Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IV/Tertullian: Part Fourth/On Monogamy/Chapter 17

Chapter XVII.&#8212;Heathen Examples Cry Shame Upon This &#8220;Infirmity of the Flesh.&#8221;

They will have plainly a specious privilege to plead before Christ&#8212;the everlasting &#8220;infirmity of the flesh!&#8221;&#160; But upon this (infirmity) will sit in judgment no longer an Isaac, our monogamist father; or a John, a noted voluntary celibate of Christ&#8217;s; or a Judith, daughter of Merari; or so many other examples of saints.&#160; Heathens are wont to be destined our judges.&#160; There will arise a queen of Carthage, and give sentence upon the Christians, who, refugee as she was, living on alien soil, and at that very time the originator of so mighty a state, whereas she ought unasked to have craved royal nuptials, yet, for fear she should experience a second marriage, preferred on the contrary rather to &#8220;burn&#8221; than to &#8220;marry.&#8221;&#160; Her assessor will be the Roman matron who, having&#8212;albeit it was through noctural violence, nevertheless&#8212;known another man, washed away with blood the stain of her flesh, that she might avenge upon her own person (the honour of) monogamy.&#160; There have been, too, who preferred to die for their husbands rather than marry after their husbands&#8217; death.&#160; To idols, at all events, both monogamy and widowhood serve as apparitors.&#160; On Fortuna Muliebris, as on Mother Matuta, none but a once wedded woman hangs the wreath.&#160; Once for all do the Pontifex Maximus and the wife of a Flamen marry.&#160; The priestesses of Ceres, even during the lifetime and with the consent of their husbands, are widowed by amicable separation.&#160; There are, too, who may judge us on the ground of absolute continence:&#160; the virgins of Vesta, and of the Achaian Juno, and of the Scythian Diana, and of the Pythian Apollo.&#160; On the ground of continence the priests likewise of the famous Egyptian bull will judge the &#8220;infirmity&#8221; of Christians.&#160; Blush, O flesh, who hast &#8220;put on&#8221; Christ!&#160; Suffice it thee once for all to marry, whereto &#8220;from the beginning&#8221; thou wast created, whereto by &#8220;the end&#8221; thou art being recalled!&#160; Return at least to the former Adam, if to the last thou canst not!&#160; Once for all did he taste of the tree; once for all felt concupiscence; once for all veiled his shame; once for all blushed in the presence of God; once for all concealed his guilty hue; once for all was exiled from the paradise of holiness; once for all thenceforward married.&#160; If you were &#8220;in him,&#8221; you have your norm; if you have passed over &#8220;into Christ,&#8221; you will be bound to be (yet) better.&#160; Exhibit (to us) a third Adam, and him a digamist; and then you will be able to be what, between the two, you cannot.