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15. SALVABITUR AUTEM PER FILIORUM GENERATIONEM, SI PERMANSERIT IN FIDE ET DILECTIONE, ET SANCTIFICATIONE CUM SOBRIETATE.] S. Thomas voculam per, vult significare non meritum, sed conditionem. q. d. Salvabitur mulier etiamsi non sit virgo, sed nubat, et incedat per statum matrimonii, ac filiorum generationem. Unde Vatabl. vertit, salvabitur mulier subjecta generationi filiorum. Ut sit græcismus, διὰ [τῆς] τεκνογονίας, id est, τεκνογονουσα, per filiorum generationem, id est filios generans, vel in filiorum generatione salvabitur. Sic Græci dicunt, δι αρρωσιας, hoc est, αρρωσων. Sæpe enim δια id est per accipitur prο εν, id est in, ut Roman. 4: v. 11. Abraham dicitür pater credentium, per præputium, id est in statu præputii. Et 2. Cor. 6. Per gloriam, et ignobilita tem, per infamiam et bonam famam, id est in prosperis et adversis. Hic sensus confirmatur ex verbis quæ Apostolus addit, Salvabitur inquit, per filiorum generationem, si permanserit in fide, et dilectione, et sanctificatione cum sobrietate. Itaque fidei, dilectioni et sobrietati causam salutis attribuit, non liberorum procreationi? liberorum enim procreatio res est naturalis et adiaphora, nec meritoria, nisi altius ad bonum aliquod spirituale, puta ad pietatem, piomique liberorum educationem, referatur.
Secundo, aliqui apud Theophyl, per filiorum generationem, intelligunt partum B. Virginis Mariæ, qui salvas fecit mulieres: ipsa enim genuit Christum, et in ipso multos filios et filias Christianas. Sed hoc nimis remotum et alienum est.
Tertio, S. Aug. 12. de Trinit. c. 17. per generationem filiorum intelligit productionem bonorum operum sed hoc mysticum est.
Dico ergo Quarto, plane et proprie : præposi tio per significat hic causam et meritum, scilicet laborum, quos patitur mulier in partu, et educatione liberorum in fide et moribus Christianis, per quod salvabitur. Nota. Sub generatione educationem complectitur Apostolus: educatio enim est quasi completa generatio et formatio filiorum. Ita Chrysost. quasi dicat Paulus, Esto non doceat mulier, non deerit illi pia occupatio, adeoque salvabitur non per librorum, sed per liberorum tractationem. Audiant hoc nostræ Novantes sciolæ, quæ pro sua hæresi et Scriptura contentiose cum viris disputant in mensis, navibus, curribus, Ecclesiis. Audiant quod S. Basilius Demostheni coco Valentis Imper. pro Arrianis garrienti, respondit: Tuum est, ait, pulmenta coquere, non Evangelium exponere.
Ita S. Monica salvata est, et multos salvos effecit per solicitam educationem et curam S. Augustini, de qua S. August. lib. 3. Confess. c. 11. et sequent. Talis fuit et Placilla Theodosii Imperatoris uxor, cujus quam eximia pietas, et ardens studium fuerit in educandis liberis, videre est apud Nicephorum 1. 12. hist. c. 23. et 24.
SI PERMANSERIT IN FIDE, ET DILECTIONE.] Ita legunt Romana; sed Græca jam et Syrus legunt, ἐὰν μείνωσιν, si manserint, filiis scilicet, q. d. inquit Chrysost. Salvabitur mater, si curet ut filii permaneant in Christi fide et dilectione, ac sancuitate, adjuncta sobrietate, græce σωφροσύνης. Quod cum Hieron. contra Jovin. verti potest pudicitia, vel castitate, aut etiam modestia; magis tamen, ut ante dixi, sobrietatem significat et temperantiam.
Moraliter Theophyl. Quid igitur, Inquit, si mater pravis et impudicis infecta moribus, recte liberos educaverit? haud verisimile est ut faciat ; attamen si contingat, accipiet pro his mercedem. Quid vero si bona et honesta sit, liberos, vero suos malos toleret? quid si eos negligat, illisque indulgeat? habebit exemplum pænæ et vindicta, id quod: Heli contigit. Quod si omnia fecerit, et nihil quod ad curam attinet, prætermiserit, non poterit tamen ad rectum perducere tramitem liberos; quod raro evenit: attamen non fraudabitur sudorum. suorum mercede; quandoquidem et filius Dei nihil non faciens et dicens, paucos tamen habuerit qui slbi morem gesserint.
Discant hic matres thesaurum suum esse liberos, qu'bus omnem curam impendere debent non tam ut eos ditent, quam ut bene educent. Ita Cornelia Gracchiorum mater, inquit Valerius Maxim. lib. 4. c. 4. cum Campana matrona apud illam hospita, ornamenta sua pulcherrima sæculi illius ei ostenderet, traxit eam scrmone quousque redirent liberi, Et hæc, inquit, ornamenta mea sunt. Unde S. Chrysost. hic hom. 9. in morali: Magnum, inquit, habemus pretiosumque depositum, scilicet filios, ingenti illos servemus cura, atque omnia faciamus, ne fur id nobis astutus auferat: nulla nobis possessio, nullus fundus æque nobis gratus et charus esse debet: quippe hæc omnia filiis quæruntur. Si igitur major possessionum nobis est cura, quam eorum, quorum illæ gratia comparantur, id profecto absurdissimum et stolidissimum est. Exerceamus ergo ad virtutem atque pietatem molles filiarum animos, cetera omnia secundo loco quæramus, nam si quidem illi improbi fuerint, nihil eis pecuniæ proderunt; sin autem probi, nihil ex paupertate lædentur. Vis filium relinquere divitem? Bonum illum ac benignum esse doce: ita enim etiam rem familiarem auctiorem facere poterit. Et inferius: Filiis non rite institutis præstat pauperes esse, quam divites: paupertas enim vel invitos coercet, atque intra virtutis limites continet: opes vero ne vo lentes quidem pudice temperanterque vivere sinunt; verum exhorbitare faciunt, atque pervertunt. Deinde matres ad filias rite educandas ita cohortatur et instruit : Matres item filiarum vobis curam assumite: est ea cura vobis perfacilis. Curate sollicite, ut domi jugiter sint. Ante omnia pias religiosasque esse docete, aspernari pecunias, exteriorisque ornatus contemptrices esse; atque ita demum nuptiis, traditæ, eas si institueritis, non ipsas modo servabitis, verum et viros qui illas ducturi sunt: neque viros tantum, sed etiam filios atque nepotes. Quippe ex radice optima surculi prodeunt firmiores, ac semper in meliora proficiunt, horumque omnium merces vobis reddenda est. Ac denique hac insigni sententia rem concludit: Ita namque paterna domo decet progredi virginem, ac matrimonio jungi quemadmodum ex palæstra luctatorem, ut omnem diligentissime rei familiaris peritiam habeat, sitque veluti fermentum, quod massam omnem in suam transferi pulchritudinem. Peculiara præcepta de educatione filiarum, matribus assignat S. Hieron. epist. ad Lætam, et ad Cælentiam, et ad Gaudentium, tomo 1.
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15. "Yet she will be saved through childbearing, if she remains in faith and love and holiness with sobriety."St. Thomas [Aquinas] understands the preposition "per" (through) not to signify merit but a condition. That is to say, a woman will be saved even if she is not a virgin but marries and proceeds through the state of matrimony and the bearing of children. Hence, Vatablus translates it as, "A woman will be saved, being subject to the bearing of children." This is a Grecism, διὰ [τῆς] τεκνογονίας (dia [tēs] teknogonias), meaning τεκνογονοῦσα (teknogonousa), that is, through the bearing of children, or by giving birth to children, or in the state of childbearing. The Greeks often say διὰ ἀρρωστίας (di’ arrōstias), meaning ἀρρώστων (arrōstōn). For "through" is often used in place of "in," as in Romans 4:11, where Abraham is called the father of believers "through uncircumcision," meaning in the state of uncircumcision. Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 6, "through glory and dishonor, through slander and good report," meaning in prosperity and adversity. This interpretation is confirmed by the words the Apostle adds: "She will be saved," he says, "through childbearing, if she remains in faith and love and holiness with sobriety." Thus, he attributes the cause of salvation to faith, love, and sobriety, not to the procreation of children. For the procreation of children is a natural and indifferent act, not meritorious unless it is directed toward some higher spiritual good, such as piety or the devout education of children.
Secondly, some, according to Theophylact, understand "through childbearing" as referring to the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who brought salvation to women, for she gave birth to Christ, and through Him, many Christian sons and daughters were born. But this interpretation is too remote and foreign.
Thirdly, St. Augustine, in De Trinitate (Book 12, Chapter 17), understands "childbearing" as the production of good works, but this is a mystical interpretation.
Therefore, I say, fourthly, plainly and properly: the preposition "per" here signifies the cause and merit, namely, the labors that a woman endures in childbirth and in raising children in Christian faith and morals, through which she will be saved. Note: The Apostle includes education under "childbearing," for education is, as it were, the completion of generation and the formation of children. Thus, Chrysostom says, as if Paul were saying: "Even if a woman does not teach, she will not lack a pious occupation, and thus she will be saved not through books but through the care of children." Let our modern, presumptuous women, who contentiously dispute with men at tables, on ships, in carriages, and in churches for the sake of their heresy and Scripture, hear this. Let them hear what St. Basil said to the cook of Emperor Valens, who was prattling on behalf of the Arians: "Your job," he said, "is to cook food, not to expound the Gospel."
Thus, St. Monica was saved and saved many through her solicitous education and care of St. Augustine, as he describes in Confessions (Book 3, Chapter 11 and following). Such was also Placilla, the wife of Emperor Theodosius, whose extraordinary piety and ardent zeal in educating her children can be seen in Nicephorus, History (Book 12, Chapters 23 and 24).
"If she remains in faith and love." The Roman texts read thus, but the Greek and Syriac texts read ἐὰν μείνωσιν (ean meinōsin), meaning "if they remain," referring to the children. As Chrysostom says, "The mother will be saved if she ensures that her children remain in the faith and love of Christ, and in holiness with sobriety," in Greek σωφροσύνης (sōphrosynēs). This, according to Jerome against Jovinian, can be translated as chastity, purity, or modesty, but, as I said before, it more accurately signifies sobriety and temperance.
Morally, Theophylact says: "What then," he asks, "if a mother, corrupted by perverse and shameless morals, raises her children well? It is unlikely that she would do so; nevertheless, if it happens, she will receive a reward for it. But what if she is good and virtuous but endures wicked children? Or if she neglects them and indulges them? She will have the example of punishment and retribution, as happened to Eli. But if she does everything and omits nothing concerning their care, yet cannot lead her children to the right path—which is rare—still, she will not be deprived of the reward for her efforts. For even the Son of God, doing and saying everything, had few who followed Him."
Let mothers learn here that their children are their treasure, to whom they should devote all their care, not so much to enrich them as to raise them well. Thus, Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi, as Valerius Maximus reports in Book 4, Chapter 4, when a Campanian matron, a guest at her house, showed her the most beautiful ornaments of that era, detained her with conversation until her children returned. Then she said, “These are my ornaments.” Hence, St. Chrysostom, in his Homily 9 on this passage, says morally: “We have a great and precious deposit, namely our children. Let us guard them with immense care and do everything so that the cunning thief does not steal them from us. No possession, no estate, should be as pleasing and dear to us as they are, for all these things are acquired for our children. Therefore, if we care more for possessions than for those for whose sake they are acquired, that is utterly absurd and foolish. Let us, therefore, train the tender souls of our daughters in virtue and piety, seeking all other things in second place. For if they are wicked, money will do them no good; but if they are virtuous, poverty will not harm them. Do you wish to leave your son wealthy? Teach him to be good and kind, for in this way, he will also be able to increase the family’s wealth.” And further on: “It is better for children who are not properly raised to be poor than rich, for poverty restrains them, even unwillingly, and keeps them within the bounds of virtue, whereas wealth does not allow even those who wish to live chastely and temperately to do so; rather, it causes them to stray and corrupts them.” Then he encourages and instructs mothers on properly raising their daughters: “Mothers, take up the care of your daughters; this care is very easy for you. Ensure diligently that they remain at home continually. Above all, teach them to be pious and religious, to despise money, and to scorn outward adornments. Only then, when you have raised them thus and given them in marriage, will you not only save them but also the husbands who will marry them, and not only the husbands but also their children and grandchildren. For from the best root, stronger shoots arise, and they always progress toward better things, and the reward for all these will be given to you. And finally, he concludes with this remarkable saying: ‘A virgin should leave her father’s house and enter marriage as a wrestler leaves the training ground, fully equipped with the utmost skill in managing a household, and like yeast that transforms the entire dough into its own beauty.’” Specific instructions on the education of daughters are assigned to mothers by St. Jerome in his letters to Laeta, Caecilia, and Gaudentius, in Volume 1.
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