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On Monogamy

Tertullian

Chapter 8

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter VIII.—From the Law Tertullian Comes to the Gospel. He Begins with Examples Before Proceeding to Dogmas.

Turning now to the law, which is properly ours—that

‹ Chapter 7 Chapter 9 ›

is

,

to

the

Gospel

—

by

what

kind

of

examples

are

we

met

,

until

we

come

to

definite

dogmas

?

Behold

,

there

immediately

present

themselves

to

us

,

on

the

threshold

as

it

were

,

the

two

priestesses

of

Christian

sanctity

,

Monogamy

and

Continence

:

one

modest

,

in

Zechariah

the

priest

;

one

absolute

,

in

John

the

forerunner

:

one

appeasing

God

;

one

preaching

Christ

:

one

proclaiming

a

perfect

priest

;

one

exhibiting

“

more

than

a

prophet

,

”

—

him

,

namely

,

who

has

not

only

preached

or

personally

pointed

out

,

but

even

baptized

Christ

.

For

who

was

more

worthily

to

perform

the

initiatory

rite

on

the

body

of

the

Lord

,

than

flesh

similar

in

kind

to

that

which

conceived

and

gave

birth

to

that

(

body

)

?

And

indeed

it

was

a

virgin

,

about

to

marry

once

for

all

after

her

delivery

,

who

gave

birth

to

Christ

,

in

order

that

each

title

of

sanctity

might

be

fulfilled

in

Christ’s

parentage

,

by

means

of

a

mother

who

was

both

virgin

,

and

wife

of

one

husband

.

Again

,

when

He

is

presented

as

an

infant

in

the

temple

,

who

is

it

who

receives

Him

into

his

hands

?

who

is

the

first

to

recognise

Him

in

spirit

?

A

man

“

just

and

circumspect

,

”

and

of

course

no

digamist

,

(

which

is

plain

)

even

(

from

this

consideration

)

,

lest

(

otherwise

)

Christ

should

presently

be

more

worthily

preached

by

a

woman

,

an

aged

widow

,

and

“

the

wife

of

one

man

;

”

who

,

living

devoted

to

the

temple

,

was

(

already

)

giving

in

her

own

person

a

sufficient

token

what

sort

of

persons

ought

to

be

the

adherents

to

the

spiritual

temple

,

—

that

is

,

the

Church

.

Such

eye

-

witnesses

the

Lord

in

infancy

found

;

no

different

ones

had

He

in

adult

age

.

Peter

alone

do

I

find

—

through

(

the

mention

of

)

his

“

mother

-

in

-

law

”

,

—

to

have

been

married

.

Monogamist

I

am

led

to

presume

him

by

consideration

of

the

Church

,

which

,

built

upon

him

,

was

destined

to

appoint

every

grade

of

her

Order

from

monogamists

.

The

rest

,

while

I

do

not

find

them

married

,

I

must

of

necessity

understand

to

have

been

either

eunuchs

or

continent

.

Nor

indeed

,

if

,

among

the

Greeks

,

in

accordance

with

the

carelessness

of

custom

,

women

and

wives

are

classed

under

a

common

name

—

however

,

there

is

a

name

proper

to

wives

—

shall

we

therefore

so

interpret

Paul

as

if

he

demonstrates

the

apostles

to

have

had

wives

?

For

if

he

were

disputing

about

marriages

,

as

he

does

in

the

sequel

,

where

the

apostle

could

better

have

named

some

particular

example

,

it

would

appear

right

for

him

to

say

,

“

For

have

we

not

the

power

of

leading

about

wives

,

like

the

other

apostles

and

Cephas

?

”

But

when

he

subjoins

those

(

expressions

)

which

show

his

abstinence

from

(

insisting

on

)

the

supply

of

maintenance

,

saying

,

“

For

have

we

not

the

power

of

eating

and

drinking

?

”

he

does

not

demonstrate

that

“

wives

”

were

led

about

by

the

apostles

,

whom

even

such

as

have

not

still

have

the

power

of

eating

and

drinking

;

but

simply

“

women

,

”

who

used

to

minister

to

them

in

the

same

way

(

as

they

did

)

when

accompanying

the

Lord

.

But

further

,

if

Christ

reproves

the

scribes

and

Pharisees

,

sitting

in

the

official

chair

of

Moses

,

but

not

doing

what

they

taught

,

what

kind

of

(

supposition

)

is

it

that

He

Himself

withal

should

set

upon

His

own

official

chair

men

who

were

mindful

rather

to

enjoin

—

(

but

)

not

likewise

to

practise

—

sanctity

of

the

flesh

,

which

(

sanctity

)

He

had

in

all

ways

recommended

to

their

teaching

and

practising

?

—

first

by

His

own

example

,

then

by

all

other

arguments

;

while

He

tells

(

them

)

that

“

the

kingdom

of

heavens

”

is

“

children’s

;

”

while

He

associates

with

these

(

children

)

others

who

,

after

marriage

,

remained

(

or

became

)

virgins

;

”

while

He

calls

(

them

)

to

(

copy

)

the

simplicity

of

the

dove

,

a

bird

not

merely

innocuous

,

but

modest

too

,

and

whereof

one

male

knows

one

female

;

while

He

denies

the

Samaritan

woman’s

(

partner

to

be

)

a

husband

,

that

He

may

show

that

manifold

husbandry

is

adultery

;

while

,

in

the

revelation

of

His

own

glory

,

He

prefers

,

from

among

so

many

saints

and

prophets

,

to

have

with

him

Moses

and

Elias

—

the

one

a

monogamist

,

the

other

a

voluntary

celibate

(

for

Elias

was

nothing

else

than

John

,

who

came

“

in

the

power

and

spirit

of

Elias

”

)

;

while

that

“

man

gluttonous

and

toping

,

”

the

“

frequenter

of

luncheons

and

suppers

,

in

the

company

of

publicans

and

sinners

,

”

sups

once

for

all

at

a

single

marriage

,

though

,

of

course

,

many

were

marrying

(

around

Him

)

;

for

He

willed

to

attend

(

marriages

)

only

so

often

as

(

He

willed

)

them

to

be

.

Notes

1
See Matt. xi. 9; Luke vii. 26.
2
See Mark i. 29, 30.
3
See Matt. xvi. 13–19. Comp. de Pu., c. xxi.
4
See 1 Cor. ix. 1–5.
5
See Luke viii. 1–3; Matt. xxvii. 55, 56.
6
Matt. xxiii. 1–3.
7
See Matt. xviii. 1–4; xix. 13–15; Mark x. 13–15.
8
Alios post nuptias pueros. The reference seems to be to Matt. xix. 12.
9
See John iv. 16–18.
10
See Matt. xvii. 1–8; Mark ix. 2–9; Luke ix. 28–36.
11
See Luke i. 17.
12
See Matt. xi. 19; Luke vii. 34.
13
See John ii. 1–11.