Chapter VIII.—From the Law Tertullian Comes to the Gospel.  He Begins with Examples Before Proceeding to Dogmas.

Turning now to the law, which is properly ours—that is, to the Gospel—by what kind of examples are we met, until we come to definite dogmas?  Behold, there immediately present themselves to us, on the threshold as it were, the two priestesses of Christian sanctity, Monogamy and Continence:  one modest, in Zechariah the priest; one absolute, in John the forerunner:  one appeasing God; one preaching Christ:  one proclaiming a perfect priest; one exhibiting “more than a prophet,”62    See Matt. xi. 9; Luke vii. 26.—him, namely, who has not only preached or personally pointed out, but even baptized Christ.  For who was more worthily to perform the initiatory rite on the body of the Lord, than flesh similar in kind to that which conceived and gave birth to that (body)?  And indeed it was a virgin, about to marry once for all after her delivery, who gave birth to Christ, in order that each title of sanctity might be fulfilled in Christ’s parentage, by means of a mother who was both virgin, and wife of one husband.  Again, when He is presented as an infant in the temple, who is it who receives Him into his hands? who is the first to recognise Him in spirit?  A man “just and circumspect,” and of course no digamist, (which is plain) even (from this consideration), lest (otherwise) Christ should presently be more worthily preached by a woman, an aged widow, and “the wife of one man;” who, living devoted to the temple, was (already) giving in her own person a sufficient token what sort of persons ought to be the adherents to the spiritual temple,—that is, the Church.  Such eye-witnesses the Lord in infancy found; no different ones had He in adult age.  Peter alone do I find—through (the mention of) his “mother-in-law”63    See Mark i. 29, 30.,—to have been married.  Monogamist I am led to presume him by consideration of the Church, which, built upon him,64    See Matt. xvi. 13–19.  Comp. de Pu., c. xxi. was destined to appoint every grade of her Order from monogamists.  The rest, while I do not find them married, I must of necessity understand to have been either eunuchs or continent.  Nor indeed, if, among the Greeks, in accordance with the carelessness of custom, women and wives are classed under a common name—however, there is a name proper to wives—shall we therefore so interpret Paul as if he demonstrates the apostles to have had wives?65    See 1 Cor. ix. 1–5.  For if he were disputing about marriages, as he does in the sequel, where the apostle could better have named some particular example, it would appear right for him to say, “For have we not the power of leading about wives, like the other apostles and Cephas?”  But when he subjoins those (expressions) which show his abstinence from (insisting on) the supply of maintenance, saying, “For have we not the power of eating and drinking?” he does not demonstrate that “wives” were led about by the apostles, whom even such as have not still have the power of eating and drinking; but simply “women,” who used to minister to them in the same way (as they did) when accompanying the Lord.66    See Luke viii. 1–3; Matt. xxvii. 55, 56.  But further, if Christ reproves the scribes and Pharisees, sitting in the official chair of Moses, but not doing what they taught,67    Matt. xxiii. 1–3. what kind of (supposition) is it that He Himself withal should set upon His own official chair men who were mindful rather to enjoin—(but) not likewise to practise—sanctity of the flesh, which (sanctity) He had in all ways recommended to their teaching and practising?—first by His own example, then by all other arguments; while He tells (them) that “the kingdom of heavens” is “children’s;”68    See Matt. xviii. 1–4; xix. 13–15; Mark x. 13–15. while He associates with these (children) others who, after marriage, remained (or became) virgins;”69    Alios post nuptias pueros.  The reference seems to be to Matt. xix. 12. while He calls (them) to (copy) the simplicity of the dove, a bird not merely innocuous, but modest too, and whereof one male knows one female; while He denies the Samaritan woman’s (partner to be) a husband, that He may show that manifold husbandry is adultery;70    See John iv. 16–18. while, in the revelation of His own glory, He prefers, from among so many saints and prophets, to have with him Moses and Elias71    See Matt. xvii. 1–8; Mark ix. 2–9; Luke ix. 28–36.—the one a monogamist, the other a voluntary celibate (for Elias was nothing else than John, who came “in the power and spirit of Elias”72    See Luke i. 17.); while that “man gluttonous and toping,” the “frequenter of luncheons and suppers, in the company of publicans and sinners,”73    See Matt. xi. 19; Luke vii. 34. sups once for all at a single marriage,74    See John ii. 1–11. though, of course, many were marrying (around Him); for He willed to attend (marriages) only so often as (He willed) them to be.

CAPUT VIII.

Nunc ad legem proprie nostram, id est, ad Evangelium, conversi, qualibus excipimur exemplis! Dum ad sententias pervenimus, ecce statim quasi in limine, duae nobis antistites christianae sanctitatis occurrunt, monogamia et continentia: alia pudica, in Zacharia sacerdote; alia integra, in Joanne antecursore; alia placans Deum, alia praedicans Christum; alia totum praedicans sacerdotem, alia plus praeferens 0939B quam propheten , scilicet eum, qui non tantum praedicaverit, aut demonstraverit coram, verum etiam baptizaverit Christum. Quis enim corpus Domini dignius initiaret , quam ejusmodi caro, qualis et concepit illud et peperit. Et Christum quidem virgo enixa est, semel nuptura post partum, ut uterque titulus sanctitatis in Christi sensu dispungeretur, per matrem et virginem et univiram. At ubi infans templo exhibetur, quis illum in manus suscipit? quis in spiritu primus agnoscit? Vir justus et cautus, et utique non digamus, vel ne dignius mox Christus a foemina praedicaretur vetere vidua et univira, quae et templo dedita satis in semetipsa portendebat, quales spiritali templo, id est, Ecclesiae debeant adhaerere. Tales arbitros infans Dominus expertus, 0939C non alios habuit et adultus. Petrum solum invenio maritum, per socrum; monogamum praesumo, per Ecclesiam, quae super illum aedificata, omnem gradum ordinis sui de monogamis erat collocatura. Caeteros cum maritos non invenio; aut spadones intelligam necesse est, aut continentes. Nec enim si penes Graecos communi vocabulo censentur mulieres et uxores, pro consuetudinis facilitate (caeterum, est proprium vocabulum uxorum), ideo Paulum sic interpretabimur, quasi demonstret uxores Apostolos habuisse. Si de matrimoniis disputaret (quod in sequentibus facit, ubi magis Apostolus aliquod exemplum nominare potuisset), recte videretur dicere: 0939DNon enim habemus potestatem uxores circumducendi, 0940Asicut caeteri apostoli et Cephas (I Cor. IX)? At ubi ea subjungit, quae de victuaria exhibitione abstinentiam ejus, ostendunt, dicentis: Non enim potestatem habemus manducandi et bibendi? non uxores demonstrat ab Apostolis circumductas, quas et qui non habent, potestatem tamen manducandi et bibendi habent; sed simpliciter mulieres, quae illo eodem instituto, quo et Dominum comitantes, ministrabant. Jam vero si Christus reprobat Scribas et Pharisaeos, sedentes in cathedra Moysi, nec facientes quae docerent, quale est ut ipse super cathedram suam collocaret , qui sanctitatem carnis praecipere magis, non etiam obire meminissent, quam illis omnibus modis insinuarat et docendam et agendam, in primis de suo exemplo, tunc de caeteris argumentis; 0940B cum puerorum dicit esse regnum coelorum (Matth. XVIII, 3; XXIX, 14); cum consortes illis facit alios post nuptias pueros; cum ad simplicitatem columbae (Matth. XXIX, 16) provocat, avis non tantum innocuae, verum et pudicae, quam unam unus masculus novit; cum samaritanae maritum negat, ut adulterum ostendat numerosum maritum (Jo. IV, 17); cum in revelatione gloriae suae de tot sanctis et prophetis, Moysen et Helian secum mavult, alterum monogamum, alterum spadonem! Non enim aliud fuit Helias, quam Joannes, qui in virtute et spiritu venit Heliae; cum ille vorator et potator homo, prandiorum et coenarum cum publicanis et peccatoribus frequentator (Matth. X; Luc XV, 13, 19), semel apud unas nuptias coenat multis utique nubentibus. Totiens enim 0940C voluit celebrare eas, quotiens et esse.