XVII. CHILDREN BORN OF PARENTS WHO ARE PRINCIPLED IN LOVE TRULY
CONJUGIAL, DERIVE FROM THEM THE CONJUGIAL PRINCIPLE OF GOOD AND TRUTH,
WHENCE THEY HAVE AN INCLINATION AND FACULTY, IF SONS, TO PERCEIVE THE
THINGS RELATING TO WISDOM, AND IF DAUGHTERS, TO LOVE THOSE THINGS WHICH
WISDOM TEACHES. That children derive from their parents inclination to
such things as had been objects of the love and life of the parents, is
a truth most perfectly agreeable to the testimony of history in general,
and of experience in particular; but that they do not derive or inherit
from their parents the affections themselves, and thence the lives of
those affections, but only inclinations and faculties thereto, has been
shewn me by the wise in the spiritual world; concerning whom, see the
two MEMORABLE RELATIONS above adduced. That children to the latest
posterity, from innate inclinations, if they are not modified, are led
into affections, thoughts, speech, and life, similar to those of their
parents, is clearly manifest from the Jews, who at this day are like
their fathers in Egypt, in the wilderness, in the land of Canaan, and in
the Lord's time; and this likeness is not confined to their minds only,
but extends to their countenances; for who does not know a Jew by his
look? The case is the same with the descendants of others: from which
considerations it may infallibly be concluded, that children are born
with inclinations to such things as their parents were inclined to. But
it is of the divine providence, lest thought and act should follow
inclination, that perverse inclinations may be corrected; and also that
a faculty has been implanted for this purpose, by virtue whereof parents
and masters have the power of amending the morals of children, and
children may afterwards, when they come to years of discretion, amend
their own morals.

203. We have said that children derive from their parents the conjugial
principle of good and truth, because this is implanted from creation in
the soul of every one; for it is that which flows into every man from
the Lord, and constitutes his human life. But this conjugial principle
passes into derivatives from the soul even to the ultimates of the body.
In its passage through these ultimates and those derivatives, it is
changed by the man himself in various ways, and sometimes into the
opposite, which is called the conjugial or connubial principle of what
is evil and false. When this is the case, the min