2. Quasi-metaphorical usage. — In Rev U'' Trap- Bivot is masculine (W. H. Simcox, Cambridge Greek Test., 'Revelation,' Cambridge, 1893, inloc., says this is the first example of this usage). In later ecclesiastical literature this usage becomes common, and 'virgins' is so used at times in our own lan- guage. Thus Jeremy Taylor : ' But Joseph [i.e. Mary's husband] was a virgin, and had kept under all his inclinations to loose thoughts ' (Life of Christ, ed. London, 1811, vol. i. p. 207). St. John himself is .styled a virgin by Jerome — ' a Domino virgine mater virgo virgin! discipulo commendatur' (c. Jov. i. 26) — and by others, e.g. Photius : tov Tap- d^vov Kal evayyeXiaroO 'liodwov (see Lexicons, s.i\ irap6ivot). Whether St. John or any of the other apostles was married we cannot say, save in St. Peter's case (cf. Eus. HE iii. 30). The passage in Rev 14^ is, 'These are they which were not defiled with women ; for they are virgins. ' Is the term here literal or not? T. C. Edwards (on 1 Co 7-°) says that it is obviously metaphorical, and so also 15. L. Wordsworth (quoted by Alford on Rev 14*), and many more. Had the words ' with women ' been wanting, this meaning would be the natural one, and the reference would be to those who as the true bride of Christ refused to give worship to Caesar ; but the words ' with women ' make the literal interpretation practically certain, and the passage indicates not so much a depreciation of marriage as an ascetic hon'or of immorality. There is also the feeling (probably based on the writer's experience) that the man who was bound up with wife and children found it more easy to compromise and more difficult to accept martyr- dom. The horrible possibility would arise in such cases of a man having to obey the Divine call of faithfulness unto death in the face of weeping wife and children (cf. the beautiful story of Peter lead- ing his wife to martyrdom saying, ' Oh thou, re- member the Lord ' [Clem. Strom, vii. 11 ; Eus. HE iii. 30. 2], a story whicli if true proves that marriage was not an insuperable obstacle to the highest fidelity). There were always in the Church celi- bates for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake, but not at this time as an organized body, or in obedience to ecclesiastical orders. Long after this Paphnutius, himself a celibate, opposed a motion to make celi- bacjf binding on the clergy ; cf. Soz. HE i. 23 : ' But Paphnutius, the confessor, stood up and testified against this proposition ; he said that marriage was honorable and chaste, and that cohabitation with their own wives was chastity, and advised the Synod not to frame such a law, for it would be difficult to bear, and might serve as an occasion of incontinence to them and their wives ; and he reminded them that according to the ancient tradition of the church, those who were unmarried when they took part in the com- munion of sacred orders were required to remain so, but that those who were married were not to put away their wives. . , . The Synod concurred in his counsel, enacted no law about it, but left the matter to the decision of individual judgment, and
V1KG1:N, VIKUINITI
VIKGIX, VUUilMTY
on
not to compulsion ' {Xicenr nnd PoxtNiicne Fathers, Oxford, 1S91, p. 250). While the writer here iloos not directly ojipose niarriujie yet he does ro;;iird virginity for the I-onrssake 119 a i)rivilo;;ed position and as receiving from the Loril a correspondiiif; reward, and, although the nuinlicr 14t,(K)ll is an apocalyptic ideal, yet we may safely infer tliat there was a considerable opinion in favour of celi- bacy in St. , John's day. He would, however, agree witli St. Vaul that unle.ss a man could exercise continence of desires — as so many of the so-called monkish celibates could not — he had better marry.
3. Literal usage. — (a) In Acts 21' we read of Philip the (•v.'uigclist at Ca'sarea and his four virgin daughters who were prophetesses. These daughters lived at home with tlieir father and entertained St. I'aul anil his companions. Whether they were bound by a imblic vow of virginity we know not. It is curious to note that Clement of Alexandria in Kus. HE iii. 30 says : ' Fur I'eter and I'liilip begat children; and Pliilip also gave his daughters to husitands' {raj Oi-yar^pa^ avdpdjtv i^^dwKci'). It is possilile, however, that I'hilip the apostle is referred to (('4. iii. 31), in which case he also hiul two daugh- ters ])rophetesses anil 'another daughter who liveil in the Holy Spirit.' The probability is that Clement — as evidently Eusebius — identifies the two names. From the saying in Acts we cannot infer the existence thus early in the Church of an order of virgins. A later age saw the conditions of their own time in the Ajiostolic Age. They 'peopled the Apostolic age with virgins living in community and presided over by the Virgin Mary ; see, for example, Dormitio Mnricc (Tiscbendorf, Apocfil. Apocr. 1861), p. IKif. ; Coptic Apocr. Gosprlx, F. Kobinson, 1.S96. But this pic-ture has no historical authorisation, and is simply the reflex of a sub.sequent institution' (J. A. Kobinson, in EBi iv. 5252).