Conjugial Love (Acton) n. 244

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244. IX. THAT THE CAUSES ABOVE NAMED ARE CAUSES OF INTERNAL COLD, BUT WITH MANY, NOT AT THE SAME TIME OF EXTERNAL COLD. If the causes thus far defined and confirmed, being causes of cold in internals, were to produce a like cold in externals, the result would be as many separations as there are internal colds, and the latter are as many as the marriages, treated of above, between those who are in falsities of religion, those who are in diverse religions, and those who are in no religion. Yet it is well known that many live together as though love and mutual friendship were theirs. The source of this love and friendship with those who are in internal cold shall be told in the following chapter on the causes of apparent love, friendship, and favor between married partners. [2] There are many causes which conjoin animi* but yet do not conjoin souls, among which are some of the causes recounted above (no. 183). Yet cold lies hidden within, and at times this results in its being observed and sensed. With such persons, their affections are mutually divergent, but, for the sake of apparent friendship and favor, their thoughts, when these go forth into speech and conduct, are mutually accordant. Therefore they know nothing of the pleasantness and delight of love truly conjugial, still less of its happiness and bliss, these being to them little more than fables. Such persons are among those who make the origins of conjugial love to be from the same causes as did the nine companies of the wise brought together from different kingdoms, concerning whom see the Memorable Relation, nos. 103-14. * Throughout Swedenborg's theological and philosophical works, the word animus (plural, animi) is used to designate the external mind which man has in common with animals, as distinguished from mens designating the rational mind which is peculiar to man. Animus also means the disposition, and is sometimes so translated in the present work.


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