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On Exhortation to Chastity

Tertullian

Chapter 1

About this work

Author: Tertullian

V. On Exhortation to Chastity.

[Translated by the Rev. S. Thelwall.]

Chapter I.—Introduction. Virginity Classified Under Three Several Species.

I doubt not, brother, that after the

Chapter 2 ›

premission

in

peace

of

your

wife

,

you

,

being

wholly

bent

upon

the

composing

of

your

mind

(

to

a

right

frame

)

,

are

seriously

thinking

about

the

end

of

your

lone

life

,

and

of

course

are

standing

in

need

of

counsel

.

Although

,

in

cases

of

this

kind

,

each

individual

ought

to

hold

colloquy

with

his

own

faith

,

and

consult

its

strength

;

still

,

inasmuch

as

,

in

this

(

particular

)

species

(

of

trial

)

,

the

necessity

of

the

flesh

(

which

generally

is

faith’s

antagonist

at

the

bar

of

the

same

inner

consciousness

,

to

which

I

have

alluded

)

sets

cogitation

astir

,

faith

has

need

of

counsel

from

without

,

as

an

advocate

,

as

it

were

,

to

oppose

the

necessities

of

the

flesh

:

which

necessity

,

indeed

,

may

very

easily

be

circumscribed

,

if

the

will

rather

than

the

indulgence

of

God

be

considered

.

No

one

deserves

(

favour

)

by

availing

himself

of

the

indulgence

,

but

by

rendering

a

prompt

obedience

to

the

will

,

(

of

his

master

)

.

The

will

of

God

is

our

sanctification

,

for

He

wishes

His

“

image

”

—

us

—

to

become

likewise

His

“

likeness

;

”

that

we

may

be

“

holy

”

just

as

Himself

is

“

holy

.

”

That

good

—

sanctification

,

I

mean

—

I

distribute

into

several

species

,

that

in

some

one

of

those

species

we

may

be

found

.

The

first

species

is

,

virginity

from

one’s

birth

:

the

second

,

virginity

from

one’s

second

birth

,

that

is

,

from

the

font

;

which

(

second

virginity

)

either

in

the

marriage

state

keeps

(

its

subject

)

pure

by

mutual

compact

,

or

else

perseveres

in

widowhood

from

choice

:

a

third

grade

remains

,

monogamy

,

when

,

after

the

interception

of

a

marriage

once

contracted

,

there

is

thereafter

a

renunciation

of

sexual

connection

.

The

first

virginity

is

(

the

virginity

)

of

happiness

,

(

and

consists

in

)

total

ignorance

of

that

from

which

you

will

afterwards

wish

to

be

freed

:

the

second

,

of

virtue

,

(

and

consists

in

)

contemning

that

the

power

of

which

you

know

full

well

:

the

remaining

species

,

(

that

)

of

marrying

no

more

after

the

disjunction

of

matrimony

by

death

,

besides

being

the

glory

of

virtue

,

is

(

the

glory

)

of

moderation

likewise

;

for

moderation

is

the

not

regretting

a

thing

which

has

been

taken

away

,

and

taken

away

by

the

Lord

God

,

without

whose

will

neither

does

a

leaf

glide

down

from

a

tree

,

nor

a

sparrow

of

one

farthing’s

worth

fall

to

the

earth

.

Notes

2
Comp. c. iii. and the references there.
3
1 Thess. iv. 3.
4
Comp. 1 Cor. xi. 7, where the Greek is εἰκὼν καὶ δόξα.
5
Lev. xi. 44; 1 Pet. i. 16.
6
Comp. 1 Cor. vii. 5; and ad Ux., b. i. c. vi.
7
Comp. ad Ux., b. i. c. viii.
8
Comp. Job i. 21.
9
Comp. Matt. x. 29.