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
had one Father and Mother deare Sister â—ow do you How do our parents Are they health Cosmophyla Most louing Sister how glad am I to see â—ou Our parents are in good health of body But our only good Brother Monadelphus for you know we had but one and therefore we were vsually for many yeares accustomed so to call him since your departure out of England is dead to the inconsolable griefe of my Father and Mother though I trust he liue with Christ Iesus in Heauen And his death is the only occasion why my Father hath sent me vnto you With the cause wherof seeing this Religious Lady is in the end to be acquainted I thinke it conuenient to declare it in her presence though from others I would haue the matter concealed But must in the meane tyme this vnkind or rather enuious Irongrate through which I only yet but see you must it I say barre vs from mutually imbracing one another now after my wearisome iourney of so many miles both by sea and land Abbesse Mistresse it shall not you shall haue free accesse to come in to speake conuerse with your Sister Our house is not of that seuere disposition as to forbid that familiar consolation of Sisters which euen Nature and all morall Ciuility warranteth Neuerthelesse you do prudently to acquaint me with any priuate busines which may passe betweene you and your Sister for it is the custome of our house as also of other Monasteryes that no particular discourse of moment shall passe betweene any of our Sisters and Strangers how neere soeuer they be in kindred without the priuity of the Abbesse or of some other appointed by her order Therefore come with me I wil take you into a retyred place where not any shall be present but this our Reuerend Father Confessarius to whome is ordinarily made knowne the greatest busines of our house my selfe you and your Sister Caelia Well Now heere you are You may freely impart the occasion of your comming to your Sister and so to vs both Cosmophila Well then Good Sister let me first salute imbrace you Now touching the busines this it is Take notice that as I haue abous tould you our only Brother is dead In regard hereof my Father hearing that as yet you haue not made any Vow of a Religious lyfe nor yet in conscience stand obliged to any such spirituall course you being only in your Nouiceship He is desirous therefore that you returne presently into England with me for his meaning is through want of heyres-Male to deuyde his liuing betweene vs which to speake sparingly is two thousand pounds yearely himselfe as you know well being a knight if so I may deliuer it with modesty of good place and ranke He wrote to you some moneths since about this busines but it seemes his letters did miscarry and therefore he was the more willing to send me vnto you to persuade you to satisfy herein his iust desire Therefore seeing we are Sisters in Nature I hope you will beare to my speaches a Sisterly and listing eare And since you are the elder Sister my Father commanded me to tell you that vpon your mariage he will bequeath to you at his death the better part or moity of his state and liuing This is the Tenour of my message and it is warranted with such strong Reasons and Motiues as that I cannot be persuaded but that you will conforme your selfe to our Father herein with all promptitude and readines of Resolution and that you will within few dayes prepare your selfe for your returne with me into England Caelia O deare Sister you could not haue brought me a more distastfull and vnpleasing message then this I am most sorry that our Brother is dead and yet we all must once dye but that his death should be the occasion of my forsaking my intended and now entred into course of life I infinitly loath Therefore O most mercifull Redeemer Iesus Christ to whom I am allready deuoted in soule neuer to espouse any but thy selfe heere vpon my knees I most humbly beseech thee euen by the force of thy bitter passion so to strengthen fortify the weakenes of my Sex with thy alouercomming grace as that neither the ghostly Enemy of mans Soule nor any temporary or vayne Allectiues or Motiues may be of strength to worke so vpon my iudgment as euer to beare me from the station of my present Resolution to imbrace a Monasticall votary lyfe O Good God of whom it is said That thou a choosest the weake to confound the strong arme my imbecillity with thy succurrency and help to subdue all assaults which either the Enemy or the World shall be able to plant against me Abbesse Ryse vp deare Sister Caelia you haue spoken well and I assure my selfe God will not be wanting with his grace towards you For he neuer forsaketh that party who putteth his trust in him for we read b God is a tower of strength from the face of the Enemy Cosmophila What Sister Must this be the message the which I must returne from you to your Father Where then is your obedience to your parents It seemes it is wanting yet I haue heard learned Clarks say that * Obedience is better then Sacrifice Can it be an effect of a Religious lyfe to cast of that duty to our pareÌ„ts which the Religion of God commandeth vs euer to beare Is it not one of the precepts imposed vpon vs by God himselfe Honour * thy Father and Mother that thy dayes may be long vpon earth Therefore good Sister recall your selfe and cast an eye of introuersion vpon your owne actions And let both you and me euen meditate according to our Fathers desire of Husbands of Husbands I say the very sound of which word is so gratefull to our sex And let vs both remember that since we are borne to liue in this world we are for the tyme to be louers of the world and to be partakers of the Honours therof as to haue our Coaches our Attendance braue and rich Apparell to liue at London and the lyke Caelia O how do your words wound my poore hart with griefe And why do you cast an aspertion of disobedience vpon me I honour my Father and Mother yet I honour my Sweet Iesus more My Father gaue a being to my body in this world God is the supreme Agent giuing a creation both of my soule and body My Father intreats but God out of his irresistable power commands My Father promiseth temporall lands and preferments God promiseth me an eternall heauenly Kingdome Briefly my Father hath maintained me being once borne with necessaries to my lyfe God being borne hath redeemed me being borne with the effusion of his most pretious bloud and euer since hath fed and nourished my soule with the celestiall iuyce of his Grace-bringing Sacraments Why then should my Soule be so trayterous to his diuine Maiesty and
a greedines would many of you read it CoÌ„demne then your owne want of spirituall feruour in such of you as but only vouchsafe to cast a curious eye here there vpon these leaues yet it may be in part said that this Booke in general discourseth of the same subiect of which the Areadia doth to wit of Loue But the Arcadia of sensuall and Vaynâ— Loue attended on with sinne and Repentance This of chast and holy Loue whereby a Soule by solemne vow espouseth herselfe to Christ her Bridegroome so verifying those words of the A Present b you a chaste Virgin Vreâ—â— Christ I only wish that what Cosmophila a feigned young Gentlewoman in this Dialogue is supposed to do you really and truly would act her Sceene in your proceedings So might you by a mortifyed lyfe not only auoyd all spirituall dangers both of foule and body but infallibly purchafe to your selues an eternall Crowne of Glory Yf any of you reape such profit by this my Labour as by the â—eading heereof to shake hands for euer with the vanities of the world and happily to Cloyster your selfes in some deuout Monastery how fully should I thinke â—ny paynes to be recompensed herein And with this I cease inreating your remembrance of he only for my intention at east and endeauour of aduaning your spirituall good at the best tymes of your deuotions Yours in all Christian Charity N. N. The Explication of certaine Greeke Namâ—â—â—vsed in this Treatise Caelia A woman exercising a Heauenâ—â—â— lyfe Cosmophila A woman that loueth 〈◊〉 World Christophila A woman deuoting her lâ—â—â— to Christ Monadelphus One only Brother Orthodoxus A man professing the 〈◊〉 Fayth Gynecia Womanhood Belgiopolis A Citty in Belgium or 〈◊〉 Low-Countreyes The Argument or Subiect of the ensuing Dialogue ORthodoxus an imaginary Catholike Knight in England and of a great State hath three Children by his Lady Gynecia two Daughters one Sonne The elder daughter is called Caelia the younger Cosmophila His sonne Monadelphus Calia is permitted with consent of her parents to become Religious and accordingly is sent ouer vnto an English Monastery of Nunnes in Belgiopolis Whiles she is in her Nouiship or yeare of Probation her Brother Monadelphus dyeth Hereupon Orthodoxus writeth to Caelia since as yet she was not professed to returne backe because for want of Heyres-Male he was determined to dispose of both his daughters in Mariage and to deuide after his death his State betweene them He receaueth no answere from Calia In the end Orthodoxus is forced to send his yonger daughter Cosmophila to Caelia to perswade her returne Cosmophila as being fully instructed by her Father who furnished her with diuers Obiections commonly made against a Religious lyfe was most earnest with her Sister to satisfy their parents desire and this in the presence of the Confessarius and Abbesse of that Monastery Caelia remayneth constant and immoueable in her pious Resolution The Confessarius learnedly displayeth the weakenes and insufficiency of all those Reasons and Arguments which Cosmophila brought That done he beginneth to discourse in a most full manner of the Dignity Worth Excellency Priuiledges Benefits of a Monasticall Life His Speaches by little and little did so strongly worke with Cosmophila as that she fully repenting her of former perswasions to her Sister wholy altereth her iudgment is resolued to lead the same Religious life with Caelia taketh the Habit of the Monastery beginneth her Nouiship and changeth her former name into Christophila The two daughters wryte a ioynt letter to their parents acquainting them with what hath fallen out They withal intreat the Confessarius to wryte with theirs his owne letter to Orthodoxus and his Lady He agreeth to their request Their parents receauing these Letters were at the first much agrieued But within some small tyme after partly by force of the said Letters but chiefly seeing they saw it was Gods will and Ordination that their only soÌ„ne should dye both their daughters should become Religious that they shold as being hopelesse of more issue leaue no Heyres Male of their owne bodies behind them they humbly submit themselues to Gods good pleasure therein They do so repentingly acknowledg their former Errour in dehorting of Caelia as that both being wel strokeÌ„ in yeares they resolue for satisfaction of that fault to liue no loÌ„ger togeather as man and wyfe but to spend the rest of their life in a Religious Course Hereupon Orthodoxus acquainteth the Confessarius by Letter that he intendeth to enter into some Religious House of the Capuchins and Gynecia into the Monastery where her two daughters do remaine THE DIALOGVE COSMOPHILA being sent ouer into the Low-Countreyes by her Father Orthodoxus as is before declared with instruction and order to bring backe her sister Caelia into England and now safely arriued at Belgiopolis meeting with a Reuerend Man â—n the street courteously saluteth him in this manner Cosmophila Reuerend Syr God saue you It seemes by your habit that you are a Clergy-man and so in likely hood the better able to satisfy my demand I am a Stranger and an English woman and but at this very houre arriued with my Seruants to this Noble Citty of Belgiopolis My desire is that you would be pleased to direct me vnto the Monastery of the English Nunnes in this Towne The Confessarius Gentlewoman and it should appeare by youâ— attendance of Worthy State and Condition I will not only satisfy your request but wiâ—â— my selfe conduct you to the Monastery for am the Confessarius to the Religious and vertuous women of that House Therefore if 〈◊〉 please you let vs go together for it is cloâ—â— by This is the Monastery Come in and reâ—â— your selfe a while in this roome till I shaâ—â— send for the Lady Abbesse vnto the Grate tâ— speake with you and entertaine you according to your worth And loe where she approacheth The Abbesse Is there any one here who would speak with me Confessarius Yes Madame For as I was passing through the Streets I ouertooke this worthy Gentlewoman a stranger and English as she sayth by birth She desired me to shew her this Religious house but what the cause of her comming hither is or why she is desirous to see this house I know not Noe doubt she will acquaint your Ladyshippe with her Motiues thereof Abbesse Gentlewoman Are you the party that would speake with me Yf it please you then you may relate your busines Cosmophila I am And herewith I am to make knowne vnto you that I haue a Sister in this your house called Caelia whom I would gladly see And to her I shall impart all the particulars of my long and tedious iourney Abbesse I will send for her to come vnto you presently And heere she commeth Sister Caelia â—now you this English Gentlewoman who you â—ee on the other syde of the Grate She sayth â—e knoweth you Caelia O God! It is my Sister Cosmophila for we â—oth
same is being performed in a Lay person and this by vertue of a Religious state That those who are truly Religious people do euer the Will of God That a Religious life as aboue is partly shewed cutteth off and preuenteth all occasion of sinne That by a Religious state we she the world and all the dangers thereof All these particular points I say I will pretermit to enlarge my selfe vpon and I will close this longe Passage touching the Fruits and benefits of a Religious life by heere shewing That one maine or chief Fruite thereof is that it promiseth a safe quiet and happy death The greatnes of which benefit what tongue can expresse or vnderstanding conceaue since Gods sacred writ assureth vs q Blessed are they that dye in our Lord Now for the better more full apprehension of this so inexplicable a benefit we are to call to mind that at the hower of our death three things are accustomed to afflict vs The 〈◊〉 Death it selfe the remembrance where of in regard that thereby we are to leaue the world and all its temporall pleasures begetteth euen a horrour in Mans Nature and therfore it is most truly said by the Wiseman that the remembrance * of Death is bitter The second reason making death so vnpleasing is that that is the tyme when the Deuill is most accustomed to tempt a Soule with his wicked suggestions The third and most dreadfull is the astonishing feare of the last Sentence oâ— doome of a Soule which instantly followeth after death Now the discontents and terrour of all these three things are much more mitigated sweetned and lessned in Religion then they are or commonly can be in the death of Lay persons To begin with the first This griefe in the Laity proceedeth that by death we are tâ— leaue all worldly Riches states honours yeâ— wife and children Finally that the soule 〈◊〉 leaue the body they two hauing liued so lonâ— as most deare friends Now most of this griefâ— is taken away in one dying in the state of Religious life And the reason hereof is tâ— cause when a Religious man or Woman by their professed state haue once forsaken the world they haue giuen then aforehand their last farewell to all Riches Honours neereneâ— of kindred and the like and then seeing theâ— haue parted with all these allurements afore aâ— their first entering into Religion it cannot 〈◊〉 any great griefe the second tyme to part with them to wit at the tyme of their death Now touching the second point which the Assaults and temptations with which 〈◊〉 Enemy of Mans Soule is accustomed to trouble ech one at his death we dare say That if there be any kind of men that are not troubled at that tyme or but very little with his wicked suggestions the Religious Man is that man And this is thus proued First in that the goodnes of God will not suffer himselfe to â—eaue and forsake that person in that last point of a most dangerous state vpon which person God hath in his lyfe tyme heaped so many spirituall graces and fauours as are necessarily concurring for ones entring into a Religious state Secondly I maintayne that it is most sorâ—ing and agreeable euen to the Iustice of God to protect and defend in that dangerous hower that person who with all sincerity and simplicity of hart hath vowed himselfe I meane both his Body Soule and all the powers thereof to a most strict seuere and Religious Course of seruing his diuine Maiesty Wherefore no good Religious person hath iust Reason to feare but that God at the hower of his death will couer him vnder the wings of his protection and will strengthen his Soule with internall comfort To the lessening or breaking of the forces of the former temptations of the Deuill at the tyme of a Religious Mans death we may add the comfort and consolation which euery Religious man at that hower receaueth of his Brethren euery Religious Woman of her Sisters This I meane by the assistance of their Brethren and Sisters which assistance consisteth in their exhortations Counsell and continuall prayers which allwayes but especially at the instant of death are very powerfull to animate vs in hope and to repell the fierce attempts of the Enemy Concerning the third last point which maketh death most terrible which is the learâ— of the dreadfull doome which immediatly followeth the separation of the body from the soule The feare of which doome is much diminished by the hope of Saluation which iâ— Religious man may more securely promise to himselfe then any Lay person for the moâ—â— part can And this Hope is grounded principally vpon two points First that it is presumed that a Religious Man is not guilty to himselfe of any mortall and grieuous sinne Secondly his Hope is confirmed with the remembrance of the aboundance of his good works during his lyfe tyme neither of which can be wanting in a Religious Course And hereupon we read S. Ierome exhorting Iuliaâ— to a Religious life thus to write to him r Happy is that man and worthy of all blessednes whom old age ouertaketh seruing Christ whom the last day shall fynd fighting vnder our Sauiour or to whom iâ— shall be said Thou hast receaued ill things in thy life but now shalt reioyce Hitherto worthy Cosmophila I haue laboured both for your owne and your Sister Caelia her spirituall good in discoursing of a Religious state And briefly to recall to our memory what hath passed in our former words thereof euen from the beginning of our speach First you may remember that I did discoueâ—â— the weakenes and insufficiency of all those Reasons and Obiections insisted vpon by â—ou with which your Father so much laboâ—ed to impugne at least to disesteeme and disâ—alew a Votary and Monasticall lyfe After that shewed the worth of that kind of life by seting downe the three Essentiall Vowes I meane of Chastity Pouerty and Obedience wherupon a Religious life is grounded or seated That done I did spend diuers passages of â—each in laying open the Excellency Antiquity â—onour Splendour and Dignity of the same kind â— life And now in this last place I haue ranâ—ed togeather diuers of the chiefest and most â—rincipall Fruits and benefits euer necessarily â—â—tending vpon a Religious state So as now I how not what more can needfully be said â—uching this subiect That your Sister Caelia hath by these my words strengthened and fortifyed her pious resolution for imbracing this course of lyfe I â—â—st fully assured Now what operation my â—eaches haue found in you Cosmophila will â—est appeare by your owne relation Only I â—ould be glad as through some words by â—ou aboue vttered I partly hope if so by force these my speaches your Iudgment might fully induced only to haue a true and worâ—â—y conceite of a Religious life Cosmophila Only to haue a true and worthy conceite of a Religious life O God if so I