The true source of conjugial love is lodged at a person's inmost level, that is, in his soul. Anyone can be convinced of this simply from the fact that the child's soul comes from the father, and this fact can be known from the likeness of their inclinations and affections, and also from the shared facial characteristics which continue from the father down to his remote posterity. It may also be seen from the capability of reproduction implanted in souls from creation; and, moreover, by analogy with the members of the vegetable kingdom. The inmost levels of seedlings conceal the reproduction of the seed itself, and so of the whole plant, whether it be tree, bush or shrub.

[2] The reproductive or formative force present in seeds in this kingdom, and in souls in the other one, is from no other source than the sphere of the marriage of good and truth, which is perpetually radiated and poured in from the Lord, the Creator and Preserver of the universe (on which see above 222-225). It is also from the striving of these two principles, good and truth, to combine into one. It is this striving towards marriage implanted in souls which is the originating cause of conjugial love. It is this same marriage, the source of this universal sphere, which makes the church in a person; this was proved adequately, and more than adequately, in the chapter on the Marriage of Good and Truth [V*], and in many other passages. From this it will be plain and fully evident to reason that the origin of the church and that of conjugial love occupy the same seat, and are continuously embracing; on this see the fuller account above (130), where it was shown that conjugial love depends upon the state of the church with a person. It therefore depends upon religion, since this is what brings about that state.

[3] Man was also designed by creation to have the capability of becoming more and more inward, and so being brought into or raised nearer and nearer to that marriage, thus to truly conjugial love, until he is able to perceive its state of blessedness. The sole means by which he can be brought into or raised to this is religion, as is plainly to be seen from what was said before, that the origin of the church and of conjugial love occupy the same seat, there embrace each other, and so cannot fail to be combined there. * B. Rogers suggests that Chapter VI and in particular 122 is meant here.