when divided, is not unlike the love of
the sex, which in itself is natural; but on this subject something
worthy of attention may be seen in the section on POLYGAMY.

142. III. THE CHRISTIAN CONJUGIAL PRINCIPLE ALONE IS CHASTE. This is,
because love truly conjugial keeps pace with the state of the church in
man (_homo_), and because the state of the church is from the Lord, as
has been shewn in the foregoing section, n. 130, 131, and elsewhere;
also because the church in its genuine truths is in the Word, and the
Lord is there present in those truths. From these considerations it
follows, that the chaste conjugial principle exists nowhere but in the
Christian world, and still that there is a possibility of its existing
elsewhere. By the Christian conjugial principle we mean the marriage of
one man with one wife. That this conjugial principle is capable of being
ingrafted into Christians, and of being transplanted hereditarily into
the offspring from parents who are principled in love truly conjugial,
and that hence both the faculty and the inclination to grow wise in the
things of the church and of heaven may become connate, will be seen in
its proper place. Christians, if they marry more wives than one, commit
not only natural but also spiritual adultery: this will be shewn in the
section on POLYGAMY.

143. IV. LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL IS ESSENTIAL CHASTITY. The reasons for
this are, 1. Because it is from the Lord, and corresponds to the
marriage of the Lord and the church. 2. Because it descends from the
marriage of good and truth. 3. Because it is spiritual, in proportion as
the church exists with man (_homo_). 4. Because it is the foundation and
head of all celestial and spiritual loves. 5. Because it is the orderly
seminary of the human race, and thereby of the angelic heaven. 6.
Because on this account it also exists with the angels of heaven, and
gives birth with them to spiritual offspring, which are love and wisdom.
7. And because its uses are thus more excellent than the other uses of
creation. From these considerations it follows, that love truly
conjugial, viewed from its origin and in its essence, is pure and holy,
so that it may be called purity and holiness, consequently essential
chastity: but that nevertheless it is not altogether pure, either with
men or angels, may be seen below in article VI, n. 146.

144. V. ALL THE DELIGHTS OF LOVE TRULY CONJUGIAL, EVEN THE ULTIMATE, ARE
CHASTE. This follows from w