Full Text for Die Hauptschriften Luthers in chronologischer Reihenfolge, part 8 (Text)

SDie ~au1JtfdJtiften £ut~ets in dJronoIogifcl)er jRei~enfoIge. 755 the moral certainty abou,[ the fulfilment of the guarantees, they also ha1Je 1'egard for the circumstanms and conditions 1mder which the couple will find themselves. They are instructed that they are not to accept guarantees the fulfilment of which can likely be impeded, especially by civil magistrates or heretical ministers, by virtue of laws providing for a different arrangement regarding the religious u,pbringing of childj'en and in effect where the parties live or are later going to take up their residence. "The decree in no sense suggests the absul'dity commonly reported in the American press that, if the promises are sincerely given, but later violated, the marriage, valid in its inception, would subsequently be rendered null. Nor does it obligate those granting dispensations to make the promises legally enforceable, a procedure of very doubtful value in a country like ours and that might well serve as a boomerang. It does forbid them, however, if the laws, by anticipation, actually make their observance impossible. Its principal significance is that it lays stress again on the need for moral certainty that the guarantees are going to be effective by calling attention to one common situation militating against this certainty. "To emphasize its seriousness, the Holy Office adds that, if the dispensation be granted without these guarantees being thus secured, it [the dispensation] shall be 'wholly null and invalid.' As A COROL­LARY, if it be necessary for the validity of a ma'ITing8, as in projected unions between Catholics and those not baptized, the nwrriage itself would also be null -no I1Ul1"1'iage. In matrimony, however, between Catholics and baptized non-Calholics, where the dispensati.on itself is not essential for vnlidity, the marringe wonld be valid, BUT GRAVELY SINFUL AND ILLICIT." ~ic {Ja1t~tfdjtiftcn £ut~cr~ in djronologtf djcr 9tciijcnfoIgc. \))lit SUnmerfungen. (G'ottfetung.) 1523. ",orbnung cines gemeinen .Rnftens bet