On the Good of Widowhood.

 Augustin the Bishop, servant of Christ, and of the servants of Christ, unto the religious handmaiden of God, Juliana, in the Lord of lords health.

 2. Whereas, therefore, in every question, which relates to life and conduct, not only teaching, but exhortation also is necessary in order that by te

 3. Therefore (thus) saith the Apostle, the teacher of the Gentiles, the vessel of election, “But I say unto the unmarried and the widows, that it is g

 4. Lo, there is your good compared to that good, which the Apostle calls his own, if faith be present: yea, rather, because faith is present. Short is

 5. Wherefore also when he was advising married persons not to defraud one another of the due of carnal intercourse lest, by this means, the one of th

 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 lo

 7. But whereas the Apostle, when commending the fruit of unmarried men and women, in that they have thought of the things of the Lord, how to please G

 8. Whence, also, what the Apostle Paul said of the unmarried woman, “that she may be holy both in body and spirit ” we are not so to understand, as th

 9. Learn, therefore, that thy good, yea, rather, remember what thou hast learned, that thy good is more praised, because there is another good than wh

 10. Nor, because I called Ruth blessed, Anna more blessed, in that the former married twice, the latter, being soon widowed of her one husband, so liv

 11. But thou who both hast sons, and livest in that end of the world, wherein now is the time not of casting stones, but of gathering not of embracin

 12. But since, as the Lord saith, “Not all receive this word ” therefore let her who can receive it, receive it and let her, who containeth not, marr

 13. Wherefore they who say that the marriages of such are not marriages, but rather adulteries, seem not to me to consider with sufficient acuteness a

 14. Wherefore I cannot indeed say, of females who have fallen away from a better purpose, in case they shall have married, that they are adulteries, n

 15. Men are wont to move a question concerning a third or fourth marriage, and even more numerous marriages than this. On which to make answer strictl

 16. For that also is no foolish question which is wont to be proposed, that whoso can may say, which widow is to be preferred in desert whether one w

 17. Let us therefore set before our eyes three widows, each having one of the things, the whole of which were in her: let us suppose one who had had o

 18. No one indeed of these six widows could come up to your standard. For you, in case that you shall have maintained this vow even unto old age, maye

 19. These discussions, therefore, concerning the different deserts of married women, and of different widows, I would not in this work enter upon, if,

 20. Wherefore, forasmuch as in the beginning of this little work I had proposed certain two necessary matters, and had undertaken to follow them out

 21. These things I am compelled to admonish by reason of certain little discourses of some men, that are to be shunned and avoided, which have begun t

 22. Now it has been my wish on this account to say something on this subject, by reason of certain of our brethren most friendly and dear to us, and w

 23. If, therefore, you had not as yet vowed unto God widowed continence, we would assuredly exhort you to vow it but, in that you have already vowed

 24. Let the inner ear of the virgin also, thy holy child, hear these things. I shall see how far she goes before you in the Kingdom of That King: it i

 25. The past day returns not hereafter, and after yesterday proceeds to-day, and after to-day will proceed to-morrow and, lo, all times and the thing

 26. Therefore let spiritual delights succeed to the place of carnal delights in holy chastity reading, prayer, psalm, good thought, frequency in good

 27. Indeed in all spiritual delights, which unmarried women enjoy, their holy conversation ought also to be with caution lest haply, though their lif

 28. Go on therefore in your course, and run with perseverance, in order that ye may obtain and by pattern of life, and discourse of exhortation, carr

 29. Next I entreat you, by Him, from Whom ye have both received this gift, and hope for the rewards of this gift, that ye be mindful to set me also in

11. But thou who both hast sons, and livest in that end of the world, wherein now is the time not of casting stones, but of gathering; not of embracing, but of abstaining from embracing;25    Eccl. iii. 5 when the Apostle cries out, “But this I say, brethren, the time is short; it remains, that both they who have wives be as not having;”26    1 Cor. vii. 29. [See R.V.] assuredly if thou hadst sought a second marriage, it would have been no obedience of prophecy or law, no carnal desire even of family, but a mark of incontinence alone. For you would have done what the Apostle says, after he had said, “It is good for them, if they shall have so continued, even as I;”27    1 Cor. vii. 8, 9 forsooth he straightway added, “But if they contain not themselves, let them marry; for I had rather that they marry than be burned.” For this he said, in order that the evil of unbridled desire might not be carried headlong into criminal baseness, being taken up by the honest estate of marriage. But thanks be to the Lord, in that thou hast given birth to what thou wouldest not be, and the virginity of thy child hath compensated for the loss of thy virginity. For Christian doctrine, having diligent question made of it, makes answer, that a first marriage also now at this time is to be despised, unless incontinence stand in the way. For he, who said, “If they contain not themselves, let them marry,” could have said, “If they have not sons, let them marry,” if, when now after theResurrection and Preaching of Christ, there is unto all nations so great and abundant supply of sons to be spiritually begotten, it were any such duty to beget sons after the flesh as it was in the first times. And, whereas in another place he saith, “But I will that the younger marry, bear children, be mothers of families,”28    1 Tim. v. 14, 15 he commends with apostolic sobriety and authority the good of marriage, but doth not impose the duty of bearing, as though in order to obey the law, even on those who “receive” the good of continence. Lastly, why he had said this, he unfolds, when he adds and says, “To give no occasion of speaking evil to the adversary; for already certain have turned back after Satan:” that by these words of his we may understand, that those, whom he would have marry, could have done better to contain than marry; but better to marry than to go back after Satan, that is, to fall away from that excellent purpose of virginal or widowed chastity, by looking back to things that are behind, and perish. Wherefore, such as contain not themselves, let them marry before they make profession of continence, before they vow unto God, what, if they pay not, they are justly condemned. Forsooth in another place he saith of such, “For when they have lived in delights in Christ, they wish to marry: having condemnation, in that they have made of none effect their first faith;”29    1 Tim. v. 11, 12. [See R.V.] that is, they have turned aside their will from the purpose of continence unto marriage. Forsooth they have made of none effect the faith, whereby they formerly vowed what they were unwilling by perseverance to fulfill. Therefore the good of marriage is indeed ever a good: but in the people of God it was at one time an act of obedience unto the law; now it is a remedy for weakness, but in certain a solace of human nature. Forsooth to be engaged in the getting of children, not after the fashion of dogs by promiscuous use of females, but by honest order of marriage, is not an affection such as we are to blame in a man; yet this affection itself the Christian mind, having thoughts of heavenly things, in a more praiseworthy manner surpasses and overcomes.

CAPUT VIII.

11. Nuptiae et secundae et primae hoc tempore, nisi incontinentia sit impedimento, contemnendae. Nuptiae olim legis obsequium, nunc infirmitatis remedium, et humanitatis solatium. Tu autem quae et filios habes, et in eo saeculi fine vivis, quo jam tempus est non mittendi lapides, sed colligendi; non amplectendi, sed continendi ab amplexu (Eccle. III, 5); cum clamet Apostolus, Hoc autem dico, fratres: tempus breve est; reliquum est ut et qui habent uxores, tanquam non habentes sint: profecto si secundas nuptias appetisses, nullum prophetiae vel legis obsequium, nullum prolis saltem carnale desiderium, sed solius incontinentiae fuisset indicium. Fecisses enim quod ait Apostolus, cum dixisset, bonum esse illis si sic permanserint sicut et ego: continuo quippe addidit, Quod si se non continent, nubant: malo enim eas nubere quam uri (I Cor. VII, 29, 8 et 9). Hoc enim dixit, ut effrenatae libidinis malum non praecipitaretur in turpitudinem flagitiorum, cum exciperetur honestate nuptiarum. Gratias autem Domino, quoniam peperisti quod esse noluisti, et virginitas prolis tuae compensavit dispendium virginitatis tuae. Nam diligenter interrogata doctrina christiana, et primas nuptias jam isto tempore, nisi incontinentia sit impedimento, 0437 contemnendas esse respondet. Qui enim dixit, Si se non continent, nubant: potuit dicere, Si filios non habent, nubant; si post resurrectionem praedicationemque Christi, quando jam omnibus gentibus filiorum spiritualiter gignendorum tanta suppetit copia, tale officium esset ex carne filios propagare, quale primis temporibus fuit. Et quod alibi dicit, Volo igitur juniores nubere, filios procreare, matresfamilias esse: nuptiarum bonum apostolica sobrietate et auctoritate commendat; non procreandi officium etiam eis, quae continentiae bonum capiunt, tanquam ad obsequelam legis imponit. Denique cur hoc dixerit, pandit, cum adjungit et dicit, Nullam occasionem dare adversario maledicti gratia; jam enim quaedam conversae sunt retro post satanam: ut his verbis ejus intelligamus, eas quas nubere voluit, melius potuisse continere quam nubere; sed melius nubere quam retro post satanam ire, id est, ab illo excellenti virginalis vel vidualis castitatis proposito, in posteriora respiciendo, cadere et interire. Proinde quae se non continent, nubant, antequam continentiam profiteantur, antequam Deo voveant: quod nisi reddant, jure damnantur. Alio quippe loco de talibus dicit, Cum enim in deliciis egerint in Christo, nubere volunt; habentes damnationem quoniam primam fidem irritam fecerunt: id est, voluntatem ad nuptias a proposito continentiae deflexerunt . Irritam quippe fecerunt fidem, qua prius voverant quod perseverantia implere noluerunt (I Tim. V). Nuptiarum igitur bonum semper est quidem bonum: sed in populo Dei fuit aliquando legis obsequium; nunc est infirmitatis remedium, in quibusdam vero humanitatis solatium. Filiorum quippe procreationi operam dare, non canino more per usum promiscuum feminarum, sed honesto ordine conjugali, non est in homine improbandus affectus: etiam ipsum tamen laudabilius transcendit et vincit coelestia cogitans animus christianus.