Matrimony and natural law

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In the OT we did not have Matrimony if I got it right. We only have Sacraments in the NT.
The Church says that a man and woman should get married since cohabitation is the wrong use of something good. The couple should marry.
Does the natural law really tell us to get married?
How can cohabitation be evil if we only have Matrimony after Jesus made it a Sacrament?
Or is the Church saying that a man and woman who are both baptised should at least get a civil Marriage or otherwise they go against natural law? A couple with non of them being baptised cannot get married as they had no Sacraments. Their only alternative is cohabitation. All the OT people had no Baptism and could never marry. So they sinned?
I am confused. Or are we perhaps making a distinction between natural marriage and cohabitation?
 
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jesusmademe said:
In the OT we did not have Matrimony if I got it right. We only have Sacraments in the NT.
The Church says that a man and woman should get married since cohabitation is the wrong use of something good. The couple should marry.
Does the natural law really tell us to get married?
How can cohabitation be evil if we only have Matrimony after Jesus made it a Sacrament?
Or is the Church saying that a man and woman who are both baptised should at least get a civil Marriage or otherwise they go against natural law? A couple with non of them being baptised cannot get married as they had no Sacraments. Their only alternative is cohabitation. All the OT people had no Baptism and could never marry. So they sinned?
I am confused. Or are we perhaps making a distinction between natural marriage and cohabitation?
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Catechism
2351 Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.

2353 Fornication is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality which is naturally ordered to the good of spouses and the generation and education of children. Moreover, it is a grave scandal when there is corruption of the young.

1601 The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. 84
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Matrimony has been there since genesis. Furthermore the 10 commandments. One of which tells us to not covet the wife of your neighbor. If matrimony didn’t exist until the NT why would God make the 9th commandment?
 
They weren’t called sacraments but they did exist. Marriage did exist in Ancient Israel and they took it seriously like faithful catholics take it seriously. It’s because of scripture we are sure marriage exists in the first place after all.

And again, remember the 9th commandment
do not covet thy neighbour’s wife
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If marriage didn’t exist why even both giving us this commandment in the first place?
 
But it was a natural marriage rather than Sacramental Marriage?
I just don’t get it. How is a natural marriage different from cohabitation? In natural marriages a couple make a promise to be stay together until death with a person as witness but this is nevet done in cohabitation?
Natural law tell us to say vows in front of a witness?
Natural law tell us to at least have a natural marriage?
 
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So what is the difference between a natural marriage and cohabitation?
In cohabitation there are no vows?
Is this true: natural law tell a non-christian couple to find a third person who can witness them taking the vows?
 
All religions through the history have had some kind of marriage ceremony with vows and then there are civil marriages as well.

A sacramental marriage is between a man and a woman who are both baptised.
A natural marriage is between a man and a woman where neither or only one of them is baptised.

Cohabitation is where a man and woman have made no wedding vows but decide to live in the same house and maybe start a family.

All marriages have one or more persons to witness the vows as well as the Justice of Peace/priest/rabbi etc. Different countries have different laws for making a marriage civil as well as religiously valid.
 
jesusmademe said:
So what is the difference between a natural marriage and cohabitation?
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Marriage is a permanent covenant between the man and woman:

1601 "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.

Cohabitation is not:

2390 In a so-called free union, a man and a woman refuse to give juridical and public form to a liaison involving sexual intimacy.

The expression “free union” is fallacious: what can “union” mean when the partners make no commitment to one another, each exhibiting a lack of trust in the other, in himself, or in the future?

The expression covers a number of different situations: concubinage, rejection of marriage as such, or inability to make long-term commitments.182 All these situations offend against the dignity of marriage; they destroy the very idea of the family; they weaken the sense of fidelity. They are contrary to the moral law. the sexual act must take place exclusively within marriage. Outside of marriage it always constitutes a grave sin and excludes one from sacramental communion.

2391 Some today claim a “right to a trial marriage” where there is an intention of getting married later. However firm the purpose of those who engage in premature sexual relations may be, "the fact is that such liaisons can scarcely ensure mutual sincerity and fidelity in a relationship between a man and a woman, nor, especially, can they protect it from inconstancy of desires or whim."183 Carnal union is morally legitimate only when a definitive community of life between a man and woman has been established. Human love does not tolerate “trial marriages.” It demands a total and definitive gift of persons to one another.
 
jesusmademe said:
Is this true: natural law tell a non-christian couple to find a third person who can witness them taking the vows?
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The requirement of vows and witnesses are disciplinary in nature, not inherent to the contracting of marriage.
 
Natural marriage. There are billions of valid natural marriages. Not all valid marriages are sacramental, but, all sacramental marriages are valid.
 
jesusmademe said:
But it was a natural marriage rather than Sacramental Marriage?
I just don’t get it. How is a natural marriage different from cohabitation? In natural marriages a couple make a promise to be stay together until death with a person as witness but this is nevet done in cohabitation?
Natural law tell us to say vows in front of a witness?
Natural law tell us to at least have a natural marriage?
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People are part of a community where marriage is publicly recognized.
 
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