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Of the Discipline and Advantage of Chastity

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 13

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

13. But to return to what I began with

‹ Section 12 Section 14 ›

:

chastity

is

ever

to

be

cultivated

by

men

and

women

;

it

is

to

be

kept

with

all

watchfulness

within

its

bounds

.

The

bodily

nature

is

quickly

endangered

in

the

body

,

when

the

flesh

,

which

is

always

falling

,

carries

it

away

with

itself

.

Because

under

the

pretext

of

a

nature

which

is

always

urging

men

to

desires

whereby

the

ruins

of

a

decayed

race

are

restored

,

deceiving

with

the

enticement

of

pleasure

,

it

does

not

lead

its

offspring

to

the

continence

of

legitimate

intercourse

,

but

hurls

them

into

crime

.

Therefore

,

in

opposition

to

these

fleshly

snares

,

by

which

the

devil

both

obtrudes

himself

as

a

companion

and

makes

himself

a

leader

,

we

must

struggle

with

every

kind

of

strength

.

Let

the

aid

of

Christ

be

appropriated

,

according

to

the

apostle

,

and

let

the

mind

be

withdrawn

as

much

as

possible

from

the

association

of

the

body

;

let

consent

be

withheld

from

the

body

;

let

vices

be

always

chastised

,

that

they

may

be

hated

;

let

that

misshapen

and

degraded

shame

which

belongs

to

sin

be

kept

before

our

eyes

.

Repentance

itself

,

with

all

its

struggles

,

is

a

discreditable

testimony

to

sins

committed

.

Let

not

curiosity

be

indulged

in

scanning

other

people’s

countenances

.

Let

one’s

speech

be

brief

,

and

one’s

laughter

moderate

,

for

laughter

is

the

sign

of

an

easy

and

a

negligent

disposition

;

and

let

all

contact

,

even

that

which

is

becoming

,

be

avoided

.

Let

no

indulgence

be

permitted

to

the

body

,

when

bodily

vice

is

to

be

avoided

.

Let

it

be

considered

how

honourable

it

is

to

have

conquered

dishonour

,

how

disgraceful

to

have

been

conquered

by

dishonour

.

Notes

15
[Laughter, vol. ii. p. 249, and contact p. 291.]