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On Monogamy

Tertullian

Chapter 4

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter IV.—Waiving Allusion to the Paraclete, Tertullian Comes to the Consideration of the Ancient Scriptures, and Their Testimony on the Subject in Hand.

Waiving, now, the mention of the Paraclete, as of

‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›

some

authority

of

our

own

,

evolve

we

the

common

instruments

of

the

primitive

Scriptures

.

This

very

thing

is

demonstrable

by

us

:

that

the

rule

of

monogamy

is

neither

novel

nor

strange

,

nay

rather

,

is

both

ancient

,

and

proper

to

Christians

;

so

that

you

may

be

sensible

that

the

Paraclete

is

rather

its

restitutor

than

institutor

.

As

for

what

pertains

to

antiquity

,

what

more

ancient

formal

type

can

be

brought

forward

,

than

the

very

original

fount

of

the

human

race

?

One

female

did

God

fashion

for

the

male

,

culling

one

rib

of

his

,

and

(

of

course

)

(

one

)

out

of

a

plurality

.

But

,

moreover

,

in

the

introductory

speech

which

preceded

the

work

itself

,

He

said

,

“

It

is

not

good

for

the

man

that

he

be

alone

;

let

us

make

an

help

-

meet

for

him

.

”

For

He

would

have

said

“

helpers

”

if

He

had

destined

him

to

have

more

wives

(

than

one

)

.

He

added

,

too

,

a

law

concerning

the

future

;

if

,

that

is

,

(

the

words

)

“

And

two

shall

be

(

made

)

into

one

flesh

”

—

not

three

,

nor

more

;

else

they

would

be

no

more

“

two

”

if

(

there

were

)

more

—

were

prophetically

uttered

.

The

law

stood

(

firm

)

.

In

short

,

the

unity

of

marriage

lasted

to

the

very

end

in

the

case

of

the

authors

of

our

race

;

not

because

there

were

no

other

women

,

but

because

the

reason

why

there

were

none

was

that

the

first

-

fruits

of

the

race

might

not

be

contaminated

by

a

double

marriage

.

Otherwise

,

had

God

(

so

)

willed

,

there

could

withal

have

been

(

others

)

;

at

all

events

,

he

might

have

taken

from

the

abundance

of

his

own

daughters

—

having

no

less

an

Eve

(

taken

)

out

of

his

own

bones

and

flesh

—

if

piety

had

allowed

it

to

be

done

.

But

where

the

first

crime

(

is

found

)

homicide

,

inaugurated

in

fratricide

—

no

crime

was

so

worthy

of

the

second

place

as

a

double

marriage

.

For

it

makes

no

difference

whether

a

man

have

had

two

wives

singly

,

or

whether

individuals

(

taken

)

at

the

same

time

have

made

two

.

The

number

of

(

the

individuals

)

conjoined

and

separate

is

the

same

.

Still

,

God’s

institution

,

after

once

for

all

suffering

violence

through

Lamech

,

remained

firm

to

the

very

end

of

that

race

.

Second

Lamech

there

arose

none

,

in

the

way

of

being

husband

to

two

wives

.

What

Scripture

does

not

note

,

it

denies

.

Other

iniquities

provoke

the

deluge

:

(

iniquities

)

once

for

all

avenged

,

whatever

was

their

nature

;

not

,

however

,

“

seventy

-

seven

times

,

”

which

(

is

the

vengeance

which

)

double

marriages

have

deserved

.

But again: the reformation of the second human race is traced from monogamy as its mother. Once more, “two (joined) into one flesh” undertake (the duty of) “growing and multiplying,”—Noah, (namely), and his wife, and their sons, in single marriage. Even in the very animals monogamy is recognised, for fear that even beasts should be born of adultery. “Out of all beasts,” said (God), “out of all flesh, two shalt thou lead into the ark, that they may live with thee, male and female: they shall be (taken) from all flying animals according to (their) kind, and from all creepers of the earth according to their kind; two out of all shall enter unto thee, male and female.” In the same formula, too, He orders sets of sevens, made up of pairs, to be gathered to him, consisting of male and female—one male and one female. What more shall I say? Even unclean birds were not allowed to enter with two females each.

Notes

1
Septuagies septies. See Gen. iv. 19–24.
2
Comp. Gen. vii. 7 with 1 Pet. iii. 20 ad fin.
3
Comp. Gen. vi. 19, 20.
4
See Gen. vii. 3.