“What is more desirable than a happy and peaceful marriage, where mutual love reigns and there is a most delightful union of the hearts? A marriage of this kind is praised everywhere as a miracle. When I, as a young man, heard such commendations and praise of an honorable and happy marriage—likewise, when I read in Paul (Eph. 5:25): “Husbands, love your wives”—I used to wonder why this happened and what purpose it served to give exhortations and precepts about the love of spouses among whom one could often find not only love but even passion.
But experience has taught me that out of many marriages hardly one merits praise. From this fact stem those common disparaging statements: “The bed in which a wife lies is never free from wranglings and mutual bickerings.” On this account many men are most vehemently averse to marriage” (Luther’s Works, v.4 p.247-248).