Doubt II: Whether virginity excels conjugal continence

The Holy Doctor distinguishes in this way: we can consider in the Virgin the habit of the virtue as it is opposed to vice, the state of perfection of it, and its beauty.

With respect to the habit, he who by his nature recedes from vice and advances toward virtue, and does not stop here, is more perfect: such is the Virgin, tending toward virtue as it is opposed to vice, in which sense a continent widow, or a married woman, can be continent out of interior love of the virtue and hatred of the opposed vice; or it can also be that a virgin excels.

With respect to the beauty, Virginity always excels marriage, because in the latter there is corruption; in the former incorruption.

With respect to the state, one must distinguish the states of the times. For either they are compared according to the same time, whether of law, or of grace. In the time of the law marriage was preferred; for then Virginity was forbidden, and the barren woman was cursed; but in the time of the law of grace, where fruitfulness of the womb is not required, but incorruption and purity of mind, Virginity is preferred.

But if each is considered in its own times, as conjugal continence in the time of the law, and virginity in the time of grace; each in its best condition; then state is not preferred to state, nor merit to merit, provided that Charity be equal; and this is what St. August. said de bono coniugali, cap. 21. cited by the Master, that the celibacy of John is not preferred to the marriage of Abraham; each taken in its own time.

Therefore virginal continence is more worthy by reason of the states referred to the time of grace, and by reason of the beauty of virginity.

I assert therefore, that virginity excels conjugal continence, and the virgin the married woman.

The first part is of faith against Jovinian the heretic, as Jerome relates in two books against him, and St. Augustine lib. de haeres., cap. 82. The other part is of faith against Luther in the Epithalamium, where he says the married woman, before God, is better than the virgin.

It is proved therefore first by the Holy Doctor, because the virtue which is concerned with an object more placed in the arduous is of greater perfection; but the object of virginity is more arduous than that of conjugal continence: Therefore. This is nearly the argument by which the Apostle in 1 Cor. 7. proves our assertion, for there he persuades virginity as more perfect, and permits marriage to those not daring to aspire to so great a perfection, because it is better to marry than to burn, and he concludes, Therefore he that joineth his virgin in marriage doth well: and he that doth not join her, doth better.

Hence St. Bonaventure adds another argument from the same Apostle. The works of perfection are of counsel, and those of lesser perfection are of indulgence: but virginity is of counsel: But concerning virgins I give counsel, 1 Cor. 7. but marriage is of indulgence: By indulgence I speak. It is confirmed by St. Bonavent. in Compend. Theol. lib. 5. cap. 70. for as something sublime Christ persuades virginity, saying: He that can take, let him take it.

He proves thirdly, to whom a greater fruit belongs, that is more perfect: but a greater fruit is offered to virginity, which is the hundredfold; but to continence the thirtyfold: Therefore. The minor is evident from the PP. on the parable.

He proves fourthly by the argument of Christ Matthew 22. That state which is more like the Angels is more perfect: such is virginity: Therefore.

The Holy Doctor uses the same argument de profectu Religiosi, cap. 52. et seqq.

That virgins in concreto also precede the married: it is proved from the Holy Fathers by St. Bonavent. lib. 1. Phar. cap. 38. St. Augustine de S. Virginitate, c. 12. says: Certainly the Virgins will have something great besides the rest in that common immortality of the saints, since they have something already not of the flesh in the flesh. And cap. 27. on those words: For they are virgins, and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. Whither do we think this lamb goes? Surely whither no one can either dare or be able to follow him, except you. Whither do we think he goes, into what leaps and meadows? where I believe the grass is joys, not the vain joys of this age, insane and lying, nor joys such as in the very kingdom of God belong to the others who are not virgins; but distinguished from the lot of all the rest. The joys of the virgins of Christ are of Christ, in Christ, with Christ, after Christ, through Christ, on account of Christ. The proper joys of the Virgins of Christ are not the same as those of those who are not virgins, though they are Christ's. For others have other joys, but none such.

The same, epist. 79.: Let a girl rejoice more that she is noble by birth, but more noble by holiness, in that she is about to attain in the heavens a special sublimity through divine companionship, than if she were to raise on earth through human marriage a sublime offspring.

St. Cyprian de disciplina, et habitu virg. cap. 3. on those words: they follow the Lamb, etc. says: If continence follows Christ, and virginity is destined for the kingdom of God, what have the virgins of Christ to do with earthly adornment.

St. Ambrose tract. de hort. ad Virgines: Those who do not marry, nor take wives, are as the Angels of God on earth, so that as if stripped of the infirmity of the body, they think not as belonging to man, but as belonging to God. The same in de Virginibus: Consider that the Virgins merited to see the resurrection of the Lord before the Apostles: for among these Peter had been married.

St. Jerome epist. 11. cited by St. Bonavent. cap. 41.: Since the hundredth, and sixtieth, and thirtieth fruit befit the Gospels as seed sown in good earth; and the hundredfold holds the first degree for the crown of virginity: the sixtyfold for the labor of widows is in second number: the thirtyfold bears witness by the very joining of fingers to the bonds of marriage, etc.

You will object first, with Brentius, to St. Augustine lib. de bono coniugali, cap. 21. where he says: The merit of continence is not unequal in John, who never experienced marriage, and in Abraham, who begat sons.

Bellarminus answers lib. 2. de monachis, cap. 32. from St. Bonavent. here, that he speaks according to the states of different men; for thus virginity is not compared with conjugal continence, but each is taken disparately for its own state, in which the perfection of Abraham could have been not inferior, if the Charity had been equal.

You will object secondly, it is more laborious to use evil well than to use good well, and the former is more perfect: but conjugal continence uses well the evil of concupiscence, breaking it for conjugal acts: Therefore.

The Holy Doctor answers, that what is more laborious, other things being equal, is more perfect; but virginity is more laborious, while it wholly bridles the evil of concupiscence. Next he says, that the other things are not equal, therefore a greater perfection does not follow; just as also the active life is more laborious than the contemplative, to which virginity leads, and yet the latter is more perfect, because it draws nearer to God.

You will object thirdly. If the best of one genus is better than the best of another genus, then that is better: but the best fruitfulness, which is that of the B. Virgin, is better than the best virginity. For the B. Virgin is better because a mother than because a Virgin: Therefore.

He answers, the minor would be true if that fruitfulness proceeded from the nature of material fruitfulness itself, but it proceeds from a singular operation of the Holy Spirit, which is not extended to other fruitfulnesses.

You will object fourthly; that which conduces to more things, especially to glory, is better; but conjugal continence conduces to more things, namely, to offspring, and to the number of the elect; but virginity profits one alone: Therefore.

He answers, that which avails for more things is better insofar as it is intense as to one; but virginity avails for one thing more perfectly than the perfections of marriage, supposing the state in which human generations are not lacking from elsewhere.

You will object fifthly: The barren earth is cursed

The Holy Doctor answers. Virginity has the hundredfold fruit.

You will object lastly. If man had stood, he would have had perfect virtues, yet not virginity.

It is answered, that then he would not have had the state of virginity, but only the habit, which state is truly more perfect in many respects after the fall, thus the state of fortitude with respect to Martyrdom, etc.