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On the Dress of Virgins

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 20

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

20. For this reason, therefore, the Church frequently mourns

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over

her

virgins

;

hence

she

groans

at

their

scandalous

and

detestable

stories

;

hence

the

flower

of

her

virgins

is

extinguished

,

the

honour

and

modesty

of

continency

are

injured

,

and

all

its

glory

and

dignity

are

profaned

.

Thus

the

hostile

besieger

insinuates

himself

by

his

arts

;

thus

by

snares

that

deceive

,

by

secret

ways

,

the

devil

creeps

in

.

Thus

,

while

virgins

wish

to

be

more

carefully

adorned

,

and

to

wander

with

more

liberty

,

they

cease

to

be

virgins

,

corrupted

by

a

furtive

dishonour

;

widows

before

they

are

married

,

adulterous

,

not

to

their

husband

,

but

to

Christ

.

In

proportion

as

they

had

been

as

virgins

destined

to

great

rewards

,

so

will

they

experience

great

punishments

for

the

loss

of

their

virginity

.