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Therefore, neither is the natural purification abominable to God, who ordained it to happen to women on a monthly basis for the sake of constitution and health, as they are more sedentary, since they mostly sit at home. And indeed, also in the Gospel the Lord, when the woman with the issue of blood touched the saving hem of his garment for the sake of health, was not displeased with her, nor did He blame her at all, but on the contrary He also healed her, saying: "Your faith has saved you." And when natural things appear to women, let men not have intercourse for the sake of foresight for those who are to be born; for the Law has forbidden it: "For you shall not," it says, "approach a woman who is in her separation." Nor indeed should they have intercourse with them when they are pregnant; for they do this not for the generation of children, but for the sake of pleasure, but it is not right for one who loves God to be a lover of pleasure. Wives, be subject to your own husbands and hold them in honor and serve them with fear and love, as the holy Sarah honored Abraham, not even enduring to call him by name, but addressing him as lord in saying: "And my lord is old." Likewise also, husbands, love your own wives as your own members, as partners in life and co-workers for the generation of children. "For rejoice," it says, "with the wife of your youth, let a hind of your friendship and a foal of your graces consort with you, let your own guide you and be with you at all times; for in being wrapped up in her love you will be great." Therefore, love them as your own members, as your own bodies; for thus it is written: "The Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, and she is your partner and did not another make, and a remnant of your spirit? and take heed to your spirit, and do not forsake the wife of your youth." Therefore, a man and a woman, coming together in lawful marriage and rising up from one another, let them pray without observation; and without having washed they are clean. But whoever corrupts and defiles another's wife or is defiled with a harlot, having risen up from her, not even if he should wash himself in the whole ocean and all the rivers, will he be able to be clean. Therefore, do not observe the lawful and natural things, thinking to be polluted by them, nor seek out Jewish separations or continual baptisms or purifications upon touching a corpse. But gather together without observation in the cemeteries, making the reading of the sacred books and chanting for the martyrs who have fallen asleep and for all

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Oὔτε οὖν ἡ φυσικὴ κάθαρσις βδελυκτὴ Θεῷ, ὃς αὐτὴν ᾠκονόμησεν συμβαίνειν γυναιξὶν ἐν τριακονθημέρῳ συστά σεως χάριν καὶ εὐρῳστίας ἀκινητοτέραις ὑπαρχούσαις, ἅτε ἐν οἰκίᾳ καθημέναις τὸ πλεῖον. Oὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ Eὐαγγελίῳ ὁ Κύριος, τῆς αἱμορροούσης ἁψαμένης τοῦ σωτηρίου κρασπέδου ὑγείας χάριν, οὐκ ἠχθέσθη ἐπ' αὐτῇ, οὔτε μὴν ὅλως ᾐτιάσατο, τοὐναντίον δὲ καὶ ἰάσατο αὐτὴν φήσας· «Ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε.» Καὶ φυσικῶν μὲν φαινομένων ταῖς γυναιξὶν οἱ ἄνδρες μὴ συνερχέσθωσαν προνοίας ἕνεκεν τῶν γεννωμένων· ἀπεῖπεν γὰρ ὁ Νόμος· «Πρὸς γυναῖκα γάρ, φησίν, ἐν ἀφέδρῳ οὖσαν οὐ προ σεγγιεῖς.» Μήτε μὴν ἐγκυμονούσαις ὁμιλείτωσαν αὐταῖς· οὐκ ἐπὶ παίδων γὰρ γενέσει τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ἡδονῆς χάριν, οὐ δεῖ δὲ φιλήδονον τὸν φιλόθεον ὑπάρχειν. Aἱ γυναῖκες, ὑποτάσσεσθε τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσι καὶ διὰ τιμῆς αὐτοὺς ἔχετε καὶ φόβῳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ δουλεύετε αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἡ ἁγία Σάρρα τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐτίμα οὐδὲ ἐξ ὀνόματος αὐτὸν ὑπομένουσα καλεῖν, ἀλλὰ κύριον αὐτὸν προσαγο ρεύουσα ἐν τῷ λέγειν· «Ὁ δὲ κύριός μου πρεσβύτης.» Ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες, στέργετε τὰς ἑαυτῶν γυναῖκας ὡς ἴδια μέλη, ὡς κοινωνοὺς βίου καὶ συνεργοὺς πρὸς γένεσιν παίδων. «Συνευφραίνου γάρ, φησίν, μετὰ γυναικὸς τῆς ἐκ νεότητός σου, ἔλαφος σῆς φιλίας καὶ πῶλος σῶν χαρίτων ὁμιλείτω σοι, ἡ δὲ ἰδία ἡγείσθω σου καὶ συνέστω σοι ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ· ἐν γὰρ τῇ ταύτης φιλίᾳ συμπεριφερόμενος πολλοστὸς ἔσῃ.» Ἀγαπᾶτε οὖν αὐτὰς ὡς οἰκεῖα μέλη, ὡς ὑμέτερα σώματα· γέγραπται γὰρ οὕτως· «Κύριος διεμαρτύρατο ἀνὰ μέσον σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον γυναικὸς νεότητός σου, καὶ αὕτη κοινωνός σου καὶ οὐκ ἄλλος ἐποίησεν, καὶ ὑπόλειμμα πνεύματός σου· καὶ φυλάξασθε τῷ πνεύματι ὑμῶν, καὶ γυναῖκα νεότητός σου μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς.» Ἀνὴρ οὖν καὶ γυνή, νομίμῳ γάμῳ συνερχόμενοι καὶ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ἐγειρόμενοι, ἀπαρατηρήτως προσευχέσθωσαν· καὶ μὴ λου σάμενοι καθαροί εἰσιν. Ὃς δ' ἂν ἀλλοτρίαν γυναῖκα ὑποφθεί ρας μιάνῃ ἢ συμμιανθῇ πόρνῃ, ἀναστὰς ἀπ' αὐτῆς, οὐδ' ἂν τὸ πέλαγος ὅλον καὶ τοὺς ποταμοὺς πάντας ἀπολούσηται, καθαρὸς εἶναι δυνήσεται. Μὴ παρατηρεῖσθε οὖν τὰ ἔννομα καὶ φυσικά, νομίζοντες μολύνεσθαι δι' αὐτῶν, μηδὲ ἐπιζητεῖτε ἰουδαϊκοὺς ἀφορισμοὺς ἢ συνεχῆ βαπτίσματα ἢ καθαρισμοὺς ἐπὶ θίξει νεκροῦ. Ἀπαρατηρήτως δὲ συναθροίζεσθε ἐν τοῖς κοιμη τηρίοις, τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν τῶν ἱερῶν βιβλίων ποιούμενοι καὶ ψάλλοντες ὑπὲρ τῶν κεκοιμημένων μαρτύρων καὶ πάντων