S. AURELII AUGUSTINI HIPPONENSIS EPISCOPI DE BONO CONJUGALI LIBER UNUS .

 CAPUT PRIMUM.

 CAPUT II.

 3. Illud nunc dicimus, secundum istam conditionem nascendi et moriendi, quam novimus, et in qua creati sumus, aliquid boni esse conjugium masculi et f

 CAPUT IV.

 CAPUT V.

 6. Jam in ipsa quoque immoderatiore exactione debiti carnalis, quam eis non secundum imperium praecipit, sed secundum veniam concedit Apostolus, ut et

 7. Miror autem si quemadmodum licet dimittere adulteram uxorem, ita liceat ea dimissa alteram ducere. Facit enim de hac re sancta Scriptura difficilem

 8. Honorabiles ergo nuptiae in omnibus, et thorus immaculatus turpe est etiam dicere scientiae destruetur, charitas nunquam cadet 0380

 CAPUT IX.

 CAPUT X.

 11. Nec ipsis tamen peccatum sunt nuptiae, quae si in comparatione fornicationis eligerentur, minus peccatum essent quam fornicatio, sed tamen peccatu

 CAPUT XI.

 13. Quod ergo ait, Quae innupta est, cogitat ea quae sunt Domini, ut sit sancta et corpore et spiritu, non sic accipiendum est, ut putemus non esse sa

 CAPUT XII.

 CAPUT XIII.

 CAPUT XIV.

 17. Posse sane fieri nuptias ex male conjunctis, honesto postea placito consequente, manifestum est.

 CAPUT XVI.

 CAPUT XVII.

 20. Ideoque non sicut uni viro etiam plures habere licebat uxores, ita uni feminae plures viros, nec prolis ipsius causa, si forte illa parere posset,

 CAPUT XVIII.

 22. Si ergo et illi qui propter solam generationem, propter quam sunt institutae nuptiae, conjunguntur, non comparantur patribus, multo aliter ipsos f

 CAPUT XX.

 24. Bonum, inquam, sunt nuptiae, et contra omnes calumnias possunt sana ratione defendi. Nuptiis tamen sanctorum patrum, non quas nuptias, sed quam 03

 CAPUT XXI.

 26. Verum ut apertius intelligatur quomodo sit virtus in habitu, etiamsi non sit in opere, loquor de exemplo de quo nullus dubitat catholicorum Christ

 CAPUT XXII.

 CAPUT XXIII.

 29. Huc accedit quia non recte comparantur homines hominibus ex uno aliquo bono. Fieri enim potest ut alius non habeat aliquid quod alius habet, sed a

 30. Recte plane quaeritur, non utrum omnimodis inobediens virgo conjugatae obedienti, sed minus obediens obedientiori comparanda sit quia et illa nup

 31. Ex hac obedientia pater ille qui sine uxore non fuit, esse sine unico filio et a se occiso paratus fuit . Unicum enim non immerito dixerim, de quo

 CAPUT XXIV.

 CAPUT XXV.

 CAPUT XXVI.

 35. Pueros quoque ac virgines integritatem ipsam Deo dicantes, multo maxime commonemus ut tanta norint humilitate tuendum esse quod in terra interim v

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 with the Fathers, seeking their very sons in a way far other than do these; forasmuch as Abraham, being bidden to slay his son, fearless and devoted, spared not his only son, whom from out of great despair he had received64    Gen. xxii. 12 save that he laid down his hand, when He forbade him, at Whose command he had lifted it up; it remains that we consider, whether at least continent persons among us are to be compared to those Fathers who were married; unless haply now these are to be preferred to them, to whom we have not yet found persons to compare. For there was a greater good in their marriage, than is the proper good of marriage: to which without doubt the good of Continence is to be preferred: because they sought not sons from marriage by such duty as these are led by, from a certain sense of mortal nature requiring succession against decease. And, whoso denies this to be good he knows not God, the Creator of all things good, from things heavenly even unto things earthly, from things immortal even unto things mortal. But neither are beasts altogether without this sense of begetting, and chiefly birds, whose care of building nests meets us at once, and a certain likeness to marriages, in order to beget and nurture together. But those men, with mind far holier, surpassed this affection of mortal nature, the chastity whereof in its own kind, there being added thereto the worship of God, as some have understood, is set forth as bearing first thirty-fold; who sought sons of their marriage for the sake of Christ; in order to distinguish His race after the flesh from all nations: even as God was pleased to order, that this above the rest should avail to prophesy of Him, in that it was foretold of what race also, and of what nation, He should hereafter come in the flesh. Therefore it was a far greater good than the chaste marriages of believers among us, which father Abraham knew in his own thigh, under which he bade his servant to put his hand, that he might take an oath concerning the wife, whom his son was to marry. For putting his hand under the thigh of a man, and swearing by the God of Heaven,65    Gen. xxiv. 2–4 what else did he signify, than that in that Flesh, which derived its origin from that thigh, the God of Heaven would come? Therefore marriage is a good, wherein married persons are so much the better, in proportion as they fear God with greater chastity and faithfulness, specially if the sons, whom they desire after the flesh, they also bring up after the spirit.

22. Si ergo et illi qui propter solam generationem, propter quam sunt institutae nuptiae, conjunguntur, non comparantur patribus, multo aliter ipsos filios quam isti quaerentibus; quandoquidem filium immolare jussus Abraham, intrepidus ac devotus, quem de tanta desperatione susceperat, unico non pepercit, nisi eo prohibente manum deponeret, quo jubente levaverat (Gen. XXII, 12).

CAPUT XIX.

An saltem continentes nostri comparandi sint antiquis sanctis conjugatis. Restat ut videamus utrum saltem continentes nostri conjugatis illis patribus comparandi sint; nisi forte jam isti praeferendi sunt eis, quibus nondum quos conferamus invenimus. Majus enim bonum erat in illorum nuptiis, quam est bonum proprium nuptiarum, cui procul dubio bonum continentiae praeferendum est; quia non tali officio quaerebant illi filios ex nuptiis, quali ducuntur isti, ex quodam sensu naturae mortalis successionem decessioni requirentis . Quod quisquis bonum negat, ignorat Deum omnium bonorum a coelestibus usque ad terrena, ab immortalibus usque ad mortalia creatorem. Hoc autem sensu generandi nec bestiae penitus carent, et maxime alites, quarum in promptu est cura nidificandi, et quaedam conjugiorum similitudo ad simul procreandum atque nutriendum. Sed illi homines istum naturae mortalis affectum, cujus in suo genere castitas accedente Dei cultu, sicut 0389 quidam intellexerunt, in tricenario fructu ponitur , longe sanctiore mente superabant, qui de suis nuptiis filios propter Christum quaerebant, ad genus ejus secundum carnem distinguendum ab omnibus gentibus: sicut Deo disponere placuit, ut hoc prae caeteris ad eum prophetandum valeret, quod praenuntiabatur ex quo etiam genere et ex qua gente esset in carne venturus. Valde ergo nostrorum fidelium castis nuptiis amplius bonum erat, quod pater Abraham in suo femore noverat, cui manum subdere famulum jussit, ut de uxore quae a filio esset ducenda juraret (Gen. XXIV, 2-4). Ponens enim manum sub femore hominis, et jurans per Deum coeli, quid aliud significabat, nisi in ea carne, quae ex illo femore originem duceret, Deum coeli esse venturum? Bonum ergo sunt nuptiae, in quibus tanto meliores sunt conjugati, quanto castiores ac fideliores Deum timent, maxime si filios quos carnaliter desiderant, etiam spiritualiter nutriant.