3197. Next I perceived also in spiritual idea how [it is] with love not conjugial, or the persuasion that the conjugial debt [duty] is of no moment: [to wit] that they still place their pleasant and free [principle] in contrary [things]: very many of such are in Christendom. It is not so amongst the gentiles of the world [universai orbis]. I perceived in spiritual idea how by that pleasantness and persuasive free [principle] they remove themselves more and more from heaven and felicity, yea, as I plainly saw in the other [life], till [they reach] at last the most dreadful infernal things, so that nothing of a human principle remains, but every deadly [principle], which can never be described on account of its horribleness [ob horrores]. A certain spirit, who was with me in spiritual idea, ran forward in front in the plane of the face, to a considerable distance, where were [spirits] of such a character. He cried out that he would show them of what character is their love, thus retaining [tenens] the idea. At first a most pleasant [principle] was experienced by them [iis obvenit]; but when by degrees he came more to the front the idea was continued, as if [it represented] their progress to hell, and at length ended in such horror that they could have [endured it] no longer. For they saw the most dreadful hell before [their] eyes. Hence may be apparent what [is the nature of] the conjugial debt. - 1748, September 19.