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On the Dress of Virgins

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 3

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

3. My address is now to virgins, whose glory,

‹ Section 2 Section 4 ›

as

it

is

more

eminent

,

excites

the

greater

interest

.

This

is

the

flower

of

the

ecclesiastical

seed

,

the

grace

and

ornament

of

spiritual

endowment

,

a

joyous

disposition

,

the

wholesome

and

uncorrupted

work

of

praise

and

honour

,

God’s

image

answering

to

the

holiness

of

the

Lord

,

the

more

illustrious

portion

of

Christ’s

flock

.

The

glorious

fruitfulness

of

Mother

Church

rejoices

by

their

means

,

and

in

them

abundantly

flourishes

;

and

in

proportion

as

a

copious

virginity

is

added

to

her

number

,

so

much

the

more

it

increases

the

joy

of

the

Mother

.

To

these

I

speak

,

these

I

exhort

with

affection

rather

than

with

power

;

not

that

I

would

claim

—

last

and

least

,

and

very

conscious

of

my

lowliness

as

I

am

—

any

right

to

censure

,

but

because

,

being

unceasingly

careful

even

to

solicitude

,

I

fear

more

from

the

onset

of

Satan

.

Notes

12
Otherwise, “These are the flowers of the ecclesiastical seed.”