6. Wherefore this in the first place you ought to know, that by the good, which you have chosen, second marriages are not condemned, but are set in lower honor. For, even as the good of holy virginity, which thy daughter hath chosen, doth not condemn thy one marriage; so neither doth thy widowhood the second marriage of any. For hence, specially, the heresies of the Cataphryges and of the Novatians swelled, which Tertullian also, inflated with cheeks full of sound not of wisdom, whilst with railing tooth he attacks11    “Concidit.” second marriages, as though unlawful, which the Apostle with sober mind allows12    “Concedit.” to be altogether lawful. From this soundness of doctrine let no man’s reasoning, be he unlearned, or be he learned, move thee; nor do thou so extol thy own good, as to charge as evil that of another’s which is not evil; but do thou rejoice so much the more of thy own good, the more thou seest, that, by it, not only are evils shunned, but some goods too surpassed. For adultery and fornication are evils. But from these unlawful things she is very far removed, who hath bound herself by liberty of vow, and, not by command of law, but by counsel of charity, hath brought to pass that even things lawful should not be lawful to her. And marriage chastity is a good, but widowed continence is a better good. Therefore this better good is honored by the submission of that other, not that other condemned by the praise of this that is better.

6. Quapropter hoc primum oportet ut noveris, bono quod elegisti non damnari secundas nuptias, sed inferius honorari. Nam sicut bonum sanctae virginitatis, quod elegit filia tua, non damnat unas nuptias tuas; sic nec viduitas tua, cujusquam secundas. Hinc enim maxime Cataphrygarum ac Novatianorum haereses tumuerunt, quas buccis sonantibus, non sapientibus, etiam Tertullianus inflavit, dum secundas nuptias tanquam illicitas maledico dente concidit, quas omnino licitas Apostolus sobria mente concedit. Ab hac sanitate doctrinae, nullius indocti, nullius docti disputatione movearis; nec ita extollas bonum tuum, ut quod malum non est, tanquam malum crimineris alienum: sed tanto magis gaude de tuo bono, quanto 0434 magis vides non tantum illo devitari mala, sed quaedam bona etiam superari. Mala sunt enim adulterium vel fornicatio.

CAPUT V.

Honestum dici viduitatis bonum quia honestius, non ut turpe putetur conjugium. Ab his autem illicitis valde longe est quae voti libertate se obstrinxit, et sibi etiam licita ne licerent, non imperio legis, sed consilio charitatis effecit. Et bonum est pudicitia conjugalis, sed melius bonum est continentia vidualis. Hoc ergo melius illius boni submissione honoratur: non illud bonum melioris hujus laude damnatur.