The two spheres, of scortatory and conjugial love, were described in the last chapter. It was shown there that the sphere of scortatory love comes up from hell, and the sphere of conjugial love comes down from heaven (435). Those two spheres meet in both worlds, but do not join (436). The two spheres are in equilibrium, and a person is kept in this (437). A person can turn to which sphere he pleases, but in turning towards one he turns away from the other (438). For what is meant by spheres see 435 and the passages quoted there.

[2] The sphere of the lust for fornicating is midway between those two spheres and produces an equilibrium, because anyone in that position can turn towards the sphere of conjugial love, that is, towards that love, and he can turn towards the sphere of the love of adultery, that is, towards that love. If he chooses conjugial love, he turns towards heaven, if the love of adultery, towards hell. Which way he takes is a matter of choice, pleasure and will for a person; and this is in order to give him freedom to act according to reason, and not by instinct. This means so that he can be human and make the influence he feels his own, and not a animal which makes no part of it its own. We say the lust for fornicating as it is at the outset, because it is then in the midway state. Is there anyone who does not know that whatever a person does at the outset is the result of desire, as it comes from the natural man? Or that desire is not reckoned a sin, when he becomes spiritual instead of natural? It is much the same with the lust for fornicating, when a person's love becomes conjugial.