De Conjugio (On Marriage) · 18 of 25

The Exploration of Spirits by Conjugial Love

72.THE EXPLORATION OF SPIRITS BY CONJUGIAL LOVE. Spirits who have recently come into the spiritual world are explored, first of all, as to whether they are against conjugial love; they are led to places where the sphere of conjugial love passes by, or to chaste consorts; if then they change countenance and indignation appears, and more, if they then think lasciviously, and still more if they speak so, it is a sign that they are of infernal mind; but if they then rejoice and are exhilarated, that they are of a celestial mind; it is a test whether they are of heaven or of hell; those who are against conjugial love are of hell; they who are with it are of heaven.

73.ADULTERIES FROM FAITH SEPARATED FROM CHARITY. I was with those who had confirmed themselves in faith separated from charity, not only in doctrine but also in life, believing that they were to be saved by faith alone even in the hour of death, howsoever they had lived; and thus that all evils were either not regarded by God the Father, or excused on account of the infirmity of man, or remitted, and that when remitted, they were also washed away; they looking to the merit of the Lord from the fulfillment of the law, and that by the passion of the cross He had taken away the sins of the world, and the condemnation of the law, and various things which their doctrine teaches. I perceived when they were in the company of those, or among those with whom they communicated, when we were speaking of that faith, there existed the most obscene representations of heinous adultery, such as that of a son with a mother. The sphere itself was such that it could be perceived by spiritual communication. They act into the occiput, and thus enter into the thought. From their presence also comes pain in the left knee.

74.The reason that such adultery is perceived from them is that they think of God, of the Lord, of salvation and of eternal life, and they confirm those things from the Word, which thence are spiritual, and because there can be nothing of faith unless it be conjoined with some love, and with them this is conjoined with love merely natural and with its cupidities, and the conjunction of faith with evil love makes that adultery. They think concerning faith from an evil life, and when they are in the delights of terrestrial and corporeal love, thence is the conjunction of faith or truth with evil. The spiritual which is of faith is as a mother, and the son is evil.

75.I have seen cohorts of them cast out into the hells, and many of them into deserts, where everything of faith is taken away from them, and there they live like wild beasts, and when everything of faith is taken away from them, they are almost deprived of rationality.