11. And yet not to these
themselves is marriage a sin; which, if it were chosen in
comparison of fornication, would be a less sin than fornication,
and yet would be a sin. But now what shall we say against the most
plain speech of the Apostle, saying, “Let her do what she will;
she sinneth not, if she be married;”1966
and, “If thou shalt have taken a
wife, thou hast not
sinned: and, if a
virgin shall have been
married, she sinneth not.”
1967
Hence surely it is not
lawful now
to doubt that
marriage is no
sin. Therefore the
Apostle alloweth
not
marriage as matter “of pardon:”
1968
for who can doubt that it is
extremely absurd to say, that they have not
sinned, unto whom
“pardon” is granted. But he allows, as matter of “pardon,”
that sexual intercourse, which takes place through incontinence,
not alone for the begetting of
children, and, at times, not at all
for the begetting of
children; and it is not that
marriage forces
this to take place, but that it procures pardon for it;
provided
however it be not so in excess as to
hinder what ought to be set
aside as
seasons of prayer, nor be changed into that use which is
against
nature, on which the
Apostle could not be
silent, when
speaking of the excessive corruptions of
unclean and impious men.
For necessary sexual intercourse for begetting is free from
blame,
and itself is alone worthy of
marriage. But that which goes beyond
this necessity, no longer follows reason, but
lust.
1969
And yet it
pertains to the character of
marriage, not to exact this, but to
yield it to the partner, lest by
fornication the other
sin
damnably. But, if both are set under such
lust, they do what is
plainly not matter of
marriage. However, if in their intercourse
they
love what is
honest more than what is
dishonest, that is, what
is matter of
marriage more than what is not matter of
marriage,
this is allowed to them on the
authority of the
Apostle as matter
of pardon: and for this fault, they have in their
marriage, not
what sets them on to
commit it, but what entreats pardon for it, if
they turn not away from them the
mercy of
God, either by not
abstaining on certain days, that they may be free to
pray, and
through this
abstinence, as through
fasting, may commend their
prayers; or by changing the
natural use into that which is against
nature, which is more damnable when it is done in the case of
husband or wife.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
