This is the way of an adulterous woman; she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, I have done no wickedness.
Read Chapter 30
Hippolytus of Rome
AD 235
“Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who, when she has done the deed of sin, wipes herself and will say that no wickedness has been done.” Such is the conduct of the church that believes on Christ, when, after committing fornication with idols, she renounces these and the devil and is cleansed of her sins, and receives forgiveness, and then asserts that she has done no wickedness. .
Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who, when she has done the deed of sin, wipeth herself, and will say that no wickedness has been done.” Such is the conduct of the Church that believes on Christ, when, after committing fornication with idols, she renounces these and the devil, and is cleansed of her sins and receives forgiveness, and then asserts that she has done no wickedness.
“Such is the way of a prostitute: when she has washed herself she says that she has done something wrong.” Clearly this is said of her who, after having washed herself at the source, does not remember the vices of her sins, assumes the virtue of preaching, and, wiping away her stains with living water, has no more awareness of her sin but is urged on by the ardor of faith. For in a certain way she says that she has done nothing wicked now that she has become a messenger of the truth, and by forgetfulness she renounces her impurity now that she preaches chastity in her devotion. For this is the power of Christ the Lord, that even a sinner who washes himself in his water returns afresh to virginity and forgets what he had done before. And in his new birth he manifests the innocence of infancy, he does not know the sins of youth, and although he had been an adulterer because of the corruption of sin, he becomes a virgin because of faith in Christ.
