172、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。事实的确如此，这也是我从天使口中所得知的事。他们说，丈夫排放的精液被妻子普遍接受，并充实她们的生命；妻子就这样与丈夫过着日益和谐的生活，并因此在结果中产生灵魂的联合和心智的结合。天使给出的理由是，丈夫的精液含有他的灵魂，还含有被联结于灵魂的心智内层。他们补充说，这一切自创世时就已规定，以便形成其灵魂的男人智慧能融入妻子，照主的话说，从而使他们成为一体。如此规定也是为了确保妻子怀孕后，男人不会出于某种幻想遗弃她。不过，他们补充说，妻子照着他们的婚姻之爱而吸收并占有丈夫的生命，因为爱情既是一种属灵的联结，那么就会将他们联结起来。他们说，作出这样的规定还有许多其它原因。
172、（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的精神上的爱，这一点也可以通过天使对我所讲的来证实。天使说丈夫的精液被妻子所接受并被赋予生命，妻子进而进一步地与丈夫相互和谐。另外这一过程中产生了灵魂和思想的相互结合。天使说这是因为精液中包含着他的灵魂，并在内在元素上包含着他的思想。
天使们又说，这是在创世时就存在的。目的是构成丈夫的灵魂的智慧能够与妻子同化。通过这一过程而成为主所说的“一体”，这能起到避免男性抛弃妻子的作用。
然而，天使又说与丈夫的同化取决于他们的婚姻之爱，因为爱是一种精神上的结合，它使两个人相结合。
172. (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.
I have heard evidence of the truth of this directly from the lips of angels. They said that the reproductive force expended by husbands is in every way received by wives, and it reinforces their life; thus wives lead a life of increasing unanimity with their husbands, producing in effect a union of souls and a linking of minds. They gave as the reason for this the fact that the husband's reproductive force contains his soul, and also his mind as regards the inner regions linked to the soul. This, they added, was provided from creation, so that the man's wisdom, which makes his soul, should become the wife's possession, thus making them, in the Lord's words, one flesh. It was also provided to ensure that a male as the result of some fancy should not leave his wife after she has conceived. But they went on to say that wives grasp and take possession of their husbands' life in proportion to their conjugial love, because it is love which, being a spiritual union, links them. They said there were a number of other reasons why this provision was made.
172. 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. That this is so is also something I have gained from the testimony of angels. They said that the seminal fluids expended by husbands are universally received by their wives and added to the life in them, and that the wives in consequence lead a life in harmony and in progressively greater harmony with their husbands. Moreover, that the effect of this is to bring about a union of souls and conjunction of minds. The angels said that this is because a husband's seminal fluid contains his soul, and also his mind in respect to the interior elements of it which have been joined to the soul.
They said further that this has been provided from creation, in order that a husband's wisdom - which forms his soul - may be assimilated into his wife, and that in this way they may become, in the Lord's words, one flesh. Also, that it has been provided as well to keep the male of the species from abandoning his wife for some imaginary reason after she has conceived.
However, the angels added that occurrences of the utilization and assimilation in wives of the life of their husbands are contingent on their conjugial love, because it is love, which is a spiritual union, which joins two people together. And that this, too, has been provided, for many reasons.
172. 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. I also have it from the mouths of angels that this is true. They have said that what husbands expend reproductively wives receive all throughout themselves and attach themselves to its life, and in this way wives lead a life that is like - minded with their husbands' - and more and more like - minded. This is what makes an active union of souls and a conjunction of minds.
They said the reason is this - that a husband's soul is in his fertility, and so is his inner mind, which connects with the soul.
They added that this was provided from creation so that a wife can take to herself a man's wisdom, which makes his soul, and in this way they become, as the Lord said, one flesh. And it was also provided so that a human male might not leave his wife after conception because of some fantasy.
But they added that wives take on their husbands' lives and make them their own in relation to married love, because love, which is a spiritual union, joins. And they said that this, too, was provided for many reasons.
172. 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. That such is the case, this also I have taken from the mouth of angels. They said that the prolific things expended by husbands are received by wives universally and add themselves to their life; that wives thus lead a life unanimous with their husbands, and successively more unanimous; and that hence the union of souls and conjunction of minds exists in effect. The cause of this, they said, was that in the prolific of the husband is his soul and also his mind as to its interiors which are conjoined to the soul. They added that this was provided from creation in order that the wisdom of the man which makes his soul may be appropriated to the wife, and that thus they may become one flesh, in accordance with the Lord's words; also that this was provided, lest, after conception, the man, from some fantasy, should leave his wife. But they added that with wives, the applications and appropriations of the life of husbands are effected according to the conjugial love, it being love, which is spiritual union, that conjoins; and that for many reasons this too has been provided.
172. (xiv) A wife is conjoined to the husband through the appropriation of his manhood's powers, but this takes place according to their mutual spiritual love. This fact, too, I have learned from the mouth of angels. They said that the prolific expenditures of husbands are received by wives pervasively and added to their life; and that thus wives lead a life like-minded and ever more like-minded with their husbands; and that complete union of souls and conjunction of minds is thus effected. They gave this reason: the soul of the husband is in the prolific expenditure, and his mind, too, as to its interiors which are joined to the soul. They added that this was provided by creation in order that the man's wisdom which makes his soul may be appropriated to the wife, and that they may thus become one flesh according to the Lord's words; furthermore, that this was provided lest the man for some fancy leave his wife after conception. But they appended that applications and appropriations of the husband's life take place with wives in accord with the marital love, because love, being spiritual union, is what conjoins; and that this, too, has been provided for several reasons.
172. (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. That this is so I have also taken from the mouth of the angels. They said that the prolific gifts imparted by husbands are received by wives in a universal manner and add themselves to their life; and that thus wives lead a life unanimous, and gradually more unanimous with their husbands; and that thereby is effectively wrought a union of souls and a conjunction of minds. They said the reason is this, that in the prolific [gift] of the husband is his soul, and his mind also as to its interiors which are conjoined to the soul. They added that this was provided from creation, in order that the wisdom of the man which constitutes his soul may be appropriated to the wife, and that thus they may became, according to the Lord's word, one flesh. And also that this was provided lest after conception the male man should from some fancy leave his wife. But they added, that applications and appropriations of the life of husbands with wives are effected according to their conjugial love, for love which is spiritual union conjoins; and that this too was provided, for many reasons.
172. XIV: Quod Uxor conjungatur Marito per appropriationem virium virtutis ejus; sed quod hoc fiat secundum Amorem mutuum spiritualem illorum. Quod ita sit, etiam ex ore Angelorum captavi; dixerunt, quod prolifica impensa a maritis recipiantur universim ab uxoribus, ac addant se vitae illarum; et quod sic uxores vitam unanimam, et successive unanimiorem cum maritis ducant; et quod inde fiat effective unio animarum et conjunctio mentium: causam dixerunt hanc, quia in prolifico mariti est anima ejus, et quoque mens quoad 1interiora ejus quae conjuncta sunt animae: adjecerunt, quod hoc a creatione provisum sit, ut sapientia viri, quae facit animam ejus, approprietur uxori, ac ut sic fiant, secundum Domini verba, una caro: tum etiam, quod hoc provisum sit, ne homo vir, post conceptionem ex quadam phantasia relinquat uxorem. Sed addiderunt, quod applicationes et appropriationes vitae maritorum apud uxores, fiant secundum amorem conjugialem, quia amor, qui est unio spiritualis, conjungit; et quod hoc etiam provisum sit propter plures causas.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: quad