CL 385. There are indications which show clearly that conjugial love and the love of infants, which is called storge, are conjoined. There are also indications which can induce the belief that they are not conjoined; for there is love of infants with partners who love each other from their heart, and with partners who are discordant in heart, and even with those who are separated; and sometimes it is more tender and strong with the latter than with the former. That the love of infants is nevertheless perpetually conjoined with conjugial love, may be evident from the origin whence it flows; and although this origin varies with the recipients, the loves yet remain inseparable, just as the first end remains in the ultimate end which is the effect. The first end of conjugial love is the procreation of offspring, and the ultimate end, which is the effect, is the offspring procreated. That the first end enters into the effect and is present therein as in its beginning and that it does not withdraw therefrom, can be seen from a rational contemplation of the progression of ends and causes in their due order to effects. But the reasonings of most men, instead of commencing from causes and from these proceeding analytically to effects, etc., commence from effects and from these go on to certain conclusions. Thus the rational things of light must needs become the obscurities of a cloud, whence spring deviations from truths arising from appearances and fallacies. That it may be seen that conjugial love and the love of infants are inwardly conjoined even though outwardly disjoined, it shall be demonstrated in the following order:

1. That from the Lord proceed two universal spheres for the preservation of the universe in the state created, of which the one is the sphere of procreating, and the other the sphere of protecting the things procreated.

2. That these two universal spheres make one with the sphere of conjugial love and the sphere of the love of infants.

3. That these two spheres flow, universally and singly, into all things of heaven and all things of the world, from the first of them to the last.

4. That the sphere of the love of infants is a sphere of protection and support of those who cannot protect and support themselves.

5. That this sphere affects both the evil and the good, and disposes everyone to love, protect, and support his offspring from his own love.

6. That this sphere affects the female sex, thus mothers, principally, and the male sex, or fathers, from them.

7. That this sphere is also a sphere of innocence and peace from the Lord.

8. That a sphere of innocence flows into infants, and through them into their parents, and affects them.

9. That it flows also into the souls of parents and conjoins itself with the same sphere with infants; and that it is insinuated more especially by touch.

10. That in the degree that innocence recedes with infants, affection and conjunction also abate, and this successively even to separation.

11. That with parents there is a rational state of innocence and peace in respect to their infants, in that the latter know nothing and can do nothing from themselves but from others, especially their father and mother; and that this state also successively recedes as they acquire knowledge and are able to act from themselves and not from their parents.

12. That this sphere progresses in order, from an end through causes into effects, and makes periods whereby creation is preserved in the state foreseen and provided.

13. That the love of infants descends and does not ascend.

14. That wives have one state of love before conception, and another after it up to the birth.

15. That with parents, conjugial love is conjoined with the love of infants by spiritual causes, and by natural causes therefrom.

16. That the love of infants and children is of one kind with spiritual married partners, and of another with natural.

17. That with the spiritual, this love is from within or a priori, but with the natural, from without or a posteriori.

18. That thence it is, that this love is with married partners who love each other, and also with married partners who have no love for each other.

19. That the love of infants remains after death, especially with women.

20. That under the Lord's auspices, infants are educated by them and grow in stature and intelligence as in the world.

21. That it is there provided by the Lord that the innocence of infancy with infants become the innocence of wisdom, and that thus infants become angels.

Now follows the explanation of these articles:

CL 386. I. That from the Lord proceed two universal spheres for the preservation of the universe in the state created, of which the one is the sphere of procreating, and the other the sphere of protecting the things procreated. The Divine proceeding from the Lord is called a sphere because it goes forth from Him, surrounds Him, fills both worlds, the spiritual and the natural, and brings into operation the effects of the ends which the Lord predestined at creation and for which He provides after it. All that flows out from a subject and encompasses and surrounds it, is called a sphere; as, for example, the sphere of light and heat from and around the sun; the sphere of life from and around a man; the sphere of the fragrance of a plant around it; the sphere of the attraction of a magnet around it, and so on.

[2] But the universal spheres here treated of are from and around the Lord, and they proceed from the sun of the spiritual world in the midst of which He is. From the Lord through that sun proceeds a sphere of heat and light, or, what is the same thing, a sphere of love and wisdom, for the bringing into operation of ends which are uses. This sphere is designated by different names according to its uses. The Divine sphere looking to the preservation of the universe in its created state by means of successive generations, is called the Sphere of Procreating; and the Divine sphere looking to the preservation of the generations in their beginnings and afterwards in their progressions, is called the Sphere of Protecting what is procreated. Besides these two, there are many other Divine spheres and these are named according to their uses, thus differently, as can be seen above (n. 222). The operations of uses by means of those spheres are the Divine Providence.

CL 387. II. That these two universal spheres make one with the sphere of conjugial love and the sphere of the love of infants. That the sphere of conjugial makes one with the sphere of procreating is evident, procreation being the end and conjugial love the mediate cause whereby that end is effected; and in the effecting and the effects, the end and the cause act as one because they act together. That the sphere of the love of infants makes one with the sphere of protecting what is procreated is also evident; for it is an end proceeding from the prior end which was procreation, the love of infants being the mediate cause whereby that end is effected. Ends progress in a series, one after another, and in their progression, an ultimate end becomes a first end, and so onwards up to the terminus where they stop or cease. But of this, more may be seen in the exposition of article XII.

CL 388. III. That these two spheres flow, universally and singly, into all things of heaven and all things of the world, from the first of them to the last. It is said universally and singly because, when universal is mentioned, then at the same time are meant the single things of which it consists, it being from these that it has its existence and consistence; thus, from these it has its name, just as a general is so called from its parts. If, therefore, you take away the single things, the universal is a mere name and is like a surface within which is nothing. Therefore, the attributing of a universal government to God, while taking away the single things of that government, is an empty expression and is like a predication of inanity. No comparison with the universal government of kings on earth is valid. Hence it is here said that these two spheres flow in universally and singly.

CL 389. That the spheres of procreating and of protecting what is procreated, that is, the spheres of conjugial love and of the love of infants, flow into all things of heaven and all things of the world from the first thereof to the last, is because all things proceeding from the Lord, that is, from the sun which is from Him and in which He is, pass through the created universe to the very ultimates of all things thereof. The reason is, because things Divine, which in their progression are called celestial and spiritual, are devoid of space and time. It is well known that when speaking of spiritual things there is no predication of extension because none of space and time. Hence it is, that whatever proceeds from the Lord is in things last from things first in an instant.

[2] That in this way the sphere of conjugial love is universal may be seen above (n. 222-225). That this is likewise the case with the sphere of the love of infants is manifest from that love in heaven where are infants from the earth; also from that love as it is in the world with men and with beasts, birds, serpents, and insects. There are also analogues of that love in the vegetable and mineral kingdoms--in the vegetable kingdom, in that seeds are protected by husks as by swaddling-clothes, are in fruit as in a home, and are nourished with sap as with milk. That there is something like this among minerals is evident from the matrices and coverings wherein noble gems and noble metals are hidden and guarded.

CL 390. That the sphere of procreating and the sphere of protecting what is procreated make one in a continuous series, is because the love of procreating is continued into that which is procreated. The nature of the love of procreating is learned from its delight, in that this is supereminent and transcendent. With men, the state of procreation is within that delight, and with women notably the state of reception. In the latter, this supreme delight with its love follows on into the bringing forth, and there is in its fullness.

CL 391. IV. That the sphere of the love of infants is a sphere of protection and support of those who cannot protect and support themselves. It was said above (n. 386), that the bringing into operation of uses by the Lord through the spheres proceeding from Him is Divine Providence. It is this Providence, therefore, that is meant by the sphere of protection and support of those who cannot protect and support themselves; for it is provided from creation that things created shall be preserved, guarded, protected, and supported, otherwise the universe would go to ruin. With living creatures to whom is left freedom of choice, this cannot be done by the Lord immediately; therefore it is done mediately through His love implanted in fathers, mothers, and nurses. That the love is a love that is in them from the Lord, this they do not know, for they do not perceive the influx and still less the omnipresence of the Lord. But who does not see that this is not a thing of nature but of Divine providence operating in nature by nature? and that a universal of this kind is not possible except from God by a spiritual sun which is in the centre of the universe, and whose operation, being without space and time, is instant and present in things last from things first?

[2] As to how that Divine operation, which is the Lord's Divine Providence, is received by animate beings, this shall be told in what follows. Mothers and fathers protect and support their infants because these are not able to protect and support themselves. This, however, is not the cause of the love of infants but is a rational cause due to the coming down of that love into their understanding. From the rational cause alone, in the absence of a love breathed in and inspiring it, or without the compulsion of law and punishment, man would no more provide for his infants than a statue.

CL 392. V. That this sphere affects both the evil and the good, and disposes every one to love, protect, and support his offspring from his own love. It is the testimony of experience that the love of infants or storge is equally with the evil as with the good, and likewise with mild beasts and with savage; yea, that with evil men as with savage beasts it is sometimes stronger and more ardent. The reason is, because every love proceeding and flowing in from the Lord is turned in the subject into the life's love of that subject. No animate subject feels otherwise than that it loves of itself, since it does not perceive the influx. When in addition it actually loves itself, it makes the love of infants its own love of self; for it sees itself, as it were, in them, and them in itself, and thus itself united with them.

[2] Hence it is that this love is fiercer with savage beasts, such as lions, bears, leopards, wolves and other like beasts, male and female, than with horses, deer, goats, and sheep; for these savage beasts have dominion over the mild, and hence a predominating love of self, and this love loves itself in its progeny. Therefore, as was said, the inflowing love is turned into the recipient's own love. This inversion of inflowing love into what is their own, and the resultant protection and support of their offspring and babes by evil parents, is of the Lord's Divine Providence, for otherwise but few of the human race would be left, and of ferocious beasts, which yet are of use, none at all. From this it is evident that everyone is disposed to love, protect, and support his offspring from his own love.

CL 393. VI. That this sphere affects the female sex, thus mothers, principally, and the male sex, or fathers, from them. This is a consequence due to the same origin that was previously spoken of (n. 223), namely, that the sphere of conjugial love is received by women, and through women is transferred to men, and this because women are born loves of the understanding of men and the understanding is a recipient. It is the same with the love of infants, the origin of this love being from conjugial love. That mothers have a more tender love of infants, and fathers a less tender, is well known. That the love of infants is inscribed on the conjugial love into which women are born, is manifest from the loving and friendly affection which girls have for infants and for their dolls which they carry about, dress, kiss, and press to their bosoms. Boys have no such affection.

[2] It appears as if mothers have the love of infants from having nourished them in the womb with their own blood, and so from their appropriation of their own life; thus from a sympathetic union. Yet this is not the origin of that love, for if, after the birth and unknown to the mother, another infant were substituted for the true one, it would be loved with equal tenderness as if it were her own. Moreover, sometimes infants are loved by their nurses more than by their mothers.

It follows from the above, that this love is from no other source than the conjugial love implanted in every woman. To this is adjoined the love of conceiving, by reason of the delight of which, the wife is prepared for reception. This is the first stage of that love. After the birth, it passes completely over into the babe, and with it its delight.

CL 394. VII. That this sphere is also a sphere of innocence and peace (from the Lord). Innocence and peace are the two inmost things of heaven. They are called inmost because they proceed immediately from the Lord, the Lord being Innocence and Peace itself. From innocence, the Lord is called the Lamb, and from peace He said:

The same is also meant by the peace with which the Disciples were to salute the city or house into which they entered; if it were worthy, peace should come upon it, and, if not worthy, the peace would return to them (Matt. 10:11-15). Hence also the Lord is called the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:5). Moreover, innocence and peace are the inmost things of heaven, innocence being the esse of every good, and peace the blessedness of every delight pertaining to good. See the work on HEAVEN AND HELL (HH n. 276-283), On the State of Innocence of the Angels of Heaven, and (HH n. 284-290), On the State of Peace in Heaven.

CL 395. VIII. That a sphere of innocence flows into infants, and through them into their parents, and affects them. That infants are innocences is known, but that their innocence inflows from the Lord is not known. It inflows from the Lord because, as said just above, He is Innocence itself, and nothing can inflow, because nothing is possible, save from its beginning which is the Thing Itself. The nature of the innocence of infancy which affects parents shall be told in a few words. It shines forth from their face, from some of their gestures and from their earliest speech, and affects their parents. They have innocence because they do not think from their interior, for they do not yet know what is good and evil and true and false, from which to think. Hence they have no prudence from proprium, nor any purpose from deliberation, and so have no evil end in view. They have no proprium acquired from the love of self and the world. They do not attribute anything to themselves. Everything which they receive they ascribe to their parents. They are content with the little things given them as presents. They have no care as to food and clothing, nor any as to the future. They do not look to the world or desire many things therefrom. They love their parents, their nurses, and their infant companions with whom they play in innocence. They suffer themselves to be led. They listen and obey. Such is the innocence of infancy which is the cause of the love called storge.

CL 396. IX. That it flows also into the souls of parents and conjoins itself with the same sphere with infants; and that it is insinuated more especially by touch. The Lord's innocence flows into angels of the third heaven where all are in the innocence of wisdom, and passes through the lower heavens, but only through the innocence of the angels there, and so into infants. (Thus it flows into infants) both immediately and mediately. They are little more than sculptured forms, yet they are capable of receiving life from the Lord through the heavens. But unless the parents also received that influx in their souls and in the inmost regions of their minds, they would be affected by the innocence of their infants in vain. If there is to be communication between one person and another, there must be in that other something adequate and homogeneous by which communication may be effected and which shall make for reception, affection, and hence conjunction. Otherwise it would be like tender seed falling on flint, or a lamb thrown to a wolf. Hence then it is, that the innocence flowing into the souls of parents conjoins itself with the innocence of their infants.

[2] That the conjunction is effected by the mediation of the senses of the body, but especially by touch, can be learned by parents from experience. Thus, the sight is inmostly delighted at seeing them, the hearing by their speech, the smell by their odour. That the communication and thence the conjunction of the innocences is effected especially by the touch, is manifestly perceived from the pleasure felt in carrying them in the arms, and from hugging and kissing them. This is especially the case with mothers. They experience delight from the pressure of their mouth and face against their bosom and, at the same time, from the touch of their palms there, and, in general, from the sucking of the breasts and the giving suck; also from stroking their naked body and the unwearied labour of swathing and cleansing them on their knees.

[3] That between married partners, communications of love and its delights are effected by the sense of touch, has been shown several times above. That thereby communication of minds also is effected, is because the hands are the ultimates of man, and in ultimates his prior things are present simultaneously. By this sense, moreover, all things of the body and all things of the mind, being things intermediate, are held together in unbroken connection. Hence it is that Jesus touched infants (Matt. 19:13, 15; Mark 10:13, 16), that by touch He healed the sick, and that they were healed who touched Him. Hence also it is that at this day, inauguration into the priesthood is made by the laying on of hands. From the above, it is clear that the innocence of parents and that of infants meet each other by means of touch, especially by touch of the hands and so are conjoined as though by kisses.

CL 397. That innocence operates in the same way with beasts and birds as with men, and this also by contact, is well known. It operates in the same way because all that proceeds from the Lord pervades the universe in an instant; see above (n. 388-390); and since it goes by degrees and by continual mediations, it passes over not only to animals but also beyond, to vegetables and minerals (n. 389). It passes also into the earth, which is the mother of all vegetables and minerals; for in the time of spring, the earth is in a state prepared for the reception of seeds as though into a womb, and when it receives them it conceives, as it were, cherishes them, carries them, brings them forth, gives them suck, nourishes, clothes, rears, and guards them, and, as it were, loves the offspring from them, and so on. Since the sphere of procreation goes so far, why not then to animals of every kind even to worms. That as the earth is the common mother of all vegetation, there is also a common mother of the bees in every hive, is an established fact.

CL 398. X. That in the degree that innocence recedes with infants, affection and conjunction also abate, and this successively even to separation. It is well known that the love of infants or storge recedes from parents according to the recession of innocence from the infants, receding with men even to the separation of the children from the home, and with beasts and birds even to the casting of them out from their presence, and oblivion as to their being of their kin. From this, as from an established proof, it can be evident that in both cases it is inflowing innocence that produces the love called storge.

CL 399. XI. That with parents there is a rational state of innocence and peace in respect to their infants, in that the latter know nothing and can do nothing from themselves but from others, especially their father and mother; and that this state successively recedes as they acquire knowledge and are able to act from themselves and not from their parents. That the sphere of the love of infants is a sphere of protection and support of those who cannot protect and support themselves, was shown above in its own article, (n. 391). It was there stated, that with man this is only the rational cause of the love with them, but not the cause itself. The originating cause of that love is innocence from the Lord. This flows in unknown to the man and brings forth the rational cause. Therefore, as the first cause effects recession from that love, so at the same time does this second cause; or, what is the same thing, as the communication of innocence recedes, so the persuading reason accompanies it. This, however, is the case only with man, and this in order that he may do what he does from freedom according to reason, and that from this, as from rational and at the same time moral law, he may support his grown-up offspring according to necessity and use. This second cause is lacking in animals devoid of reason. They have only the prior cause which with them is instinct.

CL 400. XII. That the sphere of the love of procreating progresses in order, from an end through causes into effects, and makes periods whereby creation is preserved in the state foreseen and provided. All operations in the universe progress from ends through causes into effects. In themselves, these three are inseparable, though in idea they appear as if separated. Yet, even in idea the end is nothing unless at the same time the effect intended is seen. Nor do these two become anything unless a cause supports, provides for, and conjoins them.

[2] Such a progression, exactly like will, understanding, and action, is inscribed on every man, both in general and in his every single part. In him, every end pertains to his will, every cause to his understanding, and every effect to his action. So likewise every end pertains to his love; every cause, being the means to the end, to his wisdom; and every effect therefrom to his use. The reason is because the receptacle of love is the will, the receptacle of wisdom is the understanding, and the receptacle of use is action. Since, therefore, operations in man, both in general and in his every single part, progress from the will through the understanding into the act, they also progress from love through wisdom into use; but here by wisdom is meant all that pertains to judgment and thought. That in the effect these three are one is evident. That they also make one in man's ideas prior to the effect, is perceived from the fact that (in the actual effect) it is merely determination that intervenes; for in the mind, the end goes forth from the will and produces for itself a cause in the understanding, and there presents to itself an intention--and intention is as the act prior to determination. Hence it is, that by a wise man and also by the Lord, the intention is accepted for the deed.

[3] What rational man cannot see, or on hearing cannot acknowledge, that these three flow forth from some first cause? and that that cause is the fact that from the Lord the Creator and Preserver of the universe continually proceed love, wisdom, and use, the three proceeding as a one? Tell me, if you can, from where else can they flow?

CL 401. The sphere of procreating and of protecting what is procreated has a like progression from end, through cause, into effect. The end there, is the will or love of procreating. The mediate cause through which and into which the end betakes itself is conjugial love. The progressive series of efficient causes is the loving embrace, the conception and gestation of the embryo or foetus to be procreated, and the effect, this being the procreated infant itself. But although end, cause, and effect progress successively as three, yet, in the love of procreating and inwardly in the several causes and in the effect itself, they make a one. It is only the efficient causes that progress through time, because in nature; the end, that is, the will and love remain ever the same; for in nature, ends progress through times without time, but they cannot come forth and manifest themselves until the effect or use exists and becomes their subject. Prior to this, the love could love only the progression; it could not fix and establish itself.

[2] That there are periods of such progressions is known and also that the preservation of Creation in the state foreseen and provided for, is effected by their means. But the series of the love of infants from its greatest to its least, and so to its terminus where it stops or comes to an end, is a retrograde series because it proceeds according to the decrease of innocence in its subject, and also because of its periods.

CL 402. XIII. That the love of infants descends and does not ascend, that is, that it descends from generation to generation, or from sons and daughters to grandsons and granddaughters. That it does not ascend from these to fathers and mothers of families is known. The cause of its increase in the descent is the love of fructifying, that is, of producing uses, and, as regards the human race, the love of multiplying the race. This cause, however, derives its origin solely from the Lord; for in the multiplication of the human race, He sees the preservation of creation and, as the ultimate end thereof, an angelic heaven, this being solely from the human race. And because, with the Lord, an angelic heaven is the end of ends and hence the love of loves, therefore, implanted in the souls of men is not only the love of procreating but also the love of the things procreated in their successions. Therefore also, the latter love exists only with man and not with any beast or bird. Moreover, that with man this love increases as it descends, comes from the glory of honour. This likewise increases with him according to the amplification (in the number of his descendants). That the love of honour and glory receives into itself the love of infants flowing in from the Lord, and makes this its own, as it were, will be seen in article XVI, following.

CL 403. XIV. That wives have one state of love before conception, and another after it up to the birth. This is adduced, to the end that it may be known that in the conjugial love with women, is implanted the love of procreating and the consequent love of that which is procreated; and that, when the end which is the love of procreating, commences its progression, these two loves in her are divided. That the love storge is then transferred from the wife into the husband, and that the love of procreating which, with a woman, as already stated, makes one with her conjugial love, is not then the same, is manifest from many indications.

CL 404. XV. That with parents, conjugial love is conjoined with the love of infants by spiritual causes, and by natural causes therefrom. The spiritual causes are: That the human race may be multiplied and the angelic heaven therefrom enlarged; thus, that those may be born who will become angels, serving the Lord in the performance of uses in heaven and, by consociation with men, also on earth; for angels are associated by the Lord with every man, and such is the conjunction with them that were they taken away the man would die in a moment. The natural causes of the conjunction of these two loves are: That those may be born who will perform uses in human societies, and will be incorporated therein as members. That the latter are the natural and the former the spiritual causes of the love of infants and of conjugial love, is also the thought of married partners themselves. Moreover, they sometimes declare it, saying that they have enriched heaven with as many angels as they have descendants, and have put their mark upon society with as many servants as they have children.

CL 405. XVI. That the love of infants (and children) is of one kind with spiritual married partners, and of another with natural. With spiritual partners the love of infants is the same in appearance as the love of infants with natural partners; but it is more internal and hence more tender, inasmuch as it exists from the innocence with themselves, and from a closer reception and a more present perception thereof; for the spiritual are spiritual in the degree that they partake of innocence. But after they have tasted the sweetness of the innocence present with their infants, (spiritual) fathers and mothers love their children in a far different way than do natural fathers and mothers. The spiritual love their children for the spiritual intelligence and moral life of those children, thus for their fear of God and their actual piety or piety of life, and at the same time for their devotion and application to uses serviceable to society, thus for their virtues and their upright conduct. It is mainly from their love of these that they provide for their needs and supply them; and therefore, if they do not see such virtues in them, they alienate their mind from them, and what they do for them is done solely from duty.

[2] With natural fathers and mothers, the love of infants is indeed also from innocence, but, as received by them, this innocence is wrapped around their own love. Hence it is from the latter and at the same time from innocence that they love their infants, kissing and hugging them, carrying them about, pressing them to their bosoms, fondling them beyond measure, and regarding them as being one heart and soul with themselves. Then, after their state of infancy and up to adolescence and beyond, when innocence is no longer operative, they continue to love them, but not from the presence with them of any fear of God and actual piety or piety of life, or of any rational and moral intelligence. They pay little and indeed scarcely any attention to their internal affections and hence to their virtues and good conduct, seeing only the external things which they themselves favour. To these they adjoin, attach, and cement their affections; thus shutting their eyes to the faults of their children, excusing and favouring them. The reason is because with them, the love of their progeny is also the love of themselves, and this love clings to its object outwardly, but does not enter into that object, just as the object does not enter into it.

CL 406. The nature of the love of infants and children with the spiritual, and its nature with the natural, is manifestly perceived from parents (in the spiritual world) after death. When they come there, most fathers call to mind their children who have passed away before them, and the children are presented to them and there is mutual recognition. Spiritual fathers merely look at them and ask as to their state, rejoicing if it is well with them and grieving if it is ill; and, after some conversation, instruction, and admonition respecting heavenly moral life, they separate from them. But before separation, they teach them that they are no longer to be remembered as fathers because the Lord is the one only Father to all in heaven, according to His words (Matt. 23:9); and that they themselves never remember them as their children. But natural fathers, as soon as they realize that they are living after death and recall to their memory the children who had passed away before them and who also are presented to them according to their desire, are at once conjoined with them, and they cling together like a bundle of sticks. The father is then in continual delight at the sight of them and from conversation with them. If it is told him that some of these children of his are satans and have brought injury upon the good, he nevertheless keeps them in a circle around him, or in a group in front of him. If he himself sees that they inflict injury and do evil deeds, he still pays no heed and does not dissociate any of them from himself. Therefore, lest so harmful a company continue, they are of necessity sent together into hell. There, in the presence of his children, the father is put under guard and his children are separated, each being sent away to the place proper to his life.

CL 407. To this I will add the following marvel: In the spiritual world, I have seen fathers who, when infants were set before their eyes, looked at them from hatred as though with fury and with so ferocious an animus that they wished to kill them if they could; but as soon as it was told them, though it was not true, that they were their own infants, their fury and ferocity at once left them and they loved them desperately. This love and the previous hatred exist simultaneously in those who in the world had been interiorly deceitful and whose animus was filled with infestations against the Lord.

CL 408. XVII. That with the spiritual, this love is from within or A PRIORI, but with the natural, from without or A POSTERIORI. To think and conclude from within or a priori is to think from ends and causes to effects, but to think and conclude from without or a posteriori is to think from effects to causes and ends. The latter progression is against order, but the former is according to order; for to think and conclude from ends and causes is to think and conclude from goods and truths clearly seen in the higher region of the mind, to effects in the lower region. Such from creation is the nature of human rationality itself. But to think and conclude from effects is to conjecture causes and ends from the lower region of the mind where are the sensual things of the body with there appearances and fallacies. In itself, this is nothing else than to confirm falsities and concupiscences and, after confirmation, to see and believe them to be the verities of wisdom and the goodness of the love thereof. It is the same with the love of infants and children in spiritual men and in natural. The spiritual love them ex priori, thus according to order, while the natural love them ex posteriori, thus contrary to order. This is adduced simply to confirm the preceding article.

CL 409. XVIII. That thence it is, that this love is with married partners who love each other, and also with married partners who have no love for each other; consequently, with the natural equally as with the spiritual. The latter, however, have conjugial love, while the former have only apparent or simulated conjugial love. The love of infants and conjugial love nevertheless act as one, and this because conjugial love is implanted in every woman from creation, and together with it, the love of procreating. The influx of this love is determined into the offspring procreated, and from women, the love is carried to men, as said above (n. 393). Hence it is that in homes wherein there is no conjugial love between man and wife, there is nevertheless conjugial love with the wife, and thereby some external conjunction with the man. It is from this same cause that harlots also love their offspring; for that which has been implanted in souls from creation and looks to propagation is indelible and ineradicable.

CL 410. XIX. That the love of infants remains after death, especially with women. As soon as infants are resuscitated, which takes place immediately after their decease, they are taken up into heaven and are given to angels of the female sex who in their bodily life in the world had loved infants and at the same time feared God. These angels, having loved all infants with maternal tenderness, receive them as their own; and the infants, as though from something implanted within them, love them as their mothers. As many infants are with such angels as from spiritual storge they desire. The heaven where infants are, appears in front, in the region of the forehead, in the line or radius in which angels look directly to the Lord. This is the situation of that heaven because all infants are educated under the Lord's immediate auspices. Moreover, with them, the heaven of innocence flows in, which is the third heaven. After this first age is passed, they are transferred to another heaven where they are instructed.

CL 411. XX. That under the Lord's auspices, infants are educated by them and grow in stature and intelligence as in the world. Infants in heaven are educated in the following manner: From their instructress, they learn to speak. Their first speech is merely the sound of affection, wherein, however, is some initiament of thought, and from which what is human in the sound is distinguished from the sound of an animal. Gradually, as ideas from affection enter the thought, this speech becomes more distinct. All their affections, which also grow, proceed from innocence. First are insinuated into them such things as appear before their eyes and are delightful, and into these, being of a spiritual origin, inflow at the same time things which are of heaven whereby the interiors of their mind are opened. Later, as the infants are perfected in intelligence, they so increase in stature that they are seen to become adult as to this also. The reason is because intelligence and wisdom are spiritual nourishment, and therefore, the things which nourish their minds nourish also their bodies. In heaven, however, infants do not grow up beyond the first age. There they stay, and they remain at that age to eternity. When they come to this age, they are given in marriage. This is provided by the Lord and is celebrated in the heaven where the young man dwells; but immediately after the marriage, the latter follows his wife to her heaven, or, if they are in the same society, to her house. That I might know for certain that infants, as they increase and become adult in intelligence increase also in stature, it has been given me to speak with some when they were infants, and afterwards with the same when grown up, and they were seen to be adults of the same stature as young men and women in the world.

CL 412. Infants are instructed especially by representations adapted and suitable to their genius. In the world it can hardly be believed how beautiful these are, and also how full of interior wisdom. Here it is allowed to introduce two representations, and from them conclusion can be made as to the others.

Once they presented the appearance of the Lord rising from the sepulchre, and at the same time the unition of His Human with the Divine. First they presented the appearance of a sepulchre, but not at the same time any appearance of the Lord, unless so remotely that it would scarcely be perceived that it was the Lord except from afar, as it were. This is because in the idea of a sepulchre there is something funereal which in this way they removed. Afterwards they skilfully admitted into the sepulchre an atmospheric something which yet appeared to be subtly aqueous, whereby, as also by its becoming remoteness, they signified the spiritual life in baptism.

Later I saw represented by them the descent of the Lord to those bound in the pit, and His ascent with them into heaven; and, what was infantile, they let down slender cords, almost invisible, very delicate and of the utmost fineness, with which they would make it easier for the Lord in His ascent, being ever in holy fear lest anything in the representation should border upon that wherein the heavenly was not present; besides other representations by which infants are introduced into the knowledges of truth and at the same time into the affections of good, as by sports harmonious with the infantile mind. To these and like things infants are led by the Lord by means of innocence passing through the third heaven. In this way spiritual things are so insinuated into their affections and thence into their tender thoughts, that the infants know no other than that they do and think such things of themselves. By this means their understanding is initiated.

CL 413. XXI. That it is there provided by the Lord that the innocence of infancy with infants become the innocence of wisdom. Many may think that infants remain infants and become angels immediately after death. But it is intelligence and wisdom that make an angel, and therefore, so long as infants do not have these, they are indeed with the angels but are not angels. They first become angels when they become intelligent and wise. Thus, infants are led from the innocence of infancy to the innocence of wisdom, that is, from external innocence to internal innocence, the latter being the end in all their instruction and progression. Therefore, when they come to the innocence of wisdom, the innocence of infancy, which meanwhile has served them as a plane, is adjoined to them. I have seen the nature of the innocence of infancy represented by something woody, almost devoid of life. This is vivified as the infant is imbued with knowledges of truth and affections of good. Later, the nature of the innocence of wisdom was represented by a living and naked infant.

Before the eyes of spirits who are below the heavens, angels of the third heaven, who more than others are in a state of innocence from the Lord, appear as naked infants; and being wise above all others, they are also living. The reason is because innocence corresponds to infancy, and also to nakedness. Therefore it is said of Adam and his wife when they were in the state of innocence, that they were naked and were not ashamed; but after they had lost the state of innocence, they were ashamed of their nakedness and hid themselves (Gen. 2:25; 3:7, 10, 11). In a word, the wiser the angels, the more innocent they are. The nature of the innocence of wisdom may be seen in some measure from the innocence of infancy described above (n. 395), if only, instead of parents, the Lord is assumed as the Father by whom they are led and to whom they ascribe all that they have.

CL 414. I have had various conversations with angels about innocence. They said that innocence is the esse of every good, and that good is good in the measure that innocence is within it; also, that since wisdom pertains to life and thus to good, it is wisdom so far as it partakes of innocence, the same being true of love, charity, and faith; and furthermore, that it is for this reason that no one can enter heaven unless he has innocence, this being what is meant by the Lord's words:

Here, as also in other places in the word, by infants are meant those who are in innocence. The reason why good is good according to the measure of the innocence within it, is because all good is from the Lord, and innocence consists in being led by the Lord.

CL 415. To the above I will add the following Memorable Relation:

One morning when I awoke from sleep, and before being fully awake was meditating in the early and serene light, I saw through the window something like a flash of lightning, and presently I heard something like the rumbling of thunder. As I was wondering where this came from, I heard these words from heaven: "Not far from you are some men who are reasoning sharply about God and nature. The vibration of light as of lightning, and the rumbling of the air as of thunder are correspondences and thence appearances of the contest and collision of their arguments, on the one side in favour of God and on the other in favour of nature."

The cause of this spiritual combat was as follows: There were some satans in hell who said among themselves, "Would that it were allowed us to speak with angels of heaven; we would conclusively and fully demonstrate that what they call the God from whom are all things, is nature, and that unless nature is meant, God is merely a word." Because those satans believed this with their whole heart and soul, and also desired to speak With angels of heaven, it was given them to ascend out of the mire and darkness of hell and to speak with two angels then descending from heaven. They were in the world of spirits, which is intermediate between heaven and hell.

[2] Seeing the angels there, the satans rushed up to them and cried out in a furious voice: "Are you the angels of heaven whom it is allowed us to meet for the purpose of reasoning about God and nature? Because you acknowledge God, you are called wise, but oh! how simple you are! Who can see God? Who can understand what God is? Who can comprehend that God governs or can govern the universe and each and every single thing thereof? Who but the common herd and the vulgar acknowledges what he does not see and understand? What is more obvious than that nature is the all in all? Who with his eyes has seen anything but nature? or with his ears has heard anything but nature? or with his nostrils has smelled anything but nature? or with his tongue has tasted anything but nature? or by the touch of his hand or body has felt anything but nature? Are not the senses of our body the sole witnesses of truth? and on their evidence, who cannot swear that such is the case? Are not your heads in nature? Whence but from her comes influx into the thoughts of your head? Take nature away, can you think anything?" besides much else of the same sort.

[3] Hearing this, the angels responded: "You speak in this way because you are merely sensual. All in the hells have the ideas of their thoughts immersed in the senses of the body and cannot elevate their minds above them. Therefore we excuse you. A life of evil, and thence a belief in what is false, has so closed the interiors of your minds that with you elevation above things sensual is impossible except in a state removed from evils of life and falsities of faith; for a satan, while hating truth, can understand it equally well as an angel, but he does not retain it because evil obliterates truth and brings in falsity. We perceive that you are now in a state thus removed and so can understand the truth which we speak. Give heed then to what we shall say.' They then continued: `You were in the natural world and died there, and you are now in the spiritual world. Until now, did you know anything about the life after death? Did you not formerly deny it and put yourselves on a level with beasts? Did you previously know anything about heaven and hell? or about the light and heat of this world? or the fact that you are no longer within nature but above her? For this world and all things thereof are spiritual, and spiritual things are so far above natural that not the least of nature can flow into this world. But you, believing nature to be a god or goddess, believe also that the light and heat of this world are the light and heat of the natural world, when yet this is by no means the case; for here natural light is thick darkness, and natural heat cold. Did you know anything about the sun of this world from which proceed our light and heat? Did you know that this sun is pure love, and the sun of the natural world pure fire? that the sun of the world, being pure fire, is that from which nature existed and subsists, and the sun of heaven, being pure love, that from which life itself, which is love together with wisdom, existed and subsists? thus that nature, which you make to be a god or goddess, is absolutely dead?

[4] If a guard is granted you, you can ascend with us into heaven, and if a guard is granted us, we can descend with you into hell. In heaven you will see things magnificent and splendid, but in hell, things squalid and unclean. Such are the differences between them, because all in the heavens worship God, and all in the hells worship nature; and the magnificent and splendid things in the heavens are correspondences of the affections of good and truth, while the squalid and unclean things in the hells are correspondences of the lusts of evil and falsity. And now, from all this, draw your own conclusion as to whether God be the All in all or nature."

To this the satans replied: "In the state in which we now are, we are able to draw the conclusion from what we have heard, that it is God; but when the delight of evil takes possession of our minds we see nothing but nature."

[5] The two angels and the two satans were standing at the right, not far from me, so that I both heard and saw them. And lo, around them I saw many spirits who in the natural world had been celebrated for learning; and I marvelled that these learned men stood now beside the angels, now beside the satans, and that they favoured those beside whom they stood. It was then told me that their changes of place were changes of their mental state, which favoured now one side, now the other; "for" (said my informants),"they are vertumni. And we will tell you a mystery. We ourselves looked down upon the earth at men celebrated for learning who have thought about God and nature from their own judgment, and out of a thousand we found six hundred in favour of nature and the rest in favour of God; but we found the latter to be in favour of God because they had frequently said that nature is from God, saying this, not from any understanding, but only from what they had heard; for speech from memory and recollection and not at the same time from thought and intelligence, often induces a sort of faith."

[6] After this, a guard was given the satans, and with the two angels they ascended into heaven and saw things magnificent and splendid. Moreover, being then in enlightenment from the heavenly light there, they acknowledged that there is a God, and that nature was created to serve the life which is in God and from God; also that nature in herself is dead and so does nothing of herself but is actuated by life. Having seen and perceived all this, they descended; and as the descended, the love of evil returned, closing their understanding above and opening it below. Then, above it, appeared as it were, a veil, flashing from infernal fire; and the moment their feet touched the earth, the ground opened beneath them and they sank down to their own.

CL 416. After this the two angels, seeing me near them, said to the bystanders, "We know that this man has written about God and nature; let us hear him." And they approached me and asked that what had been written respecting God and nature might be read to them. I then read therefrom the following.:

"From the innumerable things which they see in nature, those who believe in a Divine operation in every single thing of nature can equally well, nay, far more easily, confirm themselves in favour of the Divine, than those who (deny God can) confirm themselves in favor of nature. For those who confirm themselves in favour of the Divine take note of the marvels which are observed in the production both of plants and of animals--in the PRODUCTION OF PLANTS, in that from a small seed cast into the ground comes a root; by means of the root a stem, and then in succession branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, even to new seeds, exactly as though the seed knew the order of succession or the process by which it was to renew itself. What rational man can think that the sun, which is pure fire, knows this? or that it can so endow its heat and light as to produce such effects? that in those effects it can produce marvellous forms and can intend a use? Seeing such things and reflecting upon them, a man whose rational is elevated cannot think otherwise than that they are from Him who has infinite wisdom, thus from God. Moreover, those who acknowledge the Divine, do see this and think it. Not so those who do not acknowledge the Divine, for they do not wish thus to see and think. Thus, letting their rational down into the sensual, which draws all its ideas from the lumen in which are the senses of the body, they confirm the fallacies of the senses, saying, Do you not see the sun performing these operations by its heat and light? What is that which you do not see? Is it anything?

[2] "Those who confirm themselves in favour of the Divine take note of the marvels which are observed in the PRODUCTIONS OF ANIMALS. Here I make mention merely of their production in eggs. In these, the chick is latent in its seed or initiament together with every requisite until the time of hatching, and also with every requisite during its progress after the hatching, until it becomes a bird or winged creature in the form of its genitor. And if one gives heed to their form and thinks deeply (he will see) that it is of such a nature that he cannot but come into a state of amazement. As, for example, that in the tiniest creatures as in the largest, yea, in the invisible as in the visible, that is, in little insects as in large birds or beasts, are organs of the senses, namely, sight, smell, taste, touch, and, inasmuch as they fly and walk, organs of motion, namely, muscles; also viscera surrounding their hearts and lungs, which are put in motion by their brains. That these are enjoyed by lowly insects is known from the anatomy of such insects as described by authors, especially by Swammerdam in his Biblia Naturae.

[3] "Those who ascribe all things to nature do indeed see these things, but think simply that they are, and say that nature produces them, saying this because they have turned their mind away from thinking of the Divine. When they see the marvels in nature, those who have turned away from thinking of the Divine cannot think rationally, still less spiritually, but think sensually and materially. They then think, not above nature, but from her and in her, in like manner as do those who are in hell. They differ from beasts only in this, that they enjoy rationality, that is, are able to understand, and so can think differently if they will.

[4] "Those who turn away from thinking of the Divine, when they see the marvels in nature and thereby become sensual, do not consider that the sight of the eye is so gross that it sees a number of little insects as a single dark speck; that yet each one of them is organized for sensation and motion, and is therefore furnished with fibres and vessels and also with little hearts, pulmonary tubes, viscera, and brains; that these are woven of the purest things in nature, and that the weavings correspond to some life by which their minutest parts are distinctly actuated. Since the sight of the eye is so gross that to it many such creatures, with the innumerable things within each, appear as dark specks and yet those who are sensual think and judge from that sight, the grossness of their mind and so the darkness in which they are in respect to things spiritual, becomes evident.

CL 417. "From the things visible in nature, everyone can confirm himself in favour of the Divine if he will. Moreover, he who thinks of God from life does so confirm himself; as, for example, when he sees the birds of the air, that each species knows its foods and where they are, recognizes its kind by sound and sight, and among other kinds, which are its friends and which its enemies; that they choose their mates, know how to love, skilfully build nests, there lay their eggs, sit upon them, know the time of incubation, and when this is passed, hatch out their young, love them with the utmost tenderness, gather them under their wings, bring food in their bills and feed them until they come to their own right and can themselves do the same things and procreate a family to perpetuate the species. Every one who is willing to think of the Divine influx through the spiritual world into the natural, can see it in these operations. Moreover, if he will, he can say in his heart, Such knowledge cannot flow into these birds from the sun through its rays of light; for the sun from which nature draws her origin and essence is pure fire; and therefore the rays of its light are absolutely dead. Thus he can conclude that such things are from the influx of Divine Wisdom into the ultimates of nature.

CL 418. "From the things visible in nature, everyone can confirm himself in favour of the Divine when he sees those worms which, from the delight of some desire, strive after and aspire to a change of their earthly state to a state analogous to the heavenly, and for this purpose creep into places where they put themselves into a womb, as it were, to be born again, and there become chrysalises, aurelias, nymphs, and at last butterflies; and after undergoing this metamorphosis, then, clothed with beautiful wings according to the species, fly off into the air as into their heaven and there engage in genial sport, mate, lay eggs, provide for themselves a posterity, and then nourish themselves on delectable and sweet food drawn from flowers. What man is there, if from the visible things of nature he confirms himself in favour of the Divine, who does not see in these creatures as worms, some image of man's earthly state, and in them as butterflies, some image of his heavenly state? Those who confirm themselves in favour of nature do indeed see these operations, but having rejected man's heavenly state from their mind, they call them mere instincts of nature.

CL 419. "From the visible things in nature, everyone can confirm himself in favour of the Divine when he takes note of what is known concerning bees; that they know how to collect wax and suck honey from herbs and flowers; to build cells like little houses, and to arrange them into the form of a city with streets through which they come and go; that they scent from afar the flowers and herbs from which they collect wax for their house and honey for their food, and laden with these, fly back in a direct line to their hive. Thus they provide for themselves food and dwelling for the coming winter as though they had knowledge and foresight. They also set over them as queen, a mistress by whom a posterity may be propagated; and for her, they build above them a kind of palace with attendants round about it; and when the time of bringing forth is at hand, then, accompanied by her attendants, she goes from cell to cell and lays her eggs; and lest these be injured by the air, they are besmeared all around by the crowd that follows her; and from these eggs they obtain a new progeny. Later, when this progeny has come to an age able to do the same things, it is driven from the home; and the swarm thus driven out, first gathers itself together and then, in a compact body lest the company be scattered, it flies off to seek for itself a domicile. Moreover, about autumn, the useless drones are led out and deprived of their wings lest they return and consume the food on which they have expended no labour; besides many other marvels. From all this it can be seen that because of the use they perform to the human race, and by virtue of influx out of the spiritual world, bees have a form of government like that which is among men on earth, yea, among angels in heaven. What man is there of unimpaired reason who does not see that such operations among bees are not from the natural world? What has the sun, the source of nature, in common with a government emulous of the government of heaven and analogous thereto?

"From the above and from similar marvels with brute animals, the confessor and worshipper of nature confirms himself in favour of nature, while, from the same things, the confessor and worshipper of God confirms himself in favour of the Divine, the spiritual man seeing in them spiritual things, and the natural man seeing in them natural things, each seeing in accordance with his nature. As regards myself, to me such things have been testimonies of the influx of the spiritual into the natural, that is, of the spiritual world into the natural world, thus of influx from the Lord's Divine Wisdom. Reflect also on this: Is it possible for you to think analytically concerning any form of government, or any civil law or moral virtue or spiritual truth, unless the Divine from His wisdom flow in through the spiritual world? As to myself, it has not been possible, nor is it, for both by perception and by sensation, I have observed that influx, and this now for twenty-five years continuously. Therefore I say this as one who has witnessed it.

CL 420. "Can nature have use for an end, and arrange uses into orders and forms? None can do this save One who is wise; and none can thus ordinate and form the universe save God who has infinite wisdom. Who else can foresee and provide all those things which are food and clothing for mankind, food from the fruits of the earth and from animals, and clothing from the same? It is among marvels that those lowly worms called silkworms should clothe in silk and magnificently adorn both women and men, from queens and kings to maidservants and menservants; and that lowly worms which become bees should supply wax for the lights from which churches and palaces are in their splendour. These and many other things are outstanding proofs that the Lord operates all things which are in nature from Himself through the spiritual world.

CL 421. "To this it should be added that men who from things visible in the world, have so confirmed themselves in favour of nature that they became atheists, have been seen by me in the spiritual world. Seen in spiritual light, their understanding was open below but closed above, and this because in their thought they had looked downwards to the earth and not upwards to heaven. Above their sensual, which is the lowest part of the understanding, appeared, as it were, a veil. With some it was flashing from infernal fire, with others it was black as soot, and with still others, livid as a corpse. Let everyone, therefore, beware of confirmations in favour of nature. Let him confirm himself in favour of the Divine; there is no lack of material.

CL 422. "Some indeed are to be pardoned for having ascribed certain visible things to nature, in that they have not known anything about the sun of the spiritual world where the Lord is, and about influx therefrom; nor anything about that world itself and the state thereof, no, nor anything about its presence with men. Thus they could not have thought otherwise than that the spiritual was a purer natural, and that angels were either in the ether or in the stars; and of the devil, that either he was man's evil or, if he actually existed, that he was in the air or in the deep; and that after death the souls of men are either in the inmost part of the earth or in some Ubi or Pu, until the day of judgment; and other like notions which fantasy has induced from ignorance of the spiritual world and of its sun. This is the reason why they are to be pardoned who have believed that nature Produces her visible things from something implanted from creation. But those are not to be pardoned who by confirmations in favour of nature have made themselves atheists; for they could have confirmed themselves in favour of the Divine. Ignorance does indeed excuse, but it does not take away the falsity that has been confirmed, for this coheres with evil, and evil with hell."