The soul of offspring comes from the father - a fact that is recognized from their similarity in inclinations and affections, and also from the commonality of their facial features, persisting from the father even in a much later generation. Secondly, the procreative ability was implanted from creation in souls. And in addition, one finds an analogous parallel in members of the vegetable kingdom, in that reproduction of the seed itself, and thus of the whole plant, lies within the inmost workings of their germinations, whether it be a tree, bush or shrub. [2] This reproductive or creative force in seeds in the vegetable kingdom, and in souls in the animal kingdom, originates from no other source than the conjugial atmosphere - the atmosphere of good and truth which continually emanates and flows in from the Lord, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (concerning which above, nos. 222-225) - and from the effort of these two in it - good and truth - to join themselves into one. This conjugial effort inherent in souls is the motive force from which conjugial love springs in the first place. The same marriage from which this universal atmosphere flows also forms the church in a person, as we have shown amply enough and more in the chapter on "The Marriage of the Lord and the Church"* and in a number of other places.** It is fully and plainly apparent to the sight of reason from this that the origin of the church and the origin of conjugial love have the same seat in a person, and that they are locked in a continual embrace. For more on this subject, however, see no. 130 above, where we showed that conjugial love depends on the state of the church in a person, consequently that it stems from religion, because it is religion which forms that state. [3] Besides, people were created to be able to become more and more interior beings, thus to be introduced or elevated nearer and nearer to a marriage of good and truth and so into truly conjugial love, to the point that they feel its state of bliss. The only means by which they can be introduced or elevated is religion, which is clearly apparent from what we have already said, that the origin of the church and the origin of conjugial love have the same seat in a person and are there locked in a continual embrace, so that they cannot help but be joined together. * The original text reads "the marriage of good and truth," as though in reference to the chapter, "The Origin of Conjugial Love from the Marriage between Good and Truth," nos. 83ff; but comparison of the contents of the chapters indicates that this is probably a slip of the pen for "The Marriage of the Lord and the Church," nos. 116ff. See especially no. 122 there. ** See for example nos. 62, 72, 76:5, 115:4.