83. THE ORIGIN OF CONJUGIAL LOVE FROM THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH
The origins of conjugial love are internal and external. The internal origins are many and likewise the external, but the inmost of all, being the universal origin, is one. That this inmost origin is the marriage of good and truth will be shown in what now follows. No one has hitherto deduced the origin of that love from this source because it has not been known that there is any union between good and truth; and the reason why this has not been known is because good does not appear in the light of the understanding as does truth. Therefore knowledge of it has concealed itself and eluded investigation. And since, from this cause, good is among things unknown, no one could conjecture that there is a marriage between it and truth. Nay, before the natural rational sight, good appears to be so far removed from truth as to have no conjunction with it. That such is the case can be seen from common speech when the two are mentioned. Thus, when it is said, "This is good," there is no thought about truth; and when it is said, "This is true," there is no thought about good. Therefore it is believed by many at this day that truth is something entirely separate, and likewise good; and by many, it is also believed that a man is intelligent and wise, and thus is a man, according to the truths which he thinks, speaks, writes, and believes, and not at the same time according to the goods [which he does]. That, nevertheless, there is no good without truth, nor any truth without good; consequently, that there is an eternal marriage between them, and that this marriage is the origin of conjugial love, shall now be explained. This shall be done in the following order:
I. That good and truth are the universals of creation and hence are in all created things; but that they are in created subjects according to the form of each.
II. That there is no solitary good, and no solitary truth, but that they are everywhere conjoined.
III. That there is the truth of good and from this the good of truth, or truth from good and good from that truth; and that in these two there is implanted from creation an inclination to conjoin themselves into a one.
IV. That in subjects of the animal kingdom, the truth of good or truth from good is masculine; and that the good of truth therefrom or good from that truth is feminine.
V. That from the influx of the marriage of good and truth from the Lord, there is love of the sex and there is conjugial love.
VI. That love of the sex belongs to the external or natural man, and hence is common to every animal.
VII. But that conjugial love belongs to the internal or spiritual man, and hence is proper to man.
VIII. That with man, conjugial love is in love of the sex as a gem in its matrix.
IX. That with man, love of the sex is not the origin of conjugial love but is the first thereof; thus is as a natural external wherein is implanted a spiritual internal.
X. That when conjugial love has been implanted, love of the sex is inverted and becomes chaste love of the sex.
XI. That the male and female were created to be the very form of the marriage of good and truth.
XII. That they are that form in their inmosts, and hence, as the interiors of their mind are opened, in all that follows therefrom.
Now follows the explanation of these points.