313. The Sixth Commandment

You Are Not to Commit Adultery

In its earthly meaning, this commandment covers not only committing adultery but also wanting to do and doing things that are obscene, and also having wanton thoughts and expressing them. As the Lord's words make clear, craving to commit adultery is committing adultery:

You have heard that it was said by the ancients, "You are not to commit adultery. " But I say to you that if a man looks at someone else's wife in such a way that he craves her, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)

The reason is that craving becomes a virtual deed when it is in the will. An attraction enters only our intellect, but an intention enters our will; and an intention based on a craving is a deed.

On these topics, see many things in the work Marriage Love and Promiscuous Love, published in Amsterdam, 1768. There are treatments there on the opposite of marriage love, 423-443; on promiscuity, 444[b]-460; on different kinds and degrees of adultery, 478-499; on obsession with defloration, 501-505; on the craving for variety, 506-510; on the craving for rape, 511, 512; on obsession with seducing the innocent, 513, 514; and on accountability for the love of infidelity and the love of marriage, 523-531. All the above are covered by this commandment in its earthly meaning.