May is considered to be a Marian month, so I thought it would be appropriate to consider what the Early Fathers taught about Mary.
On the Immaculate Conception"He was the ark formed of incorruptible wood. For by this is signified that His tabernacle was exempt from putridity and corruption."
Hippolytus,Orat. Inillud, Dominus pascit me(ante A.D. 235),in ULL,94"This Virgin Mother of the Only-begotten of God, is called Mary, worthy of God, immaculate of the immaculate, one of the one."
Origen,Homily 1(A.D. 244),in ULL,94"Let woman praise Her, the pure Mary."
Ephraim,Hymns on the Nativity,15:23(A.D. 370),in NPNF2,XIII:254"Thou alone and thy Mother are in all things fair, there is no flaw in thee and no stain in thy Mother."
"Ephraem,Nisibene Hymns,27:8(A.D. 370),in THEO,132"Mary, a Virgin not only undefiled but a Virgin whom grace has made inviolate, free of every stain of sin."
Ambrose,Sermon 22:30(A.D. 388),in JUR,II:166"We must except the Holy Virgin Mary, concerning whom I wish to raise no question when it touches the subject of sins, out of honour to the Lord; for from Him we know what abundance of grace for overcoming sin in every particular was conferred upon her who had the merit to conceive and bear Him who undoubtedly had no sin."
Augustine,Nature and Grace,42[36](A.D.415),in NPNF1,V:135"As he formed her without my stain of her own,so He proceeded from her contracting no stain."
Proclus of Constantinople,Homily 1(ante A.D. 446),in ULL,97"A virgin, innocent, spotless, free of all defect, untouched, unsullied, holy in soul and body, like a lily sprouting among thorns."
Theodotus of Ancrya,Homily VI:11(ante A.D. 446),in THEO,339"The angel took not the Virgin from Joseph, but gave her to Christ, to whom she was pledged from Joseph, but gave her to Christ, to whom she was pledged in the womb, when she was made."
Peter Chrysologus,Sermon 140(A.D. 449),in ULL,97"[T]he very fact that God has elected her proves that none was ever holier than Mary, if any stain had disfigured her soul, if any other virgin had been purer and holier, God would have selected her and rejected Mary."
Jacob of Sarug(ante A.D. 521),in CE"She is born like the cherubim, she who is of a pure, immaculate clay" Theotoknos of Livias,Panegyric for the feast of the Assumption, 5:6(ante A.D. 650),in THEO,180
"Today humanity, in all the radiance of her immaculate nobility, receives its ancient beauty. The shame of sin had darkened the splendour and attraction of human nature; but when the Mother of the Fair One par excellence is born, this nature regains in her person its ancient privileges and is fashioned according to a perfect model truly worthy of God.... The reform of our nature begins today and the aged world, subjected to a wholly divine transformation, receives the first fruits of the second creation"
Andrew of Crete,Sermon I,On the Birth of Mary(A.D. 733),in THEO,180"[T]ruly elect, and superior to all,not by the altitude of lofty structures, but as ecelling all in the greatness and purity of sublime and divine virtues, and having no affinity with sin whatever."
Germanus of Constantinople,Marracci in S. Germani Mariali(ante A.D. 733),in ULL,98"O most blessed loins of Joachim from which came forth a spotless seed! O glorious womb of Anne in which a most holy offspring grew."
John of Damascus,Homily I in Nativ.(ante A.D. 749),in THEO,200
On Mary's Perpetual Virginity"And indeed it was a virgin, about to marry once for all after her delivery, who gave birth to Christ, in order that each title of sanctity might be fulfilled in Christ's parentage, by means of a mother who was both virgin, and wife of one husband. Again, when He is presented as an infant in the temple, who is it who receives Him into his hands? who is the first to recognise Him in spirit? A man just and circumspect,' and of course no digamist, (which is plain) even (from this consideration), lest (otherwise) Christ should presently be more worthily preached by a woman, an aged widow, and the wife of one man;' who, living devoted to the temple, was (already) giving in her own person a sufficient token what sort of persons ought to be the adherents to the spiritual temple,--that is, the Church. Such eye-witnesses the Lord in infancy found; no different ones had He in adult age."
Tertullian,On Monogamy,8(A.D. 213),in ANF,IV:65Tertullian was one ecclesiastical writer who denied Mary's perpetual virginity despite his affirmation of the Virgin birth.
"For if Mary, as those declare who with sound mind extol her, had no other son but Jesus, and yet Jesus says to His mother, Woman, behold thy son,' and not Behold you have this son also,' then He virtually said to her, Lo, this is Jesus, whom thou didst bear.' Is it not the case that every one who is perfect lives himself no longer, but Christ lives in him; and if Christ lives in him, then it is said of him to Mary, Behold thy son Christ.' What a mind, then, must we have to enable us to interpret in a worthy manner this work, though it be committed to the earthly treasure-house of common speech, of writing which any passer-by can read, and which can be heard when read aloud by any one who lends to it his bodily ears?"
Origen,Commentary on John,I:6(A.D. 232),in ANF,X:300"Therefore let those who deny that the Son is from the Father by nature and proper to His Essence, deny also that He took true human flesh of Mary Ever-Virgin; for in neither case had it been of profit to us men, whether the Word were not true and naturally Son of God, or the flesh not true which He assumed."
Athanasius,Orations against the Arians,II:70(A.D. 362),in NPNF2,IV:386-387"And when he had taken her, he knew her not, till she had brought forth her first-born Son.' He hath here used the word till,' not that thou shouldest suspect that afterwards he did know her, but to inform thee that before the birth the Virgin was wholly untouched by man. But why then, it may be said, hath he used the word, till'? Because it is usual in Scripture often to do this, and to use this expression without reference to limited times. For so with respect to the ark likewise, it is said, The raven returned not till the earth was dried up.' And yet it did not return even after that time. And when discoursing also of God, the Scripture saith, From age until age Thou art,' not as fixing limits in this case. And again when it is preaching the Gospel beforehand, and saying, In his days shall righteousness flourish, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away,' it doth not set a limit to this fair part of creation. So then here likewise, it uses the word "till," to make certain what was before the birth, but as to what follows, it leaves thee to make the inference. Thus, what it was necessary for thee to learn of Him, this He Himself hath said; that the Virgin was untouched by man until the birth; but that which both was seen to be a consequence of the former statement, and was acknowledged, this in its turn he leaves for thee to perceive; namely, that not even after this, she having so become a mother, and having been counted worthy of a new sort of travail, and a child-bearing so strange, could that righteous man ever have endured to know her. For if he had known her, and had kept her in the place of a wife, how is it that our Lord commits her, as unprotected, and having no one, to His disciple, and commands him to take her to his own home? How then, one may say, are James and the others called His brethren? In the same kind of way as Joseph himself was supposed to be husband of Mary. For many were the veils provided, that the birth, being such as it was, might be for a time screened. Wherefore even John so called them, saying, For neither did His brethren believe in Him.' "
John Chrysostom,Gospel of Matthew,V:5(A.D. 370),in NPNF1,X:33"But those who by virginity have desisted from this process have drawn within themselves the boundary line of death, and by their own deed have checked his advance; they have made themselves, in fact, a frontier between life and death, and a barrier too, which thwarts him. If, then, death cannot pass beyond virginity, but finds his power checked and shattered there, it is demonstrated that virginity is a stronger thing than death; and that body is rightly named undying which does not lend its service to a dying world, nor brook to become the instrument of a succession of dying creatures. In such a body the long unbroken career of decay and death, which has intervened between the first man and the lives of virginity which have been led, is interrupted. It could not be indeed that death should cease working as long as the human race by marriage was working too; he walked the path of life with all preceding generations; he started with every new-born child and accompanied it to the end: but he found in virginity a barrier, to pass which was an impossible feat. Just as, in the age of Mary the mother of God, he who had reigned from Adam to her time found, when he came to her and dashed his forces against the fruit of her virginity as against a rock, that he was shattered to pieces upon her, so in every soul which passes through this life in the flesh under the protection of virginity, the strength of death is in a manner broken and annulled, for he does not find the places upon which he may fix his sting."
Gregory of Nyssa,On Virginity,13(A.D.371),in NPNF2,V:359-360"[T]he Son of God...was born perfectly of the holy ever-virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit..."
Epiphanius,Well Anchored Man,120(A.D. 374),in JUR,II:70" But as we do not deny what is written, so we do reject what is not written. We believe that God was born of the Virgin, because we read it. That Mary was married after she brought forth, we do not believe, because we do not read it. Nor do we say this to condemn marriage, for virginity itself is the fruit of marriage; but because when we are dealing with saints we must not judge rashly. If we adopt possibility as the standard of judgment, we might maintain that Joseph had several wives because Abraham had, and so had Jacob, and that the Lord's brethren were the issue of those wives, an invention which some hold with a rashness which springs from audacity not from piety. You say that Mary did not continue a virgin: I claim still more, that Joseph himself on account of Mary was a virgin, so that from a virgin wedlock a virgin son was born. For if as a holy man he does not come under the imputation of fornication, and it is nowhere written that he had another wife, but was the guardian of Mary whom he was supposed to have to wife rather than her husband, the conclusion is that he who was thought worthy to be called father of the Lord, remained a virgin."
Jerome,The Perpetual Virginity of Mary Against Helvedius,21(A.D. 383),in NPNF2,VI:344"The friends of Christ do not tolerate hearing that the Mother of God ever ceased to be a virgin"
Basil,Hom. In Sanctum Christi generationem,5(ante A.D. 379),in OTT,207" Imitate her, holy mothers, who in her only dearly beloved Son set forth so great an example of maternal virtue; for neither have you sweeter children, nor did the Virgin seek the consolation of being able to bear another son."
Ambrose,To the Christian at Vercellae,Letter 63:111(A.D. 396),in NPNF2,X:473" Her virginity also itself was on this account more pleasing and accepted, in that it was not that Christ being conceived in her, rescued it beforehand from a husband who would violate it, Himself to preserve it; but, before He was conceived, chose it, already dedicated to God, as that from which to be born. This is shown by the words which Mary spake in answer to the Angel announcing to her her conception; How,' saith she, shall this be, seeing I know not a man?' Which assuredly she would not say, unless she had before vowed herself unto God as a virgin. But, because the habits of the Israelites as yet refused this, she was espoused to a just man, who would not take from her by violence, but rather guard against violent persons, what she had already vowed. Although, even if she had said this only, How shall this take place ?' and had not added, seeing I know not a man,' certainly she would not have asked, how, being a female, she should give birth to her promised Son, if she had married with purpose of sexual intercourse. She might have been bidden also to continue a virgin, that in her by fitting miracle the Son of God should receive the form of a servant, but, being to be a pattern to holy virgins, lest it should be thought that she alone needed to be a virgin, who had obtained to conceive a child even without sexual intercourse, she dedicated her virginity to God, when as yet she knew not what she should conceive, in order that the imitation of a heavenly life in an earthly and mortal body should take place of vow, not of command; through love of choosing, not through necessity of doing service. Thus Christ by being born of a virgin, who, before she knew Who was to be born of her, had determined to continue a virgin, chose rather to approve, than to command, holy virginity. And thus, even in the female herself, in whom He took the form of a servant, He willed that virginity should be free."
Augustine,Of Holy Virginity,4(A.D. 401),in NPNF1,III:418"Where are they who think that the Virgin's conception and giving birth to her child are to be likened to those of other woman? For, this latter case is one of the earth, and the Virgin's is one from heaven. The one case is a case of divine power; the other of human weakness. The one case occurs in a body subject to passion; the other in the tranquility of the divine Spirit and peace of the human body. The blood was still, and the flesh astonished; her members were put at rest, and her entire womb was quiescent during the visit of the Holy One, until the Author of flesh could take on His garment of flesh, and until He, who was not merely to restore the earth to man but also to give him heaven, could become a heavenly Man. The virgin conceives, the Virgin brings forth her child, and she remains a virgin."
Peter Chrysoslogus,Sermon 117,(A.D. 432),in FC,XVII,200"And by a new nativity He was begotten, conceived by a Virgin, born of a Virgin, without paternal desire, without injury to the mother's chastity: because such a birth as knew no taint of human flesh, became One who was to be the Saviour of men, while it possessed in itself the nature of human substance. For when God was born in the flesh, God Himself was the Father, as the archangel witnessed to the Blessed Virgin Mary: because the Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee: and therefore, that which shall be born of thee shall be called holy, the Son of God.' The origin is different but the nature like: not by intercourse with man but by the power of God was it brought about: for a Virgin conceived, a Virgin bare, and a Virgin she remained."
Pope Leo the Great(regn. A.D. 440-461),On the Feast of the Nativity,Sermon 22:2(ante A.D. 461),in NPNF2,XII:130"The ever-virgin One thus remains even after the birth still virgin, having never at any time up till death consorted with a man. For although it is written, And knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born Son, yet note that he who is first-begotten is first-born even if he is only-begotten. For the word first-born' means that he was born first but does not at all suggest the birth of others. And the word till' signifies the limit of the appointed time but does not exclude the time thereafter. For the Lord says, And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, not meaning thereby that He will be separated from us after the completion of the age. The divine apostle, indeed, says, And so shall we ever be with the Lord, meaning after the general resurrection."
John of Damascus,Orthodox Faith,4:14(A.D. 743),in NPNF2,IX:86On Theotokos (The Mother of God)
"After this, we receive the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead, of which Jesus Christ our Lord became the first-fruits; Who bore a Body, in truth, not in semblance, derived from Mary the mother of God (59) in the fulness of time sojourning among the race, for the remission of sins: who was crucified and died, yet for all this suffered no diminution of His Godhead."
Alexander of Alexandria,Epistle to Alexander,12(A.D. 324),in NPNF2,III:40"And the Angel on his appearance, himself confesses that he has been sent by his Lord; as Gabriel confessed in the case of Zacharias, and also in the case of Mary, bearer of God."
Athanasius,Orations III,14(A.D. 362),in NPNF2,IV:401"Many, my beloved, are the true testimonies concerning Christ. The Father bears witness from heaven of His Son: the Holy Ghost bears witness, descending bodily in likeness of a dove: the Archangel Gabriel bears witness, bringing good tidings to Mary: the Virgin Mother of God bears witness: the blessed place of the manger bears witness."
Cyril of Jerusalem,Catechetical Lectures,X:19(c.A.D. 350),in NPNF2,VII:62"If anyone does not believe that Holy Mary is the Mother of God, he is severed from the Godhead."
Gregory of Nazianzus,To Cledonius,101(A.D. 382),in NPNF2,VII:439"Just as, in the age of Mary the mother of God, he who had reigned from Adam to her time found, when he came to her and dashed his forces against the fruit of her virginity as against a rock, that he was shattered to pieces upon her, so in every soul which passes through this life in the flesh under the protection of virginity, the strength of death is in a manner broken and annulled, for he does not find the places upon which he may fix his sting."
Gregory of Nyssa,On Virginity,14 (A.D. 370),in NPNF2,V:359-360"He reshaped man to perfection in Himself, from Mary the Mother of God through the Holy Spirit."
Epiphanius,The man well-anchored,75 (A.D. 374),in JUR,II:70"Let, then, the life of Mary be as it were virginity itself, set forth in a likeness, from which, as from a mirror, the appearance of chastity and the form of virtue is reflected. From this you may take your pattern of life, showing, as an example, the clear rules of virtue: what you have to correct, to effect, and to hold fast. The first thing which kindles ardour in learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of God?"
Ambrose,Virginity,II:6 (c.A.D. 378),in NPNF2,X:374"To the question: 'Is Mary the bearer of Man, or the bearer of God?' we must answer: 'Of Both' "
Theodore of Mopsuestia,The Incarnation,15 (ante A.D. 428),in TLCF,168"AND so you say, O heretic, whoever you may be, who deny that God was born of the Virgin, that Mary the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ ought not to be called Theotocos, i.e., Mother of God, but Christotocos, i.e., only the Mother of Christ, not of God. For no one, you say, brings forth what is anterior in time. And of this utterly foolish argument whereby you think that the birth of God can be understood by carnal minds, and fancy that the mystery of His Majesty can be accounted for by human reasoning, we will, if God permits, say something later on. In the meanwhile we will now prove by Divine testimonies that Christ is God, and that Mary is the Mother of God."
John Cassian,The Incarnation of Christ,II:2 (A.D. 430),in NPNF2,XI:556"But since the Holy Virgin brought forth after the flesh God personally united to the flesh, for this reason we say of her that she is Theotokos, not as though the nature of the Word had its beginning of being from the flesh, for he was in the beginning, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God....but, as we said before, because having personally united man's nature to himself..."
Cyril of Alexandria,To Nestorius,Epistle 17:11 (A.D. 430),in CCC,306"If anyone will not confess that the Emmanuel is very God, and that therefore the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God (Theotokos), inasmuch as in the flesh she bore the Word of God made flesh [as it is written, 'The Word was made flesh': let him be anathema."
Council of Ephesus,Anathemas Against Nestorius,I (A.D. 430),in NPNF2,XIV:206"For by the singular gift of Him who is our Lord and God, and withal, her own son, she is to be confessed most truly and most blessedly--The mother of God 'Theotocos,' but not in the sense in which it is imagined by a certain impious heresy which maintains, that she is to be called the Mother of God for no other reason than because she gave birth to that man who afterwards became God, just as we speak of a woman as the mother of a priest, or the mother of a bishop, meaning that she was such, not by giving birth to one already a priest or a bishop, but by giving birth to one who afterwards became a priest or a bishop. Not thus, I say, was the holy Mary 'Theotocos,' the mother of God, but rather, as was said before, because in her sacred womb was wrought that most sacred mystery whereby, on account of the singular and unique unity of Person, as the Word in flesh is flesh, so Man in God is God."
Vincent of Lerins,Commonitories,15 (A.D. 434),in NPNF2,XI:142-143"So then He was both in all things and above all things and also dwelt in the womb of the holy Mother of God, but in it by the energy of the incarnation."
John Damascene,Source of Knowledge,III:7 (A.D. 743),in NPNF2,IX:51
May we all grow in our appreciation and devotion to Mary, the Mother of our Lord. Amen.
In Christ,
Joe
I would add from Justin Martyr's letter to Trypho the Jew the accepted view of Mary as the new Eve.
"He became man by the Virgin, in order that the disobedience which proceeded from the serpent might receive its destruction in the same manner in which it derived its origin. For Eve, who was a virgin and undefiled, having conceived the word of the serpent, brought forth disobedience and death. But the Virgin Mary received faith and joy, when the angel Gabriel announced the good tidings to her that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon her, and the power of the Highest would overshadow her: wherefore also the Holy Thing begotten of her is the Son of God; and she replied, 'Be it unto me according to thy word.' And by her has He been born, to whom we have proved so many Scriptures refer, and by whom God destroys both the serpent and those angels and men who are like him; but works deliverance from death to those who repent of their wickedness and believe upon Him." Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 100 (A.D. 155).
I've included some great quotes on how Mary was viewed by the early Church as being our intercessor and helper in addition to the reverence and honor (not worship) of her.
"For as Eve was seduced by the word of an angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary by the word of an angel received the glad tidings that she would bear God by obeying his Word. The former was seduced to disobey God, but the latter was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of the virgin Eve. As the human race was subjected to death through [the act of] a virgin, so it was saved by a virgin." Irenaeus, Against Heresies, V:19,1 (A.D. 180)
"Mary, the holy Virgin, is truly great before God and men. For how shall we not proclaim her great, who held within her the uncontainable One, whom neither heaven nor earth can contain?" Epiphanius, Panarion, 30:31 (ante A.D. 403)
"Give milk, Mother to him who is our food, give milk to the bread coming down from heaven ...give milk to him who made you such that he could be made fruitfulness in conception and in birth, did not take from you the ornament of virginity." Augustine, Sermon 369:1 (A.D. 430)
"Hail to thee Mary, Mother of God, to whom in towns and villages and in island were founded churches of true believers." Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 11 (ante A.D. 444)
"The Virgin's festival (parthenike panegyris) incites our tongue today to herald her praise ...handmaid and Mother, Virgin and heaven, the only bridge of God to men, the awful loom of the Incarnation, in which by some unspeakable way the garment of that union was woven, whereof the weaver is the Holy Ghost; and the spinner the overshadowing from on high; the wool the ancient fleece of Adam; the woof the undefiled flesh from the virgin, the weaver's shuttle the immense grace of Him who brought it about; the artificer the Word gliding through the hearing." Proclus of Constantinople, Homily 1 (ante A.D. 446)
"The Virgin received Salvation so that she may give it back to the centuries." Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 140 (ante A.D. 450)
"O Virgin all holy, he who has said of you all that is honorable and glorious has not sinned against the truth, but remains unequal to your merit. Look down upon us from above and be propitious to us. Lead us in peace and having brought us without shame to the throne of judgment, grant us a place at the right hand of your Son, that we may borne off to heaven and sing with angels to the uncreated, consubstantial Trinity. " Basil of Seleucia, PG 85:452 (ante A.D. 459)
"Cease your laments; I will make myself your advocate in my Son's presence. Meanwhile, no more sadness, because I have brought joy to the world. For it is to destroy the kingdom of sorrow that I have come into the world: I full of grace ... Then curb your tears; accept me as your mediatrix in the presence of him who was born from me, because the author of joy is the God generated before all ages. Remain calm; be troubled no longer: I come from him, full of grace." Romanos the Singer, On Christmas 2,10-11 (ante A.D. 560)
"Raised to heaven, she remains for the human race an unconquerable rampart, interceding for us before her Son and God." Theoteknos of Livias, Assumption 291(ante A.D. 560)
"Mary the Ever-Virgin -- radiant with divine light and full of grace, mediatrix first through her supernatural birth and now because of the intercession of her maternal assistance -- be crowned with never ending blessings ...seeking balance and fittingness in all things, we should make our way honestly, as sons of light." Germanus of Constantinople, Homily on the Liberation of Constantinople, 23 (ante A.D. 733)
"O, how marvelous it is! She acts as a mediatrix between the loftiness of God and the lowliness of the flesh, and becomes Mother of the Creator." Andrew of Crete, Homily 1 on Mary's Nativity (ante A.D. 740)
"She is all beautiful, all near to God. For she, surpassing the cherubim. Exalted beyond the seraphim, is placed near to God." John of Damascene, Homily on the Nativity, 9 (ante A.D. 749)
"We today also remain near you, O Lady. Yes, I repeat, O Lady, Mother of God and Virgin. We bind our souls to your hope, as to a most firm and totally unbreakable anchor, consecrating to you mind, soul, body, and all our being and honoring you, as much as we can, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles." John of Damascene, Homily 1 on the Dormition, 14 (ante A.D. 749)
"Let us entrust ourselves with all our soul's affection to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin: let us all, with all our strength, beg her patronage, that, at the moment when on earth we surround her with our suppliant homage, she herself may deign in heaven to commend us with fervent prayer. For without any doubt she who merited to bring ransom for those who needed deliverance, can more than all the saints benefit by her favor those who have received deliverance." Ambrose Autpert, Assumption of the Virgin, (ante A.D. 778)
"May we deserve to have the help of your intercession in heaven, because as the Son of God has deigned to descend to us through you, so we also must come to him with you." Peter Damian, (ante A.D. 1072)
"The Mother of God is our mother. May the good mother ask and beg for us, may she request and obtain what is good for us." Anselm, Oration 7(ante A.D. 1109).
May our Mother continue pray for the Church,
Matthew
Just wanted to add that Marian theology lasted even into the Reformation and that Martin Luther himself affirmed Marian doctrines. He believed that Jesus was the only child of Mary, that Mary was ever-virgin, that she was conceived without contracting original sin, that she is currently with Christ both in body and spirit, that she was always without win, and that she should be called Mother of God.
The current Evangelical thinking on Mary was born in the same century and school of thought(the 19th century liberalism) that rejected the Virgin Birth, the personal return of Jesus, the inerrancy of the scriptures, and the historicity of Jesus' miracles.
Just an honest question on my part: I see that all of the examples or quotes cited above are from at least several hundred years after the death of Christ and that many quotes refer to Mary as a virgin at the time of Jesus' birth or that she was blessed but do not support the belief of the perpetual virginity of Mary. My question is: Considering the time frame of these beliefs as referenced in the above quotes and that none of the quotes are from any of the original apostles, is it possible that the belief that Mary remained a virgin and was without sin was an erroneous (and mythical) concept that was conceived long after Mary and the original apotles died and has been embraced and propogated by Catholics without any historical truth to it? Is this a possibility?
May God bless us always,
Ernie
Ernie
You have a good question but that brings to my mind. The concepts of no infant baptism and symbolic eucharist and sola scriptura were not raised for 1500 years after the original apostles...is it possible that these were erroneous (and mythical) concepts that were conceived long after the apostles died and have been embraced and propogated by Protestants without any historical truth to it? Is it a possibility?
In Love
when we were one
Ernie,
Here is what Dave Armstrong, Catholic apologist and author of "A Biblical Defense of Catholicism," has to say about Mary's perpetual virginity. Maybe this will make more sense to you:
"...the doctrine (which we believe to be simply true) preserves the doctrine of the Virgin Birth, and hence, indirectly, the Incarnation."
"If Mary had become sexually active and had had other children, then everyone would know she had given birth by natural means, and the potential would be there to deny that Jesus' birth was supernatural."
"By her remaining a virgin her entire life, this supports the Virgin Birth as the extraordinary miracle that it was. As always, everything about the Blessed Virgin Mary has to do with lifting up our Lord Jesus Christ, not herself."
"Beyond that, we believe mainly that it was appropriate or fitting for God the Son to not have brothers and sisters. Talk about sibling rivalry! Would you want to have God for a brother? Or imagine being in the same womb which had held the Incarnate God. It's too weird and strange to even envision."
"This was understood by virtually all Christians until later Protestants, due to the influence of Enlightenment liberalism and the usual obsession with sexual "freedom" and denigration of celibacy, started denying it. It seems to be the sort of thing that one either "gets" and intuitively understands or not."
In fact Ernie, Mary's virginity has only come into question within the last 150 years or so. The perpetual virginity of Mary was taught from the first by the Church fathers and was a common belief from the time the Church began. Beleive it or not, prominent Protestant "reformers" such as Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and Wesley all believed that Mary remained a virgin throughout her lifetime--and even referred to Scripture to reinforce their belief! See below:
LUTHER:
"Christ, our Savior, was the real and natural fruit of Mary's virginal womb . . . This was without the cooperation of a man, and SHE REMAINED A VIRGIN after that."
"Christ...was the only Son of Mary, and the Virgin Mary bore no children besides Him... I am inclined to agree with those who declare that 'brothers' really mean 'cousins' here, for Holy Writ and the Jews always call cousins brothers."
"Scripture does not say or indicate that she later lost her virginity...
"When Matthew [1:25] says that Joseph did not know Mary carnally until she had brought forth her son, it does not follow that he knew her subsequently; on the contrary, it means that he never did know her... This babble...is without justification...he has neither noticed nor paid any attention to either Scripture or the common idiom."
"A new lie about me is being circulated. I am supposed to have preached and written that Mary, the mother of God, was not a virgin either before or after the birth of Christ"
(Above references from: Luther's Works, eds. Jaroslav Pelikan & Helmut T. Lehmann, St. Louis: Concordia Pub. House (vols. 1-30); Philadelphia: Fortress Press (vols. 31-55), 1955)
ZWINGLI:
"To deny that Mary remained 'inviolata' before, during and after the birth of her Son, was to doubt the omnipotence of God...and it was right and profitable to repeat the angelic greeting - not prayer - 'Hail Mary'... God esteemed Mary above all creatures, including the saints and angels--it was her purity, innocence and invincible faith that mankind must follow. Prayer, however, must be...to God alone..."
"I have never thought, still less taught, or declared publicly, anything concerning the subject of the ever Virgin Mary, Mother of our salvation, which could be considered dishonourable, impious, unworthy or evil... I believe with all my heart according to the word of holy gospel that this pure virgin bore for us the Son of God and that SHE REMAINED, in the birth and after it, a pure and unsullied VIRGIN, for ETERNITY."
(Above quotes from: Zwingli, G. R. Potter, London: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1976)
John WESLEY:
"I believe... he [Jesus Christ] was born of the blessed Virgin, who, as well after as she brought him forth, continued a PURE AND UNSPOTTED VIRGIN."
(Quoted from: John Wesley, A. C. Coulter, New York: Oxford University Press, 1964)
As you can see Ernie, this is NOT as you said: "...an erroneous (and mythical) concept that was conceived long after Mary and the original apostles died and has been embraced and propogated by Catholics without any historical truth to it?" The perpetual virginity of Mary was taught from the first and carried through to the founders of Protestantism. However, as Max Thurian, a Protestant, says, "Mary was formally separated from Protestant worship and prayer in the 16th century; in the 20th century the divorce is complete. Even the singing of the 'Magnificat' caused the Puritans to have scruples, and if they gave up the Apostles' Creed, it was not only because of the offensive adjective 'Catholic', but also because of the mention of the Virgin..." (From: Mary: Mother of all Christians, NY: Herder & Herder, 1963).
The answer to your question I think is very telling in terms of how a doctrine of the Catholic Church is misunderstood, and at the same time is misunderstood due to a lack of historical perspective. That is why I personally enjoy reading the Church Fathers, especially the early ones. Should you seek them out you will find many answers to your questions regarding current Catholic teaching. The reason is that they are the same--explicitly or not. You will also find that similar questions as to the Eucharist, baptism, communion of Saints, etc. have been taught for 2000 years! Think about it. (Check out "Faith of the Early Fathers, Volume 1" by William Jurgen). Sadly though, many of the beliefs held and taught from the first have been stripped away by the "reformation" and that should give us pause to ask why and who had the authority to promulgate such beliefs. My conviction is that if it were taught by the first generations of the Apostles, who were taught by "the twelve" or by their successors then it still holds true today. Truth is not divided and truth does not change--nor does what the Church teaches. So Ernie, thanks for the question and the opportunity to share the Church's beliefs about Mary. My question is if the earliest Christians along with the "founders" Protestantism believed unquestionably about the perpetual virginity of Mary then shouldn't current Protestants who follow their teachings do the same? If not, then why? So the REAL question is: is it possible that the belief that Mary DID NOT remain a virgin and conceived without sin is an erroneous (and mythical) concept that was conceived long after Mary and the original apostles died and has been embraced and propogated by NON-Catholics without any historical truth to it? Is this a possibility?
Peace,
Matthew
Ernie, may I answer your question with a question?
Are you from the school of thought that says: while the ante-Nicene Church Fathers had greater connection to authentic apostolic teaching, the value of their interpretations wanes as we approach Constantine and the council of Nicaea?
I have run into another Anglican with such views and find it intriguing as it does not wholly reject the authority of Tradition the way most Protestants do.
Ernie
I forgot to answer your question re: the perpetual virginity of Mary and historical findings. I am still interested in your answers though to my questions.
Using the histiographic method, a way to test the validity of the document content is reading the counter letters of that time. This is commonly used to check the validity of the scriptures in the Bible.
For example someone writes an article about how President John F. Kennedy was killed with a bow and arrow from John Smith from the front seat of a limo in Waco in 1948. Well even if we didn't have video, we have hundreds of eye witnesses don't we? We then would have an outcry of this is fraud. This would be published and debunked. But lets say we don't have video and this fraudulent report comes out 60 yrs after 1963. The hundreds/thousands there in Dallas had tens of thousands of kids and those kids would also know the correct story and would also correct the data and so on...
Re: Sacred Scripture this system has been used to evaluate the Gnostic writings as well as our own. We have looked for counter documents to the Bible and find a paucity of valid arguments...No one was saying at that time (hey I was there and he didn't die...he didn't walk on water...he didn't heal the sick...he wasn't resurrected.)
Re: the perpetual virginity of Mary, the most ancient of documents that has been well researched is the Protoevangelium of James (AD 120). Patristic scholars have gone thru this with a fine toothed comb...this document has been dated to within 60 yrs of Mary's last days on earth. It vouches for her perpetual virginity...If it were a fraud the outcry would have been there b/c her kids would have been ticked! In this case we see no counter argument...this is why Luther/Zwingli/Calvin agree with this stance...
Read here there are notes from Jerome you may find useful:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Mary_Ever_Virgin.asp
In Love
wwwo
WWWO,
I followed the link you provided and it raises more problems than solutions. I was quite suprised to see "Catholic Answers" quoting extensively from the Protoevangelium of James and including the parts where Saint Joseph is said to have children by a previous marriage. As far as I know, the Church teaches the perpetual virginity of Joseph as well (please correct me if I am wrong). Citing the protoevangelium as authoritative seems fraught with problems.
I suggest instead that we follow Saint Jerome's approach of exploring the scriptures to resolve the issue of The perpetual virginity of Mary
Ernie, I'd recommend you focus on paragraph 5,6 (until), 12 (firstborn) and 16 (brethren) and follow his investigation of the Sacred Scriptures in these paragraphs. I think his writings stand firmly on the Bible and make a convincing case without first assuming he has special authority to interpret the Bible.
BR
I've never heard of the perpetual virginity of St. Joseph...the Catholic Answers page has recieved both the Nihil Obstat as well as the Imprimatur. As it notes, Origen quotes from it in 248...it was well read at that time BR.
Further the CA authors note re: the Proto vs the Jerome: "The Catholic Church allows the faithful to hold either view, since both are compatible with the reality of Mary’s perpetual virginity."
In Love
when we were one
WWWO,
Thanks for pointing out that there is conflicting information about whether Joseph had a previous marriage and that the Church has made no official ruling. Looks like I got over-eager and elevated speculation to the level of teaching.
It does raise the possibility that the "brothers of the Lord" were his step-brothers from Joseph's first marriage. Though for one of these brothers to be named Joses/Joseph seems rather unlikely as fathers tended not to do that because of the confusing effects on identifying family members. Jerome's "cousin" explanation appears superior.
Both versions, however, do affirm that Mary and Joseph remained celibate even after the birth of Our Lord.
WWWO, do you have any references for both theories and the idea that the Church has made no pronouncement on the issue?
BR
I think the historical denominator remains the Perpetual Virgin. We see no substantial counterclaim of full brothers of Christ anywhere in history to debunk this Proto. There would have been thousands of people by then that knew Mary and her family.
More striking is Scripture's silence on saying Mary had any children at all. That would have been an important note to put somewhere. The adelphos scam, perpetrated by theives and robbers needs to be continually exposed.
I have seen places where Muslims and Semite peoples have agreed with the Proto in their tradition of our Lady. The Jerome version however is also consistent with scripture with the same denominator. It is important to note that the Nihil and the Imprimatur were given to that page alone (I am not aware of the proto as a whole getting such clearance.)
What really strikes me is the humility of the see. Everyone seems to think the true Church has an answer for everything. Surely a sloppy answer could be posted as tradition but it wouldn't be true would it? Those that constantly deride the rulings of Tradition as "man made" run off and create their own ungrounded "man made" traditions without any thought that they are creating their own personal see of Peter...unmerited...unaccounted...splintering.
In Love
when we were one
BR
Re: Joses...here is a great summary...see the last paragraph...Matt and I read BCS on occasion and his stuff is awesome. If you haven't read his stuff you need to go from front to back :)
http://www.biblechristiansociety.com/2min_apologetics.php?id=14
In Love
when we were one
Thanks for the link WWWO,
It takes Saint Jerome's approach of cousins rather than step-brother as outlined in the Proto. I think the consensus amongst Catholic thought has been to take this approach. I'm quite surprised that Catholic answers takes the proto approach.
Another point which is sometimes brought up is Mary's question "how can this be since I have known no man?" only makes sense if she has made a vow of virginity. If her betrothal were a normal one, her reaction to the Angel Gabriel's annunciation would be to assume that the child would be conceived in ordinary fashion as was the case when Gabriel announced John the Baptist to Zechariah.
BR
Indeed the Jerome view seems to be more widely known of the two, although the proto is older. I'll avoid the confusion and focus on the perpetual virginity supported by both ancient sources with no contradiction of fathers.
In Love
when we were one