Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Two Epistles Concerning Virginity/First Pseudo-Clement/Chapter 6

Chapter VI.&#8212;Divinity of Virginity.

The womb of a holy virgin carried our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and the body which our Lord wore, and in which He carried on the conflict in this world, He put on from a holy virgin.&#160; From this, therefore, understand the greatness and dignity of virginity.&#160; Dost thou wish to be a Christian?&#160; Imitate Christ in everything.&#160; John, the ambassador, he who came before our Lord, he &#8220;than whom there was not a greater among those born of women,&#8221; the holy messenger of our Lord, was a virgin.&#160; Imitate, therefore, the ambassador of our Lord, and be his follower in every thing.&#160; That John, again, who &#8220;reclined on the bosom of our Lord, and whom He greatly loved,&#8221; &#8212;he, too, was a holy person. &#160; For it was not without reason that our Lord loved him.&#160; Paul, also, and Barnabas, and Timothy, with all the others, &#8220;whose names are written in the book of life,&#8221; &#8212;these, I say, all cherished and loved sanctity, and ran in the contest, and finished their course without blemish, as imitators of Christ, and as sons of the living God.&#160; Moreover, also, Elijah and Elisha, and many other holy men, we find to have lived a holy and spotless life.&#160; If, therefore, thou desirest to be like these, imitate them with all thy power.&#160; For the Scripture has said, &#8220;The elders who are among you, honour; and, seeing their manner of life and conduct, imitate their faith.&#8221; &#160; And again it saith, &#8220;Imitate me, my brethren, as I imitate Christ.&#8221;