To the Benevolent Reader

After the pastoral questions concerning the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance, learnedly and lucidly arranged by R. P. Merkelbach, O.P., our purpose is to attempt a similar work concerning the sacrament of matrimony, so that the pastoral treatise on the sacraments may thus be completed. The office of pastoral theology is wholly practical, since its proximate end is to guide pastors of souls in fulfilling their office faithfully, prudently, and with spiritual fruit. Therefore in this treatise concerning the sacrament of matrimony our scope will be above all practical: namely, to provide parish priests and confessors, and also young men who are being taught the pastoral art, with brief, clear, certain, and, so far as possible, complete notions concerning matrimonial matters insofar as these concern them. We cannot, indeed, pass over the dogmatic part altogether, since it exists in great part as the principle and source of matrimonial legislation. But it will be enough for us briefly to indicate the theses which pertain to that part. We have also judged it better to abstain from enumerating individually the authors who favor or oppose this or that opinion. Thus we believe that we are serving brevity and lucidity. The reader will at once notice, by scanning the index with his eyes, that we have omitted those things which pertain to the conjugal debt and the sins of spouses. The reason is that R. P. Merkelbach, in the excellent book Concerning Chastity and Lust, which was the first published among the Pastoral Questions, has arranged that matter very well. It was proper for us to refer the reader to his work, lest we do again what has already been done.