§22Sernate, uirgines, seruate quod esse coepistis.
Keep, virgins, keep what you have begun to be.
seruate quod eritis.
Keep what you will be.
magna uos merces habet, praemium grande uirtutis, munus maximum castitatis.
A great reward awaits you, a grand prize of virtue, a supreme gift of chastity.
uultis scire quo malo careat et quid boni teneat continentiae uirtus? multiplicabo, inquit mulieri Deus, tristitias tuas et gemitus tuos, et in tristitia paries filios, et conuersio tua ad uirum tuum et ipse tui dominabitur. uos ab hac sententia liberae estis, uos mulierum tristitias et gemitus non timetis, nullus uobis de partu circa filios metus est: nec maritus dominus, dominus uester et caput Christus est ad instar et uicem masculi, sors uobis et condicio communis est.
Do you wish to know what evil the virtue of continence is free from, and what good it possesses? 'I will multiply,' God said to the woman, 'your sorrows and your groans, and in sorrow you shall bring forth children, and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.' You are free from this sentence; you do not fear the sorrows and groans of women; you have no fear of childbirth concerning children. Neither is a husband your master; your master and head is Christ, in the likeness and in the place of the male; your lot and condition are common.
Domini uox est illa dicentis: filii saeculi huius generant et generantur: qui autem habuerint dignationem saeculi illius et resurrectionis a mortuis, non nubunt neque matrimonium faciunt: neque enim incipiunt mori. aequales enim sunt angelis Dei, cum sint filii resurrectionis. quod futuri sumus, iam uos esse coepistis.
That is the voice of the Lord saying: 'The children of this world marry and are given in marriage; but those who shall be accounted worthy of that world, and of the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot die any more; for they are equal to the angels of God, being children of the resurrection.' What we are to be, you have already begun to be.
uos resurrectionis gloriam in isto saeculo iam tenetis, per saeculum sine saeculi contagione transitis: cum castae perseueratis et uirgines, angelis Dei estis aequales.
You already possess the glory of the resurrection in this world; you pass through the world without the pollution of the world. While you persevere chaste and virgins, you are equal to the angels of God.
tantum maneat et duret solida et inlaesa uirginitas et ut coepit fortiter, iugiter perseueret nec monilium aut uestium quaerat ornamenta sed morum.
Only let a solid and uninjured virginity remain and endure; and as it began bravely, let it persevere continuously, and let it not seek the ornaments of necklaces or garments, but of manners.
Deum spectet et caelum neque oculos ad sublime porrectos ad carnis et mundi concupiscentiam deprimat, ad terrena deponat.
Let it look to God and heaven, and not depress eyes stretched to the sublime to the concupiscence of the flesh and the world, nor cast them down to earthly things.
§23Prima sententia crescere et multiplicari praecepit, secunda et continentiam suasit.
The first sentence commanded to increase and multiply; the second also advised continence.
dum adhuc rudis mundus et inanis est, copiam fecunditate generantes propagamur et crescimus ad humani generis augmentum: cum iam refertus est orbis et mundus inlicit, qui capere continentiam possunt spadonum more uiuentes castrantur ad regnum.
While the world was still raw and empty, we, multiplying by fruitfulness in generating, propagated and grew for the increase of the human race. When the world is now full and the world entices, those who can receive continence, living in the manner of eunuchs, castrate themselves for the kingdom.
nec hoc iubet Dominus sed hortatur, nec iugum necessitatis inponit, quando maneat uoluntatis arbitrium liberum.
Nor does the Lord command this, but exhorts; nor does He impose a yoke of necessity, since the free choice of the will remains.
sed cum habitationes multas aput patrem suum dicat, melioris habitaculi hospitia demonstrat.
But when He says that there are many mansions in His Father's house, He points out the lodgings of a better dwelling.
habitacula ista meliora uos petitis, carnis desideria castrantes maioris gratiae praemium in caelestibus obtinetis.
You seek these better dwellings; castrating the desires of the flesh, you obtain the reward of a greater grace in heaven.
omnes quidem qui ad diuinum munus et patrium baptismi sanctificatione perueniunt hominem illic ueterem gratia lauacri salutaris exponunt et innouati Spiritu sancto a sordibus contagionis antiquae iterata natiuitate purgantur.
Indeed, all who attain to the divine and paternal gift by the sanctification of baptism put off there the old man by the grace of the saving bath, and, renewed by the Holy Spirit, are cleansed from the filth of the ancient contagion by a second birth.
sed natiuitatis iteratae uobis maior sanctitas et ueritas conpetit, quibus desideria iam carnis et corporis nulla sunt.
But a greater holiness and truth belong to you in your second birth, in whom there are now no desires of the flesh and body.
sola in uobis quae sunt uirtutis et spiritus ad gloriam remanserunt.
Only those things which belong to virtue and the spirit have remained in you for glory.
apostoli uox est quem Dominus uas electionis suae dixit, quem ad promenda mandata caelestia Deus misit. primus homo, inquit, e terrae limo, secundus e caelo: qualis ille e limo, tales et qui de limo, et qualis caelestis, tales et caelestes.
It is the voice of the apostle whom the Lord called the vessel of His election, whom God sent to declare the heavenly commandments: 'The first man,' he says, 'is from the slime of the earth; the second is from heaven. As is the one from the slime, such also are those of the slime; and as is the heavenly, such also are the heavenly.
quomodo portauimus imaginem eius qui de limo est, portemus et imaginem eius qui de caelo est. hanc imaginem uirginitas portat, portat integritas, sanctitas portat et ueritas, portant disciplinae Dei memores, iustitiam cum religione retinentes, stabiles in fide, humiles in timore, ad omnem tolerantiam fortes, ad sustinendam iniuriam mites, ad faciendam misericordiam faciles, fraterna pace unanimes adque concordes.
Just as we have borne the image of him who is of the slime, let us also bear the image of him who is of heaven.' Virginity bears this image, integrity bears it, holiness and truth bear it; those bear it who are mindful of the discipline of God, retaining justice with religion, stable in faith, humble in fear, strong in all endurance, mild in sustaining injury, ready to show mercy, of one mind and concordant in brotherly peace.
§24Quae uos singula, o bonae uirgines, obsernare, diligere, inplere debetis quae Deo et Christo uacantes ad Dominum, cui uos dicastis, et maiore et meliore parte praeceditis.
Which things, o good virgins, you ought individually to observe, to love, to fulfill; you who, devoting yourselves to God and Christ, precede toward the Lord, to whom you have dedicated yourselves, both in the greater and better part.
prouectae annis, iunioribus facite magisterium: minores natu, praebete conparibus incitamentum.
Advanced in years, show a mastership to the younger; younger in age, present an incentive to your equals.
hortamentis uos mutuis excitate, aemulis de uirtute documentis ad gloriam prouocate.
Excite yourselves with mutual exhortations; provoke one another to glory by rivaling examples of virtue.
durate fortiter, spiritaliter pergite, peruenite feliciter.
Endure bravely, proceed spiritually, arrive happily.
tantum mementote tunc nostri, cum incipiet in uobis uirginitas honorari.
Only remember us then, when virginity shall begin to be honored in you.