449. That the lust of fornication is not the lust of adultery, every one
sees clearly from common perception. What law and what judge imputes a
like criminality to the fornicator as to the adulterer? The reason why
this is seen from common perception is, because fornication is not
opposed to conjugial love as adultery is. In fornication conjugial love
may lie stored up within, as what is spiritual may lie stored up in what
is natural; yea, what is spiritual is also actually disengaged from what
is natural; and when the spiritual is disengaged, then the natural
encompasses it, as bark does its wood, and a scabbard its sword, and
also serves the spiritual as a defence against violence. From these
considerations it is evident, that natural love, which is love to the
sex, precedes spiritual love which is love to one of the sex; but if
fornication comes into effect from the natural love of the sex, it may
also be wiped away, provided conjugial love be regarded, desired, and
sought, as the chief good. It is altogether otherwise with the
libidinous and obscene love of adultery, which we have shewn to be
opposite to conjugial love, and destructive thereof, in the foregoing
chapter concerning the opposition of adulterous and conjugial love:
wherefore if a confirmed and determined adulterer for various reasons
enters into a conjugial engagement, the above case is inverted, since a
natural principle lies concealed within its lascivious and obscene
things, and a spiritual appearance covers it externally.
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