234. THE CAUSES OF COLDS, SEPARATIONS AND DIVORCES IN MARRIAGES
Here, together with the causes of colds in marriages, the causes of separations and also of divorces are likewise treated of. The reason is because they cohere, the one with the other, for separations come solely from cold gradually engendered after the marriage, or from causes giving rise to cold, which come to view after the marriage; while divorces are from adulteries inasmuch as these are directly opposed to marriages, and opposites induce cold, if not in both partners, yet in one. This is the reason why the causes of colds, separations, and divorces are brought together in a single chapter. The close connection of these causes will become more clearly evident from seeing them in a series. This series is as follows:
I. That there is spiritual heat and spiritual cold; and that spiritual heat is love and spiritual cold the deprivation thereof.
II. That in marriages, spiritual cold is disunion of souls and disjunction of minds, whence comes indifference, discord, contempt, loathing, aversion; from which, with many, comes finally separation from bed, chamber, and house.
III. That the causes of cold in their successions are many, some internal, some external, and some accidental.
IV. That the internal causes of cold are from religion.
V. That of these causes, the First is rejection of religion by both partners.
VI. The Second, that the one has religion and the other has not.
VII. The Third, that the one has one religion and the other another.
VIII. The Fourth, is imbued falsity of religion.
IX. That these are causes of internal cold, but with many, not at the same time of external cold.
X. That the external causes of cold are also many, and of these the First is dissimilitude in animus and manners.
XI. The Second, the believing that conjugial love is one with scortatory love except that by law, the latter is illicit and the former is not.
XII. The Third, rivalry for supremacy between the partners.
XIII. The Fourth, lack of determination to any study or business, whence comes wandering lust.
XIV. The Fifth, inequality of station and condition in externals.
XV. That there are also several causes of separation.
XVI. That of these the First is a blemish of the mind.
XVII. That the Second is a blemish of the body.
XVIII. The Third is impotence before marriage.
XIX. That Adultery is the cause of divorce.
XX. That there are also many accidental causes; and of these the First is commonness from being continually allowed.
XXI. The Second, that because of the covenant and the law, living with the married partner seems forced and not free.
XXII. The Third, affirmation by the wife and talk by her about love.
XXIII. The Fourth, the man's thought of the wife day and night, that she is desirous; and on the other hand, the wife's thought of the man, that he is not willing.
XXIV. That when cold is in the mind, it is also in the body; and according to the increase of the former cold, the externals of the body are closed.
The explication of the above now follows.