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On Monogamy

Tertullian

Chapter 16

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XVI.—Weakness of the Pleas Urged in Defence of Second Marriage.

But I smile when (the plea of) “infirmity of the

‹ Chapter 15 Chapter 17 ›

flesh

”

is

advanced

in

opposition

(

to

us

:

infirmity

)

which

is

(

rather

)

to

be

called

the

height

of

strength

.

Iteration

of

marriage

is

an

affair

of

strength

:

to

rise

again

from

the

ease

of

continence

to

the

works

of

the

flesh

,

is

(

a

thing

requiring

)

substantial

reins

.

Such

“

infirmity

”

is

equal

,

to

a

third

,

and

a

fourth

,

and

even

(

perhaps

)

a

seventh

marriage

;

as

(

being

a

thing

)

which

increases

its

strength

as

often

as

its

weakness

;

which

will

no

longer

have

(

the

support

of

)

an

apostle’s

authority

,

but

of

some

Hermogenes

—

wont

to

marry

more

women

than

he

paints

.

For

in

him

matter

is

abundant

:

whence

he

presumes

that

even

the

soul

is

material

;

and

therefore

much

more

(

than

other

men

)

he

has

not

the

Spirit

from

God

,

being

no

longer

even

a

Psychic

,

because

even

his

psychic

element

is

not

derived

from

God’s

afflatus

!

What

if

a

man

allege

“

indigence

,

”

so

as

to

profess

that

his

flesh

is

openly

prostituted

,

and

given

in

marriage

for

the

sake

of

maintenance

;

forgetting

that

there

is

to

be

no

careful

thought

about

food

and

clothing

?

He

has

God

(

to

look

to

)

,

the

Foster

-

father

even

of

ravens

,

the

Rearer

even

of

flowers

.

What

if

he

plead

the

loneliness

of

his

home

?

as

if

one

woman

afforded

company

to

a

man

ever

on

the

eve

of

flight

!

He

has

,

of

course

,

a

widow

(

at

hand

)

,

whom

it

will

be

lawful

for

him

to

take

.

Not

one

such

wife

,

but

even

a

plurality

,

it

is

permitted

to

have

.

What

if

a

man

thinks

on

posterity

,

with

thoughts

like

the

eyes

of

Lot’s

wife

;

so

that

a

man

is

to

make

the

fact

that

from

his

former

marriage

he

has

had

no

children

a

reason

for

repeating

marriage

?

A

Christian

,

forsooth

,

will

seek

heirs

,

disinherited

as

he

is

from

the

entire

world

!

He

has

“

brethren

;

”

he

has

the

Church

as

his

mother

.

The

case

is

different

if

men

believe

that

,

at

the

bar

of

Christ

as

well

(

as

of

Rome

)

,

action

is

taken

on

the

principle

of

the

Julian

laws

;

and

imagine

that

the

unmarried

and

childless

cannot

receive

their

portion

in

full

,

in

accordance

with

the

testament

of

God

.

Let

such

(

as

thus

think

)

,

then

,

marry

to

the

very

end

;

that

in

this

confusion

of

flesh

they

,

like

Sodom

and

Gomorrah

,

and

the

day

of

the

deluge

,

may

be

overtaken

by

the

fated

final

end

of

the

world

.

A

third

saying

let

them

add

,

“

Let

us

eat

,

and

drink

,

and

marry

,

for

to

-

morrow

we

shall

die

;

”

not

reflecting

that

the

“

woe

”

(

denounced

)

“

on

such

as

are

with

child

,

and

are

giving

suck

,

”

will

fall

far

more

heavily

and

bitterly

in

the

“

universal

shaking

”

of

the

entire

world

than

it

did

in

the

devastation

of

one

fraction

of

Judæa

.

Let

them

accumulate

by

their

iterated

marriages

fruits

right

seasonable

for

the

last

times

—

breasts

heaving

,

and

wombs

qualmish

,

and

infants

whimpering

.

Let

them

prepare

for

Antichrist

(

children

)

upon

whom

he

may

more

passionately

(

than

Pharaoh

)

spend

his

savagery

.

He

will

lead

to

them

murderous

midwives

.

Notes

1
See Matt. vi. 25–34.
2
See 1 Cor. xv. 32.
3
Matt. xxiv. 19; Luke xxi. 23. Comp. ad Ux., l. i. c. v.
4
Concussione. Comp. Hag. ii. 6, 7; Heb. xii. 26, 27.
5
Mundi.
6
Comp. Ex. i. 8–16.