307、⑾在举行婚礼前，要当着见证人的面订立婚约。婚约必须在婚礼举行前签订，以便真正婚姻之爱的典章和律法能为人所知，并在婚礼后被纪念。婚约还是一个纽带，把他们的心智控制在合法婚姻的范围内。因为婚姻的一些初始体味过去后，订婚前的状态间或返回；这会使婚姻的记忆丧失、所立的婚约被遗忘。事实上，对不贞洁的人来说，不贞洁行为的吸引力会使他们完全忘却它；那时若它被忆起，他们就会诅咒它。为避免这些罪过，社会便承担起保护婚约的责任，对那些违反它的人施以惩罚。简言之，婚礼前的婚约公开了真正婚姻之爱的戒律，把它们确立下来，迫使那些放荡的男人服从它们。此外，该婚约使得生育子女的权利和子女继承父母财产的权利合法化。
307、（11）在庆祝婚礼前，结婚证明要在证人的见证下签定。在庆祝婚礼前要签订结婚证。这是真正的婚姻之爱的必要程序。这种契约双方有约束，限定作用。
因为婚姻初期他们会有时恢复到订婚前的状态，会忘记自己的婚约。不贞洁的人的诱导也会使他们忘记婚约。社会上有这方面相关的法律来保证婚姻。
总之，婚前的契约作出了真正婚姻之爱的条件，使得双方受约要去维护它。
另外，这种婚约也使得他们的孩子具有合法性，孩子得到继承父母财产的权利。
307. (xi) Before the celebration of a wedding a marriage compact should be concluded in the presence of witnesses.
The marriage compact needs to be concluded before the wedding is held, so that the statutes and laws of truly conjugial love may be made known, and remembered after the wedding. It is also intended as a bond compelling the mind to a proper marriage. For after some of the initial stages of a marriage, the state preceding the engagement at times recurs; this causes the memory of the marriage to be lost and the compact concluded to be forgotten. In fact, it may be totally wiped out by the enticements of unchaste people to unchaste behaviour; and if it is then recalled to memory, it is scorned. But to avoid these transgressions society has taken on itself the duty of protecting that compact, laying down penalties for those who break it. In short, the prenuptial compact makes clear the precepts of truly conjugial love, establishes them, and constrains libertines to obey them. In addition this compact makes lawful the right to procreate children, and the right of children to inherit their parents' property.
307. 11. Before the celebration of the wedding, a marriage covenant should be established in the presence of witnesses. A marriage covenant ought to be established before the wedding is celebrated in order that the requirements and ordinances of truly conjugial love may be acknowledged and a remembrance of them be retained after the wedding. Such a covenant also serves as a bond, obligating the couple's minds to an honorable marriage. For after some initial tastes of marriage their former state preceding betrothal recurs at times, and in that state their memory fails and they begin to forget the covenant they entered into. Indeed, attractions in the case of unchaste people to unchaste desires cause them to forget it altogether, and if it is then called to mind, they curse it. To deter such transgressions, however, society itself has taken under its jurisdiction to protect that covenant, and has set penalties for those who break it.
In sum, a prenuptial covenant makes plain the requirements of truly conjugial love, establishes these, and binds libertines to complying with them.
In addition, such a covenant establishes the legitimacy of any children they produce, and legally secures for the children a right to inherit their parents' possessions.
307. 11. Before the celebration of the wedding a marriage agreement should be settled in the presence of witnesses. Properly, a marriage agreement should be settled before the wedding is celebrated so the statutes and laws of genuine married love are known and kept in mind after the wedding, and also ties that bind minds to lawful marriage. For after certain beginnings of marriage the states before engagement come back, at times, when memory fades and forgetfulness of the agreed - on contract creeps in. In fact, because one unchaste thing leads to another, the contract is blotted out, and if recalled to memory at the time, it becomes despised. But society has taken on itself the protection of this covenant to avoid these transgressions, and it has appointed penalties for those who break the contract.
In a word, a contract made before the wedding makes the sacred promises of real married love public, supports them and binds people without self - restraint to obey them. In addition, the right to have children, and the children's right to inherit their parents' goods, are made lawful.
307. XI. THAT BEFORE THE CELEBRATION OF THE WEDDING, A CONJUGIAL COVENANT IS TO BE ENTERED INTO IN THE PRESENCE OF WITNESSES. A conjugial covenant should rightly be entered into before the wedding is celebrated, in order that the statutes and laws of love truly conjugial may be known and may be remembered after the wedding; also that it may be a bond, holding their minds within the bounds of rightful marriage; for after the initial stages of marriage, the state preceding betrothal returns at times, and in this state remembrance vanishes and forgetfulness of the contracted covenant comes in. Yea, by reason of enticements to things unchaste coming from unchaste persons, it becomes wholly obliterated, and if it is then recalled to mind, there comes a disparagement of it. For the averting of these transgressions, society has taken upon itself the protection of this covenant, and has enacted penalties against those who break it. In a word, the ante-nuptial covenant makes known the ordinances of love truly conjugial, establishes them, and binds libertines to obedience to them. Add to this, that by this covenant the right to propagate children, and for the children the right to inherit the goods of their parents, is made legitimate.
307. (xi) Before the celebration of the wedding a marriage covenant should be concluded in the presence of witnesses. A marriage covenant should be made before the wedding is celebrated in order that the statutes and laws of true marital love may be known and kept in mind afterwards; also in order that there may be a bond holding the minds to rightful marriage. For after some first experience of marriage the state which preceded betrothal recurs at times, when recollection perishes and forgetfulness of the covenant steals in; indeed, in the allurement which the unchaste has for the unchaste, the covenant is obliterated and if it is recalled, is execrated. But to avert these transgressions society itself has undertaken the protection of the covenant and imposed penalties on those who break it. In a word, the pre-nuptial contract proclaims, upholds, and obliges libertines to heed, the sanctities of true marital love. By this covenant, furthermore, the right to propagate children and the right of children to inherit the parents' property become matter of law.
307. (11) That before the celebration of the nuptials, a conjugial covenant ought to be entered into in the presence of witnesses. It is proper that a conjugial covenant be entered into before the nuptials are celebrated, in order that the statutes and laws of love truly conjugial may be known, and may be kept in mind after the nuptials; also that it may be a bond, holding their minds together to rightful marriage. For after some beginnings of married life, at times the state before betrothal returns; in which remembrance vanishes, and there steals in a forgetfulness of the covenant entered into; yea, from enticements by things unchaste to things unchaste, there comes about an effacement of it, and if then it is recalled to mind, it is reviled. But, to avert these transgressions, society has taken upon itself the guardianship of this covenant, and has enacted penalties against those who break it. In a word, the antenuptial covenant makes public the sacred obligations of love truly conjugial, establishes them, and binds libertines to obedience to them. Add to this, that by this covenant, the right to propagate children, and the right of children to inherit the goods of their parents, is made legal.
307. XI: Quod ante celebrationem nuptiarum foedus conjugiale pangendum sit in praesentia testium. Oportet, ut foedus conjugiale pangatur antequam celebrantur nuptiae, ut amoris vere conjugialis statuta et leges cognoscantur, et illorum recordentur post nuptias; tum ut sit vinculum ad justum conjugium mentes constringens; nam post aliqua initiamenta conjugii per vices redit status praecedens desponsationem, in quo perit recordatio, et subit oblivio foederis pacti; imo ex allectamentis ab incastis ad incasta fit obliteratio ejus, et si tunc revocatur in memoriam, fit vituperatio ejus: sed ad has transgressiones avertendas ipsa Societas tutelam illius foederis in se suscepit, et indixit poenas fractoribus ejus. Verbo, foedus antenuptiale manifestat sancita amoris vere conjugialis, stabilit illa, ac libertinos ad obsequium illorum adstringit: accedit, quod per foedus hoc, jus propagandi liberos, ac liberis jus haereditandi bona parentum, fiat legitimum.