not　be　done。　　And；　in　order　to　avoid　doing　it；　it　is　only　needful
  to　realize　the　fact　that　whatever　truly　deserves　to　be　held　up　as
  a　worthy　object　of　man's　striving　and　working；　whether　it　be　the
  service　of　humanity；　of　one's　country；　of　science；　of　art；　not　to
  speak　of　the　service　of　God；　is　far　above　and　beyond　the　sphere
  of　personal　enjoyment。　　Hence；　it　follows　that　not　only　to　form　a
  liaison；　but　even　to　contract　marriage；　is；　from　a　Christian
  point　of　view；　not　a　progress；　but　a　fall。　Love；　and　all　the
  states　that　accompany　and　follow　it；　however　we　may　try　in　prose
  and　verse　to　prove　the　contrary；　never　do　and　never　can
  facilitate　the　attainment　of　an　aim　worthy　of　men；　but　always
  make　it　more　difficult。　　This　is　my　fifth　contention。
  How　about　the　human　race？　　If　we　admit　that　celibacy　is　better
  and　nobler　than　marriage；　evidently　the　human　race　will　come　to
  an　end。　　But；　if　the　logical　conclusion　of　the　argument　is　that
  the　human　race　will　become　extinct；　the　whole　reasoning　is　wrong。
  To　that　I　reply　that　the　argument　is　not　mine；　I　did　not　invent
  it。　　That　it　is　incumbent　on　mankind　so　to　strive；　and　that
  celibacy　is　preferable　to　marriage；　are　truths　revealed　by　Christ
  1；900　years　ago；　set　forth　in　our　catechisms；　and　professed　by　us
  as　followers　of　Christ。
  Chastity　and　celibacy；　it　is　urged；　cannot　constitute　the　ideal
  of　humanity；　because　chastity　would　annihilate　the　race　which
  strove　to　realize　it；　and　humanity　cannot　set　up　as　its　ideal　its
  own　annihilation。　　It　may　be　pointed　out　in　reply　that　only　that
  is　a　true　ideal；　which；　being　unattainable；　admits　of　infinite
  gradation　in　degrees　of　proximity。　　Such　is　the　Christian　ideal
  of　the　founding　of　God's　kingdom；　the　union　of　all　living
  creatures　by　the　bonds　of　love。　　The　conception　of　its　attainment
  is　incompatible　with　the　conception　of　the　movement　of　life。
  What　kind　of　life　could　subsist　if　all　living　creatures　were
  joined　together　by　the　bonds　of　love？　　None。　　Our　conception　of
  life　is　inseparably　bound　up　with　the　conception　of　a　continual
  striving　after　an　unattainable　ideal。
  But　even　if　we　suppose　the　Christian　ideal　of　perfect　chastity
  realized；　what　then？　　We　should　merely　find　ourselves　face　to
  face　on　the　one　hand　with　the　familiar　teaching　of　religion；　one
  of　whose　dogmas　is　that　the　world　will　have　an　end；　and　on　the
  other　of　so…called　science；　which　informs　us　that　the　sun　is
  gradually　losing　its　heat；　the　result　of　which　will　in　time　be
  the　extinction　of　the　human　race。
  Now　there　is　not　and　cannot　be　such　an　institution　as　Christian
  marriage；　just　as　there　cannot　be　such　a　thing　as　a　Christian
  liturgy　（Matt。　vi。　5…12；　John　iv。　21）；　nor　Christian　teachers；
  nor　church　fathers　（Matt。　xxiii。　8…10）；　nor　Christian　armies；
  Christian　law　courts；　nor　Christian　States。　　This　is　what　was
  always　taught　and　believed　by　true　Christians　of　the　first　and
  following　centuries。　　A　Christian's　ideal　is　not　marriage；　but
  love　for　God　and　for　his　neighbor。　　Consequently　in　the　eyes　of　a
  Christian　relations　in　marriage　not　only　do　not　constitute　a
  lawful；　right；　and　happy　state；　as　our　society　and　our　churches
  maintain；　but；　on　the　contrary；　are　always　a　fall。
  Such　a　thing　as　Christian　marriage　never　was　and　never　could　be。
  Christ　did　not　marry；　nor　did　he　establish　marriage；　neither　did
  his　disciples　marry。　　But　if　Christian　marriage　cannot　exist；
  there　is　such　a　thing　as　a　Christian　view　of　marriage。　　And　this
  is　how　it　may　be　formulated：　A　Christian　（and　by　this　term　I
  understand　not　those　who　call　themselves　Christians　merely
  because　they　were　baptized　and　still　receive　the　sacrament　once　a
  year；　but　those　whose　lives　are　shaped　and　regulated　by　the
  teachings　of　Christ）；　I　say；　cannot　view　the　marriage　relation
  otherwise　than　as　a　deviation　from　the　doctrine　of　Christ；as　a
  sin。　　This　is　clearly　laid　down　in　Matt。　v。　28；　and　the　ceremony
  called　Christian　marriage　does　not　alter　its　character　one　jot。
  A　Christian　will　never；　therefore；　desire　marriage；　but　will
  always　avoid　it。
  If　the　light　of　truth　dawns　upon　a　Christian　when　he　is　already
  married；　or　if；　being　a　Christian；　from　weakness　he　enters　into
  marital　relations　with　the　ceremonies　of　the　church；　or　without
  them；　he　has　no　other　alternative　than　to　abide　with　his　wife
  （and　the　wife　with　her　husband；　if　it　is　she　who　is　a　Christian）
  and　to　aspire　together　with　her　to　free　themselves　of　their　sin。
  This　is　the　Christian　view　of　marriage；　and　there　cannot　be　any
  other　for　a　man　who　honestly　endeavors　to　shape　his　life　in
  accordance　with　the　teachings　of　Christ。
  To　very　many　persons　the　thoughts　I　have　uttered　here　and　in　〃The
  Kreutzer　Sonata〃　will　seem　strange；　vague；　even　contradictory。
  They　certainly　do　contradict；　not　each　other；　but　the　whole　tenor
  of　our　lives；　and　involuntarily　a　doubt　arises；　〃on　which　side　is
  truth；on　the　side　of　the　thoughts　which　seem　true　and
  well…founded；　or　on　the　side　of　the　lives　of　others　and　myself？〃
  I；　too；　was　weighed　down　by　that　same　doubt　when　writing　〃The
  Kreutzer　Sonata。〃　　I　had　not　the　faintest　presentiment　that　the
  train　of　thought　I　had　started　would　lead　me　whither　it　did。　　I
  was　terrified　by　my　own　conclusion；　and　I　was　at　first　disposed
  to　reject　it；　but　it　was　impossible　not　to　hearken　to　the　voice
  of　my　reason　and　my　conscience。　And　so；　strange　though　they　may
  appear　to　many；　opposed　as　they　undoubtedly　are　to　the　trend　and
  tenor　of　our　lives；　and　incompatible　though　they　may　prove　with
  what　I　have　heretofore　thought　and　uttered；　I　have　no　choice　but
  to　accept　them。　　〃But　man　is　weak；〃　people　will　object。　　〃His
  task　should　be　regulated　by　his　strength。〃
  This　is　tantamount　to　saying；　〃My　hand　is　weak。　　I　cannot　draw　a
  straight　line；that　is；　a　line　which　will　be　the　shortest　line
  between　two　given　points；and　so；　in　order　to　make　it　more　easy
  for　myself；　I；　intending　to　draw　a　straight；　will　choose　for　my
  model　a　crooked　line。〃
  The　weaker　my　hand；　the　greater　the　need　that　my　model　should　be
  perfect。
  LEO　TOLSTOI。