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Objection 1: It would seem that virginity is not more excellent than
marriage. For Augustine says (De Bono Conjug. xxi):
"Continence was equally meritorious in John who remained unmarried
and Abraham who begot children." Now a greater virtue has greater
merit. Therefore virginity is not a greater virtue than conjugal
chastity.
Objection 2: Further, the praise accorded a virtuous man depends on
his virtue. If, then, virginity were preferable to conjugal
continence, it would seem to follow that every virgin is to be praised
more than any married woman. But this is untrue. Therefore virginity
is not preferable to marriage.
Objection 3: Further, the common good takes precedence of the
private good, according to the Philosopher (Ethic. i, 2). Now
marriage is directed to the common good: for Augustine says (De
Bono Conjug. xvi): "What food is to a man's wellbeing, such is
sexual intercourse to the welfare of the human race." On the other
hand, virginity is ordered to the individual good, namely in order to
avoid what the Apostle calls the "tribulation of the flesh," to
which married people are subject (1 Cor. 7:28). Therefore
virginity is not greater than conjugal continence.
On the contrary, Augustine says (De Virgin. xix): "Both solid
reason and the authority of Holy Writ show that neither is marriage
sinful, nor is it to be equaled to the good of virginal continence or
even to that of widowhood."
I answer that, According to Jerome (Contra Jovin. i) the error
of Jovinian consisted in holding virginity not to be preferable to
marriage. This error is refuted above all by the example of Christ
Who both chose a virgin for His mother, and remained Himself a
virgin, and by the teaching of the Apostle who (1 Cor. 7)
counsels virginity as the greater good. It is also refuted by reason,
both because a Divine good takes precedence of a human good, and
because the good of the soul is preferable to the good of the body, and
again because the good of the contemplative life is better than that of
the active life. Now virginity is directed to the good of the soul in
respect of the contemplative life, which consists in thinking "on the
things of God", whereas marriage is directed to the good of the
body, namely the bodily increase of the human race, and belongs to the
active life, since the man and woman who embrace the married life have
to think "on the things of the world," as the Apostle says (1
Cor. 7:34). Without doubt therefore virginity is preferable to
conjugal continence.
Reply to Objection 1: Merit is measured not only by the kind of
action, but still more by the mind of the agent. Now Abraham had a
mind so disposed, that he was prepared to observe virginity, if it
were in keeping with the times for him to do so. Wherefore in him
conjugal continence was equally meritorious with the virginal continence
of John, as regards the essential reward, but not as regards the
accidental reward. Hence Augustine says (De Bono Conjug. xxi)
that both "the celibacy of John and the marriage of Abraham fought
Christ's battle in keeping with the difference of the times: but
John was continent even in deed, whereas Abraham was continent only
in habit."
Reply to Objection 2: Though virginity is better than conjugal
continence, a married person may be better than a virgin for two
reasons. First, on the part of chastity itself; if to wit, the
married person is more prepared in mind to observe virginity, if it
should be expedient, than the one who is actually a virgin. Hence
Augustine (De Bono Conjug. xxii) charges the virgin to say: "I
am no better than Abraham, although the chastity of celibacy is better
than the chastity of marriage." Further on he gives the reason for
this: "For what I do now, he would have done better, if it were
fitting for him to do it then; and what they did I would even do now
if it behooved me now to do it." Secondly, because perhaps the
person who is not a virgin has some more excellent virtue. Wherefore
Augustine says (De Virgin. xliv): "Whence does a virgin know
the things that belong to the Lord, however solicitous she be about
them, if perchance on account of some mental fault she be not yet ripe
for martyrdom, whereas this woman to whom she delighted in preferring
herself is already able to drink the chalice of the Lord?"
Reply to Objection 3: The common good takes precedence of the
private good, if it be of the same genus: but it may be that the
private good is better generically. It is thus that the virginity that
is consecrated to God is preferable to carnal fruitfulness. Hence
Augustine says (De Virgin. ix): "It must be confessed that the
fruitfulness of the flesh, even of those women who in these times seek
naught else from marriage but children in order to make them servants of
Christ, cannot compensate for lost virginity."
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