54. Lo, already ye are such, as that in the rest of your conduct also ye correspond with the virginity which ye have professed and kept. Lo, already not only do ye abstain from murders, devilish sacrifices and abominations, thefts, rapines, frauds, perjuries, drunkennesses, and all luxury and avarice, hatreds, emulations, impieties, cruelties; but even those things, which either are, or are thought, lighter, are not found nor arise among you: not bold face, not wandering eyes, not unbridled tongue, not petulant laugh, not scurrilous jest, not unbecoming mien, not swelling or loose gait; already ye render not evil for evil, nor curse for curse;192    1 Pet. iii. 9. [See R.V.] already, lastly, ye fulfill that measure of love, that ye lay down your lives for your brethren.193    1 John iii. 16 Lo, already ye are such, because also such ye ought to be. These, being added to virginity, set forth an angelic life unto men, and the ways of heaven unto the earth. But, by how much ye are great, whosoever of you are so great, “by so much humble yourselves in all things, that ye may find grace before God,” that He resist you not as proud, that He humble you not as lifting up yourselves, that He lead you not through straits as being puffed up: although anxiety be unnecessary, that, where Charity glows, humility be not wanting.

CAPUT LIII.

54. Virgines quanto sanctiores, tanto sint humiliores. Ecce jam tales estis, ut professae atque servatae virginitati caeteris etiam moribus congruatis. Ecce jam non solum homicidiis, sacrificiis diabolicis et abominationibus, furtis, rapinis, fraudibus, perjuriis, ebriositatibus, omnique luxuria et avaritia, simulationibus, aemulationibus, impietatibus, crudelitatibus abstinetis: verum etiam illa quae leviora vel sunt vel putantur, non inveniuntur nec oriuntur in vobis; non improbus vultus, non vagi oculi, non infrenis lingua, non petulans risus, non scurrilis jocus, non indecens habitus, non tumidus aut fluxus incessus: jam non redditis malum pro malo, nec maledictum pro maledicto (I Petr. III, 9); jam postremo illam mensuram dilectionis impletis, ut ponatis animas pro fratribus vestris (I Joan. III, 16). Ecce jam tales estis, quia et tales esse debetis. Haec addita virginitati, angelicam vitam hominibus, et coeli mores exhibent terris. Sed quanto magni estis, quicumque ita magni estis, tanto humiliate vos in omnibus, ut coram Deo inveniatis gratiam, ne superbis resistat, ne se exaltantes humiliet, ne inflatos per angusta non trajiciat: quanquam superflua sit sollicitudo, ne ubi fervet charitas, desit humilitas.