Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: blue-duncan; annalex




Augustine


Her virginity also itself was on this account more pleasing and accepted, in that it was not that Christ being conceived in her, rescued it beforehand from a husband who would violate it, Himself to preserve it; but, before He was conceived, chose it, already dedicated to God, as that from which to be born. This is shown by the words which Mary spake in answer to the Angel announcing to her her conception; How,' saith she, shall this be, seeing I know not a man?' Which assuredly she would not say, unless she had before vowed herself unto God as a virgin. But, because the habits of the Israelites as yet refused this, she was espoused to a just man, who would not take from her by violence, but rather guard against violent persons, what she had already vowed. Although, even if she had said this only, How shall this take place ?' and had not added, seeing I know not a man,' certainly she would not have asked, how, being a female, she should give birth to her promised Son, if she had married with purpose of sexual intercourse. She might have been bidden also to continue a virgin, that in her by fitting miracle the Son of God should receive the form of a servant, but, being to be a pattern to holy virgins, lest it should be thought that she alone needed to be a virgin, who had obtained to conceive a child even without sexual intercourse, she dedicated her virginity to God, when as yet she knew not what she should conceive, in order that the imitation of a heavenly life in an earthly and mortal body should take place of vow, not of command; through love of choosing, not through necessity of doing service. Thus Christ by being born of a virgin, who, before she knew Who was to be born of her, had determined to continue a virgin, chose rather to approve, than to command, holy virginity. And thus, even in the female herself, in whom He took the form of a servant, He willed that virginity should be free.

-Of Holy Virginity, 4, A.D. 401



It was not the visible sun, but its invisible Creator who consecrated this day for us, when the Virgin Mother, fertile of womb and integral in her virginity, brought him forth, made visible for us, by whom, when he was invisible, she too was created. A Virgin conceiving, a Virgin bearing, a Virgin pregnant, a Virgin bringing forth, a Virgin perpetual. Why do you wonder at this, O man?

-Sermons 186:1, A.D. 411



Heretics called Antidicomarites are those who contradict the perpetual virginity of Mary and affirm that after Christ was born she was joined as one with her husband.

-Heresies 56, A.D. 428


596 posted on 12/07/2006 12:30:56 PM PST by bornacatholic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 552 | View Replies ]


To: bornacatholic; blue-duncan; annalex
Sorry but Protestants aren't into Sola Augustine. ;O)
598 posted on 12/07/2006 12:43:30 PM PST by HarleyD (Mat 19:11 "But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 596 | View Replies ]

To: bornacatholic
This is shown by the words which Mary spake in answer to the Angel announcing to her her conception; How,' saith she, shall this be, seeing I know not a man?' Which assuredly she would not say, unless she had before vowed herself unto God as a virgin. But, because the habits of the Israelites as yet refused this, she was espoused to a just man,

As much as I love Augustine, and look forward to shaking his hand in the life to come, this observation strongly illustrates the extent to which his grasp of the earthy realism that permeates the Bible was corrupted by the more ethereal helenistic disdain for the created order. In Augustine's view, those poor benighted Jews were so stupid that they considered marriage to be normative, and singleness as a lamentable condition.

602 posted on 12/07/2006 12:56:13 PM PST by TomSmedley (Calvinist, optimist, home schooling dad, exuberant husband, technical writer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 596 | View Replies ]

To: bornacatholic; blue-duncan
Virgin bearing, a Virgin pregnant, a Virgin bringing forth, a Virgin perpetual.

There you go, Blue.

613 posted on 12/07/2006 2:13:07 PM PST by annalex
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 596 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson