to encourage vs for not yealding our selfes as thrall to all the pleasures of the body O how terrible a saying will it be to a soule in Hell to heare those words spoken by Abraham to the rich Glutton then lying in Hell Thou b didst receaue good things in thy lyfe tyme but now thou art tormented Now then if one be of such nycenes and delicacy as not to endure any corporall affliction or mortification how then shall he endure the eternity of torments and paynes which are prepared for all loose delicate and sensuall Christians Let that soule then which wholy giueth way to all corporall pleasures solaces Indulgency of the body remember those most dreadfull words in the Gospell c Bynd him hands and feete and cast him into vtter darknes where there shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Therefore to conclude this point euery one who hath holy Inspirations from God for the imbracing of a Votary and religious lyfe ought to cast their Eyes vpon all those who are gone afore vs and haue in far greater measure of mortification traced that course of lyfe of which we heere speake I meane they are to call to mind the religious lifes of S. Hilarion S. Ierome S. Benedict S. Bernard S. Francis and many hundred more all whose bodies were made of the same flesh and bloud of which our bodies are made and yet most valiantly they subdued their bodies to the spirit They in so doing did expect the same reward which other religious persons at this day do expect They now enioy Heauen and so may we hereafter by following though in a far lower proportion their austerities of body arriue to the same Heauen But to presse this point more particularly as concerning our owne Sex let vs remember those blessed Women Caecilia Agnes Agatha Barbara Dorothea Catharina and many more of former tymes who not only resisted through their intemerate and vowed virginity all the temptations and allurements of the flesh but also with most wounderfull constancy and fortitude endured glorious Martyrdomes for the loue Christ and sauing of their owne soules Therefore briefly let ech of vs in the middest of our Austerities take courage and say with the Apostle I d can do all things through Christ who strengthneth me Cosmophila Good sister this your spirituall Resolution in ouercomming your mortifications is far greater then I euer expected to haue found in you at which I much ioy But to turne my selfe to you good Father Confessarius I cannot deny but that you haue greatly discouered the weaknes and insufficiency of all my former obiected reasons against the imbracing of a retired and religious life Yet seeing it is the honour and priuiledge of Truth not only to be able to with stand and breake through the forces raysed against it but withall to fortify and strengthen it selfe with vnanswerable Arguments and Reasons for the patronizing and warranting of it selfe And further seeing diuers things there are which as they cannot be greatly impugned by Arguments so they haue few or no Arguments for their supporting though I presume the warrantablenes of a Religious lyfe is not of this Nature therefore I am to make bould both with you and with the Reuerend Abbesse here present for I am persuaded that her long gouerment experience in matters of this subiect do much enable her that both of you would insist in your future discourses in laying open the Dignity Antiquity prooffes priuiledges Benefits and other such preuayling Circumstances of a Votary life which may most forcibly conduce to the securing of the Resolution of such as may hereafter vndergoe that spirituall Course The Hart of euery one is in the hands of God and who knoweth how he will dispose of it Confessarius Both I and no doubt the Lady Abbesse will condescend to this your pious request since Charity bindeth as thereto And for my selfe I thinke it most expedient somewhat to enlarge my speach vpon those three mayne points which are Essentiall to a Religious lyfe I meane Chastity Pouerty and Obedience to the which all Religious persons are by solemne Vow obliged Now the more fully to know the dignity of these three points it will be fitting here to set downe the admonition of the Apostle Saint Iohn giuen to all Christians and then after to shew what particular reuerence these seuerall distinct Vowes do beare to his said Admonition Thus then that Apostle counselleth Loue e not the world neither the things that are in the world Yf any loue the world the Charity of the Father is not in him Because all that is in the world is Concupiscence of the flesh and Concupiscence of the eyes and pryde of lyfe Thus is the kingdome of this world deuided into these three parts as it were into three distinct Prouinces Now for the better vnfoulding and explaining the true meaning of this passage of Scripture we are to vnderstand that by the Concupiscence of the flesh the Apostle comprehendeth all sensuall pleasures of the body and other delights vsed in cherishing and pampering the flesh wherby the flesh may burst out into any vnlawfull and sinfull Actions By the Concupiscence of the Eyes he meaneth all beauty and brauery of Riches By pride of lyfe he signifieth the Vanity of Ambition consisting in worldly honour Estimation These three then are the most generall Vanities of this life I meane Carnall pleasures Couetousnes and Ambition By which three as by his strongest Nets the Deuill doth daily ensnare man ye poore Christians to his subiection to their Soules eternall perdition But now obserue how the malice and Venome of these three most pestilent diseases are cured by the vowes performed in a Religious life First then the Vow of perpetuall Chastity of body with the performance of the prescriptions adioyned thereto cureth the malady of the Concupiscence of the flesh The Vow of Pouerty destroyeth the disease of Concupiscence of the Eyes to wit desire of enioying riches the vnquenchable thirst of Auarice Lastly the Vow of Obedience cutteth away from the soule all pryde of life since he or she who willingly subiect themselues in all lawfull things to the direction of another is fat from offending in vayne Glory which the Apostle aboue calleth Pryde of lyfe By this then we may see how a Votary and religious lyfe being truly performed and led doth meete with all the mayne temptations of the Deuill ouer comming them and bearing them downe through the assistance of Gods Grace which is neuer wanting to such as by due appointed meanes do implore it at his hands And here it will be much conducing if besides what is allready touched thereof we insist longer in the displaying the Worth dignity of the obiects of the three former Vowes And to begin with Chastity Chastity then teacheth vs as the Apostle affirmeth how f to â—ossesse our Vessell in sanctification that is our body which is a Vessell or
Receptacle of our Soule Now who doth violate this precept shall not as S. Paul sayth possesse g the kingdome of Heaâ—en Here then we are to obserue that for the preseruation of Chastity many things doe occurre in a Religious life As for example the â—loystering and secret retiring of the party taâ—eth away the sight and speach of such things â—s are dangerous in this kind as dangerous â—ompanye and familiaritie and most of all the occasion and Commodity or Oportunity â—or the giuing the reynes to ones naturall deâ—â—re for the enioying of corporall and vnlawfull pleasures A second help to Chastity besides the spaâ—enes of dyet is the daily practise of all kind of â—ertue which is continually vsed in a Religious lyfe and this is Prayer Meditation and ouer vertues which increase the deuotion of the spirit euen by their owne Nature And his must necessarily be the effect of Prayer â—editation seeing by how much our soule and â—ind is more strengthned by so much the body is more weakened And to conclude this â—int of Chastity with the prayses thereof ascribed thereto in Gods holy word First the â—â—ngkome of Heauen is compared to h Virgins Againe that a Virgin is called Filia i Sion in which place by the word Virgo is vnderstood the Church of God Moreouer we read that The k woman vnmaried and the Virgin do thinke 〈◊〉 the things that pertaine to God And yet more wâ— find it commanded l Virginem castam exhibeâ— Christo to present our selfe a christ Virgin to Christ Finally it is said as a speciall priuiledge allotted to Virgins m That they shall follow the Lambeâ— wheresoeuer be shall goe They are the first fruits tâ— God and to the Lambe I will finally close this point with this onâ— obseruation to wit that Christ himselfe was Virgin Our Blessed Lady Christs Mother was Virgin Christs Precursour I meane S. Iohn Baptist was a Virgin and Christs best beloued Euangelist S. Iohn was a Virgin Is not then that Statâ— most Blessed glorious and most to be desired the which both the Redeemer of the world and those who were most neere to him iâ— loue and affection did wholy and inuiolable professe And thus far of Chastity and the voâ— thereof wherby all vnlawfull and fiery Concupiscence of the flesh is wholy quenched Next I will descend to the Concupiscence the Eyes by which is vnderstood the vaniâ— of Riches and wealth of the world which iâ— like sort is extinguished by voluntary pouerty Now to conceaue in part the worthines Voluntary Pouerty it will be much conducing to obserue the danger of Riches and the perilous state of the soule wherein a rich maâ— standeth and all this proued euen out of the sacred Scriptures Of this point then we theâ—â— thus read n Riches shall not profit a man in the â—ay of Reuenge and hereupon it is said in Gods â—oly word in the person of Rich men lying tormented in Hell o What hath the vaunting of â—ur riches profitted vs But to descend to the New Testament Do we not find our Lord in S. Lukeâ—o be wayle the state of rich men in these words Woe p be to you rich men for that you haue receahed your Consolation in this lyfe And the reason hereof is deliuered by S. Paul thus saying They q which wil be rich do fall into temptations and into the snares of Satan and into many improfitable and hurtfull desires which do drowne them in euerlasting distruction and perdition So iust reason therefore had our Sauiour thus to conclude generally against rich men r Amen I say vnto you because a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of Heauen O that rich men would ponder deeply these points Here now we see the vanity and dangers of riches which danger is wholy preueÌ„ted by its contrary that is by voluntary Pouerty through which a Religious person disclaymeth from hauing any wealth or substance in particular to himselfe This then being so is not that religious woman most happy who by her profession of Pouerty hath freed herselfe from all those spirituall dangers set downe in the Scriptures whereunto the rich worldlings do stand thrall and subiect and in lieu thereof doth purchase to her diuers priuiledges and spirituall benefits which rise from her voluntary Pruerty and a free relinquishing of all worldly wealth Of which many priuiledges I will here recount some few First then Religious Pouerty taketh away pryde and haughtines of mind which commonly accompanieth Riches and withall it taketh from vs the power of committing many liones which are wrought by the occasion of wealth so forcing a man by a kind of necessity to liue well Secondly Religious Pouerty not only preuenteth in vs the perpetrating of many sinnes but withall it ingendreth in the enioyers thereof diuers Vertues as Modesty Temperance and Humility which last Vertue hath a kind of affinity or neere enter course with Pouerty A third benefit of Religious Pouerty is that it is of force to cancell blot cut the sinnes of a mans whole former lyfe so satisfying for them And according hereto we find the Prophet Esay thus to speake in the person of God s Behould I haue boyled thee throughly but not as siluer I haue chosen thee in the fornace of Pouerty meaning hereby that he hath so refyned and purged him through Pouerty as that he deserueth to be chosen and loued A fourth benefit of Pouerty to pretermit all others is that it conformeth vs to Our Blessed Sauiour who so loued Pouerty as that he was not only wholy depriued or all riches but had not as much as any place as t Luke recordeth to repose his head And accordingly hereto we find that when Iesus gaue authority to his Apostles to goe abroad into seuerall Countryes to preach the Gospell he commanded them by reason of his loue to Spirituall Pouerty u that they should take nothing for their iourny nor scrip nor bread nor money neither haue two Coates as we read in the same Euangelist Now what Christian of iudgment and carefull of his soule will not highly prize that state of lyfe in which Christ both God Man did choose to himselfe to liue and which he most carefully recommended to his owne beloued Apostles To come to the third and last worldly Vanity set downe which is Pryde of life where by Pryde of lyfe the Euangelist x vnderstandeth vayne glory and desire of worldly honour and dignity This vanity being a spirituall and most dangerous impediment of seruing God is taken away by the vow of a Voluntary Obedience and subiection practized in a religious lyfe For whosoeuer Man or woman doth most willingly vow to obey their Superiour in all lawfull things that person cannot so long as he obserueth his vow fall into the danger of Pryde of life This vanity of Vaine Glory consisting in the words of other mens
the other both in mind and outward worke We may adde hereto what S. Ierome speaketh to wit x Not only the shedding of bloud is to be accounted Martyrdome but the vnspotted behauiour of a deuout mynd is a daily Martyrdome So far S. Ierome Now to compare a Religious life with Martyrdome of the body It is then to be obserued that as in many things Martyrdome surmounteth a Religious life so also a Religious life in some some things euen excelleth Martyrdome To instance this Martyrdome of the body surpasseth a Religious life in that it vndergoeth far greater paines and torments yet the greater the torments are they must therein be the shorter and sooner bring the tormented party to Heauen But in Religion though the paines be not so violent yet they are of greater and longer endurance Againe Martyrdome is to be preferred in that by meanes thereof a man layeth downe his owne life which is the dearest pledge that one can performe for another Religion though wanting this glory yet it hath the continuance of a most holy life and store of merits this for many yeares which doth aduance a man very highly in the fauour of the diuine Maiesty and reward him with many degrees of glory and eternall happines in the Heauenly Ierusalem And according hereto we may safely affirme that many yeares spent in holy conuersation and retirednes of life wil be attended with a greater increase of Reward then the loosing of ones life by only one short Act of Martyrdome shall procure Now this Aduantage Religion hath aboue Martyrdome To wit that a Religious Course is a more safe way to gayne Heauen then the expectation thereof by Martyrdome And the reason hereof is in that many Christians at the tyme when they should suffer Martyrdome for the profession of their Religion haue shamefully falne from their fayth for the auoyding of their torments And this is euident out of the writings of S. Cyprian y who relateth the miserable falles of seuerall hundreds who as he sayth were ouercome before the battaile and ouerthrowne before the encounter Now Religion lyeth not open to this danger since a Religious life more sorreth to a mans disposition then Martyrdome doth and there be many things in it which as aboue is shewed asswage the hardnes of that Course Another priuiledge which a true Religious life hath aboue Martyrdome is that where as Religion is euer at hand and ready to be imbraced at all tymes Martyrdome seldome happeneth since Martyrdome is not in our power for neither ought we to kill our selues nor to prouoke others to kill vs for either of these were an Act of great presumption and most displeasing to God Now I will conclude the resemblance betweene Martyrdome and a Religious life with this ensuing obseruation That as without death there is no Martyrdome of the body so a Religious life may be said to suffer a certaine kind of death For seeing death depriueth vs of our wealth of our friends and of all manner of things in this world we in like manner find that a Religious Cause doth depriue a man of all the same things and this so wholy that a Religious man can no more enioy these things then if he were truly really dead Yet here is a disparity which maketh in behalfe of Religion which is that when by Martyrdome we dye our bodily death it is an easy matter to want all these worldly things because we then going to a better lyfe shall haue no need of them whereas seeing in this life we haue need of them we forbeare the fruition and enioying of them with greater difficulty and resistance of Nature Therefore impasse no further in this subiect I conclude in respect of all that aboue said that by Martyrdō a man dyet to his Body by Religion he dyeth to himselfe Heere now Cosmophila you may behold the splendour and worth of a Religious life which as it is surpassed in some respects by Martyrdome so in others it exceedeth it I say it exceeds Martyrdome the suffering whereof euen our Sauiour himselfe so much celebrateth in these words Greater z love then this no man hath that a man yealdeth his life for his friends Caelia O good Father You much strengthen my resolution with the sweetnes of these your discourses But now it comes to my mind that you one day in discoursing to our Religious Sisters of the dignity of a Religious state did call it a Sacrifice to God your meaning therein I did not I confesse nor yet do perfectly vnderstand I would desire your Reuerence to expresse your selfe more plainly that so my sister Cosmophila and my selfe may be the better instructed therein Confessarius Well then to come to that point I did then say nothing but what I will proue at this present And first in warrant of that my Assertion that Religious persons are a continuall Sacrifice to God in respect of the oblation which they make of themselues to God I do produce S. Austin thus teaching a A man consecrated vowed to the Honour of God is a Sacrifice in regard that he dyeth to the world that he may liue to God When we chastice our body by temperance if we do it for God as we ought to do to the end not to yeald our members weapons of Iniquity but weapons of Iustice to God it is a sacrifice Yf therefore our body which is but as it were a seruant and instrument of our soule be a sacrifice if the good and pious vse thereof he directed to God How much more then shall a soule be a Sacrifice when it deuoteth it selfe to God to the end that being inflamed with the fyre of his loue it may destroy in it selfe the forme and impression of all worldly Concupiscence and be reformed according to his vnchangeable likenes subiect vnto him and this Sacrifice shall be so much the more gratefull by how much it partaketh of his beauty Thus far doth S. Austin discourse of this point With whom agreeth S. Gregory thus speaking b We offer our selfes in Sacrifice to God when we dedicate our lyfe to his diuine Seruice Thus these Fathers to whom I could alledge the like authorities of many other of them And now from hence I may infer That if it be a Sacrifice for vs to offer any thing vp to God then doubtlesly to offer vp our selues to God is truly a Sacrifice the true Nature and essence whereof cōsisteth in the absolute oblation of our selues I meane of our bodies and soules and of all the powers of our Soules and particularly in offering vp the power of our will especially in such an oblation as being once offered vp it is not in our power to recall Now how most acceptable the sacrifizing of our Soule body is to God is proued by this reason following Yf the Sacrifices of the Old Testament consisting in offering vp to God a Heiffer of three yeare old or a
Calfe or some other such beast were so pleasing to God and that God did receaue those Sacrifices as the Scripture sayth in * an odour of sweetnes How ineffably pleasing then is that Spirituall sacrifice which is bought and redeemed by the most precious bloud of our Redeemer to wit the sacrifizing of the soule and body to his diuine Maiesty And can we then doubt but that he will receaue such a Sacrifice in an incomparably far greater Odour of sweetnes then he receaued those legall sacrifices in the Old Testament with this I conclude this point since litle more needeth to be added hereto Cosmophila Very Reuerend Syr You haue so fully manifested and sayed open the worth dignity and splendour of a Religious life as that more in this kind cannot be expected Neuerthelesse seeing all persons are not of one and the same disposition of mind some men and these of more noble spirits being affected to things in regard of the true estimation and honour which is found in the same things Others againe being carried violently and with an immoderate loue to such things or courses of liâ—e which are euer attended on with hope of great benefit and profit deriued from thence Therefore to encourage that soule which beareth an eye chiefly to its own benefit emolument I should be desirous to know what fruite may be reaped by professing a Votary and Religious life which by other vertuous courses is not so easely obtained We see how worldly men are carried with an impetuous streame of their Will to such professions of life wherein they hope to reap profit thereby to quench their vnquencheable thirst of gayne For example to this end doth the Country-man labour in rillage of his ground to this end the Marchant-venturer sends his ships with danger to most far and discoasted Nations Briefly to this end our Lawyers in England take such indefatigable paines Since then a Religious life infinitly transcendeth in worth these former and all other temporall courses of life I doubt not but that it is furnished with many peculiar benefits and profits and those of so much the more worth by how much the profession of a Religious life is more honourable then the profession of any kind of mercenary life Therefore Good Syr insist I beseech you in this subiect so far forth as you shall thinke good I do assure you I do bring with me now at this present greedy and listening eates to your speaches let them not therefore be defrauded of their expectation Confessarius As aboue I said so now againe I will comply with and satisfy your requests in what I can and indeed there are so various and diuers benefits flowing necessarily from a Religious and professed life as that I may say with the Poet Inopem me copia fecit Aboundance of matter makes me vncertaine where to begin Therefore at this present I will rest in presenting to your iudgment the chiefest fruits benefits deriued from a Religious life pretermitting for breuity others of lesse moment First then we hould that a man or woman by entring into Religion hath euen by the force and vertue of that Act as men of rype age haue by their Baptisme a full remission of all their sinnes committed till then throughout their whole life Now how great immense and soueraigne a benefit is this The greatnes whereof is best discerned by obseruing the effects wrought thereby to wit First the auoyding of Hell-fyer for all Eternity or the fyer of Purgatory which is more insufferable as S. Austin affirmeth then any torments in this world can be Secondly the obtayning of the kingdome of Heauen which is reserued and giuen only to those whose sinnes are remitted and forgiuen I will add hereto this one consideration That if we be to redeeme but only one mortall sinne how great paines ought we to take in procuring a true CoÌ„trition therof in afflicting our bodies with fasting disciplines and other such austerities how impreciable then and most worthy to be esteemed is that Course of life wherein a man or woman entring into doth by that one Act deface and cancell out not one only sinne but all sinnes and lesser imperfections which a sinfull or carelesse Christian hath committed afore all his life tyme Now that the Profession of a Religious life doth euen by vertue of that Act blot out all sinnes afore committed Thomas Aquinas that great Doctour and Saint thus disputeth If c Almes-deedes do deliuer sinnes as we find in the Prophet Daniel how much more shall the entrance into Religion worke the same effect Which kind of voluntary Penance is not only of equall worth with Almes-deedes but doth greatly exceed it And the reason hereof S. Thomas giueth in another place in these words d When we enter into Religion our sinnes are forgiuen vs but yet so as that we on our part lay downe a reall and very great satisfaction for tâ—em For when we deliuer vp our will wholy to God and bequeath our selses to his seruice we giue him that which is more deare vnto vs then all thing els in the world and consequently we do fully satisfy for all sinnes that are past Thus S. Thomas And vpon this ground it is that S. Ierome e calleth entring into a religious life a second Baptisme and this with good Reason since in religion we dye to the World in Baptisme we dye to sinne Thus farre Gosmophila of the first fruite of a Religious life the greatnes whereof who can truly apprehend O if a Man by some traiterous and disloyall Act to his Prince were enchayned and were daily to suffer insupportable torments for such his Cryme Or if one were infinitly indebted to his Creditours and fat more then all his temporall state were able to discharge how happy would that first man or this other thinke themselues to be if so the one could be set at liberty from his daily punishment and the other discharged of all his debts by performing one only Act which should be most gratefull to the Prince of the one and to the Creditours of the other The Case is here a like We all by sinne commit a spirituall treason towards God and also by them we daily increase the heape of our debts that is our Transgressions for which we say in our Lords Prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses And yet all the punishments due to be inflicted vpon vs and all the debts we owe to God may be taken away and discharged by one only Act of entring into Religion How sottish then and stupid are most men who cannot or at least will not apprehend the benefit thereof And thus briefly to proue that the Act of first entring into a Religious life if other requisite circumstances be not wanting doth obliterate and blot out all sinnes afore committed and that in that respect it is iustly called A second Baptisme Cosmophila Good Father neuer can a subiect of this Nature thus learnedly discoursed
of by you breed any saciety to my Eares nor can they euer be cloyed there with such inexplicable pleasure I take therein so strongly haue your words deliuered of the state of a Religious life inuaded my iudgment making it most contrary so farre as concernes Religion to that vnworthy conceyte I had thereof at my first entrance into this vertuous Monastery But presuming of your voluntary continuance in your former Charity touching the more fully rectifying of my weake and feminine Iudgment herein I would desire you to descend to the displaying of other fruits benefits springing from the roote of a Religious life Confessarius Most willingly The next benefit then wherin I will insist is to shew that a Religious life through Gods most mercifull acceptance therof doth often expiate and make satisfaction for all sinns whose temporal punishmeÌ„ts after the guilt of eternall damnation is remitted are to be suffered either in this world or in the next in the fyer of Purgatory That a Religious life is of this efficacy and vertue is thus proued Yf a Religious life can procure a full remission of all sinnes in respect of eternall damnation due to our sinnes as aboue I haue shewed it doth then much more a Religious life is of force to procure the lesse that is to cancell and blot out all temporall punishment Since the torments in Purgatory are so much inferiour to euerlasting damnation as tyme is inferiour to all Eternity and to endure torments for certaine yeares only is more sufferable then to endure torments for euer and without End And the lesse we are here to admire that a Religious life can take away all the paines of Purgatory if so we call to mind that this life is a state or Pennance and so commonly called in regard that most of the tyme thereof is bestowed in bewayling and lamenting the sinnes of our life and in repairing the faults and negligences of former yeares Now the greatnes of this benefit of a Religious life if we apprehend two things touching Purgatory will more easely appeare First the greatnes of those temporall torments in Purgatory Secondly if we conceaue that there are very few persons and those only of extraordinary sanctity which doe escape the fyer of Purgatory Now touching the first point I will enlarge my discourse with the testimonies and iudgment of S. Austin deliuered vpon this point Well then let vs heare of what iudgment S. Austin is herein who thus writeth of the atrocity of the paines of Purgatory f Because g S. Paul affirmeth that they meaning those in Purgatory do suffer detriment but yet they shall be saued as by fyre Therefore sayth S. Austin this fyre is contemned but certainly though they shall be saued by it yet is this fyre more grieuous then whatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life albeit you know how great and intollerable things men haue and can suffer Againe S. h Austin in another place thus They which haue done things worthy of temporall punishment whom the Apostle sayth shall be saued by fyre must passe through a fiery râ—uer and most horrible shallowes of buring 〈◊〉 Finally the same Father thus further discourseth hereof in these words Yf i a sinner by repentance and Conuersion escape death and obtayneth life yet for all this I cannot promise him that he shall escape all payne or punishment which must be suffered in Purgatory fyre this fyre I tell you though it be not euerlasting yet it is passing grieuous for it doth exceed all paines that man can suffer in this life In this place now I will descend to shew that most holy Seruants of God haue been greatly afrayd of the paines of this purging fyre Now if such men of eminency for vertue and Piety haue stood in such feare and horrour thereof what then shall become almost of all Lay-people who liue in the world and forbeare to take the Course of Religious life which is very auayleable to preuent and free them from that raging fyre I will then first set downe the words of S. Gregory touching the dread that the Prophet Dauid had of the temporall fyre of Purgatory Thus then he writeth expounding those words of Dauid k O Lord rebuke me not in thy fury nor correct me in thy wrath This is sayth S. Gregory as if he had said I know that after this life some must be clensed by purging fyre and others must receaue Sentence of eternall damnation But because I esteeme that purging fyre though it be transitory to be more intollerable then all the tribulation which in this lyfe may be suffered Therefore I only do not desire not to be rebuked in the fury of eternall damnation but also I greatly feare to be purged in the wrath of transitory Correction Thus S. Gregory From whose words we may conceaue in what feare of Purgatory both Dauid as also S Gregory himselfe allowing the iudgement of Dauid did stand S. Ambrose that Holy Father feared no lesse but that he might suffer the paines of Purgatory who thus writeth of himselfe l O Lord if thou reserue any thing in me to be reuenged in the next life yet I humbly beseech thee that thou giue me not vp to the power of wicked spirits whiles thou wypest away my sinnes by the paines of Purgatory I will conclude with S. Bernard who in these passionate words following discouereth his conceaued dread and horrour of suffering the temporall paines of fyre in the next life m O would God some man would now afore hand prouide for my head aboundance of Water and to mine Eyes a fountayne of teares for so perhaps the burning fyre should take no hould where running teares had clensed before Thus far Cosmophila of this subiect And now from hence I present to your iudgment the consideration of two points First the violent extremity of the paines of Purgatory Secondly that the most holy men who haue liued stood most fearefull that their liues and Actions should be tried refyned purged in this fyre Now both these two passages being most euident and aboue by me so cleared what dread then may Lay-people such as your selfe Cosmophila is conceaue of this fyre Wherein all the Idle words to apply my speach particularly to your Sex of yong Gentle-women all heir amarous Conceites and discourses with men all multitude of lighter sinnes all desire of superfluous brauery in apparell and new fashions all idle spending of seuerall howers in the day for adorning and beautifying of their faces and bodies to be gazed on by men shal be purged and for how many yeares God himselfe only knoweth Yf a man should put his hand into the fyre but for the space of a quarter of an hower what insupportable paines should he endure Yet all this were but a flea-byting in regard of the torments of Purgatory conunuing for many yeares Now then to turne apply my speach to the
beginning of this mayne passage Yf a Religious life be so worthy in it selfe and of such efficacy as being a state of Continuall Penance as that by it a Religious person may labour daily to cancell his sinnes and to escape the paines both of Hell Purgatory how weake then is the iudgment of all those who sleight and prize litle the priuiledges granted by God to such a life And on the contrary syde how happy Cosmophila is your Sister Caelia in choosing this her retired and votary life for her better auoiding of all the former threatned dangers Abbesse Reuerend Father Confessarius and you Cosmophila with both your good leaues I will make bold to relate one Fruite or benefit of a Religious life and hereto I am the more willing in that out of my owne experience and gouerment ouer others I find the Fruit by me here vnderstood to be most exactly practized by all those religious sisters who liue vnder my charge This benefit whereof I here speake is an Humble lowlines of mind in the Professours of a votary life And the greatnes of this vertue is of so large an extent as that S. Bernard houlds it to be a signe of predestination who in one of his Sermons turneth his speach to his owne Brethren and thus speaketh Dearely n beloued perseuer in the Course allready vndertaken that by Humility you may ascend to Sublimity This is the way and there is no other way but it He that goeth otherwise doth rather fall for Humility exalteth Humility leades to life Thus S. Bernard The truth whereof from experience appeareth seeing we may daily obserue that that Man or Woman who is most poore in spirit that is most humble is commonly most rich in the guifts of the spirit and according hereto if so I remember the words the Prophet Dauid thus speaketh Our o Lord is high and regardeth humble things Now for the further displaying of the great fruit of Humility we may call to mind that it preuenteth many dangers of the soule vnto which dangers high minded persons lye open Humility also ministreth many helpes to eternall Saluation for they that are in honour Elation of state are euer in great danger of a headlong falling whereas a good humble Soule reposeth it selfe most willingly in the lowest place and is thereby more remote from any spirituall slipping downe And by this we may gather how much we are obliged to Religion whereby keeping vs out of the trafficke and commerse of the eyes of men and from all worldly aduancements we rest in a holy and wholesome place of Refuge we being by this meanes made meere strangers to the World and the World to vs And touching the practise of this precious Vertue of Humility if I may speake it in all sobriety of iudgment it is most exactly and daily put in execution by the Sisters of this our poore Monastery For though I say it there are diuers Sisters here worthily for their parentage descended and yet they euen striue contend through a pious and religious Emulation which of them shall performe the most and lowest workes of Humility How often to my owne great edification haue I commanded such or such a Sister of no meane Descent to vndergoe this or that meane office in out house Yea so willingly hath ech of theÌ„ with a ready smiling consent performed what I appointed as that thogh I be their vnworthy Gouernesse yet I may bouldly pronounce that they are my Instructours in the practise of this Vertue And for the more certainty hereof I dare appeale to the iudgment of you Sister Caelia whose eyes are able to depose the daily truth of what I heere say but though I be their Superiour heerin I will not glory in our selues but according to the Apostles words I p will glory in our Lord Caelia I freely auerre that my owne sight since my first entrance in to this holy House hath obserued strange and vnexpected Examples of this kind And indeed to speake vnder both your licences I do find not only Humility but many other Vertues to be daily exercised among our Sisters to the great strengthning and encouraging of me in this my selected life So as I may iustly terme this Monastery and no doubt all other well gouerned Monasteries either of Men or Women a very Schoole of Vertue For besides the three Theologicall vertues to wit Fayth Hope and Charity as also besides the three essentiall vowes of a religious life I meane of Chastity Pouerty and Obedience finally besides Humility aboue spoken of what other vertue sorting to a Christian life is there not practised by the blessed Nunnes of this Monastery and this in a high degree The due Consideration of which point I grant hath increased my thirst in imbracing this most happy life and in loathing the world and all the fruitles pleasures thereof O deare Sister Cosmophila I would to God I were daily to endure no small paines of my body and this for no thort tyme that you had so fully seene in this place the practize of vertue as I haue done and that the sight thereof had made so deep an impression both in your Vnderstanding and Will as to my infinit comfort through the vnspeakable goodnes of his diuine Maiesty it hath done in mine Then Good sister I shold be assured that you would not so much depresse and vnderuâ—lew the state of a Religious life as in the beginning of this discourse you did Yea I would not be altogether in dispayre but that your selfe for the Eternall good and wellfare of your soule with a pious contempt of all those trifling allurements aboue mentioned by you as Mariage splendour in apparell attendance and the like might perhaps imbrace the same religious Course of life with me But Reuerend Father to turne my speach to you your Reuerence may proceede further if so you shall thinke good in vnfoulding the fruits and benefits of Religion My sister seemes by her words to take no small delight therein and as for my selfe to the greater nourishment of my spirituall life I doe euen feed vpon these your vertuous and religious discourses Confessarius I will not be sparing of my labour herein But because this Scene of myne in setting downe the benefits and commodities arysing by a Religious life hath beene somwhat long therefore I will passe ouer many fruits thereof As that a man doth discharge his debt in giuing himselfe wholy to God in Religious state That Gods peculiar care and protection is ouer those who liue in a Religious lyfe That the prayers of Religious persons are easely heard That among religious people there is mutuall communication of Good workes That in a Religious state the Commvndements of God bynding vnder the penalty of damnation are far more easely kept then in the state of the Layty That there is greater merit of one and the same good worke performed by a Religious person then the