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On Monogamy

Tertullian

Chapter 1

About this work

Author: Tertullian

VI. On Monogamy.

[Translated by the Rev. S. Thelwall.]

Chapter I.—Different Views in Regard to Marriage Held by Heretics, Psychic, and Spiritualists.

Heretics do away with marriages; Psychics accumulate them. The

Chapter 2 ›

former

marry

not

even

once

;

the

latter

not

only

once

.

What

dost

thou

,

Law

of

the

Creator

?

Between

alien

eunuchs

and

thine

own

grooms

,

thou

complainest

as

much

of

the

over

-

obedience

of

thine

own

household

as

of

the

contempt

of

strangers

.

They

who

abuse

thee

,

do

thee

equal

hurt

with

them

who

use

thee

not

.

In

fact

,

neither

is

such

continence

laudable

because

it

is

heretical

,

nor

such

licence

defensible

because

it

is

psychical

.

The

former

is

blasphemous

,

the

latter

wanton

;

the

former

destroys

the

God

of

marriages

,

the

latter

puts

Him

to

the

blush

.

Among

us

,

however

,

whom

the

recognition

of

spiritual

gifts

entitles

to

be

deservedly

called

Spiritual

,

continence

is

as

religious

as

licence

is

modest

;

since

both

the

one

and

the

other

are

in

harmony

with

the

Creator

.

Continence

honours

the

law

of

marriage

,

licence

tempers

it

;

the

former

is

not

forced

,

the

latter

is

regulated

;

the

former

recognises

the

power

of

free

choice

,

the

latter

recognises

a

limit

.

We

admit

one

marriage

,

just

as

we

do

one

God

.

The

law

of

marriage

reaps

an

accession

of

honour

where

it

is

associated

with

shamefastness

.

But

to

the

Psychics

,

since

they

receive

not

the

Spirit

,

the

things

which

are

the

Spirit’s

are

not

pleasing

.

Thus

,

so

long

as

the

things

which

are

the

Spirit’s

please

them

not

,

the

things

which

are

of

the

flesh

will

please

,

as

being

the

contraries

of

the

Spirit

.

“

The

flesh

,

”

saith

(

the

apostle

)

,

“

lusteth

against

the

Spirit

,

and

the

Spirit

against

the

flesh

.

”

But

what

will

the

flesh

“

lust

”

after

,

except

what

is

more

of

the

flesh

?

For

which

reason

withal

,

in

the

beginning

,

it

became

estranged

from

the

Spirit

.

“

My

Spirit

,

”

saith

(

God

)

,

“

shall

not

permanently

abide

in

these

men

eternally

,

for

that

they

are

flesh

.

”

Notes

2
Gal. v. 17.
3
In ævum; εἰς τὸν αἱῶνα (LXX.); in æternum (Vulg.).
4
Gen. vi. 3.