to feel all the delights of our husband's conjugial love. We have this feeling in the palms of our hands, when we touch our husbands' chests, arms, hands or cheeks, but particularly their chests. We also feel it when they touch us. All the happiness and charm of the thoughts in their minds, and all the joys and pleasures in their consciousness, and the amusement and cheerfulness in their chests are passed from them to us and take a form, becoming perceptible, capable of being felt and touched. We can tell them apart as accurately and exactly as the ear can tell apart the notes of a song, or the tongue the tastes of delicacies. In short, our husbands' spiritual pleasures put on a kind of natural embodiment in us. Our husbands therefore call us the sense organs of chaste conjugial love, and so of its delights. This sense our sex has comes into and remains in existence, continues and grows the more our husbands love us for wisdom and judgment, and we in turn love them for the same qualities in them. This sense our sex has is called in the heavens the sport of wisdom with its love and of love with its wisdom.'
[5] These remarks filled me with a longing to ask many more questions, for instance, about the various kinds of delights. 'The variety is endless,' they said, 'but we do not wish to say more, and so we cannot, because the dove in our window has flown off with the olive branch in its claws.' I waited for it to come back, but in vain. Meanwhile I asked the husbands, 'Do you not have a similar sense of conjugial love?' 'We have,' they replied, 'a general sense, but not a particular one. We feel a general blessedness, pleasure and charm arising from the particular ones our wives feel. This general feeling we get from them is like the tranquillity of peace.'
When they had said this, we saw through the window a swan standing on the branch of a fig-tree; it unfolded its wings and flew away. On seeing this the husbands said, 'This is our sign to keep quiet about conjugial love. Come back again from time to time, and perhaps more will be revealed.' So they turned away, and we left.
156b. CHAPTER VIII. THE LINKING OF SOULS AND MINDS BY MARRIAGE, WHICH IS WHAT IS MEANT BY THE LORD'S WORDS: 'THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO, BUT ONE FLESH'
It is evident from Genesis and also from the Lord's words that from creation men and women are endowed with an inclination and also the ability to be linked as it were into one; and both of these are still present in men and women. We read in the Book of Creation called Genesis:
Jehovah God built the rib which he had taken from the man to make a woman, and brought her to the man. And the man said, As things are now this is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. Her name shall be Ishshah, because she was taken from Ish. 4For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:22-24.
The Lord as reported by Matthew said much the same:
Have you not read that he who from the beginning made male and female said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and they shall become one flesh; therefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. Matthew 19:4-5.
[2] It is plain from these words that woman was created out of man, and both of them have an inclination and ability to be reunited into one. This means into one human being, as is plain from Genesis, where each are together called man. For it says:
On the day when God created man, he created them male and female, and called their name man. Genesis 5:1-2.
We read there: 'He called their name Adam,' but 'Adam' and 'man' are the same word in Hebrew. Moreover, each is also called man (Genesis 1:27; 3:22-24). 'One flesh' also means one human being, as is plain from passages in the Word where the expression 'all flesh' is used to mean every human being (e.g. Genesis 6:12-13, 17, 19; Isaiah 40:5-6; 49:26; 66:16, 23-24; Jeremiah 25:31; 32:27; 45:5; Ezekiel 20:48; 21:4-5; and elsewhere).
[3] However, I have shown in ARCANA CAELESTIA, which explains the spiritual sense of the two books of Genesis and Exodus, what is the meaning of 'the man's rib' which was built to make a woman, of 'the flesh' which was closed up in its place, and so of 'bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh', of 'father and mother' whom a man is to leave on getting married, and of 'clinging to his wife.' It was proved there that 'rib' does not mean rib, 'flesh' does not mean flesh, 'bone' does not mean bone, and 'cling' does not mean cling; but the spiritual things are meant which correspond to them and are therefore expressed in this way. It is plain that they mean spiritual things which turn two people into a single person, from the fact that it is conjugial love which links them, and that is a spiritual love. I have said several times above that the man's love of wisdom is copied into the wife; and a fuller proof of this will be given in the following chapters. I cannot at this point digress and depart from the subject here under discussion, which is the linking of a married couple to become one flesh by the union of their souls and minds. This union will be expounded in the following order:
(i) From creation each sex is endowed with the ability and inclination to be linked as it were into one.
(ii) Conjugial love links two souls and so two minds into one.
(iii) A wife's will links itself to a man's intellect, and so his intellect links itself to his wife's will.
(iv) The inclination to be united with a man is constant and permanent in the case of a wife, but inconstant and fluctuating in the case of a man.
(v) The linking is inspired in a man by his wife in proportion to her love; and it is received by the man in proportion to his wisdom.
(vi) That linking takes place by stages from the first days of a marriage, and in the case of those who enjoy truly conjugial love it becomes deeper and deeper for ever.
(vii) The linking of a wife to her husband's rational wisdom takes place from within, but to his moral wisdom from outside.
(viii) In order to effect that linking a wife is given the ability to perceive her husband's affections and to guide them with extreme caution.
(ix) Wives hide this power of perceiving away in themselves, and conceal it from their husbands for very necessary reasons, so that conjugial love, friendship, trust and so the blessings of living together and a happy life may be firmly established.
(x) This power of perception is the wife's wisdom; it cannot exist in a man, nor can the man's rational wisdom exist in the wife.
(xi) A wife is constantly led by love to think about her husband's inclination towards herself, with the intention of linking him to herself; but it is different for a man.
(xii) A wife links herself to her husband by paying attention to the desires of his will.
(xiii) A wife is linked to her husband by the sphere of life which issues from her love for him.
(xiv) A wife is linked to her husband by making her own the powers of his manliness; but this is dependent upon their spiritual love for each other.
(xv) The wife thus receives in herself an image of her husband, and consequently perceives, sees and feels his affections.
(xvi) A man has his own duties and a wife has hers; a wife cannot be involved in her husband's duties, nor a man in his wife's, and perform them properly.
(xvii) These duties also link the two into one as they help each other; and together they make a single household.
(xviii) As they are linked in the ways that have been stated couples become more and more one person.
(xix) Those who enjoy truly conjugial love feel themselves a united person and like one flesh.
(xx) Truly conjugial love regarded in essence is a union of souls, a linking of minds, and an effort to be linked in chest and so in body.
(xxi) The states of this love are innocence, peace, tranquillity, intimate friendship, full trust and a desire shared by the disposition and heart of each to do the other all the good they can. All these things give rise to blessedness, bliss, joy and pleasure, and by their everlasting enjoyment heavenly happiness.
(xxii) There is no way that these can exist except in the marriage of one man with one wife.
An explanation of these points now follows.
156. 14. The state of marriage is preferable to a state of celibacy. This follows from what has been said so far about marriage and celibacy. The state of marriage is preferable because it exists from creation; because the origin of it is the marriage between good and truth; because it corresponds to the marriage of the Lord and the church; because the church and conjugial love are constant companions; and because the use it serves is more excellent than the uses served by anything else in creation, seeing that it results, according to order, in the propagation of the human race, and also of the angelic heaven, since heaven exists from the human race. In addition to this, marriage is the completion of a person, for by marriage a person becomes a complete person, as we show next in the following chapter. 1None of these things is true of celibacy.
[2] On the other hand, if one takes the proposition that a state of celibacy is better than the state of marriage and turns it over to an inquisition to approve and confirm by arguments, then these arguments lead to the following conclusions: That marriage is not sacred, nor can any marriage be chaste. Indeed, that chastity in the female sex is possible only in the case of those who refrain from marrying and take a vow of perpetual virginity. And moreover, that people who take a vow of perpetual celibacy are the kind of people meant by "eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:12). Besides many other conclusions which, stemming from an untrue premise, are also untrue.
"Eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God" mean spiritual eunuchs, and these are people who in their marriages abstain from the evils of licentious relationships. The statement plainly does not mean Italian castrati. 2
151r. [Numbering was repeated by the author] 3To this I will append two narrative accounts. This is the first:
As I was returning home from the school of wisdom spoken of above in no. 132, on the way I saw an angel dressed in blue.
He attached himself to my side and said, "I see that you have come from one of the schools of wisdom and that you were pleased by what you heard there. I perceive, too, that you are not fully in this world, because you are at the same time in the natural world. You are therefore also not acquainted with our Olympian gymnasia, where sages of old meet and learn from newcomers from your world what changes and progressions the state of wisdom has gone through and is presently undergoing. This being the case, if you wish, I will take you to a place where many of the sages of old live, together with their descendants or disciples."
He then took me to a border region between the north and the east. And when from an elevation I looked out toward it, suddenly a city appeared, and on one side of it two hills, with the hill nearer the city being lower than the other.
And the angel said to me, "That city is called Athenaeum, the lower hill Parnassium, and the higher one Heliconeum. They are called by these names because in the city and around it live wise men of old from Greece, such as Pythagoras, Socrates, Aristippus, and Xenophon, along with their disciples and pupils."
I then asked about Plato and Aristotle. The angel said that they and their followers lived in another region, because they taught matters of reason having to do with the intellect, while the ones here taught matters of morality having to do with life.
[2] The angel said that scholarly envoys are frequently sent out from the city of Athenaeum to educated Christians, to find out from them what people presently think about God, the creation of the universe, the immortality of the soul, the nature of man compared to the nature of animals, and other things which are matters of interior wisdom. And the angel said that today a herald had announced an assembly, a sign that the envoys had found newcomers from the earth from whom they had heard some interesting news.
We then saw many people coming out of the city and from the surrounding area, some wearing laurel wreaths on their heads, some holding palm branches in their hands, some with books under their arms, and some with pens under the hair of the left temple.
We slipped in among them and together ascended. And lo, on the hill there was an octagonal palace, which they called the Palladium, and we went in. And behold, we saw there eight hexagonal alcoves, each with a set of bookcases in it, and also a table, at which the people with the laurel wreaths sat. Moreover, in the Palladium itself we saw benches carved out of stone, on which the rest of the people took their seats.
[3] And then a door opened on the left, through which two newcomers from earth were ushered in. And having first greeted them, one of those wearing the laurel wreaths asked: "What news do you have from earth?"
So the newcomers said, "The news is that some people resembling beasts, or beasts resembling people, have been found in a forest. From their facial and physical features, however, it has been reportedly learned that they were born human, and that they were lost or left in the forest when they were about two or three years old.
"According to the report," the newcomers said, "they are unable to express any thought verbally, nor are they able to learn how to articulate sound into the form of any word. Nor did they know what food was suitable for them, as animals do, but they thrust into their mouth things they found in the forest, both things fit to be eaten and things unfit - to mention only some of many other similar discoveries. As a result of these findings, some of the learned among us have formed a number of conjectures, and others conclusions, about the nature of human beings compared to the nature of animals."
[4] When they heard this, some of the sages of old inquired, "What conjectures and conclusions do they draw from these discoveries?"
The two newcomers then replied that there were a number of them, but that they could be reduced to the following:
1. By his own nature and also from birth, the human being is more stupid and thus worse off than any animal, and that is the way he turns out if he is not educated.
2. He can be educated because he learned how to make articulate sounds and thus to speak, and by that means began to express thoughts, and this gradually more and more, until he was able to formulate laws of society, though many of these laws are imprinted on animals from birth.
3. Animals have the same faculty of reason as human beings.
4. Therefore if animals could talk, they would reason on any subject as cleverly as human beings. It is an indication of their ability that they think in accordance with the same reason and prudence as human beings.
5. The intellect is no more than a modified form of light from the sun, aided by warmth, by means of the ether, so that it is only an activity of interior nature, and this activity can be raised to the point that it appears as wisdom.
6. It is therefore vain to believe that a person lives after death any more than an animal - unless perhaps, owing to an exhalation of the life of the body, he may possibly appear for several days after death as a vapor resembling a ghost, before it evaporates back into nature - in much the same way as a bush raised from the ashes appears in a likeness of its prior form.
7. Consequently, religion, which teaches life after death, is an invention to keep simple people in bondage from within by its laws, as they are kept in bondage from without by laws of the state.
To this the newcomers added, that that was merely how some clever people reasoned, but not the intelligent ones.
Their listeners then asked, "What is the reasoning of the intelligent ones?"
The newcomers answered that they had not heard, but it was what they supposed.
152r. 3On hearing these things, the people who were sitting at the tables all said, "Oh, what the times are like on earth now! Alas, what changes wisdom has undergone! Has wisdom become ingenious nonsense? The sun has set and now stands beneath the earth diametrically opposite its zenith!
"From the evidence of the people left and found in the forest, who cannot see that that is what a human being is like without education? Is he not as he is taught? Is he not born in a greater state of ignorance than animals? Does he not have to learn to walk and talk? If he did not learn to walk, would he stand erect upon his feet? And if he did not learn to talk, would he mutter anything he thought? Is everyone not as he is taught, irrational from being taught falsities, and wise from being taught truths? And one who is irrational from being taught falsities - is he not entirely caught up in the fantasy that he is wiser than one who is wise from being taught truths? Are there not fools and lunatics who are no more human than the people found in the forest? Are persons without memory not similar to them?
[2] "From these considerations and observations, we ourselves conclude that a person without education is not human, and not an animal either, but that he is a form of life which can receive into himself that which makes a person human. And thus we conclude that he is not born human, but becomes human; and that a person is born such a form of life in order that he may be an organism receptive of life from God, so that he may become a vessel into which God can introduce every kind of good and which by union with Himself He can bless to eternity.
"We perceive from what you have said that wisdom today has become so nonexistent or nonsensical that people know nothing at all about the nature of the life of human beings compared to the nature of the life of animals. That is why they also do not know the nature of man's life after death. Nevertheless, those who could know it, but do not wish to know it and therefore deny it, as many of your Christians do - we can liken them to the people found in the forest. Not that they have become that stupid from a lack of education; but by relying on misconceptions of the senses, which are dark shadows of truths, they have made themselves that stupid."
153r. [repeated] 3At this point, however, someone in the middle of the Palladium stood up, holding a palm branch in his hand, and said, "Explain, please, this mystery, how a human being, created in the image of God, could be changed into the form of a devil. I know that angels of heaven are images of God and that angels of hell are images of the devil; and the two forms are opposite each other, angels of hell being forms of madness, angels of heaven forms of wisdom. Tell us, therefore, how a human being, created in the image of God, could pass from the light of day into such darkness of night that he could deny God and eternal life."
[2] To this the masters replied in turn, first the Pythagoreans, then the Socratics, and afterwards the rest.
But there was among them a certain Platonist. He spoke last, and his opinion prevailed. He said that people of the Saturnian period or golden age knew and acknowledged that they were recipient forms of life from God, and wisdom was therefore engraved on their souls and hearts. And consequently, from the light of truth they saw truth, and through truths perceived good from the delight of a love for good.
"However," he said, "in subsequent ages, the human race fell away from acknowledging that all truth of wisdom and consequent goodness of love in them continually flowed in from God; and as they fell away from this acknowledgment, they ceased to be dwelling places of God. Moreover, speech with God and association with angels also then ceased. For the orientation of the inner faculties of their minds, which had been directed upwards by God to God, became more and more bent in a slanting direction outward to the world, so that it was directed by God to God through the world; and finally it was turned upside down in the opposite direction, which is downwards to self. And because God cannot be regarded by a person who is inwardly upside down and thus turned away, people separated themselves from God and became forms of hell or the devil.
[3] "It follows from this that, in the first ages, people acknowledged with their heart and soul that all goodness of love and so truth of wisdom came to them from God, and also that these virtues were virtues of God in them, so that they themselves were merely recipients of life from God and for this reason were called images of God, sons of God, and born of God. But it follows then that, in succeeding ages, they no longer acknowledged this with their heart and soul, but did so owing to a certain conviction of belief, and then as a result of traditional faith, and finally with the lips alone. And to acknowledge something like this with the lips alone is not really acknowledging. Indeed, it is to deny at heart.
"Consequently it can be seen what wisdom is like today on earth among Christians - even though with their written revelation they could be inspired by God - when they do not know the difference between man and animal. And because of this, many of them believe that if a person lives after death, so will an animal. Or, because an animal does not live after death, so neither will a person. Has not our spiritual light, which enlightens the sight of the mind, become darkness in them? And their natural light, which enlightens only the sight of the body - has it not become their refulgence?"
154r. 3After this the people all turned to the two visitors and thanked them for their coming and for their account; and they begged them to report to their comrades what they had heard.
Then the visitors replied that they would convince their friends of this truth, that they are human to the extent that they attribute every good of charity and truth of faith to the Lord and not to themselves; and that in the same measure they become angels of heaven.
155r. 3The second account:
One morning I was awakened by the sound of very sweet singing from some height above me. And being therefore in the first moment of awakening, which is more internal, peaceful and gentle than any other moment of the day, I could be kept for a while in the spirit, as though outside the body, and could attend keenly to the affection which was being expressed in song. (A song in heaven is nothing but an affection of the mind which is expressed vocally as a melody, for it is the sound of one speaking without spoken words, coming from the same affection of love which gives life to speech.)
In that state I perceived that it was an affection having to do with the delights of conjugial love, which was turned into song by wives in heaven. I noticed that this was so from the sound of the singing, in which those delights were variously expressed in marvelous ways.
After this I arose and looked out into the spiritual world. And lo, in the east, beneath the sun there, I saw what seemed to be golden rain. It was morning mist, descending in such quantity that, struck by the rays of the sun, it presented to my eyes the appearance of golden rain. Being still more fully awakened on account of it, I went out in spirit, and then, meeting by chance an angel, I asked him whether he saw the golden rain coming down from the sun.
[2] Answering, he replied that he saw it whenever he was thinking about conjugial love and then turned his eyes in that direction.
He said further, "That rain falls upon a hall where there are three husbands with their wives, who live at the center of an eastern paradise. This kind of rain seems to be falling from the sun upon that hall, because abiding in those husbands and wives is wisdom concerning conjugial love and its delights - in the husbands, wisdom concerning conjugial love, and in the wives, wisdom concerning its delights.
"But since I perceive that you are thinking about the delights of conjugial love, I will take you to that hall and introduce you."
So he led me through areas befitting a paradise to houses which were built with boards of olive wood, with two columns of cedar in front of the entrance; and having introduced me to the husbands, he asked that I be allowed, in their presence, to speak with their wives.
They then nodded and called their wives.
The wives looked searchingly into my eyes. So I asked, "What are you looking at?" They said, "We can see keenly what attraction you feel and therefore what affection you have, which is where your thought concerning love for the opposite sex comes from. And we see that although you are thinking about it intently, still you are thinking chastely." They then said, "What do you want us to tell you about it?"
So I replied, "Please tell me something about the delights of conjugial love."
And the husbands nodded, saying, "Reveal to them something about these delights, if you wish. Their ears are chaste."
[3] So they asked, "Who told you that we were the ones to ask about the delights of that love? Why not our husbands?"
Then I replied, "This angel who is with me, he told me privately that wives are vessels receptive of and sensitive to those delights, because they are born forms of love, and all delights have to do with love."
Smiling at this they answered, "Be discreet, and do not say such a thing unless it can be interpreted in more than one way, because it is a point of wisdom kept deeply hidden in the hearts of our sex, which is not revealed to any husband except to one who is in a state of truly conjugial love. There are many reasons for this, which we conceal within and keep to ourselves."
At that the husbands then said, "Our wives know all the states of our mind, nor is anything hidden from them. They see, perceive and feel whatever comes from our will. And we in turn know nothing of this in our wives. Wives have this gift, because they have very tender loves and feelings of almost blazing zeal for the preservation of the friendship and trust in marriage and thus for the preservation of both partners' happiness of life. This happiness they watch over for their husbands and themselves from a wisdom inherent in their love - wisdom which is so full of discretion that they will not and therefore cannot say that they are the lovers, but that they are the recipients of love."
I then asked why wives will not and so cannot say this.
The wives replied that if the least suggestion of anything like this were to slip from their lips, their husbands would be invaded with coldness, which would separate them from their bed, bedroom, and sight.
"But this happens," they said, "in the case of people who do not hold marriage sacred, and who therefore do not love their wives with a spiritual love. It is different with those who do. This love in their minds is spiritual, and in the body becomes natural as a result of that. We here in this hall experience the natural love as a result of a spiritual one, and consequently we confide to our husbands secrets about the delights we feel having to do with conjugial love."
[4] At this point, I respectfully asked them to reveal something of these secrets to me as well. And immediately they looked toward the window to the south, where suddenly a white dove appeared. Its wings shone as though with silver, and its head was adorned with a crown seemingly of gold. It was standing on a branch, which had an olive growing out from it.
As they saw the dove engaged in an attempt to spread its wings, the wives said, "We will reveal something. When that dove appears, it is a sign to us that we may."
They then said, "Every man has five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. But we have also a sixth sense, which is a sense of all the delights of conjugial love in our husbands. We have this sense in the palms of our hands, whenever we touch our husbands' breasts, arms, hands or cheeks - especially their breasts - and also when we are touched by them. All the happy and pleasant states of the thoughts of their mind, and all the joys and delights of their heart, and the merry and cheerful feelings in their breast - these are then transmitted from them to us, taking form in us and becoming perceptible, discernible, and tangible. Moreover, we discern these things as keenly and as clearly as the ear discerns the melodies of songs, or as the tongue does the flavors of exquisite foods.
"In a word, the spiritual delights of our husbands take on a kind of natural embodiment in us. And for that reason, our husbands call us the sensory organs of chaste conjugial love and therefore of its delights. But this sense in our sex appears, continues, remains, and rises in the measure that our husbands love us for our wisdom and judgment, and in the measure that we love them in return for the same qualities in them. In heaven, this sense in our sex is called the interplay of wisdom with its love and of love with its wisdom."
[5] I was stirred by this with a desire to ask more questions, such as about the variety of the delights.
Answering, they said, "The variety is endless. However, we do not wish to say any more, and therefore we cannot, because the dove outside our window, with the olive branch under its feet, has flown away."
I then waited for its return, but in vain. Meanwhile, I asked the husbands, "Do you have a similar sense of conjugial love?"
And they replied, "We have one in general, but not in particular. We have a general sense of bliss, of delight, and of pleasant contentment, owing to the particular sensations of these in our wives. And this general sense, which we have from them, is like a peaceful serenity."
At these words, suddenly through the window a swan appeared, standing on the branch of a fig tree; and spreading its wings, it flew off.
Seeing this, the husbands said, "That is a sign for us to be silent about conjugial love. Come back from time to time, and perhaps more will be disclosed."
They then withdrew, and we departed.
Footnotes:
1. See "The Conjunction of Souls and Minds by Marriage," nos. 156b ff.
2. Male singers, especially in the 18th century, castrated before puberty to prevent the soprano or contralto voice range from changing.
156b. 1THE CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS BY MARRIAGE MEANT BY THE LORD'S SAYING THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO BUT ONE FLESH
An inclination and also a capacity for conjunction as though into one was implanted in man and woman from creation, and man and woman still have this inclination and capacity in them. That this is so appears from the book of creation, and at the same time from what the Lord said. In the book of creation, which we call Genesis, we read:
Jehovah God fashioned the rib, which He had taken from the man, into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And the man said, "This one, this time, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman ('ishshah), because she was taken from man ('ish). For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and they shall be as one flesh." (Genesis 2:22-24)
The Lord also said something similar in Matthew:
Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning...male and female..., said, "For this reason a man shall leave father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two shall be as one flesh"? Therefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. (Matthew 19:4-6)
[2] It is apparent from these verses that woman was created out of man, and that they each have both an inclination and a capacity for reuniting themselves into one. This means into one person, as is also apparent from the book of creation, where the two together are called "man." For we read:
In the day that God created man..., He created them male and female...and called their name Man.... (Genesis 5:1-2)
We find the reading here, "He called their name Adam," but "Adam" and "man" are the same word in the Hebrew. Moreover, both together are called "man" in Genesis 1:27 and 3:22-24. "One flesh" also means "one person," as is apparent from passages in the Word where the term "all flesh" occurs, meaning "every person" (such as in Genesis 6:12-13,17,19; 2Isaiah 40:5-6, 49:26, 66:16,23-24; Jeremiah 25:31, 32:27, 45:5; Ezekiel 20:48, 21:4-5; and elsewhere).
[3] But as for the meaning of the rib of the man which was fashioned into a woman, of the flesh which was closed up in its place, and consequently what is meant by "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh," also what is meant by the father and mother which a man is to leave when he marries, and by his clinging to his wife - this we showed in Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), where we explained the two books, Genesis and Exodus, in their spiritual sense. We established there that a rib does not mean a rib, nor flesh flesh, nor a bone bone, nor cling cling, but that they mean spiritual things, to which they correspond and which they therefore symbolize. They mean the spiritual things which mold one person out of two, and this is evident from the fact that it is conjugial love which joins them together, and this love is spiritual.
We have said several times above that a man's love of wisdom is transferred into his wife, and this will be more fully established in the chapters that follow next. We cannot go off and thus digress now from the subject matter before us here, which is the conjunction of two married partners into one flesh by a union of their souls and minds. This union, however, will be made clear according to the following outline:
1. Each sex has implanted in it from creation a capacity and inclination that gives them the ability and the will to be joined together as though into one.
2. Conjugial love joins two souls and thus two minds into one.
3. A wife's will unites itself with her husband's understanding, and the husband's understanding in consequence unites itself with his wife's will.
4. A desire to unite her husband to her is constant and continual in a wife, but inconstant and intermittent in a husband.
5. A wife inspires the union in her husband according to her love, and a husband receives it according to his wisdom.
6. This union takes place gradually from the first days of marriage, and in people who are in a state of truly conjugial love, it becomes deeper and deeper to eternity.
7. A wife's union with her husband's intellectual wisdom takes place inwardly, but with his moral wisdom outwardly.
8. In order that this union may be achieved, a wife is given a perception of her husband's affections, and also the highest prudence in knowing how to moderate them.
9. Wives keep this perception in them hidden and conceal it from their husbands for reasons that are necessary in building conjugial love, friendship and trust, so that they may have bliss in living together and happiness of life.
10. This perception is a wisdom that the wife has. A man is not capable of it, neither is a wife capable of her husband's intellectual wisdom.
11. A wife from her love continually thinks about her husband's disposition towards her, with a view to joining him to her. This is not true of a husband.
12. A wife joins herself to her husband by appeals to his will's desires.
13. A wife is joined to her husband by the atmosphere of her life emanating from her love.
14. A wife is joined to her husband by her assimilation of the powers of his manhood, though this depends on the spiritual love they have for each other.
15. A wife thus receives into herself an image of her husband, and from it perceives, sees and feels his affections.
16. A husband has duties appropriate to him, and a wife duties appropriate to her, and a wife cannot enter into duties appropriate to her husband or a husband into duties appropriate to his wife and perform them properly.
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.
18. According as the aforementioned conjunctions are formed, married partners become more and more one person.
19. Partners who are in a state of truly conjugial love feel themselves to be a united person and as though one flesh.
20. Truly conjugial love regarded in itself is a union of souls, a conjunction of minds, an effort to conjunction in breasts, and a consequent effort to conjunction in body.
21. The states produced by this love are innocence, peace, tranquillity, inmost friendship, complete trust, and a mutual desire in mind and heart to do the other every good; also, as a result of all these, bliss, felicity, delight, pleasure, and, owing to an eternal enjoyment of states like this, the happiness of heaven.
22. These blessings are not at all possible except in a marriage of one man with one wife.
Explanation of these statements now follows.
Footnotes:
1. Section numbers 151-156 were accidentally repeated by Swedenborg. To maintain the proper sequence, they are all included in the first number 156. When they are referred to from other places, they are listed as 151r, 152r, etc. Hyperlinks to them take readers to section 156.
2. "All flesh" in Genesis 6:17,19 seems rather to refer to all animal life.
156a. 14. Marriage is a better condition than celibacy. This is established by what was already said about marriage and celibacy. A married condition is preferable because it comes from creation, because its source is the marriage of good and truth, because it has a correspondence with the marriage of the Lord and the church, because the church and married love are constant companions, because its purpose is the primary purpose of all creation - the orderly propagation of the human race and also the heaven of angels, for this comes from the human race.
In addition, marriage is human fulfillment, because a person becomes fully human through it, as the next chapter will show.
No celibate people are fully human.
But if you offer the proposition that the celibate state is better than the married state and open the proposition to examination, to be affirmed and established by presenting proofs of it, what comes out of it is that marriages are not holy, and chaste marriages do not exist, and even that chastity in the feminine sex is nothing other than their abstaining from marriage and vowing perpetual virginity, and on top of this, that people who vow perpetual celibacy are meant by the eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:12). Besides many other things that are not true because they come from an untrue proposition.
(The eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of God is a reference to spiritual eunuchs - those who are married and abstain from the evils of fornication. Clearly this does not mean the Italian castrati.)
151b. I add to these things two stories. The first: 1
While I was going home from the Wisdom Games (described in no. 132 above) I saw on the way an angel dressed in blue. He came up beside me and said, "I see that you are coming from the Wisdom Games and that the things you heard there make you happy. I can tell that you are not entirely in this world, because you are in the natural world at the same time, so you don't know about our Olympic Seminars where the wise men of old gather and find out from newcomers out of your world what changes and developments wisdom has been going through - and still is. If you like, I'll lead you to a place where many of the old philosophers and their children - in other words, their students - live."
He led me toward the boundary between the north and the east, and then, from a rise, I looked in that direction. I saw a city!
To one side of it were two hills. The one nearer the city was lower than the other.
"That city is called Athens," he told me. "The lower hill is Parnassus and the higher one is Helicon. They call them this because in and around the city the old philosophers of Greece live - like Pythagoras, Socrates, Aristippus, Xenophon - with their students and novices."
I asked about Plato and Aristotle.
He said, "They and their followers live in another place, because they used to teach rational concepts that have to do with knowledge, while the philosophers who live here taught moral concepts that apply to life." He said that students from this city of Athens are often sent to educated Christians to report what they think these days about God, the creation of the universe, the immortality of the soul, the human condition compared to that of animals, and other things having to do with inner wisdom. "Today a crier has announced an assembly," he said, "an indication that the scouts have come across new arrivals from Earth, from whom they have heard things worth looking into."
We saw many people going out of the city and its environs, some with laurels on their heads, some holding palms in their hands, some with books under their arms, and some with pens in their hair by their left temples.
We joined in with them and went up together. What did we see on the Palatine Hill but an octagon called the Palladium. We went in. What did we see inside but eight hexagonal alcoves, with a library in each and also a table where the laureates sat together.
And in the Palladium itself we saw seats carved out of stone, where the others sat down.
Then a door opened on the left, and two newcomers from Earth were brought in through it. After the greetings, one of the laureates asked them, "What is the news from Earth?"
They said, "It's new that some people resembling animals, or animals resembling people, have been found in the woods, and from their faces and bodies they were known to have been born humans, lost or left in the woods at the age of two or three." They said they could not speak any thoughts nor learn to pronounce words in any language. They didn't know what food was good for them, either, as animals do, but put whatever they found in the woods into their mouths, clean and unclean alike. And other things like that. "Some of our scholars have conjectured from these things, and some have inferred, many things about the human condition compared to the animal state."
When they heard these things some of the ancient philosophers asked what they did conjecture and infer.
The two newcomers answered, "Many things. But they boil down to these:
(a) By nature and birth, man is more stupid and therefore more lowly than all animals, and this is all he amounts to if he is not taught.
(b) He can be taught, because he has learned to articulate sounds and to speak with them. By this means he began to express thoughts, step by step, more and more, to the point where he can pronounce laws for society - though animals are equipped with many of the laws from birth.
(c) Animals have rationality the same as people.
(d) So if animals could talk they would reason about everything as skillfully as people do. An indication of this is that they think from reason and good sense the same as people do.
(e) That intellect is just a modification of the sun's light, working with heat, by means of the ether, so it is just an activity of your inner nature, and it can rise to the point where it seems like wisdom.
(f) So it is useless to believe that people live after death any more than animals do - except perhaps for a few days after death, in the life breathing out of their body like a ghostly cloud before it dissipates into nature, not much different than the way a twig in ashes looks like what it used to be.
(g) So religion, which teaches that there is life after death, is invented to keep the simple shackled inwardly by its laws, as they are shackled outwardly by civil laws."
To these things they added that only the clever scholars worked it out this way, and not the intelligent ones. The philosophers asked what the intelligent ones thought. They said they had not heard, and that this was their own opinion.
152b. When they heard these things everyone sitting at the tables said, "Oh, what times these are on earth! Alas, what changes wisdom has undergone! How changed it is into foolish cleverness!
The sun has set and is under the earth diametrically opposite its meridian! Who can't tell from the account of those people lost and found in the woods that man is like that if he is not taught?
He is what he's taught to be, isn't he? Isn't he born more ignorant than the animals? Doesn't he learn to walk and talk? If he didn't learn to walk would he stand on his feet? And if he didn't learn to talk could he even mumble any thoughts?
"Doesn't everyone turn out as he is taught - foolish from false concepts and wise from truths? And when foolish from false concepts, he has the complete fantasy that he is wiser than anyone who is wise due to truths, doesn't he? Aren't there foolish and insane people who are no more human than those people they found in the woods? Isn't that what people are like when they have lost their memory?
"From all these things we conclude that an untaught person is neither a person nor an animal, but he is a vessel that can receive what does make you human, and so he is not born human but becomes human. And a person is born in such a form as to receive life from God, so that he can be something that God can put everything good into, and can bless him forever through a union with Himself.
"We can tell from what you say that wisdom today is so dead or foolish that people know nothing at all about the human condition as compared to the animal state. This is why they do not know about the human condition after death. And as for those who can know this but do not want to, and therefore deny it, as many of your Christians do - we might compare them to the people found in the woods. Not that they are stupid for lack of instruction. They have made themselves stupid through false observations, which are shadows of the truth."
153b. But then someone standing in the middle of the Palladium, holding a palm in his hand, said, "Please unfold this mystery.
How can someone created in the form of God be changed into the form of a devil? I know that angels in heaven are forms of God and that angels of hell are forms of the devil, and the two forms are opposite to one another - one a form of folly, the other a form of wisdom. So tell how someone, created in the form of God, can go from day into such night that he can deny God and eternal life."
The teachers responded to this one by one - first the Pythagoreans, then the Socratists, and afterwards the others.
But among them was a Platonist. He spoke last, and his opinion was the best. Here it is.
"People in the Saturnian or Golden Age knew and acknowledged that they were forms to receive life from God and that therefore wisdom had been inscribed on their souls and hearts. So they saw truth in the light of truth, and through truth they could be aware of good from the joy of loving it. But the human race in the following ages withdrew from acknowledgement that all the truth of wisdom, and therefore the good of love, that people have, continuously flows down from God. As they did, they stopped being a place for God to inhabit. And then conversation with God and association with angels stopped, too. For the inner part of their minds changed its direction of being raised by God upwards to God, and it turned out toward the world more and more, and thus God turned them to Himself through the world. In the end they were turned around in the opposite direction - downwards to their own selves.
"A person who is inwardly upside - down and therefore turned away cannot see God, so people separated themselves from God and became forms of hell or the devil.
"It follows from this that in the first ages they acknowledged in their heart and soul that all the good of love and all the truth of wisdom from it in them were from God, and also that these were God's in them. So they realized that they were only vessels of life from God and were therefore called images of God, sons of God, and born of God. But in the following ages they acknowledged it, not in heart and soul, but with a sort of induced faith, then with a memorized faith, and finally just with their mouths. And to acknowledge something like that with your mouth only is not to acknowledge it, but in fact to deny it in your heart.
"You can see from these things what wisdom is like today on earth among Christians, when they can get inspiration from God by written revelation, yet they do not know the difference between man and animals. So there are many who think that if people live after death the animals will survive, too, or that animals do not live after death so man will not survive, either.
"Our spiritual light, which enlightens the sight of the mind, has become darkness to them, hasn't it? And the light of nature that they have, which only enlightens physical sight, has become dazzling."
154b. After all this, everyone turned to the two newcomers and thanked them for coming and speaking to them. And they asked them to report to their brothers these things they had heard.
The newcomers answered that they would encourage their friends to see the truth that in the measure that they attribute every good of charity and truth of faith to the Lord, not to themselves, they are humans and become angels of heaven.
155b. The second story: Early one morning a very beautiful song I heard somewhere up above me woke me up. And then in that first stage of waking up, which is more inward, peaceful, and sweet than the rest of the day, I was able to stay for some time in a spiritual condition, as if outside my body, and give keen attention to the feeling being sung. The singing of heaven is nothing but a mental feeling coming from the mouth as melody, for it is the sound, apart from the words, of someone voicing a feeling of love. This gives the words their life.
In the state I mentioned, I could tell it was a feeling that had to do with the delights of married love, made into a song by some wives in heaven. I noticed this because of the sound of the song, in which those delights varied in marvelous ways.
After this I rose up and looked around - in the spiritual world.
A golden rain seemed to appear in the east, below the sun there!
It was the early morning dew coming down so copiously. When the sun's rays hit it, it looked like a kind of golden rain before my eyes. This made me even more wide awake. I went out (in the spiritual world), happened to meet an angel on the way, and asked him if he saw the golden rain coming down from the sun.
He answered that he saw it whenever he was thinking about married love.
Then he looked that way and said, "The rain is falling above a dwelling where three husbands are, with their wives. They live in the middle of the Eastern Paradise. We see that rain falling from the sun over the dwelling because wisdom about married love and its delights dwells with them - wisdom about married love with the husbands and wisdom about its delights with the wives. But I notice that you are thinking about the delights of married love, so I'll take you to that house and introduce you."
He led me, through places that seemed like paradise, to houses built of olive wood with two cedar columns outside the door, and he introduced me to the husbands and asked them to let me join them and speak with their wives. They nodded and called their wives.
The wives cast a penetrating look into my eyes.
I asked why.
They said, "We can tell exactly how you feel about love for the other sex and how your feeling affects you, and this tells us how you think on the subject. We see that you're thinking about it intensely but yet chastely." And they said, "What do you want us to tell you about it?"
I answered, "Please say something about the delights of love in marriage."
The husbands nodded, saying, "Please do explain something about the delights. Their ears are chaste."
And the wives asked, "Who told you to ask us about the delights of that love? Why not ask our husbands?"
"This angel who is with me." I answered. "He said in my ear that wives are the vessels of married love and can sense it because they are loves by birth, and all delights have to do with love."
They answered this with a smile on their lips. "Be careful. Don't say such a thing, unless you say it ambiguously, because it's a nugget of wisdom hidden deep in the hearts of our sex. We don't reveal it to any husband except one who has a real love for marriage. There are many reasons, which we keep well hidden."
Then the husbands said, "Our wives know all about our mental state. Nothing is hidden from them. They see, sense, and feel whatever comes out of our will. On the other hand, we know nothing about what goes on inside them. Wives have this gift because they are very tender loves. They also amount to forms of ardent zeal to preserve the friendship and confidence of marriage, which keeps life happy for both. They see to this for their husbands and for themselves, thanks to a wisdom that is inherent in their love. It is so discreet that they don't want to say they love, so they can't say it. Only that they are loved."
"Why is it that they don't want to and therefore can't?" I asked.
The wives said that if the least thing like that slipped from their mouths, a chill would come over their husbands and separate them from bed, chamber, and sight.
"But this happens to husbands who do not hold marriages sacred, so they do not love their wives from a spiritual love. It works differently for those who do love in this way. In their minds the love is spiritual, and the earthly love in their bodies comes from that.
"In this house we get the natural love from the spiritual, so we trust our husbands with our secrets about the delights of married love."
Then I politely asked them to explain some of those secrets to me, too.
They glanced at a window on the south side, and there a white dove appeared! Its wings shimmered as if with silver, and its head was capped as if with a gold crown. It stood on a branch bearing an olive. When it began to spread its wings the wives said, "We'll tell you something. While the dove is there it's a sign to us that we may."
Then they said, "Every man has five senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. But we have a sixth sense that is a sense of all the delights of married love in our husbands. And this sense is in our hands when we touch our husbands' chests, arms, hands, or cheeks - especially their chests - and when they touch us. All the happiness and pleasures of the thoughts in their minds and all the happiness and joys in their souls, and the cheer and mirth in their hearts, come across to us from them and take form, and we can perceive them, sense them, touch them, and tell them apart as clearly and distinctly as ears can tell the notes of a tune and a tongue can tell the flavors of fine foods.
"In a word, you might say the spiritual joys of our husbands wear a natural embodiment for us. So our husbands call us the sense organs of chaste married love, and therefore of its delights.
"And yet this sense of our sex comes out, is supported, continues, and gets better in the degree that our husbands love us due to wisdom and discernment and we, on our part, love them for those same things in them.
"In heaven, this sense that our sex has is called wisdom at play with its love and love with its wisdom."
These things made me want to know more - like the different kinds of delights.
They said, "They are infinite. But we don't want to tell you more, so we can't. The dove in our window with the olive branch under his feet has flown away."
I waited for it to come back, but it was no use.
Meantime, I asked the husbands, "Don't you have the same sense of married love?"
"We have a general sense," they said, "but not the specific one. We get a general happiness, a general joy, and a general pleasantness from the specific happiness, joy, and pleasantness our wives have. And this general feeling that we get from them is like a calm peacefulness."
When this was said, a swan appeared outside the window! It was standing on the branch of a fig tree. It spread its wings and flew off.
When the husbands saw this they said, "This is a sign to us to be quiet about married love. Come back another time, and maybe more things will come out." And they withdrew.
We went away.
156b. Chapter 8. The Union of Souls and Minds by Marriage, Which is the Meaning of the Lord's Words That They Are No Longer Two, But One Flesh
The Book of Genesis, and the Lord's words as well, make it clear that from creation a man and a woman have a built - in inclination and also an ability to join together just like one, and that man and woman still have that inclination and ability in them.
We read in the Book of Creation, called Genesis, that Jehovah God built the rib that He took from the man into a woman. And He led her to the man, and the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. The name to call her is woman ['ishshah] because she was taken out of man ['ish].
So a man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife, and they will be one flesh." (Genesis 2:22-24)
The Lord also says the same thing in Matthew:
Haven't you read that He who made male and female from the beginning said, "On account of this a man will leave father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two will be one in flesh"?
So they are no longer two but one flesh. (Genesis 19:4-5)
This shows clearly that woman was created from man and that each has the inclination and the ability to unite into one again. It is also clear that this means unite into one person, from the Book of Genesis, where it calls the two of them together a person. For it says, "In that day God created a person. He created them male and female. And he gave them the name 'human'" (Genesis 5:1-2). It says there that He called their name Adam, but Adam and human are the same word in Hebrew. The two of them together are also called a person in Genesis 1:27 and 3:22-24.
"One flesh" also means "one person," which is clear from the places where the Word says "all flesh," meaning mankind, as in Genesis 6:12, 13, 17, 19; Isaiah 40:5-6; 49:26; 66:16, 23-24; Jeremiah 25:31; 32:27; 45:5; Ezekiel 20:48; 21:4-5; and other places.
Arcana Caelestia, which explains the spiritual sense of the two books, Genesis and Exodus, points out the meaning of the man's rib that was made into a woman, the flesh that was closed up in place of it - and thus what "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" means - and what the "father and mother" whom the man would leave after marriage means, and what clinging to his wife means. The book points out that "rib" does not mean rib, nor "flesh" flesh, nor "bone" bone, nor "cling" cling. The words designate the things that the objects correspond to spiritually, and therefore stand for.
It is clear that this refers to spiritual things that make one person out of two, because married love joins them together, and that is a spiritual love.
I have often said already that a man's love of wisdom is carried over to his wife, and it will be established more fully in the articles that follow this. At this point it would not do to depart from the stated subject and digress - the subject being the joining together of two married partners into one flesh by the union of their souls and minds.
Here is the way the explanation will be organized:
1. Each sex has inherent from creation an ability and an inclination so that they can, and want to, join together just as if into one person.
2. The love in marriage joins two souls, and therefore two minds, into one.
3. The will of a wife joins itself with a man's intellect, and the man's intellect with the wife's will, on that account.
4. The inclination to unite is constant and perpetual for a wife but inconstant and variable for a man.
5. The wife excites conjunction in the man according to her love, and the man receives it according to his wisdom.
6. This conjunction takes place steadily from the first days of marriage, and among those who have a real married love, it becomes deeper and deeper forever.
7. A wife's union with her husband's rational wisdom happens from within, but with his moral wisdom it happens from the outside.
8. For the sake of this union as a goal a wife has perception about her husband's feelings and also great cleverness in molding them.
9. Wives keep this perception to themselves and hide it from their husbands for reasons that are necessary to stabilize married love, friendship, and confidence - and therefore the happiness of living together and the felicity of their life.
10. This perception is a wife's wisdom. A man cannot have it, nor can a wife have a man's rational wisdom.
11. A wife is always thinking from love about a man's inclination toward her, with joining herself to him on her mind.
A man is different.
12. A wife joins herself to a man by involving herself in what he wants.
13. A wife joins in with her husband by the aura of life that her love gives off.
14. A wife is joined together with her husband by absorbing the vigor of his manhood, but this happens according to the spiritual love they both have.
15. In this way a wife accepts an image of her husband in herself, so she sees, perceives, and feels his feelings.
16. There are activities appropriate to a man and activities appropriate to a wife, and a wife cannot take up the functions that belong to a man, nor a man the functions that belong to a wife, and do them right.
17. These activities, when done to help each other, also join the two together into one and make a unified home as well.
18. Depending on the things mentioned above that join them together, married partners become more and more one person.
19. Those who enjoy the real love in marriage can tell that they are one integrated person and therefore one flesh.
20. The real love in marriage, viewed in itself, is a union of souls, minds joined together, a drive to join together in their breasts leading to a drive to join bodily.
21. The attributes of this love are innocence, peace, tranquility, deep friendship, full confidence, and a desire in heart and soul to do everything good for each other. And from all these things come blessedness, happiness, joy, passion, and from the eternal enjoyment of these, heavenly bliss.
22. These things are not to be had in any way except in a marriage of one man with one wife.
Now comes the explanation of all these topics.
156. XIV. THAT THE STATE OF MARRIAGE IS TO BE PREFERRED TO THE STATE OF CELIBACY is evident from what has thus far been said concerning marriage and celibacy. That the state of marriage is to be preferred is because this state exists from creation; because its origin is the marriage of good and truth; because its correspondence is with the marriage of the Lord and the Church; because the Church and conjugial love are constant companions; because its use is more excellent than the uses of all else in creation, for thence is the propagation of the human race according to order, and also of the angelic heaven, this being from the human race. Add to this, that marriage is the fullness of man; for by its means man becomes a complete man, as will be shown in the following chapter. In celibacy, all these things are lacking.
[2] If the proposition is made that the state of celibacy is more excellent than the state of marriage, and if this is submitted to examination that it may receive assent and be established by confirmation, the result of the confirmation will then be, that marriages are not holy nor any of them chaste; nay, that in the female sex, those only are chaste who abstain from marriage and vow perpetual virginity; and further, that it is those who vow perpetual celibacy who are meant by eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:12); besides many other conclusions which, as coming from a proposition which is not true, are themselves not true. By eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God are meant spiritual eunuchs, being those who in marriages abstain from the evils of whoredom. That Italian eunuchs are not meant, is evident.
156a. To the above I will add two Memorable Relations. First:
Returning home from the sport of wisdom spoken of above (no. 132), I saw on the way an angel in raiment of the color of hyacinth. He came to my side and said: "I see that you have come from a sport of wisdom, and have been gladdened by what you heard there. I also perceive that you are not fully in this world, since you are at the same time in the natural world. Therefore you do not know about our Olympic Gymnasiums where the ancient Sophi meet together and learn from those who come from your world what changes and successions of state wisdom has undergone and is still undergoing. If you wish, I will conduct you to a place where dwell many of the ancient Sophi and their sons, that is, their disciples."
He then led me to the border-land between the north and the east. Looking thitherward from a high place, lo, I saw a city, and on one side of it two hills, the one nearer the city being lower than the other; and the angel remarked, "That city is called Athens, the lower hill Parnassus, and the higher Helicon. They are so called because in and about the city dwell the ancient Sophi of Greece, such as Pythagoras, Socrates, Aristippus, Xenophon, together with their disciples and novices." When I asked about Plato and Aristotle, he said: "They and their followers dwell in another region because they taught matters of reason which pertain to the understanding, while the others taught morals which pertain to life.
[2] From the city of Athens," he continued, "studious men are frequently sent to the literati among Christians, that the latter may tell them what men think at this day concerning God, the creation of the universe, the immortality of the soul, the state of man relative to that of beasts, and other subjects which are matters of interior wisdom." He added that a herald had that day announced an assembly, a sign that their emissaries had met new-comers from the earth, from whom they had heard some curious news.
We then saw many men coming from the city and its vicinity, some with laurels on their heads, some carrying palms in their hands, some with books under their arms, and some with pens under the hair of the left temple. We mingled with them and went up together. And lo, on the hill an octagonal palace which was called the Palladium. This we entered, and behold, therein were eight hexagonal recesses, and in each a library and also a table at which were sitting the laureates. In the body of the Palladium were seen seats cut out of the rock, and on these the rest had seated themselves.
[3] Then a door at the left was opened, through which were introduced two new-comers from the earth. When they had been duly received, one of the laureates asked them, "WHAT NEWS FROM THE EARTH? They said: "The news is that in the woods have been found men like beasts or beasts like men. From face and body, however, it was recognized that they had been born men and had been lost or abandoned in the woods when they were two or three years old." They went on to say, "They could not utter a single thing pertaining to thought, nor could they be taught to articulate sound into any word. They did not know what food was suitable to them as do beasts, but put into their mouth the wild growths of the woods, both clean and unclean; not to speak of much else of the same sort. From this, some of the learned among us have made many surmises, and others, many conclusions respecting the state of men relative to that of beasts."
[4] On hearing this, some of the ancient Sophi asked what the surmises and conclusions from these facts were, and the two new-comers answered: "There were a number of them, but they can be reduced to the following:
1. That of his own nature and by birth, man is more stupid and hence viler than any beast, and if not instructed, he remains such.
2. That he can be instructed, for he has learned to articulate sound and hence to speak, and thereby he began to express thoughts, and this gradually more and more until at last he could put forth laws of society, many of which, however, are impressed on beasts by birth.
3. That beasts have rationality equally with men.
4. Therefore, if beasts could talk, they would reason on any subject as cleverly as men, an indication of which lies in the fact that they think from reason and prudence equally as do men.
[5] 5. That understanding is merely a modification of light from the sun by the mediation of ether, and with the co-operation of heat; thus that it is only an activity of interior nature; and this activity can be heightened until it appears as wisdom.
6. That therefore it is idle to believe that a man lives after death any more than a beast; except that possibly, from the exhalation of the life of his body he may appear for a few days after his decease as a vapor under the appearance of a specter, until this is dissipated into nature scarcely otherwise than as a plant resuscitated from its ashes has the appearance of being in the likeness of its original form.
7. Consequently, that religion, which teaches a life after death, is an invention for the purpose of inwardly holding the simple in bonds by its laws, as they are held outwardly by the laws of the state." To this they added, that the merely ingenious reason in this way, but not the intelligent. When asked what the intelligent think, they said that they had not heard, but this was their opinion.
156b. Hearing these things, all who were sitting at the tables exclaimed, "What times are now on earth! Alas, what changes has wisdom undergone! Is it not turned into fatuous ingenuity? The sun is set and is below the earth diametrically opposite to its meridian! Who cannot see, from the example of those lost and found in the woods, that such is the nature of man when not instructed? Is he not a man according as he is instructed? Is he not born in greater ignorance than beasts? Must he not learn to walk and to talk? If he did not learn to walk, would he stand erect upon his feet? and if he did not learn to talk, could he give utterance to any thought? Is not every one a man according as he is taught, insane from falsities, or wise from truths? and, when insane from falsities, is he not entirely possessed with the fantasy that he is wiser than one who is wise from truths? Are there not fatuous and insane men who are no more men than those found in the woods? Are not those who have lost their memory like them?
[2] From all this, we conclude that, without instruction, man is neither man nor beast, but is a form which can receive that which makes a man; thus, that he is not born a man but becomes a man; and that man is born such a form in order that he may be an organ receiving life from God, to the end that he may be a subject into which God can bring every good, and which by union with Himself, He can render blessed to eternity. From what you have said, we perceive that at this day wisdom is so far extinguished or infatuated that men know nothing whatever about the state of man's life relative to that of beasts. Hence it is, that neither do they know the state of man's life after death; and those who might have known this but do not wish to know it and therefore deny it, as do many of your Christians, we may liken to those found in the woods; not that they have become thus stupid for want of instruction, but that they have made themselves stupid by fallacies of the senses, which are the darkness of truths."
156c. Upon this, a man standing in the middle of the Palladium and holding a palm in his hand, said: "I beg you to unfold this arcanum: How could man created in the form of God be changed into the form of the devil? I know that the angels of heaven are forms of God, and that the angels of hell are forms of the devil; and these two forms are opposites, the latter being forms of insanity, the former forms of wisdom. Explain how man, created a form of God, could pass from day into such night that he could deny God and eternal life."
[2] To this, the teachers replied in order, first the Pythagoreans, then the Socratists, and afterwards the others, among whom was a Platonist. This man spoke last and his view, prevailed. It was as follows: "In the Saturnian era or Golden Age, men knew and acknowledged that they were forms receptive of life from God. Wisdom was therefore inscribed on their souls and hearts, and hence they saw truth from the light of truth, and by means of truths perceived good from the delight of the love thereof. But in subsequent ages, as the human race fell away from the acknowledgment that every truth of wisdom with them and thence every good of love continually flowed in from God, they ceased to be habitations of God. Then discourse with God, and consociation with angels also ceased. For from its former direction, their mind, which as to its interiors had been raised upwards to God by God, was bent more and more in an oblique direction outwards to the world and so to God by God through the world; and finally it was turned in the opposite direction, which is downwards to self. And since God cannot be held in view by man when the man is inwardly inverted and thus averted, men separated themselves from God and became forms of hell or of the devil.
[3] Whence it follows, that in the first Ages, men acknowledged in heart and soul that every good of love and hence every truth of wisdom was theirs from God; and also, that these were God's in them, and thus that they themselves were mere receptacles of life from God, and hence were called images of God, sons of God, and born of God. But in the succeeding Ages, they acknowledged this, not in heart and soul but from persuasive and later from historical faith, and finally with the mouth only; and to acknowledge this with the mouth only is not acknowledgment, nay, at heart it is denial. From this it can be seen what is the nature of wisdom among Christians at this day, when, despite the fact that from written revelation they can be inspired by God, they do not know the difference between man and beast, and many therefore believe that if man lives after death so also will a beast, or because a beast does not live after death, neither will man. Has not our spiritual light which enlightens the sight of the mind become thick darkness with them? and their natural light which enlightens only the sight of the body become splendor?"
156d. After this, they all turned to the two new-comers and, thanking them for their coming and their narration, begged them to report what they had heard to their brethren. The new-comers replied that they would confirm their brethren in the truth, that so far as they attribute every good of charity and truth of faith to the Lord and not to themselves, so far are they men and so far do they become angels of heaven.
156e. The second Memorable Relation:
One morning some sweet singing, heard from a height above me, woke me from sleep. Hence, in the first waking moments which are more internal, peaceful, and sweet than the following hours of the day, I could be held for some time in the spirit, as though out of the body, and could give exquisite attention to the affection which was being sung. The singing of heaven is nothing else than an affection of the mind issuing from the mouth as melody; for the tone springing from an affection of love is what gives life to speech, and this apart from the words of the speaker. In that state, I perceived that it was the affection of the delights of conjugial love which was being expressed in melody by wives in heaven. This I observed from the sound of the singing wherein those delights were varied in marvelous ways.
After this, I arose and looked abroad into the spiritual world. And there, in the east below the sun, was seen what seemed like A GOLDEN SHOWER. It was the morning dew coming down in such abundance that, when touched by the rays of the sun, it presented before my sight the appearance of a golden shower. More fully awakened by this sight, I walked forth in the spirit and asked an angel whom I then chanced to meet, whether he had seen the golden shower coming down from the sun.
[2] He answered that he sees it whenever he is in meditation on conjugial love. Then, directing his eyes thither, he said: "That shower is falling upon a hall in which are three husbands with their wives who dwell in the center of an eastern paradise. Such a shower is seen falling from the sun upon that hall because with them abides wisdom concerning conjugial love and its delights with the husbands, concerning conjugial love and with the wives concerning its delights. But I perceive that you are in meditation on the delights of conjugial love. I will therefore conduct you to that hall and introduce you."
He then led me through paradisal scenes to houses constructed of olive wood, with two columns of cedar before the entrance; and introducing me to the husbands, he asked that I might be permitted, in their presence, to speak with their wives; and the husbands gave their assent and called them. The wives looked searchingly into my eyes, and I asked why. They said, "We are able exquisitely to see what your inclination is in respect to love of the sex, and hence what your affection, and from this what your thought; and we see that you are meditating on it intensely but yet chastely." They then asked, "What do you wish us to tell you about it?"
I answered, "Tell me, I pray, something about the delights of conjugial love." Nodding assent, the husbands then said, "If agreeable to you, disclose something about them. Their ears are chaste."
[3] The wives then asked me, "Who instructed you to question us about the delights of that love? Why not question our husbands?" I answered, "This angel who is with me whispered in my ear that wives are receptacles and sensories of those delights because they are born loves, and all delights pertain to love."
To this they answered with smiling lips: "Be prudent and do not say any such thing save in an ambiguous sense, for it is a wisdom deeply reserved in the hearts of our sex and not disclosed to any husband unless he is in love truly conjugial. There are many reasons for this--reasons which we hide within ourselves."
The husbands then said: "Our wives know all the states of our mind, nothing whatever being hidden from them. They see, perceive, and feel all that proceeds from our will, while we on the other hand know nothing of what passes with them. Wives have this gift because they are most tender loves and ardent zeals, as it were, for the preservation of conjugial friendship and confidence, and so for the happiness of the life of both partners; for, from the wisdom implanted in their love, they have this in view both for their husbands and for themselves. This wisdom is so full of prudence that they do not wish, and so are not able, to say that they love, but only that they are loved."
I asked the wives why they do not wish and so are not able? They replied that if the least such thing escaped their lips, cold would come over their husbands and separate them from bed and chamber and sight. "But this is the case with husbands who do not regard marriages as holy and therefore do not love their wives from spiritual love. Not so with those who do. In the minds of these, that love is spiritual, and it is from this that it is natural in the body. We in this hall are in the latter love from the former, and therefore entrust to our husbands arcana that concern our delights of conjugial love."
[4] I courteously requested that they disclose something of these arcana to me also. They at once looked towards a window in the south, and lo, there was seen a white dove, its wings shining as from silver, and its head marked with a crown as of gold. It was perched on a bough from which grew an olive. When the dove was in the effort of spreading its wings, the wives said, "We will disclose something. So long as this dove is seen, it is a sign to us that we may." They then said: "Every man has five senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch; but we have in addition a sixth sense, being the sensation of all the delights of the husband's conjugial love. We have this sense in the palms of our hands, when touching the breasts, arms, hands or cheeks of our husbands, especially the breasts, and also when touched by them; and all the gladness and pleasantness of the thought of their mind, and all the joys and delights of their animus, and the festive and cheerful things of their bosom, pass from them to us and take form and become perceptible, sensible, tangible. We then discern them as exquisitely and distinctly as the ear discerns the modulations of song, or the tongue distinguishes the flavor of delicacies. In a word, in us, the spiritual delights of our husbands put on, as it were, a natural embodiment, and for this reason we are called by our husbands the sensory organs of chaste conjugial love and hence of its delight. But this sense of our sex exists, subsists, persists, and is exalted, in the degree that our husbands love us from wisdom and judgment, and we in turn love them for the same in them. In the heavens, this sense of our sex is called the sport of wisdom with its love, and of love with its wisdom."
[5] Stirred by these words with the desire of learning more, I asked concerning the variety of the delights. They answered, "It is infinite but we do not wish to say more and therefore cannot; for the dove at our window, with the olive branch under its feet, has flown away."
I then waited for its return, but in vain. Meanwhile I asked the husbands, "Have you a like sense of conjugial love?" They answered: "We have it in general but not in particular. We have a general blessedness, a general delight, and a general pleasantness from the particulars of these as they are with our wives; and this general sense, which we get from them, is like the serenity of peace."
After these words, behold, through the window was seen a swan standing on the branch of a fig tree; and he spread his wings and flew away. Seeing this, the husbands said, "That is a sign to us for silence about conjugial love. Return at another time and perhaps more may be disclosed." They then withdrew and we departed.
156b. 1THE CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS BY MARRIAGE, WHICH IS MEANT BY THE LORD'S WORDS, THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO, BUT ONE FLESH
That from creation there was implanted in man and woman an inclination to conjunction as into a one, and also the faculty thereof, and that these are in man and woman still, is evident from the Book of Creation and at the same time from the Lord's words. In the Book of Creation, which is called Genesis, we read:
Jehovah God built the rib which he had taken from man into a woman, and brought her to the man. And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; her name shall be called Ishah [woman], because she was taken out of Ish, man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:22-24.
The same was said by the Lord in Matthew:
Have ye not read, that he who [made them] from the beginning made [them] male and female, said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; AND THEY TWAIN SHALL BE ONE FLESH? WHEREFORE THEY ARE NO MORE TWAIN BUT ONE FLESH. Matthew 19:4-5.
[2] From these passages it is evident that woman was created out of man, and that there is in both an inclination and a faculty of reuniting themselves into a one. That the reunion is into one man is also evident from the Book of Creation where both together are called Man; for we read, In the day that God created man, male and female created he them, and called their name Man. It is said here, He called their name Adam, but in the Hebrew language, Adam and Man are the same word. Moreover, in chapters 1:27 and 3:22-24 of the same book, both together are again called Man. "One man" is also meant by "one flesh," as is evident from passages in the Word where it speaks of all flesh, by which is meant every man; as in Genesis 6:12, 13,17,19; Isaiah 40:5, 6; Isaiah 49:26; 66: 16,23, 24; Jeremiah 25:31; 32:27; 14:5; Ezekiel 20:48, 21:4-5; and elsewhere .
[3] As to what is meant by the rib of the man which was built into a woman; what by the flesh which was closed up in the place thereof; and so, what by "bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh," and by the father and mother whom after marriage man is to leave; also by "cleave unto his wife;" this has been shown in THE ARCANA CAELESTIA where the two books, Genesis and Exodus are explained as to their spiritual sense. It is there shown that by rib is not meant a rib, nor by flesh, nor by bone, nor by cleave, but the spiritual things which correspond to them and so are signified by them. That what are meant are the spiritual things which of two make one man, is plain from the fact that it is conjugial love that conjoins them, and this love is spiritual. That love of the man's wisdom is transcribed into the wife has been stated several times above and will be more fully confirmed in the chapters which follow. But for the present we must not turn aside and thus digress from the subject here proposed, which is the conjunction of two married partners into one flesh by the union of souls and minds. This union shall be elucidated in the following order.
I. That from creation there has been implanted in each sex, a faculty and inclination, giving them the ability and the will to be conjoined as into a one.
II. That conjugial love conjoins two souls and thence minds into one.
III. That the wife's will conjoins itself with the man's understanding, and hence the man's understanding with the wife's will.
IV. That the inclination to unite the man to herself is constant and perpetual with the wife, but inconstant and alternating with the man.
V. That conjunction is inspired into the man by the wife according to her love, and is received by the man according to his wisdom.
VI. That from the first days of marriage this conjunction is effected successively, and with those who are in love truly conjugial, more and more deeply to eternity.
VII. That the conjunction of the wife with the rational wisdom of the husband is effected from within, but with his moral wisdom from without.
VIII. That with this conjunction as an end, the wife is given a perception of the affections of the husband and also the highest prudence in moderating them.
IX. That for causes which are necessities, wives store up this perception with themselves and conceal it from their husbands, in order that conjugial love, friendship, and confidence, and thus the blessedness of cohabitation and the happiness of life, may be firmly established.
X. That this perception is the wife's wisdom, and that it is not possible with the man; nor is the man's rational wisdom possible with the wife.
XI. That from her love, the wife is continually thinking about the inclination of the man to herself with the purpose of conjoining him to herself, not so the man.
XII. That the wife conjoins herself to the man by applications to the desires of his will.
XIII. That the wife is conjoined to her husband by the sphere of her life going forth from her love.
XIV. That the wife is conjoined to the husband by the appropriation of the forces of his manhood, but that this takes place according to their mutual spiritual love.
XV. That the wife thus receives into herself the image of her husband, and hence perceives, sees, and feels his affections.
XVI. That there are offices proper to the man and offices proper lo the wife; and that the wife cannot enter into the offices proper to the man, nor the man into the offices proper to the wife, and rightly perform them.
XVII. That according as there is mutual aid, these offices also conjoin the two into a one, and at the same time make one home.
XVIII. That according to the above-mentioned conjunctions, married partners become more and more one man.
XIX. That those who are in love truly conjugial feel themselves to be a united man and as one flesh.
XX. That, regarded in itself, love truly conjugial is a union of souls, a conjunction of minds, and an effort to conjunction in breasts and thence in the body.
XXI. That the states of this love are innocence, peace, tranquillity, inmost friendship, full confidence, and a mutual desire of animus and heart to do the other every good; and from these, blessedness, happiness, delight, pleasure; and from the eternal fruition of these, heavenly felicity.
XXII. That these are by no means possible except in the marriage of one man with one wife.
The explanation of the above now follows.
Footnotes:
1. [NCBS Editor's note: Swedenborg accidentally repeated the numbering for 151-156. He began a new chapter here. It was numbered 156f. by the translator, but we have used 156b. here instead, in order to standardize the numbering with other translations.
156. (xiv) The state of marriage is to be preferred to the state of celibacy. This is plain from what has been said so far of marriage and of celibacy. The state of marriage is preferable, being intended by creation. Its origin is the marriage of good and truth; its correspondence is with the marriage of the Lord and the Church; the Church and marital love are steadfast companions; its use excels all other uses in creation, for by marriage is the orderly propagation of the human race and also of the angelic heaven, which is from the human race. Add to these reasons that marriage is the fullness of the human being - by it one becomes a full human being, a truth which comes to demonstration in the following chapter. None of these things is true of celibacy. But suppose the proposition to be that the state of celibacy excels that of marriage, and suppose that this proposition is to be assented to only after examination and established by substantiation. Then these things would have to follow and be established: marriages are not holy, nor do they occur chaste; indeed there is no chastity in the female sex except in those who refrain from marriage and vow perpetual virginity. Moreover, those who have vowed perpetual celibacy must then be meant by the eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake (Matthew 19:12); besides much else, which is itself untrue, following as it does from an untrue proposition. By eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God are really meant spiritual eunuchs, namely, those who in marriages refrain from the evil of whoredoms. The Italian castrati are obviously not meant.
151r. I append two Memorabilia.
I. When 1I was returning home from the School of Wisdom (of which above, 132), on the way I saw an angel in raiment of the color of hyacinth. He joined me and said: "I see that you have come from the School of Wisdom, and are gladdened by what you heard there. I also perceive that you are not fully in this world, being at the same time in the natural world. You may not be acquainted with our Olympic Gymnasia where the ancient so phi meet and where they learn from those who come from your world what changes and successions of state wisdom has undergone and is undergoing. If you wish, I will conduct you to a place where many of the ancient sophi and their "sons" or disciples have their homes."
He led me toward the northeast. Looking ahead from a considerable prominence I beheld a city, and to one side of it two hills, the one nearer the city lower than the other. He told me, "That city is called Athens, the lower hill, Parnassus, and the higher, Helicon. All are so called because in and about the city dwell ancient wise men of Greece, like Pythagoras, Socrates, Aristippus and Xenophon, with their disciples and neophytes."
I asked about Plato and Aristotle. "They and their followers," he said, "dwell in another region, for they taught matters of reason which are of the understanding; but these taught morals which are of the life." [2] He said that students are frequently sent from this city of Athens to the learned from among Christians, to ascertain what at this day Christians think about God, the creation of the universe, the immortality of the soul, the state of man as compared with that of beasts, and about other things which are matters of interior wisdom. He also said that a herald had announced an assembly for that day - a sign that their emissaries had encountered newcomers from the earth, from whom they had heard strange things. We saw many leaving the city and its immediate vicinity, some with laurels on their heads, some bearing palms in their hands, some with books under their arms, and some with pens under the hair of the left temple.
We mingled with them and went up together. On the hill we found an octagonal palace, called the Palladium, which we entered. It had eight hexagonal recesses, each with a bookcase in it, and a table at which those crowned with laurel were sitting. In the Palladium itself appeared seats of hewn stone, on which the others seated themselves. [3] Then a door opened at the left through which two newcomers from the earth were ushered in. After the greetings, one of the laurelled ones asked them, "What news from the earth?"
They said, "There is a report that some men like beasts, or beasts like men, have been found in a forest. From face and body it was plain, however, that they were born men, and must have been lost or left in the woods when two or three years old." They said, "The report was that they could not utter anything of thought or learn to make words. Nor did they know the food suited to them as do beasts, but thrust into their mouths whatever they found in the woods, both clean and unclean," and many other like things. "From which," they said, "some of the learned among us have formed many conjectures, and some have come to many conclusions about the state of men compared with that of beasts."
156b. 1VII. THE CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS BY MARRIAGE, MEANT BY THE LORD'S WORDS, "THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO, BUT ONE FLESH."
It is evident from the Book of Creation and also from words of the Lord that there were set in man and woman by creation and still are present in them an inclination and also a faculty for conjunction as into one. We read in the Book of Creation, called Genesis:
Jehovah God built the rib which He had taken from man, into a woman; and He brought her to the man; and the man said, This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; her name shall be called Ischah, because she was taken from Isch. On this account shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall be one flesh (Genesis 2:22-24).
The Lord spoke similarly in Matthew:
Have you not read that He who made them male and female at the beginning, said, On this account shall a man leave father and mother and cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh; wherefore they are no longer two, but one flesh? (Matthew 19:4, 5, 6).
[2] From these words it is evident that woman was created from man and that man and woman have both inclination and faculty for reuniting into one. This means into one human being, which is also plain from the Book of Creation, where the two together are called a human being; for we read,
On the day that God created man, He created them male and female, and He called their name Man (Genesis 5:1, 2).
The wording is, "He called their name 'Adam,'" but Adam' and 'Man' are the same word in the Hebrew language. Moreover, the two together are called man (Genesis 1:27, 3:22-24). By one flesh, also, one human being is meant, as is plain from passages in the Word where "all flesh" occurs, by which all mankind is meant (as Genesis 6:12, 13, 17, 19; Isaiah 40:5, 6; 49:26; 66:16, 23, 24; Jeremiah 25:31; 32:27; 45:5; Ezekiel 20:48; 21:4, 5; and elsewhere).
[3] But what is meant by the man's rib,' which was built into the woman, by the 'flesh' which was closed up in its place, and thus by 'bone of my bones' and 'flesh of my flesh,' and by 'father and mother' whom the man is to leave on marriage, and what by cleaving to his wife,' has been shown in the Arcana Coelestia, where the two books of Genesis and Exodus are explained in the spiritual sense. In that work we have shown that by 'rib' a rib is notmeant, nor by 'flesh' flesh, nor by 'bone' bone, nor by 'cleaving' cleaving, but spiritual things corresponding to them and therefore signified by them. That spiritual things are meant which from two make one human being, is evident from the fact that it is marital love which conjoins the two; this love is spiritual. We have said more than once that the man's love of his wisdom was transcribed into his wife, and we shall establish the fact still more fully in chapters to follow. But we must not turn aside, digressing from the proposition under consideration, which concerns the conjunction of two partners into one flesh through union of the souls and minds. We shall explain this conjunction in the following order:
i. By creation a faculty and an inclination were set in each sex as a result of which they can and wish to be conjoined as into one.
ii. Marital love conjoins two souls and hence minds into one.
iii. The wife's will unites with the man's understanding, and then the man's understanding with the wife's will.
iv. Inclination to unite the man to herself is constant and perpetual with the wife, but inconstant and recurrent with the man.
v. Conjunction is inspired in the man by the wife according to her love, and received by the man according to his wisdom.
vi. This conjunction is effected gradually from the first days of marriage, and with those in true marital love, more and more profoundly to eternity.
vii. The wife's conjunction with the husband's rational wisdom is effected from within, but with his moral wisdom from without.
viii. In the interests of this conjunction, the wife has been endowed with a perception of the husband's affections and with the highest prudence in moderating them.
ix. Wives conceal this perception in themselves and hide it from their husbands for causes which are necessities, that marital love, friendship and confidence, and so the blessedness of living together and happiness of life, may be assured.
x. This perception is the wife's wisdom; the man does not have it, nor does the wife have his rational wisdom.
xi. A wife in her love is always mindful of the man's inclination to her, with the intent to conjoin him to her; not so the man.
xii. The wife conjoins herself to the man by address to his will's desires.
xiii. A wife is conjoined to her husband through the sphere of her life emanating from her love.
xiv. A wife is conjoined to the husband through appropriation of his manhood's powers, but this takes place according to their mutual spiritual love.
xv. A wife thus receives her husband's image in herself, and hence perceives, sees and feels his affections.
xvi. There are activities proper to the man and activities proper to the wife; the wife cannot enter on those proper to the man, nor the man on those proper to the wife, and perform them aright.
xvii. In mutual helpfulness these activities also conjoin the two into one; at the same time they make the home one.
xviii. By the conjunctions named above, partners become more and more one human being.
xix. Those in true marital love feel they are a united human being and, as it were, one flesh.
xx. Regarded in itself true marital love is union of the souls, conjunction of the minds, and an effort after conjunction in bosom and so in the body.
xxi. The states of this love are innocence, peace, tranquillity, inmost friendship, full trust, and a mutual desire of mind and heart to do each other every good; and growing out of all these, blessedness, satisfaction, joy, pleasure, and in the eternal fruition of these, heavenly happiness.
xxii. These can by no means be possessed except in a marriage of one man with one wife.
Explanation of these propositions now follows.
Footnotes:
1. [NCBS Editor's note: Swedenborg accidentally repeated the numbering for 151-156. He began a new chapter here. It was numbered 156r. by the translator, but we have used 156b. instead, in order to standardize the numbering with other translations.]
156 (1). (14) That the state of marriage is to be preferred to a state of celibacy. This is evident from what has thus far been said concerning marriage and concerning celibacy. That the state of marriage is to be preferred is because it is from creation; because its origin is the marriage of good and truth; because its correspondence is with the marriage of the Lord and the church; because the church and conjugial love are constant companions; because its use is pre-eminent above the uses of all things of creation, for thence according to order is the propagation of the human race, and also of the angelic heaven, for this is from the human race. Add to this that marriage is the fulness of man; for through this man becomes a full man, as will be shown in the following chapter. In celibacy all these things are wanting.
But if the proposition be made, that the state of celibacy is preferable to the state of marriage, and if this be submitted to examination so that it may be assented to, and may be established by confirmations, then these conclusions follow therefrom: That marriages are not holy and that they are not chaste; nay, that chastity in the female sex is with none others but those who abstain from marriage and vow perpetual virginity; and besides, that they who vow perpetual celibacy are meant by:
Eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:12).
And many other conclusions, which, coming from an untrue proposition are also not true. By 'eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God,' are meant spiritual eunuchs, who are those that in marriages abstain from the evils of scortation. That Italian eunuchs are not meant is plain.
151 (2). To this I add two Relations. First:
While I was returning home from the school of wisdom, spoken of above (n. 132), on the way I saw an angel in raiment of the color of hyacinth. He came to my side and said: ‘I see that you have come from the school of wisdom, and that you have been gladdened by what you have heard there. And as I perceive that you are not fully in this world, being at the same time in the natural world, and therefore, do not know about our Olympic gymnasia where the ancient Sages meet, and learn from those that come from your world what changes and successions of state wisdom has undergone and is still passing through; if you please I will conduct you to a place where many of the ancient Sages dwell and many of their sons, that is of their disciples.'
And he led me towards the boundary between the north and the east. And looking thitherward from an elevated place, lo! I beheld a city, and on one side of it two hills, the one nearer the city being lower than the other. And he told me, 'This city is called Athenaeum; the lower hill, Parnassium; and the higher, Heliconeum. They are so called because in and about that city dwell the ancient sages of Greece, such as Pythagoras, Socrates, Aristippus, Xenophon, with their disciples and novices.'
And I asked about Plato and Aristotle. He said, 'They and their followers dwell in another region, because they taught matters of reason which are of the understanding; but the others taught morals which are of the life.' He said that from this city, Athenaeum students are frequently sent to the learned from the Christians, that they may report what at this day they think about God, the creation of the universe, the immortality of the soul, the state of man in comparison with that of beasts, and about other things which are matters of interior wisdom. And he told me that a herald had this day announced an assembly, an indication that their emissaries have met with new-comers from the earth, from whom they have heard strange things. And we saw many going out from the city and from its vicinity, some with laurels on their heads, some bearing palms in their hands, some with books under their arms, and some with pens under the hair of the left temple.
We mingled with them and went up together. And lo! on the hill was an octagonal palace, which was called the Palladium, and we entered. And behold, eight hexagonal recesses there in each of which was a library, and also a table at which those crowned with laurel were sitting. And in the Palladium itself appeared seats cut out of the rock, on which the others seated themselves. Then a door was opened at the left through which two new-comers from the earth were introduced. And, after salutation, one of the laureates asked them, 'What news from the earth?'
They said, 'It is new that men like beasts have been found in the woods, or beasts like men. But they were known by their face and body to have been born men, and to have been lost or left in the woods in the second or third year of their age.' They said, 'That they could not express anything of thought by sound, nor learn to articulate sound into any word. Nor did they know the food suitable to them as beasts do, but what they found in the woods they put into their mouths, both clean and unclean,' and many other like things; 'From which,' they said, 'some of the learned among us have conjectured, and some inferred, many things respecting the state of men relative to that of beasts.'
On hearing this some of the ancient Sages asked what the conjectures and inferences from these facts were. The two new-comers answered, 'They were many, which however might be reduced to these. (1.) That man of his own nature and also by birth is more stupid and thence viler than any beast; and so becomes if not instructed. (2.) That he can be instructed, for he has learned to articulate sound and thence to speak; and by this means he began to express thoughts, and this gradually more and more, until he could express the laws of society, many of which, however, have been stamped upon beasts by birth. (3.) That beasts have rationality in like manner with men. (4.) Therefore, if beasts could speak they would reason about everything as skillfully as men, an indication of which is the fact that they, equally with men think from reason and prudence. (5.) That understanding is but a modification of light from the sun, heat co-operating by means of the ether; so that it is only an activity of interior nature; and that it can be exalted until it appears as wisdom. (6.) That it is therefore, vain to believe that a man lives after death any more than a beast; except perhaps that for some days after death, from the exhalation of the life of the body, he may appear as a vapor under the form of a specter, before he is dissipated into nature, somewhat as a twig raised up from the ashes appears in the likeness of its own form. (7.) Consequently, that religion which teaches that there is a life after death is an invention to keep the simple inwardly in restraint by its laws, as they are outwardly restrained by civil laws.' To this they added that, 'The merely ingenious reason in this way, but not the intelligent.'
When asked, 'What do the intelligent think?' they answered, 'That they had not heard, but they so supposed.'
152 (2). Hearing these things all who were sitting at the tables exclaimed, 'Oh, what times are there now on earth! Alas, what changes has wisdom undergone! How transformed into foolish ingenuity! The sun is set, and is beneath the earth diametrically opposite to its meridian! Who might not know from the evidence of those lost and found in the woods that man is such without instruction? Is he not as he is taught? Is he not born in greater ignorance than beasts? Must he not learn to walk? and to talk? If he did not learn to walk would he stand erect upon his feet? And if he did not learn to speak could he give utterance to any thought? Is not every man just as he is taught, insane from falsities, or wise from truths? And when insane from falsities is he not in all phantasy that he is wiser than he who is wise from truths? Are there not men, fatuous and insane, who are no more men than those found in the woods? Are not those who have lost their memory like them? We conclude from all this that without instruction man is not man; and is not a beast; but that he is a form which can receive within him what makes a man; thus that he is not born a man, but becomes a man; and that man is born such a form in order that he may be an organ receiving life from God, to the end that he may be a subject into which God can bring every good, and by union with Himself can render him blessed to eternity. We perceive from what you have said that wisdom is at this day so far extinct, or rendered so foolish, that men know nothing at all about the state of life of men relative to that of beasts. Hence it is that they do not know man's state of life after death; and those who might know this but are not willing to know it, and therefore, deny it, as many of your Christians do, we may liken to those found in the woods. Not that they have become so stupid for want of instruction, but that they have made themselves so stupid by fallacies of the senses, which are the darkness of truths.'
153 (2). But then one standing in the middle of the Palladium, holding a palm in his hand, said: ‘I beg you to unfold this secret; How man created in the form of God could be changed into a form of the devil. I know that the angels of heaven are forms of God; and that the angels of hell are forms of the devil; and the two forms are opposite, these of insanity, those of wisdom. Say, then, how man created a form of God could pass from day into such night, that he could deny God and eternal life?'
To this the tutors replied in order; first the Pythagoreans, then the Socratists, and afterwards the others. But there was a certain Platonist among them who spoke last, and his view prevailed; which was this: 'In the Saturnian period or golden age, men knew and acknowledged that they were forms receptive of life from God; and therefore, wisdom was inscribed on their souls and hearts. Hence they saw truth from the light of truth; and by truths perceived good from the delight of its love. But as in subsequent ages the human race fell away from the acknowledgment that every truth of wisdom and thence every good of love with them, continually flowed in from God, they ceased to be habitations of God; and then also discourse with God and consociations with angels ceased. For the interior of their minds - which had been elevated by God upwards to God - were bent out of their course, in a more and more oblique direction outwards to the world, and so by God through the world to God; and at length were inverted into the opposite direction, which is downwards to their own selves. And as God cannot be kept in view by man inwardly inverted, and thus turned away, men separated themselves from God, and became forms of hell, or of the devil. Whence it follows that in the first ages men acknowledged with heart and soul that every good of love, and thence every truth of wisdom in them was from God; and also that these were God's in them, and thus that they were mere receptacles of life from God; and for that reason they were called images of God, sons of God, and born of God. But that in the succeeding ages this was not acknowledged in heart and soul, but with a kind of persuasive faith; and afterwards as an historical faith; and finally with the mouth only, and to acknowledge such a truth only with the mouth is not to acknowledge, yea, is to deny it in heart. From these facts it may be seen what wisdom is at this day on earth, among Christians, when, though they may be inspired of God by written revelation, they do not know the difference between man and beast, and many therefore, believe that if man lives after death a beast must live also, or because a beast does not live after death neither does man live. Has not our spiritual light which enlightens the sight of the mind become thick darkness with them? And their natural light which only enlightens the sight of the body, has it not become splendor to them?
154 (2). After this they all turned to the two new-comers and thanked them for their visit and information; and begged them to report what they had heard to their brethren. The new-comers replied that they would confirm them in this truth that, in so far as they attribute every good of charity, and every truth of faith to the Lord, and not to themselves, they are men; and in so far do they become angels of heaven.
155 (2). The Second Relation:
One morning most sweet singing heard at some height above me woke me from sleep; and in that first vigil, which is more internal, peaceful, and sweet than the following hours of the day, I was enabled to be kept for some time in the spirit, as if out of the body, and could give exquisite attention to the affection which was being sung. The singing of heaven is nothing else than an affection of the mind emitted out of the mouth as melody; for it is sound, distinct from the discourse of one speaking from an affection of love which gives life to speech. In that state I perceived that it was an affection of the delights of conjugial love, which was made tuneful by wives in heaven. I discerned that it was so from the sound of the singing, wherein those delights were varied in marvelous ways.
After this I arose and looked abroad into the spiritual world. And lo! in the east beneath the sun there appeared as it were a golden rain. It was the morning dew falling in such abundance which, touched by the rays of the sun, presented before my sight the appearance of golden rain. Waked still more fully by this, I walked forth in the spirit and asked an angel, who just then by chance met me, whether he saw the golden rain descending from the sun. He answered that he saw it as often as he was in meditation on conjugial love. And then turning his eyes in that direction he said:
'That rain is falling over a hall in which there are three husbands with their wives, who dwell in the midst of an eastern paradise. Such rain appears to be falling upon that hall from the sun, because wisdom concerning conjugial love and its delights dwells with them, with the husband's wisdom respecting conjugial love, and with the wives, respecting its delights. But I perceive that you are meditating on the delights of conjugial love. I will therefore, conduct you to that hall and introduce you.'
And he led me through paradisal scenes to houses built of the wood of the olive tree, with two columns of cedar before the entrance; and introduced me to the husbands, and begged that I might be permitted, in their presence, to converse with their wives. And they bowed assent and called them.
The wives looked searchingly into my eyes. And I asked, 'Why is this?' They said, 'We can see exactly what your inclination is, and the affection from it, and what is your thought from this about the love of the sex; and we see that you are thinking intensely about it, and yet chastely.' And they asked:
'What would you that we tell you about it?' I answered, 'Tell me, I pray you, something about the delights of conjugial love.'
The husbands nodded assent, saying, 'If agreeable to you tell something about them. Their ears are chaste.'
And they inquired, 'Who taught you to ask us about the delights of that love? Why not ask our husbands?' I responded, 'This angel who is with me whispered in my ear that wives are receptacles and sensories of them, because they are born loves, and all delights are of love.'
To this, with smiling lips, they answered, 'Be prudent, and do not tell such a thing, unless in an ambiguous sense; for it is a wisdom profoundly reserved in the hearts of our sex; and not disclosed to any husband unless he is in love truly conjugial. The reasons are many which are deeply concealed by us.'
And then the husbands said, 'The wives know all the states of our mind, and nothing at all is hidden from them. They see, perceive, and feel whatever goes forth from our will; while we, on the other hand, know nothing with the wives. Wives have this gift because they are most tender loves and ardent zeals as it were, for the preservation of conjugial friendship and confidence, and so for the happiness of life of both, which they look out for, for their husbands and for themselves, from the wisdom inherent in their love; which is so full of prudence that they will not, and hence cannot say that they love, but that they are loved.' I asked, 'Why will they not and hence cannot?'
They replied, that if the least such thing escaped from their mouth cold would come over their husbands, and separate them from bed and chamber and from sight. But this is with those who do not regard marriages as holy, and therefore, do not love their wives from spiritual love.
It is otherwise with those that do so love. In their minds that love is spiritual, and from this in the body is natural. 'We, in this hall, are in this love from that; and therefore, we entrust the secrets of the delights of conjugial love to our husbands.' I courteously asked that they would disclose some of these secrets to me also. And instantly they looked towards a window to the south, and lo! a white dove, whose wings glistened as with silver, and whose head was decked with a crest as of gold. It was standing on a bough from which an olive put forth.
When this was in the effort to expand its wings the wives said, 'We will disclose something. While this dove appears it is a sign to us that we may.' And they said, 'Every man has five senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. But we have also a sixth sense, which is the sense of all the delights of the conjugial love of the husband. We have this sense in the palms of our hands, while we touch the breasts, arms, hands, or cheeks, especially the breasts of our husbands, and also while we are touched by them. All the gladnesses and pleasantnesses of the thoughts of their inner mind (mens), and all the joys and delights of their outer mind (animus), and the cheer and mirth of their bosoms, pass from them into us and take form and become perceptible, sensible, tactile; and we as exquisitely and distinctly discern them as the ear discerns the modulations of song, or as the tongue distinguishes the flavors of dainties. In a word, the spiritual delights of our husbands put on with us, as it were a natural embodiment. For that reason, we are called by our husbands the sensory organs of chaste conjugial love and thence of its delights. But this sense of our sex exists, subsists, persists, and is exalted in the degree that our husbands love us from wisdom and judgment, and as we in turn love them from the same in them. This sense of our sex is called in the heavens the sport of wisdom with its love and of love with its wisdom.'
With this I was excited with the desire to inquire more, as to the variety of the delights; and they said, 'It is infinite. But we do not wish to say more and therefore, cannot; for the dove at our window, with the olive branch under its feet, has flown away.'
And I waited for its return but in vain.
Meanwhile I asked the husbands, 'Have you a similar sense of conjugial love?'
They answered, 'We have it in general but not in particular. We have a general blessedness, a general delight, and general pleasantness from the particular sensations of our wives; and this general sense which we have from them is as the serenity of peace.'
As this was said, behold beyond the window a swan appeared, standing on a branch of a fig-tree; and he spread his wings and flew away. Seeing this the husbands said, 'This is a sign to us for silence about conjugial love. Return at another time and perhaps more may be disclosed.'
And they withdrew and we went away.
156b. 1ON THE CONJUNCTION OF SOULS AND MINDS BY MARRIAGE; WHICH IS MEANT BY THE LORD'S WORDS, THEY SHALL BE NO MORE TWAIN BUT ONE FLESH.
That by creation there was given to man and to woman an inclination and also the faculty of conjunction as into one, and that they are in both man and woman still, is evident from the Book of Creation, and at the same time from the Lord's words. In the Book of Creation, which is called Genesis, we read that:
Jehovah God built the rib which He had taken from man into a woman; and brought her to the man; and the man said, This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; her name shall be called woman (Ishah) because she was taken out of man (Ish). Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh (Genesis 2:22-24).
Likewise the Lord said in Matthew:
Have ye not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh (Matthew 19:4-5).
From these passages it is plain that woman was created out of man, and that there is in both an inclination and a faculty of reuniting themselves into one. That the reunion is into one man (Latin: homo) is also plain from the Book of Creation, where both together are called man (Latin: homo); for we read that, 'In the day that God created man (Latin: homo), male and female created He them, and called their name Man (Latin: homo).' It is said here, 'He called their name Adam,' but Adam in the Hebrew language and Man (Latin: Homo) are one word. They are also together called man in Genesis 1:27, and Genesis 3:22-24. And one man is also meant by one flesh, as is plain from passages in the Word where it speaks of all flesh, meaning every man; thus in Genesis 6:12-13, 17, 19; Isaiah 40:5-6; 49:26; 66:16, 23-24; Jeremiah 25:31; 32:27; 45:5; Ezekiel 20:48; 21:4-5; and elsewhere.
But what is meant by the rib of the man which was built into a woman; what by the flesh which was closed up in the place thereof; and so what is meant by 'bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,' and by 'father and mother' whom after marriage man is to leave; and by 'cleave unto his wife,' all this is shown in the Arcana Coelestia where the two books, Genesis and Exodus are explained as to the spiritual sense. It is there shown that a rib is not meant by 'rib,' nor flesh by 'flesh,' nor bone by 'bone,' nor cleave by 'cleave,' but that the spiritual things which correspond to these are meant and hence are signified by them. That spiritual things are meant, which of two make one man, is plain from the fact that conjugial love conjoins them, and that love is spiritual. It has been stated several times above that the love of man's wisdom is transcribed into the wife; and in the sections that follow this it will be more fully confirmed; but at present we may not turn aside and so far digress from the subject here proposed, which is the conjunction of two married partners into one flesh by the union of souls and minds. This union shall be elucidated in the following order:
(1) That there is inherent in each sex, by creation, the faculty and the inclination whereby they are able and desire to be conjoined as into one.
(2) That conjugial love conjoins two souls and hence two minds in one.
(3) That the will of the wife conjoins itself with the understanding of the man; and hence the understanding of the man with the will of the wife.
(4) That the inclination to unite the man to herself is constant and perpetual with the wife; but with the man it is inconstant and alternating.
(5) That conjunction is inspired into the man by the wife according to her love; and is received by the man according to his wisdom.
(6) That this conjunction is effected successively from the first days of marriage; and with those who are in love truly conjugial it is effected more and more inwardly to eternity.
(7) That the conjunction of the wife with the rational wisdom of the husband is effected from within; but with his moral wisdom from without.
(8) That for the sake of this conjunction as an end the wife is gifted with a perception of the husband's affections; and also with consummate prudence in moderating them.
(9) That wives hide this perception with themselves, and conceal it from their husbands, for reasons which are necessities; in order that conjugial love, friendship, and confidence, and thus the blessedness of living together, and happiness of life, may be confirmed.
(10) That this perception is the wisdom of the wife; that it cannot be with the man; and that the rational wisdom of the man cannot be with the wife.
(11) That the wife, from love, is constantly thinking about the inclination of the man to herself with the purpose of conjoining him to herself; with the man it is otherwise.
(12) That the wife conjoins herself to the man by applying herself to the desires of his will.
(13) That the wife is conjoined to the husband through the sphere of her life going forth from her love.
(14) That the wife is conjoined to the husband by the appropriation of the powers of his manhood; but that this takes place according to their mutual spiritual love.
(15) That the wife thus receives into herself the image of her husband, and from this perceives, sees, and feels his affections.
(16) That there are duties proper to the man and duties proper to the wife; and that the wife cannot enter into the duties proper to the man, nor the man into the duties proper to the wife, and rightly perform them.
(17) That these duties also, according to mutual aid, conjoin the two into one; and at the same time make one house.
(18) That married partners, according to the above mentioned conjunctions, become one man more and more.
(19) That they who are in love truly conjugial feel themselves a united man, and as one flesh.
(20) That love truly conjugial regarded in itself is a union of souls, a conjunction of minds, and an effort to conjunction in bosoms and hence in the body.
(21) That the states of this love are innocence, peace, tranquility, inmost friendship, full confidence, and mutual desire of mind and heart to do each other every good; and from all these come blessedness, happiness, joy, pleasure, and from their eternal fruition, heavenly felicity.
(22) That these things can by no means be except in the marriage of one man with one wife.
The explanation of these now follows.
Footnotes:
1. [NCBS Editor's note: Swedenborg accidentally repeated the numbering for 151-156. He began a new chapter here. It was numbered 156. 2. by the translators, but we have used 156b. here instead, in order to standardize the numbering with other translations.]
156. XIV: Quod status Conjugii praeferendus sit statui Coelibatus, constat ex illis quae de Conjugio et de Coelibatu hactenus dicta sunt. Quod Status conjugii praeferendus sit, est quia ille a creatione est: quia origo ejus est Conjugium boni et veri: quia ejus correspondentia est cum Conjugio Domini et Ecclesiae; quia Ecclesia et Amor conjugialis sunt assidui comites: quia Usus ejus est praestantior usibus omnium creationis, est enim inde secundum ordinem propagatio Generis Humani, et quoque Coeli Angelici, hoc enim ex Genere humano est: accedit his, quod Conjugium sit plenitudo hominis, per illud enim homo fit plenus homo, quod in sequente Capite demonstrandum venit: omnia illa in Coelibatu non sunt.
[2] At si datur Propositio, quod status coelibatus praestet statu conjugii, et haec relinquitur inquisitioni ut assentiatur et stabiliatur per confirmationes, tunc per has prodeunt haec, quod Conjugia non sint sancta, nec dentur casta; imo quod castitas in Sexu foeminino non sit aliis, quam quae abstinent a conjugiis, et vovent perpetuam virginitatem: et insuper quod illi qui perpetuum Coelibatum voverant, intelligantur per Eunuchos, qui se propter Regnum Dei faciunt Eunuchos, Matth. 19:12; praeter plura, quae ex Propositione non vera, etiam non vera sunt: per Eunuchos, qui se propter Regnum Dei faciunt Eunuchos, intelliguntur spirituales eunuchi, qui sunt qui in Conjugiis abstinent a malis scortationum; quod Itali Eunuchi non intelligantur, patet.
1151i. [Iteratum]. His adjiciam duo Memorabilia; Primum. Dum ex hoc Ludo sapientiae, de quo supra 132, abirem domum, in via vidi Angelum in veste hyacinthina; hic adjunxit se lateri meo, et dixit, "video quod e Ludo sapientiae exiveris, et quod ex auditis ibi laetificatus sis; et quia percipio, quod non plenus sis in hoc Mundo, quia simul in Mundo naturali es, et ideo nescis nostra Gymnasia Olympiaca, ubi veteres Sophi conveniunt, et ex advenis e tuo Mundo hauriunt, quas status mutationes et successiones subiverat et adhuc subit Sapientia, 2si vis deducam te ad locum, ubi plures ex vetustis Sophis, et illorum filiis, hoc est, discipulis habitant;" et deduxit me in confinium inter Septentrionem et Orientem, et dum e loco edito illuc prospexi, ecce visa est Urbs, et ad unum ejus latus duo Clivi, et propior urbi humilior altero; et dixit mihi, "Urbs illa vocatur Athenaeum, Clivus humilior Parnassium, et altior Heliconeum; ita vocantur, quia in Urbe et circum illam commorantur Veteres sapientes in Graecia, ut Pythagoras, Socrates, Aristippus, 3Xenophon, cum discipulis et tyronibus;" et quaesivi de Platone et Aristotele; dixit, quod illi et illorum asseclae in alia regione habitent, quia hi docuerunt rationalia quae intellectus sunt, illi autem moralia quae vitae sunt.
[2] Dixit, quod ex Urbe Athenaeo frequenter ablegentur studiosi ad literatos ex Christianis, ut narrent quid hodie cogitant de Deo, de Creatione Universi, de Immortalitate animae, de statu hominis relativo ad statum bestiarum, ac de rebus aliis quae interioris sapientiae sunt; et dixit, quod praeco hodie annuntiaverit conventum, indicium, quod emissarii novos Advenas e terris offenderint, a quibus audiverunt curiosa; et vidimus multos exeuntes ex urbe et a viciniis, quosdam habentes laureas super capitibus, quosdam tenentes palmas in manibus, quosdam cum libris sub ulnis, et quosdam cum calamis sub sinistri temporis crinibus. Nos inseruimus nos illis, et una ascendimus, et ecce super Clivo Palatium octogonum, quod vocaverunt Palladium, ac intravimus; et ecce ibi octo insinuationes sexangulares, in quarum unaquavis erat Librarium, et quoque Mensa, ad quas consederunt laureati, et in ipso Palladio visa sunt Sedilia ex saxo exsculpta, super quae reliqui se demiserunt;
[3] et tunc aperta est janua ad sinistrum, per quam duo Advenae e terra introducti sunt, et postquam salutati, unus ex laureatis quaesivit illos, quid novi e terra; et dixerunt, "novum est, quod in sylvis invenerint homines sicut bestias, aut bestias sicut homines, at quod ex facie et corpore cognoverint natos esse homines, ac secundo aut tertio aetatis anno amissos aut omissos in Sylvis; dixerunt quod non possint sonare aliquid cogitationis, nec discere articulare sonum in aliquam vocem; quod nec scirent cibum sibi convenientem sicut bestiae, sed quod sylvestria tam munda quam immunda injicerent in buccam; praeter similia plura; ex quibus aliqui Eruditi apud nos divinarunt, et aliqui concluserunt plura de Statu hominum relativo ad statum bestiarum;"
[4] his auditis, quaesiverunt aliqui ex vetustis Sophis, quid ex illis divinant et concludunt; et duo Advenae responderunt, quod plura, quae tamen ad haec possunt referri.
1. Quod homo ex sua natura, et quoque ex nativitate, omni bestia stupidior et inde vilior sit; et quod similiter fiat si non instruitur.
2. Quod instrui possit quia didicit articulate sonare, et inde loqui, et quod per id inceperit expromere cogitationes, et hoc successive plus et plus, usque ut posset exprimere leges Societatis, quarum plures tamen bestiis a nativitate impressae sunt.
3. Quod rationalitas sit bestiis aeque ac hominibus.
4. Quare si bestiae potuissent loqui, tam solerter ratiocinarentur de omni re sicut homines; cujus rei indicium est, quod cogitent ex ratione et prudentia aeque ac homines.
[5] 5. Quod Intellectus sit solum modificatio lucis e Sole, cooperante calore, medio aethere, ita ut modo sit activitas interioris naturae, et quod haec possit exaltari, usque ut appareat sicut sapientia.
6. Quod ideo vanum sit credere, quod homo post mortem plus vivat quam bestia, nisi quod forte possit per aliquot dies post obitum ex exhalatione vitae corporis apparere sicut nimbus sub specie larvae, antequam dissipatur in naturam; vix aliter quam sicut virgultum ex cinere exsuscitatum apparet in similitudine suae formae.
7. Consequenter quod Religio, quae docet vitam post mortem, sit inventum, ut simplices teneantur intrinsecus in vinculo per ejus leges, sicut tenentur extrinsecus per civitatis leges. His addiderunt, quod mere ingeniosi ita ratiocinentur, non autem Intelligentes; et quaesiverunt, quid Intelligentes; dixerunt quod non audiverint, sed quod sic opinentur.
152i. [Iteratum] His auditis dixerunt omnes qui ad Mensas sedebant, "oh qualia nunc in Terris tempora; heu Sapientia quas vices subiit; versane est in ingeniositatem fatuam; sol occidit, et sub terra est e diametro oppositus suae meridiei; quis non ex documento ex relictis et inventis in sylvis scire potest, quod homo non instructus talis sit; estne sicut instruitur; nasciturne in ignorantia prae bestiis; discetne gradiri et loqui; si non disceret gradiri, num se super pedes erigeret, et si non disceret loqui, num mutiret aliquid cogitationis; estne omnis homo sicut instruitur, insaniens ex falsis, ac sapiens ex veris, et insaniens ex falsis in omni phantasia quod sit sapientior sapiente ex veris; danturne homines fatui et vesani, qui non plus homines sunt, quam inventi in sylvis; nonne cassi memoria his similes sunt.
[2] Nos ex his et illis conclusimus, quod homo absque instructione non sit homo, nec bestia, sed quod sit forma, quae recipere potest in se id quod facit hominem, et sic quod non nascatur homo, sed quod fiat homo; et quod homo talis forma nascatur, ut sit organum recipiens vitae a Deo, propter finem ut sit subjectum, in quod Deus omne bonum posset inferre, et per unionem secum beatificare in aeternum. Percipimus ex sermone vestro, quod sapientia hodie in tantum exstincta aut infatuata sit, ut de statu vitae hominum relativo ad statum vitae bestiarum, prorsus nihil sciant; inde est, quod nec sciant statum vitae hominis post mortem; at illi qui hunc scire possunt, sed non volunt scire, et inde illum negant, ut faciunt multi ex vestris Christianis, assimilare possumus inventis in sylvis; non quod ex privatione instructionis ita stupidi facti sint, sed quod per fallacias sensuum, quae sunt tenebrae veritatum, semetipsos ita stupidos fecerint."
153i. [Iteratum] Sed tunc quidam in medio Palladii stans, in manu tenens palmam, dixit, "evolvite quaeso hoc arcanum, quomodo homo forma Dei creatus, mutari potuit in formam diaboli; scio quod Angeli Coeli sint formae Dei, et quod angeli inferni sint formae diaboli, et duae formae sunt sibi oppositae, hae Insaniae, illae Sapientiae; dicite itaque, quomodo homo forma Dei creatus a die in talem noctem potuit transire, ut potuerit negare Deum, et vitam aeternam:"
[2] ad haec responderunt Didascali in ordine, primum Pythagorei, dein Socratici, et postea reliqui; sed inter illos erat quidam Platonicus; hic ultimo loquutus est, et hujus sententia praevaluit, quae erat, 4quod homines Aevi Saturnini seu Saeculi aurei, sciverint et agnoverint quod essent Formae recipientes vitae a Deo, et quod ideo sapientia animabus et cordibus illorum inscripta fuerit, et inde, quod ex luce veri viderint verum, et per vera perceperint bonum ex jucundo amoris ejus: "at sicut Humanum Genus in sequentibus Saeculis recesserat ab agnitione, quod omne verum sapientiae et inde bonum amoris apud illos, continue influeret a Deo, cessaverunt esse habitacula Dei, et quoque tunc cessavit loquela cum Deo, et consociatio cum Angelis; interiora enim mentis illorum a directione sua, quae fuerat sursum elevata ad Deum a Deo, inflexa sunt 5in directionem obliquam plus et plus, extrorsum in Mundum, et sic ad Deum a Deo per Mundum, et tandem inversa in directionem oppositam, quae est deorsum ad Semet; et quia Deus non potest spectari ab homine interius inverso et sic averso, homines separaverunt se a Deo, et facti sunt formae inferni seu diaboli.
[3] Ex his sequitur, quod Primis Aevis agnoverint corde et anima, quod omne bonum amoris, et inde verum sapientiae illis essent a Deo, et quoque quod illa essent Dei in illis, et sic quod illi essent mera receptacula vitae a Deo, et inde vocati Imagines Dei, Filii Dei, et Nati a Deo: sed quod in succedentibus aevis illud non corde et anima, sed quadam fide persuasiva, et dein fide historica, et demum solum ore, agnoverint; et agnoscere tale solum ore, est non agnoscere, imo id negare corde. Ex his videri potest, qualis hodie est sapientia in terra apud Christianos, tametsi illi ex revelatione scripta inspirari possunt a Deo, dum non sciunt discrimen inter hominem et bestiam; et inde multi credunt, quod si homo vivit post mortem, etiam bestia victura sit, aut quia bestia non vivit post mortem, nec homo victurus sit; annon lux nostra spiritualis, quae illuminat visum mentis, apud illos facta est caligo; et lux illorum naturalis, quae solum illuminat visum corporis, facta est illis splendor."
154i. [Iteratum] Post haec converterunt se omnes ad duos Advenas, et illis gratias propter adventum et narrationem agebant, et orabant, ut haec, quae audiverant, suis fratribus renuntiarent: et responderunt Advenae, quod confirmaturi sint suos in hac veritate, quod quantum attribuunt omne bonum charitatis et verum fidei Domino, et non sibi, tantum sint homines, ac tantum fiant Angeli Coeli.
155i. [Iteratum] Alterum Memorabile: 6Quodam mane suavissimus Cantus e quadam altitudine supra me auditus me expergefecit, et inde in prima vigilia, quae interna, pacifica et dulcis est prae sequentibus diei, potui aliquamdiu teneri in spiritu sicut extra corpus, et exquisite attendere ad affectionem quae canebatur; Cantus Coeli non aliud est quam affectio mentis, quae ut modulamen per os emittitur, est enim sonus separatus a sermone loquentis ex affectione amoris, quae dat loquelae vitam; in statu illo percepi, quod esset affectio delitiarum amoris conjugialis, quae ab uxoribus in Coelo canora facta est; quod ita esset, animadverti ex sono cantus, in quo illae delitiae mirabilibus modis variebantur. Post haec surrexi, et prospexi in Mundum Spiritualem; et ecce in Oriente sub Sole ibi apparuit sicut Pluvia Aurea; erat ros matutinus, in tali copia descendens, qui strictus a radiis Solis speciem Pluviae aureae coram visu meo exhibebat; ex hac adhuc plenius evigilatus exivi in spiritu, et Angelum mihi forte tunc obvium interrogavi, num viderit Pluviam auream descendentem e Sole;
[2] et respondit, quod videat illam quoties in meditatione est de Amore conjugiali, et tunc illuc vertit oculos; et dixit, "cadit illa Pluvia super Aulam, in qua sunt tres Mariti cum suis Uxoribus, qui habitant in medio Paradisi Orientalis. Quod videatur talis Pluvia super Aulam illam a Sole cadens, 7est quia residet apud illos Sapientia de Amore conjugiali et ejus delitiis, apud maritos de amore conjugiali, et apud uxores de delitiis ejus: sed percipio, quod sis in meditatione de Delitiis amoris conjugialis, quare ducam te ad Aulam illam, et introducam;" et duxit me per Paradisiaca ad Domos, quae structae erant a Lignis oleae, et duae Columnae ex cedris ante portam, et introduxit me ad Maritos, et petiit ut liceret mihi in praesentia illorum loqui cum uxoribus; et annuerunt, et vocaverunt illas: hae argute inspectabant oculos meos; et quaesivi, "cur ita;" dixerunt, "possumus exquisite videre, quae tibi inclinatio et inde affectio, et ex hac cogitatio est de amore sexus, et videmus quod de illo intense, sed usque caste mediteris;" et dixerunt, "quid vis ut de illo tibi dicamus;" et respondi, "dicite, quaeso, aliquid de delitiis amoris conjugialis;" et Mariti annuerunt, dicentes, "aperite si placet aliquid de illis; sunt illorum aures castae:"
[3] et quaesiverunt, "quis te docuit de delitiis illius amoris interrogare nos; cur non Maritos;" et respondi, "hic Angelus qui mecum est, dixit mihi in aurem, quod Uxores sint illarum receptacula et sensoria, quia sunt natae Amores, et omnes delitiae sunt amoris;" ad haec subridente ore respondebant, "esto prudens, et non dic tale quid nisi in sensu ambiguo, quia est sapientia alte reservata in cordibus nostri sexus, et non alicui Marito aperitur, nisi qui in Amore vere conjugiali est; causae sunt plures, quas apud nos penitus recondimus:" et tunc dixerunt Mariti, "sciunt uxores omnes status nostrae mentis, nec absconditum illis est quicquam; vident, percipiunt, et sentiunt quicquid ex voluntate nostra procedit; et nos vicissim nihil apud uxores; hoc datum est uxoribus, quia sunt Amores tenerrimi, et tanquam Zeli ardentes pro conservatione amicitiae et confidentiae conjugialis, et sic utriusque felicitatis vitae, quam prospiciunt maritis et sibi ex insita amori illarum sapientia, quae tam plena est prudentia, ut non velint, et inde non possint dicere, quod ament, sed quod amentur;" et quaesivi, cur non volunt, et inde non possunt; responderunt, quod si minimum tale elaberetur ex ore illarum, frigus invaderet maritos, et separaret a toro, cubiculo, et aspectu; "sed hoc fit illis, qui non sancta habent conjugia, et ideo non ex spirituali amore amant suas uxores; aliter fit illis qui amant; in horum mentibus amor ille est spiritualis, et ex hoc in corpore est naturalis; nos in hac Aula sumus in hoc amore ex illo, quare concredimus Maritis arcana de delitiis amoris conjugialis nostris."
[4] Tunc officiose rogavi, ut etiam mihi aliquid de Arcanis illis aperirent: et illico spectabant ad fenestram plagae meridiei, et ecce visa est columba candida, cujus alae nitebant sicut ex argento, et caput insignitum erat corona sicut ex auro, stans super ramo, e quo exibat oliva; quae cum in conatu expandendi alas erat, dicebant uxores, "aperiemus aliquid; columba illa dum apparet, est nobis signum quod liceat:" et dixerunt, "sunt unicuique Viro quinque Sensus, Visus, Auditus, Olfactus, Gustus et Tactus; at nobis est quoque Sextus, qui est Sensus delitiarum omnium amoris conjugialis Mariti; et hic Sensus est nobis in palmis, dum tangimus Maritorum nostrorum pectora, ulnas, manus aut genas, imprimis dum pectora, et quoque dum ab illis tangimur; omnes laetitiae et amaenitates cogitationum mentis illorum, et omnia gaudia et jucunda animi illorum, ac festiva et hilaria pectoris illorum, ab illis transeunt in nos, et formant se, et fiunt perceptibilia, sensibilia, tactilia, et discernimus illa tam exquisite et distincte, sicut auris discernit modulos cantus, et sicut lingua sapores lautitiarum; verbo, spirituales maritorum jucunditates induunt naturalem quasi corporaturam apud nos, quare a Maritis nostris vocamur Organa sensoria amoris casti conjugialis, et inde Delitiarum suarum: 8at hic sensus nostri Sexus existit, subsistit, persistit, et exaltatur in eo gradu, in quo Mariti nos ex sapientia et judicio amant, et nos vicissim illos ex iisdem in illis amamus: ille Sensus nostri Sexus vocatur in Coelis Ludus sapientiae cum suo amore, et amoris cum sua sapientia."
[5] Ex his excitatus sum desiderio sciscitandi 9plura, ut de Varietate delitiarum, et dixerunt, "est illa infinita: sed plura dicere non volumus, et ideo nec possumus, quia Columba fenestrae nostrae cum ramo olivae sub pedibus avolavit;" et exspectavi reditum, sed incassum. Interea quaesivi Maritos, "estne vobis similis amoris conjugialis sensus;" et responderunt, "est ille nobis in communi, et non in particulari; est nobis commune beatum, commune jucundum, et commune amaenum, ex particularibus uxorum nostrarum; et hoc Commune, quod nobis est ex illis, est sicut Serenum pacis." His dictis, ecce trans fenestram apparebat Olor stans super ramo ficus, et expansit alas, et evolavit; hoc viso, dicebant Mariti, "hoc nobis est signum silentii de Amore conjugiali; redi per vices, et forte plura detegentur;" ac recesserunt; et abivimus.
Footnotes:
1. [NCBS editor's note: Swedenborg accidentally reused nos. 151-156 here. He started a new chapter, too. We have numbered this as section 156b, and concatenated the repeat-numbered sections within it, so that, from 157 on, the new chapter continues as normal.]
2. Prima editio: Sapientia:
3. Prima editio: Arisippus,
4. Prima editio: erat;
5. Prima editio: est
6. Prima editio: Momorabile:
7. Prima editio: cadentis,
8. Prima editio: delitiae suae:
9. Prima editio: scissitandi
156b. 1DE CONJUNCTIONE ANIMARUM ET MENTIUM PER CONJUGIUM, QUAE INTELLIGITUR PER DOMINI VERBA, QUOD NON AMPLIUS SINT DUO, SED UNA CARO
Quod Viro et Foeminae a Creatione indita sit Inclinatio et quoque Facultas conjunctionis sicut in unum, et quod utraque illa Viro et Foeminae insit adhuc, constat ex Libro creationis, et simul ex Domini verbis: in Libro creationis, qui vocatur genesis, legitur, "Jehovah Deus aedificavit Costam, quam sumserat de homine, in Mulierem; et adduxit eam ad hominem: et dixit homo, 2haec vice hac, Os de ossibus meis et Caro de carne mea; huic vocabitur nomen Ischah, quia de Isch, Viro, sumpta est haec: propterea derelinquet vir patrem suum et matrem suam, et adhaerebit uxori suae, et erunt in Carnem unam," Cap 2:22-23, 24. Similia etiam dixit Dominus apud Matthaeum; "Annon legistis, quod Ille qui fecit ab initio Masculum et Foeminam, dixit, propterea deseret homo patrem et matrem, et adhaerebit uxori suae, et erunt duo in Carnem unam; quare non amplius duo sunt, sed una Caro," Cap 19:4-5.
[2] Ex his patet, quod Foemina creata sit ex Viro, et quod sit utrique et Inclinatio et Facultas reuniendi se in unum; quod in Unum Hominem, patet etiam ex Libro creationis, ubi uterque simul dicitur Homo; legitur enim, Quo die creavit Deus Hominem, masculum et foeminam creavit illos, et vocavit nomen illorum Homo, [Genes.] Cap. Genesis 5:1-2; legitur ibi, "vocavit nomen illorum Adam," sed Adam et Homo sunt una vox in lingua Hebraea: insuper uterque simul vocatur Homo, ibi Genesis 1:27. Genesis 3:22, 23, 24: per unam Carnem etiam significatur unus Homo, quod patet ex locis in Verbo, ubi dicitur "Omnis Caro," per quod intelligitur Omnis Homo, ut Genes. 6:12-13, 17, 19. Esaj. 40:5-6. Esaj. 49:26. Esaj. 66:16, 23-24. Jerem. 25:31. Jerem. 32:27. Jerem. 45:5. Ezech. 20:48. Ezech. 21:4-5; et alibi.
[3] Quid autem intelligitur per Costam viri, quae in mulierem aedificata est, quid per Carnem quae loco ejus inclusa est, et sic quid per "Os ex ossibus meis et Caro ex carne mea," et quid per Patrem et Matrem, quos vir post conjugium relinquet, et quid per Adhaerere uxori, ostensum est in Arcanis Coelestibus, ubi duo Libri, Genesis et Exodus, quoad sensum spiritualem explicati sunt. Quod non Costa per costam, nec Caro per carnem, nec Os per os, neque Adhaerere per adhaerere, intellecta sint, sed Spiritualia, quae illis correspondent, et inde per illa significantur, ibi demonstratum est; quod intellecta sint Spiritualia, quae a duobus faciunt unum Hominem, patet ex eo, quod Amor conjugialis conjungat illos, et Amor ille est spiritualis. Quod Amor sapientiae Viri transcriptus sit in Uxorem, supra aliquoties dictum est, et in Transactionibus, quae hanc sequuntur, plenius confirmabitur; nunc non licet a materia hic proposita abire, et sic digredi, quae est de Conjunctione duorum Conjugum in unam carnem per unionem animarum et mentium. Sed haec Unio elucidabitur in hoc ordine.
I. Quod a creatione insita sit utrique Sexui facultas et inclinatio, ut possint et velint conjungi sicut in unum.
II. Quod Amor conjugialis conjungat duas animas et inde mentes in unum.
III. Quod Voluntas uxoris se conjungat cum Intellectu viri, et inde Intellectus viri cum Voluntate uxoris.
IV. Quod Inclinatio ad uniendum sibi Virum sit constans et perpetua apud Uxorem, sed inconstans et alterna apud Virum.
V. Quod conjunctio inspiretur Viro ab Uxore secundum ejus amorem, et recipiatur a Viro secundum ejus sapientiam.
VI. Quod Conjunctio illa fiat successive a primis diebus conjugii, et apud illos, qui in Amore vere conjugiali sunt, penitius et penitius in aeternum.
VII. Quod conjunctio Uxoris cum Sapientia rationali Mariti fiat ab intra, sed cum Sapientia morali ejus ab extra.
VIII. Quod propter conjunctionem illam ut finem, Uxori sit data perceptio affectionum Mariti, et quoque summa prudentia moderandi illas.
IX. Quod Uxores hanc perceptionem apud se recondant, et a maritis abscondant, propter causas quae sunt necessitates, ut Conjugialis amor, amicitia, et confidentia, et sic beatitudo cohabitationis et felicitas vitae, constabiliantur.
X. Quod perceptio haec sit Sapientia uxoris; quod haec non dabilis sit apud Virum, nec quod Sapientia rationalis viri dabilis sit apud Uxorem.
XI. Quod Uxor jugiter ex amore cogitet de Inclinatione viri ad se, animo conjungendi sibi illum; aliter Vir.
XII. Quod Uxor conjungat se Viro per applicationes ad ejus voluntatis desideria.
XIII. Quod Uxor conjungatur Viro suo per sphaeram vitae suae exeuntem ex amore ejus.
XIV. Quod Uxor conjungatur Marito per appropriationem virium virtutis ejus; sed quod hoc fiat secundum amorem mutuum spiritualem illorum.
XV. Quod sic Uxor imaginem sui Mariti recipiat in se, et inde percipiat, videat et sentiat ejus affectiones.
XVI. Quod sint Officia propria Viri, et Officia propria Uxoris; et quod Uxor non possit intrare in officia propria viri, nec Vir in officia propria uxoris, et illis rite fungi.
XVII. Quod Officia illa secundum mutuum auxilium etiam conjungant duos in unum; et simul faciant unam Domum.
XVIII. Quod Conjuges secundum conjunctiones supra dictas fiant unus Homo plus et plus.
XIX. Quod illi, qui in Amore vere conjugiali sunt, sentiant se unitum hominem, et sicut unam carnem.
XX. Quod Amor vere conjugialis in se spectatus, sit unio animarum, conjunctio mentium, nisus ad conjunctionem in pectoribus, et inde in corpore.
XXI. Quod status hujus Amoris sint Innocentia, Pax, Tranquillitas, Amicitia intima, Confidentia plena, ac Desiderium animi et cordis mutuum faciendi alteri omne bonum; et ex omnibus illis Beatitudo, Faustitas, Jucunditas, Voluptas, et ex harum fruitione aeterna, coelestis Felicitas.
XXII. Quod haec nullatenus possint dari, nisi in Conjugio unius Viri cum una Uxore. Sequitur nunc horum Explicatio.
Footnotes:
1. NCBS Editor's note: Swedenborg accidentally repeated sections 151-156, in his numbering. The second 156 begins a new chapter in the work. The numbering has been handled in various ways by different translators. The Latin edition that has served as the basis for this online version used this notation: 156 i. [Iteratum]. We have standardized on using 156b. as the notation across translations.
2. Prima editio: homo;