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deprive them of pardon. For when your fellow servant, having the same body, possessing the same desire, driven by the same necessity, sees no other woman, but remains loving only his own, what excuse will you have, you who put forward desire? And why do I mention those who have wives? Consider for me those who live always in virginity, and have not had intercourse in marriage at all, and have shown much self-control. When, therefore, others are self-controlled without marriage, what pardon will you obtain, fornicating after marriage? Let both men and women hear these things, both widows and married women; for Paul speaks to all, and this law which says: A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if he should fall asleep, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. And to those who have husbands, and to those who do not, and to those who are widowed, and to those bringing in a second bridegroom, and simply to all is this word useful. For she who has a husband will not choose, while he is living, to be another's, having heard that while he is living she is bound; but she who has lost him again, if she should wish to engage in a second marriage, does not do this simply, nor as it may happen, but according to the laws laid down by Paul, who said, She is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord, that is, with self-control, with modesty. But if she should choose to keep her covenants with the one who has departed, she will hear of the crowns laid up for her, and will receive greater eagerness. For she is more blessed, he says, if she so remains. 4. Do you see how this word is useful to all, both condescending to their weakness, and not depriving these others of their proper praises? For what he did in the case of marriage and in the case of virginity, this he also did in the case of a first marriage and a second. For just as there he did not forbid marriage, so as not to burden the weaker, nor did he impose necessity, so as not to deprive those wishing to be virgins of the crowns laid up for them, but he showed that marriage is good, and he declared that virginity is better; so indeed here again he sets other grades for us, showing that that of widowhood is greater and higher, and that of second marriages is second and lower, anointing both the stronger and those not wishing to move on, and not allowing the weaker to fall. For having said, But she is more blessed, if she so remains, so that you might not think the law to be human, hearing, According to my judgment, he added: But I think that I also have the Spirit of God. You cannot, therefore, say that the judgment is human, but the decision is of the grace of the Spirit, and the law is divine. Let us not, therefore, think that these things are from Paul speaking, but from the Paraclete legislating these things for us. But if he says, I think, he does not say it as though he does not have it, but with modesty and restraining himself. That she is more blessed, then, he said; but how she is more blessed, he no longer added, having given sufficient proof in bringing the decision from the Spirit. But if you wish to examine it with reasoning as well, you will find here a great abundance of proofs; and you will see the widow being more blessed, not only according to the age to come, but also according to the present life. And this very thing Paul especially knows, which he also hinted at when speaking about virgins. For when exhorting and advising to choose virginity, he spoke somewhat thus: I think that it is good for a man to be so because of the present distress; and again, And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned; calling a virgin here, not one who has renounced the world, but only one who is inexperienced in marriage, and has not become responsible to the promise of perpetual virginity. But such people will have affliction in the flesh; but I spare you. For with this one bare word he left it to the conscience of the hearers to recount all things, the birth pangs, the

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ἀποστεροῦσι τῆς συγγνώμης. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ σύνδουλός σου, τὸ αὐτὸ σῶμα ἔχων, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπιθυμίαν κεκτημένος, ὑπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀνάγκης ὠθούμενος, μηδεμίαν ἑτέραν ἴδῃ γυναῖκα, ἀλλὰ μένῃ τὴν αὐτοῦ στέργων μόνην, ποίαν ἕξεις ἀπολογίαν σὺ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν προβαλλόμενος; Καὶ τί λέγω τοὺς ἔχοντας γυναῖκας; Ἐννόησόν μοι τοὺς διαπαντὸς ἐν παρθενίᾳ ζῶντας, καὶ μηδ' ὅλως ὁμιλήσαντας γάμῳ, καὶ πολλὴν ἐπιδειξαμένους σωφροσύνην. Ὅταν οὖν ἄλλοι χωρὶς γάμου σωφρονῶσι, ποίας σὺ τεύξῃ συγγνώμης μετὰ γάμον πορνεύων; Ταῦτα καὶ ἄνδρες καὶ γυναῖκες ἀκουέτωσαν, καὶ χῆραι, καὶ γεγαμηκυῖαι· πᾶσι γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος διαλέγεται, καὶ ὁ νόμος οὗτος ὁ λέγων· Γυνὴ δέδεται νόμῳ, ἐφ' ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς· ἐὰν δὲ κοιμηθῇ, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ᾧ θέλει γαμηθῆναι, μόνον ἐν Κυρίῳ. Καὶ ταῖς ἐχούσαις ἄνδρας, καὶ ταῖς οὐκ ἐχούσαις, καὶ ταῖς χηρευούσαις, καὶ ταῖς δεύτερον εἰσαγούσαις νυμφίον, καὶ πάσαις ἁπλῶς ὁ λόγος οὗτος χρήσιμος. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἔχουσα ἄνδρα οὐχ αἱρήσεται, ζῶντος ἐκείνου, ἔσεσθαι ἑτέρου, ἀκούσασα ὅτι ζῶντος αὐτοῦ δέδεται· ἡ δὲ ἀποβαλοῦσα πάλιν, ἂν μὲν βουληθῇ δευτέροις ὁμιλῆσαι γάμοις. οὐχ ἁπλῶς, οὐδὲ ὡς ἔτυχε, τοῦτο ἐργάζεται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν κειμένων παρὰ τοῦ Παύλου νόμων, εἰπόντος, Ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ᾧ θέλει γαμηθῆναι, μόνον ἐν Κυρίῳ, τουτέστι, μετὰ σωφροσύνης, μετὰ σεμνότητος. Ἂν δ' ἄρα ἕληται πρὸς τὸν ἀπελθόντα τὰς συνθήκας φυλάξαι, ἀκούσεται τοὺς ἀποκειμένους αὐτῇ στεφάνους, καὶ μείζονα λήψεται προθυμίαν. Μακαριωτέρα γάρ ἐστι, φησὶν, ἐὰν οὕτω μείνῃ. δʹ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἅπασιν ὁ λόγος χρήσιμος, τῇ τε ἐκείνων ἀσθενείᾳ συγκαταβαίνων, καὶ ταύτας οὐκ ἀποστερῶν τῶν οἰκείων ἐπαίνων; Ὅπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦ γάμου καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς παρθενίας ἐποίησε, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ προτέρου γάμου καὶ τοῦ δευτέρου. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖ οὐκ ἀπέκλεισε τὸν γάμον, ἵνα μὴ βαρήσῃ τοὺς ἀσθενεστέρους, οὔτε ἀνάγκην ἐπέθηκεν, ἵνα μὴ τοὺς βουλομένους παρθενεύειν ἀποστερήσῃ τῶν κειμένων στεφάνων, ἀλλ' ἔδειξε μὲν ὅτι καλὸς ὁ γάμος, ἐδήλωσε δὲ ὅτι κρείττων ἡ παρθενία· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα πάλιν ἡμῖν ἑτέρους τίθησι βαθμοὺς, δεικνὺς ὅτι μεῖζον μὲν καὶ ὑψηλότερον τὸ τῆς χηρείας, δεύτερον δὲ καὶ κατώτερον τὸ τῶν δευτέρων γάμων, τούς τε ἰσχυροτέρους καὶ μὴ μεταπηδᾷν βουλομένους ἀλείφων, καὶ τοὺς ἀσθενεστέρους οὐκ ἀφιεὶς πεσεῖν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Μακαριωτέρα δέ ἐστιν, ἐὰν οὕτω μείνῃ, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς ἀνθρώπινον εἶναι τὸν νόμον, ἀκούων, Κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν γνώμην, ἐπήγαγε· ∆οκῶ δὲ κἀγὼ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἔχειν. Οὐκ ἔχεις τοίνυν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἀνθρωπίνη ἐστὶν ἡ γνώμη, ἀλλὰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτος ἡ ἀπόφασις, καὶ θεῖος ὁ νόμος. Μὴ τοίνυν Παύλου νομίζωμεν εἶναι ταῦτα λέγοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Παρακλήτου ταῦτα νομοθετοῦντος ἡμῖν. Εἰ δὲ λέγει, ∆οκῶ, οὐχ ὡς οὐκ ἔχων λέγει, ἀλλὰ μετριάζων καὶ συστέλλων ἑαυτόν. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν μακαριωτέρα ἐστὶν, εἶπε· πῶς δὲ μακαριωτέρα, οὐκ ἔτι προσέθηκεν, ἀρκοῦσαν ἀπόδειξιν δοὺς τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος κομίζειν τὴν ἀπόφασιν. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ λογισμοῖς ἐξετάσαι, πολλὴν ἀποδείξεων εὐπορίαν ἐνταῦθα εὑρήσεις· καὶ ὄψει τὴν χήραν μακαριωτέραν οὖσαν, οὐ κατὰ τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον. Καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ μάλιστα οἶδεν ὁ Παῦλος, ὃ καὶ περὶ τῶν παρθένων ᾐνίξατο λέγων. Παραινῶν γὰρ καὶ συμβουλεύων παρθενίαν αἱρεῖσθαι, οὕτω πως ἔλεγε· Νομίζω ὅτι καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ τὸ οὕτως εἶναι διὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην· καὶ πάλιν, Καὶ ἐὰν γήμῃ ἡ παρθένος, οὐχ ἥμαρτε· παρθένον ἐνταῦθα λέγων, οὐ τὴν ἀποταξαμένην, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀπειρόγαμον μόνον, καὶ μὴ γενομένην ὑπεύθυνον τῇ τῆς διηνεκοῦς παρθενίας ὑποσχέσει. Θλίψιν δὲ τῇ σαρκὶ ἕξουσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι· ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῶν φείδομαι. Ἑνὶ γὰρ καὶ ψιλῷ ῥήματι τούτῳ κατέλιπε τῷ συνειδότι τῶν ἀκροατῶν ἅπαντα ἀναλέξασθαι, τὰς ὠδῖνας, τὰς