nor praise |
women for the endowments of the | [Note n: _Anima enim sexum non
flesh onely (as othersome doe[o]) | habet.--De Virg. som. 1. lib: 3.
vnlesse they be adorned also with | fol. 99._]
the sauing Graces of the Spirit, |
whereof a chiefe one is not noble | [Note o: _Cornel. Agrip. de
birth, great wealth, excellent wit, | Nobilit. foeminei sexus. Bocacius
or rare beautie: but _the feare of | de claris mulieribus._]
the Lord_, his treasure.[A] This |
godly feare is that, that makes a | [Note A: _Es. 33. 6._]
Woman in relation[p] to God, |
praise-worthy. And good reason it | [Note p: _Caiet. in. loc._]
should do so, if we regard the |
weaknesse of a woman, in whom so |
excellent a Grace as _the feare of |
the Lord_, is found, and the |
Noblenesse of fearing the Lord, |
being so found. |
|
First, a womans weaknesse is |
naturally[q] greater than the mans, | [Note q: _Naturaliter etiam maior
and therefore by how much her flesh | lucti est inter carnem et
is weaker, and her spirit lesse | spirit[=u] mulieris quam viri:
willing, by so much the combate she | quanto enim caro eius infirmior, &
hath, is more difficult, and the | spiritus minus promptus, tato pugna
victory she gets, more commendable. | dissicilior--& victoria
I know a man (_Blesensis_ by name) | comm[=e]dabilior. Pet. Bles. ser.
that thought two things should | 33. p. 420. Timeo autem ne forte
excuse him at the dreadfull day of | viri a virginibus iudicentur:
iudgement, the Frailty of his | Comparatione tam[=e] non
flesh, and the Ignorance of his | Auctoritate: quia per duo tantum
minde; but then he feared lest God | scilicet: per Fragilitat[=e] carnis
would iudge men by wom[=e], whose | & Ignorantiam mentis putoba, &c.
sex being more fraile, more | ser. 35. p. 428._]
ignorant than that of mens, were |
for all that oftentimes more holy, |
more deuout than many men. |
|
Secondly, the _Feare of the Lord_ |
is the truest Nobilitie (as |
_Gerson_[r] proues) the noblest | [Note r: _Tractat. de Nobilitate,
grace that can ennoble and extoll a | part. 2. p. 52. lit. E. Et Greg.
man or a woman. Other naturall, | Naz. Orat. 13. tom. I. fol. 352._]
ciuill, and meer