Source edition
Tertullian. Quinti Septimii Florentis Tertulliani Quae Supersunt Omnia, Volume 1. Oehler, Franz, editor. Leipzig: Weigel, 1853.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a theological treatise addressed to a widowed Christian brother, exhorting him to refrain from remarriage and maintain chastity (celibacy). The author begins by emphasizing the value of celibacy in achieving "sanctification," which is the will of God, and explains the role of human free will. He then examines the writings of the Apostle Paul, arguing that the permission of marriage or remarriage is not an absolute good but merely a relative concession to avoid greater lust. Furthermore, based on the order of creation, the indivisible union of Christ and the Church, and the doctrine that all believers are spiritually priests, he asserts that a single marriage is God's original law. Finally, the author refutes justifications for remarriage based on household management or progeny, and, citing pagan examples of restraint, strongly urges the recipient to avoid a second marriage to preserve the purity of prayer and conscience.