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De corruptoribus virginum

A lamentation against those who corrupt the virgins of Christ.

60.741 What have you to do with us, wretched and miserable guides of evil pleasures? How do you wish to escape the hands of the living God? What will you do, when He who betrothed her comes to judge the living and the dead? What defense will you make, having committed such lawless acts against the brides of Christ? Have you shown so much contempt? Did you not tremble? Were you not afraid? Did you not shudder? Did you not spare your own souls? Do you not know that there is no other lawlessness like this one? Do you not know that virgins are a temple of God? Do you not know that the Spirit of God dwelt in them? Those who daily conversed with Christ concerning the unfailing dowries that abide for ages, and whom Paul brought forth to present as chaste virgins to Christ, you have mixed with mire and stench? O how did you dare to corrupt the brides of Christ, you procurers of evil desire? If anyone dares to commit such acts against a fellow servant-girl, he does not go unpunished; but when you thus arm yourselves against the brides of Christ, who is Master of both them and you, do you then expect to escape justice? Have you not heard the Apostle saying, "Judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy"? And what, then, is more merciless than this? For with one sword you work two murders, killing both yourselves and them; for this is death among those who are of sound mind.

Oh, who would not groan? Who would not mourn? Who would not beat his breast and lament the untimely murder? Who would not weep for the unexpected death, who would not grieve at the unjust wound? A dowry and a contract are kept with the heavenly bridegroom, Christ, the lawful husband to whom she is joined in incorruption; and is her virginity betrayed to the adulterer? But someone will say: "By necessity I was joined to Christ; it was not my intention to be joined to him, but to a fellow servant." Did you dare at all, wretched woman, to declare on your own behalf that even when you had no intention or love for him, the Master desired you? Listen, O miserable one, and I will tell you, and be convinced even from the affairs of the world. I speak now in worldly terms: If one man seizes a maiden on behalf of another, their equality of rank being considered, the seizure is valid for the one who did it, and law and king concede to the seizure. For he did not seize and take her to dishonor her, but to honor her, and dowries and gifts are valid. If therefore for men there is no change, since it follows the original purpose; what defense will you make, you who were seized beyond 60.742 hope by the Master? For I do not call that a necessity, through which you were deemed worthy to be joined to the Master, but a dispensation and philanthropy of the Master; so that in the guise of necessity, you, the unworthy one, might gain the incorruptible marriage that is beyond you.

Therefore do not say, "By necessity I chose to be a virgin"; do not be ungrateful to the heavenly bridegroom, because he deemed it worthy to take you without dowry, of no noble birth, and a slave; for you are his slave, even if you do not wish it. Therefore I beseech you, O virgin, to become obedient without any contradiction and most shameful reasonings. And if you have not yet broken the spiritual marriage, guard the covenants securely; but if you have transgressed and fallen, arise, arise, I beseech you. For the good and man-loving Master who was dishonored by you stands by you; he does not cast off your cohabitation; give him your hand. For since you insulted the first right hand, at least do not reject this one. He does not disdain your wounds; for he heals the wound of the soul and of the body; for he is a compassionate physician. Reveal to him through confession the affliction, so that he may apply invisibly the saving medicine; for he did not come to call the righteous, but sinners

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De corruptoribus virginum

Ταλανισμὸς πρὸς τοὺς φθείροντας τὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρθένους.

60.741 Τί δὲ ἡμῖν, ἄθλιοι καὶ ταλαίπωροι, κακῶν ἡδονῶν ὁδηγοί; πῶς βούλεσθε

ἐκφυγεῖν χεῖρας Θεοῦ ζῶντος; τί ποιήσετε, ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ ταύτην μνηστευσάμενος κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς; τί δὲ ἀπολογήσεσθε, τοιαῦτα παράνομα εἰς τὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ νύμφας πράξαντες; οὕτω τοσοῦτον κατεφρονήσατε; οὐκ ἐτρομάξατε; οὐ δεδοίκατε; οὐκ ἐφρίξατε; οὐκ ἐφείσασθε τῶν ἑαυτῶν ψυχῶν; οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι τοιαύτη παρανομία ἑτέρα οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς αὕτη; οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ εἰσιν αἱ παρθένοι; οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἦν οἰκοῦν ἐν αὐταῖς; τὰς καθ' ἡμέραν μετὰ Χριστοῦ περὶ τῶν ἀνεκλείπτων καὶ μενόντων εἰς αἰῶνας προϊκῶν διαλεγομένας, καὶ ἃς Παῦλος παρθένους ἁγνὰς παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ προσήγαγεν, ὑμεῖς βορβόρῳ καὶ δυσωδίᾳ συνεφύρατε; Ὢ πῶς ἐτολμήσατε Χριστοῦ νύμφας φθεῖραι, κακῆς ἐπιθυμίας πρόξενοι; Κατὰ παιδίσκης συνδούλου ἐὰν τολμήσῃ τις τοιαῦτα διαπράξασθαι, οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος διεξέρχεται· κατὰ δὲ τῆς τοῦ ἀμφοτέρων αὐτῶν τε καὶ ὑμῶν τὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ νύμφας οὕτως ὁπλίζεσθαι, ἐκφεύξεσθαι ἄρα τῆς δίκης προσδοκᾶτε; οὐκ ἠκούσατε τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος, Ἀνίλεως ἡ κρίσις τῷ μὴ ποιήσαντι ἔλεος; Καὶ τί ἄρα τούτου ἀνελεεινότερον; μιᾷ γὰρ μαχαίρα δύο φόνους ἐργάζεσθε, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ αὐτὰς ἀποκτείνοντες· θάνατος γὰρ τοῦτο παρὰ τοῖς εὐφρονοῦσιν.

Ὢ τίς οὐκ ἂν στενάξειε; τίς οὐκ ἂν πενθήσειε; τίς οὐκ ἂν κόψηται καὶ θρηνήσειε τὸν ἄωρον φόνον; τίς οὐ δακρύσειε τὸν ἀπρόθεσμον θάνατον, τίς οὐκ ἀλγήσειεν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδίκῳ πληγῇ; Προῒξ καὶ γραμματεία παρὰ τῷ νομίμῳ ἐν ἀφθορίᾳ συναπτομένῳ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ νυμφίῳ Χριστῷ φυλάττονται· καὶ ἡ παρθενία προδίδοται τῷ μοιχῷ; Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις· Ἀνάγκῃ τῷ Χριστῷ συνεζεύχθην, οὐκ ἤμην προθέσεως αὐτῷ συζευχθῆναι, ἀλλὰ συνδούλῳ. Ὅλως ἐτόλμησας, ἀθλία, καθ' ἑαυτὴν δημηγορῆσαι, ὅτι καὶ μὴ ἐχούσης σου πρόθεσιν εἰς αὐτὸν ἢ ἀγάπην, ὁ ∆εσπότης ἐπόθησέ σε; Ἄκουσον, ὦ τάλαινα, καὶ ἐρῶ σοι, καὶ κἂν ἐκ τῶν τοῦ κόσμου πραγμάτων πληροφορήθητι. Λέγω δὴ τοῖς βιωτικοῖς· Ἐὰν κόρην ἕτερος ἀνθ' ἑτέρου ἁρπάσῃ, τῆς ἰσοτιμίας δοκιμαζομένης, κυρία μὲν ἡ ἁρπαγὴ τῷ ποιήσαντι, καὶ νόμος καὶ βασιλεὺς παραχωρεῖ τῇ ἁρπαγῇ. Οὐ γὰρ ἥρπαζε καὶ ἔλαβεν, ἵνα ἐνυβρίσῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα τιμήσῃ, καὶ προικῷα καὶ δῶρα ἰσχύει. Εἰ οὖν ἀνθρώποις οὐδεμία μεταβολὴ, ἐπειδὴ τῷ προλαβόντι σκοπῷ ἀκολουθεῖ· τί ἀπολογήσῃ, σὺ ἡ παρ' 60.742 ἐλπίδα ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆εσπότου ἁρπαγεῖσα; Οὔτε γὰρ ἀνάγκην ἐκείνην λέγω, δι' ἣν τοῦ ∆εσπότου συζευχθῆναι ἠξιώθης, ἀλλ' οἰκονομίαν καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν ∆εσπότου· ἵνα τῷ τῆς ἀνάγκης σχήματι σὺ ἡ ἀναξία τὸν ὑπὲρ σὲ ἄφθαρτον γάμον κερδάνῃς.

Μὴ οὖν λέγε, ὅτι Ἀνάγκῃ παρθενεύειν εἱλόμην· μὴ ἀχαρίστει τῷ οὐρανίῳ νυμφίῳ, ὅτι σε ἄπροικον καὶ ἀγενῆ καὶ δούλην λαβεῖν κατηξίωσε· δούλη γὰρ αὐτοῦ εἶ, κἂν μὴ θέλῃς. Ὥστε παρακαλῶ, ὦ παρθένε, ὑπήκοόν σε γενέσθαι χωρὶς πάσης ἀντιλογίας καὶ διαλογισμῶν αἰσχίστων. Καὶ εἰ μὲν οὐκ ἠθέτησας ἔτι τὸν πνευματικὸν γάμον, φύλαξον ἀσφαλῶς τὰς συνθήκας· εἰ δὲ παρέβης καὶ ἔπεσες, ἔγειραι, ἔγειραι, παρακαλῶ. Παρέστηκε γάρ σοι ὁ ἀγαθὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος ∆εσπότης ὁ ἀτιμασθεὶς ὑπὸ σοῦ οὐκ ἀποβάλλει σου τὴν συνοίκησιν· ἐπίδος αὐτῷ τὴν χεῖρα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὴν πρώτην δεξιὰν ἐνύβρισας, κἂν ταύτην μὴ ἀθετήσῃς. Οὐχ ὑπερηφανεῖ σου τὰ τραύματα· ἰᾶται γὰρ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος πληγήν· ἰατρὸς γάρ ἐστιν εὔσπλαγχνος. Ἀποκάλυψον αὐτῷ δι' ἐξομολογήσεως τὸ πάθος, ἵνα ἐπιθήσῃ ἀοράτως τὸ σωτήριον φάρμακον· οὐκ ἦλθε γὰρ καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλ' ἁμαρτωλοὺς