Their enumeration among abuses, in the second place, of the celibacy
of the clergy, and the manner in which their priests marry and persuade
others to marry, are verily matters worthy of astonishment, since they
call sacerdotal celibacy an abuse, when that which is directly contrary,
the violation of celibacy and the illicit transition to marriage,
deserves to be called the worst abuse in priests. For that priests ought
never to marry Aurelius testifys in the second Council of Carthage,
where he says: "Because the apostles taught thus by example, and
antiquity itself has preserved it, let us also maintain it." And a
little before a canon to this effect is read: "Resolved, That the
bishops, presbyters and deacons, or those who administer the sacraments,
abstain, as guardians of chastity, from wives." From these words it is
clear that this tradition has been received from the apostles, and not
recently devised by the Church. Augustine, following Aurelius in the
last question concerning the Old and New Testaments, writes upon these
words, and asks: "If perhaps it be said, if it is lawful and good to
marry, why are not priests permitted to have wives?" Pope Caliztus, a
holy man and a martyr, decided thirteen hundred years ago that priest
should not marry. The like is read also in the holy Councils of
Caesarea, Neocaesarea, Africa, Agde, Gironne, Meaux, and Orleans.
Thus the custom has been observed from the time of the Gospel and the
apostles that one who has been put into the office of priests has never
been permitted, according to law, to marry. It is indeed true that on
account of lack of ministers of God in the primitive Church married men
were admitted to the priesthood, as is clear from the Apostolic Canons
and the reply of Paphnutius in the Council of Nice; nevertheless, those
who wished to contract marriage were compelled to do so before receiving
the subdiaconate, as we read in the canon Si quis corum Dist. 32.
This custom of the primitive Church the Greek Church has preserved and
retained to this day. But when, by the grace of God, the Church has
increased so that there was no lack of ministers in the Church, Pope
Siricius, eleven hundred and forty years ago, undoubtedly not without
the Holy Ghost, enjoined absolute continence upon the priests, Canon
Plurimus, Dist. 82--an injunction which Popes Innocent I., Leo the Great
and Gregory the Great approved and ratified, and which the Latin Church
has everywhere observed to this day. From these facts it is regarded
sufficiently clear that the celibacy of the clergy is not an abuse, and
that it was approved by fathers so holy at such a remote time, and was
received by the entire Latin Church. Besides, the priests of the old
law, as in the case of Zacharias, were separated from their wives at
times when they discharged their office and ministered in the temple.
But since the priest of the new law ought always to be engaged in the
ministry, it follows that he ought always to be continent. Furthermore,
married persons should not defraud one the other of conjugal duties
except for a time that they may give themselves to prayer. 1 Cor.
75. But since a priest ought always to pray, he ought always to be
continent. Besides, St. Paul says: "But I would have you without
carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to
the Lord, that he may please the Lord. But he that is married careth for
the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife," 1 Cor.
7:32, 33. Therefore let the priest who should please God continually
flee from anxiety for a wife, and not look back with Lot's wife, Gen.
19:26. Moreover, sacerdotal continence was foreshadowed also in the Old
Testament, for Moses commanded those who were to receive the law not
to approach their wives until the third day, Ex 19:15. Much less,
therefore, should the priests, who are about to receive Christ as our
Legislator, Lord and Savior, approach wives. Priests were commanded
likewise to wear linen thigh-bandages, to cover the shame of the flesh
(Ex. 28:42); which, says Beda, was a symbol of future continence among
priests. Also, when Ahimelech was about to give the blessed bread to the
servants of David he asked first if they had kept themselves from women
and David replied that they had for three days. 1 Kings 21 (1 Sam.
21:4, 5). Therefore, they who take the living Bread which came down from
heaven, John 6:32ff., should always be pure with respect to them. They
who ate the Passover had their loins girded, Ex. 12:11. Wherefore the
priests, who frequently eat Christ our Passover, ought to gird their
loins by continence and cleanliness, as the Lord commands them: "Be ye
clean," he says, "that bear the vessels of the Lord," Isa. 52:11. "Ye
shall be holy, for I am holy," Lev. 19:2. Therefore let priests serve
God "in holiness and righteousness all their days." Luke 1:75. Hence the
holy martyr Cyprian testifies that it was revealed to him by the Lord,
and he was most solemnly enjoined, to earnestly admonish the clergy
not to occupy a domicile in common with women. Hence, since sacerdotal
continence has been commanded by the pontiffs and revealed by God
and promised to God, by the priest in a special vow, it must not be
rejected. For this is required by the excellency of the sacrifice they
offer, the frequency of prayer, and liberty and purity of spirit, that
they care how to please God, according to the teaching of St. Paul. And
because this is manifestly the ancient heresy of Jovinian, which the
Roman Church condemned and Jerome refuted in his writings, and St.
Augustine said that this heresy was immediately extinguished and did not
attain to the corruption and abuse of priests, the princes ought not to
tolerate it to the perpetual shame and disgrace of the Roman Empire,
but should rather conform themselves to the Church universal, and not be
influenced by those things which are suggested to them. For as to what
Paul says, 1 Cor. 7:2: "To avoid fornication, let every man have his own
wife," Jerome replies that St. Paul is speaking of one who has not made
a vow, as Athanasius and Vulgarius understand the declaration of St.
Paul: "If a virgin marry, she hath not sinned." (1 Cor. 7:28), that here
a virgin is meant who has not been consecrated to God. So in reference
to: "It is better to marry than to burn" (1 Cor. 7:9), the pointed reply
of Jerome against Jovinian is extant. For the same St. Paul says (1 Cor.
7:1): "It is good for a man not to touch a woman." For a priest has
the intermediate position of neither marrying nor burning, but of
restraining himself by the grace of God, which he obtains of God by
devout prayer and chastising of the flesh, by fasting and vigils.
Furthermore, when they say that Christ taught that all men are not fit
for celibacy, it is indeed true, and on this account not all are fit for
the priesthood; but let the priest pray, and he will be ble to receive
Christ's word concerning continence, as St. Paul says: "I can do
all things through Christ which strengtheneth me," Phil. 4:13. For
continence is a gift of God, Wisd. 8:21. Besides, when they allege
that this is God's ordinance and command, Gen. 1:28, Jerome replied
concerning these words a thousand years ago: "It was necessary first to
plant the forest, and that it grow, in order that that might be which
could afterwards be cut down." Then the command was given concerning
the procreation of offspring, that the earth should be replenished, but
since it has been replenished so that there is a pressure of nations,
the commandment does not pertain in like manner upon those able to be
continent. In vain, too, do they boast of God's express order. Let them
show, if they can, where God has enjoined priests to marry. Besides, we
find in the divine law that vows once offered should be paid, Ps. 49 and
75; Eccles. 5, Ps. 50:14, 76:11; Eccles. 5:4. Why, therefore, do they
not observe this express divine law? They also pervert St. Paul, as
though he teaches that one who is to be chosen bishop should be married
when he says: "Let a bishop be the husband of one wife;" which is not
to be understood as though he ought to be married, for then Martin,
Nicolaus, Titus, John the Evangelist, yea Christ, would not have been
bishops. Hence Jerome explains the words of St. Paul, "that a bishop
be the husband of one wife," as meaning that he be not a bigamist.
The truth of this exposition is clear, not only from the authority of
Jerome, which ought to be great with every Catholic, but also from St.
Paul, who writes concerning the selection of widows: "Let not a widow be
taken into the number under three score years, having been the wife of
one man," 1 Tim. 5:9. Lastly, the citation of what was done among the
Germans is the statement of a fact, but not of a law, for while there was
a contention between the Emperor Henry IV, and the Roman Pontiff, and
also between his son and the nobles of the Empire, both divine and
human laws were equally confused, so that at the time the laity rashly
attempted to administer sacred things, to use filth instead of holy oil,
to baptize, and to do much else foreign to the Christian religion. The
clergy likewise went beyond their sphere--a precedent which cannot be
cited as law. Neither was it regarded unjust to dissolve sacrilegious
marriages which had been contracted to no effect in opposition to vows
and the sanction of fathers and councils; as even today the marriages of
priests with their so-called wives are not valid. In vain, therefore,
do they complain that the world is growing old, and that as a remedy for
infirmity rigor should be relaxed, for those who are consecrated to God
have other remedies of infirmities; as, for instance, let them avoid
the society of women, shun idleness, macerate the flesh by fasting and
vigils, keep the outward senses, especially sight and hearing, from
things forbidden, turn away their eyes from beholding vanity, and
finally dash their little ones--i.e. their carnal thoughts--upon a rock
(and Christ is the Rock), suppress their passions, and frequently
and devoutly resort to God in prayer. These are undoubtedly the most
effectual remedies for incontinence in ecclesiastics and servants of
God. St. Paul said aright that the doctrine of those who forbid marriage
is a doctrine of demons. Such was the doctrine of Tatian and Marcoin,
whom Augustine and Jerome have mentioned. But the Church does not
thus forbid marriage, as she even enumerates marriage among the seven
sacraments; with which, however, it is consistent that on account of
their superior ministry she should enjoin upon ecclesiastics superior
purity. For it is false that there is an express charge concerning
contracting marriage, for then John the Evangelist, St. James,
Laurentius, Titus, Martin, Catharine, Barbara, etc., would have sinned.
Nor is Cyprian influenced by these considerations to speak of a virgin
who had made a solemn vow, but of one who had determined to live
continently, as the beginning of Letter XI., Book I sufficiently shows.
For the judgement of St. Augustine is very explicit: "It is damnable for
Virgins who make a vow not only to marry, but even to wish to marry."
Hence the abuse of marriage and the breaking of vows in the clergy are
not to be tolerated.