Dist. 26, Art. 1, Q. 2
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 26
Quaestio II. A quo Sacramentum matrimonii fuerit institutum.
Secundo quaeritur, a quo fuerit Sacramentum matrimonii institutum1. Et quod a Deo, videtur:
1. Per illud Matthaei decimo nono2: Quod Deus coniunxit, homo non separet; hoc dicitur de coniunctione, quae est in matrimonio: ergo si ista est a Deo: patet etc.
2. Item, hoc ipsum videtur: quia Genesis primo3 dixit eis Deus: Crescite et multiplicamini; sed illud crementum erat per usum actus matrimonialis: ergo matrimonium fuit a Deo institutum.
3. Item, hoc ipsum ostenditur per rationem: quia, si Sacramenta sunt a voluntate humana; et omne tale est variabile et mutabile, cum Sacramenta sint immutabilia: videtur, quod non solum hoc, sed etiam omnia alia sunt a Deo instituta.
4. Item, Sacramenta, quanto maiora sunt, tanto a maiore instituenda sunt; sed Sacramentum matrimonii est praecipue magnum, sicut dicitur ad Ephesios quinto4: Sacramentum hoc magnum est: ergo a maximo Deo, non ab homine institutum fuit.
Contra:
1. Institutio matrimonii fuit in illo verbo5: Hoc nunc os ex ossibus meis et caro de carne mea etc.; sed istud verbum fuit Adae, non Dei: ergo fuit institutum ab homine, non a Deo.
2. Item, si Sacramentum matrimonii est institutum a Deo; et in his quae sunt a Deo instituta, non potest Ecclesia aliquid mutare nec disponere6: ergo nec circa matrimonium. Sed tota die dispensat quantum ad hoc Sacramentum: ergo etc.
3. Item, non legitur Deum esse locutum de matrimonio, nisi quando dixit7: Crescite et multiplicamini etc.; et cum hoc etiam dictum sit bestiis, videtur, quod etiam inter bestias constituit. Sed hoc est inconveniens: ergo etc.
4. Item, matrimonium contrahitur per humanum consensum8: ergo est contractus humanus; p. 664 sed contractus humani sunt instituti ab hominibus: ergo etc.
Conclusio. Sacramentum Matrimonii fuit institutum a Deo, Adam interius illustrante.
Respondeo: Dicendum, quod institutio matrimonii est a Deo. — Sed notandum, quod quaedam sunt Sacramenta, quae sunt pure fidei, sicut baptismus et confirmatio et consimilia; quaedam autem non tantum sunt fidei, sed etiam naturalis dictaminis; et talia sunt poenitentia et matrimonium, sed tamen non omnino sunt de dictamine iuris naturalis9. Quae primo modo sunt Deus instituit mandando; quae secundo modo instituit interius illustrando; et sic instituit matrimonium. Unde ipse non praecepit Adam, quod Evam duceret in uxorem, sed illustravit eum interius, ut intelligeret, eam sibi dandam in uxorem, et omnibus posteris per liberum consensum uxores illo modo coniungi. Unde Adam sic illustratus dixit: Hoc nunc os etc., et sicut dicit Magister in littera10, prophetice est locutus; et ideo verbum illud non fuit a semetipso, sed a Deo: et ideo institutio huius Sacramenti fuit a Deo.
Ad argumenta:
Ad 1. Et sic patet primum.
Ad 2. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod tunc Ecclesia nihil mutare potest; dicendum, quod Dominus instituit Sacramentum quoad formam et quoad materiam, quantum illi tempori congruebat, excipiendo solum patrem et matrem11; et quia aliae personae secundum diversa tempora debebant congruere institutioni, de legitimitate personarum reliquit Ecclesiae dispensandum; et circa hanc dispensat Ecclesia.
Ad 3. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod Dominus non est locutus de matrimonio nisi ibi: Crescite et multiplicamini; dicendum, quod falsum est, immo locutus est per Adam, quando Adam, Spiritu sancto illustratus, dixit illud verbum in persona Dei; et hoc patet, quia Matthaei decimo nono12 repetit illud ut verbum Dei.
Ad 4. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod est contractus humanus; dicendum, quod non est pure humanus; et hoc patet sic. In matrimonio namque duo sunt: et mutua obligatio et obligationis mutuae indissolubilitas; et quamvis primum sit hominis, secundum est instituentis; et ratione illius indissolubilitatis praecipue matrimonium tenet rationem Sacramenti et signi sacri: et ideo non ab homine ortum habet, sed a Deo; et hoc melius patebit infra13, quando agetur de insolubilitate matrimonii.
Vide scholion ad Articulum I, quod totum Articulum I (quaestiones I–III) complectitur et cum quaestione I huius articuli redditur (`bon-sent-IV-d26-a1-q1`).
---
Question II. By whom the Sacrament of matrimony was instituted.
Secondly it is asked, by whom the Sacrament of matrimony was instituted1. And that it was by God, it seems:
1. By that passage of Matthew nineteen2: What God has joined together, let no man separate; this is said of the joining which is in matrimony: therefore, if this is from God: it is evident, etc.
2. Likewise, this same thing seems [so]: because in Genesis one3 God said to them: Increase and multiply; but that increase was through the use of the matrimonial act: therefore matrimony was instituted by God.
3. Likewise, this same thing is shown by reason: because, if the Sacraments are from the human will, and everything of that sort is variable and mutable, whereas the Sacraments are immutable, it seems that not only this one, but also all the others are instituted by God.
4. Likewise, the greater the Sacraments are, by so much the greater is he by whom they must be instituted; but the Sacrament of matrimony is especially great, as is said to the Ephesians five4: This is a great sacrament: therefore it was instituted by the greatest God, not by man.
On the contrary:
1. The institution of matrimony was in that word5: This now is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, etc.; but that word was Adam's, not God's: therefore it was instituted by man, not by God.
2. Likewise, if the Sacrament of matrimony is instituted by God, and in those things which are instituted by God the Church can change or arrange nothing6: therefore neither concerning matrimony. But all day long it dispenses as regards this Sacrament: therefore, etc.
3. Likewise, it is not read that God spoke concerning matrimony, except when he said7: Increase and multiply, etc.; and since this was also said to the beasts, it seems that he established it even among the beasts. But this is unfitting: therefore, etc.
4. Likewise, matrimony is contracted through human consent8: therefore it is a human contract; p. 664 but human contracts are instituted by men: therefore, etc.
Conclusion. The Sacrament of Matrimony was instituted by God, Adam being inwardly illumined.
I respond: It must be said that the institution of matrimony is from God. — But it must be noted that certain Sacraments are purely of faith, such as baptism and confirmation and the like; but certain ones are not only of faith, but also of the natural dictate; and such are penance and matrimony, yet nevertheless they are not wholly of the dictate of natural law9. Those which are of the first mode God instituted by commanding; those which are of the second mode he instituted by inwardly illumining; and thus he instituted matrimony. Hence he himself did not command Adam to take Eve as wife, but illumined him inwardly, that he might understand that she was to be given to him as wife, and that for all his descendants wives were to be joined in that manner through free consent. Hence Adam, thus illumined, said: This now is bone, etc., and, as the Master says in the text10, he spoke prophetically; and therefore that word was not from himself, but from God: and therefore the institution of this Sacrament was from God.
To the arguments:
Ad 1. And thus the first is evident.
Ad 2. To that which is objected, that then the Church can change nothing; it must be said that the Lord instituted the Sacrament as to form and as to matter, so far as befitted that time, excepting only father and mother11; and because other persons according to diverse times had to accord with the institution, he left the legitimacy of persons to be dispensed by the Church; and concerning this the Church dispenses.
Ad 3. To that which is objected, that the Lord did not speak concerning matrimony except there: Increase and multiply; it must be said that this is false; nay rather, he spoke through Adam, when Adam, illumined by the Holy Spirit, spoke that word in the person of God; and this is evident, because in Matthew nineteen12 he repeats it as the word of God.
Ad 4. To that which is objected, that it is a human contract; it must be said that it is not purely human; and this is evident thus. For in matrimony there are two things: both the mutual obligation and the indissolubility of the mutual obligation; and although the first is of man, the second is of the one instituting; and by reason of that indissolubility matrimony especially holds the character of a Sacrament and of a sacred sign: and therefore it has its origin not from man, but from God; and this will appear better below13, when the indissolubility of matrimony is treated.
See the scholion to Article I, which covers the whole of Article I (Questions I–III) and is rendered with Question I of this article (`bon-sent-IV-d26-a1-q1`).
---
- 1Vide II. Sent. d. 19. a. 2. et 3. — Superius pro visum cod. U visivam, plures codd. pro etc. perperam substituunt est, cod. A est supra. In fine solut. pro utrumque edd. unicum.See II Sentences, d. 19, aa. 2 and 3. — Above, for visum codex U [reads] visivam; several codices wrongly substitute est for etc., codex A est supra. At the end of the solution, for utrumque ("both") the editions [read] unicum ("single").
- 2Vers. 6.[Matthew 19,] verse 6.
- 3Vers. 28.[Genesis 1,] verse 28.
- 4Vers. 32. — Inferius post maximo codd. B R (I a secunda manu) addunt scilicet.[Ephesians 5,] verse 32. — Below, after maximo codices B R (I by a second hand) add scilicet ("namely").
- 5Gen. 2, 23.Genesis 2:23.
- 6Codd. M O S X dispensare.Codices M O S X read dispensare ("to dispense").
- 7Gen. 1, 28. — De bestiis ibid. v. 22. — Post textum Scripturae codd. E W Y prosequuntur: ergo si Dominus instituit matrimonium, quando dixit: Crescite et multiplicamini etc., cum hoc etc. Pro et cum codd. I K ergo cum.Genesis 1:28. — Concerning the beasts, ibid., v. 22. — After the scriptural text, codices E W Y continue: ergo si Dominus instituit matrimonium, quando dixit: Crescite et multiplicamini etc., cum hoc etc. ("therefore, if the Lord instituted matrimony when he said: Increase and multiply, etc., since this, etc."). For et cum codices I K [read] ergo cum.
- 8Ut ostenditur infra d. 27. a. 2. q. 1. seq.As is shown below, d. 27, a. 2, q. 1 and following.
- 9Cfr. supra d. 17. p. II. a. 1. q. 1. et d. 22. a. 2. q. 1. — Superius pro sed etiam plures codd. quantum etiam, cod. L quam etiam.Cf. above, d. 17, p. II, a. 1, q. 1, and d. 22, a. 2, q. 1. — Above, for sed etiam ("but also") several codices [read] quantum etiam, codex L quam etiam.
- 10Hic c. 1. Vide etiam II. Sent. d. 18. a. 1. q. 1. ad 4-6.Here, c. 1. See also II Sentences, d. 18, a. 1, q. 1, ad 4–6.
- 11Hug. a S. Vict., II. de Sacram. p. XI. c. 4: Prima autem institutio duas tantum personas, id est patrem et matrem, a contractu matrimonii excepit, ubi hominem, ut adhaerere possit uxori suae, patrem et matrem relicturum esse asseruit, dicens [Gen. 2, 24.]: Propter hoc relinquet etc.Hugh of St. Victor, On the Sacraments II, p. XI, c. 4: But the first institution excepted only two persons, that is, father and mother, from the contract of matrimony, where it asserted that a man, so that he might cleave to his wife, would leave father and mother, saying [Genesis 2:24]: For this reason he shall leave, etc.
- 12Vers. 5. seq.: Propter hoc dimittet homo etc. Cfr. infra dub. 2.[Matthew 19,] verse 5 and following: For this reason a man shall leave, etc. Cf. below, dub. 2.
- 13Dist. 27. a. 3. q. 1. seq. — Superius voci instituentis cod. L praemittit Dei, edd. tamen. — Vide scholion ad praecedentem quaest.Distinction 27, a. 3, q. 1 and following. — Above, before the word instituentis codex L prefixes Dei, the editions tamen. — See the scholion to the preceding question. ---