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On Virginity

St Gregory of Nyssa, NPNF II.5

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The holy look of virginity is precious indeed in the judgment of all who make purity the …
Deep indeed will be the thought necessary to understand the surpassing excellence of this…
Would indeed that some profit might come to myself from this effort! I should have …
But we need no longer show in this narrow way the drawback of this life, as if the number…
Now we declare that Virginity is man’s “fellow-worker” and helper in achieving the aim of…
This, I believe, makes the greatness of the prophet Elias, and of him who afterwards …
An illustration will make our teaching on this subject clearer. Imagine a stream flowing …
Let no one think however that herein we depreciate marriage as an institution. We are …
Custom is indeed in everything hard to resist. It possesses an enormous power of …
What words indeed could possibly express the greatness of that loss in falling away from …
Now those who take a superficial and unreflecting view of things observe the outward …
This reasoning and intelligent creature, man, at once the work and the likeness of the …
But seeing that Paradise is the home of living spirits, and will not admit those who are …
But if we apprehend at last the perfection of this grace, we must understand as well what…
But the ways in our life which turn aside towards sin are innumerable; and their number …
There is only one right path. It is narrow and contracted. It has no turnings either on …
Let that which was then said by our Lord be the general maxim for every life; especially …
If any one supposes that this want of mutual harmony between his life and a single one of…
But besides other things the action of Miriam the prophetess also gives rise to these …
Now it is impossible, as far as manual exercise goes, to ply two arts at once; for …
It is perfectly clear that no one can come near the purity of the Divine Being who has …
We see how the husbandmen have a method for separating the chaff, which is united with …
Now the details of the life of him who has chosen to live in such a philosophy as this, …
It would therefore be to their profit, for the young to refrain from laying down for …