Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

On the Dress of Virgins

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 23

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

23. The first decree commanded to increase and to multiply;

‹ Section 22 Section 24 ›

the

second

enjoined

continency

.

While

the

world

is

still

rough

and

void

,

we

are

propagated

by

the

fruitful

begetting

of

numbers

,

and

we

increase

to

the

enlargement

of

the

human

race

.

Now

,

when

the

world

is

filled

and

the

earth

supplied

,

they

who

can

receive

continency

,

living

after

the

manner

of

eunuchs

,

are

made

eunuchs

unto

the

kingdom

.

Nor

does

the

Lord

command

this

,

but

He

exhorts

it

;

nor

does

He

impose

the

yoke

of

necessity

,

since

the

free

choice

of

the

will

is

left

.

But

when

He

says

that

in

His

Father’s

house

are

many

mansions

,

He

points

out

the

dwellings

of

the

better

habitation

.

Those

better

habitations

you

are

seeking

;

cutting

away

the

desires

of

the

flesh

,

you

obtain

the

reward

of

a

greater

grace

in

the

heavenly

home

.

All

indeed

who

attain

to

the

divine

gift

and

inheritance

by

the

sanctification

of

baptism

,

therein

put

off

the

old

man

by

the

grace

of

the

saving

laver

,

and

,

renewed

by

the

Holy

Spirit

from

the

filth

of

the

old

contagion

,

are

purged

by

a

second

nativity

.

But

the

greater

holiness

and

truth

of

that

repeated

birth

belongs

to

you

,

who

have

no

longer

any

desires

of

the

flesh

and

of

the

body

.

Only

the

things

which

belong

to

virtue

and

the

Spirit

have

remained

in

you

to

glory

.

It

is

the

apostle’s

word

whom

the

Lord

called

His

chosen

vessel

,

whom

God

sent

to

proclaim

the

heavenly

command

:

“

The

first

man

,

”

says

he

,

“

is

from

the

earth

,

of

earth

;

the

second

man

is

from

heaven

.

Such

as

is

the

earthy

,

such

are

they

also

who

are

earthy

;

and

such

as

is

the

heavenly

,

such

also

are

the

heavenly

.

As

we

have

borne

the

image

of

him

who

is

earthy

,

let

us

also

bear

the

image

of

Him

who

is

heavenly

.

”

Virginity

bears

this

image

,

integrity

bears

it

,

holiness

bears

it

,

and

truth

.

Disciplines

which

are

mindful

of

God

bear

it

,

retaining

righteousness

with

religion

,

stedfast

in

faith

,

humble

in

fear

,

brave

to

all

suffering

,

meek

to

sustain

wrong

,

easy

to

show

mercy

,

of

one

mind

and

one

heart

in

fraternal

peace

.

Notes

41
1 Cor. xv. 47.