One morning before sunrise, when looking towards the east in the spiritual world, I saw four horsemen flying as from a cloud resplendent with the flame of dawn. Upon the horsemen‘s heads appeared crested helmets, upon their arms wings, as it were, and about their bodies light orange-coloured tunics. Thus clad as racers, they rose up, pulled tight the reins over the manes of their horses, and the horses speeded off as though with winged feet. With my eyes, I followed their course or flight with a mind to know whither they were going; and lo, three of the horsemen spread out to the three quarters, south, west, and north, and after a short course the fourth stopped in the east.

[2]  Wondering at this, I looked up to heaven and asked whither those horsemen were going. I received the answer: “To the wise in the kingdoms of Europe--men of keen reason and acute discernment in the investigation of subjects, and eminent among their fellow countrymen for their ingenuity--that they may come and solve the secret concerning THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE AND OF ITS VIRTUE OR POTENCY”.

Angels then said from heaven, “Wait a little and you will see twenty-seven chariots, three with Spaniards in them, three with Frenchmen or Gauls, three with Italians, three with Germans, three with Batavians or Hollanders, three with Englishmen, three with Swedes, three with Danes, and three with Poles.” Two hours later the chariots appeared, drawn by small light-bay horses elegantly caparisoned. Their riders were swiftly carried towards a spacious house which was seen in the common boundary of the east and the south. Around this house all the riders alighted from their chariots and entered the house in high spirits.

[3]  It was then said to me, “Go you also and enter and you shall hear.” So I went and entered. Examining the building within, I saw that it was square, the sides looking to the four quarters. On each side were three lofty windows of crystalline glass, with posts of olive wood. On either side of the posts were projections from the walls, like rooms, vaulted above and containing tables. The walls of these rooms were of cedar, the roof was of noble thyine wood, and the floor was boarded with poplar. Against the eastern wall, where no windows were seen, was set a table overlaid with gold, whereon was placed a tiara set around with precious stones. This was to be given as a prize or reward to him who should search out the secret about to be propounded.

[4]  As I looked at the several roofed projections which were like stalls set by the windows, I saw in each, five men from one or other of the countries of Europe, all ready, awaiting the subject for the exercise of their judgment. Then, all at once an angel stood in the middle of the palace and said: The subject for the exercise of your judgment will be CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE AND OF ITS VIRTUE OR POTENCY. Discuss this subject, come to a decision, and write your decision on paper, signing it with the initial letter of the kingdom from which you come; that is, F for the Frenchmen or Gauls, B for the Batavians or Hollanders, I for the Italians, A for the Anglians or Englishmen, P for the Poles, G for the Germans, H for the Hispanians or Spaniards, D for the Danes, and S for the Swedes. Then put the paper into this silver urn which you see placed beside the golden table.“ With these words, the angel departed, saying, ”I will return.“

The five compatriots in each of the stalls by the windows then turned their attention to the subject that had been proclaimed, examined into it, and made their decision in accordance with the excellence of their judicial endowments. These decisions they wrote down on papers signed with the initial letter of their kingdom, and put them into the silver receptacle. In three hours, this business being finished, the angel returned and, drawing the papers out of the urn one after the other, read them before the assembly.

CL 104. From the FIRST paper which his hand took at random, he read as follows: ”We five compatriots in our stall have concluded that conjugial love had its origin from the most ancient people in the Golden Age, and with them from the creation of Adam and his wife. Thence is the origin of marriages and with marriages the origin of conjugial love. As regards the virtue or potency of conjugial love, we derive this from no other source than the climate, that is, the position of the sun and the consequent heat upon the land. We have considered the subject, not from vain conjectures of reason but from the evident indications of experience; as, for instance, from the peoples who live under the equinoctial line or circle where the heat of day is ardent; also from peoples dwelling near that circle, and from peoples farther removed therefrom; and furthermore, from the co-operation of solar heat and vital heat, as seen in the animals of the earth and the birds of heaven in spring-time when they are prolific. Besides, what is conjugial love but heat? and if to this be added the supplementary heat of the sun, it becomes virtue or potency.“ To this was subscribed the letter H, the initial letter of the kingdom from which they were.

CL 105. The angel then put his hand into the urn a SECOND. time and took from it a paper, from which he read as follows: ”We compatriots in our compartment have agreed that the origin of conjugial love is the same as the origin of marriages. These have been sanctioned by laws for the restraining of the innate desire of men for adulteries, which ruin the soul, debase the reason of the mind, defile the morals, and consume the body with wasting disease; for adulteries are not human but bestial, not rational but brutish, thus in no way Christian but barbarian. It is for the condemnation of such practices that marriages arose and, at the same time, conjugial love. It is the same with the virtue or potency of that love, because this virtue depends upon chastity, and chastity is abstinence from roving whoredoms. The reason is, because with him who loves his partner alone, virtue or potency is reserved for one and so is gathered and concentrated, as it were. It then becomes like a noble quintessence purged of defilements, which otherwise would be dissipated and scattered in every direction. One of us five, who is a priest, adds also predestination as a cause of that virtue or potency, saying, `Are not marriages predestined? and granting this, are not the resultant prolifications and the efficacies thereto also predestined?’ He insists on this as a cause because he has sworn to it“ To this was subscribed the letter B. Hearing this, some one said in a mocking tone, ”Predestination! Oh, what a fine apology for defect or impotence!“

CL 106. Then for the THIRD time the angel drew a paper out of the urn. From this he read as follows: ”We compatriots in our stall have reflected on the causes of the origin of conjugial love, and have seen that the chief cause is the same as with the origin of marriage; for before marriage, that love did not exist, and it exists then because when one seeks or desperately loves a virgin, he desires with heart and soul to have her as a possession to be loved above all else; and as soon as she pledges herself, he regards her as self regards self. That this is the origin of conjugial love is very clear from the fury of every man against rivals, and from his zeal against violators. We then considered the origin of the virtue or potency of that love, and three against two have decided that with a married partner its virtue or potency is from some licence with the sex. They said that they know from experience that the potency of love of the sex surpasses the potency of conjugial love.“ This was subscribed with the letter I. Hearing this, the men at the tables cried out, ”Remove this paper and draw another from the urn.“

CL 107. The angel then at once drew out a FOURTH paper, from which he read as follows: ”We compatriots, under our window, have decided that the origin of conjugial love and of love of the sex is one and the same, the former being from the latter, except that love of the sex is unlimited, indeterminate, loose, promiscuous, and roving, while conjugial love is limited, determinate, restrained, bounded, and constant. Therefore, the latter love has been sanctioned and established by the prudence of human wisdom. Otherwise no empire or kingdom or republic or even society could exist, but men in countless troops would roam over fields and woods with harlots and ravished women, and would flee from place to place to escape from bloody murders, violations, and rapine. Thus the whole human race would be wiped out. This is our judgment concerning the origin of conjugial love. As to the virtue or potency of conjugial love, this we deduce from bodily health enduring continually from birth to old age; for a man who is continuously sound and enjoys stable health, is not lacking in vigour. His fibres, nerves, muscles, and cremasters   do not become torpid, relaxed, or feeble, but continue in the strength of their powers. Farewell.“ This was subscribed with the letter A.

CL 108. For the FIFTH time the angel drew a paper from the urn, from which he read as follows: ”We compatriots at our table, from the rational light of our minds, have looked into the origin of conjugial love and the origin of its virtue or potency, and, from reasons carefully examined, have seen and affirmed that conjugial love has no other origin than the fact that from the foments and the resultant incitements concealed in the secret chamber of his mind and body, every man, after various lusts of his eyes, at last directs his mind to one of the sex to whom he inclines, until he grows inwardly warm towards her. From this time his heat proceeds from flame to flame until it becomes a consuming fire. In this state, the lust of the sex is banished and in place of lust comes conjugial love. In this burning, a youthful husband knows no other than that the virtue or potency of that love will never cease; for he lacks experience and thence knowledge respecting the state of deficiency of powers and of the consequent cooling of love after its delights. The origin of conjugial love, therefore, is from that first ardour before the nuptials; and from this is its virtue or potency. After the nuptials, this potency alternates its flames and has its decrease and increase; yet, by the exercise of moderation from prudence, and by restraining the lusts which rush out from the caverns of a mind not yet purified--for lust precedes wisdom--it endures with stable alternation or decrease and increase even to old age. This is our judgment respecting the origin and long continuance of conjugial virtue and potency.“ To this was subscribed the letter P.

CL 109. For the SIXTH time the angel drew out a paper, from which he read as follows: ”We compatriots, from our fraternity, have considered the causes of the origin of conjugial love, and have agreed upon two, one being the right education of children, and the other the distinct possession of inheritances. We have assumed these two because they look to and aim at one mark, namely, the public good. This is secured (by marriage) because children conceived and born of conjugial love become truly one‘s own, being members of the family by birth; and from parental love, exalted because the offspring is of legitimate descent, such children are educated as heirs of all their parents’ possessions, both spiritual and natural. That the public good is founded on the right education of children, and on the distinct possession of inheritances, is evident to reason. There is love of the sex and there is conjugial love. The latter love appears as though it were one with the former, but it is distinctly different. Nor are the two collateral, but the one is within the other, and what is within is more noble than that which is without. We saw, that from creation conjugial love is within love of the sex, being concealed therein as an almond in its shell. Therefore, when conjugial love is drawn out from its shell, which is love of the sex, it shines before the angels like a gem, a beryl, and an astroid, and this because on conjugial love is inscribed the welfare of the whole human race, which is what we mean by the public good. This is our judgment respecting the origin of this love. As to the origin of its virtue or potency, we have concluded from a consideration of its causes that it is the withdrawal and separation of conjugial love from love of the sex. This is effected on the man‘s part by means of wisdom, and on the wife’s by means of love of the man‘s wisdom. Love of the sex is a love held in common with beasts, but conjugial love is proper to man. So far, therefore, as conjugial love is withdrawn and separated from love of the sex, man is a man and not a beast; and man acquires virtue or potency from his love, and the beast from its.“ This was subscribed with the letter G.

CL 110. For the SEVENTH time the angel drew out a paper, from which he read as follows: ”In the chamber under the light of our window, we compatriots have enlivened our thoughts and hence our judgment by meditation upon conjugial love. Who is there that would not be enlivened by that love? for when in the mind, it is at the same time in the whole body. We judge of the origin of the love from its delights. Who knows or ever has known a trace of any love except from its delight and pleasure? The delights of conjugial love are felt in their origins as blessedness, happiness, and felicity, in their derivations as amenities and pleasures, and in their ultimates as the delight of delights. Love of the sex, therefore, has its origin when the interiors of the mind and thence the interiors of the body are being opened up for the influx of these delights; but conjugial love has its origin when, by entry into betrothal, the primitive sphere of that love promotes them ideally. As regards the virtue or potency of that love, this comes from the ability of the love, with its current, to pass from the mind into the body; for when the mind sensates and acts, and especially when it is in delight from this love, then from its seat in the head it is present in the body. From this we judge the degrees of potency and the constancy of its alternations. Moreover, we also deduce the virtue of potency from the stock. If this be noble with the father, then by derivation it becomes noble with the offspring also. That such nobility is generated, inherited, and by derivation descends--as to this, reason agrees with experience.“ To this was subscribed the letter F.

CL 111. For the EIGHTH time a paper came forth, from which he read as follows: ”In our compartment, we compatriots have not found the actual origin of conjugial love because that origin is inmostly laid up in the sanctuaries of the mind. Not even the most consummate wisdom can reach that love in its origin with any ray of the understanding. We have made many conjectures, but after vainly revolving subtleties, we know not whether our surmises are trifles or judgments. He, therefore, who wishes to draw forth the origin of that love from the sanctuaries of the mind and set it before his eyes, let him go to Delphi. We have contemplated the love below its origin--that in the mind it is spiritual, being there like the fountain-head of a sweet current; that from the mind it flows down into the breast where it becomes delightful and is called bosom-love, which, considered in itself, is full of friendship and, from a plenary inclination to mutuality, is full of confidence; and that when it has passed through the breast it becomes genital love. When a young man revolves these and like things in his thoughts, as he does when he chooses one of the sex for himself, they kindle in his heart the fire of conjugial love; and this fire, being the primitive of that love, is its origin. As to the origin of its virtue or potency, we acknowledge none other than the love itself, for they are inseparable companions and yet of such sort that sometimes the one precedes and sometimes the other. When love precedes and virtue or potency follows both are noble because the potency is then the virtue of conjugial love. But if potency precedes and love follows, then both are ignoble because the love is then from carnal potency. We therefore judge the quality of each from the order in which the love descends or ascends, and so proceeds from its origin to its goal.“ To this was subscribed the letter D.

CL 112. For the last or NINTH time the angel took up a paper, from which he read as follows: ”We compatriots, from our committee room, have addressed our judgment to the two points of the proposition, the origin of conjugial love and the origin of its virtue or potency. In discussing the subtleties of the origin of conjugial love, in order to avoid obscurity in our reasonings, we distinguished between spiritual, natural, and carnal love of the sex. By spiritual love of the sex, we mean love truly conjugial because this is spiritual; by natural love of the sex, we mean polygamous love because this is natural; and by merely carnal love of the sex, we mean scortatory love because this is merely carnal. When with our judgments we looked into love truly conjugial, we saw clearly that this love exists only between one male and one female, and that from creation it is heavenly and inmost love and the soul and father of all good loves--a love which was inspired into our first parents and which can be inspired into Christians. Moreover, it is so conjunctive that through it two minds can become one mind, and two human beings can be as one, this being meant by becoming one flesh. That this love was inspired from creation is plain from these words in the book of Creation:

And a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. (Gen. 2:24).

That it can be inspired into Christians is plain from these words:

Jesus said, Have ye not read, that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and he said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh. (Matt. 19:4-6).

Thus far respecting the origin of conjugial love. As to the origin of the virtue or potency of love truly conjugial, this we surmise arises from a similarity and unanimity of minds. For when two minds are conjoined conjugially, their thoughts kiss each other spiritually, and these thoughts breathe their virtue or potency into the body.“ To this was subscribed the letter S.

CL 113. Standing behind an oblong partition set up in the palace, facing the doors, were some strangers from Africa. These called out to the natives of Europe, ”Permit one of us also to offer an opinion concerning the origin of conjugial love and its virtue or potency“; and all at the tables signified with their hands that it was allowed. One of the strangers then entered and, standing by the table whereon the tiara had been placed, he said: ”You Christians deduce the origin of conjugial love from the love itself, but we Africans deduce it from the God of heaven and earth. Is not conjugial love a love chaste, pure, and holy? Are not the angels of heaven in that love? Is not the whole human race and thence the whole angelic heaven the seed of that love? Can a thing so supereminent spring from any other source than God himself, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe? You Christians deduce conjugial virtue or potency from various rational and natural causes, but we Africans deduce it from the state of the conjunction of man with the God of the universe, a state which we call the state of religion, but you the state of the Church; for when the love is from this source and is stable and perpetual, it cannot do otherwise than operate its virtue, and this is like itself and so is also stable and perpetual. Love truly conjugial is known only to those few who are near to God, and therefore to no others is the potency of that love known. This potency with the love is described by angels in the heavens as the delight of perpetual spring.“

CL 114. After this speech, all arose; and lo, behind the golden table whereon lay the tiara, appeared a window, not seen before; and through the window was heard a voice, The tiara shall go to the African. It was then given him by the angel, who placed it in his hand but not upon his head; and he went home with it. The inhabitants of the kingdoms of Europe then went out and, getting into their chariots, returned to their own peoples.

CL 115. The second Memorable Relation:

Awaking from sleep at midnight, I saw, on an eminence towards the east, an angel holding in his right hand a paper which, from the inflowing light of the sun, was seen in a bright radiance. On the middle of the paper was a writing in letters of gold; and I saw written there: THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH. From this writing flashed a splendour which spread out in a wide circle around the paper so that the circle or ambit seemed like the dawn as seen in spring-time.

After this, I saw the angel descending with the paper in his hand. And as he descended, the paper seemed less and less bright, and the writing, which was THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH, changed from the colour of gold to that of silver, then to that of copper, afterwards to that of iron, and finally to that of iron and copper rust. Finally, the angel was seen to enter a dark cloud and to descend through the cloud and alight upon the earth. There the paper, though still held in his hand, was no longer visible. This was in the world of spirits where all men first come together after death.

[2]  The angel then spoke to me, saying, ”Ask those who come hither whether they see me or see anything in my hand.“ A great number of spirits was approaching, one company from the east, one from the south, one from the west, and one from the north; and I asked those who came from the east and the south, being those who in the world had been in the pursuit of learning, whether they saw anyone with me in this place, and anything in his hand. They all said that they saw nothing at all. I then asked those who came from the west and the north, being those who in the world had put faith in the words of the learned. They also said that they saw nothing. But after those in front had gone away, those in the rear, being those who in the world had been in simple faith from charity, or in some truth from good, said that they saw a man with a paper--a man in becoming apparel and a paper upon which, on closer view, they traced letters. Bringing their eyes still closer, they said that they read, THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH. They then addressed the angel, asking him to tell them what this meant.

[3] The angel then said: ”All things in the whole heaven and all things in the entire world are nothing but a marriage of good and truth; for created things, both those which live and breathe and those which do not live and breathe, are one and all created from and into the marriage of good and truth, nothing whatever being created into truth alone, and nothing whatever into good alone. Alone, the latter and the former are not anything; but by marriage they exist and become a thing of like quality as the marriage. In the Lord the Creator is Divine Good and Divine Truth in its very substance, the esse of Substance Itself being Divine Good, and the existere of Substance Itself Divine Truth. They are also in their very union; for in Him they make one infinitely. Since these two are one in the Creator, therefore they are also one in each and every thing created by Him. Moreover, by this the Creator is conjoined with all things created by Himself in an eternal covenant as of marriage.“

[4]  The angel said further, that the Sacred Scripture, which proceeded immediately from the Lord, is in general and in particular a marriage of good and truth. And since with Christians, the Church, which is formed by the truth of doctrine, and religion, which is formed by the good of life according to the truth of doctrine, are solely from the Sacred Scripture, it is evident that the Church in general and in particular is the marriage of good and truth.

That such is the case can be seen in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED, (n. 373, 483). What has been said above respecting the marriage of good and truth is also said of THE MARRIAGE OF CHARITY AND FAITH, since good is the good of charity and truth the truth of faith.

Certain of those in front, who had not seen the angel and the writing, were still standing by, and on hearing these words they said, with half-closed lips, ”Yes, truly, we comprehend that.“ But then the angel said to them, ”Turn away from me a little and say the same thing.“ And they turned away and said, with open lips, ”It is not so.“

[5]  After this the angel spoke of THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH as it is with married partners, saying that if their minds were in that marriage, the husband being truth and the wife the good thereof, they would both be in the delights of the blessedness of innocence, and thence in the happiness in which are the angels of heaven. In that state, the prolific principle of the husband would be in continual spring and thence in the effort and strength to propagate his truth; and the wife, from love, would be in a continual reception of it: ”(In heaven), the wisdom which is with men from the Lord feels nothing more delightful than to propagate its own truths; and the love of wisdom which is with wives there, feels nothing more pleasing than to receive them as though in a womb, and thus to conceive, carry in the womb, and bring forth. Such is the nature of spiritual prolification with the angels of heaven; and if you will believe it, from this origin are also natural prolifications.“

After a salutation of peace, the angel then raised himself from the earth, and passing through the cloud, ascended into heaven; and then, according to the degrees of ascent, the paper shone as before. And lo, the circle of light which had previously appeared as the dawn, then descended and dispelled the cloud which had brought darkness upon the earth, and it became sunny.

Angelic Wisdom concerning Congugial (True Marital) Love #103-115
- E. Swedenborg 1688-1772

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