Conjugial Love (Acton) n. 349

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349. XIV. THAT POLYGAMY IS NOT A SIN WITH THOSE WHO ARE IN IGNORANCE OF THE LORD. The reason is because love truly conjugial is from the Lord alone and can be given by the Lord only to those who know Him, acknowledge Him, believe in Him, and live the life which is from Him. Those to whom that love cannot be given know no other than that love of the sex and conjugial love are one and the same thing, and so also polygamy. Add to this, that polygamists who know nothing of the Lord remain natural; for man is made spiritual by the Lord alone, and to the natural man that is not imputed as sin which accords with the laws of his religion and also of the society in which he lives. Moreover, natural men act according to their reason, and the reason of the natural man is in mere darkness respecting love truly conjugial, this love being spiritual in its excellence. Yet, from experience their reason learns that it is for the public and private peace that promiscuous lust in general should be restricted and be left to the individual within his own house. Hence their polygamy.


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