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| The Rational Soul from God Himself; Chastity Not the Only Good, Although the Best and Most Honoured.
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Chapter
VII.—The Rational Soul from God Himself; Chastity Not the Only
Good, Although the Best and Most Honoured.
And perhaps there will be room for some to argue
plausibly among those who are wanting in discrimination and judgment,
that this fleshly garment of the soul, being planted by men, is shaped
spontaneously apart from the sentence of God. If, however, he
should teach that the immortal being of the soul also is sown along
with the mortal body, he will not be believed; for the Almighty alone
breathes into man the undying and undecaying part, as also it is He
alone who is Creator of the invisible and indestructible. For, He
says, He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul.”2540
And those artificers who, to the
destruction of men, make images in human form, not perceiving and
knowing their own Maker, are blamed by the Word, which says, in the
Book of Wisdom, a book full of all virtue,2541
| 2541
[This language shows that it is not cited as Holy
Scripture. It confirms St. Jerome’s testimony, Prolog.
in Libros Salomonis.] | “his heart is ashes, his hope is
more vile than earth, and his life of less value than clay; forasmuch
as he knew not his Maker, and Him that inspired into him an active
soul, and breathed in a living spirit;”2542
that is, God, the Maker of all men;
therefore, also, according to the apostle, He “will have all men
to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth.”2543
And now,
although this subject be scarcely completed, yet there are others which
remain to be discussed. For when one thoroughly examines and
understands those things which happen to man according to his nature,
he will know not to despise the procreation of children, although he
applauds chastity, and prefers it in honour. For although honey
be sweeter and more pleasant than other things, we are not for that
reason to consider other things bitter which are mixed up in the
natural sweetness of fruits. And, in support of these statements,
I will bring forward a trustworthy witness, namely, Paul, who says,
“So then he that giveth her2544
| 2544
His virgin. [St. Paul was married, and then a widower, in
the opinion of many of the ancients. See Euseb., H. E.,
iii. 30.] | in marriage doeth well; but he that
giveth her not in marriage doeth better.”2545
Now the word, in setting forth that
which is better and sweeter, did not intend to take away the inferior,
but arranges so as to assign to each its own proper use and
advantage. For there are some to whom it is not given to attain
virginity; and there are others whom He no longer wills to be excited
by procreations to lust, and to be defiled, but henceforth to meditate
and to keep the mind upon the transformation of the body to the
likeness of angels, when they “neither marry nor are given in
marriage,”2546
according to
the infallible words of the Lord; since it is not given to all to
attain that undefiled state of being a eunuch for the sake of the
kingdom of heaven,2547
but manifestly to those only who are
able to preserve the ever-blooming and unfading flower of
virginity. For it is the custom of the prophetic Word to compare
the Church to a flower covered and variegated meadow, adorned and
crowned not only with the flowers of virginity, but also with those of
child-bearing and of continence; for it is written, “Upon
thy2548
right hand did
stand the queen in a vesture of gold, wrought about with divers
colours.”2549
These words, O Arete, I bring according to my ability to
this discussion in behalf of the truth.
And when Theophila had thus spoken, Theopatra said that
applause arose from all the virgins approving of her discourse; and
that when they became silent, after a long pause, Thaleia arose, for to
her had been assigned the third place in the contest, that which came
after Theophila. And she then, as I think, followed, and
spoke. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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