Opening the library…

Search the Bible

On Monogamy

Tertullian

Chapter 15

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XV.—Unfairness of Charging the Disciples of the New Prophecy with Harshness. The Charge Rather to Be Retorted Upon the Psychics.

What harshness, therefore, is here on our part, if

‹ Chapter 14 Chapter 16 ›

we

renounce

(

communion

with

)

such

as

do

not

the

will

of

God

?

What

heresy

,

if

we

judge

second

marriage

,

as

being

unlawful

,

akin

to

adultery

?

For

what

is

adultery

but

unlawful

marriage

?

The

apostle

sets

a

brand

upon

those

who

were

wont

entirely

to

forbid

marriage

,

who

were

wont

at

the

same

time

to

lay

an

interdict

on

meats

which

God

has

created

.

We

,

however

,

no

more

do

away

with

marriage

if

we

abjure

its

repetition

,

than

we

reprobate

meats

if

we

fast

oftener

(

than

others

)

.

It

is

one

thing

to

do

away

with

,

another

to

regulate

;

it

is

one

thing

to

lay

down

a

law

of

not

marrying

,

it

is

another

to

fix

a

limit

to

marrying

.

To

speak

plainly

,

if

they

who

reproach

us

with

harshness

,

or

esteem

heresy

(

to

exist

)

in

this

(

our

)

cause

,

foster

the

“

infirmity

of

the

flesh

”

to

such

a

degree

as

to

think

it

must

have

support

accorded

to

it

in

frequency

of

marriage

;

why

do

they

in

another

case

neither

accord

it

support

nor

foster

it

with

indulgence

—

when

,

(

namely

)

,

torments

have

reduced

it

to

a

denial

(

of

the

faith

)

?

For

,

of

course

,

that

(

infirmity

)

is

more

capable

of

excuse

which

has

fallen

in

battle

,

than

(

that

)

which

(

has

fallen

)

in

the

bed

-

chamber

;

(

that

)

which

has

succumbed

on

the

rack

,

than

(

that

)

which

(

has

succumbed

)

on

the

bridal

bed

;

(

that

)

which

has

yielded

to

cruelty

,

than

(

that

)

which

(

has

yielded

)

to

appetite

;

that

which

has

been

overcome

groaning

,

than

(

that

)

which

(

has

been

overcome

)

in

heat

.

But

the

former

they

excommunicate

,

because

it

has

not

“

endured

unto

the

end

:

”

the

latter

they

prop

up

,

as

if

withal

it

has

“

endured

unto

the

end

.

”

Propose

(

the

question

)

why

each

has

not

“

endured

unto

the

end

;

”

and

you

will

find

the

cause

of

that

(

infirmity

)

to

be

more

honourable

which

has

been

unable

to

sustain

savagery

,

than

(

of

that

)

which

(

has

been

unable

to

sustain

)

modesty

.

And

yet

not

even

a

bloodwrung

—

not

to

say

an

immodest

—

defection

does

the

“

infirmity

of

the

flesh

”

excuse

!

Notes

1
See 1 Tim. iv. 1–3.
2
See Matt. xxiv. 13, and the references there.