The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"Have"MATRIMONY. 465Western and the Oriental churches, including theCoptic, Jacobite, Syriac, Nestorian, and other schismatic bodies, which for upwards of fourteen centuries have been separated from the Catholic communion, all agree in recognizing Christian marriageas a sacrament.Hence the Council of Trent, speaking of Matri"mony, says Christ Himself, the Institutor and Perfectorof the venerable sacraments, merited for us by:His passion the grace which might perfect that natural love, and confirm that indissoluble union, andsanctify the married ;as the Apostle Paul intimates,saying: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ alsoloved the Church, and delivered Himself for it; adding shortly after This is a great sacrament, but:I speak in Christ and in the Church. (Ephes. v.)Whereas therefore matrimony, in the evangelicallaw, excels in grace, through Christ, the ancient marriages with reason have our holy Fathers and Coun;cils and the tradition of the universal Church, alwaystaught that it is to be numbered among the sacra1ments of the new law."The Gospel forbids a man to have more than onwife, and a wife to have more than one husband.you not read," says our Saviour, that Hewho made man in the beginning, made them maleand female? And He said, for this cause shall aman leave father and mother, and shall cleave untohis wife,and they two shall be in one flesh.Wherefore1 Sess. xxiv.2K