17. That marriage can take
place of persons first ill joined, an honest decree following
after, is manifest. But a marriage once for all entered upon in the
City of our God, where, even from the first union of the two, the
man and the woman, marriage bears a certain sacramental character,
can no way be dissolved but by the death of one of them. For the
bond of marriage remains, although a family, for the sake of which
it was entered upon, do not follow through manifest barrenness; so
that, when now married persons know that they shall not have
children, yet it is not lawful for them to separate even for the
very sake of children, and to join themselves unto others. And if
they shall so do, they commit adultery with those unto whom they
join themselves, but themselves remain husbands and wives. Clearly
with the good will of the wife to take another woman, that from her
may be born sons common to both, by the sexual intercourse and seed
of the one, but by the right and power of the other, was lawful
among the ancient fathers: whether it be lawful now also, I would
not hastily pronounce. For there is not now necessity of begetting
children, as there then was, when, even when wives bare children,
it was allowed, in order to a more numerous posterity, to marry
other wives in addition, which now is certainly not lawful. For the
difference that separates times causes the due season to have so
great force unto the justice and doing or not doing any thing, that
now a man does better, if he marry not even one wife, unless he be
unable to contain. But then they married even several without any
blame, even those who could much more
easily contain, were it not that piety at that time had another
demand upon them. For, as the wise and just man,1982
who now desires to be dissolved
and to be with
Christ, and takes more
pleasure in this, the
best,
now not from desire of living here, but from
duty of being useful
1983
, takes
food that he may remain in the
flesh, which is necessary for the
sake of others; so to have intercourse with females in right of
marriage, was to holy men at that time a matter of duty not of
lust.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
