Chapter 29 - Of Celibacy, Marriage and the Management of Domestic Affairs
SINGLE PEOPLE. Those who have the gift of celibacy from heaven, so that from the
heart or with their whole soul are pure and continent and are not aflame with
passion, let them serve the Lord in that calling, as long as they feel endued
with that divine gift; and let them not lift up themselves above others, but let
them serve the Lord continuously in simplicity and humility (I Cor. 7:7 ff.).
For such are more apt to attend to divine things than those who are distracted
with the private affairs of a family. But if, again, the gift be taken away, and
they feel a continual burning, let them call to mind the words of the apostle:
"It is better to marry than to be aflame" (I Cor. 7:9).
MARRIAGE. For marriage (which is the medicine of incontinency, and continency
itself) was instituted by the Lord God himself, who blessed it most bountifully,
and willed man and woman to cleave one to the other inseparable, and to live
together in complete love and concord (Matt. 19:4 ff.). Whereupon we know that
the apostle said: "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage
bed be undefiled" (Heb. 13:4). And again: "If a girl marries, she does not sin"
(I Cor. 7:28).
THE SECTS. We therefore condemn polygamy, and those who condemn second
marriages.
HOW MARRIAGES ARE TO BE CONTRACTED. We teach that marriages are to be lawfully
contracted in the fear of the Lord, and not against the laws which forbid
certain degrees of consanguinity, lest the marriages should be incestuous. Let
marriages be made with consent of the parents, or of those who take the place of
parents, and above all for that purpose for which the Lord instituted marriages.
Moreover, let them be kept holy with the utmost faithfulness, piety, love and
purity of those joined together. Therefore let them guard against quarrels,
dissensions, lust and adultery.
MATRIMONIAL FORUM. Let lawful courts be established in the Church, and holy
judges who may care for marriages, and may repress all unchastity and
shamefulness, and before whom matrimonial disputes may be settled.
THE REARING OF CHILDREN. Children are to be brought up by the parents in the
fear of the Lord; and parents are to provide for their children, remembering the
saying of the apostle: "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, he has
disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (I Tim. 5:8). But especially
they should teach their children honest trades or professions by which they may
support themselves. They should ;keep them from idleness and in all these things
instill in them true faith in God, lest through a lack of confidence or too much
security or filthy greed they become dissolute and achieve no success.
And it is most certain that those works which are done by parents in true faith
by way of domestic duties and the management of their households are in God's
sight holy and truly good works. They are no less pleasing to God than prayers,
fasting and almsgiving. For thus the apostle has taught in his epistles,
especially in those to Timothy and Titus. And with the same apostle we account
the doctrine of those who forbid marriage or openly castigate or indirectly
discredit it, as if it were not holy and pure, among the doctrine of demons.
We also detest an impure single life, the secret and open lusts and fornications
of hypocrites pretending to be continent when they are the most incontinent of
all. All these God will judge. We do not disapprove of riches or rich men, if
they be godly and use their riches well. But we reject the sect of the
Apostolicals (The Apostolicals were followers of a religious fanatic, Gherardo
Segarelli, of Parma, who in the thirteenth century wanted to restore the poverty
of the apostolic life.)
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