HOMILY XIX.

1 COR. vii. 1, 2.

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of fornications, let every man have his own wife; and let every woman have her own husband.

HAVING Corrected the three heaviest things laid to their charge, one, the distraction of the Church, another, about the fornicator, a third, about the covetous person, he thenceforth uses a milder sort of speech. And he interposes some exhortation and advice about marriage and virginity, giving the hearer some respite from more unpleasant subjects. But in the second Epistle he does the contrary; he begins from the milder topics, and ends with the more distressing. And here also, after he has finished his discourse about virginity, he again launches forth into matter more akin to reproof; not setting all down in regular order, but varying his discourse in either kind, as the occasion required, and the exigency of the matters in hand.

Wherefore he says, Now as concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me. For they had written to him, " Whether it was right to abstain from one's wife, or not:" and writing back in answer to this, and giving rules about marriage, he introduces also the discourse concerning virginity: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. "For if," says he, "thou enquire what is the excellent and greatly superior course, it is better not to have any connection whatever with a woman: but if, what is safe, and helpful to thine own infirmity, be connected by marriage."

HOMIL.

XIX.

246 The Wife and Husband, how equal in Honour.

But since it was likely, as also happens now, that the husband might be willing but the wife not, or perhaps the reverse, mark how he discusses each case. Some indeed say that this discourse was addressed by him to priests. But I, judging from what follows, could not affirm that it was so: since he would not have given his advice in general terms. For if he were writing these things only for the priests, he would have said, "It is good for the teacher not to touch a woman." But now he has made it of universal application, saying, It is good for man; not for priest only. And again, Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. He said not, “ You who are a priest and teacher," but indefinitely. And the whole of his speech goes on entirely in the same tone. And after he had said, Nevertheless because of fornications let every man have his own wife, by the very cause alleged for the concession, he guides man to continence.

1 τιμὴν : [2.] Ver. 3. Let the husband pay the wife the honour' due to rec. text, sivoíav. her: in like manner the wife the husband.

2 ἡ ἀπο

σου.

Now what is the meaning of the due honour? The wife hath not power over her own body; but is both the slave and the mistress of the husband. And if you decline the service which is due, you have offended God. But if thou wish to withdraw thyself, it must be with the husband's permission, though it be but for a short time. For this is why he calls the matter a debt, to shew that no one is master of himself, but that they are servants to each other.

When therefore thou seest an harlot tempting thee, say, "My body is not mine but my wife's." The same also let the woman say to those who would undermine her chastity, "My body is not mine but my husband's."

Now if neither husband nor wife hath power even over their own body, much less have they over their property. Hear ye, all that have husbands and all that have wives: that if you must not count your body your own, much less your money.

Elsewhere I grant He gives to the husband abundant precedence, both in the New and the Old Testament, saying, LXX. Thy turning shall be towards thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. Paul doth so too, by making a distinction thus, and Ephes, writing, Husbands, love your wives; and let the wife see that

Gen. 3.

16.

5.25,33.

Separation, without Consent, discouraged.

247

5.

she reverence her husband. But in this place we hear no 1 Cor.7. more of greater and less, but it is one and the same right. Now why is this? Because his speech was about chastity. "In all other things," says he, "let the husband have the prerogative; but not so where the question is about chastity." The husband hath not power over his own body, neither the wife. There is great equality of honour, and no prerogative. [3.] Ver. 5. Defraud not one the other, except it be with consent for a time.

What then can this mean? "Let not the wife," says he, "exercise continence, if the husband be unwilling; nor yet the husband without the wife's consent." Why so? Because great evils spring from this sort of continence. For adulteries, and fornications, and the ruin of families, have often arisen from hence. For if when men have their own wives they commit fornication, much more if you defraud them of this consolation. And well says he, Defraud not; fraud here, and debt above, that he might shew the strictness of the right of dominion in question. For that one should practise continence against the will of the other is defrauding; but not so, with the other's consent: any more than I count myself defrauded, if after persuading me you take away any thing of mine. Since he only defrauds, who takes against another's will, and by force. A thing which many women do, working sin rather than righteousness, and thereby becoming accountable for the husband's uncleanness, and rending all asunder. Whereas they should value concord above all things.

Now since this is more important than all beside, we will, if you please, consider it with a view to actual cases. Thus, suppose a wife and husband, and let the wife be continent, without consent of her husband; well then, if hereupon he commit fornication, or though abstaining from fornication, fret, and grow restless, and be heated, and quarrel, and give all kind of trouble to his wife; where is all the gain of the fasting and the continence, a breach being made in charity? There is none. For what strange reproaches, how much trouble, how great a war must of course arise! since, when in an house man and wife are at variance, the house will be no better off than a ship in a storm, where the master is upon ill terms with the man at the head. Wherefore he saith, Defraud

XIX.

248 St. Paul's Tone about the Matter of Continence.

HOMIL.not one another, unless it be by consent for a time, that ye may have leisure for fasting and prayer. It is prayer with unusual earnestness, which he here means. For if he is forbidding those who have intercourse with one another to pray, how could Pray without ceasing have any place? It is possible then to live with a wife, and yet give heed unto prayer. But by continence prayer is made more perfect. For he did not say merely, "That ye may pray;" but That ye may have leisure for it; as though what he speaks of might cause, not uncleanness, but much occupation.

And come together again, that Satan tempt you not. Thus, lest it should seem to be a matter of express enactment, he adds the reason. And what is it? That Satan tempt you not. And that you may understand that it is not the devil only who causeth this crime, I mean adultery, he adds, because of your incontinence.

But this I say by permission, and not of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself; in a state of continence. This he doth in many places, when he is advising about difficult matters; he brings forward himself, and says, Be ye followers of me.

But every one hath his own gift of God, one after this manner and another after that. Thus, since he had heavily charged them, saying, for your incontinence, he again comforteth them by the words, every one hath his own gift of God not declaring this, that towards that virtue there is no need of zeal on our parts, but, as I was saying before, to comfort them. For if it be a gift, and man contributes nothing thereunto, how sayest thou, But1 I say to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they 2 v. 9. remain even as I: But if they cannot contain themselves, let them marry? Do you see the strong sense of Paul, how he both signifies that continence is better, and yet puts no force on the person who cannot attain to it; fearing lest some offence arise?

1 v. 8.

For it is better to marry than to burn. He indicates how great is the tyranny of concupiscence. What he means is something like this: "If you have to endure much violence and burning desire, withdraw yourself from your pains and toils, lest haply you be subverted."

Our Lord's Rule, and St. Paul's, on mixed Marriages. 249

[4.] Ver. 10. But to the married I command, yet not I, but 1 Cor.7. the Lord.

10-12.

5. 32;

Because it is a law expressly appointed by Christ, which he is about to read to them, about the not putting away a wife without fornication1; therefore he says, Not I. True it S.Mat is, that what was before spoken, though it be not expressly 19.9; stated, yet it also is His decree. But this, you see, He S. Mark had delivered in express words. So that the words I and s. Luke not I have this difference of meaning. For that you might 16. 18. not imagine even his own words to be human, therefore he added, For I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

10. 11;

Now what is that which to the married the Lord hath commanded? That a wife should not be separated from her husband2: but if she be separated, let her remain unmarried, 2▾. 11. or be reconciled unto her husband. And that the husband should not put away his wife. Here, seeing that both on the score of continence, and other pretexts, and because of infirmities of temper3, it fell out that separations took place: it pingoψυχίας. were better, he says, that such things should not be at all; but however if they take place, let the wife remain with her husband, if not to cohabit with him, yet so as not to introduce any other to be her husband.

Ver. 12. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord. If any brother have a wife that believeth not, and she be well pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And if any woman have an husband that believeth not, and he be well pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

For as when discoursing about separating from fornicators, he made the matter easy by the correction which he applied to his words, saying, Howbeit, not altogether with the fornicators of this world; so also in this case he provideth for the abundant easiness of the duty, saying, If any wife have a husband, or husband a wife, that believeth not, let him not put her away. "What sayest thou? If he be an unbeliever, let him remain with the wife, but not if he be a fornicator? And yet fornication is a less sin than unbelief." I grant, fornication is a less sin but God spares thine infirmities extremely. And this is what He doth about the sacrifice, saying, Leave the 4 Matt. sacrifice, and be reconciled to thy brother. This also, in the 5. 24. case of the man who owed ten thousand talents. For him