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Of the Discipline and Advantage of Chastity

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 3

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

3. Chastity is the dignity of the body,

‹ Section 2 Section 4 ›

the

ornament

of

morality

,

the

sacredness

of

the

sexes

,

the

bond

of

modesty

,

the

source

of

purity

,

the

peacefulness

of

home

,

the

crown

of

concord

.

Chastity

is

not

careful

whom

it

pleases

but

itself

.

Chastity

is

always

modest

,

being

the

mother

of

innocency

;

chastity

is

ever

adorned

with

modesty

alone

,

then

rightly

conscious

of

its

own

beauty

if

it

is

displeasing

to

the

wicked

.

Chastity

seeks

nothing

in

the

way

of

adornments

:

it

is

its

own

glory

.

It

is

this

which

commends

us

to

the

Lord

,

unites

us

with

Christ

;

it

is

this

which

drives

out

from

our

members

all

the

illicit

conflicts

of

desire

,

instils

peace

into

our

bodies

:

blessed

itself

,

and

making

those

blessed

,

whoever

they

are

,

in

whom

it

condescends

to

dwell

.

It

is

that

which

even

they

who

possess

it

not

can

never

accuse

;

it

is

even

venerable

to

its

enemies

,

since

,

they

admire

it

much

more

because

they

are

unable

to

capture

it

.

Moreover

,

as

mature

,

it

is

both

always

excellent

in

men

,

and

to

be

earnestly

desired

by

women

;

so

its

enemy

,

unchastity

,

is

always

detestable

,

making

an

obscene

sport

for

its

servants

,

sparing

neither

bodies

nor

souls

.

For

,

their

own

proper

character

being

overcome

,

it

sends

the

entire

man

under

its

yoke

of

lust

,

alluring

at

first

,

that

it

may

do

the

more

mischief

by

its

attraction

,

—

the

foe

of

continency

,

exhausting

both

means

and

modesty

;

the

perilous

madness

of

lust

frequently

attaining

to

the

blood

,

the

destruction

of

a

good

conscience

,

the

mother

of

impenitence

,

the

ruin

of

a

more

virtuous

age

,

the

disgrace

of

one’s

race

,

driving

away

all

confidence

in

blood

and

family

,

intruding

one’s

own

children

upon

the

affections

of

strangers

,

interpolating

the

offspring

of

an

unknown

and

corrupted

stock

into

the

testaments

of

others

.

And

this

also

,

very

frequently

burning

without

reference

to

sex

,

and

not

restraining

itself

within

the

permitted

limits

,

thinks

it

little

satisfaction

to

itself

,

unless

even

in

the

bodies

of

men

it

seeks

,

not

a

new

pleasure

,

but

goes

in

quest

of

extraordinary

and

revolting

extravagances

,

contrary

to

nature

itself

,

of

men

with

men

.

Notes

3
[“So dear to Heaven is saintly Chastity, etc.”—Milton, Comus, 455.]