Dist. 36
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 36
DISTINCTIO XXXVI.
Cap. I. De servis.
Nunc de conditione videamus, an valeat coniugium dividere. — «Ad quod dicimus, quia non negatur ingenua posse nubere servo; sed si nescitur esse servilis conditionis, libere potest dimitti, cum servitus eius fuerit deprehensa1», secundum illud: «Si quis ingenuus homo ancillam alterius uxorem acceperit et aestimat, quod ingenua sit; si ipsa femina fuerit postea in servitute detecta, si eam a servitute redimere potest, faciat; si non potest, si voluerit, aliam accipiat. Si vero ancillam eam scierat et collaudaverat, post eam ut legitimam habeat». Item ex eodem: «Si femina ingenua acceperit servum, sciens, quod servus esset; habeat eum, quia omnes unum patrem habemus in caelis, una lex erit viro et feminae». «Cum dicitur: sciens illum servum, datur intelligi, quod si nescierit, illum servum esse; non cogitur manere cum ipso. Si enim conditionis dolum patitur, non cogitur adhaerere ei cuius fraude decepta est. Si autem scierit vir conditionem mulieris, vel e converso; non valet eam dimittere». Unde Zacharias Papa2: «Si quis liber ancillam in matrimonio acceperit; non habet licentiam dimittendi eam, si consensu amborum coniuncti sunt, nisi ob fornicationem»; de illis agit, quibus alterutrius conditio nota est, quando coniunguntur.
Cap. II. De copula servi et ancillae diversorum dominorum.
«Quaeritur etiam, si servus unius ancillam alterius acceperit, an sit inter eos coniugium». De hoc ita est statutum3: «Dictum est nobis, quod quidam legitima servorum matrimonia potestativa quadam praesumtione dirimant, non attendentes illud: Quod Deus coniunxit homo non separet. Unde nobis visum est, ut coniugia servorum non dirimantur, etiam si diversos dominos habeant; sed in uno coniugio permanentes, dominis serviant suis. Et hoc in illis observandum est, ubi legalis coniunctio fuit et per voluntatem dominorum». — Attende finem huius capituli, ubi videtur innui, praeter voluntatem dominorum inter servum et ancillam non posse contrahi coniugium, vel si contrahitur, non esse ratum. — Quibusdam tamen videtur, inter eos posse fieri coniugium, dominis ignorantibus.
Cap. III. De viro, qui se facit servum, ut dividatur ab uxore.
Illud etiam notandum, quod si mulier «virum liberum acceperit, et ille, ut causam praestet dissidii, se alicuius servum fecerit; nec uxorem dimittere, nec illa ob vinculum coniugii in servitutem redigi poterit4». Unde illud: «Perlatum est ad sanctam Synodum, quod quidam ingenuus ingenuam acceperit uxorem et post filiorum procreationem occasione divortii cuiusdam se servum fecerit. Utrum mulierem necessario tenere debeat, et si tenuerit, an illa etiam servituti subiici debeat; quaesitum est. Iudicatum est, uxorem minime debere dimitti, non tamen ob Christi legem mulierem in servitutem redigi, dum ille non ex consensu coniugis se servum fecerit, quem liberum ipsa maritum acceperat».
Cap. IV. De aetate contrahentium.
Hoc etiam sciendum est, quod «pueri ante quatuordecim annos et puellae ante duodecim secundum leges matrimonium inire nequeunt. Quodsi ante praedicta tempora copulam inierint; separari possunt, quamvis voluntate et assensu parentum iuncti fuerint. Qui vero in pueritia copulati post annos pubertatis nolunt se relinquere, sed in coniunctione permanere; iam ex hoc efficiuntur coniuges et deinceps nequeunt separari5». Item: «Sponsalia ante septennium contrahi non possunt; solo enim consensu contrahuntur, qui intervenire non potest, nisi ab alterutra parte intelligatur quod inter eos agitur». — Duo illa exsecuti sumus cum aliorum quorundam adiectione, quibus coniugium solvi potest, nec tamen solvi semper necesse est. Nunc de aliis, quae personas illegitimas penitus faciunt, addendum est et primum de ordine.
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DISTINCTION XXXVI.
Chap. I. On slaves.
Now let us consider concerning [servile] condition, whether it can dissolve a marriage. — «To which we say that it is not denied that a freeborn woman can marry a slave; but if it is not known that he is of servile condition, she can freely be released, once his servitude has been detected1», according to this: «If any freeborn man takes another's female slave as his wife and reckons that she is freeborn; if the woman afterwards is discovered in servitude, if he can redeem her from servitude, let him do so; if he cannot, if he wishes, let him take another. But if he had known her to be a female slave and had approved of her, let him keep her afterward as a lawful [wife]». Likewise from the same: «If a freeborn woman takes a slave, knowing that he was a slave; let her keep him, because we all have one Father in heaven, [and] there shall be one law for man and woman». «When it is said: knowing him [to be] a slave, it is given to understand that if she did not know him to be a slave; she is not compelled to remain with him. For if she suffers the deceit of [his] condition, she is not compelled to cling to him by whose fraud she was deceived. But if the man knew the condition of the woman, or conversely; he is not permitted to dismiss her». Whence Pope Zacharias2: «If any free man takes a female slave in marriage; he does not have license to dismiss her, if they have been joined by the consent of both, except on account of fornication»; he treats of those of whom the condition of one or the other is known when they are joined.
Chap. II. On the union of the male slave and female slave of different masters.
«It is also asked, if the slave of one [master] takes the female slave of another, whether there is marriage between them». Concerning this it has been thus established3: «It has been told us that certain persons, by a certain domineering presumption, dissolve the lawful marriages of slaves, not heeding that [word]: What God has joined let man not separate. Whence it has seemed [good] to us that the marriages of slaves should not be dissolved, even if they have different masters; but, remaining in one marriage, let them serve their [own] masters. And this is to be observed in those [cases] where the union was lawful and [made] through the will of the masters». — Note the end of this chapter, where it seems to be intimated that, apart from the will of the masters, marriage cannot be contracted between a male slave and a female slave, or, if it is contracted, it is not valid. — To some, nevertheless, it seems that marriage can be made between them, with the masters unaware.
Chap. III. On the man who makes himself a slave, in order to be divided from his wife.
This too must be noted, that if a woman «takes a free man [as husband], and he, in order to furnish a cause of dissension, makes himself the slave of someone; neither can he dismiss [his] wife, nor can she, on account of the bond of marriage, be reduced into servitude4». Whence that [decree]: «It has been brought before the holy Synod that a certain freeborn man took a freeborn wife and, after the procreation of children, on the occasion of divorce made himself the slave of a certain person. Whether he must necessarily keep the woman, and if he keeps her, whether she too must be subjected to servitude; has been asked. It has been judged that the wife ought by no means to be dismissed, yet that not on account of Christ's law is the woman to be reduced into servitude, since he did not make himself a slave with the consent of his spouse, whom she herself had taken as a free husband».
Chap. IV. On the age of those contracting [marriage].
This too must be known, that «boys before fourteen years and girls before twelve according to the laws cannot enter marriage. But if before the aforesaid times they have entered union; they can be separated, although they were joined with the will and assent of [their] parents. But those who, joined in childhood, after the years of puberty are unwilling to leave one another, but [wish] to remain in the union; from this they now become spouses and thenceforth cannot be separated5». Likewise: «Espousals cannot be contracted before the seventh year; for they are contracted by consent alone, which cannot intervene unless by either party there be understood what is being transacted between them». — These two [points] we have carried through, with the addition of certain others by which marriage can be dissolved, yet [by which] it is not always necessary that it be dissolved. Now concerning the others, which make persons wholly unfit [for marriage], something must be added, and first concerning [holy] order.
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- 1Gratian., super C. Si quis ancillam (3.), C. 29. q. 2; seq. locus C. Si quis ingenuus (4.), ibid.; tertius Si femina ingenua (5.), ibid.; quartus est Gratian. super C. Cuius rei (6.), ibid. In secundo loco pro in servitute detecta codd. et edd., excepta 1, 8, in servitutem deiecta.Gratian, on the canon Si quis ancillam (3.), Causa 29, q. 2; the following passage [is] the canon Si quis ingenuus (4.), in the same place; the third [is] Si femina ingenua (5.), in the same place; the fourth is Gratian on the canon Cuius rei (6.), in the same place. In the second place, for in servitute detecta ("discovered in servitude") the codices and editions, except 1 and 8, [read] in servitutem deiecta ("cast down into servitude").
- 2Can. Si quis liber (2.), ibid. — Pro habet licentiam codd. ABCD et ed. 1 habeat licentiam, refragante canone.The canon Si quis liber (2.), in the same place. — For habet licentiam ("he has license") codices ABCD and edition 1 [read] habeat licentiam ("let him have license"), against the canon.
- 3Can. Dictum est (8.), ibid. Citatur ibi Matth. 19, 6. Quae praecedunt leguntur apud Gratian., ibid.The canon Dictum est (8.), in the same place. There Matthew 19:6 is cited. What precedes is read in Gratian, in the same place.
- 4Gratian., super C. Cuius rei (6.), ibid. Seq. locus est C. Perlatum est (7.), ibid.Gratian, on the canon Cuius rei (6.), in the same place. The following passage is the canon Perlatum est (7.), in the same place.
- 5Hugo, Sum. Sent. tr. 7. c. 15; seq. locus est Gratian. C. 30. q. 2. introduct.; cfr. C. Litteras tuae fraternitati (4.), X. de Desponsat. impuberum (libr. IV. tit. 2.).Hugh [of St. Victor], Summa Sententiarum, tract 7, c. 15; the following passage is Gratian, C. 30, q. 2, introduction; cf. the canon Litteras tuae fraternitati (4.), in the Decretals (X.), de desponsatione impuberum (on the betrothal of minors, book IV, title 2). ---