LIBER DE DISCIPLINA ET BONO PUDICITIAE. EPISTOLA IGNOTI AUCTORIS.

 0819C I. Aliquas officiorum meorum partes non aestimo praeterisse, dum semper enitor, vel maxime quotidianis Evangeliorum tractatibus, aliquando vobis

 II. Quamvis ergo ad multa vos negotia et ad divinae monitionis praecepta, semper ut scitis exhorter (quid enim mihi aliud votivum aut majus potest ess

 III. Pudicitia est honor corporum, ornamentum morum, sanctitas sexuum, vinculum pudoris, fons castitatis, pax domus, concordiae caput. Pudicitia solli

 0822A IV. Sed enim pudicitia locum primum in virginibus tenet, secundum in continentibus, tertium in matrimoniis. Verum in omnibus gloriosa est cum gr

 V. Pudicitiae, fratres, antiqua praecepta sunt. Quare antiqua dico? Quia cum ipsis hominibus instituta 0822B sunt. Nam et ideo vir suus feminae est, u

 VI. Hanc sententiam Christus quando uxorem dimitti non nisi ob adulterium dixit (Matth. V, 32): interrogatus, tantum honorem pudicitiae dedit. Hinc na

 VII. Sed sicut matronis jura praescripta sunt, quae ita sunt nexae, ut divelli inde non possint, virginitas vero et continentia extra jus omne sunt: n

 VIII. Sed quia pudicitiae nobis breviter sunt exposita praecepta, jam pudicitiae ponamus exemplum, Plus enim proficitur, cum in rem praesentem venitur

 IX. Sed non minus, ex parte diversa, aliud nobis 0824B pudicitiae simile de continentia feminarum exoritur exemplum. Fuit, ut legimus, Susanna (Dan. X

 X. Non illos emollire potuit in vita generosi sanguinis memoria, quae in quosdam licentia lasciviae est ministra: non decor corporis, et apte positoru

 0825B XI. Nihil animum fidelem sic delectat, quam integra immaculati pudoris conscientia. Voluptatem vicisse, voluptas est maxima: nec ulla major est

 XII. Quid enim est aliud pudicitia, quam mens honesta ad custodiam corporis data ut sexibus redditus pudor, severitate signatus, fidem honoris de inc

 XIII. Sed ut repetam quae coeperam, colenda semper pudicitia viris et foeminis, omni custodia servanda 0826C est intra limites suos. Cito natura corpo

 XIV. Dicendum etiam quod adulterium voluptas non est, sed mutua contumelia, nec delectare potest, quod et animam interficiat et pudorem. Coerceat anim

1. I do not conceive that I have exceeded any portions of my duty, in always striving as much as possible, by daily discussions of the Gospels, to afford to you from time to time the means of growth, by the Lord’s help, in faith and knowledge. For what else can be effected in the Lord’s Church with greater advantage, what can be found more suitable to the office of a bishop, than that, by the teaching of the divine words, recommended and commented on by Him, believers should be enabled to attain to the promised kingdom of heaven? This assuredly, as the desired result day by day of my work as well as of my office, I endeavour, notwithstanding my absence, to accomplish; and by my letters I try to make myself present to you, addressing you in faith, in my usual manner, by the exhortations that I send you. I call upon you, therefore, to be established in the power of the Root2    [This illustrates pp. 322 and 389, note 7.] of the Gospel, and to stand always armed against all the assaults of the devil. I shall not believe myself to be absent from you, if I shall be sure of you. Nevertheless, everything which is advantageously set forth, and which either defines or promises the condition of eternal life to those who are investigating it, is then only profitable, if it be aided in attaining the reward of the effort by the power of the divine mercy. We not only set forth words which come from the sacred fountains of the Scriptures, but with these very words we associate prayers to the Lord, and wishes, that, as well to us as to you, He would not only unfold the treasures of His sacraments, but would bestow strength for the carrying into act of what we know.  For the danger is all the greater if we know the Lord’s will, and loiter in the work of the will of God.

0819C I. Aliquas officiorum meorum partes non aestimo praeterisse, dum semper enitor, vel maxime quotidianis Evangeliorum tractatibus, aliquando vobis fidei et scientiae per Dominum incrementa praestare. Quid enim aliud in Ecclesia Domini utilius geri, quid accommodatius officio episcopi potest inveniri, quam ut doctrina divinorum, per ipsum insinuata collataque, verborum, possint credentes ad repromissum regnum pervenire coelorum? Hoc certe mei et operis et muneris, quotidianum votivum negotium, absens licet, obtinere connitor; et per litteras praesentiam meam vobis reddere conor. Dum vos solito more allocutionibus missis in fide interpello, ideo convenio, in Evangelicae radicis firmitate solidati, adversus omnia diaboli praelia stetis semper armati. Absentem 0819D me non credam, si fuero securus. Verumtamen omnia quae utiliter proferuntur, et aeternae vitae statum tractantibus vel definiunt, vel promittunt; ita demum fructuosa sunt, si ad emolumentum operis, divinae 0820C indulgentiae viribus, adjuventur. Non solum proferimus verba quae de Scripturarum sacris fontibus veniunt, sed cum ipsis verbis, preces ad Dominum et vota sociamus, ut tam nobis quam vobis, et sacramentorum suorum thesauros aperiat, et vires ad implenda quae cognoscimus, tribuat. Periculum enim majus est voluntatem Domini cognovisse, et in Dei voluntatis opere cessasse.