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On the Dress of Virgins

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 5

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

5. But if continency follows Christ, and virginity is destined

‹ Section 4 Section 6 ›

for

the

kingdom

of

God

,

what

have

they

to

do

with

earthly

dress

,

and

with

ornaments

,

wherewith

while

they

are

striving

to

please

men

they

offend

God

?

Not

considering

that

it

is

declared

,

“

They

who

please

men

are

put

to

confusion

,

because

God

hath

despised

them

;

”

and

that

Paul

also

has

gloriously

and

sublimely

uttered

,

“

If

I

yet

pleased

men

,

I

should

not

be

the

servant

of

Christ

.

”

But

continence

and

modesty

consist

not

alone

in

purity

of

the

flesh

,

but

also

in

seemliness

,

as

well

as

in

modesty

of

dress

and

adornment

;

so

that

,

according

to

the

apostle

,

she

who

is

unmarried

may

be

holy

both

in

body

and

in

spirit

.

Paul

instructs

and

teaches

us

,

saying

,

“

He

that

is

unmarried

careth

for

the

things

of

the

Lord

,

how

he

may

please

God

:

but

he

who

has

contracted

marriage

careth

for

the

things

which

are

of

this

world

,

how

he

may

please

his

wife

.

So

both

the

virgin

and

the

unmarried

woman

consider

those

things

which

are

the

Lord’s

,

that

they

may

be

holy

both

in

body

and

spirit

.

”

A

virgin

ought

not

only

to

be

so

,

but

also

to

be

perceived

and

believed

to

be

so

:

no

one

on

seeing

a

virgin

should

be

in

any

doubt

as

to

whether

she

is

one

.

Perfectness

should

show

itself

equal

in

all

things

;

nor

should

the

dress

of

the

body

discredit

the

good

of

the

mind

.

Why

should

she

walk

out

adorned

?

Why

with

dressed

hair

,

as

if

she

either

had

or

sought

for

a

husband

?

Rather

let

her

dread

to

please

if

she

is

a

virgin

;

and

let

her

not

invite

her

own

risk

,

if

she

is

keeping

herself

for

better

and

divine

things

.

They

who

have

not

a

husband

whom

they

profess

that

they

please

,

should

persevere

,

sound

and

pure

not

only

in

body

,

but

also

in

spirit

.

For

it

is

not

right

that

a

virgin

should

have

her

hair

braided

for

the

appearance

of

her

beauty

,

or

boast

of

her

flesh

and

of

its

beauty

,

when

she

has

no

struggle

greater

than

that

against

her

flesh

,

and

no

contest

more

obstinate

than

that

of

conquering

and

subduing

the

body

.

Notes

15
Ps. liii. 5.
16
Gal. i. 10.
17
1 Cor. vii. 32.