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As we have promised above to make some mention of Paphnutius and
Spyridon, it is time to speak of them here. Paphnutius then was
bishop of one of the cities in Upper Thebes: he was a man so favored
divinely that extraordinary miracles were done by him. In the time of
the persecution he had been deprived of one of his eyes. The emperor
honored this man exceedingly, and often sent for him to the place, and
kissed the part where the eye had been torn out. So great devoutness
characterized the emperor Constantine. Let this single fact
respecting Paphnutius suffice: I shall now explain another thing
which came to pass in consequence of his advice, both for the good of
the Church and the honor of the clergy. It seemed fit to the bishops
to introduce a new law into the Church, that those who were in holy
orders, I speak of bishops, presbyters, and deacons, should have no
conjugal intercourse with the wives whom they had married while still
hymen. Now when discussion on this matter was impending, Paphnutius
having arisen in the midst of the assembly of bishops, earnestly
entreated them not to impose so heavy a yoke on the ministers of
religion: asserting that 'marriage itself is honorable, and the bed
undefiled'; urging before God that they ought not to injure the
Church by too stringent restrictions. ' For all men,' said he,
'cannot bear the practice of rigid continence; neither perhaps would
the chastity of the wife of each be preserved': and he termed the
intercourse of a man with his lawful wife chastity. It would be
sufficient, he thought, that such as had previously entered on their
sacred calling should abjure matrimony, according to the an-dent
tradition of the Church: but that none should be separated from her to
whom, while yet unordained, he had been united. And these sentiments
he expressed, although himself without experience of marriage, and,
to speak plainly, without ever having known a woman: for from a boy he
had been brought up in a monastery, and was specially renowned above
all men for his chastity. The whole assembly of the clergy assented to
the reasoning of Paphnutius: wherefore they silenced all further
debate on this point, leaving it to the discretion of those who were
husbands to exercise abstinence if they so wished in reference to their
wives. Thus much concerning Paphnutius.
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