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On Exhortation to Chastity

Tertullian

Chapter 4

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter IV.—Further Remarks Upon the Apostle’s Language.

However, touching second marriage, we know plainly that the

‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›

apostle

has

pronounced

:

“

Thou

hast

been

loosed

from

a

wife

;

seek

not

a

wife

.

But

if

thou

shalt

marry

,

thou

wilt

not

sin

.

”

Still

,

as

in

the

former

case

,

he

has

introduced

the

order

of

this

discourse

too

from

his

personal

suggestion

,

not

from

a

divine

precept

.

But

there

is

a

wide

difference

between

a

precept

of

God

and

a

suggestion

of

man

.

“

Precept

of

the

Lord

,

”

says

he

,

“

I

have

not

;

but

I

give

advice

,

as

having

obtained

mercy

of

the

Lord

to

be

faithful

.

”

In

fact

,

neither

in

the

Gospel

nor

in

Paul’s

own

Epistles

will

you

find

a

precept

of

God

as

the

source

whence

repetition

of

marriage

is

permitted

.

Whence

the

doctrine

that

unity

(

of

marriage

)

must

be

observed

derives

confirmation

;

inasmuch

as

that

which

is

not

found

to

be

permitted

by

the

Lord

is

acknowledged

to

be

forbidden

.

Add

(

to

this

consideration

)

the

fact

,

that

even

this

very

introduction

of

human

advice

,

as

if

already

beginning

to

reflect

upon

its

own

extravagance

,

immediately

restrains

and

recalls

itself

,

while

it

subjoins

,

“

However

,

such

shall

have

pressure

of

the

flesh

;

”

while

he

says

that

he

“

spares

them

;

”

while

he

adds

that

“

the

time

is

wound

up

,

”

so

that

“

it

behoves

even

such

as

have

wives

to

act

as

if

they

had

not

;

”

while

he

compares

the

solicitude

of

the

wedded

and

of

the

unwedded

:

for

,

in

teaching

,

by

means

of

these

considerations

,

the

reasons

why

marrying

is

not

expedient

,

he

dissuades

from

that

to

which

he

had

above

granted

indulgence

.

And

this

is

the

case

with

regard

to

first

marriage

:

how

much

more

with

regard

to

second

!

When

,

however

,

he

exhorts

us

to

the

imitation

of

his

own

example

,

of

course

,

in

showing

what

he

does

wish

us

to

be

;

that

is

,

continent

;

he

equally

declares

what

he

does

not

wish

us

to

be

,

that

is

,

incontinent

.

Thus

he

,

too

,

while

he

wills

one

thing

,

gives

no

spontaneous

or

true

permission

to

that

which

he

nills

.

For

had

he

willed

,

he

would

not

have

permitted

;

nay

,

rather

,

he

would

have

commanded

.

“

But

see

again

:

a

woman

when

her

husband

is

dead

,

he

says

,

can

marry

,

if

she

wish

to

marry

any

one

,

only

‘

in

the

Lord

.

’

”

Ah

!

but

“

happier

will

she

be

,

”

he

says

,

“

if

she

shall

remain

permanently

as

she

is

,

according

to

my

opinion

.

I

think

,

moreover

,

I

too

have

the

Spirit

of

God

.

”

We

see

two

advices

:

that

whereby

,

above

,

he

grants

the

indulgence

of

marrying

;

and

that

whereby

,

just

afterwards

,

he

teaches

continence

with

regard

to

marrying

.

“

To

which

,

then

,

”

you

say

,

“

shall

we

assent

?

”

Look

at

them

carefully

,

and

choose

.

In

granting

indulgence

,

he

alleges

the

advice

of

a

prudent

man

;

in

enjoining

continence

,

he

affirms

the

advice

of

the

Holy

Spirit

.

Follow

the

admonition

which

has

divinity

for

its

patron

.

It

is

true

that

believers

likewise

“

have

the

Spirit

of

God

;

”

but

not

all

believers

are

apostles

.

When

then

,

he

who

had

called

himself

a

“

believer

,

”

added

thereafter

that

he

“

had

the

Spirit

of

God

,

”

which

no

one

would

doubt

even

in

the

case

of

an

(

ordinary

)

believer

;

his

reason

for

saying

so

was

,

that

he

might

reassert

for

himself

apostolic

dignity

.

For

apostles

have

the

Holy

Spirit

properly

,

who

have

Him

fully

,

in

the

operations

of

prophecy

,

and

the

efficacy

of

(

healing

)

virtues

,

and

the

evidences

of

tongues

;

not

partially

,

as

all

others

have

.

Thus

he

attached

the

Holy

Spirit’s

authority

to

that

form

(

of

advice

)

to

which

he

willed

us

rather

to

attend

;

and

forthwith

it

became

not

an

advice

of

the

Holy

Spirit

,

but

,

in

consideration

of

His

majesty

,

a

precept

.

Notes

1
1 Cor. vii. 27, 28.
2
Or, “to be a believer;” ver. 25.