Whether Virginity Is More Excellent Than Marriage?
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.
Obj. 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.
Obj. 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" [Vulg.: 'the Lord'], 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 Obj. 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 Obj. 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 Obj. 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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