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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05371	The treasure of vowed chastity in secular persons. Also the widdowes glasse. VVritten by the RR. Fathers Leonard Lessius, and Fuluius Androtius, both of the Society of Iesus. Translated into English by I.W. P.	Lessius, Leonardus, 1554-1623.; Androzzi, Fulvio, 1523-1575. aut; Wilson, John, ca. 1575-ca. 1645?	1621 (1621)	STC 15524; ESTC S108506	57,293	362

any other spirituall Exercises These I do intreat by the bowels of Christ Iesus that they will no longer imploy the gifts and graces which they haue receaued frō our Lord to the honour and seruice of the world to the end they may haue their reward in heauen and not on earth There is another sort of widdowes also who make a firme purpose and deliberation to conserue and keep their chastity serue God with all their hart of these there are two kinds One who cannot separate themselues from their children or other parents either for the charge they haue of thē or because they cannot so wel liue alone or for some necessity or charity in gouerning their family and these although they be not wholy free from the world nor are dedicated to the seruice of God notwithstanding al the paynes and labours they take they doe it principally for the loue of God of whom they shal be rewarded with life euerlasting These Widdowes are not any to be remoued or drawne away from this kind of life but are according to S. Paul greatly to be honoured and esteemed The other kind are those Widdowes who desirous to serue God may commodiously separat thēselues from their parents friends or family and be more free to attend to prayer and other deuout exercises yet they will not thorough a kind of pufill animity or little courage or els for compassion to their friendes or for some other reason Neither are these to be condemned but esteemed in a second or third degree from the former The last sort of widdowes are the true worthily so called Widdowes who dispatching themselues of al worldly impedimēts do attend only to the seruice of God cōtemplating him and meditating on him day and night And these are placed in a more quiet and peaceable Estate then any of the others aboue named and are entred into the right and direct way of perfection In this Estate liued that Holy Widdowe Anne the Prophetesse recorded by S. Luke who is sayd to haue serued God in fasting prayer remaining night and day in the Temple And if such Widdowes who haue a desire to liue vertuously cānot match or come neere to S. Anne yet let thē come as neere vnto her as they can So as I conclude that the true Widdow is she who not only conserues her Chastity in the world but also whatsoeuer she doth she doth it purely for the honour and seruice of Almighty God And for that euery widdow doth not know how to exercise her selfe in the truly seruing of God vnlesse she know the scope and end therof I purpose heere to set downe briefly in what manner she is to do the same CHAP. II. Of the Intention and Exercise of a true VViddow VVHEN a Widdow hath well considered of her Estate firme purpose to serue God it is necessary that first she vnderstand what is the end scope of this kind of life that conformably therto she may addresse all her workes and actions The first and principal end then is that not onely Widdowes but euery Christian also ought to liue wel and in the feare of God whome she must loue more then her owne soule and therefore she must labour that by al her endeauours actions the name of God may be euer blessed praised Christian fayth and religion aduanced and honoured This belongeth more to Widdowes then to many others who consequently must be mortifyed and of a chast and pure life For that they hauing lost their carnall Spouses they ought to seeke for no other but their Spouse Christ Iesus So as a truely deuout Widdow ought so to inflame her hart with the zeale of Gods honour that she should choose rather to dye then that by her means her Spouse should be any way dishonoured Secondly she ought with as great zeale seek and procure her owne saluation considering that she is not alwayes to remayne in this world because it is ordayned for al men once to dye and then of necessity to go either to heaue or to intollerable torments in Hell or Purgatory And therefore hauing as it were lost and forgone all the Consolations of this transitory world she must force her self to get conserue those that be celestiall and euerlasting CHAP. III. Documents for VViddowes out of S. Paul SAINT Paul wryting to Timothy sayth Honour VViddowes He meaneth such Widdowes who liue vertuously according to the rule of Widdow-hood that is to say to gouerne wel their families not only their children or their kinsfolkes but also their subiects instructing them in good life manners and vertue and when it is needfull to reprehend and correct them Secondly he sayth That Widdowes ought to hope in God to trust in his mercy in him alone to seeke for Comfort and consolation hauing dayly their mind eleuated in God in al humility praying often and imploring his diuine ayde to preserue them from all euill to forgiue them and all sinners their sins to replenish them with his gifts and graces and lastly to guide them to eternall felicity Thirdly he sayth That a VViddow entertayning worldly carnall consolations passing her dayes in mirth ioylity vanity is accompted for dead For although she liue according to the body yet is she dead according to the spirit nor can she once do any good or meritorious work worthy of heauen Fourthly he commandeth widdowes That they should be irreprehensible in all their words and deeds that is to say that in all their actiōs they giue good example that they keep themselues not only from cōmitting of mortal crims but euen from the least veniall sinnes that may be Whence it followes that if they liue vertuously hūbly in feare and vigilancy it may be said of them as it was said of Iudith that most noble and deuout widdow That neuer was there foūd any man who spake euill of her Fifthly he sayth That the Widow ought to think vpon those things that belong vnto God to the end she may be holy sanctifyed in body and spirit c. CHAP. IIII. The prayse of VViddowhood out of S. Hierome SAINT Hierome amongst the rest of Ancient Fathers is not the last nor least that hath praysed widdowhood nay I may say he hath exalted the same aboue many if not aboue all the rest And to begin first with an Epistle of his to Furia a Noble yong Lady and widdow of Rome thus he wryteth vnto her in cōmendation of the crown of Widdowhood You desire in your letter and humbly intreate me that I will answere you or rather write vnto you in what manner you may liue conserue the crowne of widdowhood without any blemish of the honour of your good Name My mind reioiceth my bowells do daunce my affection doth leape because you desire to be such after your husbands death as your mother Titiana of holy memory was a long time her husbād liuing Her praiers and deuotions are heard She hath obtained

Demetriades was granted them as a reward of their Virginity S. Philip the Apostle before his Apostleship brought vp three daughters also wherof two remayned virgins till they were very old as Policrates in S. Hierome reporteth De Scrip. Ecclesiast in Polycrate S. Petronilla daughter S. Peter vowed virginity and for feare of loosing it obteyned soden death from Almighty God S. Tecla at the perswasion of S. Paul imbraced the same as S. Ambrose witnesseth in his second booke of Virgins S. Iphigenia daughter to the King of Ethiopia by the counsell of S. Matthew as Abdias writeth in her life Flauia Domitilla daughter to Clemens the Consull S. Peters host at Rome at the perswasion of S. Clemēt as S. Bede witnesseth in his Martyrologe the 7. of May or as it is set downe in his life at the perswasion of Nereus and Achilleus S. Valeria at the perswasiō of S. Martialis as appeareth out of his Epistle ad Tholosanos Chap. 8. S. Pudentiana her sister Praxedes by the Counsell of the Apostles or Apostolicall men Finally S. Anatolia Apollonia Balbina Barbara Pelagia Catherina Caecilia Agatha Agnes Lucia Basilla Christina Dorothea Emerentiana Prisca Euphemia Saturnina Susanna Victoria Theodora and innumerable others contynued virgins in the world euen to their death and honoured their virginity with the crowne of Martyrdome Moreouer it is manifest out of S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Hierome with other holy Fathers that there were in those ages infinite who cōsecrated their virginity to Almighty God although they entred not into Monasteries but dwelt either in their Parents howses or in their owne retayning the vse of their proper goods or els liued many together in comon The same appeareth also out of the testimony of Faustus Manichaeus in S. Augustine in his 30. boke against Faustus the 4. Chap. where Faustus thus obiecteth Necvidetis hinc c. Neither do you see heere both your virgins to be noted of being deceaued by the doctrine of the Diuell and your selues to become his Prelats who contentiously alwayes incite them to this profession by your perswasions that there is almost now in your Churches a greater number of Virgins then of marryed women By which speach two things are to be noted that Bishops Prelates euery where through the whole world did earnestly incite those that were vnder their charge to the profession of Virginity and that the nūber of those who did publikely professe Virginity was as great as those that were marryed See S. Ambrose in his 30. booke of Virgins where he sheweth the same most euidently Among these also many were very eminent and wealthy as the daughters of Senatours and Princes and many of them had wayting women to follow them when they went abroad as it appeares out of S. Hierome in his 8. Epistle to Demetriades where he also warneth such Mistresses that as they themselues go modestly in their apparell so they should cause their women of attendāce also to auoyd vanity in their attyres see that their habits were modest and graue Besides many Fathers haue written of the attyre and discipline of Virgins as Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Hierome in diuers places of their workes All which they directed specially vnto such as liuing out of Monasteryes at their owne gouernment imbraced virginity And the said holy Fathers do warne thē that they should not be seen in publique without veils and ciuilly accompanyed that they should not vse secular ornaments that they should abstaine from painting and vanity in their cloathes that they should auoyde vnprofitable meetings marryages and banquets that they should giue their almes with a pure intention to the reliefe of orphans and such as were in distresse All which things it is manifest do belong to such as are at their owne disposing and retaine their proper substance Neither haue we only examples of Chastity in single or vnmarryed folkes but also euen in those thēselues which are marryed which to auoyd tediousnes I omit See Marulus in his 4. booke the 7. and 8. chap. Fulgosus in the 4. chap. Ignat. in his 6. Booke Out of which it appeares euidently that this institution of imbracing professing Chastity in the world hath beene most frequent and vsuall euer since the beginning of the Church and therefore very commendable and meritorious CHAP. III. The same is witnessed by the testimonyes of holy Fathers MERVAILOVS are the commendations which holy Fathers giue to this state of life which are no lesse referred to such as obserue it in the world then to those which professe it in Monasteryes S. Ignatius in his epistle ad Tharsenses calleth Virgins so vowed vnto God the Priests of Christ because they offer their bodyes to God as a sacrifice Eas quae in virginitate degunt c. Account saith he those who liue in the state of Virginity as Priests of Christ. S. Athanasius in his little worke of virginity about the end sayth Magna virtus continentia c. Continency is a great vertue purity is a thing worthy to be boasted of great are the prayses of Virgins O Virginity treasure inconsumable garland neuer to be withered temple of Almighty God house of the holy Ghost Margarite most pretious ouercōmer of death hell life of Angels crowne of Saints c. S. Cyprian in his booke of the habit and discipline of Virgins Nunc nobis ad Virgines sermo est c. Now speake we of Virgins sayth he of whom by how much their glory is the more eminent by so much their care is the greater This is the flower of ecclesiastical bud the ornament and grace of spirituall grace it selfe the hopeful towardnes of praise and honour a worke entire and vncorrupted the image of God correspondēt to the sanctimony of our Lord the more beautifull part of Christ his flock c. And afterwards Si praemium pollicitationis c. If thou expect the reward of promise thou wilt count thy labour little Immortality shall be giuen to him that perseuereth perpetuall li●e is proposed a reward our Lord promiseth a kingdome preserue yee Virgins preserue that which you haue begun to be preserue that which yee shall be for great is the reward prouided for you c. That which wee must be heereafter you haue begun to be already yee possesse in present the glory of the Resurrection in the age to come yee passe through the tymes without taking infectiō from them as long as yee perseuere in Chastity and Virginity yee are equall euen to the Angells of God solide and vntoucht Virginity only endures onely lasteth for euer The first Precept S. Cypriā goeth still on of Almighty God commaunded to increase and generate the second perswaded Contynency Whilst the world was rude vnpeopled by our fertility by generation we were multiplyed grewe to the increase of mankind but now when the world is peopled and filled those who are capable of Chastity are made Eunuches spiritually after the manner of

heyres vnto vs being chosen thereunto by vs freely thē those whome wee are constreyned to haue whether we will or no though indeed it be a for more assured inheritance to make our selues our owne heires by doyng good workes whilst we liue for otherwise we do but abuse the same then to leaue it being gotten all by our owne industry and pains to the vncertein vses of any others whatsoeuer These reasons and the like Theophrastus discussing what good Christiā might he not make ashamed of such vanities and troubles whose conuersation ought to be in heauen and who dayly sayth Cupio dissolui c. I desire to be dissolued and be with Christ as though he who may be a coheyre with Christ himself should desire to haue man to be his heire and should wish for children and be delighted in the succession of his posterity whome perhaps Antichrist shall peruert when notwithstanding wee read that Moyses and Samuel preferred others before their own children Neither yet did they account thē children whome they sawe displease Almighty God Thus farre are S. Hieromes words who afterward confirmeth the same with examples out of the old Testament By which it is manifestly shewed how far single life in the world is to be preferred aboue Marriage and out of how many discommodityes cares it doth deliuer a man and what aboundance of helpe it affoardeth to a man to passe ouer pleasantly and quietly this temporall life and obteine a high degre in the euerlasting All which things if they should be exactly weighed and considered of most men I doubt not but there would be farre fewer who would so much admire loue and imbrace the seruitude that Marryage oftentimes bringeth with it CHAP. VI. Of the Merits of both States of life to wit of vnmarried and married SOME one will obiect That if the paines and troubls of mothers be great in bearing and breeding their children and in supporting the conditions and iniuryes of their husbands great also are the merits of enduring them which merits such as are virgins cannot haue Whence the Apostle also 1. Tim 2. saith Saluabitur c. She shall be saued by bringing forth children c. I answere that Parents may be moued with a double affection to beget and bring vp children to wit with a meere humaine and naturall affection with a spirituall or diuine A naturall affection is when any one desireth children for the conseruation of his name family that he may haue heires to whome he may leaue his goods that he may out-liue his owne death in his posterity that he may be honoured in thē that he may haue comfort and help by his children All these are humaine respects and affections and therfore of no merit or esteeme before God yet of their owne nature they are not ill but indifferent Wherfore those who out of such affection do contract Marriage or beget childrē or bring them vp begotten merit nothing before Almighty God and loose all their labours and charges which they are at as far forth as this to wit that they shall not receiue eternall reward for them but onely a temporall comfort or comodity For as an humaine affection is not meritorious before Almighty God no more also is the work which followeth out of it although it be frequēt and laborious In like manner to loue and follow Honours Riches Magistracy Dignityes and Pleasures for the commodity splendor and sweetnes which we perceiue in them although of it selfe it be no sinne neither likewise is it of any desert but rather apperteineth to the delight of such things as are the concupiscence of the flesh of the eyes and pride of life and which proceede out of a corrupt nature not out of the inspiratiō of diuine grace The same likewise is to be sayd of the affections of Parents whereby they wish and procure these cōtents pleasures vnto their children For euen as whē they desire and obtayne these things for themselues they deserue nothing at the handes of Almighty God no more likewise doe they when they doe the like in their childrens behalfe yea this affection is not onely not meritorious before Almighty God but also it is not so much as a worke of any vertue For first of all that it not a worke proceeding out of any diuine or infused vertue it is manifest since it may be foūd also in Heathens themselues and the most wicked persons that liue Also that such affections proceed not out of any morall or Philosophicall vertue it is plaine for they respect not their obiects as they are honest and reasonable as the natures of such vertues require but as they are delightfull cōmodious or honourable Whence it is that no man by such an affection becommeth praise worthy which is the propriety of vertue As no man is worthy of prayse for that he loueth or getteth riches honors plea sures or for louing his child because he is fair or because he is like him for singing wel dancing wel speaking well or being indewed with such like ciuill ornaments or qualityes Al such affections are only naturall and indifferent and therefore of no desert or merit in the sight of Almighty God before his Tribunall seate Therfore as he which giueth almes to the poore prodigally and vaynegloriously to make himself honoured and esteemed the more of men according to the wordes of our Sauiour shal haue no reward before Almighty God but receaueth all his reward in the prayses which he getteth of men in so doing So those which marry for respect of pleasure or riches those which desire to haue children or to bring them vp to haue contentment who day and night onely take care how they may leaue them a large and ample inheritance that they may promote them to honours offices dignityes or wealthy marriages deserue nothing before God but receaue their reward in the temporall contentements which by this meanes they procure either to themselues or to their children Therefore to speake truely their labours and cares are all lost neither do they reape any fruit at all to be accounted of from all this for nothing is to be esteemed of any great valew but that which is euerlasting All temporall things are of small account passing away as shaddows therfore most vnworthy to spend al the vigour principal acts of our soule about thē which were ordained for things eternal Heerupō holy Scripture euery where calleth vs from the loue and desire of riches honours and pleasures and telleth vs that such as are poore meeke oppressed are only happy Neither are all these labours and paines of Parents onely vnprofitable but they are also hurtfull and the originall cause of infinite euils From hence it is that there are such an infinite nūber of men in the world who damne there owne soules which otherwise might haue been saued for their childrens sake to mak them rich or to promote them to Honours For those that wil