Commentaria in Summam contra Gentiles, Liber IV

After St. Thomas determined about the sacrament of Order, in the last place he determines about the sacrament of Matrimony¹. And he lays down five conclusions.

Of these the first is: In the faithful people generation must exist. It is proved. The people of the faithful must be perpetuated until the end of the world. Therefore etc. - The consequence is proved. Because, although through the sacraments men are restored to grace, they are not, however, at once restored to immortality. But whatever things are corruptible cannot be perpetuated except through generation.

II. The second conclusion is: Matrimony, insofar as it consists in the union of man and woman intending to generate and educate offspring for the worship of God, is the Church's sacrament.

For the evidence of this, St. Thomas notes that, since human generation is ordered to the perpetuity of the species; to the perpetuity of some political good, for example, of a people in some city; and to the perpetuity of the Church, which consists in the gathering of the faithful: it is necessary that generation of this kind be directed by diverse things, because, when something is ordered to diverse ends, it needs diverse directors to the end, since the end is proportioned to the agent. Hence, as to the first, it is necessary that it be directed by nature inclining to this end, and thus it is called the office of nature. As to the second, it is subject to the ordinance of civil law. As to the third, however, it is necessary that it be subject to ecclesiastical governance.

This being supposed, it is argued thus. Those things which are dispensed to the people by the ministers of the Church are called sacraments. Matrimony is of this kind: because a certain blessing is bestowed on the marrying by the ministers of the Church. Therefore etc.

2. Concerning this argument, note first, that this proposition, Those things which are dispensed to the people by the ministers of the Church are called sacraments, stands in need of limitation. For it is understood of those things which have been instituted as a remedy for some spiritual defect: just as matrimony is ordered to restrain concupiscence. Hence St. Thomas, in the Quarto, d. xxxviii, q. 1, a. 5, ad 2, says that the consecration of virgins, the anointing of kings, and things of this kind, are not sacraments, although in them grace is given, because they were not instituted for the cure of the disease of sin, as the other sacraments were.

3. Note second, that matrimony is said to be dispensed by the ministers of the Church, not indeed as regards something that is of the essence of the sacrament: but as regards something accidental, which is completing and perfecting it, such as is the blessing of the marrying. For no act of a minister of the Church is of its essence, but only the act of the contracting parties, according to St. Thomas²: for the words expressing consent are the form of matrimony, but the other acts of the contracting parties are the matter. Hence St. Thomas also adduces, as a sign of dispensation of this kind, that a certain blessing is bestowed on the marrying by the ministers of the Church. For something to need a minister, whether of necessity or as regards solemnity, is a sign that it is the Church's sacrament, if it is bestowed for causing some spiritual remedy.

III. The third conclusion is: In this sacrament, through the union of man and woman, the union of Christ and the Church is figured: just as also in the other sacraments, through the things that are done outwardly, something spiritual is signified. It is proved by that saying of the Apostle, Ephes. v, This sacrament etc.

Note that, just as in the other sacraments there are three things, namely the sacrament only, the reality and the sacrament, and the reality only, so also is it in matrimony. For, according to St. Thomas, Quarto, d. xxvi, q. II, a. 1³, the sacrament only are the acts appearing outwardly, which, as they are the sacrament, represent, by divine institution, the interior reality caused through them, as it sanctifies the contracting parties, and the union of Christ and the Church. The reality and the sacrament is the obligation which is born of the man toward the woman from acts of this kind expressing interior consent: or it is a certain spiritual conjunction and union of the contracting parties, caused by mutual consent and by the exterior acts expressing consent; which indeed seems to be a certain power which the spouses receive over one another, together with a real relation of the one to the other; just as likewise in other things union denotes a certain absolute in which things are united, and a relation founded upon that absolute. The reality, however, is the effect for which this sacrament was instituted: namely the repression of concupiscence through aiding grace; and the union of Christ and the Church.

2. Note also, from the doctrine of St. Thomas in the place above-cited⁴, that, since in this sacrament the reality is twofold, the one, namely the repression of concupiscence through grace, is signified and contained in it in some way virtually, as that which is caused instrumentally and dispositively. The other, however, namely the union of Christ and the Church, is signified only, but not contained.

IV. The fourth conclusion is: It must be believed that to the marrying, through this sacrament, grace is conferred, by which the contracting parties pertain to the union of Christ and the Church. It is proved. Both because the sacraments effect what they figure. And because this is most necessary for them, that they so attend to carnal and earthly things that they are not separated from Christ and the Church.

Note that the union of Christ and the Church can be considered in two ways. In one way, absolutely and in common: and thus the sacrament of matrimony does not effect it, but only signifies it. For this reason St. Thomas says in the Quarto⁵, that it is a reality neither contained nor caused. — In the other way, as it is determined to those pertaining to the Church and united to Christ. And thus matrimony effects this union dispositively and instrumentally, causing grace, through which one pertains completely to the Church, and is united to Christ through charity. And in this sense it is understood here that matrimony effects this union.

V. Concerning this conclusion, however, a doubt occurs from Durandus, in Capreolus, Quarto, d. xxvi⁶. For it seems that matrimony does not confer grace. Partly because it seems to cast down from a more perfect state: namely from the state of continence, which is more perfect than the conjugal state, according to the Apostle, I Cor. vii⁷.

And because canonists seem to hold this: namely for the reason that in matrimony prices intervene, and pecuniary conditions are attached: nor are their writings reprobated by the Church in this regard.

2. To the first of these it is said that indeed matrimony confers grace on one not having it, unless he places an obstacle: but on one having it, it increases it, just as also the other sacraments do.

It is said second that, comparing the state of continence to the conjugal state absolutely, and act to act according to kind, the state of continence is better than the conjugal state: and in this way the Apostle compares continence to the conjugal state. But comparing the state of continence to matrimony insofar as it is a sacrament, thus matrimony is more perfect than continence, as regards the work wrought. For through the work wrought of matrimony, that is, through the sacrament itself, or through the exterior acts of the contracting parties by which their consent is expressed, grace is conferred: but not through the state of the continent person, of which it is not the function to cause grace effectively, as the sacraments cause it; although the continent person, from the work working, that is, from his own action, merits greater grace than the nuptial state. Hence it is not true that matrimony, insofar as it is a sacrament, casts down from a more perfect state: although it does this insofar as it is a certain state, or a part of temperance.

3. To the second it is said first, that the saying of those canonists is not to be held in this part. Nor does their motive avail. For according to St. Thomas⁸, a pecuniary pact does not intervene in matrimony on that part by which it is a sacrament, in which way it has the power to confer grace, whence to receive something for the nuptial blessing is simony: but on that part by which it is in the office of nature, just as also in other civil and corporal offices it is not unfitting to interpose a condition of a temporal thing.

It is said second, that perhaps the Roman Church dissembles this opinion, although it is contrary to the sayings of the saints: just as it dissembles many other opinions also.

VI. The fifth conclusion is: It is necessary that matrimony, insofar as it is the Church's sacrament, be of one to one, to be had indivisibly. It is proved. Partly because the union of Christ and the Church is of one to one, to be had perpetually: since the Church is one, according to that saying of Cant. vi, One is etc.; nor is Christ ever to be separated from her, according to that saying of Matth. ult., Behold I etc.; and I Thess. iv, Always we shall be with the Lord. But it is necessary that the figure correspond to the signated.

And because this pertains to the faith by which husband and wife are obligated to each other.

VII. From these St. Thomas infers as a corollary that three are the goods of matrimony, insofar as it is the Church's sacrament: namely offspring, to be received and educated for the worship of God; faith, in that one man is obligated to one wife; and the sacrament, in that matrimonial conjunction has indivisibility, insofar as it is the sacrament of the union of Christ and the Church.

Note, from the doctrine of St. Thomas in the Quarto, d. xxxi, q. I, a. 2, ad ult., that we can understand sacramentum to be counted among the goods of matrimony in two ways. In one way, taking sacramentum, not for the sacrament of matrimony itself, but for its inseparability, which signifies the same as matrimony, namely the inseparable union of Christ and the Church: for thus it can be called a sacrament, because it is the sign of a sacred thing. In the other way, taking the sacrament for the sacrament of matrimony itself, insofar as it is a sacrament. For thus it is placed as a good of matrimony, honoring it, insofar as it is in the office of nature. And thus by the name of sacrament is understood not only inseparability, but also all things that pertain to its signification. — It seems, however, that St. Thomas takes sacramentum here in the first way.

The rest, says St. Thomas, which are to be considered about matrimony, have been treated above in the Third Book: where, namely, it was determined about matrimony, not insofar as it is a sacrament, but insofar as it is in the office of nature, and pertains to civic life.

Note that this sacrament is not of necessity simpliciter: but it is for well-being, insofar as it preserves the multitude of the Church through propagation.

Lastly, concerning this determination about the sacraments, it must be considered that St. Thomas here determines about the sacraments summarily, and touches few things about them. Because, since he published this book against the Gentiles, it was not necessary to adduce the reason of all things that are done in the sacraments, but it sufficed for him to show that the use of the sacraments in the Church was reasonably instituted, and that each sacrament has some reason. In the Quarto of the Sentences⁹, however, and in the Third Part¹⁰, where he intends to explain to the faithful those things that are of faith, he makes a more exact determination about the sacraments.