"However, he was not along in the view that the only purpose of sex was for procreation. That was actually the common view in all of Christendom until the early 20th century."
That's part of my problem.
They were wrong - at least the Church is saying in THIS century that view is wrong.
I also wonder how accurately could they have distinguished between abortion and contraception when they didn't have the scientific knowledge we do today.
In other words....the potions they speak of - were they abortive or contraceptive? who knows? How could they know?
The fathers were most likely speaking of agents that had mechanisms of action that caused the expelling of the fetus.... including agents that set up smooth muscle contraction like castor oil, senna products, etc. ...... abortive remedies of this sort would provide visual confirmation of the abortion. ...
See the below quotes of a few of the fathers that were quoted in the main article.
Hippolytus
[Christian women with male concubines], on account of their prominent ancestry and great property, the so-called faithful want no children from slaves or lowborn commoners, they use drugs of sterility [oral contraceptives] or bind themselves tightly in order to expel a fetus which has already been engendered [abortion] (Refutation of All Heresies 9:7 [A.D. 225]).
Jerome
You may see a number of women who are widows before they are wives. Others, indeed, will drink sterility [oral contraceptives] and murder a man not yet born, [and some commit abortion] (Letters 22:13 [A.D. 396]).
Caesarius
Who is he who cannot warn that no woman may take a potion [an oral contraceptive or an abortifacient] so that she is unable to conceive or condemns in herself the nature which God willed to be fecund? As often as she could have conceived or given birth, of that many homicides she will be held guilty.......(Sermons 1:12 [A.D. 522]).
Note:
I admit that I haven't studied ancient abortifacient medicine..... my above comments are based upon my own knowledge of what would be available as abortifacients during that time.
I DO have a tremendous amount of respect for the scientific knowledge and abilities of the ancient peoples, and would not doubt that they had a knowledge of abortive remedies that would surprise us.
I'll study up on ancient abortifacients and report back!
This is funny. With all of the scientific knowledge we have today most folks are oblivious to the fact that most of what we think of as contraception, are in fact abortifacients.