4405. On marriages and adulteries
There were certain spirits who were attacking me with a special cunning by means of a very gentle wave-like inflow, and quickly turned away all my thoughts. Their special inflow was one such as I had not felt before. After many such tricks and devices, as well as symbolic portrayals put before them to move them away from such things, but in vain, I finally spoke with one of them, noting that when he lived in the world he had been the leader of a certain army, and I spoke with him about marriage and adulteries, realizing that in the life of his body he had considered adulteries as of no account.
I spoke with him in the language of spirits, illustrated by symbolic mental imagery, for the language of spirits is of that nature that when they are expressing something, they also present the matters as it were visually, but in ways that cannot be described. They present feelings, passions and the like vividly by variations of lights, and in differing ways there, and so forth. This speech is run through very rapidly, so that more can be expressed in a moment than can be done by human speech in hours.
The conversation was about adulteries, and the fact that they are wicked, even though they may appear to such as they, in the light of their lifestyle, as delightful. But that they are wicked is shown by the fact that marriages are the seminaries of the human race, and thence of the heavenly Kingdom, thus of all people in the lands, and of the souls, spirits and angels in the heavens, and are therefore to be kept holy, nor ever to be violated. Therefore also in the Word and in the precepts of the decalogue, they are so severely forbidden. Civil laws also in the whole globe of lands utterly forbid them, because they are to be abhorred; and when such individuals only approach toward heavenly societies, they smell the stench of their own filthiness, and are cast headlong as if into hell, for the reason that they are the opposites of heavenly qualities, and because heaven and mutual love, which makes heaven, is founded on marriage love, and the Kingdom itself of the Lord is a marriage, and all marriage love descends from it, because from the Lord, who most deeply joins together, penetrates and touches the minds; also, that the light of his lifestyle, which is adulterous yet appears to him so delightful, if he should only approach toward heaven, would be turned into dreadful hellish darkness, so that he would then realize with horror that his own life, from which that light comes, was utterly infernal.
It was granted me to say these things to him, who then replied that he had never felt this way in the world. He wanted to raise arguments, but was told that he could raise a thousand arguments in favor of the pleasure of his life, even until he was completely blinded and believed them to be entirely lawful, for which reason he was not permitted to put up arguments, because what has been said is most true, and these are heavenly and eternal truths, also attested to by actual experience, as said, and it was finally proved that adulteries destroy marriage love, which is the fundamental of all the loves of heaven. Being thus convinced, he was displeased, and unable to say anything, declaring that he had never heard or thought such a thing in the life of the body. Pr. Eugene. It was further said, because he wanted to put up arguments, that he would first have to refute those truths that have been told as not being truths, but must not speak from the pleasure of his lifestyle, and after that, when convinced that it is filthy, and that he is in the other life, then he can look at his arguments and see them for what they are.
4405. CONCERNING MARRIAGES AND ADULTERIES.
There were certain spirits who infested me with a peculiar cunning by a very gentle, and, as it were, waving influx, and quickly averted all my thoughts. Their influx was peculiar, and such as I had not previously experienced. After many such wiles and machinations, and after representations had been presented to them, that they might be led to desist from such things, but in vain, I at length spoke with one of them, perceiving that when he lived in the world he had been the leader of a certain army. I spoke with him concerning marriage and adulteries, observing that he had accounted adulteries as nothing in the life of his body. I spoke with him in the language of spirits, illustrated by representative ideas; for the language of spirits is such that, in expressing anything, they also present it, as it were visible, but in modes which cannot be described. Affections, cupidities, and similar things are presented to the life by variations of light, and these too modified with an almost endless variety. This speech is perceived very rapidly, so that more can be expressed [by it] in a moment, than by human speech in hours. The discourse was concerning adulteries, that they are abominable, although they appear before those who are such in the light of their life, as pleasant; but that they are abominable was shown by this, that marriages are the seminaries of the human race, and thence of the heavenly kingdom, thus of all the men in the earth, and of souls, of spirits, and of angels in the heavens, and [that] therefore they were to be held sacred, and never to be violated; that thence also in the Word, and among the precepts of the Decalogue, adulteries were so severely prohibited; that civil laws also throughout the world utterly prohibit them as things to be abhorred; that all such when they only approach to the heavenly societies perceive an insufferable stench from themselves, and are precipitated as if into hell, because [adulteries] are contrary to heavenly things, and because heaven and mutual love which makes heaven, are founded in conjugial love, and the kingdom itself of the Lord is a marriage, and all conjugial love descends from it, because from the Lord, and intimately conjoins minds, penetrates and affects them; as also, that the light of his life, which was adulterous and appeared to him so delightful, if it only approached heaven, would be turned into dire and infernal darkness, so that he would then think his life, from which he would perceive such a light with horror, to be altogether infernal. It was given me to say these things to him; whereupon he answered, that he never felt anything of this kind in the world. He would have objected ratiocinations, but it was said to him, that he could object a thousand ratiocinations favoring the delight of his life, until he became so entirely blinded as to believe [adulteries] lawful, for which reason it was not even permitted him to act by ratiocinations, because this [sanctity of marriage] is most true, and the [things asserted] are heavenly and eternal verities, thoroughly attested from experience as was said to him. It was at length shown that adulteries destroy conjugial love, which is the fundamental of all the loves of man. Being thus convicted he was indignant, nor was he able to say anything, but that he had never heard and thought thus in the life of the body. Pr: Eugenius. It was said moreover, because he wished to act by ratiocinations, that the truths which had been spoken to him should first be refuted [by him] and shown not to be truths, and that he ought not to speak from the delight of his life, and that afterwards, when he was convinced that adulteries are vile and that he was in another life, he then might look to ratiocinations and from his state judge of their true quality.
4405. De conjugiis et adulteriis
Erant quidam spiritus, qui infestabant me solertia peculiari per influxum molliusculum quasi undantem, et festine avertebant omnia cogitata, eorum influxus peculiaris erat, prius talem non percepi, post plures tales versuras et machinationes, tum oblatas eis repraesentationes, ut amoverentur a talibus, sed incassum, tandem loquutus cum uno eorum, percipiens quod fuerit cum vixit in mundo, dux alicujus exercitus, et loquutus cum illo de conjugio et adulteriis, animadvertens quod adulteria pro nihilo reputaverit in vita sui corporis, loquutus cum illo loquela spirituum, ideis illustrata repraesentativis, nam loquela spirituum talis est, ut dum exprimunt aliquid, etiam sistantur talia quasi videnda, sed modis qui describi nequeunt, sistuntur affectiones, cupiditates, et similia vive per variationes luminum, et diversimode ibi, et sic porro; loquela haec citissime peragitur, ut plus momento exprimi queat, quam per loquelam humanam intra horas; de adulteriis erat sermo, quod nefanda, tametsi appareant coram illis qui tales in lumine vitae eorum, sicut jucunda, sed quod nefanda ostensum [per id,] quod conjugia sint seminaria generis humani, et inde Regni coelestis, ita omnium hominum in terris, et animarum, spirituum et angelorum in coelis, ac ideo sancta habita, nec usquam violanda; inde quoque in Verbo, et inter praecepta decalogi, tam severe prohibita, leges civiles quoque in universo terrarum orbe talia prorsus vetant, quia abhorrenda, tum quod omnes tales cum solum approximant ad coelestes societates, sentiant foetorum graveolentis sui, et praecipitentur sicut in infernum, ex causa quia contraria sunt coelestibus, et quia coelum et amor mutuus, qui facit coelum, in amore conjugiali fundetur, et ipsum Regnum Domini est conjugium, et omnis amor conjugialis inde, quia a Domino, descendit, qui intime conjungit animos, penetrat et afficit, tum quod lumen vitae suae, quod adulterum et ei ita jucundum apparet, si modo approximaret ad coelum, verteretur in dirum et infernale tenebrosum, sic ut putaret tunc vitam sua, ex qua tale lumen perciperet cum horrore, esse prorsus infernalem, haec dicere ad eum datum, qui tunc respondit, quod nusquam tale in mundo senserit, voluit ratiocinia objicere, sed dictum est, quod ratiocinia posset mille objicere faventia jucundo vitae ejus, usque ut ab iis prorsus occoecaretur ut crederet licita prorsus esse, quare nec licebat ei ratiociniis agere, quia hoc verissimum est, et sunt veritates coelestes et aeternae, etiam ex ipsa experientia testatissimae, ut dictum, et ostensum tandem quod adulteria destruant amorem conjugialem, qui fundamentalis est omnium amorum coeli; ita convictus, indignatus, nec quicquam dicere potuit, dicens quod nusquam tale audiverit et cogitaverit in vita corporis. Pr: Eugenius. Dictum porro quia ratiociniis agere voluit, quod prius veritates illae quae dictae refellendae forent, quod non sint veritates, et quod ex vitae suae jucundo non loquendum, et postea cum convictus sit, quod foeda sint, et in alia vita [sit], tunc possit spectare ratiocinia, et inde tueri qualia sunt.