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Methodius of Olympus, The Banquet of the Ten Virgins; or Concerning Chastity
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The Banquet of the Ten Virgins or Concerning…
Chapter IV.—Human Generation, and the Work of God Therein Set Forth.
Chapter V.—The Holy Father Follows Up the Same Argument.
Chapter VI.—God Cares Even for Adulterous Births Angels Given to Them as Guardians.
Chapter III.—Comparison Instituted Between the First and Second Adam.
Chapter V.—A Passage of Jeremiah Examined.
Chapter VII.—The Works of Christ, Proper to God and to Man, the Works of Him Who is One.
Chapter IX.—The Dispensation of Grace in Paul the Apostle.
Chapter X.—The Doctrine of the Same Apostle Concerning Purity.
Chapter XI.—The Same Argument.
Chapter XII.—Paul an Example to Widows, and to Those Who Do Not Live with Their Wives.
Chapter XIII.—The Doctrine of Paul Concerning Virginity Explained.
Chapter XIV.—Virginity a Gift of God: the Purpose of Virginity Not Rashly to Be Adopted by Any One.
Chapter IV.—The Author Goes on with the Interpretation of the Same Passage.
Chapter V.—The Gifts of Virgins, Adorned with Which They are Presented to One Husband, Christ.
Chapter VI.—Virginity to Be Cultivated and Commended in Every Place and Time.
Chapter III.—Far Best to Cultivate Virtue from Boyhood.
Chapter IV.—Perfect Consecration and Devotion to God: What It is.
Chapter V.—The Vow of Chastity, and Its Rites in the Law Vines, Christ, and the Devil.
Chapter VII.—The Church Intermediate Between the Shadows of the Law and the Realities of Heaven.
Chapter VIII.—The Double Altar, Widows and Virgins Gold the Symbol of Virginity.
Chapter III.—The Same Endeavour and Effort After Virginity, with a Different Result.
Chapter IV.—What the Oil in the Lamps Means.
Chapter V.—The Reward of Virginity.
Chapter III.—Virgins Being Martyrs First Among the Companions of Christ.
Chapter VIII.—The Human Nature of Christ His One Dove.
Chapter IX.—The Virgins Immediately After the Queen and Spouse.
Chapter III.—The Lot and Inheritance of Virginity.
Chapter VIII.—The Faithful in Baptism Males, Configured to Christ The Saints Themselves Christs.
Chapter IX.—The Son of God, Who Ever Is, is To-Day Begotten in the Minds and Sense of the Faithful.
Chapter XVI.—Several Other Things Turned Against the Same Mathematicians.
Chapter XVII.—The Lust of the Flesh and Spirit: Vice and Virtue.
Chapter III.—How Each One Ought to Prepare Himself for the Future Resurrection.
Chapter V.—The Mystery of the Tabernacles.
Chapter IV.—The Law Useless for Salvation The Last Law of Chastity Under the Figure of the Bramble.
Chapter V.—The Malignity of the Devil as an Imitator in All Things Two Kinds of Fig-Trees and Vines.
Chapter X.—The Dragon, the Devil; The Stars Struck from Heaven by the Tail of the Dragon, Heretics; The Numbers of the Trinity, that Is, the Persons Numbered; Errors Concerning Them.
The dragon, which is great, and red, and cunning, and manifold, and seven-headed, and horned, and draws down the third part of the stars, and stands ready to devour the child of the woman who is travailing, is the devil, who lies in wait to destroy the Christ-accepted mind of the baptized, and the image and clear features of the Word which had been brought forth in them. But he misses and fails of his prey, the regenerate being caught up on high to the throne of God—that is, the mind of those who are renovated is lifted up around the divine seat and the basis of truth against which there is no stumbling, being taught to look upon and regard the things which are there, so that it may not be deceived by the dragon weighing them down. For it is not allowed to him to destroy those whose thoughts and looks are upwards. And the stars, which the dragon touched with the end of his tail, and drew them down to earth, are the bodies of heresies; for we must say that the stars, which are dark, obscure, and falling, are the assemblies of the heterodox; since they, too, wish to be acquainted with the heavenly ones, and to have believed in Christ, and to have the seat of their soul in heaven, and to come near to the stars as children of light. But they are dragged down, being shaken out by the folds of the dragon, because they did not remain within the triangular forms of godliness, falling away from it with respect to an orthodox service. Whence also they are called the third part of the stars, as having gone astray with regard to one of the three Persons of the Trinity. As when they say, like Sabellios, that the Almighty Person of the Father Himself suffered;241 Patripassianism: nearly the same as Sabellianism.—Tr. or as when they say, like Artemas, that the Person of the Son was born and manifested only in appearance;242 Δοκήσει, hence Docetæ.—Tr. or when they contend, like the Ebionites, that the prophets spoke of the Person of the Spirit, of their own motion. For of Marcion and Valentinus, and those about Elkesaios and others, it is better not even to make mention.