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On Exhortation to Chastity

Tertullian

Chapter 8

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter VIII.—If It Be Granted that Second Marriage is Lawful, Yet All Things Lawful are Not Expedient.

Let it now be granted that repetition of marriage is

‹ Chapter 7 Chapter 9 ›

lawful

,

if

everything

which

is

lawful

is

good

.

The

same

apostle

exclaims

:

“

All

things

are

lawful

,

but

all

are

not

profitable

.

”

Pray

,

can

what

is

“

not

profitable

”

be

called

good

?

If

even

things

which

do

not

make

for

salvation

are

“

lawful

,

”

it

follows

that

even

things

which

are

not

good

are

“

lawful

.

”

But

what

will

it

be

your

duty

rather

to

choose

;

that

which

is

good

because

it

is

“

lawful

,

”

or

that

which

is

so

because

it

is

“

profitable

?

”

A

wide

difference

I

take

to

exist

between

“

licence

”

and

salvation

.

Concerning

the

“

good

”

it

is

not

said

“

it

is

lawful

;

”

inasmuch

as

“

good

”

does

not

expect

to

be

permitted

,

but

to

be

assumed

.

But

that

is

“

permitted

”

about

which

a

doubt

exists

whether

it

be

“

good

;

”

which

may

likewise

not

be

permitted

,

if

it

have

not

some

first

(

extrinsic

)

cause

of

its

being

:

—

inasmuch

as

it

is

on

account

of

the

danger

of

incontinence

that

second

marriage

,

(

for

instance

)

,

is

permitted

:

—

because

,

unless

the

“

licence

”

of

some

not

(

absolutely

)

good

thing

were

subject

(

so

our

choice

)

,

there

were

no

means

of

proving

who

rendered

a

willing

obedience

to

the

Divine

will

,

and

who

to

his

own

power

;

which

of

us

follows

presentiality

,

and

which

embraces

the

opportunity

of

licence

.

“

Licence

,

”

for

the

most

part

,

is

a

trial

of

discipline

;

since

it

is

through

trial

that

discipline

is

proved

,

and

through

“

licence

”

that

trial

operates

.

Thus

it

comes

to

pass

that

“

all

things

are

lawful

,

but

not

all

are

expedient

,

”

so

long

as

(

it

remains

true

that

)

whoever

has

a

“

permission

”

granted

is

(

thereby

)

tried

,

and

is

(

consequently

)

judged

during

the

process

of

trial

in

(

the

case

of

the

particular

)

“

permission

.

”

Apostles

,

withal

,

had

a

“

licence

”

to

marry

,

and

lead

wives

about

(

with

them

)

.

They

had

a

“

licence

,

”

too

,

to

“

live

by

the

Gospel

.

”

But

he

who

,

when

occasion

required

,

“

did

not

use

this

right

,

”

provokes

us

to

imitate

his

own

example

;

teaching

us

that

our

probation

consists

in

that

wherein

“

licence

”

has

laid

the

groundwork

for

the

experimental

proof

of

abstinence

.

Notes

1
1 Cor. x. 23.
2
See 1 Cor. ix. 5.
3
See vers. 4, 9–18.
4
In occasionem.