Conjugial Love (Acton) n. 474

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

474. X. THAT WEIGHTY CAUSES ARE UNREAL WHEN NOT BASED ON WHAT IS JUST, EVEN THOUGH ON AN APPEARANCE THERE OF. These are learned from the real weighty causes recounted above. If not rightly scrutinized, they may appear as just and yet are not just. Thus: Periods of abstinence requisite after childbirth; transitory illness of the wife; outflows of the prolific fluid whether from this cause or not; the polygamy permitted the Israelites. These and other like causes are of no validity when viewed from justice. They are causes made up by men after cold has been contracted and unchaste lusts have deprived them of conjugial love and infatuated them with an idea of its likeness to scortatory love. When they enter into concubinage, such men, in order to avoid loss of reputation, make spurious and fallacious causes of this sort to be pertinent and genuine causes. For the most part, they also spread lies about the wife, and these are assented to and sung out by friendly fellow-citizens according as they favor the husbands.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church