Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Revelation 14:4

Eastern Fathers

Oecumenius

He says they were redeemed by the blood of Christ. For the precious blood of Christ has been poured out for all people, yet for some in vain, those who, though able to attain salvation from here, voluntarily deprived themselves of it, of whom the Lord, reproving them through the prophet, says, "What profit is there in my blood in my going down into corruption?" (Ps. …

Commentary on Revelation ↗

Cyprian

Of the benefit of virginity and of continency. In Genesis: "Multiplying I will multiply thy sorrows and thy groanings, and in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children; and thy turning shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." Of this same thing in the Gospel according to Matthew: "All men do not receive the word, but they to whom it is given: for there are some eunuchs who were born so from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who have been constrained by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs …

Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews ↗

Western Saints

Bede

For they are virgins, etc. Blessed Augustine beautifully expounded on these matters by admonishing the virgins. "Proceed," he says, "holy sons and daughters of God, males and females, celibate and unmarried, proceed perseveringly to the end. Praise the Lord more sweetly, whom you think of more abundantly. Hope more happily in Him to whom you serve more fervently. Love more ardently Him to whom you attend more diligently. With girded loins and burning lamps, wait for the Lord when He comes from the wedding. …

Commentary on Revelation ↗

Bonaventure

On account of the prerogative of dignity, by which to follow Christ wherever he goes and to sing the new song is proper to virgins, there will be a singular glory among virgins, according to what blessed John says in the fourteenth chapter of the Apocalypse. Whence Augustine, in the book On Virginity: "Go forward, holy ones of God, boys and girls, men and women, celibates and unmarried, go forward perseveringly unto the end. …

Disputed Questions on Evangelical Perfection, Question 3 ↗