" And so therefore, since this thing that he did in the
pulling down of the house was done by the special gift of strength
then at that point given him by God, it well declareth that the
strength of God, and with it the spirit of God, entered into him
for it.
St. Austine also rehearseth that certain holy virtuous virgins, in
time of persecution, being pursued by God's enemies the infidels
to be deflowered by force, ran into a water and drowned themselves
rather than be bereaved of their virginity. And, albeit that he
thinketh it is not lawful for any other maid to follow their
example, but that she should suffer another to do her any manner
of violence by force and commit sin of his own upon her against
her will, rather than willingly and thereby sinfully herself to
become a homicide of herself; yet he thinketh that in them it
happened by the special instinct of the spirit of God, who, for
causes seen to himself, would rather that they should avoid it
with their own temporal death than abide the defiling and
violation of their chastity.
But now this good man neither hath any of God's enemies to be
revenged on by his own death, nor any woman who violently pursues
him to bereave him by force of his virginity! And we never find
that God proved any man's obedient mind by the commandment of his
own slaughter of himself.
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