date

1818 Feb y 2 Not Paul III.
1818 Feb y 2

Not Paul

III. Doctrine

Ch. Motives to Doctrine

Asceticism II. Bed

I. Ordinary

I. Pleasures of the bed in the ordinary shape.

Situation /Conduct/ of a person with reference to his or her own marriage—situation

/conduct/ of a parent with reference to the marriage of his child—situation /conduct/

of a widow with reference to remarriage—situation /conduct/ of persons engaged in

marriage.

1. Conduct of a person /man/ with reference to his /or her/ own marriage the conduct

of a man /person/ with reference to his /or her/ own marriage. I. Cor. vii. 1. Now (says he) concerning the things whereof ye wrote

to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

Cor. vii. 1.

And again v. 8. ‘I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if

they abide even as I.’ As his own example as held up to view in this and the last

preceding verse, of this something will be to be said presently.

 Add here or /[...?] of his [...? ...? ...]/ further on what he says of his former

debaucheries and search whether there be not other interdictions of marriage in his

Epistles.

v. 9. But (continues he) ‘if they can not contain, let them marry: for it is better

to marry than to burn.’

Why better—for his purpose better to marry than to burn? Because he who in Saint

Paul’s sense burns will have his thoughts engaged partly by the burning, partly by

the idea /thought/ of the means how to quench the fire: causes of ‘ distraction’ from which they who are married are free.
Similar Items
  • Title: [1818 Feb. 3 Not Paul III. Doctrine]
    Description: 1818 Feb. 3

    Not Paul

    III. Doctrine

    Ch. Motives to Conversion

    Asceticism II. Bed

    I. Ordinary

    2. Conduct o a parent with reference to the marriage of his child.

    To all parents having in this respect /particular/ children in their power, to say

    peremptorily and in the way of absolute inhibition— suffer them not

    to marry—might have been too much: too much even though the world was in

    those days /at that time/ as hath been seen so near to an end even though at that

    time /in those day[s]/ every man had, as above, so fair a probability of seeing the

    world come to an end before his death /while he was yet alive/. moreover by the

    example /spectacle/ of commands /ordinances/ disobeyed power is weakened.

    To inhibition /prohibition/, gentle recommendation is here therefore wisely

    /prudentially/ substituted.

    Of efficiency in case of a recommendation of this sort, the hope /prospect/ it will

    be obvious enough will naturally be more pleasing in so far /the case/ as depends

    upon the parent than in so far as depends upon /the case of/ the child. In the case

    of this as of other gratifications, to deny it to another even though that other be a

    man’s own child is rather more easy than for him to deny it to himself: and in the

    case of the parent, the suggestions /dictates/ of economy will /would/ in support of

    a recommendation of this sort join their force /influence/ to the force of the

    dictates of piety: of piety according to the picture drawn of her by this saint.

    I Cor. vii. 36. 37. 38.

    36. But if any manthink that he behaveth himself uncomely towards his virgin, if she

    pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth

    not: let them marry.

    37. Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but

    hath power over his own will and hath so decreed in his heart, that he will keep his

    virgin, doeth well.

    38. So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in

    marriage doth better.
  • Title: [1818 Feb 2 Not Paul III. Doctrine]
    Description: 1818 Feb 2

    Not Paul

    III. Doctrine

    Ch. Motives to Doctrine

    Asceticism II. Bed

    I. Ordinary

    1. Celibacy

    But let us see the whole passage.

    I. Cor. vii. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 32. But I would

    have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong

    to the Lord, how he may please the Lord.

    33. But he that is married careth for the things that are of this world, how he may

    please his wife.

    34. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth

    for y e things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and

    spirit: but she that is married careth for y e things of the

    world, how she may please her husband.

    35. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but

    for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

    36. But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely towards his virgin, if

    she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he

    sinneth not: let them marry.

    37. Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but

    hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his

    virgin, doeth well.

    38. So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in

    marriage doeth better.
  • Title: [1817 Sept. 2 Not Paul 10 2]
    Description: 1817 Sept. 2

    Not Paul

    10 2 o

    Ch. 9. Paul’s Doctrine

    5 § Causes of Paul’s Asceticism

    Generally and radically bad therefore according to Paul is all union of the sexes. The thing / A thing ever / to be desired is therefore that every where there shall be as little of it as possible.

    Contemplating the abstinence which he recommends at least if he does not absolutely prescribe it, he accordingly divides it into its two cases. 1. One is that of the absence of the sanction of marriage / matrimonial union /, the other is that of the / its / presence of it. As to those who either have never yet engage[d] in it, or having engaged in it have been released from it, the recommendation / advice given / is the case being simply and absolutely considered to abstain from it: to abstain from it, viz. if it be in their / so long as it is in their / power so to do.

    But if they can not so abstain ‘if (so are his words) Marginal note at this point: ‘I. Cor. VII. 9.’ they can not contain, then and then only is it that their marriage is to stand unprohibited. Why unprohibited? Answer. Because to marry is better than to burn: better―in other words, less bad.

    2. The other case is that where the person / individual / in question is already in a state of matrimonial union. Marginal note at this point: ‘that holy state, as notwithstanding all this morality / good advice / of Paul it is stiled by Paulists not less composedly than by others’. Well then being in that state may not they be left―left without disturbance? Oh no: not if he can help it.

    Good gifts are all the gifts of God―and the faculty in question―viz. the faculty of rendering this one of the six senses useless is one of them. To Paul himself if Paul is to be believed had this faculty been imparted: by Paul himself if Paul is to be believed was it at the time of this present writing was it enjoyed. Marginal note at this point: ‘6. 7. 8. 9’, i.e. I. Cor. VII: 6-9. Good therefore it was that it should be enjoyed by every body else―: enjoyed by every man and every woman―not the less for their being married.