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A09741
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The happines of a religious state diuided into three bookes. Written in Latin by Fa. Hierome Platus of the Societie of Iesus. And now translated into English.; De bono status religiosi. English
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Piatti, Girolamo, 1545-1591.; More, Henry, 1586-1661.
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1632
(1632)
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STC 20001; ESTC S114787
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847,382
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644
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been false vnto him easily cleared herself but yet made vse of the occasion to quit his marriage as she had long desired and retiring herself into Halsatia built a monasterie wherin she lead a Religious life about the yeare Eight hundred ninetie nine 5. The case of Cunegundes wife to Henrie King of England first then afterwards Emperour in the yeare One thousand one hundred thirtie nine was not vnlike to this For diuorcing herself from him vpon the like suspicion and fault which was cast vpon her she made a better marriage with Christ our Sauiour 6. And yet another Cunegundes was more happie about the yeare One thousand one hundred and twentie For being married to the Emperour Henrie the First she liued manie yeares with him and kept her virginitie and he dying before her she lead so holie a life for fifteen yeares togeather in the Monasterie of Confugium that she is registred among the Saints in the Church of God 7. Agnes wife to the Emperour Henrie the Third gouerned the Empire after his decease according as he had left in his Wil til his sonne who at the time of his death was but an infant came to twelue yeares of age and then giuing ouer the charge of the Empire and also the Dukedome of Bauiere which belonged vnto her she went to Rome and there chose to liue in the humilitie of a Monastical life in the yeare One thousand one hundred fiftie seauen 8. The like did Elizabeth wife to the Emperour Albertus the First Archduke of Austria for he being most lamentably slayne she bad the world Farewel and liued a heauenlie life in a Monasterie which herself had built in the yeare One thousand two hundred and ninetie Two of her daughters followed her example the one married to the King of Hungarie the other to the Count of Ottighen two of her grandchildren the Queene of Polonia and her daughter though she were sure to the Duke of Vratislaw 9. Now from Empresses to come to Queenes in Italie Tâ—sia wife to Rachisins of whom we spake before following the example of her husband would not be farre-of from him neither in distance of place For as he retired himself into the monasterie of Mount-Cassin so she with her daughter Reâ—â—uda hid herself in a Monasterie which was not farre distant wherin S. Scholastica had sometimes liued and she had restored and there she spent her dayes in great sanctitie 10. In France in the yeare Fiue hundred twentie fiue Radegundes being married against her wil to king Cloâ—â—re after some yeares by much importunitie get his consent and retired herself to Poictiers and there gaue herself to God with great feruour and earnestnes of deuotion that in a short time she arriued to a high degree of perfection in vertue as it is recorded of her 11. Not manie yeares after her Adocra wife to Chilperick king of France togeather with her daughter Childâ—rade forsaking their Princes pleasures be tooke themselues to the same heauenlie profession And Batilda about the yeare Six hundred and fiftie by the decease of king Clouis remaining as it were at libertie and with ful power to performe what she had alwayes desired from her infancie she went to Callis and enlarging a Monasterie which was there already built the ioyned herself to a better Spouse our Sauiour and was famous for al kind of vertue but specially for her humilitie 12. In Spayne we find recorded of two Queenes that were also Religious Nunez wife to Verâ—mund of whom we spake before for she entred 〈◊〉 her husband and was no litle encouragement vnto him by her example And Peresa who being by her brother Alfonso king of Leon married to Aâ—â—â—â—â—las king of Toledo a More or Saracen she not being able by al the entreaties protestations which she did alleage to hinder it God did hinder it 〈…〉 the Barbarous king a most grieuous and deadlie sicknes whereby he 〈◊〉 it was the hand of God sent Teresa back againe vntouched she presently espoused herself according to her desire to our Sauiour in the Monasterie of S. Pelayo in the yeare One thousand and six 13. But it is strange to see how manie of these like examples we haue out of England as of Alfred Spouse to the King of the Northumbers who was slayne before they were bedded togeather in the yeare Six hundred and seauentie and Ethelburg who perswaded king Inas to the resolution which he tooke as we sayd before and afterwards followed his example in the like course But what can be more strange then that which hapned to Etheldred who being wife to two Kings kept her virginitie with them both and obtayned of the second after twelue yeares that they had been married togeather leaue to goe liue among other Virgins in a Monasterie What a life may we imagin she liued in the Monasterie that was so great a Saint in her worldlie kingdome And she is also registred among the Saints by Holie Church She liued about the yeare Seauen hundred and six 14. Sesburg her sister Queene of Kent followed her not long after so soone as her husband was dead And Alfrede Queene of the Mercians and Northumbers is not to be omitted who like another Magdalen to redeeme her former offences and among the rest the vniust murther of her yong innocent sonne-in-law lead an austere life among other seruants of Christ in a Monasterie which herself had built at her owne proper cost and charge about the yeare of our Lord Nine hundred seauentie fiue 15. It were long and tedious to rehearse al the Kings daughters which both in England and other Countries haue consecrated themselues to God in Monasteries the number of them is so very great Wherefore passing those in silence which are more ancient we wil mention a few only of those that are of later memorie Margaret daughter to Bela king of Hungarie is famous among the Nunnes of S. Dominick's Order for her rare vertue and shineth like a starre in the firmament For of eight and twentie yeares which she liued she spent foure and twentie in Religion being vowed therunto by her parents when she was but foure yeare olde But the Nobilitie of her bloud was the least thing in her for the Sanctitie of her life and the rigour which she vsed in punishing her bodie both by continual fasting and with whippes like spurres is farre more conspicuous her profound humilitie which she chiefly shewed in tending the sick being alwaies giuen to such like humble and charitable offices the practise wherof was farre more to be admired in her then her Princelie descent And it is recorded of her that out of the great esteeme which she had of this Religious course of life she constantly refused the marriage of three Kings to wit of Poland of Bohemia and of Sicilie and when it was offered her that there should be a dispensation procured from
pietie deuotion hath been alwayes a leading direction for al kind of people to follow and we may iustly conceaue that this was the reason why they are tearmed by S. Iohn Chrysostome the lights of the world For by them the world hath learned how God is to be serued with what reuerence with what feare he is to be adored in the Churches and in the Sacraments with what diligence attention we ought to pray vnto him how patient we ought to be in aduersitie how charitable towards our neighbour finally there is no Christian vertue wherof they haue not left manifold examples in the world 4. Yea though al this were not their verie forsaking of al things to embrace the Crosse of Christ wheras manie of them were nobly and richly borne and in the prime of their dayes must needs be of great force to induce men to contemne the riches and honours of the world and so we find it hath been and though few haue the strength and courage of mind vtterly to abandon these things yet by that which they see these men doe before their eyes they learne to loue these earthlie things lesse or at least wil vnderstand that they deserue not to be loued What shal we say more their verie aspect is a secret exhortation to vertue reprehension of vice which manie dayly experience to be true S. Chrysostome doth plainly testifye exhorting the people in two seueral Sermons often to visit Religious houses for this verie reason because they cannot but carâ—iâ— some benefit home from them For there saith he al things are voyd of temptation free from al disquiet disturbance they are most quiet hauens and the dwellers of them are like so manie fires shining from high places and giuing light to them that come neere them and hauing taken vp their rest in the hauen they inuite others to the same tranquillitie and suffer not those that haue their eyes vpon them to runne hazard of ship-wrack or to be in darknes if they behold them Goe therefore to these men conuerse with them goe I say cast yourselues at their holie feet for it is farre more honourable to kisse their feet then the head of other men For I pray you if some apprehend the feet of certain Images only because they represent the King shalt not thou be in safetie if thou embracest him that hath Christ within him Their feet therefore are holie though otherwise they seeme abiect and contemptible Thus speaketh S. Iohn Chrysostome 5. Deseruedly therefore may we apply to Religious people that which was spoken to the honour of the Apostles and is common to them that leade an Apostolical life You are the light of the world you are the salt of the earth the one belonging to example of life of which we have spoken the other belonging to their industrie of which we are now to speake which is farre greater also then example itself to wit not only to preserue the behauiour of men from corruption as it were by casting salt vpon them but which is beyond the nature of salt to restore them when they haue been corrupted which Religious people performe when they reclaime those that are gone astray raise those that are fallen instruct the ignorant assist with their counsel learning and al manner of industrie them that are in temptation and difficulties We shal not need to proue these things by authoritie of the holie Fathers or by that which others haue leâ—t recorded for we see it dayly before our eyes and find in our daylie practice that it is so It is apparent to euerie bodie how much Religiours Orders doe further the saluation of man kind by hearing CoÌ„fessions by publicâ— Sermons by priuate reprehension of vice by taking away as much as lyeth in them the occasions of sinne by appeasing dissention and discord finally releeuing al sorts of people instructing and teaching them how to behaue themselues against the Diuel against their owne infirmities against the allurements of the world al which businesses Religious people haue in a manner so ingrossed that few besides them stirre in them and euen those few are oftimes stirred-vp by their example and by a holie emulation of them 6. And though these things be in themselues great yet because they are daylie they are not esteemed and people perhaps think but slightly of them as the fashion is The warre which we haue with the enemies of God's Church and with Hereticks is of more reckoning and Religious men are they that beare the greatest part of that burden also opposing themselues as a counterscarpe and bulwark against the furie of them in their Disputations and Sermons and written Bookes in priuate and publick meetings Finally that which is most glorious and of greatest weight is the good which they haue done not in particular men but in whole Prouinces and Kingdomes bringing them vnder the yoak and obedience of the Faith of CHRIST How often haue they spread the light of the Ghospel where it was neuer seen before and restored it where it hath been obscured How manie times hath Faith and Religion gone to decay in manie places and they haue for it vp againe Certainly their zeale in this kind hath been so eminent that whosoever shal giue himself to reade Histories and obserue the manner how thâ— Faith of Christ hath been brought into euerie Countrey since the Apostles those Apostolical times wil scarce finde a man named in the busines that hath not been Religious It wil be too tedious to rehearse them al yet some we wil touch vpon for example sake 7. First therefore we finde that S. Remigius he that about the yeare Fiue hundred and thirtie conuerted al France from Idolatrie to the Faith of Christ was from his childhood a Monk and afterwards Archbishop of Rhâ—mes 8. About the same time to wit in the yeare Fiue hundred and fourtie Martin a Monk reduced the Swedens from the Aâ—ian heresie It is a knowne thing how England by S. Augustin's instruction whom S Gregorie sent thither with foure other Monks was conuerted to God togeather with King Ethelbert in the yeare Six hundred and three And in Six hundred twentie two Lambert a Monk of Liege brought the countrey of Taxandria in the Lower Germanie to the Faith of Christ and at the same time Kilian a Scottish Monk wrought the like in Franconia and there dyed a Martyr Wilfride also a Monk of the monasterie of Hâ—rpue in England and afterwards Bishop of York about the yeare Six hundred foure-score and three as he was sayling towards Rome was by tempest cast vpon the coast of Holland and Frizland and not to passe the winter without fruit he began to preach the Ghospel which til then had not been heard of in those countries And returning home and not permitted by wicked King Egâ—rid to remaine in his charge he went to the South SaxoÌ„s that were