the remission of sins and by faith is accounted righteous before God.

Neither does Christ or Paul praise virginity because it justifies,
but because it is freer and less distracted with domestic occupations,
in praying, teaching, [writing,] serving. For this reason Paul says,
1 Cor. 7, 32: He that is unmarried careth for the things which
belong to the Lord. Virginity, therefore, is praised on account of
meditation and study. Thus Christ does not simply praise those who
make themselves eunuchs, but adds, for the kingdom of heaven's sake,
i.e., that they may have leisure to learn or teach the Gospel; for He
does not say that virginity merits the remission of sins or salvation.

To the examples of the Levitical priests we have replied that they do
not establish the duty of imposing perpetual celibacy upon the
priests. Furthermore, the Levitical impurities are not to be
transferred to us. [The law of Moses, with the ceremonial statutes
concerning what is clean or unclean, do not at all concern us
Christians.] Then intercourse contrary to the Law was an impurity.
Now it is not impurity, because Paul says, Titus 1, 15: Unto the pure
all things are pure. For the Gospel frees us from these Levitical
impurities [from all the ceremonies of Moses, and not alone from the
laws concerning uncleanness]. And if any one defends the law of
celibacy with the design to burden consciences by these Levitical
observances, we must strive against this, just as the apostles in
Acts 15, 10 sqq. strove against those who required circumcision and
endeavored to impose the Law of Moses upon Christians.

Yet, in the mean while, good men will know how to control the use of
marriage, especially when they are occupied with public offices,
which often, indeed, give good men so much labor as to expel all