Perpetual virginity of Mary in the early church

Whether Mary remained a virgin after Christ's birth; the Lord's brothers. Part of Mary, mother of Jesus.

On the Flesh of Christ 23Tertullian · ca. 206–211 · Mary's virginal conception and real childbirth are the “sign spoken against”; she truly bore Christ from her own flesh, and her womb was truly opened in giving birth.
Fragments on Luke, column 355Origen · ca. 220-254 · God gives the soul its needed bread and relish of learning, never stones or snakes; Zacharias, by one tradition, was killed for defending Mary's virginity.
Fragment 29 on John 2:11Origen · ca. 226-254 · On John 2:12: Jesus' ‘brothers’ were sons of Joseph by a former wife, and brothers by law, since the betrothed Mary was legally Joseph's wife, while she remained a virgin.
Homily on Luke 7Origen · ca. 233–250 · At Mary’s visit the unborn Christ sanctifies John and fills Elizabeth with the Spirit; Origen rejects the claim that Mary married Joseph after Jesus’ birth and urges the catechumens to persevere.
Commentary on Matthew 10.17Origen · ca. 246–248 · Origen explains the astonishment at Nazareth, says the brothers of Jesus were by some held to be Joseph's sons by a former wife so as to keep Mary a virgin, and cites Josephus on James.
Acta Archelai (Latin) 55Hegemonius · early to mid 4th century (Greek original) · Manes argues from "Who is my mother?" and Peter's confession that Jesus had no human mother or brothers, so that Mary cannot be his mother.
Oration to the Assembly of the Saints 19.6Constantine the Great · ca. 325 (dated variously 317–325) · Constantine interprets the virgin as the one who conceived by the Holy Spirit and remains ever a virgin, returning when Christ comes again.
Commentary on Matthew 1Hilary of Poitiers · ca. 353–355 · Hilary reconciles the genealogies, explains the omitted kings, defends Mary’s perpetual virginity, and interprets the Magi, the flight to Egypt, and the slaughter of the innocents.
Tractates 1.5.3Zeno of Verona · ca. 362-380 · Zeno answers the objection from Mary's marriage by her perpetual virginity and urges virgins to keep their state, as the angels in the resurrection.
Tractates 2.8.2Zeno of Verona · ca. 362-380 · Zeno describes Christ's birth from the virgin Mary without pain or impurity, her virginity before, in and after birth, and the story of the doubting midwife.
Commentary on Galatians 1:19Ambrosiaster · ca. 366–384 · James, bishop of Jerusalem, was the Lord's 'brother' as a son of Joseph by a former marriage, not a son of Mary.
Letter 49.21Jerome · ca. 370–419 · Jerome closes by pointing to the virginity of Christ and the perpetual virginity of Mary, and to the continence required of clergy.
Ancoratus 60.1Epiphanius of Salamis · 374 · Joseph was an elderly widower with children from a first marriage.
Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 28.7.5Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · Christ's entrusting Mary to John shows that she remained a virgin.
Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 28.7.6Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · Jesus' brothers were Joseph's sons by another wife.
Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 28.7.7Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · Epiphanius defers fuller treatment of Mary's virginity to another work.
Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 51.10.7Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · Joseph was Jesus' father only in name, an elderly widower with sons.
Against Helvidius 3Jerome · ca. 383 · Helvidius's first argument: "before they came together" and "until she bore her son" imply that Mary and Joseph later lived as husband and wife.
Against Helvidius 4Jerome · ca. 383 · Jerome 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.
Against Helvidius 5Jerome · ca. 383 · Helvidius argues that "until" in Matt 1:25 marks a time after which Joseph knew Mary.
Against Helvidius 6Jerome · ca. 383 · Jerome shows from Scripture that "until" often does not imply a change after the point named.
Against Helvidius 7Jerome · ca. 383 · Two Old Testament examples of "up to this day" show that such phrases do not imply a later change.
Against Helvidius 8Jerome · ca. 383 · Jerome 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.
Against Helvidius 9Jerome · ca. 383 · Helvidius's objection: Matthew could have said plainly that Joseph never touched Mary.
Against Helvidius 10Jerome · ca. 383 · Jerome reduces Helvidius's reading of "until" to absurdity: it would require intercourse immediately after the birth.
Against Helvidius 11Jerome · ca. 383 · Helvidius's third argument: "firstborn" implies younger brothers.
Against Helvidius 12Jerome · ca. 383 · From the law of the firstborn Jerome shows that "firstborn" means the first to open the womb, whether or not brothers follow.
Against Helvidius 13Jerome · ca. 383 · Helvidius's last argument: the Gospels name brothers and sisters of Jesus, who he says were Mary's children.
Against Helvidius 14Jerome · ca. 383 · Helvidius identifies Mary the mother of James and Joses at the cross with Mary the mother of Jesus.
Against Helvidius 15Jerome · ca. 383 · Jerome 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.
Against Helvidius 16Jerome · ca. 383 · Jerome distinguishes four senses of "brother" in Scripture (nature, nation, kinship, affection) and shows from Genesis that relatives are called brothers.
Against Helvidius 17Jerome · ca. 383 · Jerome concludes that the Lord's brothers are so called by kinship, as Lot was Abraham's brother.
Against Helvidius 18Jerome · ca. 383 · Jerome 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.
Against Helvidius 21Jerome · ca. 383 · Jerome rejects claims not found in Scripture and argues that Joseph too remained a virgin.
Letter 9 to Anysius of Thessalonica and the Illyrian bishops (on Bonosus), chapter 3Siricius, bishop of Rome · 385 · Bonosus was rightly condemned for saying Mary bore other children; her perpetual virginity belongs to the faith in Christ's virgin birth.
Letter 9 to Anysius of Thessalonica and the Illyrian bishops (on Bonosus), chapter 4Siricius, bishop of Rome · 385 · Christ's entrusting of Mary to John from the cross testifies to her lasting virginity: Jesus would not have separated her from Joseph if she was to bear Joseph's children.
Letter 137.8Augustine of Hippo · ca. 386–430 · God is great in power, not size; his power made the virgin fruitful, united a whole man to himself, and brought Christ forth through the inviolate womb as later through closed doors.
Homilies on Matthew 5.3John Chrysostom · ca. 390 · Scripture uses 'young woman' for virgins, and a sign must be extraordinary; Joseph obeys; 'until' in Matt 1:25 does not imply later relations, for Mary remained a virgin; the 'brothers' of Jesus were so called as Joseph was called husband; James's later sanctity proves the resurrection.
Sermon 51.18Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391-430 · Mary, though mother of the Son of the Most High, humbly named Joseph first, respecting the order of marriage; she is called “woman” by Hebrew usage, while remaining a virgin before, in, and after giving birth.
Sermon 186.1Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391-430 · Christ, made visible by a perpetual virgin, became man without ceasing to be God: one person, God and man, so that the Trinity remains a Trinity.
Sermon 191.2Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391-430 · As the risen Christ entered through closed doors, so he could be born without harming his mother's virginity.
On Illustrious Men 2Jerome · 392–393 · James the Lord's brother, first bishop of Jerusalem: his letter, his holiness as told by Hegesippus, his martyrdom, and his appearance in the Gospel of the Hebrews.
Against Faustus the Manichaean 22.35Augustine of Hippo · ca. 398–400 · Augustine argues that Sarah was Abraham's half-sister, as he told Abimelech, and that Scripture calls blood-relations brothers and sisters, as with Tobias, Lot, and the Lord's brothers.
Against Faustus the Manichaean 29.4Augustine of Hippo · ca. 398–400 · Augustine defends the dignity of the bodily members, the holiness of marital procreation and of Mary’s virginal childbirth, and says Christ chose to be born though he could have appeared otherwise.
Tractates 9Gaudentius of Brescia · ca. 397-410 · Continuing on Cana: Mary, called 'woman' by sex, remained a virgin in giving birth as Christ entered through closed doors; the six stone jars are the dead senses of the Gentiles filled by baptism, the steward of the feast is Moses, and the Spirit's gifts show the equal power of the Trinity.
On Catechizing the Uninstructed 22Augustine of Hippo · ca. 399–405 · The narration reaches the sixth age, begun by Christ's coming, in which grace is revealed to all nations; Christ, born of a virgin in humble circumstances, despised earthly goods, endured earthly evils, died, and rose never to die.
On the Work of Monks 14Augustine of Hippo · ca. 400–401 · Paul's trade is secondary; he did honest work such as craftsmen and farmers do, which neither Jews, Greeks, nor the church despise, since the patriarchs were shepherds and Joseph a carpenter.
Commentary on the Apostles' Creed 9Rufinus of Aquileia · ca. 404 · Christ's birth from the Virgin by the Holy Spirit, foretold by Isaiah and figured in Ezekiel's shut gate, shows the Trinity working together.
Tractates on the Gospel of John 10.2Augustine of Hippo · ca. 406–420 · Augustine explains that the Lord's “brothers” were Mary's kinsmen, since Scripture calls relatives brothers, and affirms Mary's perpetual virginity.
Tractates on the Gospel of John 28.3Augustine of Hippo · ca. 406–420 · The Lord's “brothers” are Mary's kin, by Scripture's custom of calling relatives brothers; Mary bore no other child.
Against Julian 5.12.46Augustine of Hippo · ca. 421-422 · Augustine defends his view that Joseph and Mary had a true marriage without intercourse, since marriage has three goods, faith, offspring, and sacrament (no divorce), and says the end of intercourse is not a divorce.
Theodotus, ACO I.1.2, homily 72.3Theodotus of Ancyra · 431 · The virgin's remaining a virgin shows that the one born is God; God appeared as man so that we might approach our judge as a kinsman.
Theodotus, ACO I.1.2, homily 73.1Theodotus of Ancyra · 431 · The Nativity overcomes nature: Mary gave birth and remained a virgin, surpassing the virgin earth of paradise, because the one born is the Word of God.
Part 2, chapter 36Quodvultdeus of Carthage · ca. 445-450 · Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones shows the resurrection, and his shut eastern gate Mary’s perpetual virginity; Ezra’s return and the sending away of foreign wives figure Christians who leave all, even wife and children, for Christ.