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On the Dress of Virgins

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 22

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

22. Hold fast, O virgins! hold fast what you

‹ Section 21 Section 23 ›

have

begun

to

be

;

hold

fast

what

you

shall

be

.

A

great

reward

awaits

you

,

a

great

recompense

of

virtue

,

the

immense

advantage

of

chastity

.

Do

you

wish

to

know

what

ill

the

virtue

of

continence

avoids

,

what

good

it

possesses

?

“

I

will

multiply

,

”

says

God

to

the

woman

,

“

thy

sorrows

and

thy

groanings

;

and

in

sorrow

shalt

thou

bring

forth

children

;

and

thy

desire

shall

be

to

thy

husband

,

and

he

shall

rule

over

thee

.

”

You

are

free

from

this

sentence

.

You

do

not

fear

the

sorrows

and

the

groans

of

women

.

You

have

no

fear

of

child

-

bearing

;

nor

is

your

husband

lord

over

you

;

but

your

Lord

and

Head

is

Christ

,

after

the

likeness

and

in

the

place

of

the

man

;

with

that

of

men

your

lot

and

your

condition

is

equal

.

It

is

the

word

of

the

Lord

which

says

,

“

The

children

of

this

world

beget

and

are

begotten

;

but

they

who

are

counted

worthy

of

that

world

,

and

of

the

resurrection

from

the

dead

,

neither

marry

nor

are

given

in

marriage

:

neither

shall

they

die

any

more

:

for

they

are

equal

to

the

angels

of

God

,

being

the

children

of

the

resurrection

.

”

That

which

we

shall

be

,

you

have

already

begun

to

be

.

You

possess

already

in

this

world

the

glory

of

the

resurrection

.

You

pass

through

the

world

without

the

contagion

of

the

world

;

in

that

you

continue

chaste

and

virgins

,

you

are

equal

to

the

angels

of

God

.

Only

let

your

virginity

remain

and

endure

substantial

and

uninjured

;

and

as

it

began

bravely

,

let

it

persevere

continuously

,

and

not

seek

the

ornaments

of

necklaces

nor

garments

,

but

of

conduct

.

Let

it

look

towards

God

and

heaven

,

and

not

lower

to

the

lust

of

the

flesh

and

of

the

world

,

the

eyes

uplifted

to

things

above

,

or

set

them

upon

earthly

things

.

Notes

39
Gen. iii. 16.
40
Luke xx. 35, 36.