399
1. Forasmuch as each man is a part of the human
race, and human nature is something social, and hath for a great
and natural good, the power also of friendship; on this account God
willed to create all men out of one, in order that they might be
held in their society not only by likeness of kind, but also by
bond of kindred. Therefore the first natural bond of human society
is man and wife. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join
them together as alien by birth: but He created the one out of the
other, setting a sign also of the power of the union in the side,
whence she was drawn, was formed.19341934 For they are joined one to another
side by side, who walk together, and look together whither they
walk. Then follows the connexion of fellowship in children, which
is the one alone worthy fruit, not of the union of male and female,
but of the sexual intercourse. For it were possible that there
should exist in either sex, even without such intercourse, a
certain friendly and true union of the one ruling, and the other
obeying.