45. Wherefore what shall we
say? is there any thought which a virgin of God may truly have, by
reason of which she dare not to set herself before a faithful
woman, not only a widow, but even married? I say not a reprobate
virgin; for who knows not that an obedient woman is to be set
before a disobedient virgin? But where both are obedient unto the
commands of God, shall she so tremble to prefer holy virginity even
to chaste marriage, and continence to wedded life, the fruit an
hundred-fold to go before the thirty-fold? Nay, let her not doubt
to prefer this thing to that thing; yet let not this or that
virgin, obeying and fearing God, dare to set herself before this or
that woman, obeying and fearing God; otherwise she will not be
humble, and “God resisteth the proud!”2186
What, therefore, shall she have in
her thoughts? Forsooth the hidden
gifts of
God, which nought
save
the questioning of
trial makes known to each, even in himself. For,
to pass over the
rest, whence doth a
virgin know, although careful
of the things of the
Lord, how to please the
Lord2187
but that
haply, by reason of some
weakness of
mind unknown to herself, she
be not as yet
ripe for martyrdom, whereas that
woman, whom she
rejoiced to set herself before, may already be able to drink the
Cup of the
Lord’s
humiliation,
2188
which He set before His
disciples,
to drink first, when enamored of high place? Whence, I say, doth
she know but that she herself be not as yet Thecla, that other be
already Crispina.
2189
| 2189 A married woman, who was beheaded
in the persecution under Diocletian and Maximian at Thebeste in
Africa. See Ser. 354, ad Continentes, n. 5. where he says,
“bethink you that in the time of persecution not only Agnes the
Virgin was crowned, but likewise Crispina, the wife; and perchance,
as there is no doubt, some of the continent then failed, and many
of the wedded fought and conquered.” Ben. ed. |
Certainly unless there be present
trial, there takes place no proof of this gift.
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