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On Monogamy

Tertullian

Chapter 5

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter V.—Connection of These Primeval Testimonies with Christ.

Thus far for the testimony of things primordial, and the sanction

‹ Chapter 4 Chapter 6 ›

of

our

origin

,

and

the

prejudgment

of

the

divine

institution

,

which

of

course

is

a

law

,

not

(

merely

)

a

memorial

inasmuch

as

,

if

it

was

“

so

done

from

the

beginning

,

”

we

find

ourselves

directed

to

the

beginning

by

Christ

:

just

as

,

in

the

question

of

divorce

,

by

saying

that

had

been

permitted

by

Moses

on

account

of

their

hard

-

heartedness

but

from

the

beginning

it

had

not

been

so

,

He

doubtless

recalls

to

“

the

beginning

”

the

(

law

of

)

the

individuity

of

marriage

.

And

accordingly

,

those

whom

God

“

from

the

beginning

”

conjoined

,

“

two

into

one

flesh

,

”

man

shall

not

at

the

present

day

separate

.

The

apostle

,

too

,

writing

to

the

Ephesians

,

says

that

God

“

had

proposed

in

Himself

,

at

the

dispensation

of

the

fulfilment

of

the

times

,

to

recall

to

the

head

”

(

that

is

,

to

the

beginning

)

“

things

universal

in

Christ

,

which

are

above

the

heavens

and

above

the

earth

in

Him

.

”

So

,

too

,

the

two

letters

of

Greece

,

the

first

and

the

last

,

the

Lord

assumes

to

Himself

,

as

figures

of

the

beginning

and

end

!

which

concur

in

Himself

:

so

that

,

just

as

Alpha

rolls

on

till

it

reaches

Omega

,

and

again

Omega

rolls

back

till

it

reaches

Alpha

,

in

the

same

way

He

might

show

that

in

Himself

is

both

the

downward

course

of

the

beginning

on

to

the

end

,

and

the

backward

course

of

the

end

up

to

the

beginning

;

so

that

every

economy

,

ending

in

Him

through

whom

it

began

,

—

through

the

Word

of

God

,

that

is

,

who

was

made

flesh

,

—

may

have

an

end

correspondent

to

its

beginning

.

And

so

truly

in

Christ

are

all

things

recalled

to

“

the

beginning

,

”

that

even

faith

returns

from

circumcision

to

the

integrity

of

that

(

original

)

flesh

,

as

“

it

was

from

the

beginning

;

”

and

freedom

of

meats

and

abstinence

from

blood

alone

,

as

“

it

was

from

the

beginning

;

”

and

the

individuality

of

marriage

,

as

“

it

was

from

the

beginning

;

”

and

the

restriction

of

divorce

,

which

was

not

“

from

the

beginning

;

”

and

lastly

,

the

whole

man

into

Paradise

,

where

he

was

“

from

the

beginning

.

”

Why

,

then

,

ought

He

not

to

restore

Adam

thither

at

least

as

a

monogamist

,

who

cannot

present

him

in

so

entire

perfection

as

he

was

when

dismissed

thence

?

Accordingly

,

so

far

as

pertains

to

the

restitution

of

the

beginning

,

the

logic

both

of

the

dispensation

you

live

under

,

and

of

your

hope

,

exact

this

from

you

,

that

what

was

“

from

the

beginning

”

(

should

be

)

in

accordance

with

“

the

beginning

;

”

which

(

beginning

)

you

find

counted

in

Adam

,

and

recounted

in

Noah

.

Make

your

election

,

in

which

of

the

twain

you

account

your

“

beginning

.

”

In

both

,

the

censorial

power

of

monogamy

claims

you

for

itself

.

But

again

:

if

the

beginning

passes

on

to

the

end

(

as

Alpha

to

Omega

)

,

as

the

end

passes

back

to

the

beginning

(

as

Omega

to

Alpha

)

,

and

thus

our

origin

is

transferred

to

Christ

,

the

animal

to

the

spiritual

—

inasmuch

as

“

(

that

was

)

not

first

which

is

spiritual

,

but

(

that

)

which

(

is

)

animal

;

then

what

(

is

)

spiritual

,

”

—

let

us

,

in

like

manner

(

as

before

)

,

see

whether

you

owe

this

very

(

same

)

thing

to

this

second

origin

also

:

whether

the

last

Adam

also

meet

you

in

the

selfsame

form

as

the

first

;

since

the

last

Adam

(

that

is

,

Christ

)

was

entirely

unwedded

,

as

was

even

the

first

Adam

before

his

exile

.

But

,

presenting

to

your

weakness

the

gift

of

the

example

of

His

own

flesh

,

the

more

perfect

Adam

—

that

is

,

Christ

,

more

perfect

on

this

account

as

well

(

as

on

others

)

,

that

He

was

more

entirely

pure

—

stands

before

you

,

if

you

are

willing

(

to

copy

Him

)

,

as

a

voluntary

celibate

in

the

flesh

.

If

,

however

,

you

are

unequal

(

to

that

perfection

)

,

He

stands

before

you

a

monogamist

in

spirit

,

having

one

Church

as

His

spouse

,

according

to

the

figure

of

Adam

and

of

Eve

,

which

(

figure

)

the

apostle

interprets

of

that

great

sacrament

of

Christ

and

the

Church

,

(

teaching

that

)

,

through

the

spiritual

,

it

was

analogous

to

the

carnal

monogamy

.

You

see

,

therefore

,

after

what

manner

,

renewing

your

origin

even

in

Christ

,

you

cannot

trace

down

that

(

origin

)

without

the

profession

of

monogamy

;

unless

,

(

that

is

)

,

you

be

in

flesh

what

He

is

in

spirit

;

albeit

withal

,

what

He

was

in

flesh

,

you

equally

ought

to

have

been

.

Notes

1
See Matt. xix. 6.
2
Eph. i. 9, 10. The Latin of Tertullian deserves careful comparison with the original Greek of St. Paul.
3
See John i. 1–14.
4
1 Cor. xv. 46.