To His Wife
Tertullian
Book 1 · Chapter 4
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Chapter IV.—Of the Infirmity of the Flesh, and Similar Pleas.
But we read “that the flesh is weak;” and hence
Opening the library…
Opening the library…
To His Wife
Tertullian
But we read “that the flesh is weak;” and hence
On the other hand, this worldly concupiscence (to which I referred) has, as its causes, glory, cupidity, ambition, want of sufficiency; through which causes it trumps up the “necessity” for marrying,—promising itself, forsooth, heavenly things in return—to lord it, (namely,) in another’s family; to roost on another’s wealth; to extort splendour from another’s store to lavish expenditure which you do not feel! Far be all this from believers, who have no care about maintenance, unless it be that we distrust the promises of God, and (His) care and providence, who clothes with such grace the lilies of the field; who, without any labour on their part, feeds the fowls of the heaven; who prohibits care to be taken about to-morrow’s food and clothing, promising that He knows what is needful for each of His servants—not indeed ponderous necklaces, not burdensome garments, not Gallic mules nor German bearers, which all add lustre to the glory of nuptials; but “sufficiency,” which is suitable to moderation and modesty. Presume, I pray you, that you have need of nothing if you “attend upon the Lord;” nay, that you have all things, if you have the Lord, whose are all things. Think often on things heavenly, and you will despise things earthly. To widowhood signed and sealed before the Lord nought is necessary but perseverance.
Matt. xxvi. 41.
Adulamur: “we fawn upon,” or “caress,” or “flatter.” Comp. de Pæn., c. vi. sub init.: “flatter their own sweetness.”
“Firmum,” opp. to “infirmam” above. In the passage there referred to (Matt. xxvi. 41) the word is πρόθυμον.
Tuemur. Mr. Dodgson renders, “guard not.”
Species.
i.e., apparently second marriages: “disjunctis a matrimonio” can scarcely include such as were never “juncti;” and comp. the “præmissis maritis” below.
Comp. Phil. iv. 3; 2 Tim. ii. 19; Mal. iii. 16; and similar passages.
1 John i. 1; Luke xxiv. 39; John xx. 17.
Dignationem.
Or, “temporary.”
Incubare.
Cædere sumptum.
Matt. vi. 28–30.
Matt. vi. 26.
Matt. vi. 31, 34.
Comp. Phil. iv. 19; 1 Tim. vi. 8.
Comp. 1 Cor. vii. 35, esp. in Eng. ver.
Recogita.