317. REPEATED MARRIAGES
The question may come under discussion as to whether, after the death of the partner, conjugial love, which is the love of one man with one wife, can be separated or transferred or superinduced; and also, as to whether repeated marriages have anything in common with polygamy and so may be called successive polygamy; besides many other questions which with reasoners are wont to pile up doubt on doubt. Therefore, in order that masters of casuistry, who reason in the shade about these marriages, may see some light, I have thought it worth while to present to their judgment the following articles concerning them, to wit:
I. That after the death of the partner, again to contract matrimony depends on the preceding conjugial love.
II. That it depends also on the state of marriage in which they had lived.
III. That in the case of those with whom there had been no love truly conjugial, there is nothing to prevent and hinder them from again contracting matrimony.
IV. That those who have lived together in love truly conjugial do not wish to marry again, unless for reasons apart from conjugial love.
V. That the state of marriage of a young man with a virgin is different from that of a young man with a widow.
VI. Also that the state of marriage of a widower with a virgin is different from that of a widower with a widow.
VII. That the varieties and diversities of these marriages, with respect to love and its attributes, exceed all number.
VIII. That the state of a widow is more grievous than that of a widower.
Now follows the explanation of the above.