Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

Of the Discipline and Advantage of Chastity

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 2

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

2. Although, therefore, I exhort you always

‹ Section 1 Section 3 ›

,

as

you

are

aware

,

to

many

things

,

and

to

the

precepts

of

the

Lord’s

admonition

—

for

what

else

can

be

desirable

or

more

important

to

me

,

than

that

in

all

things

you

should

stand

perfect

in

the

Lord

?

—

yet

I

admonish

you

,

that

you

should

before

all

things

maintain

the

barriers

of

chastity

,

as

also

you

do

:

knowing

that

you

are

the

temple

of

the

Lord

,

the

members

of

Christ

,

the

habitation

of

the

Holy

Spirit

,

elected

to

hope

,

consecrated

to

faith

,

destined

to

salvation

,

sons

of

God

,

brethren

of

Christ

,

associates

of

the

Holy

Spirit

,

owing

nothing

any

longer

to

the

flesh

,

as

born

again

of

water

,

that

the

chastity

,

over

and

above

the

will

,

which

we

should

always

desire

to

be

ours

,

may

be

afforded

to

us

also

,

on

account

of

the

redemption

,

that

that

which

has

been

consecrated

by

Christ

might

not

be

corrupted

.

For

if

the

apostle

declares

the

Church

to

be

the

spouse

of

Christ

,

I

beseech

you

consider

what

chastity

is

required

,

where

the

Church

is

given

in

marriage

as

a

betrothed

virgin

.

And

I

indeed

,

except

that

I

have

proposed

to

admonish

you

with

brevity

,

think

the

most

diffuse

praises

due

,

and

could

set

forth

abundant

laudations

of

chastity

;

but

I

have

thought

it

superfluous

to

praise

it

at

greater

length

among

those

who

practise

it

.

For

you

adorn

it

while

you

exhibit

it

;

and

in

its

exercise

you

set

forth

its

more

abundant

praises

,

being

made

its

ornament

,

while

it

also

is

yours

,

each

lending

and

borrowing

honour

from

the

other

.

It

adds

to

you

the

discipline

of

good

morals

;

you

confer

upon

it

the

ministry

of

saintly

works

.

For

how

much

and

what

it

can

effect

has

on

the

one

hand

been

manifest

by

your

means

,

and

on

the

other

it

has

shown

and

taught

what

you

are

wishing

for

,

—

the

two

advantages

of

precepts

and

practice

being

combined

into

one

,

that

nothing

should

appear

maimed

,

as

would

be

the

case

if

either

principles

were

wanting

to

service

,

or

service

to

principles

.