Selected quad for the lemma: master_n
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A34223
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The life of the Lady VVarner of Parham in Suffolk, in religion call'd Sister Clare of Jesus written by a Catholic gentleman.
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Scarisbrike, Edward, 1639-1709.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing C574; ESTC R22893
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139,162
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320
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design'd to give them as next to nothing because they were Abby Lands which never thrive with the owners but like a Moth by little and little insensiblely eat up the rest of their Estates Sir Thomas told him moreover that he easily perceiv'd what his design was in giving these Lands to his Daughters Viz. That out of a Scruple of Possessing them they should be in a manner forc't to make themselves Nuns that thereby they might restore them to the Roman Catholic Church to which they formerly belong'd Sir Iohn wonder'd that a Protestant as Sir Thomas was should Scruple at the Possessing of such Lands or have a doubt of the just Title of their owners which that he might free him from Sir Iohn gave him the same Answer he had receiv'd from his Master of Novices in the like doubt Viz. That these Lands came not to his Ancestors by gift but by Purchase and that the Pope had given Cardinal Pool his Legat in the Reign of Queen Mary Permission to dispence even with Catholics to enjoy Abby-Lands But these Reasons not satisfying Sir Thomas as they had himself Sir Iohn promis'd him to engage other Lands for the Payment of his Daughters Portions in ready Mony and gave order to his Lawyer to make the settlement accordingly Whilst he was thus busied in getting the Writings ingrost the Enemy still to retard the execution of his design to which the settelment was a necessary means rais'd another Storm far different from the former and far more surprizing and afflicting by reason he made use of his Lady to do it and mov'd her also by such pretences as were so much the more dangerous by how much they carried an appearance of Piety along with them And consequently were the more apt to deceive her who sought no less Gods greater Glory than her own greater contempt in all things Of all which Father Martin Green then Rector of VVatten inform'd Sir Iohn by a Letter in which he also desir'd him to desist from making any further settlement till he had heard again from him because the Enemy being not a little busie in disquieting Sister Clare he knew not whether his Malice might not end in perswading her to return again to the World having by crafty pretences dissatisfied her with the place where she was In the mean time Father Thomas VVorsley went to Graveling who had been for some time her Director to try if he could dissipate such difficulties as the Enemy had rais'd and endeavour'd to foment not much unlike those he had suggested at Liege Viz. That God call'd her still to a stricter Order than this was that here she found too much esteem and respect and therefore it would be more grateful to God to go amongst Strangers where she might be freed from the too great civility and kindness she experienc'd amongst the English That there were Orders still stricter than this where she could find no impediment of entering as she did among the Carthusianesses Hereupon she Mortified her self above what the Rule allowed thinking a Liberty in that kind lawful and upon this gave what scope she was able to those Austerities to which this Rigorous but false Spirit drew her upon pretence to gain light from Heaven All which without doubt could not be from God since the Austerity of this Rule was as great as her strength of Body was able to bear And that you may the better judge of this I will give you here a short account of their strict and severe manner of living The Convent is Commodiously and Neatly Built but a true Emblem of Poverty Their Cells are not long enough for one of an ordinary Stature to lye at full length and therefore when they sleep they almost sit upright in their Beds which are not two foot and a half broad and the Cell is no broader besides what the Bed takes up than to give room enough for a single person to go in and out All their furniture is a little low Stool to sit upon and a Straw-bed and Bolster or if Sick a Pillow of Chaff upon which they lye in their Habits having a Blanket to cover them They wear no Linnen go bare-foot having only Sandals rise at Midnight abstain all their life time from Flesh and keep such a Fast all the Year except Sundays as we do in Lent Their Cells were then only separated with Bricks without any Plaistring upon them but the present Bishop of St Omers in his last Visit gave order to have them Plaister'd Their Tables in the Refectory are never cover'd and they Eat only in Earthen Dishes Notwithstanding this extream Poverty the Neatness that is observ'd in their Dormitory Quire Refectory and Cell is such as Charms the Eyes of all that by the Bishops leave are permitted to enter And the chearfulness of these Mortified Souls their fresh colour the healthful and youthful looks even of Ancient Persons are such as strike admiration into those that behold and converse with them One would have imagin'd that Sister Clare needed not to have thought of any other Rigorous Life than what she found here and that she could not think of greater Austerity than was here practis'd However at length Father VVorsley convinced her that this seeming Call to greater Mortification was only a deceit of the Enemy to hinder her from the happiness of a Religious State she so much desir'd to embrace Which he endeavour'd first to make her defer that he might have the more time to exercise his Malicious design upon her of making her quite lay aside what she had so Piously undertaken These Reasons so successfully mov'd her that howsoever cunningly the Train was laid by the Enemy it took no effect for she following the advice of her Confessour resolv'd for the future to regard such thoughts as Temptations and that nothing hereafter should ever hinder her from a speedy execution of what she had before so earnestly desir'd Viz. The making of her Profession in this place Whereupon finding again that Peace of Mind return she had lost ever since she had given way to these Temptations she was mov'd to express her submission to the Will of God declar'd to her by her Confessour in this following humble and submissive Act which finding in her own hand amongst her Papers I thought it would not be ungrateful to the Reader to set it down at large having a Scruple to shorten what I found so solid and moving Her Act of Submission O most merciful Lord God the Refuge of all distressed Souls when I consider that Immense Ocean of your Prerogatives and Divine Perfections in Relation to my own nothing and demerits I am wholy confounded and utterly asham'd to appear before your dreadful Majesty or to lift up mine Eyes towards Heaven But your infinite Goodness and Mercy gives me confidence to acknowledge my Imperfections for when my stubborn and disobedient Will was in the full Career of my misted Life your powerful hand was