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First Pseudo-Clement

Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter 5

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter V.—The Irksomeness and the Enemies of Virginity.

Thou desirest, then, to be a virgin? Knowest

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thou

what

hardship

and

irksomeness

there

is

in

true

virginity

—

that

which

stands

constantly

at

all

seasons

before

God

,

and

does

not

withdraw

from

His

service

,

and

“

is

anxious

how

it

may

please

its

Lord

with

a

holy

body

,

and

with

its

spirit

?

”

Knowest

thou

what

great

glory

pertains

to

virginity

,

and

is

it

for

this

that

thou

dost

set

thyself

to

practise

it

?

Dost

thou

really

know

and

understand

what

it

is

thou

art

eager

to

do

?

Art

thou

acquainted

with

the

noble

task

of

holy

virginity

?

Dost

thou

know

how

,

like

a

man

,

to

enter

“

lawfully

”

upon

this

contest

and

“

strive

,

”

that

,

in

the

might

of

the

Holy

Spirit

,

thou

choosest

this

for

thyself

,

that

thou

mayest

be

crowned

with

a

crown

of

light

,

and

that

they

may

lead

thee

about

in

triumph

through

“

the

Jerusalem

above

”

?

If

so

be

,

then

,

that

thou

longest

for

all

these

things

,

conquer

the

body

;

conquer

the

appetites

of

the

flesh

;

conquer

the

world

in

the

Spirit

of

God

;

conquer

these

vain

things

of

time

,

which

pass

away

and

grow

old

,

and

decay

,

and

come

to

an

end

;

conquer

the

dragon

;

conquer

the

lion

;

conquer

the

serpent

;

conquer

Satan

;

—

through

Jesus

Christ

,

who

doth

strengthen

thee

by

the

hearing

of

His

words

and

the

divine

Eucharist

.

“

Take

up

thy

cross

and

follow

”

Him

who

makes

thee

clean

,

Jesus

Christ

thy

Lord

.

Strive

to

run

straight

forward

and

boldly

,

not

with

fear

,

but

with

courage

,

relying

on

the

promise

of

thy

Lord

,

that

thou

shalt

obtain

the

victor

-

crown

of

thy

“

calling

on

high

”

through

Jesus

Christ

.

For

whosoever

walks

perfect

in

faith

,

and

not

fearing

,

doth

in

very

deed

receive

the

crown

of

virginity

,

which

is

great

in

its

toil

and

great

in

its

reward

.

Dost

thou

understand

and

know

how

honourable

a

thing

is

sanctity

?

Dost

thou

understand

how

great

and

exalted

and

excellent

is

the

glory

of

virginity

?

Notes

1
1 Cor. vii. 34.
2
Lit. “descend to.”
3
2 Tim. ii. 5.
4
The words, “in the might of the Holy Spirit,” appear to obscure the sense.—Beelen.
5
Gal. iv. 26.
6
Rev. xii. 7.
7
1 Pet. v. 8.
8
2 Cor. xi. 3.
9
Lit. “the Eucharist of the Godhead.” This is an evidence of later date than the sub-apostolic age.—R.]
10
Matt. xvi. 24.
11
Lit. “crown of victory.”
12
Phil. iii. 14.
13
i.e. continency. [The use of the terms “sanctity,” “holy,” etc., in the limited sense of “continency,” “chaste,” etc., is strong evidence of the later origin.—R]
14
The last two sentences properly belong to chap. vi.