320、⑶对那些没有真正婚姻之爱的人来说，再婚没有任何阻挠或障碍。那些缺乏婚姻之爱的人没有属灵或内在的纽带，只有属世或外在的纽带。若没有内在纽带将外在纽带保持在秩序和运转中，外在纽带不会持久，好比没扎紧的腰带，风一刮就松垮了。原因在于，属世纽带源于属灵纽带，它的生成无非是一堆属灵事物的聚集。因此，属世纽带若与产生，可以说生出它的相对应的属灵纽带分离，就不再有任何内在纽带，只有属灵纽带所赋予的外在纽带。这外在纽带只是总体上包围并捆扎它，却没有在细节上绑紧它，或一直绑着它。这就是为何对夫妻来说，脱离属灵纽带的属世纽带不会实现心智的联结，因而不会实现意愿的联结，只能实现某些外在情感的联结，而这些外在情感与身体感官相连。
这种人再婚不会遭遇任何阻挠或障碍，因为他们缺乏婚姻的本质元素，因而死亡带来分离后，就没有任何婚姻元素在里面了。因此，如果一个鳏夫有了他所看中且合法的任何女人，一个寡妇有了她所看中且合法的任何男人，他们就会完全自由地把出于感官的情感绑在一起。他们自己只会以属世的方式并出于婚姻的便利来考虑再婚；如为了各种外在需求和实用性，因为某个配偶死后，这些需求和实用性可被取代他/她的另一个人再度恢复。此外，若有机会看到他们的内在思维，如在灵界那样，就会发现他们对婚内同房和婚外淫行不加区分。
由于上述原因，这些人会一而再，再而三地结婚；死后，纯属世的联结会自动瓦解，分崩离析。因为死亡时，外在情感会随肉体而去，与它一同埋葬，只剩下与内在情感相一致的情感。不过，要知道，世上很难缔结形成内在联结的婚姻，因为主不可能像在天堂那样提供内在相似性的选择。世上的选择会受到多方面的限制，如地位和条件要平等，要生活在相同的地区、城镇和乡村。在这种情况下，将他们联结起来的，大部分是外在纽带，而非内在纽带。内在纽带唯有等到婚姻持续一段时间后才会显现出来，并且只有表现于外在时，才被认识到。
320、（3）那些没有真正婚姻之爱的人，没有什么应该阻止他们再婚。
对于没有婚姻之爱的人，没有什么精神或内在的联系，而只是一种自然的或外在的联系。若内在不约束外在，外在也就不会长久。就象没有系好的绶带，肩一动或风一吹就会掉下来。这是因为自然的联系源自于精神的联系，它是由精神上的因素集合而成的。若自然联系与精神联系是分离的，它们也就不会在内在上相联系。精神上的联系也就不能保证自然联系。因此没有精神联系而只有自然联系的夫妇不会在思想上相结合，他们的意愿也不会相结合，他们只是在外在上存在着感觉上的联系。
在这种情况下，没有什么阻止人们再婚，因为他们最重要的婚姻的联系不存在，一方死后更是这样。因此他与他人性方面的联系是没有任何约束的，只要它是合法的。他们只会出于自然上的原因来考虑婚姻，他们只会看到再婚会带来的外在上的必要性和利益。若我们能够看到这种人的思想，他们会认为婚姻中彼此的结合与婚外的联系是没有什么区别的。
这种人会出于以上原因，反复再婚，因为在自然上的联系在一方死后完全消失了。外在的情感随着躯体被埋起来了。
要了解的是，内在上相结合的婚姻在世间是不容易的，因为世间人基于内在相似性上做的选择是主无法控制的。世间人们所做的选择受到很多的限制。比如说地位、条件、人住在城市或小镇；很大程度上是外在因素将人们联系在一起，而并非内因素。内在因素只有在婚后一段时间才会显现。
320. (iii) Those who had lacked truly conjugial love encounter no obstacle or hindrance to contracting another marriage.
Those who lacked conjugial love have no spiritual or inward bond, but only a natural or outward one. Without an inward bond to keep it in order and functioning, an outward bond is no more permanent than a sash without a fastening, which falls apart as it is tossed about or blown by the wind. The reason is that the natural is derived from the spiritual, and as it comes into being is nothing but a heap of spiritual things gathered together. If therefore the natural is separated from the corresponding spiritual, which produced and so to speak generated it, it no longer has any inward bonding, but only the outward bonding given by the spiritual. This surrounds and ties it generally, but it is neither tied down nor kept tied in detail. That is why the natural separated from the spiritual in the case of a married couple does not bring about any linking of minds, and so not of wills either, but only a linking of some outward affections, which are attached to the bodily senses.
[2] Such people encounter no obstacle or hindrance to contracting second marriages, because they lacked the essential element of marriage, and so cannot have any in them after the separation brought about by death. They are therefore at full liberty to engage the affections which come from the senses, a widower with any woman he wishes and may, a widow with any man she wishes and may. Nor do they themselves think about marriage except in a natural way, and as may be expedient for various needs and outward conveniences, which can after a partner's death again be restored by another person taking the place of the former one. If these inner thoughts were inspected, as they are in the spiritual world, it would be found that they made no distinction between married intercourse and extramarital fornication.
[3] The reason why these people can get married again and again has already been stated: merely natural links are dissolved and fall apart of their own accord after death. For outward affections accompany the body when it dies and are buried with it; only those which are attached to inward ones remain. But it ought to be known that on earth it is very difficult to contract a marriage which forms an inward link, because it is impossible for the choice of inward likenesses to be provided for by the Lord as it is in the heavens, because choice is restricted in many ways; for instance, to those of similar rank and condition, to those living in the same district, city or village. In these circumstances it is mostly outward bonds which bring them together, and so not inward ones. These only come to light after the marriage has lasted some time, and are only recognised when they obtrude on outward ones.
320. 3. In the case of people who did not have truly conjugial love, nothing hinders or prevents them from marrying again. In people who did not have conjugial love there is no spiritual or inner bond, but only a natural or outer one; and if an inner bond does not hold the outer one in its order and course, it does not last. It is like a sash with its fastening undone, which slips away with a toss of the shoulders or gust of wind. That is because the natural bond takes its origin from a spiritual one, and in its development is nothing else than an assemblage compiled of spiritual elements. If therefore the natural bond is separated from its spiritual one, which produced it and so to speak gave birth to it, it is no longer held together inwardly but only outwardly, by a spiritual bond which surrounds it and binds it in general, but does not secure it and keep it secured in particular. Consequently, a natural bond separated from a spiritual one between two married partners does not bring about any conjunction of their minds, and so neither of their wills, but only a conjunction of some external affections which are connected with their physical senses.
[2] In such cases nothing hinders or prevents the partners from being able to marry again, because the essential ties of marriage are missing in them, and so neither are any present in them after they are separated by death. Therefore they are then at complete liberty to be bound as to their sensual affections with another - if a widower, with any woman, and if a widow, with any man, as they please and as is lawful. They themselves do not think of marriage in anything but natural terms, and in terms of its advantages for the sake of various external necessities and benefits, which after the death of one may be restored again by another person in place of the former. Moreover, if by chance their inner thoughts were to be seen (as they are in the spiritual world), they would be found to make no distinction between conjugial unions and liaisons entered into apart from marriage.
[3] People of this sort may marry again and again, for the reason just given, because merely natural conjunctions after death are dissolved of themselves and fade away. For in death external affections follow the body and are buried with it, and only those remain which are connected with internal ones.
It must be known, however, that interiorly conjunctive marriages can be entered into with difficulty on earth, because choices based on internal similarities cannot be provided by the Lord there as they are in heaven. For choices on earth are limited in many ways, such as to people one's equals in station and condition, in the area, city or town where one lives; and it is largely external qualities that draw them together there, and thus not internal ones. Internal qualities come out only after a period of marriage, and are known only as they inject themselves into external ones.
320. 3. Nothing stands in the way or is against those who did not have married love, if they marry again. Those who did not have married love have no spiritual or inner bond but only a worldly or outward bond. And if an inner bond does not hold the outer one together in its order and continuity, the outer one lasts only like a sash with its knot undone, which falls off or blows loose in the wind.
The reason is that something natural springs from something spiritual, and in its being is nothing but a construct of spiritual things put together. So if something natural is separated from the spiritual that produced it and begot it, so to speak, it is no longer held together inwardly but only outwardly by the spiritual part.
This goes around it and ties it together, in a general way, but does not bind all of its parts together. For this reason the natural level separated from what is spiritual between two married partners makes no union of minds and therefore none of will, but only a union of some outward feelings that cling to the bodily senses.
There is nothing to hinder or halt such partners if they can remarry, because they did not have the essentials of marriage, so none of the essentials are in them after separation by death. So then they are in full freedom to bind their sensual feelings to any woman who is agreeable and free, in the case of a widower, or in the case of a widow, to any man who is agreeable and free. They only think of marriages on a worldly plane and as conveniences owing to various external necessities and expediencies that can be restored, in case of death, by another person in place of the previous one. And perhaps if their inner thoughts were looked into, as in the spiritual world, no distinction would turn up in them between married relationships and extramarital couplings. For the reason given above, they may get married again and again, because merely worldly intimacies dissolve of themselves after death and drift away. External affections follow the corpse at the time of death and are buried with it, leaving the affections that attach to more inward things.
But note that marriages that join inwardly are not easy to enter on earth, because the Lord cannot provide selections of inwardly similar people there as He can in the heavens, since they are limited in many ways - as, limited to equals in status and condition within the district, community, and town where they live. On earth it is mostly outward things that bind them together, and therefore not inner ones. The inner things come out only after a period of marriage, and they become noticeable only when they spill into outward things.
320. III. THAT IN THE CASE OF THOSE WITH WHOM THERE HAD BEEN NO LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL, THERE IS NOTHING TO PREVENT AND HINDER THEM FROM AGAIN CONTRACTING MATRIMONY. In the case of those with whom there had been no conjugial love, there is no spiritual or internal bond but only a natural or external; and if an internal bond does not hold the external bond in its order and tenor, the latter does not endure, any more than a bundle with the fastening removed, which falls apart according to its weight or the wind. The reason is because the natural takes its origin from the spiritual, and in its existence is nothing else than a mass gathered together from things spiritual. If then the natural is separated from the spiritual which produced and, as it were, begot it, it is no longer held together inwardly but only outwardly, and this by the spiritual which surrounds and binds it in general but does not colligate it in every single part and hold it colligated. Hence it is that the natural separated from the spiritual does not effect any conjunction of minds with two married partners, nor consequently of wills, but only a conjunction of certain external affections which cohere with the senses of the body.
[2] That in the case of such partners, there is nothing to prevent and hinder them from again contracting matrimony, is because they did not have the essentials of marriage and hence there are none within them after separation by death. Therefore they are then in entire freedom to tie their sensual affections, if a widower with any woman who is pleasing and lawful to him, and if a widow with any man in like manner. They themselves think of marriage only naturally and from its conveniences in respect to various external necessities and utilities [which, having been lost] by death, can be restored by another person in place of the former; and perhaps, if their interior thoughts were perceived, as they are in the spiritual world, there might not be found in them any distinction between conjugial conjunctions and extra-conjugial copulations.
[3] For such persons, it is lawful to marry again and again, and this for the reason mentioned above; for after death, merely natural conjunctions are dissolved and fall apart of themselves, because at death external affections follow the body and are buried with it, those alone remaining which are coherent with the internal affections. But it should be known that marriages which are inwardly conjunctive can hardly be entered into on earth, for there the choice of internal similitudes cannot be provided by the Lord as it is in the heavens, the choice being limited in many ways, as, for instance, to those who are equals in station and condition, in the country, city, and village of one's residence; and there, for the most part, it is external things that bind them together, and not internal, for the latter do not come out until some time after marriage, and they become known only when they present themselves in externals.
320. (iii) With those who were in no true marital love, there is no obstacle or hindrance to contracting matrimony again. In the case of those who were in no marital love, there is no spiritual or internal bond, but only a natural or external bond. If no internal bond holds the external together in its order and course, the latter is no more enduring than any other band, tugged at or blown upon when its fastening has been removed. The reason is that the natural takes its rise in the spiritual, and in its existence is nothing but a mass compacted of things spiritual. If therefore the natural entity is parted from the spiritual which produced it and as it were gave it birth, it is no longer held together inwardly but only outwardly by the spiritual, which then surrounds and binds it in a general way, but does not assemble or hold it assembled in detail. Hence it is that the natural apart from the spiritual in two partners effects no conjunction of minds and thus none of the wills, but only one of external affections bound up with the bodily senses.
[2] In the case of such partners there is no obstacle or hindrance to contracting marriage again, for the reason that the essentials of marriage did not exist with them, and hence none exist with them after separation by death. They are therefore wholly at liberty, widower or widow, to bind their sensuous affections with any one else as they please and the law allows. They think of marriages only naturally and consider them advantageous for various needs and external utilities which can be supplied again by another partner in the place of the one deceased. If their inward thoughts were seen into, as they are in the other world, probably it would be found that they make no distinction between marital unions and extra-marital copulations.
[3] For the reason just given, such people can marry repeatedly. Conjunctions wholly natural dissolve and fall apart of themselves at death: external affections at death follow the body and are buried with it; only those persist which cohere with internal.
But it is to be known that inwardly conjoining marriages can hardly be entered into on earth, because the choice of inward likenesses there cannot be provided by the Lord as in the heavens, being restricted in many ways - to equals in station and condition, for instance, in the same district, city or village, and even there, for the most part, external things and not internal bind the two together. Internal things emerge only after a period of marriage, and become known only as they present themselves in externals.
320. (3) That with those who had not love truly conjugial nothing stands in the way, or hinders their contracting matrimony again. There is no spiritual or internal bond in the case of those who had not conjugial love, but only a natural or external bond; and if an internal bond does not hold the external together in its order aid tenor it does not endure, any more than a bandage with the fastening removed, which spreads out as it is cast down or disturbed by the wind. The reason is that the natural takes its origin from the spiritual, and in its existence is nothing else than a collection brought together by virtue of things spiritual. If then the natural be separated from its spiritual by which it was produced and as it were begotten, it is no longer held together from within, but only outwardly, by the spiritual that surrounds and binds it in general, but does not collect it nor hold it collected in particular. Hence it is that the natural separated from the spiritual with two married partners, effects no conjunction of minds, and so not of their wills; but only a conjunction of some external affections which cohere with the senses of the body. That with such there is no obstacle or hindrance to their marrying again, is because they had not the essentials of marriage, and hence there are none with them after separation by death. Therefore they are then in entire freedom to bind their sensual affections, if a widower with whatever woman, and if a widow with whatever man is agreeable and lawful. They themselves do not think of marriage otherwise than naturally, and of advantage for various external needs and utilities, which after the death of one can be restored again by another person in place of the former. And perhaps if their inward thoughts were seen through, as in the spiritual world, there might not be found in them any distinction between conjugial conjunctions and copulations outside of the conjugial. It is permissible for these to marry again and again-for the reason given above. For conjunctions that are only natural are of themselves dissolved and flow apart after death, because external affections at death follow the body and are entombed with it, those remaining which are coherent with things internal. But it should be known that marriages inwardly conjuntive can only with difficulty be entered into on earth, because the choice of internal similitudes cannot here be provided by the Lord as in the heavens; because they are limited in many ways, as, to equals in station and condition, or within the country, the city, and the village of their abode; and here for the most part external things serve to knit them together, and thus not internal, which do not come forth, unless some time after marriage; and only when these put themselves forth into externals do they become known.
320. III. Quod illis, quibus non fuit amor vere conjugialis, nihil obstet et obsit, quin matrimonium iterato contrahant. Illis, quibus non fuit amor conjugialis, non est aliquod vinculum spirituale seu internum, sed modo vinculum naturale seu externum; et si non vinculum internum continet externum in suo ordine et tenore, hoc non persistit aliter quam sicut fascia ablato ligaculo, quae diffluit secundum jactum seu ventum: causa est, quia naturale ortum suum ducit a spirituali, et in sua existentia non aliud est quam congeries ex spiritualibus congregata; quare si naturale separatur a suo spirituali, quod produxit et quasi genuit illud, non continetur amplius interius, sed modo exterius a spirituali, quod circumdat et vincit illud in communi, et non illud colligat et colligatum tenet in singulari: inde est, quod naturale separatum a spirituali apud duos conjuges, non faciat aliquam conjunctionem mentium, et sic non voluntatum, sed solum conjunctionem aliquarum affectionum externarum, quae cohaerent cum sensibus corporis.
[2] Quod talibus nihil obstet et obsit, quin matrimonia iterata possint contrahere, est quia essentialia conjugii non illis fuerunt, et inde illis nec post separationem per mortem aliqua insunt; ideo tunc in pleno arbitrio sunt, sensuales suas affectiones ligare, si viduus cum quacunque, et si vidua cum quocunque lubet et licet: ipsi nec aliter de conjugiis quam naturaliter cogitant, et quam ex commodis propter varias necessitates et utilitates externas, quae post 1mortem iterum possunt per aliam personam loco prioris restaurari; et forte si cogitationes illorum interiores, sicut in Mundo spirituali, perspicerentur, non inveniretur in illis aliqua distinctio inter conjunctiones conjugiales et inter copulationes extraconjugiales.
[3] Quod his liceat conjugia iterum et iterum pangere, est supradicta causa; quia conjunctiones solum naturales post mortem ex se dissolvuntur, ac diffluunt; externae enim affectiones, per mortem sequuntur corpus, et tumulantur cum illo, remanentibus illis, quae cum internis cohaerent. At sciendum est, quod conjugia interius conjunctiva in terris aegre possint intrari, quia electiones similitudinum internarum ibi non possunt prospici a Domino sicut in Coelis, quia limitatae sunt multis modis, ut ad compares statu et conditione, intra regionem, civitatem, et villam habitationis, ac ibi ut plurimum 2externa confasciant illos, et sic non interna; quae nec nisi quam post intervallum conjugii prodeunt, et modo, quando externis se ingerunt, noscuntur.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: per
2. Prima editio: utplurimum