38. FORNICATION (Fornicatio).
Concerning fornication (1792-1810 [CL 444[*]-460]).
With every man the love of the sex is inborn; and inwardly therein, conjugial love; fornication is the love of the sex that precedes conjugial love, and thus it is lust before marriage (1794-1796 [CL 445]).
The love of the sex, which is what fornicates, has its beginning together with seminal potency: its commencement is when the understanding lifts itself up, and thence man begins to think from himself, and when the voice of the boy is changed to that of the young man (1797-1799 [CL 446]). The love of the sex grows and strengthens itself earlier and more strongly with one than with another (1800 [CL 450]).
The love of the sex, with those in whom it strengthens itself earlier and to a greater degree than with others, cannot be totally suppressed without harm (1801, 1802 [CL 450]).
For this reason brothels are tolerated in large cities in the European world (1803 [CL 451]).
The greatest care should be taken lest the human conjugial be destroyed by inordinate and immoderate fornications: care must be taken, in every way, that this be preserved; since the conjugial is the very jewel of human life, and the repository of the Christian religion (1804, 1805 [CL 456-458]). (See, further, the article MISTRESS.)
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