111. From the paper which came forth the EIGHTH in order, he read as follows: "We, natives of the same country, in our place of assembly have not discovered the real origin of conjugial love, because it lies deeply concealed in the sacred repositories of the mind. The most consummate vision cannot, by any intellectual effort, reach that love in its origin. We have made many conjectures; but after the vain exertion of subtle inquiry, we have been in doubt whether our conjectures might not be called rather trifling than judicious; therefore whoever is desirous to extract the origin of that love from the sacred repositories of his mind, and to exhibit it clearly before his eyes, let him go to Delphos. We have contemplated that love beneath its origin, and have seen that in the mind it is spiritual, and as a fountain from which a sweet stream flows, whence it descends into the breast, where it becomes delightful, and is called bosom love, which in itself is full of friendship and confidence, from a full inclination to reciprocality; and that when it has passed the breast, it becomes genial love. These and similar considerations, which a young man revolves in his mind while he is determining his choice to one of the sex, kindle in his heart the fire of conjugial love; which fire, as it is the primitive of that love is its origin. In respect to the origin of its virtue or potency, we acknowledge no other than that love itself, they being inseparable companions, yet still they are such that sometimes the one precedes and sometimes the other. When the love precedes and the virtue or potency follows it, each is noble because in this case potency is the virtue of conjugial love; but if the potency precedes and the love follows, each is then ignoble; because in this case the love is subordinate to carnal potency; we therefore judge of the quality of each from the order in which the love descends or ascends, and thus proceeds from its origin to its proposed end." To this decision was subscribed the letter D.
112. Lastly, or NINTHLY, he took up a paper, from which he read as follows: "We, natives of the same country, in our council-chamber have exercised our judgement on the two points proposed, viz., the origin of conjugial love, and the origin of its virtue or potency. In the subtleties of inquiry respecting the origin of conjugial love, in order to avoid obscurity in our reasonings, we have distinguished between the love of the sex as being spiritual, natural, and carnal; and by the spiritual love of the sex we have understood love truly conjugial, because this is spiritual; and by the natural love of the sex we have understood polygamical love, because this is natural; and by the merely carnal love of the sex we have understood adulterous love because this is merely carnal. In exercising our judgements to examine into love truly conjugial, we have clearly seen that this love exists only between one male and one female, and that from creation it is celestial and inmost, the soul and father of all good loves, being inspired into the first parents, and capable of being inspired into Christians; it is also of such a conjunctive nature that by it two minds may become one mind, and two men (homines) as it were one man (homo); which is meant by becoming one flesh. That this love was inspired at creation, is plain from these words in the book of creation, 'And a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall be one flesh,' Gen. ii. 24. That it can be inspired into Christians, is evident from these words, 'Jesus said, Have ye not read, that he who made them from the beginning, made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they two shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no longer two but one flesh,' Matt. xix. 4-6. So far in regard to the origin of conjugial love: but as to the origin of the virtue or potency of love truly conjugial, we conceive it to proceed from a similitude of minds and unanimity; for when two minds are conjugially united, their thoughts spiritually kiss each other, and these inspire into the body their virtue or potency." To this decision was subscribed the letter S.
113. There were standing behind an oblong stage in the palace, erected before the doors, some strangers from Africa, who cried out to the natives of Europe, "Permit one of us to deliver his sentiments respecting the origin of conjugial love, and respecting its virtue or potency." And immediately all the tables gave signs of assent with their hands. Then one of them entered and stood at the table on which the turban was placed, and said, "You Christians deduce the origin of conjugial love from love itself; but we Africans deduce it from the God of heaven and earth. Is not conjugial love a chaste, pure, and holy love? Are not the angels of heaven principled therein? Is not the whole human race, and thence the whole angelic heaven, the seed of that love? And can such super-eminent principle derive its existence from any other source than from God himself, the Creator and Preserver of the universe? You Christians deduce conjugial virtue or potency from various causes rational and natural; but we Africans deduce it from the state of man's conjunction with the God of the universe. This state we call a state of religion; but you call it a state of the church: for when the love is derived from that state, and is fixed and permanent, it must needs produce its own virtue, which resembles it, and thus also is fixed and permanent. Love truly conjugial is known only to those few who live near to God; consequently the potency of that love is known to none else. This potency is described by the angels in the heavens as the delight of a perpetual spring."
114. As he said these word, the whole assembly arose, and lo! behind the golden table on which lay the turban, there appeared a window that had not before been seen; and through it was heard a voice, saying, "THE AFRICAN IS TO HAVE THE TURBAN." The angel then gave it into his hand, but did not place it upon his head; and he went home with it. The inhabitants of the kingdoms of Europe then left the assembly and entered their chariots, in which they returned to their respective societies.
115. THE SECOND MEMORABLE RELATION. Awaking from sleep at midnight, I saw at some elevation towards the east an angel holding in his right hand a paper, which appeared extremely bright, being illuminated by the light flowing from the sun. In the middle of the paper there was written in golden letters, THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH. From the writing there darted forth a splendor which formed a wide circle about the paper. This circle or encompassing splendor appeared like the early dawn in spring. After this I saw the angel descending with the paper in his hand; and as he descended the paper became less and less lucid, and the writing, which was THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH, changed from a golden into a silver color, afterwards into a copper color, next into an iron color, and at length into the color of iron and copper rust: finally, I saw the angel enter an obscure mist, and through the mist descend upon the ground; and here I did not see the paper, although he still held it in his hand. This happened in the world of spirits, in which all men first assemble after their decease. The angel then said to me, "Ask those who come hither whether they see me, or anything in my hand." There came a great number; one company from the east, another from the south, another from the west, and another from the north; and I asked those who came from the east and from the south, who in the world had applied themselves to literary pursuits, "Do you see any one here with me, and anything in his hand?" They all said, "No." I then put the same question to those who came from the west and from the north, who in the world had believed in the words of the learned; and these gave the same answer: nevertheless the last of them, who in the world had been principled in simple faith grounded in charity, or in some degree of truth grounded in good, when the rest were gone away, said, that they saw a man with a paper, the man in a graceful dress, and the paper with letters written upon it: and when they applied their eyes nearer to it, they said that they could read these words, The marriage of good and truth; and they addressed the angel, intreating him to explain to them the meaning of the writing. He said, "All things in the whole heaven and in the whole world, are a marriage of good and truth; for all things whatever, both those which live and communicate life and those which do not live and do not communicate life, were created from and into the marriage of good and truth. There does not exist anything which was created into truth alone, or any thing which was created into good alone: solitary good or solitary truth is not any thing; but by marriage they exist and become something which derives its nature and quality from that of the marriage. In the Lord the Creator are divine good and divine truth in their very substance: the esse of his substance is divine good, and its existere is divine truth: in him also they are in their very essential union; for in him they infinitely make a one: and since these two in the Creator himself are a one, therefore also they are a one in all things created from him; hereby also the Creator is conjoined in an eternal covenant as of marriage with all things created from himself." The angel further said, that the Sacred Scripture, which proceeded immediately from the Lord, is in general and in particular a marriage of good and truth; and since the church, which is formed by the truth of doctrine, and religion, which is formed by the good of life agreeable to the truth of doctrine, are with Christians derived solely from the Sacred Scripture, therefore it may manifestly appear, that the church in general and in particular is a marriage of good and truth; (that this is the case, may be seen in the APOCALYPSE REVEALED, n. 373, 483.) What has just been said concerning the marriage of good and truth, is applicable also to the MARRIAGE OF CHARITY AND FAITH; for good relates to charity, and truth to faith. Some of the spirits above-mentioned who did not see the angel and the writing, being still near, and hearing these things, said in an under tone, "Yes, we also comprehend what has been spoken;" but the angel then said to them, "Turn aside a little from me and speak in like manner." They turned aside, and then said aloud, "It is not so." After this the angel spoke concerning the MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH with married pairs, saying, that if their minds were in that marriage, the husband being truth, and the wife the good thereof, they would both be in the delights of the blessedness and innocence, and thence in the happiness which the angels of heaven enjoy; and in this state the prolific principle of the husband would be in a continual spring, and thereby in the endeavour and vigor of propagating its truth, and the wife would be in a continual reception thereof from a principle of love. The wisdom which husbands derive from the Lord, is sensible of no greater delight than to propagate its truths; and the love of wisdom which wives have from the Lord is sensible of no higher gratification than to receive those truths as it were in the womb, and thus to conceive them, to carry them in the womb, and to bring them forth. Spiritual prolifications with the angels of heaven are of this sort; and if you are disposed to believe it, natural prolifications are also from the same origin. The angel, after a salutation of peace, raised himself from the ground, and passing through the mist ascended into heaven; and then the paper shone as before according to the degrees of ascent; and behold! the circle, which before appeared as the dawn of day, descended and dispelled the mist which caused darkness on the ground, and a bright sunshine succeeded.