About the Author

Saint Augustine (354 – 430 AD) was slowly brought to Christianity via the philosophy of Platonism and the gnostic cult of the Manichees. He tells the whole story of his conversion with introspective honesty in his Confessions. Augustine’s search is a model for many Christians, as were his words, credo ut intelligam, I believe in order that I may understand. Even after Augustine became a Christian, and eventually was appointed Bishop of Hippo in North Africa, he argued against the errors of his old confreres, the Manichees. The Manichees believed that the Old Testament and the New Testament described two different gods, a bad god in the Old Testament, and a good god in the New. They thought they had a good case to make against the Christians on the issue of marriage, because Christians like Augustine were celibate while the biblical patriarchs had been married, often to several wives. Wasn’t that clear evidence of two completely different standards? Here in “On the Good of Marriage”, Augustine explains the Christian position.

Saint Augustine on why Marriage is Good

1. Now since each man is a part of the human race, and human nature is something social, and has for a great and natural good the ability to find friendship; on this account God willed to create all men out of one, in order that they might be held in their society not only by likeness of kind, but also by bond of kindred. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one out of the other, setting a sign also of the power of the union in the side, whence she was drawn, was formed. For they are joined one to another side by side, who walk together, and look together where they are walking. Next in their friendship is the connection of children, which is the one worthy fruit, not of the union of male and female, but of sexual intercourse. For it would be possible that there should exist in either sex, even without such intercourse, a certain friendly and true union of the one ruling, and the other obeying.

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3. This we now say, that, in our mortal condition, which we know, and in which we have been created, the marriage of male and female is a good thing. It is a compact which divine Scripture so commends, as that neither is it allowed for a woman put away her husband to marry, so long as her husband lives: nor is it allowed for a man put away his wife to marry another, unless she who has separated from him has died. Therefore, concerning the good of marriage, which the Lord confirmed in the Gospel, not only in that He forbade a man to put away a wife, except because of fornication, but also in that He accepted the invitation to attend a marriage, there is good reason to ask how it is a good. And this seems not to me to be merely on account of the begetting of children, but also on account of the natural society itself in a difference of sex. Otherwise it would not any longer be called marriage in the case of old persons, especially if either they had lost sons, or had given birth to none.

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9. Truly we must consider, that God gives us some goods, which are to be sought for their own sake, such as wisdom, health, friendship: but others, which are necessary for the sake of somewhat, such as learning, meat, drink, sleep, marriage, sexual intercourse. For of these certain are necessary for the sake of wisdom, like learning: certain for the sake of health, like meat and drink and sleep: certain for the sake of friendship, like marriage or sexual intercourse: for hence subsists the propagation of the human kind, wherein friendly fellowship is a great good. These goods, therefore, which are necessary for the sake of something else, whoever uses not for the purpose, wherefore they were instituted, sins; in some cases venially, in other cases damnably. But whoever uses them for this purpose, wherefore they were given does well. Therefore, to whomever they are not necessary, if he does not use them, he does better. Wherefore, these goods, when we need them, we do well to wish for them; but we do better not to wish than to wish: because ourselves are in a better state, when we account them not necessary. And on this account it is good to marry, because it is good to beget children, to be a mother of a family: but it is better not to marry, because it is better not to stand in need of this work, in order to human fellowship itself. For such is the state of the human race now, that … there are many people alive, and many children are born, among whom can be found holy friendships.

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13. What therefore [Saint Paul] says, “She, that is unmarried, thinks of the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit;” we are not to understand to mean that a chaste Christian wife is not holy in body. After all it was said to all the faithful “Do you not know that your bodies are a temple of the Holy Ghost within you, Whom you have from God?” Therefore the bodies of the married are holy too, so long as they keep faith to one another and to God. And that the sanctity of either of them, even an unbelieving partner does not stand in the way of. Rather the sanctity of the wife profits the unbelieving husband, and the sanctity of the husband profits the unbelieving wife, the same Apostle is witness, saying, “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in a brother.” Wherefore that was said according to the greater sanctity of the unmarried than of the married, unto which there is also due a greater reward, according as, the one being a good, the other is a greater good: inasmuch as also she has this thought only, how to please the Lord. For it is not that a female who believes, keeping married chastity, thinks not how to please the Lord; but assuredly less so, in that she thinks of the things of the world, how to please her husband. For this is what he would say of them, that they may, in a certain way, find themselves obliged by marriage to think of the things of the world, how to please their husbands.

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32. Therefore the good of marriage throughout all nations and all men stands in the occasion of begetting, and faith of chastity: but, so far as pertains unto the People of God, also in the sanctity of the Sacrament, by reason of which it is unlawful for one who leaves her husband, even when she has been put away, to be married to another, so long as her husband lives, no not even for the sake of bearing children: and, even though the begetting of children is why marriage takes place, and not even in those cases where the reason for marriage taking place does not happen the marriage bond is not loosed, except by the death of the husband or wife. Similarly if there is an ordination of clergy in order to form a congregation of people, even if no congregation of people actually come, yet there remains in the ordained persons the Sacrament of Ordination; and if, for any fault, any be removed from his office, he will not be without the Sacrament of the Lord once for all set upon him, even if he is continuing to condemnation. Therefore that marriage takes place for the sake of begetting children, the Apostle is a witness thus, “I will,” says he, “that the younger women be married.” And, as though it were said to him, For what purpose? Straightway he added, “to have children, to be mothers of families.” But unto the faith of chastity pertains that saying, “The wife has not power of her own body, but the husband: likewise also the husband has not power of his own body, but the wife.” But unto the sanctity of the Sacrament that saying, “The wife not to depart from her husband, but, in case she shall have departed, to remain unmarried, or to be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.” All these are goods, on account of which marriage is a good; offspring, faith, sacrament. But now, at this time, not to seek offspring after the flesh, and by this means to maintain a certain perpetual freedom from every such work, and to be made subject after a spiritual manner unto one Husband Christ, is assuredly better and holier; provided, that is, men so use that freedom, as it is written, so as to have their thoughts of the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord; that is, that Continence at all times do take thought, that obedience fall not short in any matter: and this virtue, as the root-virtue, and (as it is wont to be called) the womb, and clearly universal, the holy fathers of old exercised in deed; but that Continence they possessed in habit of mind. Who assuredly, through that obedience, whereby they were just and holy, and ever prepared unto every good work, even if they were bidden to abstain from all sexual intercourse, would perform it. For how much more easily could they, at the bidding or exhortation of God, not use sexual intercourse, who, as an act of obedience, could slay the child, for the begetting of which alone they used the ministry of sexual intercourse?

(Adapted from the Rev. C. L. Cornish translation)