19. But lest
any should think that of two works, the good and the better, the
rewards will be equal, on this account it was necessary to treat
against those, who have so interpreted that saying of the Apostle,
“But I think that this is good by reason of the present
necessity,”2056
as to say
that
virginity is of use not in order to the
kingdom of
heaven, but
in order to this present time: as though in that
eternal life,
they, who had chosen this better part, would have nothing more than
the
rest of men. And in this discussion when we came to that saying
of the same
Apostle, “But such shall have
tribulation of the
flesh, but I spare you;”
2057
we fell in with other disputants,
who so
far from making
marriage equal to perpetual
virginity,
altogether
condemned it. For whereas both are errors, either to
equal
marriage to holy
virginity, or to
condemn it: by fleeing from
one another to excess, these two errors come into open collision,
in that they have been
unwilling to hold the mean of
truth:
whereby, both by sure reason and
authority of holy Scriptures, we
both
discover that
marriage is not a
sin, and yet equal it not to
the good either of virginal or even of widowed chastity. Some
forsooth by aiming at
virginity, have thought
marriage hateful even
as
adultery: but others, by
defending marriage, would have the
excellence of perpetual continence to deserve nothing more than
married chastity; as though either the good of Susanna be the
lowering of Mary: or the greater good of Mary ought to be the
condemnation of Susanna.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
