Against Helvidius: On the Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary

Contents

Translation in progress.

Reading pages: 1–15 · 16–24

1. 1Jerome explains why, after delaying, he now answers Helvidius's pamphlet.
2. 2Jerome invokes the Trinity and resolves to answer Helvidius from Scripture alone.
3. 3Helvidius's first argument: "before they came together" and "until she bore her son" imply that Mary and Joseph later lived as husband and wife.
4. 4Jerome argues that "before" does not imply that the intended event happened, that Scripture calls betrothed women wives, and that Joseph was called Jesus' father only by common opinion.
5. 5Helvidius argues that "until" in Matt 1:25 marks a time after which Joseph knew Mary.
6. 6Jerome shows from Scripture that "until" often does not imply a change after the point named.
7. 7Two Old Testament examples of "up to this day" show that such phrases do not imply a later change.
8. 8Jerome argues that Joseph, after all the signs at Christ's birth, would not have dared approach Mary, and defends Luke 2:33 against Helvidius's charge of corruption.
9. 9Helvidius's objection: Matthew could have said plainly that Joseph never touched Mary.
10. 10Jerome reduces Helvidius's reading of "until" to absurdity: it would require intercourse immediately after the birth.
11. 11Helvidius's third argument: "firstborn" implies younger brothers.
12. 12From the law of the firstborn Jerome shows that "firstborn" means the first to open the womb, whether or not brothers follow.
13. 13Helvidius's last argument: the Gospels name brothers and sisters of Jesus, who he says were Mary's children.
14. 14Helvidius identifies Mary the mother of James and Joses at the cross with Mary the mother of Jesus.
15. 15Jerome argues from John 19:25 that the Mary at the cross who was mother of James the less was the sister of the Lord's mother, the wife of Alphaeus.
16. 16Jerome distinguishes four senses of "brother" in Scripture (nature, nation, kinship, affection) and shows from Genesis that relatives are called brothers.
17. 17Jerome concludes that the Lord's brothers are so called by kinship, as Lot was Abraham's brother.
18. 18Jerome compares Helvidius to the man who burned the temple of Ephesus for fame and argues that the brothers were called brothers as Joseph was called father, by supposition.
19. 19Jerome dismisses Helvidius's appeal to Tertullian and Victorinus and appeals to the older writers.
20. 20Jerome answers Helvidius's argument from the indignities of birth: the more humbling Christ's sufferings, the more we owe him.
21. 21Jerome rejects claims not found in Scripture and argues that Joseph too remained a virgin.
22. 22Jerome contrasts the cares of married life with the virgin's freedom for God, while saying he does not disparage marriage or the Old Testament saints.
23. 23Jerome explains Paul's counsel on virginity and answers Helvidius's taunt about unworthy virgins.
24. 24Jerome closes by anticipating Helvidius's abuse and counting it an honor.