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
THE ENGLISH NVNNE BEING A Treatise wherein by way of Dialogue the Author endeauoureth to draw yong vnmarried Catholike Gentlewomen to imbrace a Votary and Religious Life Written by N. N. Heereunto is annexed a short Discourse by way of Conclusion to the Abbesses and Religious women of all the English Monasteries in the Low-Countreys and France Enter you by the narrow Gate meaning of Austerity that leadeth vnto Life because large is the Way that leadeth to Perdition Matth. 7. Present your selfe a chast Virgin vnto Christ 2. Cor. 11. Permissu Superiorum M. DC XLII THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY To the young and vnmaried Catholike Gentlewomen of England WORTHY and vertuous young Gentlewomen My Penne for your spirituall good is willing in these ensuing leaues to spread it selfe You are all Catholikes in Fayth and profession and therefore the more apt to receaue if so Gods Grace be not wanting the impression of the Aduice CouÌ„sel which in this Treatise is giuen My mayne proiect at this present is since you all to whom I wryte as yet remayne in your Chast and Virginall state free from Mariage to perswade you what in me lyeth to abandone this Wicked World and to imbrace a Votary and Religious life A hard labour no doubt in your iudgments but facile and easy to such of you who haue a feeling true apprehension of the ioyes of Heauen and torments of Hell I do not speake this as if one in a maried state could not arryue to Heauen and auoyde Hell Noe God forbid For I acknowledg with the Apostle a Mariage to be honourable but withall I hould Virginity to be more honourable I here only propound the most secure way to come to Heauen and escape Hell And here I demand if any of You were married and after the death of your husbands were to enioy a great and rich Ioynture of a thousand or two thousand pounds yearely would you not be desirous that besydes the common Course of making Ioyntures which perhaps might be subiect to some danger to take by your learned Counsell the best meanes for the ratifying and better securing of your Right to your said Ioynture I know you would be most solicitous herein You all pretend Title to the kingdome of Heauen a kingdom infinitly surpassing in worth all worldly Iointures that the whole Earth can affoard and will you then content your selues to seeke by the common and ordinary Course of a Secular lyfe to obtaine this kingdome in which state as I grant many liuing haue gayned it so incoÌ„parably far many more haue lost it but that rather you wil enter into that Vocation how seuere how strict how crosse soeuer to flesh and bloud it shall seeme which may giue you greater assurance and more strengthen your Interest and Title to that most Blessed Kingdome This Treatise I haue composed in forme of a feigned Dialogue as hoping that thereby you will be sooner induced to the reading and perusing it at full then if it were written in one long continued speach without any vicissitude or change of Persons In the Persons here feigned by supposall I haue thought good to incorporate all the Reasons as deliuered by them chiefly mouing to a Religious retired Life as also such obiections as commonly are made against that most happy Course as you may be more fully instructed by perusing the Argument or subiect hereof next following And seing the chiefest barre â—et in women to a Monasticall lyfe is desire of Mariage hope of children I will besides what is treated therof hereafter insist heere a little discouering the insufficiency of this Motiue shewing that the accustomed miseries of a married lyfe and of hauing issue ought much rather to sway with women for their forbearaÌ„ce of Marriage And first whereas Lyfe is the dearest thing to man or woman yet we find that besides the certaine great paines of Child-birth Lyfe it selfe in young married women is for the most part euery one or two yeares greatly endangered to be lost witnesse heereof is the daily experience of women dying in Childbed What true desire then can a woman haue to vndertak that course of life wherein lyeth so great a perill of loosing that I meane heâ—Lyfe which is most deare vnto her and that her body thereby shall before its prefixed tyme by God become meate for wormes Yf any one of you had a Iewels set with rich and Orient pearle valewed at some hundreds of pounds how carefull would you be in keeping of it how would your care be doubled from endangering the losse of it at any tyme And yet only for the enioying of a litle momentary pleasure attended after with multitude of miseries you can be content so often to hazard the losse of your owne lyfe the most precious Iewell that God Nature hath bestowed vpon you in this world O fondnes of Iudgment But to proceed Admit that a woman in bringing forth her Children should be freed from all danger of death yet to how many other insupportable afflictions doth she become thrall lye open For we obserue and this not seldome that the Husband becomes vnkind withdrawing his loue and affection from whence it is due placing it on others where it is not due Againe the Husband I meane no few number of them doth oftentimes dissipate and waste his Estate and Patrimony in sensuality and riot to the vtter ouerthrow or beggary in the end of Himselfe his Wyfe and Children But suppose the Husband be exempt from these disorders yet â—f the wyfe haue many Children falleth it not often out that the children through the negligence of their Father are brought vp in all liberty and dissolution to the inconsolable griefe of the poore Gentlewoman their Mother to the eternall Damnation of the Childrens soules And what comfort then can that womaÌ„ haue to be an instrumeÌ„t of bringing forth that Child who shall become for euer an Heyre of Hell-fyre O how many wyues are there in England who find by ouer late too dearely bought experieÌ„ce all this to be true which I here affirme of the frequent dangers griefes and afflictions of mynd commonly accompanying Marriage From all which languors of spirit that woman deliuereth herselfe who forbearing marriage doth determine to leade a Religious lyfe In proofe of the Truth her said I appeale euen to the certain knowledge of diuers of your selues who if you will but cast your â—es vpon some of your owne â—yndred and friends at least of our acquaintance that liue in â—ate of mariage must needs confesse that all or diuers of the aâ—â—re mentioned miseries and calamities do daily oppresse many â—f them You are yet free beware â—en of such dangers Nor will any further enlarge my selfe in â—his place vpon this Subiect but will refer you to the serious peruâ—ll of the Booke it selfe Yf this Discourse were a second Syr Philip Sidneys Arcadia reating of amourous Conceyts with what
Abdadas king of Toledo became before their deaths two Religious and Cloystered Nunnes I will come to our owne Country of England where we find great store of such Examples And first Eldrede wyfe to the king of the Northumbers in the yeare 670. Ethelburg spouse to Inas king of the East Saxons did both vndertake a votary lyfe In like sort Etheldred who being wife to two English kings kept her Virginity with them both and obtained of the later husband which was granted her that she might enter into a Monastery of Virgins O how highly to the disgrace of many who now liue in the world did this Queene conceaue of a Religious and cloystred profession But to proceed further Sexburg sister to Etheldred being Queene of Kent after the death of her husband followed her sister in her religious Course Finally Alfrede Queene of the Mercians and Northumbers did lead a most austere life in a Monastery which herselfe had built vpon her owne charges about the yeare 970. Here now I make an end in relating what worthy Emperours and Kings haue left their diademes to professe in Monasteries Religion and Deuotion as also as more fitting for me to alledge iâ— regard of their Sex what truly Noble Empresses and Queenes haue shaken for euer hand with the world to leade a Votary Monasticall and retired life Most happy Emperours and Kings and most happy Empresses and Queenes you are who voluntarily relinquished your terrestriaâ— Crownes for your gayning of a Celestial Crowne which at this day all you do enioy and shall enioy without any change for alâ— eternity And now here Cosmophila you may coniecture by that which is aboue deliuered that your Sister Caeliae by continuing in her much desired state of a Religious lyfe after her dissolution of body shall haue whole Troopes of most Blessed Empresses and Queenes for her Companions and fellowes in Heauen For seeing both they did and she will end their dayes in one and the same Religious course of lyfe therefore all of them are to enioy one and the same heauenly Reward and Community of Saints Cosmophyla Most Religious Lady This your discourse hath giuen me great contentment And indeed it is most sortable to your state that you as being a woman and Gouernesse of many Religious women should be conuersant in the liues of those women whether Empresses or Queenes who leauing all soueraignty and Royall dignity did make choyce to liue and dye in your owne Course and order of lyfe But now R. Father Confessarius to turne my speach againe to you I would intreat you to enter into a further Ocean or mayne Sea in discouering the great Dignity and worth euer attending vpon a Religious Course Confessarius I am as willing thereto as you Cosmophila are so fruitfully should I esteeme my speaches to be bestowed if so they could be of force to draw you to acknowledg all that Honour and worth which is found to be in a Religious life Therefore in this place I will shew that a Rellgious life is as it were a Compound made of the mixture of most other vertues Now if this can be proued as hereafter I will proue how worthy and how much is to be admired the state of Religion For seeing vertue is the only true wealth as I may terme it of a Christian it must necessarily follow that who hath more vertue is more spiritually rich Well then to passe ouer as aboue is both proued granted that the three Vertues of Chastity Pouerty and Obedience doe essentially concurre to the true Profession of Religion I will descend to other vertues euer accompanying that state And to begin with the three Theologicall Vertues as they are commonly called I meane Fayth Hope and Charity And first touching Fayth the Basis or foundation of all Christianity most cleare it is that a Religious state cannot be without an assured and eminent Fayth The reason whereof is this That Man or Woman who entereth into Religion forsaketh all present and temporall benefits pleasures for benefits and pleasures which are vnseene and future and so future as that they are not to come but after a long distance of tyme this man or woman relyeth herein only vpon the sole promisse and Word of God but this no man would do but he that is fully persuaded that the future is much more certaine and assured then that which is present And this is the greatest Act of Fayth which a Christian can performe What shall we say of Hope Hope consisteth in two points First and principally in hoping for the glory of Heauen which though it be to come yet Religion giueth such full pledges thereof as that it causeth a man to vndergoe all difficulties whatsoeuer in a religious life for his infallible Hope of the said glory of Heauen The second point wherein Hope resteth is to extend and stretch it selfe out to the necessary helps of this present lyfe but this kind of Hope is most fully and actually practized in Religion since what man is there who reposeth more confidence in the goodnes and prouidence of God for his enioying of sufficiency of necessaries in this lyfe then a Religious man who voluntarily depriueth himselfe of all things which afore he did enioy or might haue need of wholy casting himselfe throgh a most erected Hope into the hands of Gods goodnes care and benignity for his prouision or necessaries To descend to Charity Charity brancheth it selfe into three Parts One extendeth it selfe towards God the second branch to those persons who are of the same Institute the last to all men whatsoeuer Now touching that Charity which is borne to God this most crearely shineth in a religious life since it is the only Charity which a man beareth to God which forceth him to abandon the world for the more strict and seuere seruing of God therefore the force of that Charity must be extraordinary great which surpasseth all the loue which we beare to our Patents Brethren Kindred Riches and all worldly temporalities and finally the loue to our selues for how were it possible that one should abandon and forsake all these things for God if he loued not God more then all things Touching the second branch of Charity we are to conceaue that the streames of Charity towards our Neighbours are deriued from the loue of God as from its source and fountaine And thus these streames runne first towards them whom God hath linked and tyed together in one and the same Community or Institute of lyfe who by reason of this proximity and nearenes haue euer beene accustomed to call one another by the sweet and louing â—ome of Brethren Now the ground wherevpon Religious people doe agree and vnite themselues together is neither neerenes in hloud nor nâ—y ciuill Contract but only supernaturall Loue which is Charity which Charity did first breed this strict association and after did maintaine and continue it For without Charity it would instantly
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
her Meditations haue wrought very forcibly vpon her Iudgment I my selfe will goe and bring her forth Loe Good Father I haue freed Cosmophila of her voluntary imprisonment and haue brought her forth againe to your Reuerence Now Cosmophila you may freely heere vnfould to Father Confessarius whether you haue reaped any spirituall profit by this your willing restraint and by meditating of the points which were appointed you Cosmophila O Good Madame and you Reuerend Father I should be most vngratefull not only to your selues but chiefly to his diuine Goodnes if I should conceale the benefit which I trust I haue gotten in this Spirituall Exercise such internall consolation in hath pleased his diuine Maiesty to power 〈◊〉 Soule And indeed I here confesse with an inexplicable comforts that whereas before my retyrement I was most willing to imbrace a Religious life my desire thereof is now so infinitly increased as that my words are scarce able to expresse my thirsty greedines thereof And to lay my selfe openly to you both besides the prefixed order of meditating the foresaid points set downe in writing I after laboured to apply according to my weaknes of iudgment the vse of euery particular Meditation to the seconding and furtherance of my intended course of a Religious life I will exemplify this point in all the Meditations 1. In my meditation of Death I thus discoursed with my owne Soule Yf the ryme of our â—eath be most vncertaine vnto vs Yf at that tyme there must be an end of all the world so far forth as concerneth vâ— Yf at that hower all our tyme fruitlesly afore spent in the pleasures of the world will seeme most â—sple using to our Memory in regard what is to follow death haue not I then iust reason to spend my tyme â—reasâ—er is that most strict course of life which will â—nâ—â—melesse vnwilling to entertayne death when soeâ—er it shall come and will afford me greater confidence and hope of my future Saluation 2. The Meditation of Iudgment did most affraight my poore Soule considering the 〈◊〉 and terrible signes which are to be the fore-runners of the day of iudgment But specially considering the last Sentence proâ—â—inced by the Iudge to the wit led and to be Good or vertuous To the wicked in these wordes Goe you cursed into euerlasting fyre To be Good and vertuous Come you blessed of my 〈◊〉 posâ—esse the kingdome which is prepared for you 〈◊〉 beginning of the world I then concluded with my selfe That no paynes or labour in this world could be thought by any man enioying but any spark of reason to be ouermuch for the auoyding of the euerlasting fyre or for the gayning of that promise kingdome 3. In the meditation of Hell I did consider two points with reference to my determined life First the insufferablenesse of the paines of Hell Secondly that they were tâ— continue for all Eternity Alas thought I who is all the rigour and austerities in the most strâ—ct course of Religion that is in the world in respect of the leaâ—â— part of those dreadfull torments Againe What is to leade a life somewhat paynefull to flesh and bloud only for the space of some few yeares in respect suffering insupportable torments for alleternity and without end Then did I conclude in the secrâ—â— of my Soule Happy is that Man or woman whâ— with a Christian Resolution and courage is wholy beâ— to lead a most seuere and austere life for the preuâ—nceâ— the grieuousnes of the paines of Hell which are to continue for euer And then were presented vnto my trembling Hart those words of the Holy Scripture Who a can dwell with deuouring fyre and with euerlasting ardours 4. To end with the Meditation of Heauen O now was my Soule rauished with inexplicable comfort in pondering that it is in on power and will by suffering some laborioâ—â— Acts in this world and through the mercy God to purchase those most happy ioyes Heauen Then I said to my selfe Shall the obseruance of the three Vowes of a Religious life shâ— fasting shall rising in the night to prayse God or shâ— any other Morâ—ifications whatsoeuer practised in Monasteries be thought too great a price for the buying of the most pretious Margarite b of the kingdome of Heauen where all the Saints do now raigne with God and shall raigne for euer and euerlastingly No and hereupon came presently into my mind those words of the Apostle sometymes repeated by my owne Father The sufferings c of this tyme are not worthy of the glory to come that shall be shewed vnto vs In this sort were my thoughts busied after I had performed the Method prescribed in euery Meditation Confessarius I much reioyce Happy Cosmophila at this your more then expected fortunate proceeding Well then Seeing things so prosperously goe on there remayneth nothing but that the Lady Abbesse now at the feast of S. Iohn Baptist my Patron which is within these few dayes do admit you into the Nouiship with your sister Caelia In the meane tyme both of you may make your Letters ready which you meane to send to your PareÌ„ts mine ioyned to theÌ„ by that time shall not be wanting Your Retinue which you brought with you may stay here vntill the tyme aforesaid when you shall publikely receaue the vsuall Habit or cloathing of the Nunnes of this Monastery at the performance whereof your said-seruants may be present that so they may with greater confidence assure your Parents of all things here falling out either coÌ„cerning you or your Sister Caelia And seeing Religious Women in most Monasteries do change their Names at their first entrance into Religion therefore since your owne desire vpon your receauing of the Sacrament of Confirmation aboue expressed is such hereafter inâ—teed of Cosmophila signifying A louer of the world you shall be called Sister Christophila as hauing deuored your selfe wholy to the Loue and seruice of Christ our Redeemer and Sauiour Abbesse I condescend Cosmophila most willingly to all that which Reuer Father Confessarius hath disposed touching your admittance And at the day aboue named I will giue you your Habit and we will by Gods Grace account you hereafter as one of our owne Caelia No more then Cosmophila but sister Christophila O happy houres We are now Sisters in a double manner Before by Nature now by Grace before by Generation of Pâ—rents now by Regeneration of God himselfe briefly before by a certaine constraint and Necessity proceeding from Man now by our voluntary 〈◊〉 of one and the same Religious forme of liâ—e rising from the blessed impâ—â—ations of his Diuine Goodnes But Good sister seeing the tyme of your admittance will be within these so few dayes â—et vs in the meane while haue ready a ioint letter written from 〈◊〉 to our louing Parents to acquaint them with all the passages concerning vs both Cosmophila I shall louing Sister be most willing to put my name and hand to all what
them that burne Or what comfort is it to the damned to haue fellowes of their damnation Thus much worthy Syr for a tast of the former three holy Fathers touching the great impiety committed by Parents in seeking to withdraw their Children from the most blessed Course of a Religious and votary life In this next passage I will descend to some few examples omitting many others for greater expedition wherein God hath shewed his reuengfull hand against those who haue impugned a Religious life S. Ierome e recounteth that one Praetextata a noble Marrone by commandement of her husband who was vnâ—le to the Virgin Eustochium who had deuoted herselfe to a Religious life did change the said Virgins apparell for brauer cloaths and cuiously did combe her hayre after the fashion of the world and all this to withdraw Eustoâ—hium from a Religious lyfe But Behould sayth S. Ierome the same night after Praetextata had done â—his she sees in her sheepe an Angell that came to her breathing with a terrible voyce to punish her in these words Wert thou so bould as to prefer the Commandement of thy husband before Christ How durst thou handle the head of the Virgin of God with thy Sacriâ—egious hands Which hands shall euen now wither away that thou thus tormented maist feele what thou hast done and at the end of the fifth moneth thou shalt â—e carried to Hell Thus S. Ierome and he relateth for certaine that her haÌ„ds were presently then withered and dryed and that at the end of the tyme prefixed she died S. Ambrose recordeth of a Noble Yong Gentlewoman who was then liuing when he wrote the relation how that flying to the Altar out of a great desire she had to be Religious diuers of her nearest friends were much against this her pious determination and one of them in a harsh and vnciuill manner thus rebuked her f Yf thy Father were now liuing dost thou thinke he would suffer thee to liue vnmaried To whome the chast Virgin thus mildly answered Perhaps my Father therefore dyed that he might not hinder me The end hereof was that this vnkind friend of hers dyed within a short tyme after he had thus reprehended the Virgin the rest of her friends ascribing the cause of hiâ— vnexpected death to his rough words giueâ— to her And thereupon all they who before were ready to diswade her from entring in tâ—Religion did after most willingly giue their aâ—sents thereto I will conclude this point of Exampleâ— wherein Gods reuenge hath beene manifesteâ— in punishing of those who labour to impugâ—â— and resist his Ordination of such as desired tâ— forsake the world with the Example of oâ—â— called Pontianus who was but a Bond slaueâ— a cruell and barbarous Mayster This maâ— through desire of liuing a Saintly life fled vnto a Monastery But his Maister demanding him with great importunity looke him from thence But what was his punishment therefore He was instantly strooken stone blind and so by loosing his sight he fully acknowledged his former sinne and was most willing that Pontianus his slaue should returne vnto the Monastery Yet notwithstanding hiâ— consent thereto his Maister recouered nor hiâ— sight till Pontianus had touched his eyes with his hands that so it might more euidently appeare that his former transgression and 〈◊〉 was the cause of his blindnes This History iâ— relaied by S. Gregory g of â—ours a Venerable and Worthy Authour To come to the third and last point of the Subiect before mentioned that is to warrant with force of Reason that Parents ought to rest content and satisfyed with their Children â—oâ— their entring into a Religious life I thus affirme that when Parents do freely offer vp some of their Children to the peculiar seruice of God they depart with nothing therein which is truly and soly their owne but only willingly restore to God what was Gods before And thus God by demaunding them challengeth but what is his right and his owne and therfore that Parent who shall retaine and keepe back any of his children from God committeth a horrible Sacriledge against his Diuine Maiesty since it is God not the Parent who was but a secondary instrument vnder him this only for the body who gaue the first fabricke and making to the child and who aâ—one without any concurrency of the Parents herein infuseth the soule into the new begotten Body Thus far Worthy Syr I haue thought good to proceed for the better animating and encouraging of you to rest content or rather greatly to reioyce at Gods good pleasure in taking your two Daughters to his peculiar seruice and patronage But now good Lady Gynecia since you are a Woman I will produce for your greater corroboration herein two Examples of Women shewing most admirable and spirituall fortitude in the losse and death of their Children Much more then ought you to entertayne with all eauenues and quietnes of mind the absence of your two Daughters entring into a Religious Course The first shall be that Noble Woman who was the mother of the most valiant Machabeâ—â— who saw not one or two only but seauen of her Sonnes put to most barbarous death euen in her owne presence because they would noâ— violate and breake the Law giuen to them from God and yet she was so far from being disanimated or grieued here with as that aâ— the Scripture relateth the h exhorted stoutly euery one of her sonnes to be constant in his Religious in her owne Country language filled with wisdome instilling manly Courage to her womanish thoughts And here Madame you are to take notize that this happened in the tyme of the Old Law which tyme serued but as a Type or Figure oâ— the tyme of the Gospell which with reference to the tyme of the Old Testament is as the i Apostle sayth established in better promisses Yf theâ—â— a Woman in that imperfect tyme had such spirituall Fortitude as to reioyce at her Childrens death suffered for the Honour of God and to encourage them to perseuer to the end in enduring their torments shall not a Christian Catholike Lady such as you are now in the tyme of the Gospell which affoardeth far greaâ—ter measure of Grace fully be resolued with aâ— resignation of Will and Iudgment to forbearâ— the corporall presence only of her daughters deuoting themselues to the more peculiar seruice of their Lord and Redeemer The second example which I will present to your Ladiship is of one Melania a most noble Matrone of Rome of whom S. Ierome thus writeth k Sancta Melania nostri temporis c. Saine Melania being the true Honour and Nobility among Christians of our tyme when the dead body of her husband was scarse cold and not huried did loose togeather two Sonnes I am to relate sayth S. Ierome an incredible thing but I call Christ to witnesse a thing most true Who would not thinke that this afflicted Lady would not after