15. After that the same Apostle adds, and says, “Thou art bound to a wife, seek not loosening: thou art loosed from a wife, seek not a wife.”26    1 Cor. vii. 27 Of these two, that, which be set first, pertains unto command, against which it is not lawful to do. For it is not lawful to put away a wife, save because of fornication,27    Matt. xix. 9 as the Lord Himself saith in the Gospel. But that, which he added, “Thou art loosed from a wife, seek not a wife,” is a sentence of counsel, not of command; therefore it is lawful to do, but it is better not to do. Lastly, he added straightway, “Both if thou shalt have taken a wife, thou hast not sinned; and, if a virgin shall have been married, she sinneth not.”28    1 Cor. vii. 10, 11 But, after that former saying of his, “Thou art bound to a wife, seek not loosening,” he added not, did he, “And if thou shalt have loosed, thou hast not sinned?” For he had already said above, “But to these, who are in marriage, I command, not I, but the Lord, that the wife depart not from her husband: but, if she shall have departed, that she remain unmarried, or be reconciled unto her own husband;” for it may come to pass that she depart, not through any fault of her own, but of her husband. Then he saith, “And let not the man put away his wife,” which, nevertheless, he set down of command of the Lord: nor did he then add, And, if he shall have put her away, he sinneth not. For this is a command, not to obey which is sin: not a counsel, which if you shall be unwilling to use, you will obtain less good, not do any ill. On this account, after he had said, “Thou art loosed from a wife, seek not a wife;” because he was not giving command, in order that there be not evil done, but was giving counsel, in order that there be done what is better: straightway he added, “Both, if thou shall have taken a wife, thou hast not sinned; and, if a virgin shall have been married, she sinneth not.”

CAPUT XV.

15. Consilium datur non nubendi, non praeceptum. Deinde adjungit idem apostolus et dicit: Alligatus es uxori, ne quaesieris solutionem; solutus es ab uxore, ne quaesieris uxorem. Horum duorum quod prius posuit, ad praeceptum pertinet, contra quod non licet facere. Non enim licet dimittere uxorem, nisi ex causa fornicationis, sicut in Evangelio ipse Dominus dicit (Matth. XIX, 9). Illud autem quod addidit, Solutus es ab uxore, ne quaesieris uxorem, consilii sententia est, non praecepti: licet itaque facere, sed melius est non facere. Denique continuo subjecit: Et si acceperis uxorem, non peccasti; et si nupserit virgo, non peccat. Illud autem prius cum dixisset, Alligatus es uxori; ne quaesieris solutionem; numquid addidit, Et si solveris, non peccasti? Jam enim supra dixerat, His autem qui sunt in conjugio praecipio, non ego, sed Dominus, uxorem a viro non discedere; quod si discesserit, manere innuptam, aut viro suo reconciliari: fieri enim potest ut non sua culpa, sed mariti discedat. Deinde ait, Et vir uxorem ne dimittat (I Cor. VII, 27, 28, 10, 11); quod nihilominus ex praecepto Domini posuit, nec ibi addidit, Et si dimiserit, non peccat. Praeceptum est enim hoc, cui non obedire peccatum est; non consilium, quo si uti nolueris, minus boni adipisceris, non mali aliquid perpetrabis. Propterea cum dixisset, Solutus es ab uxore, ne quaesieris uxorem; quia non praecipiebat ne malum fieret, sed consulebat ut melius fieret; continuo subjunxit, Et si acceperis uxorem, non peccasti; et si nupserit virgo, non peccat.