decay and vanish away The third Branch of Charity as I said aboue extendeth it selfe to all men For excepting certaine Institutes in a Religious lyfe which haue reference wholy to Contemplation all the rest are so wholy bent to the seruice of their Neighbours especially by daily prayers offered vp for them that all their Thoughts and Endeuours seeme to leane that way and the Employment of euery religious family giueth sufficient testimony hereof Thus may a Religious person iustly say as S. Paul said of himselfe o We haue made our selues seruants to all men Hitherto of the three supreme and supernaturall Vertues of Fayth Hope and Charity But to come to other Inferiour and morall vertues And to begin with Prudence defined by S. Austin to be the knowledge of what p we are to desire and what we are to flie But in what state of lyfe doth Prudence more manifest and discouer it selfe then in a Religious lyfe Now from the definition of Prudence giuen aboue by S. Austin it ineuitably followeth that perfect Prudence cannot reside or dwell in a sinners soule The reason hereof is in that perfect Prudence is a Vertue which considereth the true End of Man and doth apply for the purchasing of that End vpright aduise vpright iudgment vpright Command Now heered demand where is the true End of man better considered of and better weighed then in Religion where we direct and deuote our selues wholy to God and put our selues entirely vnder his Dominion and power To come to Iustice Where doth this vertue more resplendently thyne then in a Religious lyfe since the Office of Iustice consisteth in giuing euery one his owne and chiefly to God that which belongeth to God Now the state of a religious life barreth a man from all Occasion of fraud and deâ—cite as with-houlding that from another which belongeth to him And certainly a true Religious soule would not for a thousand worlds do any Iniustice to another but infinitly more willingly would rather brooke to suffer wrong then to do wrong Temperance is also a morall vertue whose office is to bridle and curbe the pleasures of the Body but especially those pleasures which consist in the senses of touching and tasting The first belongs to generation the desires whereof are in themselues most violent and intemperate and yet they are all suppressed or rather extinguished by the vow of perpetuall Chastity and with closing ones selfe within a Monastery The pleasure of tasting appertaines to the sustenance and maintenance of the body by eating and drinking but all exorbitant and superfluous effects hereof are taken away in religion Since a religious life confineth it selfe within the limits of necessity and pouerty contenting it selfe with such poore and necessary sustenance meate and drinke as is able to maintayne the Body in good and perfect Health for the better seruing of God Thus you see how this Vertue of Temperance is practized in a religious Life To come to the last Morall Vertue which is Fortitude This Fortitude of which we discourse in this place resteth not in fighting in the field with one But it being the strength of the Iust is practized in subduing the flesh in contradicting a mans owne will in quenching the delights and pleasures of this life in contemning all that which this world so much admireth for the Hope of an eternall kingdome briefly in sleighting teÌ„porall prosperity and in patient bearing of Aduersity Now what state of men in the world is there who prosecute all these points of spirituall fortitude with greater sedulity diligence and bent of Will then a good Religious man or woman in their priuate Monasteries Thus far of these foure prime and Cardinall Vertues of Fortitude Temperance Iustice and Prudence where you may see Cosmophila how they all are most fully and diligently professed in Religion I could further instance how the Vertues of Patience and Humility how the guifts of the Holy Ghost I meane Wisdome Vnderstanding Counsell Piety and the feare of God are all found in a most high degree in the state of Religion And the reason in generall hereof is because some of these vertues receaue their Operation from a Religious loue towards God the rest are the guifts of God through his loue towards the Religious But what is already said touching the former Vertues both Theologicall and Morall may serue at this present to proue that a Religious life is of that spirituall ampliâ—uâ—e and largenes as that it doth incorporate and combine within it selfe the practise of all Vertues Cosmophila O how pleasing are these your speaches to my eares I grant I now much more honour 〈◊〉 Religious life then before my entrance into this house I did But Good Father since you haue begun this your discourse most charitably in the behalfe of my Sister and me towards her for her confirmation in iudgment towards me for my alteration of iudgment continue I beseech you in your assumed Scene with the like charity Confessarius Well then to proceed further for Charities sake since that the Apostle sayth q Charity doth edify Charity is r benigne and hopeth all things I will in this next place for the greater honour of Religion shew how a Religious lyfe may well be tearmed for its worth a kind of Martyrdome This is proued in that it beareth a great resemblance with Martyrdome Furthermore as Martyrdome surpasseth a religious life in diuers points so in some points a Religious life exceedeth Martyrdome To expresse these things heere we are to know that there are two kinds of Martyrdome The one of the Body the other of the Soule That of the body is when a Man or Woman loose their liues and bloud in protestation and defence of the true fayth The Martyrdome of the Soule or mind is to dye to the world and to all the pleasures thereof and such a person may truly say with the Apostle s The world is crucifyed to me and I to the world And what persons in the world do suffer a greater Martyrdome of the mind then such as are Religious since they are dead euen to the pleasures of the flesh I meane to mariage dead to Riches dead to Dominion or rule Finally dead to all the fading comforts consolations which the world promiseth Now for the iustifying of these two seuerall Martyrdomes I will insist in the authorities of two or three ancient Fathers Heere then we find S Austin thus to admonish all good Christians Let vs t striue against deadly allurements of sinne knowing that Christians cannot want daily Martyrdomes euen in these things For if Christ be Charity Fruth and Iustice he that seeketh to ouerthrow in Man these vertues is a persecutour and he a Martyr that is resolued to maintaine them in himself and defend them in others Thus S. Austin S. Gregory is herein more cleare thus teaching u There be two kinds of Martyrdome the one in mind
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
mouths passed vpon one is as the other two former points set downe by S. Iohn much disliked and reprehended in the Scriptures for thus we read therein y As siluer is tryed in the fire by blowing to it so is a Man tryed in the mouth of him that prayseth For if the siluer be good it taketh no hurt by the â—yre but if it be base and not pure it resolueth all into sume so fareth it with a vayne-glorious man through prayse and commendation Iust reason therefore had King Dauid to auoyde all vayne glory resting in others speaches thus crying out against it Away z with this oyle and oyntment of sinners lâ—t is not come vpon my heade And the like iust reason had the Apostle to contemne the prayses of other men passed vpon him thus saying a I esteeme litle to be iudged of you or of the day of man Now the worth of this Vertue of Obedience is much celebrated in Gods sacred word For we read it to be preferred before Sacrifice the Prophet Samuel thus saying thereof b Obedience is better then Sacrifice which passage you Cosmophila could alledge aboue in a wrong sense And these words S. Gregory thus interpreteth Obedience c is better then Sacrifice because in Sacrifice the flesh of another thing by Obedienceour owne will is killed or as it were sacrifized to God Now the spirituall fruite springing from Obedience is great for first as S. Gregory sayth d Obedience is the only vertue which planteth all other vertues in the mind and preserueth them after they are once planted The truth of which assertion is proued seuerall wayes First because the liberall offer of a mans selfe to God which is made by the Vowe of Obedience prouoketh God to be bountifull and liberall towards that man againe For it is the peculiar goodnes and disposition of God neuer to suffer himselfe to be ouercome in bounty and loue therefore it followeth that whosoeuer giueth himselfe by Obedience vnto God which is done when a man resigneth his will by vow of Obedience to those who are substituted in Gods place he doubtlesly in recompence thereof receaueth from God all spirituall Graces and finally God himselfe Secondly Obedience is said to plant all other Vertues in the mind because in the practise of Obedience it followeth that we must practize them all Another fruite of Obedience is that it doth subiect vs and all our actions to the will and pleasure of God and this without any reluctation or resistance but with such perfection as that they are wholy dependant of him and guided or directed by him Since what action soeuer the Obedient religious person doth the same he doth for Gods sake Therefore in further proofe of the fruite and dignity of Obedience I will conclude this point with the testimony and words of the Blessed learned Cardinall Bellarmine he thus writing thereof e Quam ingens lucrum est c. How great a gaine is reaped by obedience as to merit with God in euery action for that man who doth nothing of his owne proper Will but by Obedience of his Prelate or Superiour doth in euery worke Sacrifice vnto God a most gratefull Sacrifice And which is altogether most admirable if the Superiour perhaps doth sinne in Commanding the subiect obeying his Commandement sinneth not but doth merit in obeying so long as the thing Commanded is not euidently a sinne Thus the Cardinall Now thus far Good Cosmophila I haue spread my selfe in discourse of the three essentiall Vowes of a votary lyfe to wit of Chastity Pouerty and Obedience And here now you see vpon what principall grounds a Religious lyfe is seated these three vertues being as it were the three mayne pillars which support the Edifice of a Monasticall and votary state and withall you may see what strong Reasons your sister Caelia hath for her continuance in her retired course and how litle Reason you haue for seeking to diuert and change her iudgment and will from the same Cosmophila Good Syr I yield And here I pronounce openly that neuer neuer more shall my tongue vtter any word of derogation touching the worth and dignity of a Religious lyfe But Syr I would intreate you to proceed to other Heads from whence this Heauenly life may be warranted with more store of Reasons in the iudgment of vs who be of the Laity Confessarius I am most ready thereto so willing I am to alter your iudgment herein being erroneous and to fortify and strengthen it being once rightly established and confirmed The next point then which I will take into my consideration is to shew the Antiquity of a Religious state seeing men much pryze Antiquity of things as we find they do in the beginning of Kingdomes priuate Families in points of fayth c. Now referring you to what is aboue said touching the Essenes being religious men among the Iewes I here further say that our Sauiour himselfe did first institute a religious lyfe since he first instituted the foresaid three essentiall points of that life I meane Chastity Pouerty and Obedience For besides what is deliuered aboue by the Apostles in commendation and warrant of these three vertues we find our Sauiour thus to speake of Chastity There be a Eunuches who haue gelded themselues for the Kingdome of God which words are spoken only of those who haue cut off all power of marrying by a perpetuall and solemne vow â—nd such as Religion obligeth vs vnto In warrant of Voluntary Pouerty Christ thus sayth Vnlesse b a man renounce all that he possesseth he cannot be my Disciple And hereupon as prescribing this Rule of Pouerty to his Disciples he commanded them that c they should not possesse either gould or siluer and did bid them as is aboue shewed that they should carry with them neither bug nor scrip nor meate nor any thing els when they went to preach to strange Nations Lastly Christ did institute Obedience in those words He d that will come after me let him deny himselfe which words all ancient and chiefe Fathers doe generally interprete of the Vowe of Obedience Now that the Apostles did follow Christ his Institution herein and profeiled a Religious life is proued from the words of S. Peter to Christ e Behould we haue forsaken all things and we haue followed thee which words do not declare only the Pouerty of the Apostles but also their Chastity seeing vnder the name of all things the wyues of the Apostles must necessarily be vnderstood Furthermore religious Obedience is gathered out of those last words of S. Peter aboue rehearsed And we haue followed thee since to follow another is nothing els but to live according to that others direction Caelia Reuerend Father you haue spoken fully of the Antiquity of a Religious life in generall as prouing it from our Sauiours tyme but I would intreate you to descend more particularly to the Antiquity of Religious
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
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