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ON ADULTERIES AND THEIR GENERA AND DEGREES.

478.  None can know that there is any evil in adultery, who judge of it only from its externals; for in these it resembles marriage.  Such external judges, when they hear of internals, and are told that externals thence derive their good or their evil, say with themselves, “What are internals?  Who sees them?  Is not this climbing above the sphere of every one’s intelligence?” Such persons are like those who accept all pretended good as genuine voluntary good, and who decide upon a man’s wisdom from the elegance of his conversation; or who respect the man himself from the richness of his dress and the magnificence of his equipage, and not from his internal habit, which is that of judgement grounded in the affection of good.  This also is like judging of the fruit of a tree, and of any other eatable thing, from the sight and touch only, and not of its goodness from a knowledge of its flavor:  such is the conduct of all those who are unwilling to perceive any thing respecting man’s internal.  Hence comes the wild infatuation of many at this day, who see no evil in adulteries, yea, who unite marriages with them in the same chamber, that is, who make them altogether alike; and this only on account of their apparent resemblance in externals.  That this is the case, was shewn me by this experimental proof:  on a certain time, the angels assembled from Europe some hundreds of those who were distinguished for their genius, their erudition, and their wisdom, and questioned them concerning the distinction between marriage and adultery, and in treated them to consult the rational powers of their understandings:  and after consultation, all, except ten, replied, that the judicial law constitutes the only distinction, for the sake of some advantage; which distinction may indeed be known, but still be accommodated by civil prudence.  They were next asked, Whether they saw any good in marriage, and any evil in adultery?  They returned for answer, that they did not see any rational evil and good.  Being questioned whether they saw any sin in it? they said, “Where is the sin?  Is not the act alike?” At these answers the angels were amazed, and exclaimed, Oh, the gross stupidity of the age!  Who can measure its quality and quantity?  On hearing this exclamation, the hundreds of the wise ones turned themselves, and said one among another with loud laughter, “Is this gross stupidity?  Is there any wisdom that can bring conviction that to love another person’s wife merits eternal damnation?” But that adultery is spiritual evil, and thence moral and civil evil, and diametrically contrary to the wisdom of reason; also that the love of adultery is from hell and returns to hell, and the love of marriage is from heaven and returns to heaven, has been demonstrated in the first chapter of this part, concerning the opposition of adulterous and conjugial love.  But since all evils, like all