same
proportion to disparage that of celibacy, and to place those who led a
single life under a stigma and disgrace. Those converts therefore,
entered into the Church of Christ carrying with them their old Jewish
prejudices. On the other hand, many who had entered into the Christian
Church had been converted to Christianity from different forms of
heathenism. Among these prevailed a tendency to the belief (which
originated primarily in the oriental schools of philosophy) that the
highest virtue consisted in the denial of all natural inclinations,
and the suppression of all natural desires; and looking upon marriage
on one side only, and that the lowest, they were tempted to consider
it as low, earthly, carnal, and sensual. It was at this time that
Christianity entered into the world, and while it added fresh dignity
and significance to the marriage relationship, it at the same time
shed a splendour and a glory upon the other state. The virginity of
the mother of Our Lord--the solitary life of John the Baptist--the
pure and solitary youth of Christ Himself--had thrown upon celibacy a
meaning and dignity which it did not possess before. No marvel
therefore, that to men so educated, and but half prepared for
Christianity, practices like these should have become exaggerations;
for it rarely happens that any right ideas can be given to the world
without suffering exaggeration. Human nature progresses, the human
mind goes on; but it is rarely in a straight line, almost always
through the medium of re-action, rebounding from extremes which
produce contrary extremes. So it was in the Church of Corinth. There
were two opposite parties holding views diametrically opposed to one
another--one honouring the married and depreciating the unmarried
life--the other attributing peculiar dignity and sanctity to celibacy,
and looking down with contempt upon the married Christian state.

It is scarcely necessary to remind ourselves that this diversity of
sentiment has existed in the Church of Christ in almost all ages. For
example in the early ages, in almost all the writings of the Fathers
we have exaggerated descriptions of the dignity and glory of the state
of celibacy. They speak as if the marriage state was low, carnal, and
worldly; and the other the only one in which it is possible to attain
to the higher spiritual life--the one the natural state, fit for man,
the other the angelic, fit for angels.