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On the Dress of Virgins

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 2

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

2. But if in Holy Scripture discipline is frequently and everywhere

‹ Section 1 Section 3 ›

prescribed

,

and

the

whole

foundation

of

religion

and

of

faith

proceeds

from

obedience

and

fear

;

what

is

more

fitting

for

us

urgently

to

desire

,

what

more

to

wish

for

and

to

hold

fast

,

than

to

stand

with

roots

strongly

fixed

,

and

with

our

houses

based

with

solid

mass

upon

the

rock

unshaken

by

the

storms

and

whirlwinds

of

the

world

,

so

that

we

may

come

by

the

divine

precepts

to

the

rewards

of

God

?

considering

as

well

as

knowing

that

our

members

,

when

purged

from

all

the

filth

of

the

old

contagion

by

the

sanctification

of

the

laver

of

life

,

are

God’s

temples

,

and

must

not

be

violated

nor

polluted

,

since

he

who

does

violence

to

them

is

himself

injured

.

We

are

the

worshippers

and

priests

of

those

temples

;

let

us

obey

Him

whose

we

have

already

begun

to

be

.

Paul

tells

us

in

his

epistles

,

in

which

he

has

formed

us

to

a

course

of

living

by

divine

teaching

,

“

Ye

are

not

your

own

,

for

ye

are

bought

with

a

great

price

;

glorify

and

bear

God

in

your

body

.

”

Let

us

glorify

and

bear

God

in

a

pure

and

chaste

body

,

and

with

a

more

complete

obedience

;

and

since

we

have

been

redeemed

by

the

blood

of

Christ

,

let

us

obey

and

give

furtherance

to

the

empire

of

our

Redeemer

by

all

the

obedience

of

service

,

that

nothing

impure

or

profane

may

be

brought

into

the

temple

of

God

,

lest

He

should

be

offended

,

and

forsake

the

temple

which

He

inhabits

.

The

words

of

the

Lord

giving

health

and

teaching

,

as

well

curing

as

warning

,

are

:

“

Behold

,

thou

art

made

whole

:

sin

no

more

,

lest

a

worse

thing

come

unto

thee

.

”

He

gives

the

course

of

life

,

He

gives

the

law

of

innocency

after

He

has

conferred

health

,

nor

suffers

the

man

afterwards

to

wander

with

free

and

unchecked

reins

,

but

more

severely

threatens

him

who

is

again

enslaved

by

those

same

things

of

which

he

had

been

healed

,

because

it

is

doubtless

a

smaller

fault

to

have

sinned

before

,

while

as

yet

you

had

not

known

God’s

discipline

;

but

there

is

no

further

pardon

for

sinning

after

you

have

begun

to

know

God

.

And

,

indeed

,

let

as

well

men

as

women

,

as

well

boys

as

girls

;

let

each

sex

and

every

age

observe

this

,

and

take

care

in

this

respect

,

according

to

the

religion

and

faith

which

they

owe

to

God

,

that

what

is

received

holy

and

pure

from

the

condescension

of

the

Lord

be

preserved

with

a

no

less

anxious

fear

.

Notes

9
1 Cor. vi. 19.
10
John v. 14.
11
One codex adds here: “since it is written, ‘He who perseveres unto the end, the same shall be saved.’”