On the Good of Marriage.

 1. Forasmuch as each man is a part of the human race, and human nature is something social, and hath for a great and natural good, the power also of f

 2. Nor is it now necessary that we enquire, and put forth a definite opinion on that question, whence could exist the progeny of the first men, whom G

 3. This we now say, that, according to this condition of being born and dying, which we know, and in which we have been created, the marriage of male

 4. There is this further, that in that very debt which married persons pay one to another, even if they demand it with somewhat too great intemperance

 5. Also the question is wont to be asked, when a male and female, neither the one the husband, nor the other the wife, of any other, come together, no

 6. Further, in the very case of the more immoderate requirement of the due of the flesh, which the Apostle enjoins not on them by way of command, but

 7. But I marvel, if, as it is allowed to put away a wife who is an adulteress, so it be allowed, having put her away, to marry another. For holy Scrip

 8. “Honorable,” therefore, “is marriage in all, and the bed undefiled.” And this we do not so call a good, as that it is a good in comparison of forni

 9. Truly we must consider, that God gives us some goods, which are to be sought for their own sake, such as wisdom, health, friendship: but others, wh

 10. But I am aware of some that murmur: What, say they, if all men should abstain from all sexual intercourse, whence will the human race exist? Would

 11. And yet not to these themselves is marriage a sin which, if it were chosen in comparison of fornication, would be a less sin than fornication, an

 12. For, whereas that natural use, when it pass beyond the compact of marriage, that is, beyond the necessity of begetting, is pardonable in the case

 13. What therefore he says, “She, that is unmarried, thinketh of the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit ” we are not to

 14. And not without just cause a doubt is raised, whether he said this of all married women, or of such as so many are, as that nearly all may be thou

 15. For what Christian men of our time being free from the marriage bond, having power to contain from all sexual intercourse, seeing it to be now “a

 16. Therefore if haply, (which whether it can take place, I know not and rather think it cannot take place but yet, if haply), having taken unto him

 17. That marriage can take place of persons first ill joined, an honest decree following after, is manifest. But a marriage once for all entered upon

 18. For what food is unto the conservation of the man, this sexual intercourse is unto the conservation of the race: and both are not without carnal d

 19. Therefore as many women as there are now, unto whom it is said, “if they contain not, let them be married, ” are not to be compared to the holy wo

 20. And on this account, not, so as it was allowed one man to have even several wives, was it allowed one female to have several husbands, not even fo

 21. But since out of many souls there shall be hereafter one City of such as have one soul and one heart towards God which perfection of our unity sh

 22. If, therefore, even they who are united in marriage only for the purpose of begetting, for which purpose marriage was instituted, are not compared

 23. Nor, in that the Law orders a man to be purified even after intercourse with a wife, doth it show it to be sin: unless it be that which is allowed

 24. Marriage, I say, is a good, and may be, by sound reason, defended against all calumnies. But with the marriage of the holy fathers, I inquire not

 25. Forsooth continence is a virtue, not of the body, but of the soul. But the virtues of the soul are sometimes shown in work, sometimes lie hid in h

 26. But, in order that it may be more clearly understood, how there may be virtue in habit, although it be not in work, I speak of an example, about w

 27. Therefore at that time, when the Law also, following upon the days of the Patriarchs, pronounced accursed, whoso raised not up seed in Israel, eve

 28. Therefore, if we compare the things themselves, we may no way doubt that the chastity of continence is better than marriage chastity, whilst yet b

 29. And there is this further, that men are not rightly compared with men in regard of some one good. For it may come to pass, that one hath not what

 30. The right question plainly is, not whether a virgin every way disobedient is to be compared to an obedient married woman, but a less obedient to a

 31. From this obedience that Father, who was not without a wife, was prepared to be without an only son, and that slain by himself. For I shall not wi

 32. Therefore the good of marriage throughout all nations and all men stands in the occasion of begetting, and faith of chastity: but, so far as perta

 33. And, the case being thus, enough and more than enough answer has been made to the heretics, whether they be Manichees, or whosoever other that bri

 34. But those of ours who have wives we advise, with all our power, that they dare not to judge of those holy fathers after their own weakness, compar

 35. Boys also and virgins dedicating unto God actual chastity we do before all things admonish, that they be aware that they must guard their life mea

8. “Honorable,” therefore, “is marriage in all, and the bed undefiled.”21    Heb. xiii. 4. [See R.V.] And this we do not so call a good, as that it is a good in comparison of fornication: otherwise there will be two evils, of which the second is worse: or fornication will also be a good, because adultery is worse: for it is worse to violate the marriage of another, than to cleave unto an harlot: and adultery will be a good, because incest is worse; for it is worse to lie with a mother than with the wife of another: and, until we arrive at those things, which, as the Apostle saith, “it is a shame even to speak of,”22    Eph. v. 12 all will be good in comparison of what are worse. But who can doubt that this is false? Therefore marriage and fornication are not two evils, whereof the second is worse: but marriage and continence are two goods, whereof the second is better, even as this temporal health and sickness are not two evils, whereof the second is worse; but that health and immortality are two goods, whereof the second is better. Also knowledge and vanity are not two evils, whereof vanity is the worse: but knowledge and charity are two goods, whereof charity is the better. For “knowledge shall be destroyed,”23    1 Cor. xiii. 8 saith the Apostle: and yet it is necessary for this time: but “charity shall never fail.” Thus also this mortal begetting, on account of which marriage takes place, shall be destroyed: but freedom from all sexual intercourse is both angelic exercise24    Meditatio here, and continueth for ever. But as the repasts of the Just are better than the fasts of the sacrilegious, so the marriage of the faithful is to be set before the virginity of the impious. However neither in that case is repast preferred to fasting, but righteousness to sacrilege; nor in this, marriage to virginity, but faith to impiety. For for this end the righteous, when need is, take their repast, that, as good masters, they may give to their slaves, i.e., their bodies, what is just and fair: but for this end the sacrilegious fast, that they may serve devils. Thus for this end the faithful are married, that they may be chastely joined unto husbands, but for this end the impious are virgins, that they may commit fornication away from the true God. As, therefore, that was good, which Martha was doing, being engaged in the ministering unto the Saints, but that better, which Mary, her sister, sitting at the feet of the Lord, and hearing His word; thus we praise the good of Susanna25    Hist. of Susanna, 22, 23 in married chastity, but yet we set before her the good of the widow Anna,26    Luke ii. 37 and, much more, of the Virgin Mary.27    Luke i. 27, 28 It was good that they were doing, who of their substance were ministering necessaries unto Christ and His disciples: but better, who left all their substance, that they might be freer to follow the same Lord. But in both these cases of good, whether what these, or whether what Martha and Mary were doing, the better could not be done, unless the other had been passed over or left. Whence we are to understand, that we are not, on this account, to think marriage an evil, because, unless there be abstinence from it, widowed chastity, or virgin purity, cannot be had. For neither on this account was what Martha was doing evil, because, unless her sister abstained from it, she could not do what was better: nor on this account is it evil to receive a just man or a prophet into one’s house, because he, who wills to follow Christ unto perfection, ought not even to have a house, in order to do what is better.

8. Honorabiles ergo nuptiae in omnibus, et thorus immaculatus (Hebr. XIII, 4). Quod non sic dicimus bonum, ut in fornicationis comparatione sit bonum; alioquin duo mala erunt, quorum alterum pejus: aut bonum erit et fornicatio, quia est pejus adulterium; pejus est enim alienum matrimonium violare, quam meretrici adhaerere: et bonum adulterium, quia est pejor incestus; pejus est enim cum matre quam cum aliena uxore concumbere: et donec ad ea perveniatur, quae, sicut Apostolus ait, turpe est etiam dicere (Ephes. V, 12), omnia bona erunt in comparatione pejorum. Hoc autem falsum esse quis dubitet? Non ergo duo mala sunt connubium et fornicatio, quorum alterum pejus; sed duo bona sunt connubium et continentia, quorum alterum est melius. Sicut ista temporalis sanitas et imbecillitas non sunt duo mala, quorum alterum pejus; sed ista sanitas et immortalitas duo bona sunt, quorum alterum melius. Item scientia et vanitas non duo mala sunt, quorum vanitas pejus; sed scientia et charitas duo bona sunt, quorum charitas melius. Namque scientiae destruetur, ait Apostolus; et tamen huic tempori necessaria est: charitas autem nunquam cadet (I Cor. XIII, 8). Sic et mortalis ista generatio, propter quam fiunt nuptiae, destruetur; ab omni autem concubitu immunitas, et hic angelica meditatio est, et permanet in aeternum. Sicut autem jejuniis sacrilegorum meliora sunt prandia justorum; ita nuptiae fidelium virginitati anteponuntur impiarum . Verumtamen neque ibi prandium jejunio, sed justitia sacrilegio; neque hic nuptiae virginitati, sed fides impietati praefertur. Ad hoc enim justi cum opus est prandent, ut tanquam boni domini quod justum et aequum est servis corporibus praebeant: ad hoc autem sacrilegi jejunant, ut daemonibus serviant. Sic ad hoc nubunt fideles, ut maritis pudice copulentur: ad hoc autem sunt virgines impiae, ut a vero Deo fornicentur. Sicut ergo bonum erat quod Martha faciebat, occupata circa ministerium sanctorum, sed melius quod Maria soror ejus sedens ad pedes Domini, et audiens verbum ejus (Luc. X, 39-42): ita bonum Susannae in conjugali castitate laudamus (Dan. XIII); sed tamen ei bonum viduae Annae (Luc. II, 36, 37), ac multo magis Mariae virginis anteponimus 0380 (Luc. I, 27). Bonum erat quod faciebant, quae de substantia sua Christo ac discipulis ejus necessaria ministrabant; sed melius qui omnem suam substantiam dimiserunt, ut expeditiores eumdem Dominum sequerentur. In his autem binis bonis, sive quae isti, sive quae Martha et Maria faciebant, fieri non posset quod melius est, nisi altero praetermisso aut relicto. Unde intelligendum est non ideo malum putandum esse nuptias, quia nisi ab eis abstineatur, non potest haberi vidualis castitas aut virginalis integritas. Neque enim ideo malum erat quod Martha faciebat, quia nisi inde abstineret soror ejus, non faceret quod melius erat: aut ideo malum est suscipere justum aut prophetam in domum suam, quia nec domum habere debet, ut quod melius est faciat, qui vult ad perfectionem Christum sequi.