Chapter XIV.

But if we apprehend at last the perfection of this grace, we must understand as well what necessarily follows from it; namely that it is not a single achievement, ending in the subjugation of the body, but that in intention it reaches to and pervades everything that is, or is considered, a right condition of the soul. That soul indeed which in virginity cleaves to the true Bridegroom will not remove herself merely from all bodily defilement; she will make that abstension only the beginning of her purity, and will carry this security from failure equally into everything else upon her path. Fearing lest, from a too partial heart, she should by contact with evil in any one direction give occasion for the least weakness of unfaithfulness (to suppose such a case: but I will begin again what I was going to say), that soul which cleaves to her Master so as to become with Him one spirit, and by the compact of a wedded life has staked the love of all her heart and all her strength on Him alone—that soul will no more commit any other of the offences contrary to salvation, than imperil her union with Him by cleaving to fornication; she knows that between all sins there is a single kinship of impurity, and that if she were to defile herself with but one99    The text is here due to the Vatican Codex: καὶ εἰ δι᾽ἑνός τινος μολυνθείη, κ. τ. λ., she could no longer retain her spotlessness. An illustration will show what we mean. Suppose all the water in a pool remaining smooth and motionless, while no disturbance of any kind comes to mar the peacefulness of the spot; and then a stone thrown into the pool; the movement in that one part100    τῷ μέρει. This is the reading of Cod. Morell. and of the fragment used by Livineius; preferable to τῷ μερικῷ σάλῳ συγκυματούμενον, as in Cod. Reg. will extend to the whole, and while the stone’s weight is carrying it to the bottom, the waves that are set in motion round it pass in circles101    κυκλοτερῶς, Plutarch, ii. 892, F. into others, and so through all the intervening commotion are pushed on to the very edge of the water, and the whole surface is ruffled with these circles, feeling the movement of the depths. So is the broad serenity and calm of the soul troubled by one invading passion, and affected by the injury of a single part. They tell us too, those who have investigated the subject, that the virtues are not disunited from each other, and that to grasp the principle of any one virtue will be impossible to one who has not seized that which underlies the rest, and that the man who shows one virtue in his character will necessarily show them all. Therefore, by contraries, the depravation of anything in our moral nature will extend to the whole virtuous life; and in very truth, as the Apostle tells us, the whole is affected by the parts, and “if one member102    μέλος (not as Galesinius, μέρος), 1 Cor. xii. 26. suffer, all the members suffer with it,” “if one be honoured, all rejoice.”

[14] Κεφάλαιον ιδʹὍτι ἡ παρθενία κρείττων τῆς τοῦ θανάτου δυναστείας ἐστίν. Οὐκοῦν ὁ τοιοῦτος βίος προτιμητέος τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσιν, ὃς κρείττων τῆς τοῦ θανάτου δυναστείας ἐστίν. Ἡ γὰρ σωματικὴ παιδοποιία_καὶ μηδεὶς δυσχεράνῃ τὸν λόγον_οὐ μᾶλλον ζωῆς ἀλλὰ θανάτου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀφορμὴ γίνεται: ἀπὸ γὰρ γενέσεως ἡ φθορὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχει, ἧς οἱ παυσάμενοι διὰ τῆς παρθενίας ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἔστησαν τὴν τοῦ θανάτου περιγραφήν, περαιτέρω προελθεῖν αὐτὸν δι' ἑαυτῶν κωλύσαντες, καὶ ὥσπερ τι μεθόριον θανάτου καὶ ζωῆς ἑαυτοὺς στήσαντες ἐπέσχον αὐτὸν τῆς ἐπὶ πρόσω φορᾶς. Εἰ οὖν οὐ δύναται παρελθεῖν τὴν παρθενίαν ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτῇ καταλήγει καὶ καταλύεται, σαφῶς ἀποδείκνυται τὸ κρεῖττον εἶναι τοῦ θανάτου τὴν παρθενίαν, καὶ καλῶς ἄφθορον ὀνομάζεται σῶμα τὸ μὴ ὑπουργῆσαν τῇ τοῦ φθαρτοῦ βίου ὑπηρεσίᾳ μηδὲ τῆς θνητῆς διαδοχῆς ὄργανον γενέσθαι καταδεξάμενον. Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ διεκόπη τὸ συνεχὲς τῆς τοῦ φθείρεσθαι καὶ ἀποθνῄσκειν ἀκολουθίας, ὅπερ ἀπὸ τοῦ πρωτοπλάστου καὶ μέχρι τῆς τοῦ παρθενεύοντος ζωῆς διὰ μέσου γέγονεν: οὐ γὰρ ἦν δυνατὸν ἀργῆσαί ποτε τὸν θάνατον, ἐνεργουμένης διὰ τοῦ γάμου τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης γενέσεως. Ἀλλὰ πάσαις ταῖς προλαβούσαις γενεαῖς συμπαροδεύων καὶ τοῖς ἀεὶ παραγινομένοις εἰς τὸν βίον συνδιεξερχόμενος, ὅρον τῆς ἐνεργείας ἑαυτοῦ τὴν παρθενίαν εὗρεν, ὃν παρελθεῖν τῶν ἀμηχάνων ἐστίν: ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς θεοτόκου Μαρίας «ὁ βασιλεύσας ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ μέχρις» ἐκείνης «θάνατος», ἐπειδὴ καὶ κατ' αὐτὴν ἐγένετο, καθάπερ τινὶ πέτρᾳ τῷ καρπῷ τῆς παρθενίας προσπταίσας περὶ αὐτὴν συνετρίβη, οὕτως ἐν πάσῃ ψυχῇ τῇ διὰ παρθενίας τὴν ἐν σαρκὶ παριούσῃ ζωὴν συντρίβεταί πως καὶ καταλύεται τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κράτος, οὐκ ἔχοντος τίσι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ κέντρον ἐναπερείσηται. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ πῦρ, εἰ μὴ ὑποβληθείη ξύλα καὶ καλάμη καὶ χόρτος αὐτῷ ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν ὑπὸ πυρὸς δαπανωμένων, οὐκ ἔχει φύσιν ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ μένειν: οὕτως οὐδὲ τοῦ θανάτου ἡ δύναμις ἐνεργήσει, μὴ τοῦ γάμου τὴν ὕλην ὑποτιθέντος αὐτῷ καὶ τοὺς τεθνηξομένους οἷον καταδίκους τινὰς ἑτοιμάζοντος.
Εἰ δὲ ἀμφιβάλλεις, ἐπίσκεψαι τῶν συμφορῶν τὰ ὀνόματα, ὅσα ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπάγεται, καθὼς ἤδη καὶ κατ' ἀρχὰς τοῦ λόγου προείρηται. Πόθεν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχει; Ἆρ' ἔστι χηρείαν ὀδύρεσθαι ἢ ὀρφανίαν ἢ τὴν ἐπὶ παισὶ συμφορὰν μὴ προλαβόντος τοῦ γάμου; Αἱ γὰρ περισπούδαστοι θυμηδίαι καὶ εὐφροσύναι καὶ ἡδοναί, καὶ πάντα ὅσα περὶ τὸν γάμον σπουδάζεται, ταῖς τοιαύταις ὀδύναις ἐναπολήγουσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῦ ξίφους ἡ μὲν λαβὴ λεία καὶ εὐαφὴς καὶ περιεξεσμένη καὶ στίλβουσα καὶ τῷ τύπῳ τῆς παλάμης ἐμφυομένη, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν σίδηρός ἐστι, θανάτου ὄργανον, φοβερὸν μὲν ἰδεῖν, φοβερώτερον δὲ εἰς πεῖραν ἐλθεῖν, τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ ὁ γάμος ἐστί, καθάπερ λαβήν τινα διά τινος εὐμηχάνου τορείας ὡραϊσμένην τὸ λεῖον καὶ ἐπιπόλαιον τῆς ἡδονῆς προτείνων τῇ ἐπαφῇ τῆς αἰσθήσεως, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὰν ἐν χερσὶ γένηται τοῦ ἁψαμένου καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀλγεινῶν παρουσίαν συνημμένως μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ συνεισήγαγε, πένθους καὶ συμφορῶν δημιουργὸς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις γινόμενος.
Οὗτος ἔδειξε τὰ ἐλεεινὰ καὶ πλήρη δακρύων θεάματα: παῖδας ἐν ἀωρίᾳ τῆς ἡλικίας ἠρημωμένους καὶ λάφυρον προκειμένους τοῖς δυναστεύουσιν, ἐπιμειδιῶντας πολλάκις ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν κακῶν ἀγνοίας τῷ δυστυχήματι. Χηρείας δὲ γένεσις τίς ἄλλη καὶ οὐχὶ γάμος ἐστίν; Οὐκοῦν ἡ ἀναχώρησις τούτου πάντων ἀθρόως τῶν κακῶν τούτων λειτουργημάτων τὴν ἀτέλειαν ἔχει, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπεικός: ὅπου γὰρ ἀναλύεται μὲν ἡ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁρισθεῖσα κατὰ τῶν πεπλημμεληκότων κατάκρισις, οὐκέτι δὲ θλίψεις τῶν μητέρων κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον πληθύνονται οὐδὲ λύπη τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης προηγεῖται γενέσεως, συνανῄρηται πάντως ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ βίου συμφορὰ καὶ ἀφῄρηται τῶν προσώπων τὸ δάκρυον, καθώς φησιν ὁ προφήτης: οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἀνομίαις ἐστὶν ἡ σύλληψις ἔτι, οὐδὲ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἡ κύησις, οὐδὲ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκός, ἀλλ' ἐκ θεοῦ μόνου ἡ γέννησις γίνεται. Τοῦτο δὲ γίνεται, ὅταν συλλαμβάνῃ μέν τις ἐν τῷ ζωτικῷ τῆς καρδίας τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν τοῦ πνεύματος, τίκτῃ δὲ «σοφίαν τε καὶ δικαιοσύνην, ἁγιασμόν τε καὶ ἀπολύτρωσιν». Παντὶ γὰρ ἔξεστι μητέρα γενέσθαι τοῦ ταῦτα ὄντος, καθώς φησί που ὁ κύριος, ὅτι «Ὁ τὸ θέλημά μου ποιῶν καὶ ἀδελφὸς καὶ ἀδελφὴ καὶ μήτηρ μού ἐστιν.» Τίνα οὖν χώραν ἔχει ἔτι ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων κυημάτων ὁ θάνατος; Ὄντως «κατεπόθη ἐν ἐκείνοις τὸ θνητὸν ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῆς», καὶ ἔοικεν εἰκών τις εἶναι τῆς «ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι» μακαριότητος ὁ ἐν παρθενίᾳ βίος, πολλὰ φέρων ἐν ἑαυτῷ τῶν δι' ἐλπίδος ἀποκειμένων ἀγαθῶν τὰ γνωρίσματα. Ἔξεστι δὲ ἐπιγνῶναι τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων ἀλήθειαν τὸν λόγον κατεξετάζοντας: πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ «τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ καθάπαξ ἀποθανὼν ζῇ τὸ λοιπὸν τῷ θεῷ», οὐκέτι «καρποφορῶν τῷ θανάτῳ», καὶ ὅσον τὸ ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ συντέλειαν τῆς κατὰ σάρκα ζωῆς ἐν ἑαυτῷ ποιήσας ἀναμένει λοιπὸν «τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ», οὐδὲν διάστημα μεταξὺ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ τῶν διὰ μέσου γενεῶν ἐργαζόμενος. Εἶτα τὸ ἐξαίρετον τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει καλῶν καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι καρποῦται βίῳ: εἰ γὰρ ἰσάγγελος ἡ ζωή, ἣ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου τοῖς δικαίοις ἐπήγγελται, τῆς δὲ ἀγγελικῆς φύσεως ἴδιον τὸ ἀπηλλάχθαι τοῦ γάμου ἐστίν, ἤδη δέδεκται τὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας καλὰ «ταῖς λαμπρότησι τῶν ἁγίων» ἀναμιγνύμενος καὶ τῷ ἀμολύντῳ τῆς ζωῆς τὴν καθαρότητα τῶν ἀσωμάτων μιμούμενος. Εἰ οὖν τούτων καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἡ παρθενία γίνεται πρόξενος, τίς μὲν λόγος ἐπαξίως τὴν χάριν ταύτην θαυμάσεται; Τί δὲ ἄλλο τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθῶν οὕτω φανήσεται μέγα καὶ τίμιον, ὡς τῷ μεγαλείῳ τοῦ χαρίσματος τούτου παρισωθῆναι διὰ συγκρίσεως;