Conjugial Love (Acton) n. 284

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284. XIII. THAT THEY ARE FOR THE SAKE OF THE CARE OF THE INFANTS, AND OF CONCORDANCE IN RELATION TO THE CHILDREN. That conjugial simulations between partners, being appearances of a love and friendship resembling the truly conjugial, are for the sake of the infants and children, is well known. Their common love for these disposes each partner to regard the other with kindness and favor. The love of their infants and children with the mother and that love with the father, join together like the heart and lungs in the breast, the love of them with the mother being like the heart there, and the love toward them with the father like the lungs. The reason for this comparison is because the heart corresponds to love and the lungs to understanding, and with the mother is love from the will, and with the father love from the understanding. With spiritual men, the conjugial conjunction by this love of their infants and children comes from justice and judgment--from justice, because the mother carried them in her womb, brought them forth with pain, and afterwards suckles, feeds, cleanses, clothes, and educates them with unwearying care.


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