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To His Wife

Chapter IX.

What am I to fasten on as the cause of this madness, except the weakness of faith, ever prone to the concupiscences of worldly ¹ joys?--which, indeed, is chiefly found among the wealthier; for the more any is rich, and inflated with the name of "matron," the more capacious house does she require for her burdens, as it were a field wherein ambition may run its course. To such the churches look paltry. A rich man is a difficult thing (to find) in the house of God; ² and if such an one is (found there), difficult (is it to find such) unmarried. What, then, are they to do? Whence but from the devil are they to seek a husband apt for maintaining their sedan, and their mules, and their hair-curlers of outlandish stature? A Christian, even although rich, would perhaps not afford (all) these. Set before yourself, I beg of you, the examples of Gentiles. Most Gentile women, noble in extraction and wealthy in property, unite themselves indiscriminately with the ignoble and the mean, sought out for themselves for luxurious, or mutilated for licentious, purposes. Some take up with their own freedmen and slaves, despising public opinion, provided they may but have (husbands) from whom to fear no impediment to their own liberty. To a Christian believer it is irksome to wed a believer inferior to herself in estate, destined as she will be to have her wealth augmented in the person of a poor husband! For if it is "the poor," not the rich, "whose are the kingdoms of the heavens," ³ the rich will find more in the poor (than she brings him, or than she would in the rich). She will be dowered with an ampler dowry from the goods of him who is rich in God. Let her be on an equality with him on earth, who in the heavens will perhaps not be so. Is there need for doubt, and inquiry, and repeated deliberation, whether he whom God has entrusted with His own property ⁴ is fit for dotal endowments? ⁵ Whence are we to find (words) enough fully to tell the happiness of that marriage which the Church cements, and the oblation confirms, and the benediction signs and seals; (which) angels carry back the news of (to heaven), (which) the Father holds for ratified? For even on earth children ⁶ do not rightly and lawfully wed without their fathers' consent. What kind of yoke is that of two believers, (partakers) of one hope, one desire, ⁷ one discipline, one and the same service? Both (are) brethren, both fellow servants, no difference of spirit or of flesh; nay, (they are) truly "two in one flesh." ⁸ Where the flesh is one, one is the spirit too. Together they pray, together prostrate themselves, together perform their fasts; mutually teaching, mutually exhorting, ⁹ mutually sustaining. Equally (are they) both (found) in the Church of God; equally at the banquet of God; equally in straits, in persecutions, in refreshments. Neither hides (ought) from the other; neither shuns the other; neither is troublesome to the other. The sick is visited, the indigent relieved, with freedom. Alms (are given) without (danger of ensuing) torment; sacrifices (attended) without scruple; daily diligence (discharged) without impediment: (there is) no stealthy signing, no trembling greeting, no mute benediction. Between the two echo psalms and hymns; ¹⁰ and they mutually challenge each other which shall better chant to their Lord. Such things when Christ sees and hears, He joys. To these He sends His own peace. ¹¹ Where two (are), there withal (is) He Himself. ¹² Where He (is), there the Evil One is not.

These are the things which that utterance of the apostle has, beneath its brevity, left to be understood by us. These things, if need shall be, suggest to your own mind. By these turn yourself away from the examples of some. To marry otherwise is, to believers, not "lawful;" is not "expedient." ¹³

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Die zwei Bücher an seine Frau

9. Rein christliche Ehen dagegen erfreuen sich des Segens der Kirche und führen zu gegenseitiger Heiligung der beiden Ehegatten.

S. 84 Darf man nun noch zweifeln, fragen und wiederholt überlegen, ob der, dem der liebe Gott seine Schätze anvertraut hat, für die zugebrachte Mitgift tüchtig genug sei? Woher soll ich die Kräfte nehmen, um das Glück einer Ehe zu schildern, welche vor der Kirche eingegangen, durch die Darbringung¹ bestätigt, mit dem Segen besiegelt ist, welche die Engel ansagen und der himmlische Vater genehm hält? Es ist ja nicht einmal auf Erden recht und gesetzlich, wenn Kinder ohne die Einwilligung der Eltern heiraten. Welch schönes Zweigespann sind ein Paar Gläubige, die eine Hoffnung, ein Ziel ihrer Wünsche, einerlei Lebensweise und dieselbe Art des Dienstes haben! Sie beide sind Geschwister, Mitknechte, es ist kein Unterschied vorhanden, weder an Geist noch an Körper. Sie beten zu gleicher Zeit, sie werfen sich zusammen nieder, sie halten zu gleicher Zeit die Fasten, sie belehren, sie ermahnen, sie tragen sich gegenseitig. Sie finden sich in gleicher Weise in der Kirche Gottes und beim Tische des Herrn ein, sowie sie sich auch in Bedrängnissen, bei Verfolgungen und in guten Tagen in gleicher Weise verhalten. Keins hat vor dem ändern Heimlichkeiten, keins meidet das andere, keins wird dem ändern zur Last. Gern besucht man die Kranken und kommt dem Dürftigen zu Hilfe. Die Almosen werden gereicht ohne lange Quälerei, das Opfer gehalten ohne Erregung von Verdruss, die tägliche Beobachtung der Religion ist ungehindert. Die Bekreuzung findet nicht verstohlen statt, die Beglückwünschungen nicht mit Zittern, der Segen wird nicht bloß in Gedanken gesprochen. Aus beider Munde ertönen Psalmen und Hymnen, und sie fordern sich gegenseitig zum Wettstreite heraus, wer wohl am besten dem Herrn lobsingen könne. Dergleichen zu sehen und zu hören ist ein Gegenstand der Freude für Christus. Solchen sendet er seinen Frieden.