66

the occasion for such legislation; but there, there was nothing of the sort. For that some had already fallen away is clear from this, from his saying, For when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry; and again, For some have already turned aside after Satan. But younger widows refuse. Why? For when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry. What is, When they have grown wanton? When they act coyly, when they become luxurious; just as when someone says of a respectable man: Let her go, because she has become another's. He shows, then, that they chose widowhood simply, without due judgment. So then the widow is betrothed to Christ in her widowhood; for I, He says, am a protector of widows, and a father of orphans. He shows that they do not even choose widowhood rightly, but grow wanton; but nevertheless He bears it. And yet elsewhere he says: I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. When they are named for Him, he says, They desire to marry, having condemnation, because they have rejected their first faith. By faith he means the covenant, the truth; as if he said: They were false to Him, they transgressed the covenants. And at the same time they also learn to be idle. He does not, then, command only men to work, but also women; for idleness has taught all wickedness. Not to this condemnation alone are they liable, he says, but also to other sins. If it is unbecoming for a woman to go about to houses, much more for a virgin. And not only do they learn 62.580 to be idle, he says, but also gossips and busybodies, speaking things they ought not. I desire therefore that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule the household. What then happens when both the care of a husband is absent, and the fear of God does not restrain them? They naturally become idle, gossips, busybodies. For he who does not take care of his own affairs will certainly take care of another's; just as he who is concerned for his own affairs will take no account of others, will have no concern for them. Speaking things they ought not. Nothing is so unbecoming to a woman as being a busybody in the affairs of others, not only to a woman, but also to a man; for this is the greatest proof of shamelessness and audacity. I desire therefore. Since these desire it, I also desire that younger widows marry, bear children, rule the household, be keepers at home; for this is much better than doing those things. It was necessary, then, to care for the things of God, it was necessary to keep the faith; but since those things do not happen, it is better that these things happen, rather than those; for neither is God set at nought, nor do these women learn these things. For from that widowhood there will be nothing good; but from this marriage, many good things; from this the gaping and listlessness of her mind will be able to be turned back. And for what reason, he says, did he not say, Since widows have fallen away, they must receive much care, so that they may not suffer what I have said, but instead commanded marriage? Because it is not forbidden, because it establishes them in safety; for which reason he also adds: to give no opportunity to the adversary for the sake of reproach, nor any handle. For some have already turned aside after Satan. He forbids such widows, therefore, not wishing that there be no younger widows, but not wishing them to be adulteresses, not wishing them to be idle and busybodies, speaking things they ought not, not wishing the devil to gain an opportunity; as if such a thing were not happening, he would not have forbidden it. But if any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and let not the Church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are widows indeed. Do you see how again he calls "widows indeed" those who are desolate, those who have comfort from nowhere? For so it was better. For two very great things were happening: both those women received an opportunity to do good, and these were well supported, and the Church was not burdened. He well added, If any believer; for believing women should not be supported by unbelievers, lest they should seem to be in need of them. And see how comfortingly: He did not say, Let him provide some extravagance, but, Let him relieve them. That the Church, he says, may relieve those who are widows indeed. So then, she too has the reward for this assistance; for the

66

τὴν ἀφορμὴν τῆς τοιαύτης νομοθεσίας· ἐκεῖ δὲ τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν ἦν. Ὅτι γὰρ ἐξέπεσόν τινες ἤδη, ἀπὸ τούτου δῆλον, ἀπὸ τοῦ λέγειν, Ὅταν γὰρ καταστρηνιάσωσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, γαμεῖν θέλουσι· καὶ πάλιν, Ἤδη γὰρ ἐξετράπησάν τινες ὀπίσω τοῦ Σατανᾶ. Νεωτέρας δὲ χήρας παραιτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅταν γὰρ καταστρηνιάσωσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, γαμεῖν θέλουσι. Τί ἐστιν, Ὅταν καταστρηνιάσωσιν; Ὅταν ἀκκισθῶσιν, ὅταν θρύπτωνται· καθάπερ ὅταν ἐπὶ ἀνδρός τις ἐπιεικοῦς λέγῃ· Ἄφες αὐτὴν, ὅτι ἑτέρου γέγονε. ∆είκνυσι τοίνυν ὅτι καὶ τὴν χηρείαν ἁπλῶς εἵλοντο, οὐ κρίνασαι. Ἄρα καὶ ἡ χήρα τῷ Χριστῷ ἁρμόζεται ἐν τῇ χηρείᾳ· ἐγὼ γὰρ, φησὶ, προστάτης τῶν χηρῶν, καὶ πατὴρ τῶν ὀρφανῶν. ∆είκνυσιν ὅτι οὐδὲ τὴν χηρείαν ὀρθῶς αἱροῦνται, ἀλλὰ καταστρηνιῶσιν· ἀλλ' ὅμως φέρει. Καὶ μὴν ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν· Ἡρμοσάμην ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ. Ὅταν ὀνομασθῶσιν αὐτῷ, φησὶ, Γαμεῖν θέλουσιν, ἔχουσαι κρῖμα, ὅτι τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν. Πίστιν τὴν συνθήκην λέγει, τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ὡσεὶ ἔλεγεν· Ἐψεύσαντο αὐτὸν, παρέβησαν τὰς συνθήκας. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἀργαὶ μανθάνουσιν. Οὐκ ἄρα ἀνδράσι μόνον ἐπιτάττει τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναιξί· πᾶσαν γὰρ τὴν κακίαν ἐδίδαξεν ἡ ἀργία. Οὐ τούτῳ, φησὶ, τῷ κρίματι μόνον εἰσὶν ὑπεύθυνοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέροις ἁρματήμασιν. Εἰ ἄρα ἀνάρμοστον γυναικὶ τὸ περιιέναι τὰς οἰκίας, πολλῷ μᾶλλον παρθένῳ. Οὐ μόνον δὲ, φησὶν, ἀργαὶ μανθά 62.580 νουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φλύαροι καὶ περίεργοι, λαλοῦσαι τὰ μὴ δέοντα. Βούλομαι οὖν νεωτέρας χήρας γαμεῖν, τεκνογονεῖν, οἰκοδεσποτεῖν. Τί οὖν συμβαίνει ὅταν καὶ ἡ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μέριμνα ἀποστῇ, καὶ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ κατέχῃ; Εἰκότως ἀργαὶ, λάλοι, περίεργοι γίνονται. Ὁ γὰρ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ μὴ μεριμνῶν, τὰ ἑτέρου μεριμνήσει πάντως· ὥσπερ ὁ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ φροντίζων, τῶν ἑτέρων οὐδένα ποιήσεται λόγον, οὐδεμίαν ἕξει φροντίδα. Λαλοῦσαι τὰ μὴ δέοντα. Οὐδὲν οὕτως ἀνάρμοστον γυναικὶ, ὡς τὸ τὰ ἑτέρων περιεργάζεσθαι μάλιστα, οὐ μόνον δὲ γυναικὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνδρί· ἀναισχυντίας γὰρ καὶ ἰταμότητος τεκμήριον τοῦτο μέγιστον. Βούλομαι οὖν. Ἐπειδὴ αὗται βούλονται, βούλομαι κἀγὼ νεωτέρας χήρας γαμεῖν, τεκνογονεῖν, οἰκοδεσποτεῖν, οἰκουρεῖν· πολλῷ γὰρ τοῦ ποιεῖν ἐκεῖνα τοῦτο βέλτιον. Ἔδει μὲν οὖν τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μεριμνᾷν, ἔδει τὴν πίστιν φυλάττειν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐκεῖνα οὐ γίνεται, βέλτιον ταῦτα γενέσθαι, ἢ ἐκεῖνα· οὔτε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἀθετεῖται, οὔτε αὗται ταῦτα μανθάνουσι. Ἀπὸ μὲν γὰρ τῆς χηρείας ἐκείνης οὐδὲν χρηστὸν ἔσται· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ γάμου τούτου πολλὰ ἀγαθά· ἐντεῦθεν τὸ κεχηνὸς καὶ ῥᾴθυμον τῆς διανοίας αὐτῆς ἐπιστρέψαι δυνήσεται. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶν, οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπειδὴ χῆραι ἐξέπεσον, πολλῆς αὐτὰς ἐπιμελείας δεῖ ἀπολαύειν, ὥστε μὴ παθεῖν ἅπερ εἶπον, ἀλλ' ἐπέταξε γάμον; Ὅτι οὐ κεκώλυται, ὅτι ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ καθίστησι· διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· Μηδεμίαν διδόναι ἀφορμὴν τῷ ἀντικειμένῳ λοιδορίας χάριν, μηδὲ λαβήν τινα. Ἤδη γάρ τινες ἐξετράπησαν ὀπίσω τοῦ Σατανᾶ. Κωλύει τοίνυν τὰς χήρας τὰς τοιαύτας, οὐ βουλόμενος μὴ εἶναι χήρας νεωτέρας, ἀλλὰ μὴ βουλόμενος μοιχαλίδας εἶναι, μὴ βουλόμενος ἀργὰς εἶναι καὶ περιέργους, λαλούσας τὰ μὴ δέοντα, μὴ βουλόμενος τὸν διάβολον ἀφορμὴν λαμβάνειν· ὡς εἰ μὴ τοιοῦτον ἐγίνετο, οὐκ ἂν ἐκώλυσεν. Εἰ δέ τις πιστὸς ἢ πιστὴ ἔχει χήρας, ἐπαρκείτω αὐταῖς, καὶ μὴ βαρείσθω ἡ Ἐκκλησία, ἵνα ταῖς ὄντως χήραις ἐπαρκῇ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς πάλιν ὄντως χήρας λέγει ἐκείνας τὰς μεμονωμένας, τὰς οὐδαμόθεν ἐχούσας παραμυθίαν; Οὕτω γὰρ βέλτιον ἦν. ∆ύο γὰρ ἐγίνετο τὰ μέγιστα, καὶ ἐκεῖναι ἀφορμὴν ἐλάμβανον τοῦ εὖ ποιεῖν, καὶ αὗται διετρέφοντο καλῶς, καὶ ἡ Ἐκκλησία οὐκ ἐβαρεῖτο. Καλῶς προσέθηκεν, Εἴ τις πιστός· παρὰ γὰρ τῶν ἀπίστων οὐκ ἔδει τὰς πιστὰς τρέφεσθαι, ἵνα μὴ δόξωσι δεῖσθαι αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς παραμυθητικῶς· Οὐκ εἶπε, Πολυτέλειάν τινα χορηγείτω, ἀλλ', Ἐπαρκείτω αὐταῖς. Ἵνα ἡ Ἐκκλησία, φησὶ, ταῖς ὄντως χήραις ἐπαρκῇ. Ἄρα καὶ ταύτης τὸν μισθὸν αὕτη ἔχει τῆς βοηθείας· ἡ γὰρ