deny themselves and follow him, Luke 9:23, so that they are
governed no longer by their own will, but by that of their
rule and superior. In like manner, according to the testimony
of the apostle, those virgins do better who, contemning the
world and spurning its enticements, vow and maintain
virginity in monasteries, than those who place their necks
beneath the matrimonial burden. For thus St. Paul says, 1
Cor. 7:28: "He that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he
that giveth her not in marriage doeth better." Also,
concerning a widow, he continues: "She is happier if she so
abide, after my judgment." No one is ignorant of the holiness
of the hermit Paul, of Basil, Anthony, Benedict, Bernard,
Dominic, Franciscus, Wiliam, Augustine, Clara, Bridget, and
similar hermits, who indeed despised the entire realm of the
world and all the splendor of the age on account of love to
our Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, the heresy of the Lampetians
was condemned in most ancient times, which the heretic
Jovinian attempted in vain to revive at Rome. Therefore, all
things must be rejected which in this article have been
produced against monasticism - viz. that monasteries
succeeded vows. Of the nunneries it is sufficiently
ascertained that, though pertaining to the weaker sex, how in
most cloisters the holy nuns persevered far more constantly
to vows once uttered, even under these princes and cities,
than th majority of monks; even to this day it has been
impossible to move them from their holy purpose by any
prayers, blandishments, threats, terrors, difficulties or
distresses. Wherefore, those matters are not to be admitted
which are interpreted unfavorably, since it has been
expressly declared in the Holy Scriptures that the monastic