Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor 12

I would also advise married men to show affection to their own wives at home, not in the presence of servants. For Aristotle does not even permit slaves to be fondled; how much more necessary is it that a wife should appear affectionate toward them when they are watching. It is better to begin at home, from marriage itself, and to display dignity. For the greatest marriage is that of chastity, breathing pure pleasure. The tragedy puts it wonderfully: 'Alas, alas, women,' it says, 'among humans neither gold nor tyranny nor the abundance of wealth provides such varied pleasures as the judgment of a good man and a pious woman, a just and manly-minded judgment.' These are the commands of righteousness, and they have been proclaimed even among those who possess worldly wisdom; they must not be rejected. Since you know 'each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your sojourn, knowing that you were not redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your ancestors with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot' (1 Peter 1:17-19). 'The time that is past is enough,' Peter says, 'for doing the will of the Gentiles, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry' (1 Peter 4:3). Let us make the cross of the Lord our boundary, by which we are crucified and put to death to our former sins. Having been born again, therefore, let us cleave to the truth, let us be sobered and sanctified: 'for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. And who will harm you if you are zealous for what is good?' (1 Peter 3:12-13). But the best guidance is self-control, which is complete propriety and steadfast power, ordering the things that follow one another and rendering them well in action, unsurpassed in virtue. These things, even if I have spoken them somewhat roughly while managing the correction that leads to salvation — 'for he who rebukes with boldness makes peace,' the Pedagogue says — if you listen to me, you will be saved; but if you do not pay attention to what has been said, I do not care — yet I do care even so: 'for he chooses the repentance of the sinner rather than his death.' 'And if you listen to me, you will eat the good things of the earth,' the Pedagogue says again, calling human goods 'good things' — beauty, wealth, health, strength, nourishment. For the things that 'neither ear has heard nor has entered the heart of man' are truly good, concerning the truly existing King — the truly existing good things that exist and await us. For He is both the giver and the guardian of good things; but the things here that share their names do so by metonymy, the Word guiding human weakness from the senses to the intellect.