their Wives even as their own Bodies He that loves his Wife loves himself for no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it even as Christ does the Church because we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones For this cause a Man shall leave his Father and his Mother and shall cleave to his Wife and they Two shall be One flesh This is a great Sacrament but I speak in Christ and in the Church For in that he says This is a great Sacrament no one ought to doubt that it is to be referr'd to Matrimony to wit because the Conjunction of the Man and of the VVoman whereof God is the Author is a Sacrament i. e. a Sacred Sign of the most Holy Bond wherewith Christ our Lord is join'd with his Church And that this is the proper and true sense of these words the antient Holy Fathers Tertul lib. de Monog Aug. de fide oper c. 7. lib. de Nup. concup c. 10. 12. Ambr. in Epist ad Eph. Ephes 3.25 who have interpreted this place have shew'd and the Holy Synod of Trent has explain'd the same thing It is evident therefore that the Husband is compar'd by the Apostle to Christ and the VVife to the Church That the Man is the Head of the Woman as Christ is of the Church and for that reason it is that the Husband ought to love his Wife and the Wife ought again to love and reverence her Husband for Christ lov'd his Church and gave himself for her And again as the same Apostle teaches the Church is subject to Christ But that in this Sacrament also Grace is signifi'd and given XX. The Sacrament of Matrimony giveâ— Grace in which thing especially the Nature of a Sacrament consists these words of the Synod declare But the Grace which perfects that Natural Love and confirms that indissoluble Unity Sess 14. Christ himself the Author and Finisher of the Venerable Sacraments has merited for us by his Passion VVherefore it must be taught XXI The Effects of the Grace of this Sacrament Heb. 13.4 that by the Grace of this Sacrament it is brought to pass that the Husband and VVife being join'd together with the Bond of Mutual Love acquiesce together and rest in each others good will and seek no strange and unlawful Loves and Copulations but in all respects their Marriage is honorable and the Bed undefiled But how far the Sacrament of Matrimony excels all other Matrimonies XXII How much the Sacrament of Matrimony excels all other Matrimony we may know from hence because tho' the Gentiles themselves thought there was something in Matrimony that is Divine and for that reason judg'd that wandring Copulations were strange to the Law of Nature and also that Whoredom Adultery and other kinds of Lusts were to be punish'd yet their Marriages had no Vertue at all of a Sacrament But among the Jews the Laws of Matrimony were much more religiously observ'd XXIII The Matrimony of the Jews tho it were Holy yet it was no Sacrament Gen. 2 nor is it to be doubted but that their Marriages were indu'd with a greater Sanctity For seeing they receiv'd that Promise That all Nations should be bless'd in the seed of Abraham it justly seem'd to be an Office of great Piety among them to beget Children and to propagate the Off-spring of a chosen people of which Christ our Lord and Saviour as to his human Nature was to have his Birth but even those Marriages also wanted the true reason of a Sacrament To this may be added XXIV Matrimony before and under the Law was imperfect Deut. 24.1 Mat. 19.7 that whether we consider the Law of Nature after the corruption of it or the Law of Moses we may easily observe that Matrimony had fallen very much from the Excellency and Gracefulness of its first Original For while the Law of Nature was in force we find that there were many of the antient Fathers who had several Wives together and if occasion were giving them a Bill of Divorce discharged them Both which being taken away by the Evangelical Law Marriage has bin restor'd to its former state For XXV Plurality of Wives contrary to Matrimony that Polygamy or divers VVives was contrary to the Nature of Matrimony altho some of the antient Fathers are not to be accus'd because it was not without Gods indulgence that they married divers VVives Christ our Lord shews in these words Mat. 19.5 For this cause shall a man let go Father and Mother and shall cleave to his Wife and they Two shall be in One Flesh And then he adds Therefore now they are not Two but One Flesh By which words he has made it evident XXVI Matrimony is a Conjunction of Two only that Matrimony was so instituted of God that it should be defin'd in a Conjunction of Two only and no more VVhich elsewhere he has taught very plainly for he says Whosoever shall put away his Wife and marries another commits Adultery upon her and if the Wife put away her Husband and he married to another she committs Adultery For if it were lawful for a Man to marry many VVives there would seem no reason he should rather be said to be guilty of Adultery because he married another Wife besides that he had at home than because the former being put away he was join'd with another And for this cause we understand it to be Note that if any Unbeliever according to the manner and custom of his own Country had married many Wives when he was converted to the true Religion the Church commands him to leave the rest and to account the first only as his true and lawful VVife But it is easily prov'd by the same Testimony of Christ our Lord XXVII The Bond of Matrimony dissolv'd by no Divorce that the Bond of Matrimony can be dissolv'd by no Divorce For if after a Bill of Divorce a VVoman were freed from the Law of her Husband it might be lawful for her without any crime of Adultery to marry another Husband Mat. 19.8 But the Lord plainly denounces Every one that puts away his Wife and marries another commits adultery VVherefore it is plain XXVIII Death only dissolves Matrimony 1 Cor. 6.39 that the Bond of VVedlock is broken by nothing else but Death which the Apostle also confirms when he says A woman is bound to the Law for so long-time as her Husband lives but if her Husband die she is freed from that Law she may be marry'd to whom she pleases only in the Lord. And again to those who are join'd together in Matrimony I command yet noâ— I but the Lord that the Wife depart not from her Husband But if she depart let her abide unmarry'd or be reconcil'd to her Husband The Apostle has left this Choice to that VVoman who for a just cause has left her Husband either that she
the other Powers of the Soul It is also call'd by the Holy Fathers Compunction of Heart Chrysost de Compunct coâ—dis Isidor de summo bono l. 2.12 who were pleas'd to entitle the Books they wrote of Contrition to be of Compunction of the Heart rather For as swelling Ulcers are cut with a Knife that the poisonous Corruption may be let forth So our Hearts are cut as it were with the Pen-knife of Contrition that the deadly Poyson of Sin might run out And therefore it is call'd by the Prophet Joel Joel 2.21 A cutting of the Heart Be ye converted to me says he with all your Heart in Fasting and in Weeping and in Mourning and cut your Hearts But that the greatest and deepest Grief is to be taken for sin committed XXXV Contrition ought to be the greatest Grief so that no greater can be imagin'd will be easie to evidence by these Reasons For whereas perfect Contrition is an Act of Love The First Reason 1 Joh. 3. which proceeds from a filial Fear it is plain that there ought to be the same measure both of Love and Contrition hence it comes That Contrition has joyn'd with it the most vehement Grief of Mind for as God is to be lov'd above all things so those things which estrange us from God are to be hated above all things Wherein this is also observable Note that after the same manner of speaking is signifi'd in Sacred Scripture the Greatness of Love and of Contrition Of Charity it is said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart And again as to Contrition the Lord cries out by the Prophet Be ye converted with your whole Heart Besides The Second Reason if as God is the supreme Good among all the things that are to be lov'd and so Sin the greatest evil among all the things that Men ought to hate This follows that for what cause we confess that God is above all things to be lov'd for the same cause again we must needs hate Sin above all things But that the Love of God is to be put before all other things so that we may not sin tho it were to save out very Lives those words of our Lord plainly teach us Matt. 10.27 Mar. 16.25 Mar. 8.35 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me And He that will save his Life shall lose it But This also must be observ'd The Third Reason that as there is no End or Measure prescrib'd to Charity as S. Bernard testifies Lib. de diâ—â—gendo Deo circa inod For says he The measure of loving God is to love him without Measure so there is no measure defin'd to the Detestation of Sin Besides XXXVI Contrition ought to be most vehement Deut. 4.27 Hierem. 2â— 13 it ought to be not only the Greatest but also the most Vehement and therefore Perfect and excludes all slothfulness and laziness For in Deuteronomy it is written When thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if notwithstanding thou shalt seek him with thy whole Heart and in the tribulation of thy Soul And in Jeremy Ye shall seek me and shall find me when ye shall seek me with your whole Heart and I wil be found of you says the Lord. Now altho we cannot get to make it perfect XXXVII Contrition tho imperfect yet it may be true yet our contrition may be true and efficacious for it often comes to pass that those things which are subject to sense more affect us than spiritual things Wherefore sometimes some Men are more sorrowful for the Death of their Children than for the Filthiness of their sins The same judgment is to be made XXXVIII Tears tho to be desir'd yet not necessary Serm. 41. de Sanctis if Tears follow not the Bitterness of Grief which yet in Penance are much to be wish'd and commended For S. Austins sentence in this case is very excellent The Bowels of Christian Charity says he are not in thee if thou lamentest the Body from which the Soul is departed but dost not lament the Soul from which God is departed And hither tend those words of our Savior before recited Mat. 11.21 Wo to thee Chorazin wo to thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which have bin done in you had bin done in Tyre and Sydon they had done Penance long ago in Sack-cloth and Ashes Yet for the proof of this those most famous examples of the Ninivits of David of the Harlot of the Prince of Apostles will be sufficient All which sought pardon of their sins imploring the Mercy of God with very many Tears But the Faithful are specially to be exhorted and admonish'd XXXIX All Mortal sins to be detested with Contrition that they study to apply the proper Grief of Contrition to their several Mortal Sins For so Ezechias describes Contrition when he says I will recount to thee all my years in the bitterness of my soul For to recount all his years is severally to examine his sins to be sorry in mind for them And we read in Ezekiel Ezek. 28.21 If the wicked man do Penance for all his sins he shall live And agreeable hereto S Austin says Let the sinner consider the Quality of his sin at that Time in what Place against what Light and against whom Lib. de vera falsa Religione cap. 14. Let not the Faithful notwithstanding in this Case despair of the infinite Goodness and Mercy of God Note For since he is most desirous of our Salvation he will not delay to pardon us but will embrace the sinner with a Fatherly Love as soon as ever he shall have recollected himself and detested all his sins which thencesorth at any time according to his ability he can bring to remembrance and resolves in his mind to hate and converts himself to the Lord Ezek. 33.12 for so by the Prophet he commands us to ho e when he says The wickedness of the wicked shall not hurt him at what day soever he will be converted from his wickedness From hence therefore may be gather'd what ' things are most necessary to true Contrition XL. How many things necessary to True Contrition concerning which the Faithful must be accurately taught that every one may know by what means he may get it and may have a certain Rule whereby he may judge how far he is from the Perfection of this Vertue For first The first it is necessary to hate and to gri ve for all the sins we have done Lest if we blot out some only the Penance we do may seem dissembl'd and counterfeit and not saving For as S. James says He that shall have kept the whole Law but Offends in One thing he is guilty of all The second is The second that This Contrition has a Will to Confess and to Satisfie for Sin join'd with it of which shall
him an help like himself And a little after But there was not found for Adam an help like himself therefore the Lord God sent a deep sleep upon Adam and while he slept he took one of his Ribs and clos'd up the Flesh instead thereof And the Lord God form'd the Rib that he took from Adam into a Woman and brought her to Adam and Adam said This now is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh she shall be call'd Woman because she was taken out of Man Wherefore a Man shall leave his Father and Mother and shall cleave to his Wife and they Two shall be One Flesh Which things Mat. 19.6 even by the Authority of our Lord himself in St. Matthew shew that Matrimony was of Divine Institution Nor did God institute Matrimony only XIII Matrimony made indissoluble but as the Holy Synod of Trent declares he added to it a perpetual and indissoluble Knot for our Savior says What God has join'd none may put asunder For tho it was convenient that Matrimony Sess 24. initio as it is an Office of Nature might not be dissolv'd yet much more so now as it is a Sacrament Mat. 19.6 for which cause it gains the highest perfections even in all things which are proper to it by the Law of Nature and yet that the Bond should be dissoluble would be repugnant to the bringing up of Children and the other benefits of Matrimony But XIV The Law of contracting Matrimony not laid upon all Gen. 1. that it was said of God Increase and multiply This tends hither that he might declare for what cause Matrimony was instituted not to put a necessity upon every man For Mankind being now increas'd the Law of Marriage is so far from compelling any that Virginity is rather highly commended and perswaded to every one and that by Sacred Scripture as being more excellent than the state of Matrimony and containing in it greater Perfection and Holiness For our Lord and Savior thus has taught He that can receive it let him receive it Mat. 19 12. And the Apostle says Concerning Virgins I have no command from the Lord but I give my Counsel as having obtain'd Mercy 1 Cor. 7.23 that I might be Faithful XV. Why Man and Woman ought to be join'd The first cause But now we must explain for what Reasons the Man and Woman ought to be join'd together The first therefore is That this very Society of the divers Sex is desir'd by natural Instinct there being Hope of mutual help that One being assisted by the help of the Other might the more easily bear the inconveniences of life and the weakness of old age Another is the desire of Procreation The second cause not so much for this End that we might leave behind us Heirs to enjoy our Honors and Riches as that they might be brought up in true Faith and Religion which that it was chiefly the Design of the Holy Patriarchs when they married sufficiently appears from Sacred Scripture Wherefore the Angel when he admonish'd Tobias by what means he might repel the force of the Devil Tob. 6. I will shew thee says he who they are that can prevail over the Devil for those who so enter into Wedlock as to exclude God from themselves and their Soul and so give themselves to their lust as the Horse and Mule which have no understanding the Devil has power over them And then he adds Thou shalt take a Virgin with the Fear of the Lord being led thereto rather by the Love of Children than Lust that thou mayst get in thy Children the blessing of the seed of Abraham And this also was One cause why God at first instituted Matrimony Note Wherefore their wickedness is very great who being join'd in Matrimony by Medicins hinder Conception or force out the Birth before time for this is to be look'd upon as design'd Murder The third The third cause and which began to take place after the Fall of our first Parents when thro the loss of Righteousness in which Man was created his Appetite began to oppose his right Reason to wit that being conscious to himself of his own weakness nor being willing to endure the Fight of the Flesh he might use the remedy of Matrimony to avoid the sins of Lust Of the which the Apostle thus 1 Cor. 7. Because of Fornication let every Man have his own Wife and let every Woman have her own Husband And a little after when he had taught that sometimes men ought to abstain from the Debt of Matrimony for the sake of Prayer and subjoins And return again to that very thing leâ—t Satan tempt you by your Incontinence These are the Causes Note whereof some or other every one who will contract Marriage piously and religiously as becomes the Children of the Saints ought to propose to himself But if to these Causes others be also added whereby men are induc'd to enter Marriage and in choosing a Wife they propose such as These to themselves as the desire of leaving an Heir Wealth Beauty Nobility or likeness of conditions These Reasons indeed are not to be condemn'd since they oppose not the Holiness of Matrimony Gen. 29. For neither in Sacred Scripture is the Patriarch Jacob reprehended because having chose Rachel for her Beauty he preferr'd her before Leah Thus far of Matrimony shall be taught as it is a Natural Conjunction XVI Of Matrimony as a Sacrament but as it is a Sacrament we must shew that the Nature of it is much more excellent and is wholly to be referr'd to a higher End For as Matrimony XVII Matrimony as a Sacrament far excels the Natural as it is a Natural Conjunction was instituted at the beginning for the Propagation of Mankind So afterwards that a People might be procreated and brought up to the Worship and Religion of the true God and of our Savior Christ the Dignity of a Sacrament was given to it When Christ our Lord was minded to give a certain sign of that most close Relation which is betwixt him and his Church XVIII The Union of Christ and his Church declar'd by Matrimony and of his immense love towards us he declar'd the Divinity of this Mystery chiefly in the Holy Conjunction of Man and Woman which that it was most fitly done may be understood from hence that among all human relations there is none bind so neerly as the bond of Matrimony and the Husband and VVife are bound together each to other in the greatest Love and Good will And therefore it is that the Holy Scriptures frequently put before our Eyes the Divine Copulation of Christ and the Church by the similitude of Marriage Now that Matrimony is a Sacrament XIX Matrimony prov'd to be a Sacrament the Church confirm'd by the Authority of the Apostle always held certain for thus he writes to the Ephesians Men ought to love
fulfil the Desires of the Flesh That natural and well-govern'd Power of Concupiscence therefore XIV Two good sorts of Concupience which transgresses not its Limits is not forbidden and much less that spiritual Desire of an upright Mind whereby we are stirr'd up to desire those things that are against the Flesh For to this kind of Desire the Holy Scriptures exhort us Covet ye my Sayings and Come unto me all ye that desire me Wisd 6.1 Eccles 24.26 In this Interdict therefore XV. What Concupiscence is here forbidden not the very Power it self of Coveting which we use as well for that which is Good as for that which is Evil but the use of corrupt Desire which is call'd the Concupiscence of the Flesh and the Incentive to Sin and if it have the Assent of the Mind join'd with it it is always to be accounted vicious and is utterly forbidden That Lust of Concupiscence therefore only is forbidden XVI The Concupiscence of the Flesh explain'd which the Apostle calls the Concupiscence of the Flesh to wit those Motions of Desire which have no measure of Reason and which are not contain'd within the Limits appointed by God This Covetousness is condemn'd XVII Reasons why Concupiscence is forbidden The First The Second either because it desires that which is evil as Adultery Drunkenness Murder and such like heinous Wickedness of which the Apostle says Let us not covet evil things even as they coveted them 1 Cor. 10.6 Or else because tho the things themselves were not by Nature evil yet there is some other cause why it is evil to desire them Of which sort are those things which God or his Church forbids us to have for we may not so much as desire those things which it is unlawful for us to have Such kind of things in the Old Law were the Gold and Silver whereof Idols had been made which the Lord in Deuteronomy Deut. 7.26 forbad that any one should covet Besides The Third for this Reason this vicious Covetousness is forbidden because those things it desires are anothers as House Servant Maid Field Wife Ox Ass and many other things which being anothers the Law of God forbids to covet them And the very Desire of things of this kind is wicked XVIII This Concupiscence is Sin and when it is committed and to be reckon'd among the worst of Sins when the Mind yields her Assent to the Desire of them For then it becomes Sin when after the Impulse of evil Desires the Mind is delighted with that which is evil or do's not resist it as S. James when he shews the Beginning and Progress of Sin teaches in these Words Jac. 1.14 Every one is tempted being drawn away and enticed by his Concupiscence And then when Concupiscence has conceiv'd it brings forth Sin and Sin when it is finish'd begets Death Vide D. Thom. 1.2 q 4. art 7. 8. item Aug. lib. 12. de Trinit c. 12. item de Serm. Dom. in Monte c. 23. Greg. hom 19. in Evang. l. 4. Moral c. 27. in Respons 11. ad Interrog Aug. Hieron in Amos c. 1. Seeing therefore it is thus by Law provided XIX The Scope of the Ninth and Tenth Commandments Thou shalt not covet the meaning of these Words is that we restrain our Desires from those things which belong to others For the Thirst of Desire of other Mens Things is immense and infinite nor can it ever be satisfied as it is written A covetous Man will not be satisfied with Mony Eccl. 3.5 Of whom it is thus said in Isaiah Esa 5.8 Wo to you that join House to House and Field to Field But by the Explication of the several Words XX. The Words expounded the Foulness and Greatness of this Sin is more easily understood Wherefore the Curat shall teach XXI What House here signifies That by the Word House is signified not only the Place which we dwell in but the whole Inheritance as is observ'd from the Use and Custom of Divine Writers In Exodus it is written Exod. 1.21 That Houses were built of the Lord for the Midwives to signifie that God had better'd and enlarg'd their State and Condition From this Interpretation therefore we observe XXII What is here meant by coveting another's Hou e. That in the Law of this Commandment we are forbidden greedily to covet Riches and to envy other Mens Wealth Power Nobility but to be content with our own State whatsoever it be whether low or high And then we ought to know that the coveting another Man's Glory is forbidden for this also belongs to House Now follows XXIII What by Ox and Ass Nor Ox nor Ass Which shews that we may not covet not only those things that are of greater concern as House Nobility and Glory because they belong to others but also things of small moment whatsoever they are whether Animate or Inanimate And then it follows XXIV What by Servant Nor his Servant Which is to be understood as well of Slaves as of other Servants which as the rest of the Goods of another Person we may not covet And as for Freemen XXV They that serve others are not to be entic'd away who serve at pleasure either for Wages or Love and Observance no one ought to corrupt or persuade them either by Words or Hope or Promises or Rewards to forsake them to whose Service they have freely oblig'd themselves Yea Note and if they depart from their old Masters before their time the sooner to come to the new ones by authority of this Commandment they are to be admonish'd by all means to return till their full time be expir'd Now that in this Commandment there is mention made of our Neighbor XXVI Why here is mention made of Neighbor the meaning is That the Vice of those Men might be shewd that use to covet the Neighboring Fields and the nearest Houses or any such things that border upon them For Neighborhood Note which consists in Friendship is betray'd and turn'd from Love into Hatred by the Vice of Covetousness Yet they do not break this Commandment XXVII He that desires to buy other Mens Goods does not sin that desire to buy of their Neighbor those things they have to sell or give them a just price for them For such Persons not only do not injure their Neighbor but they very much help him seeing he has more need of and benefit by the Mony than of the things he sells Now after this Law of not coveting anothers Goods XXVIII The Law of not coveting another Mans Wife explain'd there follows another which forbids us to covet another Mans Wife By which Law not that Lust of Concupiscence only whereby an Adulterer desires another Mans Wife is forbidd'n but also that wherewith any one being affected desires to marry anothers Man's Wife For at that time when a Bill of Divorce was allow'd it