Of Holy Virginity 10

St Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–430) · De sancta virginitate · PL 40, 397–428

10 Section 10 PL 40, 401

10. For not even herein ought such as are married to compare themselves with the deserts of the continent, in that of them virgins are born: for this is not a good of marriage, but of nature: which was so ordered of God, as that of every sexual intercourse whatever of the two sexes of human kind, whether in due order and honest, or base and unlawful, there is born no female save a virgin, yet is none born a sacred virgin: so it is brought to pass that a virgin is born even of fornication, but a sacred virgin not even of marriage.

Nam ne illo quidem debent continentium meritis se conferre conjugia, quod ex eis virgines procreantur: hoc enim non conjugii bonum est, sed naturae; quae sic divinitus instituta est, ut ex quolibet humano utriusque sexus concubitu, sive ordinato et honesto, sive turpi et illicito, nulla femina nisi virgo nascatur, nulla tamen sacra virgo nascitur: ita fit ut virgo nascatur etiam de stupro, sacra autem virgo nec de conjugio.

Philip Schaff (ed.), Buffalo/New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886-1889. Public domain: English translation first published 1885-1900 (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series). Latin: Migne, Patrologia Latina (1844-1855), public domain; transcription from Corpus Corporum (University of Zurich).