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| The Doctrine of Paul Concerning Virginity Explained.
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Chapter
XIII.—The Doctrine of Paul Concerning Virginity
Explained.
I have now brought to an end what I have to say
respecting continence and marriage and chastity, and intercourse with
men, and in which of these there is help towards progress in
righteousness; but it still remains to speak concerning
virginity—if, indeed, anything be prescribed on this
subject. Let us then treat this subject also; for it stands
thus:2599
“Now
concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give
my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be
faithful. I suppose therefore that this is good for the present
distress; I say, that it is good for a man so to be. Art thou
bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a
wife? seek not a wife. But and if thou marry, thou hast not
sinned; and if a virgin marry, she has not sinned. Nevertheless
such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare
you.” Having given his opinion with great caution
respecting virginity, and being about to advise him who wished it to
give his virgin in marriage, so that none of those things which conduce
to sanctification should be of necessity and by compulsion, but
according to the free purpose of the soul. for this is acceptable to
God, he does not wish these things to be said as by authority, and as
the mind of the Lord, with reference to the giving of a virgin in
marriage; for after he had said,2600
“if a virgin marry, she hath not
sinned,” directly afterwards, with the greatest caution, he
modified his statement, showing that he had advised these things by
human permission, and not by divine. So, immediately after he had
said, “if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned,” he added,
“such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare
you.”2601
By which he
means: “I sparing you, such as you are, consented to these
things, because you have chosen to think thus of them, that I may not
seem to hurry you on by violence, and compel any one to this.2602
But yet if
it shall please you who find chastity hard to bear, rather to turn to
marriage; I consider it to be profitable for you to restrain yourselves
in the gratification of the flesh, not making your marriage an occasion
for abusing your own vessels to uncleanness.” Then he
adds,2603
| 2603
1 Cor. vii. 29. [Nobody can feel more
deeply than I do the immeasurable evils of an enforced celibacy;
nobody can feel more deeply the deplorable state of the Church which
furnishes only rare and exceptional examples of voluntary
celibacy for the sake of Christ. On chastity, see Jer.
Taylor’s Holy Living, Works, i. p. 424.] | “But this
I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they
that have wives be as though they had none.” And again,
going on and challenging them to the same things, he confirmed his
statement, powerfully supporting the state of virginity, and adding
expressly the following words to those which he had spoken before, he
exclaimed,2604
“I would
have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the
things that belong to the Lord:2605
| 2605 A
clause is omitted here in the text. | but he that is married careth for the
things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There
is a difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried
woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in
body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things
of the world, how she may please her husband.” Now it is
clear to all, without any doubt, that to care for the things of the
Lord and to please God, is much better than to care for the things of
the world and to please one’s wife. For who is there so
foolish and blind. as not to perceive in this statement the higher
praise which Paul accords to chastity? “And this,” he
says,2606
“I speak
for your own profit, not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that
which is comely.”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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