ought to know, that by the good, which you if they shall have so continued;'' so also,
ON THE GOOD OF WIDOWHOOD.
speak of leave, not of command.'' Also, when he says, '' The woman is bound, so _long as her husband lives: but, in case her therefore to think that the bond of marriage is base; otherwise we shall condemn first marriages also, which neither Cataphryges, nor Novatians, nor their most learned upholder Tertullian dared to call base. But as, when he says, '' But I say unto the unmarried and widows, that it is good for them if they shall have so continued;''5 assuredly he set down ** good " for '' better," since every thing, which, when compared with a good, is called better, this also without doubt is a good; for what else is it that it is so called better, save husband shall have died, she is set free: let
_ her be married to whom she will, only in the
Lord: but she shall be more blessed, if she shall have so continued, according to my counsel;''* he shows sufficiently that a faithful woman is blessed in the Lord, even'. when she marries a second time after the death of her husband, but that a widow is more blessed in the same Lord; that is, to speak not only in the words, but by instances also, of the Scriptures, that Ruth is blessed, but that Anna is more blessed.
that it is more good? and yet we do not on this account suppose him by consequence to have thought that it was an evil, in case they married, in that he said, '' it is good for them,
6. Wherefore this in the first place you ought to know, that by the good, which you have chosen, second marriages are not condemned, but are set in lower honor, For, even as the good of holy virginity, which thy daughter hath chosen, doth not condemn thy one marriage; so neither doth thy widowhood the second marriage of any. For hence, specially, the heresies of the Cataphryges and of the Novatians swelled, which Tertullian also, inflated with cheeks full of sound not of wisdom, whilst with railing tooth he attacks? second marriages, as though unlawif they shall have so continued;'' so also, when he says, "* but in order to that which is honest," he hath not shown that marriage is base, but that which was honester than (another thing also) honest, he hath commended by the name of honest in general. Because what is honester, save what is more honest ? But what is more honest is certainly honest. Forsooth he plainly showed that this is better than that other that is good, where he says,
'"'Whoso giveth to marry, doeth well; but whoso giveth not to marry, doeth better," °® And this more blessed than that other that is blessed, where he saith, '' But she shall be more blessed, if she shall have so continued." 7
ful, which the Apostle with sober mind allows 3 to be altogether lawful. From this soundness of doctrine let no man's reasoning, be he unlearned, or be he learned, move thee; nor do thou so extol thy own good, as to
As, therefore, there is than good a better, and than blessed a more blessed, so is there than honest an honester, which he chose to charge as evil that of another's which is not evil; but do thou rejoice so much the more of thy own good, the more thou seest, that, by it, not only are evils shunned, but some goods too surpassed. For adultery and fornication are evils. But from these unlawful things she is very far removed, who hath bound herself by liberty of vow, and, not by call honest. For far be it that that be base, of which the Apostle Peter speaking saith,
'' Husbands, unto your wives, as unto the weaker and subject vessel, give honor, as unto co-heirs of grace;'' and addressing the wives, he exhorts them, by the pattern of Sarah, to be subject unto their husbands; '*For so," saith he, '' certain holy women, who hpgped in God, adorned themselves, obeying their own husbands; even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters ye are made, well-doing, and not fearing any disturbance." ® command of law, but by counsel of charity, hath brought to pass that even things lawful should not be lawful to her. And marriage chastity is a good, but widowed continence is a better good. Therefore this better good is honored by the submission of that other, not that other condemned by the praise of this that is better.
8. Whence, also, what the Apostle Paul said of the unmarried woman, "* that she may be holy both in body and spirit;''® we are not soto understand, as though a faithful woman being married and chaste, and according to the Scriptures subject unto her husband, be not holy in body, but only in spirit.
7. But whereas the Apostle, when commending the fruit of unmarried men and women, in that they have thought of the things of the Lord, how to please God, added and saith, '' But this I say for your profit, not to cast a snare on you''* that is, not to force you; '* but in order to that which is honorable;'" we ought not, because he saith that the good of the unmarried is honorable,
For it cannot come to pass, that when the spirit is sanctified, the body also be not holy, of which the sanctified spirit maketh use: but, that we seem not to any to argue rather than
6 x Cor. vii. 38. 9 x Cor. vil. 34. 5 x Cor. vii. 8. 7 ver. 40. 8 x Pet. iii. 5-7. [See R.V.]