: for a man (_homo_) is made spiritual only from the Lord;
and that is not imputed to the natural man as sin, which is according to
the laws of religion and at the same time of society: he also acts
according to his reason; and the reason of the natural man is in mere
darkness respecting love truly conjugial; and this love in excellence is
spiritual. Nevertheless the reason of polygamists is taught from
experience, that both public and private peace require that promiscuous
lust in general should be restrained, and be left to every one within
his own house: hence comes polygamy.

350. It is well known, that a man (_homo_) by birth is viler than the
beasts. All the beasts are born into the knowledges corresponding to the
love of their life; for as soon as they are born, or are hatched from
the egg, they see, hear, walk, know their food, their dam, their friends
and foes; and soon after this they show attention to the sex, and to the
affairs of love, and also to the rearing of their offspring. Man alone,
at his birth, knows nothing of this sort; for no knowledge is connate to
him; he has only the faculty and inclination of receiving those things
which relate to knowledge and love; and if he does not receive these
from others, he remains viler than a beast. That man is born in this
condition, to the end that he may attribute nothing to himself, but to
others, and at length every thing of wisdom and of the love thereof to
God alone, and may hence become an image of God, see the MEMORABLE
RELATION, n. 132-136. From these considerations it follows, that a man
who does not learn from others that the Lord has come into the world,
and that he is God, and has only acquired some knowledge respecting
religion and the laws of his country, is not in fault if he thinks no
more of conjugial love than of the love of the sex, and if he believes
polygamical love to be the only conjugial love. The Lord leads such
persons in their ignorance; and by his divine auspices providently
withdraws from the imputation of guilt those who, from a religious
notion, shun evils as sins, to the end that they may be saved; for every
man is born for heaven, and no one for hell; and every one comes into
heaven (by influence) from the Lord, and into hell (by influence) from
himself.

351. XV. OF THESE, ALTHOUGH POLYGAMISTS, SUCH ARE SAVED AS ACKNOWLEDGE A
GOD, AND FROM A RELIGIOUS NOTION LIVE ACCORDING TO THE CIVIL LAWS OF
JUSTICE. All throughout the world w