433、婚姻之爱使男人越来越有阳刚之气，这一点也可通过有关婚姻之爱及其智慧快乐的第一部分的引证来说明。如：
①被称为阳刚之气的能力或活力伴随着智慧，这智慧被教会的属灵教导赋予生气；因此，这种能力或活力天生就在婚姻之爱中。此外，这种智慧会从这爱在灵魂中的源泉那里打通它的脉络，从而活跃理性生活，也就是阳刚之气的生命本身，并永远赐福于它。
②正因如此，天上的天使就处于这种活力，直到永远。这是他们亲口说的（详见355-356节的记事）。我从他们自己嘴里听说，黄金和白银时代的上古之人也享有持久的性能力，因为他们喜欢妻子的拥抱，对妓女的拥抱则不寒而栗、极其憎恶（详见75，76节的记事）。
此外，我从天上被告知，这种属灵的能力甚至在属世层面，也不会离弃那些如今靠近主，视奸淫如地狱的可憎之物的人。有意奸淫者和确定奸淫者（关于他们，参看432e节）的情形则完全相反。对这些人来说，被称为阳刚之气的能力或活力会变得衰微，直至荡然无存；然后，取而代之的是性冷淡，接下来就是对性的一种近乎恶心的厌恶感。这一切皆为人所知，尽管极少泄露出来。这就是这类奸淫者在地狱的处境；对此，我是在远处从那里耗尽性欲的塞壬，以及妓院听说的。由此清楚可知，淫乱之爱使人越来越不是一个人，越来越不是一个男人；而婚姻之爱则使人越来越是一个人，越来越是一个男人。
433、婚姻之爱会使男人更成为男人，也可从本书第一部分中的观点中看到，即：
（1）人的活力或道德是与教会有关的精神上的智慧相联的，这种活力存在于婚姻之爱中。这种智慧会将人的灵魂开启，创造出智慧的生命，这也是男性生命的重要一点（2）天国中的天使有这种永恒的能力（参见355-356节）。金纪和银纪中的人也拥有这种永恒的能力，因为他们爱他们的妻子而远离妓女。（参见75-76节）。我还从天国中得知，世上跟随主并认为淫荡是罪恶的人也不会缺乏这种精神上的能力。
相反，那些故意犯奸淫罪的人的能力则会渐渐消退，最后他们会对异性表现冷漠甚至会污蔑她们。地狱中的淫荡者就是这样的，这点我是从地狱中听到的。
所以淫荡之爱会使人越来越没人性，而婚姻之爱会使男人更成为男人。
433. Conjugial love makes a person more virile, as has also been shown by what was reported in the earlier part of the book on conjugial love and its delights. These are:
(a) the ability called virility accompanies wisdom, as this is animated by the spiritual teachings of the church. Hence it is contained in conjugial love. Wisdom unstops the flow of this love from its source in the soul, and so puts vigour into the life of the intellect, which is the essence of male life, and gives it the blessing of never failing.
(b) As a result the angels of heaven enjoy this for ever, as their statements in an account of experience (355-356) show. The Most Ancient people in the golden and silver ages also had enduring potency, because they loved the embraces of their wives and loathed those of prostitutes, as I have heard from their own lips (75-76). No more will that spiritual ability, even at the natural level, desert those who today approach the Lord, and regard adultery as a hellish abomination; this I have been told from heaven. The reverse, however, befalls deliberate and confirmed adulterers (as described just above at the end of 432). It is well known, though not sufficiently publicised, that in their case the ability called virility fades away to nothing, and is replaced by sexual frigidity; this is followed by a feeling of distaste verging on nausea. I have been told from afar by sirens, who are specimens of exhausted sexual lust, and also by brothel-keepers there that this is the condition of such adulterers in hell. These facts establish that scortatory love makes a person less and less human and virile, and conjugial love makes him more and more human and virile.
433. That conjugial love makes a man more a man is also shown by those points which we presented previously in Part One, concerning love and the delights of its wisdom. Namely:
1. That the ability or virtue called virility accompanies wisdom as this is animated by spiritual matters connected with the church, and that such an ability or virtue is inherent therefore in conjugial love. Moreover, that such wisdom opens up the stream of this love from its wellspring in the soul, and thus invigorates and also blesses with continuance the life of the intellect, which is the essential life of masculinity.
2. That in consequence, angels in heaven possess this ability to eternity, according to their own declarations (reported in the narrative account in nos. 355-356). Likewise, that the most ancient peoples in the golden and silver ages possessed a continuing ability, because they loved the amatory embraces of their wives and shrank in horror from those of harlots, as I have heard from their own testimony (see the narrative accounts in nos. 75, 76).
[2] I have further been told from heaven that neither will such a spiritual capability be lacking to people in the natural world today who go to the Lord and abhor adulteries as infernal.
The opposite experience, however, befalls purposeful adulterers and deliberate adulterers (as defined just above, at the end of no. 432). In their case the ability or virtue called virility decreases in vigor to the point that it is lost, and after that coldness sets in towards even any of the opposite sex, followed by a kind of loathing that approaches revulsion - something that is known, though seldom confessed. Of such a character are those adulterers in hell. This I have heard, at some distance away, from sirens in hell, who are worn-out figures of sexual lust, and also from brothels there.
It follows from these considerations that licentious love makes a person less and less human and less and less a man, while conjugial love makes a person more and more human and more and more a man.
433. The things brought out in the preceding part, about married love and its joys, also illustrate that married love makes a person more a man. They are: (a) That the ability and strength called manly goes together with wisdom insofar as this is inspired by the spiritual things of the church, so it is inherent in married love. And wisdom opens up this love's course from its fountain in your soul, and in this way it invigorates your intellectual life, which is masculine life precisely, and also blesses it with permanence.
(b) That this is why angels of heaven have this eternally, as told from their mouths in the story (nos. 355-356). And from their own mouths I heard that the most ancient people, in the gold and silver ages, also had continuous potency, because they prized the loving of their wives and thoroughly dreaded the loving of harlots (see the stories, nos. 75-76). I was told from heaven that even in the natural world this spiritual adequacy will not be missing today in those who approach the Lord and abhor adulteries as hellish things.
But the opposite befalls intentional and confirmed adulterers
(mentioned above already, at the end of no. 432). It is known, but not publicized very much, that among them the ability and strength called manly trails off to nothing, and when it does, a frigidity toward the other sex begins, and after that follows a loathing approaching nausea. I have heard (from a distance) from female seducers, who are outworn passions for sexual love, and also from brothels in hell, that this is what those adulterers are like there.
From these things it is clear that illicit love makes a person more and more not a person and not a man, and that love in marriage makes a person more and more a person and a man.
433. That conjugial love makes man more and more a male, is also illustrated by what was adduced in the preceding part, on Conjugial Love and its Delights, as: I. That the ability and vigor called virile accompanies wisdom according as the latter is animated from the spiritual things of the Church; that it is then present in the conjugial love; and that wisdom opens the vein of that love from its fountain in the soul, and thus invigorates the intellectual life, which is masculine life itself, and blesses it with perpetuity. 2. That it is from this that the angels of heaven are in this vigor to eternity. This is according to the utterances of their own lips as given in the Memorable Relation, nos. 355, 356. I have heard from their own mouth that the most ancient peoples in the Golden and Silver ages were in enduring efficacy because they loved the caresses of their wives and shuddered at the caresses of harlots. See the Memorable Relations, nos. 75, 76. Moreover, it was told me from heaven that with those who approach the Lord and abominate adulteries as infernal, this spiritual sufficiency will not be lacking today in the natural world 1also. The contrary is the case with adulterers from purpose and adulterers from confirmation, of whom just above (no. 432.). That with these, the ability and vigor which is called virile becomes enfeebled until none is left; and that then comes cold even to the sex, and after this a loathing [of the sex] verging on disgust--all this is known though little divulged. That these adulterers are such in hell this I have heard at a distance from sirens there, who are worn-out lusts of venery; and also from brothels.
From the above it is clear that scortatory love makes man more and more not a man and not a male; and that conjugial love makes man more and more a man and more and more a male.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin is in naturali (in the natural), but there can be no doubt that it should be in mundo naturali as in the translation.
433. What we have adduced in the preceding Part about marital love and its delights also illustrates how marital love renders man more and more a man. As that: (i) The faculty, or strength, called virile accompanies wisdom when the spiritual things of the Church actuate wisdom, and then attaches to marital love. Wisdom opens the vein of this love from its fountain in the soul, and thus invigorates and also blesses with perpetuity the intellectual life, which is the masculine life itself. (ii) Hence the angels of heaven are in this virile power to eternity, as they themselves have told me (see the Memorabilia, n. 355-356); hence also it is the most ancient people of the golden and silver ages were in enduring power, for they loved the caresses of their wives and were horrified at the caresses of harlots, as I have also heard from their own lips (see the Memorabilia, n. 75-76). I have been told from heaven that such spiritual sufficiency will not be lacking in the natural world today either, to those who approach the Lord and abominate adulteries as infernal.
But the contrary befalls those who are adulterers from purpose or from confirmation (of whom just above,432). As is known but little divulged, the faculty or strength called virile is enfeebled in them even to nothing, and then coldness to the sex sets in, whereupon later a loathing follows which grows to nausea. That these adulterers are such in hell I have heard at a distance from sirens - who are worn-out lusts of venery-and also from brothels there.
The conclusion from this is that scortatory love makes man more and more not a human being and not a man, while marital love makes him more and more a human being and a man.
433. The things adduced in the preceding Part, On Conjugial Love and its Delights, also confirm the truth that conjugial love makes a man (Latin: homo) more a man (vir). They are: (1) That the faculty and virtue called virile accompany wisdom, just in proportion as this is animated by the spiritual things of the church, and that thence they inhere in conjugial love; and that wisdom opens the current of this love from its fountain in the soul, and thus invigorates the intellectual life, which is the masculine life itself, and blesses it also with perennity. (2) That thence it is, according to the words of their own mouth in the Relation, n. 355, 356, that the angels of heaven are in this virile virtue to eternity; and I have heard from their own lips (see Relations, n. 75, 76), that the most ancient people in their ages, the Golden and the Silver Ages, were in enduring efficacy, because they loved the blandishments of their wives and shuddered at the blandishments of harlots. It has been told me from heaven that this spiritual sufficiency is even in the natural, and will not be wanting at this day to those who come to the Lord and abominate adulteries as infernal.
But the contrary befalls purposed and confirmed adulterers, of whom just above, n. 432. It is known, though not much proclaimed, that with them the faculty and virtue which is called manly become enfeebled even to none; and after that also begins coldness towards the sex; and then follows disdain which leads to loathing. That those adulterers are such in hell I have heard from sirens - who are obsolete lusts of venery - and also from brothels there at a distance.
From these considerations it is clear that scortatory love makes a man more and more not man (Latin: homo), and not a man (vir), and that conjugial love makes man more and more man (Latin: homo), and more and more a man (vir).
433. Quod Amor conjugialis faciat hominem plus virum, etiam illustrant illa, quae in praecedente Parte de Amore conjugiali et ejus delitiis allata sunt, quae sunt, 1. Quod facultas et virtus, quae vocatur virilis, comitetur sapientiam sicut haec animatur ex spiritualibus Ecclesiae, et quod inde insit Amori conjugiali; et quod sapientia hujus amoris venam a fonte ejus in anima aperiat, et sic vitam intellectualem, quae est ipsa vita masculina, evigoret et quoque beet perennitate. 2. Quod inde sit, quod Angeli coeli in hac sint in aeternum, secundum effata oris illorum, in Memorabili, 355, 356: quod etiam in perdurante efficacia fuerint Antiquissimi in Saeculis 1aureo et argenteo, quia dilexerunt amatoria uxorum suarum, et perhorruerunt amatoria scortorum, audivi ex ore illorum, videantur Memorabilia, 75, 76.
[2] Quod spiritualis illa sufficientia etiam in naturali, nec defutura sit hodie illis, qui Dominum adeunt, et adulteria ut infernalia abominantur, e Coelo mihi dictum est. Contrarium autem contingit Adulteris ex proposito, et Adulteris ex confirmato, de quibus mox supra 432 fin.; quod apud hos facultas et virtus, quae vocatur virilis, devigoretur usque ad nullam, et post illam inceptet frigus etiam ad sexum, et quod post hoc sequatur fastidiosum quid quod spectat ad nauseam, notum est tametsi parum evulgatum: quod tales sint illi Adulteri in inferno, a sirenibus, quae sunt obsoletae veneris libidines, et quoque a lupariis ibi, e longinquo audivi. Ex his cluit, quod Amor scortatorius faciat hominem plus et plus non hominem et non virum; et quod Amor conjugialis faciat hominem plus et plus hominem et virum.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Saeculis,