xviii, 21, 22, 24, and in other places: but they
cannot, from the above circumstances, be pronounced either blameless or
culpable, or be predicated and judged as mild or grievous, because they
do not appear before man, neither are they within the province of his
judgement; wherefore it is meant, that after death they are so accounted
or imputed.
488. VIII. ADULTERIES OF THE SECOND DEGREE ARE ADULTERIES OF LUST, WHICH
ARE COMMITTED BY THOSE WHO INDEED ARE ABLE TO CONSULT THE UNDERSTANDING,
BUT FROM ACCIDENTAL CAUSES AT THE MOMENT ARE NOT ABLE. There are two
things which, in the beginning, with every man who from natural is made
spiritual, are at strife together, which are commonly called the spirit
and the flesh; and since the love of marriage is of the spirit, and the
love of adultery is of the flesh, in such case there is also a combat
between those loves. If the love of marriage conquers, it gains dominion
over and subjugates the love of adultery, which is effected by its
removal; but if it happens that the lust of the flesh is excited to a
heat greater than what the spirit can control from reason, it follows
that the state is inverted, and the heat of lust infuses allurements
into the spirit, to such a degree, that it is no longer master of its
reason, and thence of itself: this is meant by adulteries of the second
degree, which are committed by those who indeed are able to consult the
understanding, but by reason of accidental causes at the moment are not
able.
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