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Objection 1: It would seem that no gifts should be assigned as dowry
to the blessed. For a dowry (Cod. v, 12, De jure dot. 20:
Dig. xxiii, 3, De jure dot.) is given to the bridegroom for the
upkeep of the burdens of marriage. But the saints resemble not the
bridegroom but the bride, as being members of the Church. Therefore
they receive no dowry.
Objection 2: Further, the dowry is given not by the bridegroom's
father, but by the father of the bride (Cod. v, 11, De dot.
promiss., 1: Dig. xxiii, 2, De rit. nup.). Now all the
beatific gifts are bestowed on the blessed by the father of the
bridegroom, i.e. Christ: "Every best gift and every perfect gift
is from above coming down from the Father of lights." Therefore
these gifts which are bestowed on the blessed should not be called a
dowry.
Objection 3: Further, in carnal marriage a dowry is given that the
burdens of marriage may be the more easily borne. But in spiritual
marriage there are no burdens, especially in the state of the Church
triumphant. Therefore no dowry should be assigned to that state.
Objection 4: Further, a dowry is not given save on the occasion of
marriage. But a spiritual marriage is contracted with Christ by faith
in the state of the Church militant. Therefore if a dowry is
befitting the blessed, for the same reason it will be befitting the
saints who are wayfarers. But it is not befitting the latter: and
therefore neither is it befitting the blessed.
Objection 5: Further, a dowry pertains to external goods, which
are styled goods of fortune: whereas the reward of the blessed will
consist of internal goods. Therefore they should not be called a
dowry.
On the contrary, It is written (Eph. 5:32): "This is a
great sacrament: but I speak in Christ and in the Church." Hence
it follows that the spiritual marriage is signified by the carnal
marriage. But in a carnal marriage the dowered bride is brought to the
dwelling of the bridegroom. Therefore since the saints are brought to
Christ's dwelling when they are beatified, it would seem that they
are dowered with certain gifts.
Further, a dowry is appointed to carnal marriage for the ease of
marriage. But the spiritual marriage is more blissful than the carnal
marriage. Therefore a dowry should be especially assigned thereto.
Further, the adornment of the bride is part of the dowry. Now the
saints are adorned when they are taken into glory, according to Is.
61:10, "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation . .
. as a bride adorned with her jewels." Therefore the saints in
heaven have a dowry.
I answer that, Without doubt the blessed when they are brought into
glory are dowered by God with certain gifts for their adornment, and
this adornment is called their dowry by the masters. Hence the dower
of which we speak now is defined thus: "The dowry is the everlasting
adornment of soul and body adequate to life, lasting for ever in
eternal bliss." This description is taken from a likeness to the
material dowry whereby the bride is adorned and the husband provided
with an adequate support for his wife and children, and yet the dowry
remains inalienable from the bride, so that if the marriage union be
severed it reverts to her. As to the reason of the name there are
various opinions. For some say that the name "dowry" is taken not
from a likeness to the corporeal marriage, but according to the manner
of speaking whereby any perfection or adornment of any person whatever
is called an endowment; thus a man who is proficient in knowledge is
said to be endowed with knowledge, and in this sense ovid employed the
word "endowment" (De Arte Amandi i, 538): "By whatever
endowment thou canst please, strive to please." But this does not
seem quite fitting, for whenever a term is employed to signify a
certain thing principally, it is not usually transferred to another
save by reason of some likeness. Wherefore since by its primary
signification a dowry refers to carnal marriage, it follows that in
every other application of the term we must observe some kind of
likeness to its principal signification. Consequently others say that
the likeness consists in the fact that in carnal marriage a dowry is
properly a gift bestowed by the bridegroom on the bride for her
adornment when she is taken to the bridegroom's dwelling: and that
this is shown by the words of Sichem to Jacob and his sons (Gn.
34:12): "Raise the dowry, and ask gifts," and from Ex.
22:16: "If a man seduce a virgin . . . and lie with her, he
shall endow her, and have her to wife." Hence the adornment bestowed
by Christ on the saints, when they are brought into the abode of
glory, is called a dowry. But this is clearly contrary to what
jurists say, to whom it belongs to treat of these matters. For they
say that a dowry, properly speaking, is a donation on the part of the
wife made to those who are on the part of the husband, in view of the
marriage burden which the husband has to bear; while that which the
bridegroom gives the bride is called "a donation in view of
marriage." In this sense dowry is taken (3 Kgs. 9:16) where
it is stated that "Pharoa, the king of Egypt, took Gezer . . .
and gave it for a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife." Nor do
the authorities quoted prove anything to the contrary. For although it
is customary for a dowry to be given by the maiden's parents, it
happens sometimes that the bridegroom or his father gives the dowry
instead of the bride's father; and this happens in two ways: either
by reason of his very great love for the bride as in the case of
Sichem's father Hemor, who on account of his son's great love for
the maiden wished to give the dowry which he had a right to receive; or
as a punishment on the bridegroom, that he should out of his own
possessions give a dowry to the virgin seduced by him, whereas he
should have received it from the girl's father. In this sense Moses
speaks in the passage quoted above. Wherefore in the opinion of others
we should hold that in carnal marriage a dowry, properly speaking, is
that which is given by those on the wife's side to those on the
husband's side, for the bearing of the marriage burden, as stated
above. Yet the difficulty remains how this signification can be
adapted to the case in point, since the heavenly adornments are given
to the spiritual spouse by the Father of the Bridegroom. This shall
be made clear by replying to the objections.
Reply to Objection 1: Although in carnal marriage the dowry is
given to the bridegroom for his use, yet the ownership and control
belong to the bride: which is evident by the fact that if the marriage
be dissolved, the dowry reverts to the bride according to law (Cap.
1,2,3, De donat. inter virum et uxorem). Thus also in
spiritual marriage, the very adornments bestowed on the spiritual
bride, namely the Church in her members, belong indeed to the
Bridegroom, in so far as they conduce to His glory and honor, yet to
the bride as adorned thereby.
Reply to Objection 2: The Father of the Bridegroom, that is of
Christ, is the Person of the Father alone: while the Father of the
bride is the whole Trinity, since that which is effected in creatures
belongs to the whole Trinity. Hence in spiritual marriage these
endowments, properly speaking, are given by the Father of the bride
rather than by the Father of the Bridegroom. Nevertheless, although
this endowment is made by all the Persons, it may be in a manner
appropriated to each Person. To the Person of the Father, as
endowing, since He possesses authority; and fatherhood in relation to
creatures is also appropriated to Him, so that He is Father of both
Bridegroom and bride. To the Son it is appropriated, inasmuch as it
is made for His sake and through Him: and to the Holy Ghost,
inasmuch as it is made in Him and according to Him, since love is the
reason of all giving [FP, Question 38, Article 2].
Reply to Objection 3: That which is effected by the dowry belongs
to the dowry by its nature, and that is the ease of marriage: while
that which the dowry removes, namely the marriage burden which is
lightened thereby, belongs to it accidentally: thus it belongs to
grace by its nature to make a man righteous, but accidentally to make
an ungodly man righteous. Accordingly, though there are no burdens in
the spiritual marriage, there is the greatest gladness; and that this
gladness may be perfected the bride is dowered with gifts, so that by
their means she may be happily united with the bridegroom.
Reply to Objection 4: The dowry is usually settled on the bride not
when she is espoused, but when she is taken to the bridegroom's
dwelling, so as to be in the presence of the bridegroom, since "while
we are in the body we are absent from the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:6).
Hence the gifts bestowed on the saints in this life are not called a
dowry, but those which are bestowed on them when they are received into
glory, where the Bridegroom delights them with His presence.
Reply to Objection 5: In spiritual marriage inward comeliness is
required, wherefore it is written (Ps. 44:14): "All the
glory of the king's daughter is within," etc. But in carnal
marriage outward comeliness is necessary. Hence there is no need for a
dowry of this kind to be appointed in spiritual marriage as in carnal
marriage.
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