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Of the Discipline and Advantage of Chastity

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 5

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

5. The precepts of chastity, brethren, are

‹ Section 4 Section 6 ›

ancient

.

Wherefore

do

I

say

ancient

?

Because

they

were

ordained

at

the

same

time

as

men

themselves

.

For

both

her

own

husband

belongs

to

the

woman

,

for

the

reason

that

besides

him

she

may

know

no

other

;

and

the

woman

is

given

to

the

man

for

the

purpose

that

,

when

that

which

had

been

his

own

had

been

yielded

to

him

,

he

should

seek

for

nothing

belonging

to

another

.

And

in

such

wise

it

is

said

,

“

Two

shall

be

in

one

flesh

,

”

that

what

had

been

made

one

should

return

together

,

that

a

separation

without

return

should

not

afford

any

occasion

to

a

stranger

.

Thence

also

the

apostle

declares

that

the

man

is

the

head

of

the

woman

,

that

he

might

commend

chastity

in

the

conjunction

of

the

two

.

For

as

the

head

cannot

be

suited

to

the

limbs

of

another

,

so

also

one’s

limbs

cannot

be

suited

to

the

head

of

another

:

for

one’s

head

matches

one’s

limbs

,

and

one’s

limbs

one’s

head

;

and

both

of

them

are

associated

by

a

natural

link

in

mutual

concord

,

lest

,

by

any

discord

arising

from

the

separation

of

the

members

,

the

compact

of

the

divine

covenant

should

be

broken

.

Yet

he

adds

,

and

says

:

“

Because

he

who

loves

his

wife

,

loves

himself

.

For

no

one

hates

his

own

flesh

;

but

nourishes

and

cherishes

it

,

even

as

Christ

the

Church

.

”

From

this

passage

there

is

great

authority

for

charity

with

chastity

,

if

wives

are

to

be

loved

by

their

husbands

even

as

Christ

loved

the

Church

and

wives

ought

so

to

love

their

husbands

also

as

the

Church

loves

Christ

.

Notes

5
[This natural law, renewed in Christ, is part of the honour which He has restored to womanhood; honouring His mother therein as the second Eve. Matt. xix. 8; Gen. ii. 24.]
6
Matt. xix. 5.
7
Eph. v. 28, 29.