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
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