1 Corinthians — Chapter 7

2. His owne wife.) The Apostle biddeth not al to marrie, but to keep their wiues before married. He saith not, as the Protestants here pretend to excuse the vnlawful coniunction of Votaries, Let euery one marry: but, let euery one haue, keep, or vse *his owne wife to whom he was married before his conuersion. For the Apostle answereth here to the first question of the Corinthians, which was not, whether it were lawful to marry, but whether they were not bound vpon their conuersion, to abstaine from the company of their wiues married before in their infidelitie, as some did persuade them that they ought to doe. Hiero. li. 1. cont. Iouin. c. 4. Chrys. in locum ho. 19. *Τὴν ἑαυτοῦ.

3. Let the husband.) These words open the Apostles intention and talke to be only of such as are already married, and to instruct them of the bond and obligation that is between the married couple for rendring of the debt of carnal copulation one to another: declaring that the married persons haue yealded their bodies so one to another that they can not without mutual consent, neither perpetually, nor for a time, defraud one the other.

5. Giue your self to praier.) Continencie in married folkes for praier sake. This time, & the Heretikes doctrine, and high estimation of matrimonial actes, are farre from the puritie of the Apostolike and primitiue Church, when the Christians to make their praiers & fastings more acceptable to God, abstained by mutual consent euen from their lawful wiues: our new Maisters not much absteining (as it may be thought) from their wiues for any such matter. And yet S. Augustine saith, the Prelate should passe other in this case, and think that not to be lawful for him, that may be borne in others, because he must daily supply Christes roome, offer, baptize, and pray for the people. So saith he li. 1. q. ex vtroque test. q. 127. in fine. See S. Hiero. l. 1. c. 19. aduer. Iouin. S. Ambr. li. 1. Offi. c. vlt. But alas for the people, whose married Pastours are in this point farre worse then the vulgar folke, neither teaching continencie, nor giuing good example.

6. By indulgence, not by commandement.) Perpetual continencie, euen in married folkes, better then carnal copulation. Lest some might miscontrue his former words, as though he had precisely commanded married persons not to abstaine perpetually from carnal copulation, or not to giue their consent one to another of continencie but for a time onely: he declareth plainely that he gaue no rule or precept absolutely therin, but that he spake al the foresaid, condescending to their infirmities onely, insinuating that continencie from carnal copulation is much better, & that himself kept it continually. Aug. de bon. coniug. c. 10. Enchirid. c. 78.

7. A proper guift.) To such as may lawfully marry, or be already married God giueth not alwaies that more high and special guift or grace of continencie, though euery one of them al that duely aske & labour for it, might haue it: but such are not bound to endeauour or seeke for it alwaies, & therfore can not be commanded to abstaine further then they like. Who are bound to liue continently: & that God giueth this guift to al that aske it. But whensoeuer a man is bound to abstaine, either by vow or any other necessarie occasion (as if one of the parties be in prison, warre, banishment, sicknes, or absent perpetually by lawful diuorce) the other must needs in paine of damnation abstaine, and can not excuse the want of the guift of chastitie. For *he is bound to aske it & to seeke for it of God by fasting, praying, & chastising his body; & so labouring duely for it, God wil giue the grace of chastitie. So had S. Paul it, & so had al the holy men that euer liued chast. Therfore detest the doctrine of the Protestants in this point, that when they list not fast nor pray for it, say they haue not the guift. And it were a great maruel why so few of the new Sects or rather none now a-daies haue that guift, but that we see it is obtained by those meanes which our Forefathers vsed, & they vse not at al. To liue in marriage continently without the breach of coniugal fidelitie, is a guift of God also; but men must not breake their faith of wedlocke for want of it, but must know that God giueth that guift to such as humbly aske it of him. Aug. de grat. & li. arbitrio c. 4. De continent. c. 1. *See S. Aug. li. 2. c. 19. 20. de Adult. Coniug. to. 6.

9. If they conteine not.) The Apostle permitteth marriage to them that be free, not to vowed persons. He meaneth of such as be free: for if they marry after thy haue made vow or promise to God of chastitie, they are worthily damned; such being bound to conteine, and so may conteine if they list. Aug. de bono viduit. c. 8. 9. de adult. coniug. li. 1. c. 15. & de fide ad Petrum c. 3. in fine. Ambros. ad virg. lapsam. c. 5.

11. To remaine vnmarried.) After diuorce not to marrie. Neither partie may dimisse the other and marry another for any cause. For though they be separated for fornication, yet neither may marry againe. Aug. de adult. coniug. li. 1. c. 8. 9. and li. 2. c. 5. 19. See Annot. Mat. 19. And S. Augustine in his whole books. de adulter. coniugijs. to. 6.

12. I say, not our Lord.) The Apostles precepts. By this we learne, that there were many matters ouer and aboue the things that Christ taught or prescribed, left to the Apostles order and interpretation: wherin they might, as the case required, either command or counsel; & we bound to obey accordingly.

14. Sanctified.) How the infidel or infidel's child, are sanctified by the Christian. When the infidel partie is said to be cleane or sanctified by the faithful, or the children of their marriage to be cleane, we may not thinke that they be in grace or state of saluation thereby, but onely that the marriage is *an occasion of sanctification to the infidel partie and to the children. For S. Augustine (li. 3. de pec. mer. & remis. c. 12.) concludeth against the Pelagians, as we may doe against the Caluinists, holding Christian mens children to be holy from their mothers womb and not to need be enough to saluation without faith, Baptisme, &c. *Hiero. li. 1. c. 5. aduer. Iouin.

16. But the obseruation.) Neither to be Iew nor Gentil, bond or free, married or single, nor the faith it self which is proper to Christian men, wil serue to saluation, without good works & keeping the commandements. S. Hierom adu. Iouin. l. 1. c. 16.

25. Counsel I giue.) The difference of counsels and precepts. A counsel is one thing, a commandement is another. To doe that which is counseled, is not necessarie, because one may be saued notwithstanding. But he that wil doe that which he is counseled vnto, shal haue a higher degree of glorie. He that fulfilleth not a commandement, except he doe penance, can not escape punishment. Aug. li. de virg. c. 13. & 14.

28. If a virgin marrie.) A professed virgin may not marrie. He speaketh not of that virgin which hath dedicated her self to God. (for if any such marry she shal be damned for breaking her first vow) but onely of yong maides vnmarried in the world. Hiero. adu. Iouin. li. 1. c. 7. Chrys. ho. 20. Theodorete, Photius, and the other Greek Doctours vpon this place apud Oecum. Epiph. hæres. 61.

29. As though they had not.) The continencie of married folke. He exhorteth that such as haue wiues, should not wholy bestow themselues in the vaine transitorie pleasure and voluptuousnes of their flesh, but liue in such moderation, that their marriage hinder them as litle as may be, from spiritual cogitations. Their perpetual continencie, best. Which is best fulfilled of them that by mutual consent doe wholy conteine, whether they haue had children or none, contemning carnal issue for the ioyes of Heauen. And these marriages be more blessed then any other, saith S. Augustine de Ser. Do. in monte li. 1. cap. 14.

32. Careful for the things of our Lord.) Virginitie preferred, and why. The Protestants might here learne if they list, first that virginitie is not onely preferred before marriage, for that it is a more quiet state of life in this world, but for that it is more conuenient both of body & soule, which marriage hath not. Why continencie is required in the Clergie. Thirdly, they may learne the cause why the Church of God requireth chastitie in the Clergie, and forbiddeth not onely fornication, but al carnal copulation euen in lawful wedlocke. Which is not onely to the end that God's Priests be not diuided from him by the clogges of marriage, but also that they be cleane and pure from the fleshly actes of copulation.