Chapter II.—Marriage Lawful, But Not Polygamy.

We do not indeed forbid the union of man and woman, blest by God as the seminary of the human race, and devised for the replenishment of the earth14    Orbi.  Gen. i. 28.    Potissimum; Gr. “μόνον,” 1 Cor. vii. 39. and the furnishing of the world,15    Sæculo.    Proclivium. and therefore permitted, yet singly.  For Adam was the one husband of Eve, and Eve his one wife, one woman, one rib.16    Gen. ii. 21, 22.    Ps. lxix. 23 (according to the “Great Bible” version, ed. 1539.  This is the translation found in the “Book of Common Prayer”).  Comp. Rom. xiv. 13.  We grant,17    Sane.    Necessitatibus. that among our ancestors, and the patriarchs themselves, it was lawful18    “Fas,” strictly divine law, opp. to “jus,” human law; thus “lawful,” as opp. to “legal.”    1 Cor. vii. 6–8. not only to marry, but even to multiply wives.19    Plurifariam matrimoniis uti.  The neut. pl. “matrimonia” is sometimes used for “wives.”  Comp. c. v. ad fin. and de Pæn., c. xii. ad fin.    Exerte.  Comp. the use of “exertus” in de Bapt., cc. xii. and xviii.  There were concubines, too, (in those days.)  But although the Church did come in figuratively in the synagogue, yet (to interpret simply) it was necessary to institute (certain things) which should afterward deserve to be either lopped off or modified.  For the Law was (in due time) to supervene.  (Nor was that enough:)  for it was meet that causes for making up the deficiencies of the Law should have forerun (Him who was to supply those deficiencies).  And so to the Law presently had to succeed the Word20    Sermo, i.e., probably the personal Word.  Comp. de Or., c. i. ad init.    1 Cor. vii. 39, where the μόνον ἐν Κυρίῳ is on the same footing as γυνὴ δέδεται ἐφ᾽ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς:  comp. c. ix. and Rom. vii. 1 (in the Eng. ver. 2). of God introducing the spiritual circumcision.21    Rom. ii. 28, 29; Phil. iii. 3; Col. ii. 11.  Therefore, by means of the wide licence of those days, materials for subsequent emendations were furnished beforehand, of which materials the Lord by His Gospel, and then the apostle in the last days of the (Jewish) age,22    Sæculi.  The meaning here seems clearly to be, as in the text, “the Jewish age” or dispensation; as in the passages referred to—1 Cor. x. 11, where it is τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων; and Heb. ix. 26, where again it is τῶν αἰώνων, the Jewish and all preceding ages being intended. either cut off the redundancies or regulated the disorders.

CAPUT II.

Non quidem abnuimus conjunctionem viri ac foeminae benedictam a Domino , ut sciremus generi humano et replendo orbi et instruendo saeculo excogitatam, atque exinde permissam; unam tamen. Nam et Adam unus Evae maritus, et Eva una uxor illius, una mulier, una costa. Sane apud veteres nostros ipsosque patriarchas non modo nubere, sed etiam plurifariam matrimoniis uti fas fuit, erant et concubinae: sed licet figuratum in synagogam et Ecclesiam cesserit, ut tamen simpliciter interpretemur, necessarium fuit instituere, quae postea aut amputari, aut temperari mererentur. Superventura enim lex 1277B erat, oportebat legis adimplendae caussas praecucurrisse. Idem mox legi succurrere habebat, Dei sermo circumcisionem inducens spiritalem. Igitur per licentiam tunc passivam , materiae subsequentium emendationum praeministrabantur, quas Dominus Evangelio suo, dehinc Apostolus in extremitatibus saeculi aut excidit redundantes, aut composuit inconditas.