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Two Epistles Concerning Virginity
The womb of a holy virgin[338] carried our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and the body which our Lord wore, and in which He carried on the conflict in this world, He put on from a holy virgin. From this, therefore, understand the greatness and dignity of virginity. Dost thou wish to be a Christian? Imitate Christ in everything. John, the ambassador, he who came before our Lord, he “than whom there was not a greater among those born of women,”[339] the holy messenger of our Lord, was a virgin. Imitate, therefore, the ambassador of our Lord, and be his follower[340] in every thing. That John, again, who “reclined on the bosom of our Lord, and whom He greatly loved,”[341]—he, too, was a holy person.[342] For it was not without reason that our Lord loved him. Paul, also, and Barnabas, and Timothy, with all the others, “whose names are written in the book of life,”[343]—these, I say, all cherished and loved sanctity,[344] and ran in the contest, and finished their course without blemish, as imitators of Christ, and as sons of the living God. Moreover, also, Elijah and Elisha, and many other holy men, we find to have lived a holy[345] and spotless life. If, therefore, thou desirest to be like these, imitate them with all thy power. For the Scripture has said, “The elders who are among you, honour; and, seeing their manner of life and conduct, imitate their faith.”[346] And again it saith, “Imitate me, my brethren, as I imitate Christ.”[347]
Those, therefore, who imitate Christ, imitate Him earnestly. For those who have “put on Christ”[348] in truth, express His likeness in their thoughts, and in their whole life, and in all their behaviour: in word, and in deeds, and in patience, and in fortitude, and in knowledge, and in chastity, and in long-suffering, and in a pure heart, and in faith, and in hope, and in full and perfect love towards God. No virgin, therefore, unless they be in everything as Christ, and as those “who are Christs,”[349] can be saved. For every virgin who is in God is holy in her body and in her spirit, and is constant in the service of her Lord, not turning away from it any whither, but waiting upon Him always in purity and holiness in the Spirit of God, being “solicitous how she may please her Lord,”[350] by living purely and without stain, and solicitous to be pleasing before Him in every thing. She who is such does not withdraw from our Lord, but in spirit is ever with her Lord: as it is written, “Be ye holy, as I am holy, saith the Lord.”[351]
For, if a man be only in name called holy, he is not holy; but he must be holy in everything: in his body and in his spirit. And those who are virgins rejoice at all times in becoming like God and His Christ, and are imitators of them. For in those that are such there is not “the mind[352] of the flesh.” In those who are truly believers, and “in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells”[353]—in them “the mind of the flesh” cannot be: which is fornication, uncleanness, wantonness; idolatry,[354] sorcery; enmity, jealousy, rivalry, wrath, disputes, dissensions, ill-will; drunkenness, revelry; buffoonery, foolish talking, boisterous laughter; backbiting, insinuations; bitterness, rage; clamour, abuse, insolence of speech; malice, inventing of evil, falsehood; talkativeness,[355] babbling;[356] threatenings, gnashing of teeth, readiness to accuse,[357] jarring,[358] disdainings, blows; perversions of the right,[359]laxness in judgment; haughtiness, arrogance, ostentation, pompousness, boasting of family, of beauty, of position, of wealth, of an arm of flesh;[360] quarrelsomeness, injustice,[361] eagerness for victory; hatred, anger, envy, perfidy, retaliation;[362] debauchery, gluttony, “overreaching (which is idolatry),”[363] “the love of money (which is the root of all evils);”[364] love of display, vainglory, love of rule, assumption, pride (which is called death, and which “God fights against”).[365] Every man with whom are these and such like things—every such man is of the flesh. For, “he that is born of the flesh is flesh; and he that is of the earth speaketh of the earth,”[366] and his thoughts are of the earth. And “the mind of the flesh is enmity towards God. For it does not submit itself to the law of God; for it cannot do so,”[367] because it is in the flesh, “in which dwells no good,”[368] because the Spirit of God isnot in it. For this cause justly does the Scripture say regarding such a generation as this: “My Spirit shall not dwell in men for ever, because they are flesh.”[369] “Whosoever, therefore, has not the Spirit of God in him, is none of His:”[370] as it is written, “The Spirit of God departed from Saul, and an evil spirit troubled him, which was sent upon him from God.”[371]
He in whomsoever the Spirit of God is, is in accord with the will of the Spirit of God; and, because he is in accord with the Spirit of God, therefore does he mortify the deeds of the body and live unto God, “treading down and subjugating the body and keeping it under; so that, while preaching to others,” he may be a beautiful example and pattern to believers, and may spend his life in works which are worthy of the Holy Spirit, so that he may “not be cast away,”[372] but may be approved before God and before men. For in “the man who is of God,”[373] with him I say there is nothing of the mind of the flesh; and especially in virgins of either sex; but the fruits of all of them are “the fruits of the Spirit”[374] and of life, and they are truly the city of God, and the houses and temples in which God abides and dwells, and among which He walks, as in the holy city of heaven. For in this “do ye appear to the world as lights, in that ye give heed to the Word of life,”[375] and thus ye are in truth the praise, and the boast, and the crown of rejoicing, and the delight of good servants in our Lord Jesus Christ. For all who see you will “acknowledge that ye are the seed which the Lord hath blessed;”[376] in very deed a seed honourable and holy, and “a priestly kingdom, a holy people, the people of the inheritance,”[377] the heirs of the promises of God; of things which do not decay, nor wither; of “that which eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, and which hath not come up into the heart of man; of that which God hath prepared for those who love Him and keep His commandments.”[378]
Now, we are persuaded of you, my brethren, that your thoughts are occupied about those things which are requisite for your salvation.[379] But we speak thus[380] in consequence of the evil rumours and reports concerning shameless men, who, under pretext of the fear of God, have their dwelling with maidens, and so, expose themselves to danger, and walk with them along the road and in solitary places[381] alone—a course which is full of dangers, and full of stumbling-blocks and snares and pitfalls; nor is it in any respect right for Christians and those who fear God so to conduct themselves. Others, too, eat and drink with them at entertainments allowing themselves in loose behaviour and much uncleanness—such as ought not to be among believers, and especially among those who have chosen for themselves a life of holiness.[382] Others, again, meet together for vain and trifling conversation and merriment, and that they may speak evil of one another; and they hunt up tales against one another, and are idle: persons with whom we do not allow you even to eat bread. Then, others gad about among the houses of virgin brethren or sisters, on pretence of visiting them, or reading the Scriptures to them, or exorcising them. Forasmuch as they are idle and do no work, they pry into those things which ought not to be inquired into, and by means of plausible words make merchandise of the name of Christ. These are men from whom the divine apostle kept aloof, because of the multitude of their evil deeds; as it is written: “Thorns sprout in the hands of the idle;”[383] and, “The ways of the idle are full of thorns.”[384]
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