Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 1248
Tertullian explains the unlawfulness of a second marriage for Christians by the fact that the Christian priests can only be husbands of one wife; he gives examples of priests demoted for their second marriage. Tertullian, "On an Exhortation to Chastity", Carthage (North Africa), AD 207/213.
Chapter 7
 
1. Cur autem de pristinis exemplis non ea potius agnoscamus, quae cum posterioribus communicant de disciplina et formam uetustatis ad nouitatem transmittunt? ecce enim in uetere lege animaduerto castratam licentiam saepius nubendi. Cautum in leuitico: 'sacerdotes mei non plus nubent'. Possum dicere etiam illud 'plus' esse quod semel non est. Quod non unum est, numerus est. Denique post unum incipit numerus. Vnum autem est omne quod semel est.
2. Sed Christo seruabatur, sicut in ceteris, ita in isto quoque legis plenitudo. Inde igitur apostolus plenius atque strictius praescribit unius matrimonii esse oportere qui allegant<ur> in ordinem sacerdotalem. Vsque adeo quosdam memini digamos loco deiectos. Sed dices: 'ergo ceteris licet <quod eis non licet>, quos excipit'. Vani erimus, si putauerimus quod sacerdotibus non liceat laicis licere.
3. Nonne et laici sacerdotes sumus? scriptum est: "regnum quoque nos et sacerdotes deo et patri suo fecit". Differentiam inter ordinem et plebem constituit ecclesiae auctoritas et honor per ordinis consessus sanctificatos deo. Vbi ecclesiastici ordinis non est consessus, et offers et tinguis et sacerdos es tibi solus; scilicet ubi tres, ecclesia est, licet laici.
4. Vnusquisque enim, secundum quod et apostolus dicit, uiuit fide sua, nec est personarum acceptio apud deum, quoniam non auditores legis iustificantur a domino, sed factores. Igitur si habes ius sacerdotis in temetipso ubi necesse est, habeas oportet etiam disciplinam sacerdotis nec ubi necesse est habere ius sacerdotis. Digamus tinguis? digamus offers?
5. Quanto magis laico digamo quod ad salutem capitale erit agere pro sacerdote, cum ipsi sacerdoti digamo facto auferatur agere sacerdotem. Sed necessitati, inquis, indulgetur. Nulla necessitas excusatur quae potest non esse. Noli denique digamus deprehendi, et non committis in necessitatem administrandi quod non licet digamo.
6. Omnes nos Deus ita uult dispositos esse, ut ubique sacramentis eius obeundis apti simus. Vnus deus, una fides: una sit et disciplina, usque adeo ** nisi et laici ea obseruent, per quae presbyteri alleguntur, quomodo erunt presbyteri, qui de laicis alleguntur? Ergo + pugnare debemus ante laicum iussum a secundo matrimonio abstinere, dum presbyter esse non alius potest laicus quam semel fuerit maritus. Liceat nunc denuo nubere, si et omne quod licet bonum.
 
(ed. E. Kroymann 1954: 1024-1026)
Chapter 7
 
1. Why, moreover, should we not rather recognise, from among (the store of) primitive precedents, those which communicate with the later (order of things) in respect of discipline, and transmit to novelty the typical form of antiquity? For look, in the old law I find the pruning-knife applied to the licence of repeated marriage. There is a caution in Leviticus: "My priests shall not pluralize marriages." I may affirm even that that is plural which is not once for all. That which is not unity is number. In short, after unity begins number. Unity, moreover, is everything which is once for all.
2. But for Christ was reserved, as in all other points so in this also, the "fulfilling of the law." Thence, therefore, among us the prescript is more fully and more carefully laid down, that they who are chosen into the sacerdotal order must be men of one marriage; which rule is so rigidly observed, that I remember some removed from their office for digamy. But you will say, "Then all others may (marry more than once), whom he excepts." Vain shall we be if we think that what is not lawful for priests is lawful for laics.
3. Are not even we laics priests? It is written: "A kingdom also, and priests to His God and Father, hath He made us." It is the authority of the Church, and the honour which has acquired sanctity through the joint session of the Order, which has established the difference between the Order and the laity. Accordingly, where there is no joint session of the ecclesiastical Order, you offer, and baptize, and are priest, alone for yourself. But where three are, a church is, albeit they be laics.
4. For each individual lives by his own faith, nor is there exception of persons with God; since it is not hearers of the law who are justified by the Lord, but doers, according to what the apostle withal says. Therefore, if you have the right of a priest in your own person, in cases of necessity, it behoves you to have likewise the discipline of a priest whenever it may be necessary to have the fight of a priest. If you are a digamist, do you baptize? If you are a digamist, do you offer?
5. How much more capital (a crime) is it for a digamist laic to act as a priest, when the priest himself, if he turn digamist, is deprived of the power of acting the priest! "But to necessity," you say, "indulgence is granted." No necessity is excusable which is avoidable. In a word, shun to be found guilty of digamy, and you do not expose yourself to the necessity of administering what a digamist may not lawfully administer.
6. God wills us all to be so conditioned, as to be ready at all times and places to undertake (the duties of) His sacraments. There is "one God, one faith," one discipline too. So truly is this the case, that unless the laics as well observe the rules which are to guide the choice of presbyters, how will there be presbyters at all, who are chosen to that office from among the laics? Hence we are bound to contend that the command to abstain from second marriage relates first to the laic; so long as no other can be a presbyter than a laic, provided he have been once for all a husband.
 

Discussion:

Although Tertullian refers generally to "priests" ("sacerdotes") throughout the text, he explicitly mentions presbyters at the end of it.
There are many critical problems in regard to this passage, especially the last paragraph, where "pugnare" may be also read "perferre", "proferre", "purgare", "purificare".

Place of event:

Region
  • Latin North Africa

About the source:

Author: Tertullian
Title: On an Exhortation to Chastity, De exhortatione castitatis
Origin: Carthage (Latin North Africa)
Denomination: Montanist
Tertullian was born and active in Carthage (North Africa). He was most probably trained as a lawyer. He converted to Christianity before AD 197. His rigorist views drew him towards the Montanists (before AD 207), and eventually he distanced himself even from them, creating a party of his own. He died after AD 220. He may have been a presbyter [402]. He left many writings, both from the Catholic and Montanist period.
“On an Exhortation to Chastity” was written in the early Montanist period. Its goal is to discourage a friend from contracting a second marriage (after the death of his wife), which Tertullian judges unlawful for Christians.
Edition:
E. Kroymann ed., Q.S.Fl. Tertulliani De exhortatione castitatis, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 2, Turnhout 1954, 1013-1035.

Categories:

Family life - Marriage
    Family life - Permanent relationship before ordination
      Family life - Permanent relationship after ordination
        Family life - More than one marriage
          Family life - Widowerhood
            Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
              Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς
                Impediments or requisits for the office - Marriage
                  Ritual activity - Baptism and instructing catechumens
                    Ritual activity - Eucharist
                      Relation with - Wife
                        Relation with - Woman
                          Former ecclesiastical career - None
                            Further ecclesiastical career - Lay status
                              Administration of justice - Demotion
                                Theoretical considerations - On priesthood
                                  Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1248, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1248