35. Ego, inquit, lux in saeculum veni, ut omnis qui crediderit in me, non maneat in tenebris
Chapter 57 [XXIX.]—The Good of Marriage; Four Different Cases of the Good and the Evil Use of Matrimony.
The good, then, of marriage lies not in the passion of desire, but in a certain legitimate and honourable measure in using that passion, appropriate to the propagation of children, not the gratification of lust.202 [The editions, but apparently no Mss., add here the somewhat sententious words: “Voluntas ista, non voluptas illa, nuptialis est,”—which may, perhaps, be rendered: “Wedded desire is willingness, not wantonness.”—W.] That, therefore, which is disobediently excited in the members of the body of this death, and endeavours to draw into itself our whole fallen soul, (neither arising nor subsiding at the bidding of the mind), is that evil of sin in which every man is born. When, however, it is curbed from unlawful desires, and is permitted only for the orderly propagation and renewal of the human race, this is the good of wedlock, by which man is born in the union that is appointed. Nobody, however, is born again in Christ’s body, unless he be previously born in the body of sin. But inasmuch as it is evil to make a bad use of a good thing, so is it good to use well a bad thing. These two ideas therefore of good and evil, and those other two of a good use and an evil use, when they are duly combined together, produce four different conditions:—[1] A man makes a good use of a good thing, when he dedicates his continence to God; [2.] He makes a bad use of a good thing, when he dedicates his continence to an idol; [3.] He makes a bad use of an evil thing, when he loosely gratifies his concupiscence by adultery; [4.] He makes a good use of an evil thing, when he restrains his concupiscence by matrimony. Now, as it is better to make good use of a good thing than to make good rise of an evil thing,—since both are good,—so “he that giveth his virgin in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.” 203 1 Cor. vii. 38. This question, indeed, I have treated at greater length, and more sufficiently, as God enabled me according to my humble abilities, in two works of mine,—one of them, On the Good of Marriage, and the other, On Holy Virginity. They, therefore, who extol the flesh and blood of a sinful creature, to the prejudice of the Redeemer’s flesh and blood, must not defend the evil of concupiscence through the good of marriage; nor should they, from whose infant age the Lord has inculcated in us a lesson of humility,204 Matt. xviii. 4. be lifted up into pride by the error of others. He only was born without sin whom a virgin conceived without the embrace of a husband,—not by the concupiscence of the flesh, but by the chaste submission of her mind.205 Luke i. 34, 38. She alone was able to give birth to One who should heal our wound, who brought forth the germ of a pure offspring without the wound of sin.
CAPUT XXIX.
57. Bonum conjugii quid. Boni et mali usus quatuor differentiae. Bonum ergo conjugii non est fervor concupiscentiae, sed quidam licitus et honestus illo fervore utendi modus, propagandae proli, non explendae libidini accommodatus. [Voluntas ista, 0142 non voluptas illa, nuptialis est .] Quod igitur in membris corporis mortis hujus inobedienter movetur, totumque animum in se dejectum conatur attrahere, et neque cum mens voluerit exsurgit, neque cum mens voluerit conquiescit, hoc est malum peccati, in quo nascitur omnis homo. Cum autem ab illicitis corruptionibus refrenatur, et ad sola generis humani supplementa ordinate propaganda permittitur, hoc est bonum conjugii, per quod ordinata societate nascitur homo. Sed nemo renascitur in Christi corpore, nisi prius nascatur in peccati corpore. Sicut autem bono uti male, malum est; sic malo bene uti, bonum est. Duo igitur haec, bonum et malum, et alia duo, usus bonus et usus malus, sibimet adjuncta quatuor differentias faciunt. Bene utitur bono, continentiam dedicans Deo: male utitur bono, continentiam dedicans idolo. Male utitur malo, concupiscentiam relaxans adulterio: bene utitur malo, concupiscentiam restringens connubio. Sicut ergo melius est bene uti bono, quam bene uti malo, cum sit utrumque bonum: ita qui dat virginem suam nuptum, bene facit; et qui non dat nuptum, melius facit. De qua quaestione multo uberius et multo sufficientius in duobus libris, uno de Bono Conjugali, altero de Sancta Virginitate, quantum Dominus dedit, pro mearum virium exiguitate disserui. Non itaque per nuptiarum bonum defendant concupiscentiae malum, qui carnem et sanguinem praevaricatoris adversus carnem et sanguinem Redemptoris extollunt: non erigantur in superbiam erroris alieni, de quorum parvula aetate nobis dedit Dominus humilitatis exemplum. Solus sine peccato natus est, quem sine virili complexu, non concupiscentia carnis, sed obedientia mentis virgo concepit. Sola nostro vulneri medicinam parere potuit, quae non ex peccati vulnere germen piae prolis emisit.