saruant worshyper of the holy name of Iesu coÌ„mytyng hymselfe only holly to the passion of cryst marcy of oure lorde god And wythin the sayd tyme he had coÌ„fort illuminacioÌ„ in soule how to answere the enmy to his gret coÌ„fort to the edefiyng of other And that was this yt was gyueÌ„ hym by a light that when so euer suche mocion cam to his mynde that he sulde take that mocion for an occasion remembraunce to honour the passion of crist the blyssed vyrgyn hys mother And yf it com to his mynde a C. tymes in the day so ofte of the same to take occasion remeÌ„brance to say Adoramê° to criste IhuÌ„ et benedicimus tibi Quia per crucem titam redemisti muÌ„dum miserere nobis And to the mother of marcy one Aue maria to the ende And thus that parson was clene delyueryd to the greate encrease of hope in his soule ¶ An answere to the fyrste parte of the CoÌ„playnt of the dulle soule And a remedy for his tediousnes The .xvi. Capitre BVT now to the coÌ„playnt of the ê‘son that ys troubelyd with mocions of desperacion And fyrst where he sayeth that his lyfe is as yt were a tediousnes In that poynt begynneth the enmy all this trouble For yf he may bryng hym to an heuynes of spryte to a dulnes and tediousnes then hathe he in maner robbed hym from the zele quycke fervour of good workes spoyled hym of hys corage that he had to verteu woll make hym leue soÌ„tyme hys dewtyes vndone other good workes to the whiche he hathe bene accustomyd But this spuÌ„all pensyuenes tediousnes of spryte is causyd otherwyse in the grete syners of the worlde and infydels heretikes otherwyse in the saruantes of god .iii. wayes how tediousnes may come in euyll people In the saruantes of the dyuell yt is causyd when they haue the condicions of theyr master somtyme of a synguler and proude mynde when a man pÌ„ferryth his owne wyll mynde iâ—â—â—cion or couÌ„seyl before al other .i. and also ageynst the coÌ„mandement of god and is so obdurate styffe in his opynion that he wyll folow no couÌ„seyl neyther of hys prelate nor of eny other reuler Of thys we rede an example in the seconde boke of the Kynges of one called Achytofel whiche for that his couÌ„seyl was refusyd not folowyd Captlo xvii he went home honge hymselfe Some tyme yt comyth of an enuyous mynde when a man ys so replete wyth the poyson of Enuy. Ire impaciency that nether for god nor man he woll spare to reuenge his enuyous wyll harte Captlo iii. Of thys we rede in the boke of quene Hester of one callyd Amon whiche so enuyed a verteous man callyd Mardocheus that he coulde non other wyse be contentyd but he wolde haue not only the sayd Mardocheus but also all his nacioÌ„ slayne on a daye and all for that Mardocheus dyd not arise and do hym reuerence as other did But what fortunyd suerly by the wyl of god the meanes of the fornamyd quene Hester whiche was Mardoche us brothers doughter IbideÌ„ Capitulo vii vpon the same galows that he let make for Mardocheus he was hangyd hymselfe and Mardocheus with all hys nacion delyueryd .iii. Som tyme yt comyth of a malysyous cursyd wyll a man wyll not calle for marcy to god but voluÌ„taryly wylfully seperat hym selfe from his marcy as dyd Iudas that betrayed our sauyoure Math. xxvii And all these cam to coÌ„fusion And therfore from thys tediousnes god kepe all cristen people for hys tendre marcy How tediousnes may be iÌ„ the saruaÌ„tes 〈◊〉 amen ¶ Of an other cause maner thys forsayd tediousnes is causyd in the saruantes of god As saynt Gregory wytnessyth in his moralles And that ys when the saruantes of god hathe foughten the batayl of verteu long seson exercysyd hymself wele in warkes of parfeccion and gostlynes Afterwarde he begynneth to be wery to abate his dylygence and goostly corage that he had in resystynge temptacions and doyng good workes so gyueth place to the enemy whyche a non as the aduarsary do the parceyue he parsewyth hym more craftely by many suttyl fraudes and suggestions mouyth hym to the forsayd gostly werynes tediousnes Ageyn the whiche we must vse these remedyes that folowyth and apply all our enforce myghte to resyste remoue this sayd tediousnes For lyke as where the sarpent may get in her hed she wyl coÌ„uey draw in her body shortly so wol he do Therfore let vs cut a way tediousnes from our harte as the moste parlous hed of the sarpent the dyuell For yf he may obteyne that vndoutyd he wol brynge vs to farther trouble Therfor when we be wery in goostlynes let vs ren to the well of marcy fouÌ„tayne of all coÌ„fort oure loueyng sauiour cryst Iesu whiche hathe ê“mysed to coÌ„fort refresshe vs sayng Math .xi. Come to me al you that be ouerchargyd weryed in the grete labours that ye haue taken for my loue Com to me I shall refresshe you I shall coÌ„forte releue defende you from all troubles delyuer you IoaÌ„nes xvi In me ye shall haue peace Let vs coÌ„syder the grete marcy tendre loue of that lorde whiche for our redempcion delyuerance netheyr sparyd body nor soule but strongly sufferyng the batell of tribulacion all paynes to the vttermost neuer ceassyd to the ende but rendryd his most pÌ„cyous lyfe for our saluacion RemeÌ„bre also the holy appostles martyrs coÌ„fessours vyrgyns and iÌ„numerable holy fathers sayntes that faughte the same batayl Lyfte vp the eye of your soule to heuen coÌ„syder the crowne of glory whiche our sayd lord hathe pÌ„paryd for his saruantes holdyth yt in his hande as most sure redy to those ê‘sons the parseuer fyghtyng this batayl to the ende For to them only it is promysyd Loke also downe to hell coÌ„syder wheter ye be able to stusteyne the paynes ordenid for the contrary For them I mene that begynneth good workes do not ê‘seuer to the ende These well consyderyd may be an occasion to remoue all tediousnes and dulnes of spirit But yf you wyll confouÌ„de the enemy shortly A good reâ—â—dy ageynsâ— tediousneâ— vse thys remedy when ye be dysposyd to dulnes of spyryt applye youre selfe to some workes bodely or gostly that ben to the honoure of god though in the doynge of them ye haue deuocion as in prayer or in redeynge of holy Psalmes or sayntes lyues And specially ofte amonge vse these holy Psalmes Iudica me deus et discerne causam meam Psalmo xlii Psal C.xlii. Domine exaudi orationem meam auribus ê‘cipe obsecracionem meam And in this excercyse the enemy may not abyde but seyng that the more he teÌ„ptyth the more the saruante of god dothe ê“fyt in
it wyll brynge the conscience halfe to consent to thynges that ben wrong whiche for lacke of dew delyberacion reason can not discusse nor discerne And paraduenture fall to mocions of infidelyte to anguysshe of spyrit tediousnes of lyfe thynkeyng all that they do to be noughte And that they be forsaken of almyghty god and delyuerid to the handes of the enemy for theyr synnes and so fall to desperacion This is the greatest payne that may be in this worlde to the faythfull soule And in paciently sufferynge this payne and in wysely ouercomynge the same there is ê“mysed the greate crowne of glory so moche more glory that the payne ys importable And certeynly this payne or some other lyke ys necessary moche holsom for the syngular ê‘sone to kepe hym in mekenes leaste he shulde fall to farther pryde and so lose the fauour of god crowne of glory 〈…〉 There is as saint Augustine sayeth for euery syn a dew payne And god of iustice hathe comaundyd that euery inordynate mynde shall receyue hys dew payne in hym selfe As the enuyous harte hys payne The slouthfull hys payne The Gloton hys payne so forthe of other But among theÌ„ all there is no payne so meyte to suppresse syngularyte as these forsayd spirituall paynes temptacions The whiche for as moche as we haue shewyd how they may com ryse in some maner wyse of the route of our corupte nature wherfor suche may be somtyme more payne then parell as we haue sayd before Libro pri dâ— coÌ„so theoloâ— ê“sa iiii libro iiii ê“sâ— secunda A good desperacion For doctour Gerson sayeth that there is a good scrupulosyte and a good desperacion That is a good desperacion that reryth vp the dull soule of man makyth yt stronge in hope for the faythful soule beyng in fore temptacions paynes seyng that he can not delyuer helpe hym selfe he castyth all his thoughtes harte mynde body soule in to the handes of god hys maker cleuyth fast to his marcy as doth the nedyll to the adamant stone And that soule doutles shall haue coÌ„forte of god whiche anone as he receyueth he ys euer afterwarde more strong in hope than he was before Thys is a good desperacion Vbi supra A good scupulosite Lykewyse that is a good scrupulosyte that ys occasioÌ„ to remoue the soule from seruyle feare tymerous coÌ„science to harty faruent loue And that ys a good mocion of infydelyte by the occasyon of the whiche man may obteyne clere faythe quicke faythe in thynges coÌ„cernyng his saluacioÌ„ I write not this the only euery man that ys scrupulous syngular hathe these forsaid spuÌ„al infyrmytyes temptacioÌ„s but also som tymes the stronge faythfull saruantes of god that had leuer haue theyr hartes pluced out of theyr brestes then in worde dede or thought they wolde declyne from the trew faythe and loue of Iesu criste And for as moche as allmyghty god loueyth them moste syngularly therfore he wyll proue them in the fornace of payne tribulacion lyke as he dyd his naturall eternall son our sauioure lorde Iesu crist And the cause ys that aboue other paciently sufferyng the same they be preordinate to haue an hyer crowne of glory in heuen For as that noble deuoute clarke whome I suppose ye bothe knew and louyd for his synguler verteu Doctoure Chubbes in hys conflate coÌ„paryth the swetnes of deuocion faruoure of charyte vnto mylke â—onflate ys â—e name of 〈◊〉 boke wyth whiche god often tymes dothe fede and norisshe his tendre chyldren suche as ben tendre in fayth weake in faythe weake in hope feble in loue But the stronge saruantes chaÌ„pions of god byn fed wyth a more stronge meate as with paynes labours coÌ„mauÌ„dementes ê“feccions greate troubles temptacions aduersityes whiche yf they suffer pacyently and so ê“uyd kepe hole breke not from the loue of god suche be blyssed sayeth the wyse man And they shall haue the crowne of glory whiche god hathe ê“mysyd kepyth for them 〈…〉 And saynt Iames in hys epystle exhortyth euery faythfull soule to the same sayng Be glad and esteme yt for a great ioye when ye be in troubles temptacions For syth the lyfe of faithfull man is coÌ„paryd to batayle in scripture the cristian man shulde not care nor abate his gostly corage to god when he is assayled by the enemy or otherwyse tossyd in aduersyte knowyng for certayne that none may come to heuen but by troble payne Saynt Paule sayth â—ebre xii Bâ— Them whom god receyueth admyttyth as hys chyldren he correctyth in thys worlde And none may loke to be enheritours of the kyngdome of heuen the in this worlde wyll suffre no payne And therfore the faithful saruant of god shuld not regarde moche what payne he dothe suffre nor of whome hys payne takyth occasion or ys causyd For know ye for certayne that all payne sensyble is wroughte of god of hym pryncipally ys comauÌ„dyd s Thomaâ— And thoughe the occasioÌ„ of oure syn som tyme may be the cause by the suggestioÌ„ of the enemy And though also the cause meritorious may be our selfe other by our surfet or necglygens fraylte ignorance or corrupte wyll yet the payne is only of god as the pryncipall cause to rectify other the syn that is past or to lett the syn that is to com so the ê“phete Dauid sayeth Psal xxxviâ— that god correctyth man for syn Then we shulde not moche care nor be wery of payne but we ought dylygeÌ„tly to apply all our study after the couÌ„sayl of the wyse man How we may receyue wyth harty thankes all suche thynges that god shal sende whether they be aduersities or ê“speritie And often to reuolue recouÌ„t in our mynde how we may pÌ„pare order our selfe pacieÌ„tly to suffre endure to coÌ„tynew hole vnbroken in such teÌ„ptacions aduersities ê“ues For lyke as the fier tryeth ê“uyth the syluer or golde Eccli ii so the fornace of payne tribulacioÌ„ ê“uith the elect chyldren chosen eÌ„heritours of the kyngdom of heuen saint Paule wytnessyth that same sayng Roma v. TribulacioÌ„ warkyth pacience Pacience hole vnbroken workyth ê“fe ê“fe warkyth hope hope neuer confouÌ„dyth but gyuyth such gostly streÌ„gthe to man knytteth his harte so fast to god that all payne is plesure to hym augmentacioÌ„ of strengthe grace ExaÌ„ple An exampâ—â— of the pottâ—â— The pottar when he turnyth his vessel in the first tyme makyth yt as long as it is grene erth he setyth no gret store by it But when he hathe put it in the fier after take it out agen if he fynd it broken he wyl sone cast it a syde as noughte settyth no store therby But yf yt be hole and souÌ„de when he takyth it out of the tyer then he makyth moche of yt trustyng
to his saluacion And that the enemy knowyng though he can not ouercome hym yet he wyll trouble hym wery hym as doctours sayeth dryue hym to that poynte yf he can that he shall be wery to suffre payne for hys synnes for the loue of Iesu crist In whiche yf the faythfull soule resyst hym be not ouercom but paciently suffer all his craftes paynes troubles certaynly that soule dothe meryt greatly byldyth his hye crowne of glory to the great confusion of the enemy which synned fell without eny suche occasion or payne but only of his fre wyll But yf a soule wyl be weake faynt and not strongly call for grace to resyste hym Anone he wyl lay greter sege to hym assayle hym with more temptacions He wyl brynge hym to anguysshe of spirit whiche is a spuÌ„all pensyuenes And that parlous payne he wyl by darkyng of his reason bryng hym to yet a greter payne that is to say to tediousnes of lyfe And there vpon next he wyl if he be not resysted moue hym to desperacioÌ„ whiche is the vttermost that he may do in the soule that louyth god For certaynly though he may brynge his owne saruantes suche that louyth the worlde better then god to forther coÌ„fusion yet the saruantes of god and the elect chosen vessels of grace he may neuer fynally confouÌ„de in that temptacion nor in any other as saynt Gregory sayeth in the secoÌ„de boke of his morals ¶ A lamentable coÌ„playnt of the dulle Soule The .xiiii. Chapitre BVT som wol saye syr I am so maruelously troublyd some tyme that me thynketh I am lefte forsaken of god and all hys aungells holy sayntes and I am as yt were a thynge that were taken delyuerid to the enemy for my synnes I haue no swetnes nor deuocioÌ„ but all my lyfe is as yt wer a tediousnes all swetnes deuocion is taken from me And I as a thynge lefte dry without merues to nothynge apte nor disposyd that is goostly And that bryngeth me to suche feare that I may trust hope of no ioy in heuen nor eny thyng that is good in erth but only loke for dampnacion Ah. holy soul and yf thou wyst what these paynes doth profyt the thou woldest haue a mery spryt a lyght harte For certaynly other these greate temptacions byn only payne to the. or els they byn wylfully desyryd of the. If they byn only payne knowe thou for cartaynte that they byn no syn Captlo xiiii de vera religione For as oure holy father saynte Austine sayeth Syn is so voluÌ„tary that if yt be not voluÌ„tary yt is no syn as doctours sayeth what so euer temptacioÌ„ man suffre yf he coÌ„sent not yt is no syn but only payne meryt specially in these spuÌ„all temptacioÌ„s whiche ben ageynst fayth and hope For as scripture sayeth this is our glory this is oure vyctory our moste strong myghty fayth Prima IoaÌ„nes v. in Iesu cryste whiche knowyth his saruantes and electe chyldren better then they know them selfe He knowyth that leuer they had to suffre dethe as martyrs than they wolde breke or gyue ouer or coÌ„sent to the enemy in suche temptacions paynes whome therfore he putyth for the tryall meryt in these greate paynes by cause theyr crowne glory shulde be the more hye in heuen And certeynly theyr payne were a kynde of martyrdom if they wolde suffre yt gladly as holy martyrs dyd fuffer dethe for the loue of Iesu crist But for as moche as eny parson is not lyke stronge in fayth hope the holy loue of god necessary yt is to shew som remedyes coÌ„fortes how holy fathers byfore vs hathe behauyd themselfe in suche temptacions ¶ Good remedyes ageynste Spirituall temptacions The .xv. Chapitre DOctours wrytyth that in suche spuÌ„all temptacions we shuld behaue our self otherwyse then in carnall temptacions For in carnall temptacions we oughte to make stronge resystence euer wrastell ageynst them but we may not do so in spuÌ„all temptacions wysely dyscretly we must resyste them but in no wyse wrastell wyth them when the enemy putyth to you a mocion of infydelyte reason not with hym and lyke wyse when he castyth a suggestion of desperacion stryue not with hym but vse this medecyne Suspende youre reason restrayne all youre sensys plucke vp all youre spirites as the mocion coÌ„yth so let yt passe without stryfe If it be only of the disposicion of our corrupte nature this is sufficient yf yt be vsyd If yt com of the enemy he wyll not leue you so but he wyll cleue otherwyse worke more trouble Then after the couÌ„seyl of doctours vse thys remedy Dyssymul shew your selfe to set lytel by it or nought though the thyng be grete And lyfte vp youre mynde to god remembre hys tendre marcy in the redempcion of man how yt is his ordenauÌ„ce in suche teÌ„ptacions paynes to proue his saruantes to whome he entendith to gyue the crowne of glory But yf the enemy be feerce wol not cesse for this as he is most subtyll crafty then meke your selfe vnto god offer your selfe for his loue for the dew fruyte of penauÌ„ce for your synes gladly with thankes of hart to suffer al paynes that yt shall please his grace to sende you And wyth the call crye with harte voyce on the holy name of Iesu .x. tymes or more or lesse as your deuocion saruith with som holy swete meditacioÌ„ of reuerence to the same as god shall put in to your mynde This verteu of mekenes confessyon of the name of Iesu in harte worde the enemy may not abyde For though for a lytel tyme he wol pretende and semble as yf he were not abasshyd for that verteu and name as the sarpent that scripture spekyth of Psal lvii whose property ys for the tyme to stoppe his erys yet by the wordes of the enchanter in conclusion she is ouercom taken So the enemy though he wol not be a knowen therof but som tymes more fersly he wol make insurreccioÌ„ after that holy name Iesu be spoken yet certeynly that holy name namyd he is ouerthrowen therfore strongly parsew hym with the same with mekenes he shall fle with grete coÌ„fusion to the grete comfort of all them that abydyth as treu seruantes parseuerant in this theyr profe to theyr greate tryumphe and to the vtter confusion of the enemy Experience shewyth also coÌ„fort remedy ageynst such temptacions A certayne parson ther was that by the space of .ii. yeres more was troubelyd wyth suche mocions often tymes by water by lande he had mocions to desperacion to the moste abhomynable that may be to distroy hym selfe bothe by water otherwyse And the ê‘son neuer ceasyd but callyd to god dayly parseuerantly to streÌ„gth hym euer confessyng hymselfe the