Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/46

 in three ways; which, secondly, implies three conditions.

I. On the first head it is to be noted that the literal marriage (1) God ordained in Paradise Gen. i. 28, " God blessed them and said, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth." (2) He confirmed it by His Word S. Matt. xix. 6, " What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." (3) He honoured it by His presence " Both Jesus was called," etc. (4) He magnified it by a miracle - "The ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine."

II. On the second head it is to be noted that in literal marriages there should be present three good qualities. (1) Faith, that the marriage bed be not violated - 1 Cor. vii. 4, " The husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife." (2) Offspring, that children may be generated for the Lord - 1 S. Tim. ii. 15, " She shall be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith." (3) An oath, that neither can be separated the one from the other- Eph. v. 32, "This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church." The first good despoils the adulterers, of whom Heb. xiii. 4 " Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge;" the second, those who either procure barrenness, or bring up their children not to worship and serve God; the third, those who commit adultery, or marry two wives at the same time - Rom. vii. 3, " If while her husband liveth she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress." So we learn what are the hindrances to unlawful marriage.

In these words, according to a twofold exposition, two sins are prohibited—the sins of pride and avarice. The text is then explained thus: “ Be not wise in your own