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De Virginibus Velandis

XIII.

[1] Si propter homines habitu abutuntur, impleant illum etiam in hoc, ut et apud ethnicos caput velent; certe in ecclesia virginitatem suam abscondant, quam extra ecclesiam celant. Timent extraneos? revereantur et fratres aut constanter audeant et in vicis virgines videri, sicut audent in ecclesiis; laudabo vigorem, si aliquid et apud ethnicos virginitatis nundinarint. [2] Eadem natura foris quae et intus, eadem institutio apud homines et apud dominum eadem libertate constat. Quo ergo foris quidem bonum suum abstrudunt, in ecclesia vero provulgant? Exposco rationem. Utrumne ut fratribus suis placeant an ut ipsi deo? [3] Si ut ipsi deo, tam idoneus est ad conspicienda, quaeque in occulto fiunt, quam iustus ad remuneranda, quae soli sibi fiunt; denique praecipit, nihil debucinemus eorum, quae apud illum mercedem merebuntur, nec ea ab hominibus compensemus. [4] Quodsi unius victoriati vel quamcumque elimosinae operationem sinistra conscia facere prohibemur, quantum tenebrarum circumfundere debemus, cum tantam oblationem deo offerimus ipsius corporis et ipsius spiritus nostri, cum illi ipsam naturam consecramus? [5] Ergo quod non potest videri propter deum fieri, quia sic fieri deus non vult, sequitur, ut hominum gratia fiat, utique primo inlicitum ut gloriae libidinosum; gloria enim inlicitum est eis, quorum probatio in omni humiliatione constat. [6] Et si a deo confertur continentiae virtus, quid gloriaris, quasi non acceperis? si vero non aceepisti, quid habes, quod datum tibi non est? Hoc ipso autem constat a deo datum tibi non esse, quod illum non soli deo praestas. Videamus ergo, quod humanum est, an firmum sit et verum.

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On the Veiling of Virgins

Chapter XIII.--If Unveiling Be Proper, Why Not Practise It Always, Out of the Church as Well as in It?

If on account of men ¹ they adopt a false garb, let them carry out that garb fully even for that end; ² and as they veil their head in presence of heathens, let them at all events in the church conceal their virginity, which they do veil outside the church. They fear strangers: let them stand in awe of the brethren too; or else let them have the consistent hardihood to appear as virgins in the streets as well, as they have the hardihood to do in the churches. I will praise their vigour, if they succeed in selling aught of virginity among the heathens withal. ³ Identity of nature abroad as at home, identity of custom in the presence of men as of the Lord, consists in identity of liberty. To what purpose, then, do they thrust their glory out of sight abroad, but expose it in the church? I demand a reason. Is it to please the brethren, or God Himself? If God Himself, He is as capable of beholding whatever is done in secret, as He is just to remunerate what is done for His sole honour. In fine, He enjoins us not to trumpet forth ⁴ any one of those things which will merit reward in His sight, nor get compensation for them from men. But if we are prohibited from letting "our left hand know" when we bestow the gift of a single halfpenny, or any eleemosynary bounty whatever, how deep should be the darkness in which we ought to enshroud ourselves when we are offering God so great an oblation of our very body and our very spirit--when we are consecrating to Him our very nature! It follows, therefore, that what cannot appear to be done for God's sake (because God wills not that it be done in such a way) is done for the sake of men,--a thing, of course, primarily unlawful, as betraying a lust of glory. For glory is a thing unlawful to those whose probation consists in humiliation of every kind. And if it is by God that the virtue of continence is conferred, "why gloriest thou, as if thou have not received?" ⁵ If, however, you have not received it, "what hast thou which has not been given thee?" But by this very fact it is plain that it has not been given you by God--that it is not to God alone that you offer it. Let us see, then, whether what is human be firm and true.