the matrimonial link were dissolved, the wife might lawfully, and without the guilt of adultery, take another husband; yet our Lord expressly declares, that " whoever shall dismiss his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery." [1] The bond of marriage, therefore, can be dissolved by death alone, and this the Apostle confirms when he says: " A woman is bound by the law, as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband die, she is at liberty: let her marry whom she will, only in the Lord." and again: " To them that are married, not I, but the Lord commandeth, that the wife depart not from her husband, and if she depart, that she remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband." [2] Thus to her who has separated from her husband, even for a just cause, the only alternative left by the Apostle is to remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: the Church, unless influenced by very weighty causes, does not sanction the separation of husband and wife.
That this the law of marriage may not appear too rigorous, its beneficial consequences are to be presented to the consideration of the faithful. In the first place, they should know that the choice of a companion for life should be influenced by virtue and congeniality of disposition, rather than by wealth or beauty; a consideration which confessedly is of the highest practical importance to the interests of society. Besides, if marriage were dissoluble by divorce, married persons could scarcely ever want causes of dissension, which the inveterate enemy of peace and virtue would never fail to supply; whereas, when the faithful reflect that, although separated as to bed and board, they are still bound by the tie of marriage, and that all hope of a second marriage is cut off, they are more slow to anger and more averse to dissension; and if sometimes separated, feeling the many inconveniencies that attend their separation, their reconciliation is easily accomplished through the intervention of friends. Here, the salutary admonition of St. Augustine is also not to be omit ted by the pastor: to convince the faithful that they should not deem it a hardship to be reconciled to their penitent wives, whom they may have put away for adultery. " Why," says he, " should not the Christian husband receive his wife, whom the Church receives? Why should not the wife pardon her adulterous but penitent husband, whom Christ has pardoned? When the Scriptures call him who keeps an adultress a fool, [3] it means an adultress who after her delinquency refuses to repent, and perseveres in the career of turpitude which she had commenced." [4] In perfection and dignity, it is clear there fore, from what has been said, that marriage amongst the Jews and Gentiles is far inferior to Christian marriage.
The faithful are also to be informed that there are three advantages which arise from marriage, offspring, faith, and the sacrament; advantages which alleviate those evils which the
