Treatises on Marriage and Other Subjects

Book II

BOOK TWO Chapter 1 IIN ANSWER TO THE LETTER you wrote me, my holy brother Pollentius, I had already written in reply a rather large volume about persons who marry others while their spouses are still living. When this came to your Charity and you were pleased, you added a few points to your original queries, desiring me to answer them, also. Although I proposed to do this by way of an addition to my previous book, so that there would be a single book that would contain this response also, the work I had previously completed was published without any warning, at the demand of my brethren who were ignorant that something was still to be added. Thus it happened that, perforce, I answered your further questions in another, separate book. However, your additional questions were placed, not at the end of your letter, but were interspersed in the body, wherever it seemed best. 101 102 SAINT AUGUSTINE Chapter 2 (2) The following words of the Apostle bear on one of your questions which I think I ought to answer at the outset: 'For to the rest, I say, not the Lord, that the woman is not to depart from her husband, and if she departs, that she is to remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband.'! You do not think that the expression 'if she departs' has been used so as to be understood that she departs from an unfaithful husband-for this reason alone is a departure lawful-you conjecture, rather, that a departure from a Christian husband is understood; and, therefore, the wife has been commanded to remain unmarried so that she can be reconciled to him if he is unwilling to remain continent. This will prevent her, while unreconciled, from compelling her husband to commit fornication, that is, to marry another, while she is still alive. Furthermore, you think that, if she departs from an unfaithful husband, she is not commanded to remain unwed, and it is your opinion that, if she wishes to practice continence, she does, in fact, remain unwed, but not so as to be considered as violating a precept if she does marry. This rule you think applies also to the husband, so that he may not put away his wife, except because of immorality. Yet, if he does put her away, he is to enter no other union so that he can be reconciled to his chaste wifeunless , perhaps, she chooses to practice continence-lest, avoiding a reconciliation with a chaste wife, he force her to commit adultery. This she will do if she does not remain continent and marries another during his life. You think also that, if he separates from an adulterous wife, he is not bound by any precept commanding him to remain continent, nor is he at all guilty of adultery if he remarries while his 1 1 Cor. 7.12.10,11. ADULTEROUS MARRIAGES 103 first wife is still living. This you say because of what the same Apostle says, namely, 'A woman is bound as long as her husband is alive, but if her husband dies, she is free. Let her marry whom she pleases,'2 is to be understood, in your opinion, in such a way that, if a man or woman commits adultery, he or she is considered to be dead. Therefore, it is permitted both of them to remarry after the adultery, just as though after death. Chapter 3 (3) After considering your interpretation, I ask you whether everyone is to be considered an adulterer who marries a woman who is not bound to a husband. I think that your answer would be no. For 'A woman, while her husband is alive, will be called an adulteress, if she be with another man,'l because 'she is bound as long as her husband is alive.'2 But, if this bond with her living husband were dissolved, she would marry another with no accusation of adultery. Accordingly, if she is bound as long as her husband lives, she is in no wise said to be freed from this bond except after the death of her husband. Furthermore, if the death of either severs the bond between husband and wife, and if fornication also is equivalent to death, as you say, a woman will undoubtedly be loosed also from this bond when she has committed fornication. Nor will one be...