With such, eternal
life is not so much endangered by vows of celibacy attended with
engagements to chastity, as it is with those who are principled in
internal worship: moreover, in many instances that state of life is not
entered upon from any freedom of the will, many being engaged therein
before they attain to freedom grounded in reason, and some in
consequence of alluring worldly motives. Of those who adopt that state
with a view to have their minds disengaged from the world, that they may
be more at leisure to apply themselves to divine things, those only are
chaste with whom the love of a life truly conjugial either preceded that
state or followed it, and with whom it remains; for the love of a life
truly conjugial is that alone of which chastity is predicated. Wherefore
also, after death, all who have lived in monasteries are at length freed
from their vows and set at liberty, that, according to the interior vows
and desires of their love, they may be led to choose a life either
conjugial or extra-conjugial: if in such case they enter into conjugial
life, those who have loved also the spiritual things of divine worship
are given in marriage in heaven; but those who enter into
extra-conjugial life are sent to their like, who dwell on the confines
of heaven.
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