Dist. 31, Art. 1, Q. 2
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 31
Quaestio II. Utrum tria sint matrimonii bona.
Secundo quaeritur de numero et sufficientia bonorum matrimonii; et assignantur ab Augustino tria in libro de Bono coniugali1, scilicet « fides, proles et Sacramentum ». Primo videtur, quod hic sit defectus.
1. Nam praeter haec est in coniugio mutuum obsequium; et hoc quidem aliquod bonum est, sicut dicitur Ecclesiastis quarto2: Melius est, duos esse quam unum, et non est aliquid istorum: ergo etc.
2. Item, ista tria competunt matrimonio, secundum quod est in officium; sed matrimonium non solum est in officium, sed etiam in remedium3: ergo videntur plura esse.
3. Item, bonum pacis est aliquod bonum, immo maximum bonum, ut dicit Augustinus4; sed hoc est bonum, quod frequenter facit coniugium: ergo insufficienter enumerat. Si dicas, quod enumerat ea quae sunt bona matrimonii, non ut frequenter, sed ut semper; obiicitur: quia nec fides nec proles semper est in matrimonio.
Sed contra, videtur, quod superflue:
4. Quia unius rei unicus est finis: ergo si matrimonii Sacramentum est unum, ergo unum debet habere principalem finem: ergo unum est bonum eius, quia bonum et finis idem5.
5. Item, nihil dicitur esse bonum sui ipsius; sed matrimonium est Sacramentum: ergo Sacramentum non est bonum matrimonii.
6. Item, nihil debet connumerari suis proprietatibus; sed fides et proles sunt conditiones et proprietates matrimonii, ergo Sacramenti: ergo non debent distingui neque connumerari cum bono Sacramenti. — Si dicas, quod Sacramentum aliter accipitur, scilicet pro proprietate matrimonii; quaeritur, quae sit illa proprietas, et quare magis sibi appropriavit nomen Sacramenti6.
Conclusio.
Sufficientia trium bonorum matrimonii monstratur triplici via.
Respondeo: Dicendum, quod numerus et sufficientia bonorum matrimonii potest accipi a parte causae instituentis sive efficientis, et sic a triplici principio: a dictamine scilicet naturae, ut vir cubet cum muliere ad conservationem ipsius naturae, et sic bonum prolis; a dictamine rationis rectae, ut vir cum sua et non cum alia cubet7 muliere, et sic bonum fidei; a dictamine gratiae, ut significetur unio divinae naturae et humanae, et sic bonum Sacramenti.
Potest accipi a parte principii constituentis, et hoc tripliciter: quia ad hoc, quod matrimonium habeat esse completum, tria sunt necessaria, scilicet institutio, usus et fructus. Ratione institutionis est bonum Sacramenti, ratione debiti usus est bonum fidei, ratione fructus conferentis usum est bonum prolis. Et sic patet, quod est triplex bonum.
Potest etiam accipi a parte finis moventis sive terminantis, et hoc vel quia ad bonum, vel quia contra malum. Quia ad bonum; cum triplex sit eligendum bonum, scilicet honestum, conferens et delectabile, ratione boni honesti est fides, ratione conferentis proles, ratione delectabilis est Sacramentum, secundum quod superius8 est monstratum. — Vel aliter: quia contra malum concupiscentiae, quae habet in se triplex malum, scilicet fluxum, inordinationem et fastidium; contra fluxum est in matrimonio unio singularis, contra inordinationem unio utilis, contra fastidium unio inseparabilis. Ratione singularitatis in unione est fides, ratione utilitatis proles, ratione inseparabilitatis Sacramentum9. — Et haec tria significant triplicem proprietatem unionis Christi cum Ecclesia, quia scilicet unitur uni, et quia ex ea filios generat, et quia nunquam separatur.
Ex his patent obiecta, quia connumerantur non quaecumque bona, sed quae communia sunt statui naturae corruptae et stantis10; ideo nec pax nec obsequium nec bonum, quod accipitur, in quantum est remedium, inter haec bona connumerantur, sed haec tria bona solum.
4. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod superfluunt, quia unius unus finis; dicendum, quod unum est bonum principale et inseparabile, scilicet sacra- p. 720 mentale vinculum; et alia sunt huic annexa, et nihil impedit, quod aliquid habeat unum principalem finem et plures utilitates adiunctas.
5. 6. Patet etiam responsio ad illud quod obiicitur de bono Sacramenti: nam ipsa unio dicitur Sacramentum matrimonii, sed inseparabilitas unionis dicitur bonum Sacramenti sive Sacramentum, quod est bonum matrimonii.
Ratio autem, quare conditio inseparabilitatis vindicavit11 sibi nomen istud, est, quia matrimonio est consubstantialis et consequens ipsum inseparabiliter, non sic aliae conditiones. Et sic patent obiecta12.
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Question II. Whether the goods of matrimony are three.
Secondly, inquiry is made concerning the number and sufficiency of the goods of matrimony; and three are assigned by Augustine in the book On the Good of Marriage1, namely « faith, offspring, and Sacrament ». First it seems that here there is a defect.
1. For besides these there is in wedlock mutual service; and this indeed is some good, as it is said in the fourth [chapter] of Ecclesiastes2: It is better that two be than one, and this is none of those [three]: therefore etc.
2. Likewise, these three belong to matrimony insofar as it is in [the character of] a duty; but matrimony is not only in a duty, but also in a remedy3: therefore there seem to be more.
3. Likewise, the good of peace is some good, indeed the greatest good, as Augustine says4; but this is a good which wedlock frequently brings about: therefore it enumerates insufficiently. If you say that it enumerates those things which are goods of matrimony, not as [occurring] frequently but as [occurring] always; it is objected: because neither faith nor offspring is always in matrimony.
But on the contrary, it seems that [it enumerates] superfluously:
4. Because of one thing there is one single end: therefore if the Sacrament of matrimony is one, therefore it ought to have one principal end: therefore its good is one, since good and end are the same5.
5. Likewise, nothing is said to be a good of its very self; but matrimony is a Sacrament: therefore the Sacrament is not a good of matrimony.
6. Likewise, nothing ought to be numbered together with its own properties; but faith and offspring are conditions and properties of matrimony, therefore of the Sacrament: therefore they ought not to be distinguished nor numbered together with the good of the Sacrament. — If you say that Sacrament is taken otherwise, namely for a property of matrimony; it is asked what that property is, and why it has rather appropriated to itself the name of Sacrament6.
Conclusion.
The sufficiency of the three goods of matrimony is shown by a threefold way.
I respond: It must be said that the number and sufficiency of the goods of matrimony can be taken on the part of the instituting or efficient cause, and thus from a threefold principle: namely from the dictate of nature, that a man should lie with a woman for the conservation of nature itself, and thus the good of offspring; from the dictate of right reason, that a man should lie with his own and not with another7 woman, and thus the good of faith; from the dictate of grace, that the union of the divine and human nature be signified, and thus the good of the Sacrament.
It can be taken on the part of the constituting principle, and this in three ways: because, in order that matrimony have complete being, three things are necessary, namely institution, use, and fruit. By reason of institution there is the good of the Sacrament, by reason of the due use there is the good of faith, by reason of the fruit conferring use there is the good of offspring. And thus it is clear that there is a threefold good.
It can also be taken on the part of the moving or terminating end, and this either because it is toward the good, or because it is against evil. Because toward the good: since the good to be chosen is threefold, namely the honorable, the beneficial, and the pleasant, by reason of the honorable good there is faith, by reason of the beneficial [good] offspring, by reason of the pleasant [good] there is the Sacrament, according to what was shown above8. — Or otherwise: because it is against the evil of concupiscence, which has in itself a threefold evil, namely flux, disorder, and loathing; against flux there is in matrimony a singular union, against disorder a useful union, against loathing an inseparable union. By reason of singularity in the union there is faith, by reason of usefulness offspring, by reason of inseparability the Sacrament9. — And these three signify the threefold property of the union of Christ with the Church, namely because He is united to one, and because from her He generates sons, and because He is never separated.
From these things the objections are made clear, because there are numbered together not any goods whatever, but those which are common to the state of corrupt and standing nature10; therefore neither peace nor service nor the good which is taken insofar as it is a remedy are numbered among these goods, but these three goods alone.
4. To that which is objected, that they are superfluous, since of one thing there is one end; it must be said that there is one principal and inseparable good, namely the sacra- p. 720 mental bond; and the others are annexed to it, and nothing prevents that a thing should have one principal end and several adjoined uses.
5. 6. The response is also clear to that which is objected concerning the good of the Sacrament: for the union itself is called the Sacrament of matrimony, but the inseparability of the union is called the good of the Sacrament, or the Sacrament which is the good of matrimony.
But the reason why the condition of inseparability has claimed11 this name for itself is that it is consubstantial with matrimony and follows it inseparably, not so the other conditions. And thus the objections are made clear12.
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- 1Cap. 24. n. 32. Cfr. hic lit. Magistri, c. 1.[De Bono coniugali] ch. 24, n. 32. Cf. here the text of the Master, c. 1.
- 2Vers. 9. Post esse Vulgata addit simul.Verse 9. After esse (to be) the Vulgate adds simul (together).
- 3Cfr. supra lit. Magistri, d. XXVI. c. 1. et 2.Cf. above, the text of the Master, d. XXVI, c. 1 and 2.
- 4Libr. XIX. de Civ. Dei, c. 11: Tantum est enim pacis bonum, ut etiam in rebus terrenis atque mortalibus nihil gratius soleat audiri, nihil desiderabilius concupisci, nihil postremo possit melius inveniri.Book XIX of the City of God, c. 11: "For so great is the good of peace that even in earthly and mortal things nothing is wont to be heard more gladly, nothing desired more longingly, nothing finally can be found better."
- 5Secundum Aristot. Cfr. tom. 1. pag. 769, nota 1. — Superius pro superflue (cod. T addit dicat) Vat. superfluat.According to Aristotle. Cf. vol. 1, p. 769, note 1. — Above, for superflue (superfluously) (cod. T adds dicat) the Vatican edition reads superfluat.
- 6Cod. O addit quam alia Sacramenta.Cod. O adds than the other Sacraments.
- 7Multi codd. omittunt cubet. Inferius pro principii, quod habent codd. E I K Z, alii codd. vel cum edd. principali, vel principalis.Many codices omit cubet (lie with). Below, for principii (of the principle), which codd. E I K Z have, other codices read either, with the editions, principali, or principalis.
- 8Quaest. praeced.[See] the preceding question.
- 9Vide supra d. 26. a. 2. q. 2. in fine corp. — Pro contra fluxum plurimi codd. contra defluxum.See above, d. 26, a. 2, q. 2, at the end of the body [of the article]. — For contra fluxum very many codices read contra defluxum.
- 10Pro stantis (cfr. infra d. 33. a. 1. q. 2.), quod habet cod. Z (addito hoc est institutae), multi codd. statim, cod. O stanti, cod. bb institutae, cod. A statui, codd. R X aa legunt: statui naturae institutae (cod. X innocentiae, cod. aa conditae) et statui naturae corruptae.For stantis (standing) (cf. below, d. 33, a. 1, q. 2), which cod. Z has (adding that is, of [nature] instituted), many codices read statim, cod. O stanti, cod. bb institutae, cod. A statui; codices R X aa read: of the state of nature instituted (cod. X of innocence, cod. aa created) and of the state of nature corrupted.
- 11Edd. cum paucis codd. vindicat.The editions, with a few codices, read vindicat (claims [present tense]).
- 12Vide scholion ad praecedentem quaest.See the scholion on the preceding question. ---