Chapter 35 [XX.]—He Answers the Arguments of Julianus. What is the Natural Use of the Woman? What is the Unnatural Use?

My answer to this challenge is, that not only the children of wedlock, but also those of adultery, are a good work in so far as they are the work of God, by whom they are created: but as concerns original sin, they are all born under condemnation of the first Adam; not only those who are born in adultery, but likewise such as are born in wedlock, unless they be regenerated in the second Adam, which is Christ. As to what the apostle says of the wicked, that “leaving the natural use of the woman, the men burned in their lust one toward another: men with men working that which is unseemly;”219    Rom. i. 27. he did not speak of the conjugal use, but the “natural use,” wishing us to understand how it comes to pass that by means of the members created for the purpose the two sexes can combine for generation. Thus it follows, that even when a man unites with a harlot to use these members, the use is a natural one. It is not, however, commendable, but rather culpable. But as regards any part of the body which is not meant for generative purposes, should a man use even his own wife in it, it is against nature and flagitious. Indeed, the same apostle had previously220    Rom. ix. 26. said concerning women: “Even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature;” and then concerning men he added, that they worked that which is unseemly by leaving the natural use of the woman. Therefore, by the phrase in question, “the natural use,” it is not meant to praise conjugal connection; but thereby are denoted those flagitious deeds which are more unclean and criminal than even men’s use of women, which, even if unlawful, is nevertheless natural.

CAPUT XX.

35. Ad haec respondeo, non solum filios ex conjugio, verum etiam ex adulterio bonum aliquod esse, secundum opus Dei quo creati sunt: secundum autem originale peccatum, in damnatione nasci ex Adam primo, non solum si de adulterio, verum etiam si de conjugio generentur, nisi in Adam secundo, qui est Christus, regenerentur. Quod autem ait Apostolus de improbis, Relicto naturali usu feminae, exarserunt in desideria sua in invicem, masculi in masculos turpitudinem operantes: non dixit usum 0457 conjugalem, sed naturalem, eum volens intelligi, qui fit membris ad hoc creatis, ut per ea possit ad generandum sexus uterque misceri. Ac per hoc, cum eisdem membris etiam meretrici quisque miscetur, naturalis est usus, nec tamen laudabilis, sed culpabilis. Ab ea vero parte corporis, quae non ad generandum est instituta, si et conjuge quisque utatur, contra naturam est et flagitiosum. Denique prius idem apostolus de feminis dixit, Nam feminae eorum immutaverunt naturalem usum in eum usum qui est contra naturam (Rom. I, 27, 26): deinde, de masculis in masculos turpitudinem operantibus, relicto usu femineo naturali. Non ergo isto nomine, id est, usu naturali, conjugalis est laudata commixtio, sed immundiora et sceleratiora flagitia denotata sunt, quam si illicite et feminis, sed tamen naturaliter uterentur.