It is known that the institution of monogamous marriage is founded upon the Lord's Word, that whoever shall put away his wife except for whoredom, and shall marry another, commits adultery; that it had been ordained from the beginning, that is, at the first institution of marriages, that two should become one flesh; and that man should not put asunder what God has joined together (Matt. 19:3-11).
[2] But although the Lord dictated these words from the Divine law inscribed on marriage, yet, if it cannot support that law from some reason of its own, the understanding, by twistings to which it is accustomed, and by sinister interpretation, can get around it and reduce it to obscure ambiguity and finally to what is affirmative-negative--to what is affirmative because it is also taken from the civil law, and to what is negative, because it is not deduced from the man's own rational sight. It is into this negative that the human mind will fall unless previously instructed respecting the knowledges mentioned above which shall serve the understanding as an introduction to its reasonings. These knowledges are: That there is a love truly conjugial; that this love is not possible except between two; that neither is it possible between two except from the Lord alone; and that on this love is inscribed heaven with all its felicities. This and more also respecting the banning of polygamy from the Christian world is now to be demonstrated in the order of the following articles:
1. That except with one wife there can be no love truly conjugial, consequently, no truly conjugial friendship, confidence, potency, and no such conjunction of minds that the two may be one flesh.
2. Thus, that except with one wife, there can be no celestial blessings, spiritual happiness, and natural delights such as have been provided from the beginning for those who are in love truly conjugial.
3. That none of these can be given except by the Lord alone; and that they are given to no others save those who approach Him alone and at the same time live according to His precepts.
4. Consequently, that love truly conjugial with its felicities is not possible except with those who are of the Christian Church.
5. That hence it is, that for a Christian it is not lawful to marry more than one wife.
6. That a Christian, if he marries more wives than one, commits not only natural adultery but also spiritual adultery.
7. That for the Israelitish nation it was permitted to marry more wives than one because with that nation there was no Christian Church, and hence no possibility of love truly conjugial.
8. That it is permitted Mohammedans at this day to marry many wives because they do not acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ to be one with Jehovah the Father, and thus as the God of heaven and earth, and hence cannot receive love truly conjugial.
9. That the Mohammedan heaven is outside the Christian heaven, and is divided into two heavens, a lower and a higher; and that no others are elevated into their higher heaven save those who renounce concubines, live with one wife, and acknowledge our Lord, to whom is given dominion over heaven and earth, as equal with God the Father.
10. That polygamy is lasciviousness.
11. That with polygamists conjugial chastity, purity, and holiness are not possible.
12. That polygamists, so long as they remain polygamists, cannot become spiritual.
13. That polygamy is not a sin with those with whom it exists from religion.
14. That polygamy is not a sin with those who are in ignorance of the Lord.
15. That of these, those are saved, although polygamists, who acknowledge God and from religion live according to the civil laws of justice.
16. But that none of the latter and the former can be consociated with angels in the Christian heavens.
Now follows the exposition of these articles.
CL 339
. VI. That a Christian, if he marries more wives than one, commits not only natural adultery but also spiritual adultery. That a Christian who marries more wives than one commits natural adultery is according to the Lord's words, namely, that it is not lawful to put away a wife, because from the beginning they were created to be one flesh; and that he who shall put away his wife without just cause and shall marry another, commits adultery (Matt. 19:3-11); thus, still more does he commit adultery who does not put away his wife, but retains her and takes another in addition. The law concerning marriages thus laid down by the Lord derives its internal cause from the spiritual marriage; for whatsoever the Lord spoke was in itself spiritual, this being what is meant by the words:
The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. (John 6:63).
The spiritual (truth) within that law is this: That by polygamous marriage in the Christian world, the marriage of the Lord and the Church is profaned; likewise the marriage of good and truth and, moreover, the Word, and with the Word the Church; and the profanation of these is spiritual adultery. That the profanation of the good and truth of the Church from the Word corresponds to adultery, and hence is spiritual adultery; and that the same is true, though in a lesser degree, of the falsification of good and truth; may be seen confirmed in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED (AR n. 134). That with Christians, the marriage of the Lord and the Church is profaned by polygamous marriages, is because there is a correspondence between that Divine marriage and the marriages of Christians (n. 83-102); and if wife is added to wife, this correspondence is wholly destroyed, and with this destroyed, the consort is no longer a Christian.
[2] That with Christians, the marriage of good and truth is profaned by polygamous marriages is because marriages on earth are derived from this spiritual marriage, and the marriages of Christians differ from the marriages of other nations in this, that as good loves truth and truth good, and the two are a one, so is it with wife and husband. Wherefore, if a Christian should add wife to wife, he would rend asunder that spiritual marriage in himself, and consequently would profane the origin of his marriage and so would commit spiritual adultery. That marriages on earth are derived from the marriage of good and truth may be seen above (n. 116-131). That a Christian, by polygamous marriage profanes the Word and the Church, is because the Word regarded in itself is the marriage of good and truth, and so likewise the Church so far as this is from the Word; see above (n. 128-131).
[3] Now since a man, a Christian, knows the Lord and has the Word, and since the Church is with him from the Lord by the Word, it is evident that he more than a man not a Christian has the ability to become regenerated and so to become spiritual, and also to attain love truly conjugial, inasmuch as the two cohere together. Since those among Christians who marry more wives than one commit not only natural adultery but also and at the same time spiritual adultery, it follows that after death the damnation of Christian polygamists is more severe than the damnation of those who commit only natural adultery. To a question concerning their state after death, I heard the answer that heaven is wholly closed to them; that in hell they appear as if lying in a bath of hot water; that when seen from a distance, they appear thus even though they are standing on their feet and walking; that this is the case with them by reason of their intestine madness; and that some of them are cast into gulfs which are at the borders of (their) worlds.
CL 340
. VII. That for the Israelitish nation it was permitted to marry more wives than one because with that nation there was no Christian Church, and hence no possibility of love truly conjugial. At this day there are men who entertain ambiguous thoughts respecting the institution of monogamous marriages, that is, of the marriage of one man with one wife, debating within themselves concerning the reason, and opining that because polygamous marriages were openly permitted to the Israelitish nation and its kings, and to David and Solomon, they would in themselves be permissible to Christians also. But such men have no distinct knowledge concerning the Israelitish nation and the Christian; concerning the external and internal things of the Church; or concerning the change of the Church from an external Church to an internal which was made by the Lord. Consequently, they know nothing from interior judgment concerning marriages. In general it must be borne in mind, that man is born natural in order that he may become spiritual; that so long as he remains natural he is as though in night and in sleep respecting things spiritual; and that he then does not know even the distinction between the external natural man and the internal spiritual.
[2] That the Christian Church did not exist with the Israelitish nation is known from the Word; for they awaited a Messiah who was to exalt them above all nations and peoples in the world--and they are still awaiting. Therefore, had it been said to them, and were it now said, that the Messiah's kingdom is over the heavens and therefore over all nations, they would have set it down as among idle tales. It was because of this that when Christ, or the Messiah our Lord, came into the world, not only did they not acknowledge Him, but they cruelly put Him out of the world. From this it is evident that the Christian Church did not exist with that nation, as it does not at this day; and they with whom the Christian Church does not exist are natural men, both internally and externally. With such men polygamy, being inscribed on the natural man, is not hurtful; for, as regards love in marriage, the natural man perceives only such things as pertain to lust. This is what is meant by the words spoken by the Lord, that Moses for the hardness of their heart permitted them to put away their wives, but that from the beginning it was not so (Matt. 19:8). He says that Moses permitted, in order that it may be known that it was not the Lord.
[3] Moreover, that the Lord taught the internal spiritual man, is known from His precepts; from His abrogation of the rituals which served only for the use of the natural man; from His precepts concerning washing, that it is the purification of the internal man (Matt. 15:1, 17-20; 23:25, 26; Mark 7:14-23), concerning adultery, that it is a lust of the will (Matt. 5:28), concerning the putting away of wives, that it is not lawful, and concerning polygamy, that it is not in agreement with Divine law (Matt. 19:3-9). The Lord taught these and many other precepts which pertain to the internal and spiritual man because He alone opens the internal things of human minds and, making them spiritual, implants them in things natural, that these also may receive a spiritual essence. This they do receive if man approaches Him and lives according to His precepts. In brief, these precepts are: To believe in Him and to shun evils because they are of the devil and from the devil; also to do goods because they are of the Lord and from the Lord; and to do both as of one's self, believing at the same time that they are done by the Lord through him.
[4] The veriest reason why it is the Lord alone who opens the internal spiritual man and implants it in the external natural man, is because every man thinks naturally and acts naturally; therefore, he could not perceive anything spiritual and receive it into his natural unless God had assumed a Natural Human and made this also Divine. From the above, the truth is now evident that for the Israelitish nation it was permitted to take more wives than one because with them there was no Christian Church.
CL 341
. VIII. That it is permitted Mohammedans at this day to marry many wives because they do not acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ to be one with Jehovah the Father, and thus as the God of heaven and earth, and hence cannot receive love truly conjugial. Mohammedans, from the religion handed down by Mohammed, acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as the great Prophet; also that He was sent into the world by God the Father to teach men. But they do not acknowledge that God the Father and He are one, or that His Divine and Human are one Person united as soul and body, according to the faith which all Christians receive from the Athanasian confession. Therefore, the followers of Mohammed could not acknowledge our Lord as any God from eternity, but only as a perfect natural man. And since Mohammed was of this opinion, therefore the disciples who followed him were of the same opinion. And because they knew that God is one and that this God is He who created the universe; therefore, in their worship, they could not but pass our Lord by, and this the more because they declare Mohammed also to be the great Prophet. Moreover, they do not know what the Lord taught. It is from this cause that the interiors of their mind, which in themselves are spiritual, could not be opened; that they can be opened only by the Lord, see (n. 340) just above.
[2] The genuine reason why they are opened by the Lord when He is acknowledged and is approached as the God of heaven and earth, being opened with those who live according to His precepts, is because otherwise there is no conjunction, and without conjunction there is no reception. With respect to man, there is the presence of the Lord and there is conjunction with Him. Presence is effected by approaching Him, and conjunction by living according to His precepts. If there is merely presence, there is no reception, but if there is presence and at the same time conjunction, there is reception.
[3] Concerning this, I will relate something new from the spiritual world. There a person becomes present by reason of thought concerning him; but no one is conjoined to another save by reason of an affection of love--an affection which is insinuated by compliance with his words and his pleasure. In the spiritual world, this is a familiar occurrence, and it takes its origin from the Lord, it being in this way that He is present and in this way that He is conjoined with man. The above has been said to the end that it may be known why it is permitted Mohammedans to take several wives, namely, because with them, love truly conjugial, which is only between one man and one wife, is not possible, and this because they have not from religion acknowledged the Lord as equal to God the Father, and thus as the God of heaven and earth. That conjugial love is with every individual according to the state of the Church (with him) may be seen in (n. 130) above and in many places in the preceding pages.
CL 342
. IX. That the Mohammedan heaven is outside the Christian heaven, and is divided into two heavens, a lower and a higher; and that no others are elevated into their higher heaven save those who renounce concubines, live with one wife, and acknowledge our Lord, to whom is given dominion over heaven and earth, as equal with God the Father. Before anything is said in particular respecting these heavens, it is important that something be premised concerning the Lord's Divine Providence in relation to the rise of the Mohammedan religion. The fact that this religion has been received by more kingdoms than have received the Christian religion may be a stumbling block to those who think of Divine Providence and at the same time believe that no one can be saved but he who is born a Christian. The Mohammedan religion, however, is not a stumbling block to those who believe that all things are of Divine Providence. These inquire wherein this Providence lies; moreover, they find it lies in this: That the Mohammedan religion acknowledges our Lord as the Son of God, as the wisest of men, and as the great prophet who came into the world that he might teach men. But because the Mohammedans make the Koran the only book of their religion, and Mohammed, who wrote it, is therefore inseated in their thoughts, they follow him with a kind of worship, and think little about our Lord. That it may be fully known that of the Lord's Divine Providence that religion was raised up for the wiping out of the idolatries of many nations, this shall be told in some order.
[2] First, then, respecting the origin of idolatries. Previous to that religion, the worship of idols existed in all countries, and this because previous to the coming of the Lord all churches were representative. Such also was the Israelitish Church. There the tabernacle, Aaron's garments, the sacrifices, all that was in the temple at Jerusalem, and also the statues, were representative. Moreover, with the ancients, the science of correspondences, which is also the science of representations, was the science of the wise. This was especially cultivated by the Egyptians; hence their hieroglyphics. From this science they knew what was signified by animals of every kind, and by trees of every kind, and also by mountains, hills, rivers, and fountains, and by the sun, moon, and stars. Moreover, by this science they had a knowledge of things spiritual; for the things which were represented, being such as are matters of spiritual wisdom with the angels, were the origins of the representations.
[3] Now because all their worship was representative, consisting of mere correspondences, therefore they held that worship on mountains and hills, and also in groves and gardens. Therefore also they consecrated fountains, and in their adorations turned their faces to the rising sun. Moreover, they made sculptured horses, oxen, calves, lambs, yea, birds, fishes, serpents; and these they placed in their houses and elsewhere, in an order according to the spiritual things of the Church to which they corresponded or which they represented. They also placed them in their temples, that they might call to mind the holy things of worship which they signified. In course of time, when the science of correspondences had been obliterated, their posterity began to worship the sculptured images as holy in themselves, not knowing that the ancients, their fathers of old, saw nothing holy in them, seeing only that they represented and thence signified holy things according to correspondences. Hence arose idolatries, and these filled the whole world, as well Asia with its surrounding islands as Africa and Europe.
[4] That all these idolatries might be uprooted, it was brought to pass of the Lord's Divine Providence that there should be inaugurated a new religion accommodated to the genius of the orientals; a religion in which there would be something from both Testaments of the Word, and which would teach that the Lord came into the world and that He was the great Prophet, the wisest of all, and the Son of God. This was done through Mohammed, from whom this religion has its name.
From the above it is evident that this religion, as was said, was raised up of the Lord's Divine Providence and accommodated to the genius of the orientals, to the end that it might wipe out the idolatries of so many nations, and might give them some knowledge of the Lord prior to their entrance into the spiritual world, which takes place with everyone after death. This religion would not have been received by so many kingdoms, and could not have uprooted their idolatries, had it not been suited to their ideas, and especially had not polygamy been permitted. Moreover, this was permitted because without such permission the orientals, from burning heat, would have rushed into filthy adulteries more than Europeans, and would have perished.
CL 354
. When this discourse was concluded, the angels departed. Then came two priests, together with a man who in the world had been a royal ambassador. I told them what I had heard from the angels, and on hearing this, they began a discussion among themselves concerning intelligence and wisdom and prudence therefrom, as to whether these are from God or from man. The discussion was warm. At heart the three believed alike that they are from man because in man, and that the perception and sensation of its being so, confirms this. But the priests, Who were then in theological zeal, said that nothing of intelligence and wisdom, and so nothing of prudence, is from man; and when the ambassador retorted that then neither is there anything of thought, they said, "No, not anything."
But as it was perceived in heaven that the three were of the same belief, it was said to the royal ambassador, "Put on the garments of a priest and believe yourself to be a priest, and then speak." So he put them on and believed. Then, in a loud voice he said, "Nothing of intelligence and wisdom, and hence nothing of prudence, is ever possible except from God" and this he demonstrated with his customary eloquence, full of rational arguments.
It is peculiar to the spiritual world that a spirit thinks himself to be such as is the garment he wears, and this because, in that World, the understanding clothes everyone.
[2] After this, it was said from heaven to the two priests, "Put off your garments and put on the garments of ministers of state, and believe that you are such." They did so. Then at once they thought from their inner self, and on the basis of arguments which they had inwardly cherished, they spoke in favour of self-intelligence.
At that moment there appeared near the path a tree, and it was told them: "This is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Take care that you do not eat of it." Nevertheless, the three, infatuated with their own intelligence, burned with a desire to eat of it, and said among themselves. "Why not? is not the fruit good?" And they approached and ate. Then, being of the same belief, the three at once became cordial friends and together they entered on the way of self-intelligence which led to hell; yet I saw them coming back for they were not yet prepared.
CL 355
. The second Memorable Relation:
Once, when looking into the world of spirits, I saw in a meadow, men clothed in garments like those of men in the world, and from this I knew that they were lately come from the world. I went to them and stood at their side, that I might listen to what they were saying among themselves. They were speaking about heaven, and one of them who knew something about heaven said, "There are wonderful things there, such as can never be believed by anyone unless he has seen them. Thus there are paradisal gardens, magnificent palaces architecturally constructed because by the very art itself and resplendent as from gold; and in front of them, silver columns upon which are heavenly forms of precious stones; also houses of jasper and sapphire, in front of which are stately porticos through which the angels enter; and inside the houses, decorations which neither art nor word can describe.
[2] As to the angels themselves, they are of both sexes, young men and husbands, and virgins and wives. The virgins are so beautiful that in the world there is nothing resembling such beauty. Yet the wives are still more beautiful, being in appearance as the genuine effigies of heavenly love; and their husbands, all of whom are mature young men, as the effigies of heavenly wisdom. What is more, they do not know what love of the sex can be, if not conjugial love; and, what you will wonder at, the husbands have perpetual ability for the enjoyment of its delights."
When they heard that there is no love of the sex there other than conjugial love, and that they have perpetual ability for the enjoyment of its delights, the novitiate spirits laughed among themselves and said, "What you say is incredible; such ability is not possible. Perhaps you are telling fables."
[3] And then, all unexpectedly, an angel from heaven stood in their midst and said: "Hear me, I pray. I am an angel of heaven and have lived with my wife now for a thousand years. Throughout all those years I have been in the same flower of age in which you see me now, and this from living in conjugial love with my wife; and I can assure you that I have had and do now have that perpetual ability. But as I perceive that you think this is not possible, I will speak to you of the matter from reasons according with the light of your own understanding. You know nothing of the primeval state of mankind which is called by you their state of integrity. In that state all the interiors of their minds were open to the Lord, and hence were in the marriage of love and wisdom or good and truth; and because the good of love and the truth of wisdom love each other perpetually, and perpetually will to be united, therefore, when the interiors of the mind are open, this spiritual conjugial love with its perpetual striving, flows down freely and gives that ability.
[4] Man's soul, being in the marriage of good and truth, is not only in a perpetual striving for that unition but is also in a perpetual striving for fructification and the production of a likeness of itself. And when, by virtue of that marriage, man's interiors are laid open all the way from the soul--and that they may stand forth, interiors are continually looking to the effect in ultimates as their end--then, that perpetual striving for fructification and the production of a likeness of itself which belongs to the soul becomes the body's. And because with two consorts the ultimate operation of the soul in the body is into the ultimates of love there--ultimates which are dependent on the state of the soul--it is evident whence it is that they have this perpetual ability.
[5] That there is also perpetual fructification, is because the universal sphere of generating and propagating the celestial things pertaining to love, and the spiritual things pertaining to wisdom, and thence the natural things pertaining to offspring, proceeds from the Lord and fills the whole of heaven and the whole of the world. This celestial sphere fills the souls of all men and descends through their minds into their bodies to the very ultimates thereof and gives the power of generating. This power, however, can be given only to those with whom there is open passage from the soul through the higher and lower regions of the mind into the body even to its ultimates; and this is the case with those who suffer themselves to be led back by the Lord to the primeval state of creation. I can assure you, that now for a thousand years, neither ability nor strength nor vigour has ever been lacking with me, and that I know nothing whatever of any diminution of powers, these powers being continually renewed by the continual influx of that universal sphere of which I have spoken. Moreover, they then gladden the animus, and do not sadden it as is the case with those who suffer the loss of them.
[6] Furthermore, love truly Conjugial is like the warmth of spring from the influx of which, all things aspire to germination and fructification. In our heaven there is no other warmth, and therefore, with married partners there, spring is in its perpetual endeavour, it being this perpetual endeavour from which that vigour comes. With us in the heavens, however, fructifications are different than with men on earth. With us they are spiritual, being fructifications of love and wisdom or of good and truth. From the wisdom of her husband, the wife receives into herself the love thereof, and from that love in his wife, the husband receives into himself wisdom. Indeed, the wife is actually formed into the love of her husband's wisdom, this being effected by her receptions of the propagations of his soul, with the delight arising from her will to be the love of her husband's wisdom. Thus from a virgin she becomes a wife and a similitude. Thence also, with the wife, love with its inmost friendship, and with the husband, wisdom with its felicity, perennially increase and this to eternity. Such is the state of the angels of heaven."
[7] When the angel had thus spoken, he looked upon those who were newly come from the world and said to them: "You know that when you were in the vigour of love, you loved your partners, and that after the delight you turned yourselves away; but you do not know that in heaven we do not love our partners from that vigour, but have the vigour from our love, and that with us it is perpetual because we love our partners perpetually. If, therefore, you can reverse your state, you can comprehend this. Who that loves his partner perpetually does not love her with his whole mind and his whole body? Love turns all things of the mind and all things of the body to that which it loves; and because this is done reciprocally, it so conjoins them that they become as one."
[8] He said further: "I shall not speak to you of the conjugial love implanted from creation in the male and female, and of their inclination to legitimate conjunction; or of the faculty of prolification in the male which makes one with the faculty of multiplying wisdom from the love of truth. So far as a man loves wisdom from the love of wisdom, that is, loves truth from good, so far he is in love truly conjugial and in its attendant vigour."
