John of Damascus, The Fount of Knowledge III: On the Orthodox Faith

Carnal men abuse virginity1260 Vide bk. ii. ch. 30., and the pleasure-loving bring forward the following verse in proof, Cursed be every one that raiseth not up seed in Israel1261 Deut.. But we, made confident by God the Word that was made flesh of the Virgin, answer that virginity was implanted in man’s nature from above and in the beginning. For man was formed of virgin soil. From Adam alone was Eve created. In Paradise virginity held sway. Indeed, Divine Scripture tells that both Adam and Eve were naked and were not ashamed1262 Gen. ii. 23.. But after their transgression they knew that they were naked, and in their shame they sewed aprons for themselves1263 Ibid. iv. 7.. And when, after the transgression, Adam heard, dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return1264 Ibid. 19., when death entered into the world by reason of the transgression, then Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare seed1265 Gen. iv. 1.. So that to prevent the wearing out and destruction of the race by death, marriage was devised that the race of men may be preserved through the procreation of children1266 Greg. Nyss., De opif., hom. 16..

But they will perhaps ask, what then is the meaning of “male and female1267 Gen. i. 27.,” and “Be fruitful and multiply?” In answer we shall say that “Be fruitful and multiply1268 Ibid. i. 28.” does not altogether refer to the multiplying by the marriage connection. For God had power to multiply the race also in different ways, if they kept the precept unbroken1269 Text, ἀπαραχάρακτον. Variant, ἀπαρεγχάρακτον, old trans. “in intransmutationem.” to the end1270 Vid. supr., bk. ii. ch. 30.. But God, Who knoweth all things before they have existence, knowing in His foreknowledge that they would fall into transgression in the future and be condemned to death, anticipated this and made “male and female,” and bade them “be fruitful and multiply.” Let us, then, proceed on our way and see the glories1271 Text αυξήυατα = increases. We have read αὐχήματα. of virginity: and this also includes chastity.

Noah when he was commanded to enter the ark and was entrusted with the preservation of the seed of the world received this command, Go in, saith the Lord, thou and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives1272 Gen. vi. 18; vii. 1.. He separated them from their wives1273 Cf. Chrys., Hom. 28 on Genesis. in order that with purity they might escape the flood and that shipwreck of the whole world. After the cessation of the flood, however, He said, Go forth of the ark, thou and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives1274 Gen. viii. 16.. Lo, again, marriage is granted for the sake of the multiplication of the race. Next, Elias, the fire-breathing charioteer and sojourner in heaven did not embrace celibacy, and yet was not his virtue attested by his super-human ascension1275 2 Kings ii. 11.? Who closed the heavens? Who raised the dead1276 Ibid. iv. 34.? Who divided Jordan1277 Ibid. ii. 14.? Was it not the virginal Elias? And did not Elisha, his disciple, after he had given proof of equal virtue, ask and obtain as an inheritance a double portion of the grace of the Spirit1278 Ibid. ii. 9.? What of the three youths? Did they not by practising virginity become mightier than fire, their bodies through virginity being made proof against the fire1279 Dan. iii. 20.? And was it not Daniel’s body that was so hardened by virginity that the wild beasts’ teeth could not fasten in it1280 Ibid. vi. 16.. Did not God, when He wished the Israelites to see Him, bid them purify the body1281 Ex. xix. 15; Num. vi. 2.? Did not the priests purify themselves and so approach the temple’s shrine and offer victims? And did not the law call chastity the great vow?

The precept of the law, therefore, is to be taken in a more spiritual sense. For there is spiritual seed which is conceived through the love and fear of God in the spiritual womb, travailing and bringing forth the spirit of salvation. And in this sense must be understood this verse: Blessed is he who hath seed in Zion and posterity in Jerusalem. For does it mean that, although he be a whoremonger and a drunkard and an idolater, he is still blessed if only he hath seed in Sion and posterity in Jerusalem? No one in his senses will say this.

Virginity is the rule of life among the angels, the property of all incorporeal nature. This we say without speaking ill of marriage: God forbid! (for we know that the Lord blessed marriage by His presence1282 St. John ii. 1., and we know him who said, Marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled1283 Heb. xiii. 4.), but knowing that virginity is better than marriage, however good. For among the virtues, equally as among the vices, there are higher and lower grades. We know that all mortals after the first parents of the race are the offspring of marriage. For the first parents were the work of virginity and not of marriage. But celibacy is, as we said, an imitation of the angels. Wherefore virginity is as much more honourable than marriage, as the angel is higher than man. But why do I say angel? Christ Himself is the glory of virginity, who was not only-begotten of the Father without beginning or emission or connection, but also became man in our image, being made flesh for our sakes of the Virgin without connection, and manifesting in Himself the true and perfect virginity. Wherefore, although He did not enjoin that on us by law (for as He said, all men cannot receive this saying1284 St. Matt. xix. 11.), yet in actual fact He taught us that and gave us strength for it. For it is surely clear to every one that virginity now is flourishing among men.

Good indeed is the procreation of children enjoined by the law, and good is marriage1285 Simeon Thess., De initiat., ch. 33. on account of fornications, for it does away with these1286 1 Cor. vii. 2., and by lawful intercourse does not permit the madness of desire to be enflamed into unlawful acts. Good is marriage for those who have no continence: but that virginity is better which increases the fruitfulness of the soul and offers to God the seasonable fruit of prayer. Marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge1287 Heb. xiii. 4..

Περὶ παρθενίας

Κακίζουσιν οἱ σαρκικοὶ τὴν παρθενίαν, καὶ εἰς μαρτυρίαν προβάλλονται οἱ φιλήδονοι τὸ «ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς, ὃς οὐκ ἐγείρει σπέρμα ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ». Ἡμεῖς δέ φαμεν τῷ ἐκ παρθένου σαρκωθέντι θεῷ λόγῳ θαρρήσαντες, ὡς ἡ παρθενία ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐφυτεύθη τῇ φύσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων: ἐκ παρθένου γὰρ γῆς ὁ ἄνθρωπος πεπλαστούργηται, ἐκ μόνου Ἀδὰμ ἡ Εὔα ἔκτισται, ἐν παραδείσῳ παρθενία ἐπολιτεύετο. Φησὶ γοῦν ἡ θεία γραφή, ὅτι «γυμνοὶ ἦσαν, ὅ τε Ἀδὰμ καὶ ἡ Εὔα, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο». Ἡνίκα δὲ παρέβησαν, «ἔγνωσαν, ὅτι γυμνοὶ ἦσαν», καὶ αἰσχυνθέντες ἔρραψαν ἑαυτοῖς περιζώματα. Καὶ μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν, «ὅτι γῆ εἶ καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ», ὅτε διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως θάνατος εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσῆλθε, τότε «ἔγνω Ἀδὰμ Εὔαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνέλαβε καὶ ἐγέννησεν». Ὥστε διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐκτριβῆναι καὶ ἀναλωθῆναι τὸ γένος ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου ὁ γάμος ἐπινενόηται, ὡς ἂν διὰ τῆς παιδοποιίας τὸ γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων διασῴζηται.

Ἀλλ' ἐροῦσι τυχόν: Τί οὖν τὸ «ἄρρεν καὶ θῆλυ» βούλεται καὶ τὸ «αὐξάνεσθε καὶ πληθύνεσθε»; Πρὸς ὃ λέξομεν, ὅτι τὸ μὲν «αὐξάνεσθε καὶ πληθύνεσθε» οὐ πάντως τὸν διὰ γαμικῆς συναφείας πληθυσμὸν δηλοῖ. Ἐδύνατο γὰρ ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἑτέρῳ τρόπῳ τὸ γένος πληθῦναι, εἰ τὴν ἐντολὴν μέχρι τέλους ἐτήρησαν ἀπαραχάρακτον. Ἀλλ' εἰδὼς ὁ θεὸς τῇ προγνώσει αὐτοῦ, «ὁ πάντα εἰδὼς πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν», ὡς μέλλουσιν ἐν παραβάσει γίνεσθαι καὶ θανάτῳ κατακρίνεσθαι, προλαβὼν ἐποίησε τὸ ἄρρεν καὶ θῆλυ καὶ αὐξάνεσθαι καὶ πληθύνεσθαι προσέταξεν. Ὁδῷ τοίνυν κατέλθωμεν καὶ ἴδωμεν τὰ τῆς παρθενίας αὐχήματα: ταὐτὸν δὲ καὶ ἁγνείας εἰπεῖν.

Νῶε εἰς τὴν κιβωτὸν εἰσελθεῖν προστασσόμενος καὶ κόσμου σπέρμα φυλάττειν ἐγχειριζόμενος οὕτω προστάττεται: «Εἴσελθε σύ», φησί, «καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου καὶ ἡ γυνή σου καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τῶν υἱῶν σου». Διεῖλεν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῶν γυναικῶν, ὡς ἂν μετὰ τῆς ἁγνείας τὸ πέλαγος καὶ τὸ παγκόσμιον ἐκεῖνο ναυάγιον διαδράσαιεν. Μετὰ μέντοι τὴν τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ κατάπαυσιν: «Ἔξελθε σύ», φησί, «καὶ ἡ γυνή σου καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τῶν υἱῶν σου». Ἰδοὺ πάλιν διὰ τὸν πληθυσμὸν ὁ γάμος συγκεχώρηται. Εἶτα Ἡλίας, ὁ πυρίπνους ἁμαρτηλάτης καὶ οὐρανοφοίτης, οὐκ ἀγαμίαν ἠσπάζετο καὶ τῷ ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπους ἐμαρτυρήθη μετεωρίσματι; Τίς οὐρανοὺς ἔκλεισε; Τίς νεκροὺς ἤγειρε; Τίς Ἰορδάνην ἔτεμεν; Οὐχ ὁ παρθένος Ἡλίας; Ἐλισσαῖος δέ, ὁ τούτου φοιτητής, οὐ τὴν ἴσην ἀρετὴν ἐπιδειξάμενος ἐν διπλασίῳ τὴν χάριν τοῦ πνεύματος αἰτήσας ἐκληρονόμησε; Τί δὲ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες; Οὐ παρθενίαν ἀσκήσαντες πυρὸς κρείττους γεγόνασι διὰ τῆς παρθενίας τῶν σωμάτων ἀναλώτων τῷ πυρὶ γεγονότων; Οὐ Δανιήλ, οὗ τῷ σώματι παρθενίᾳ στομωθέντι θηρῶν ὀδόντες ἐμπαρεῖναι οὐκ ἴσχυσαν; Οὐ μέλλων τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις ὁ θεὸς ὀπτάνεσθαι ἁγνίζειν τὸ σῶμα προσέταττεν; Οὐχὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς ἑαυτοὺς ἁγνίζοντες οὕτω τῶν ἀδύτων ἐπέβαινον καὶ τὰς θυσίας προσῆγον; Οὐχ ὁ νόμος μεγάλην εὐχὴν τὴν ἁγνείαν ἀνηγόρευσε;

Χρὴ τοιγαροῦν ἐπὶ τὸ πνευματικώτερον λαμβάνειν τὸ νομικὸν πρόσταγμα. Ἔστι γὰρ σπέρμα πνευματικὸν δι' ἀγάπης καὶ φόβου θεοῦ συλλαμβανόμενον ἐν τῇ ψυχικῇ γαστρὶ ὠδινούσῃ καὶ τικτούσῃ πνεῦμα σωτηρίας. Οὕτω δὲ ἐκληπτέον καὶ τὸ «μακάριος, ὃς ἔχει σπέρμα ἐν Σιὼν καὶ οἰκείους ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ». Τί γάρ, κἂν πόρνος ᾖ, κἂν μέθυσος καὶ εἰδωλολάτρης, μακάριός ἐστιν, εἰ μόνον ἔχει σπέρμα ἐν Σιὼν καὶ οἰκείους ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ; Οὐδεὶς εὖ φρονῶν τοῦτο ἐρεῖ.

Παρθενία τὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων πολίτευμα, τὸ πάσης ἀσωμάτου φύσεως ἰδίωμα. Ταῦτα λέγομεν οὐ τὸν γάμον κακίζοντες_μὴ γένοιτο_(οἴδαμεν γὰρ τὸν κύριον ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ τὸν γάμον εὐλογήσαντα καὶ τὸν εἰπόντα: «Τίμιος ὁ γάμος καὶ ἡ κοίτη ἀμίαντος»), ἀλλὰ καλοῦ κρείττονα τὴν παρθενίαν γινώσκοντες. Ἔν τε γὰρ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς εἰσιν ἐπιτάσεις καὶ ὑφέσεις, ὁμοίως καὶ ἐν ταῖς κακίαις. Γινώσκομεν, ὅτι γάμου ἔκγονοι πάντες βροτοὶ μετὰ τοὺς τοῦ γένους ἀρχηγέτας. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ παρθενίας εἰσὶ καὶ οὐ γάμου πλαστούργημα. Ὅσῳ τοιγαροῦν ἄγγελος ἀνθρώπου ὑπέρτερος, τοσούτῳ παρθενία γάμου τιμιωτέρα. Τί δὲ λέγω ἄγγελος; Αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστὸς τῆς παρθενίας τὸ κλέος, οὐ μόνον ἐκ πατρὸς ἀνάρχως καὶ ἀσυνδυάστως γεγεννημένος, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ἄνθρωπος καθ' ἡμᾶς γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ἐκ παρθένου συναφείας ἄνευ σεσαρκωμένος καὶ αὐτὸς παρθενίαν τὴν ἀληθῆ καὶ παντελῆ δεικνὺς ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Ὅθεν καὶ ταύτην ἡμῖν οὐκ ἐνομοθέτησε μέν («οὐ γὰρ πάντες χωροῦσι τὸν λόγον», ὡς αὐτὸς ἔφησεν), ἔργῳ δὲ ἡμᾶς ἐξεπαίδευσεν καὶ πρὸς ταύτην ἡμᾶς ἐνεδυνάμωσε. Τίνι γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι σαφές, ὅτι παρθενία ἐν ἀνθρώποις νῦν πολιτεύεται;

Καλὴ μὲν ἡ τεκνογονία, ἣν ὁ γάμος συνέστησε, καὶ καλὸς ὁ γάμος διὰ τὰς πορνείας, ταύτας περικόπτων καὶ τὸ λυσσῶδες τῆς ἐπιθυμίας διὰ τῆς ἐννόμου μίξεως οὐκ ἐῶν πρὸς ἀνόμους ἐκμαίνεσθαι πράξεις. Καλὸς ὁ γάμος, οἷς οὐ πάρεστιν ἐγκράτεια: κρείττων δὲ ἡ παρθενία ψυχῆς τεκνογονίαν αὔξουσα καὶ θεῷ καρπὸν ὥριμον, τὴν προσευχήν, προσάγουσα. «Τίμιος ὁ γάμος καὶ ἡ κοίτη ἀμίαντος: πόρνους δὲ καὶ μοιχοὺς κρινεῖ ὁ θεός».