301、⑸要通过正式订婚确认并确定他们同意结婚。订婚的理由如下：
①订婚后，两个灵魂可互相倾向彼此。
②对异性的普遍之爱可被限定在其中一位异性身上。
③双方可互相了解彼此的内在情感，并通过使它们和谐一致而在爱情的内在愉悦中将它们联结起来。
④双方的灵可步入婚姻，联系得越来越紧密。
⑤婚姻之爱以这种方式可正确地从其最初之热发展到其婚礼火焰。
⑥因此，婚姻之爱可按适当次序从其属灵源头发出，并逐渐发展。
订婚的状态好比夏天来临前春天的状态，该状态的内在愉悦好比树木结果前的开花期。由于婚姻之爱的起始和后续阶段按次序行进，以便它们能流入始于婚礼的爱情实现，故天堂也有订婚。
301、（5）他们要有正式的订婚仪式。
原因如下：
1、促进双方的灵魂彼此倾向对方。
2、促使将对异性总体上的爱变为其中一个的爱。
3、促使对方认识对方的内在情感并且通过内在的爱使双方的情感相联合。
4、促使双方的精神相结合并且使双方的精神结合得更紧密。
5、促进婚姻之爱从最初的热情向婚姻之火转变的正确的发展过程。
6、促进婚姻之爱从其精神来源的正当有序发展。
订婚后的状态就向夏天之前的春天一样。其中的快乐就象是树木开花但还没有结果时的状态。婚姻之爱从开始到发展到结婚结出果实，这在天国中也存在。
301. (v) Their agreement is to be confirmed and established by a formal engagement.
The reasons for an engagement are these:
1. So that subsequently the souls of the couple may incline towards each other.
2. So that the sexual love all feel may be restricted to one person of the other sex.
3. So that each may get to know the other's inner affections, and by making them conformable link them in the inward cheerfulness of love.
4. So that the spirit of each may enter upon marriage, and become ever more closely associated.
5. So that conjugial love may thus advance duly from its first warmth to the wedding flame.
6. Consequently, so that conjugial love may develop and grow in the proper sequence from its origin.
The state of being engaged can be likened to the state of spring before the summer begins, and the inner pleasantness of that state to the flowering of trees before they form fruit. Since the first and subsequent stages of conjugial love develop in sequence because of their influence on the realisation of love, which begins with the wedding, there are also engagements in the heavens.
301. 5. Their agreement to marry should be affirmed and established by a formal betrothal. Reasons for formal betrothals are as follows:
1. To encourage a mutual inclination of the couple's souls to each other following betrothal.
2. To encourage a determination of a general love for the opposite sex to the one of the sex.
3. To encourage a mutual recognition of each other's inward affections and a conjunction of them through appeals to them in a state of the inner gladness of love.
4. To encourage a marriage of the couple's spirits and a closer and closer affiliation of these.
5. To encourage in this way a proper progression of conjugial love from its first warmth to its nuptial flame.
6. Consequently, to encourage a just and orderly progression and development of conjugial love from its spiritual origin.
The state of betrothal may be likened to a state of spring preceding summer, and the inner enjoyments of that state to the flowerings of trees before their production of fruit. Since the beginnings and progressions of conjugial love develop in sequence in order for them to flow into the fruitful love which begins with the wedding, therefore betrothals take place in heaven as well.
301. 5. Consent should be strengthened and confirmed by a solemn commitment. Here are the reasons for commitments. (a) So that after them the souls of both will incline toward each other. (b) To limit a general love of the other sex to one masculine or feminine person of the other sex. (c) To make known their mutual inner feelings and let these feelings be joined in the inner happiness of love, by inclination. (d) So that each one's spirit may enter marriage and be brought closer and closer together. (e) So that married love can progress properly from its first warmth clear to the blaze of the wedding. Consequently, (f) so that married love can advance and grow from its spiritual origin by the right steps.
The state of engagement can be compared to the condition of spring before the summer, and this state's inner delights compare to the blossoming of trees before they bear fruit.
There are engagements in the heavens, too, because the beginnings and the progress of married love proceed in order for the sake of their influencing the completed love that begins on the wedding day.
301. V. THAT CONSENT IS TO BE STRENGTHENED AND CONFIRMED BY A SOLEMN BETROTHAL. The reasons for betrothals are as follows: 1. That after them the two souls may mutually incline to each other. 2. That the universal love to the sex may be determined in each to one of the sex. 3. That the interior affections may be mutually known, and by applications may be conjoined in the inward cheerfulness of love. 4. That the spirits of the two may enter into marriage and be more and more consociated. 5. That conjugial love may thus rightly progress from its first heat to its nuptial flame. 6. Consequently, that conjugial love may proceed from its spiritual origin in just order and may take increase. The state of betrothal may be likened to the state of spring before summer, and the internal amenities of that state to the blossoming of trees before fructification. Since the initiations and progressions of conjugial love proceed in order, to the end that they may flow into the effective love which commences from the wedding, therefore in the heavens also there are betrothals.
301. (v) Consent is to be assured and established by a solemn betrothal. The reasons for betrothal are these: 1. That after betrothal the souls of the two may be mutually inclined to each other. 2. That the general love of the sex may be determined in each to one of the sex. 3. That the interior affections of each may be known and may be conjoined by mutual address in love's inward gaiety. 4. That the spirits of the two may enter into marriage and be brought together more and more. 5. That marital love may thus progress duly from its first warmth to the nuptial flame. 6. Consequently, that marital love may advance and grow up in due order from its spiritual origin. The state of betrothal may be likened to the state of spring before summer, and its internal pleasantness to the blossoming of trees before fructification. Betrothals take place in the heavens, too, inasmuch as there is this due order for the inception and progress of marital love, so that it may flow into the active love which begins from the nuptials.
301. (5) That the consent ought to be established and con firmed by a solemn betrothal. The reasons for betrothal are these: (1) So that after them the two souls may mutually incline to each other. (2) So that the universal love for the sex may be determined in each to one of the sex. (3) So that the interior affections may be mutually cognized, and by applications in the inward cheerfulness of love, may be conjoined. (4) That the spirits of the two may enter into marriage, and be consociated more and more. (5) That conjugial love may thus rightly progress from its first heat even to its nuptial flame. (6) That conjugial love may consequently proceed and grow up in just order from its spiritual origin. The state of betrothal may be likened to the state of spring before the summer, and its inward pleasantness to the blossoming of trees before fructification. Since the initiations and progressions of conjugial love proceed in order, for the sake of their inflowing into the effective love which begins from the nuptials, therefore, there are bethrothals also in the heavens.
301. V: Quod consensus per solennem desponsationem firmandus et constabiliendus sit. Causae desponsationum sunt hae; 1. Ut post illas duorum animae inclinent ad se mutuo. 2. Ut amor universalis ad sexum determinetur ad unum seu unam e sexu. 3. Ut affectiones interiores mutuo cognoscantur, et per applicationes in hilaritate interna amoris conjungantur. 4. Ut utriusque spiritus ineant conjugium, ac plus et plus consocientur. 5. Ut sic amor conjugialis a primo suo calore rite progrediatur usque ad flammam nuptialem; consequenter, 16. Ut amor conjugialis a spirituali sua origine justo ordine procedat et succrescat. Status desponsationis 2assimilari potest statui veris ante aestatem; et amaenitates internae illius status efflorescentiis arborum ante fructificationes. Quoniam initiationes et progressiones amoris conjugialis procedunt in ordine propter influxum illarum in effectivum amorem, qui inchoat a nuptiis, ideo in Coelis etiam desponsationes sunt.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: consequenter.
2. Prima editio: disponsationis