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. [2] Hence then it is, that the innocence flowing into the souls of parents conjoins itself with the innocence of their infants. 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 odor. 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 labor 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.