2. This we have undertaken in our present discourse: may Christ help us, the Son of a virgin, and the Spouse of virgins, born after the flesh of a virgin womb, and wedded after the Spirit in virgin marriage. Whereas, therefore, the whole Church itself is a virgin espoused unto one Husband Christ,4    2 Cor. xi. 2 as the Apostle saith, of how great honor are its members worthy, who guard this even in the flesh itself, which the whole Church guards in the faith? which imitates the mother of her husband, and her Lord. For the Church also is both a mother and a virgin. For whose virgin purity consult we for, if she is not a virgin? or whose children address we, if she is not a mother? Mary bare the Head of This Body after the flesh, the Church bears the members of that Body after the Spirit. In both virginity hinders not fruitfulness: in both fruitfulness takes not away virginity. Wherefore, whereas the whole Church is holy both in body and spirit, and yet the whole is not virgin in body but in spirit; how much more holy is it in these members, wherein it is virgin both in body and spirit?

CAPUT II.

2. Virginis filius et virginum sponsus Christus. Ecclesia sicut Maria, et mater et virgo est. Hoc isto sermone suscepimus: adjuvet Christus Virginis filius, et virginum sponsus, virginali utero corporaliter natus, virginali connubio spiritualiter conjugatus. Cum ipsa igitur universa Ecclesia virgo sit desponsata uni viro Christo, sicut dicit Apostolus (II Cor. XI, 2); quanto digna sunt honore membra ejus, quae hoc custodiunt etiam in ipsa carne, quod tota custodit in fide? quae imitatur matrem viri sui et domini sui. Nam Ecclesia quoque et mater et virgo est, Cujus enim integritati consulimus, si virgo non est? aut cujus prolem alloquimur, si mater non est? Maria corporaliter caput hujus corporis peperit: Ecclesia spiritualiter membra illius capitis parit. In utraque virginitas fecunditatem non impedit: in utraque fecunditas virginitatem non adimit. Proinde cum Ecclesia universa sit sancta et corpore et spiritu, nec tamen universa sit corpore virgo, sed spiritu; quanto sanctior est in his membris, ubi virgo est et corpore et spiritu?