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| The Virgins, the Righteous Ancients; The Church, the One Only Spouse, More Excellent Than the Others.
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Chapter
VII.—The Virgins,2698
| 2698
This word, as being that employed in the E. T. of the Canticles, is
adopted throughout. It must be remembered, that, in this
connection, it stands for νεάνιδες, and not
for παρθένοι.—
Tr. | the
Righteous Ancients; The Church, the One Only Spouse, More Excellent
Than the Others.
Now he calls by the name of virgins, who belong to
a countless assembly, those who, being inferior to the better ones,
have practised righteousness, and have striven against sin with
youthful and noble energy. But of these, neither the queens, nor
the concubines, nor the virgins, are compared to the Church. For
she is reckoned the perfect and chosen one beyond all these, consisting
and composed of all the apostles, the Bride who surpasses all in the
beauty of youth and virginity. Therefore, also, she is blessed
and praised by all, because she saw and heard freely what those desired
to see, even for a little time, and saw not, and to hear, but heard
not. For “blessed,” said our Lord to His
disciples,2699
“are your
eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I
say unto you, That many prophets have desired to see those things which
ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear,
and have not heard them.” For this reason, then, the
prophets count them blessed, and admire them, because the Church
was thought worthy to
participate in those things which they did not attain to hear or
see. For “there are threescore queens, and fourscore
concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled, is
but one.”2700
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