receyuyng the impressyon of affeccions is common vnto menne and beastes Another maner of receiuing affeccions is by the meane of reason whichâ— both ordinately tempereth those affeccions that the bodely .v. wittes imprint and also dysposeth a man many tymes to some spiritual vertues very contrarye to those affeccions that are fleshly and seÌ„sual And those reasonable disposicions been affeccions spirituall and proper to the nature of man and aboue the nature of beastes Now as our gostly enemy the deuil enforceth hymselfe to make vs leane to the sensuall affeccions and beastly so doth almightye God of hys goodnes by hys holye spirite inspire vs good mocions with ayde and helpe of hys grace towarde the tother affeccions spirituall and by soondrye meanes instructeth oure reason to leane vnto them and not onelye to receyue them as engendred and planted in our soule but also in suche wyse water them with wyse aduertisement of godly counsayle and continuall prayer that they maye be habitually radycate surely take depe roote therein and after as the tone kynde of affeccion or the tother beareth the strength in our heart so be we stronger or febler agaynst the terror of death in thys cause And therefore will we Cosin assaye to consider what thinges there are for which we haue cause in reasonâ— to master that affeccion fearefull and sensuallâ— and thoughe we cannot cleane auoide it and put it awayâ— yet in such wyse to bridle it at the leasteâ— that it â—unâ—â— not out so farre like â—n head stronge horseâ— that spite of oure â—eeth it carye vs out vnto the deuill Lette vs therfore now consider and waie wel thys thyng that we dreade â—o sore that is to witte shamefull and painfull death ¶ The .xxii. Chapter Of death considered by himselfe alone as a bare leauing of this lyfe onely ANd firste I perceyue well by these two thinges that you ioyne vnto death that is to witte shameful and painful You would esteme death so much the lesse if he should come alone without eyther shame or pain Vincent Without doubte vncle a greate deale the lesse but yet though he should come without theÌ„â—oth by hymselfe whatsoeuer I would I wete wel many a man would be for all that very loth to dye Antony That I beleue wel Cosin and the more pitie it is for that affeccion happeth in very fewe but that eyther the cause is lacke of faithâ— lacke of hope or finally lacke of witte They that beleue not the lyfe to come after thys and weÌ„ne themselfe here in welth are loth to leaue this for than they thynke they lese all and therof cometh the manifold foolishe vnfaithfull wordes which areâ— so rise in ouer many mennes mouthes this world we know and the other we know not and that some say in sporte and thinkeâ— in earnest the deuil is not so blacke as he is painted and let him be as blacke as he wil he is no blacker than a crowe with many suche other foolishe fantasies of thesame sort some that beleue wel inough yet thorow the leudenes of liuing fal out of good hope of saluacioÌ„ and thaÌ„ though they be loth to dye I very litle meruayle howbeit some that purpose to mend and would fayne haue some tyme left the lenger to bestowe some what better maye peraduenture be loth to die also by by and that maner lothenesse albeit a very good wyl gladlye to die and to be with god were in mi mind so thankful that it were wel able to purchase as ful remissioÌ„ both of sinne and pain as peraduenture he were like if he liued to purchase in many yeres penaunce yet will I not say but that suche kinde of lothenes to die may be before god alowable Some are there also that are loth to die that are yet very glad to dye and long for to be dead ¶ Vincent That were vncle a very straunge case Antony The case I feare me Cosin falleth not ofteÌ„ but yet sometyme it doeth as where there is any man of that good minde that S. Paul was which for the longing that he had to be with god woulde fayne haue been dead but for the profit of other folke was content to liue here in payn differre and forbeare for the while his inestimable blisse in heauen Cupio dissolui esse cum christo bonum autem mihi manere propter vos but of all these kyndes of folkes Cosin that are loth to dye except the first kind onely that lacketh fayth there is I suppose none but that except the feare of shame or sharpe paine ioyned vnto death shoulde be the let woulde els for the bare respect of death alone let to departe hence with good wil in this case of fayth well witting by his fayth that his death taken for the fayth shoulde clense him cleane of al his sinnes and sende hym straight to heauen And some of those namely the laste kynde are suche that shame and payn both ioyned vnto death were vnlikely to make them loth death or feare death so sore but that they woulde suffre death in thys case wiâ—h good wyll sith they knowe well that the refusing of the fayth for any cause in thys worlde were the cause neuer so good in sighte shoulde yet seuer them from god wiâ—h whoÌ„ saue for other folkes profit they so faine would be And charitie can it not bâ— for the profite of the whole worlde deadly to displease him that made it Some are there I saye also that are loth to dye for lacke of witte whiche albeit that they belâ—ue the worlde that is to come and hope also to come thyther yet they loue so muâ—he the wealth of thys worlde and suche thynges as delight them therin that they would fayne kepe them as long as euer they mighte euen with tooth and nayle And when they maye be suffered in no wyse to kepe it no lengerâ— but that death taketh them â—herefâ—o than if it maye be no better they will agree to be as soone as they be hence hawsed vp into heauen and bee with GOD by and by These folke as verye nedyote fooles as he that had kepte from hys chyldehodde a bagge full of chery sâ—ones and casâ—e suche a fantasye thereto that he woulde not goe from it for a bygger bagge fylled full of golde These folkes fare Cosinâ— as Esope telleâ—h in a fable that the snayle did for when Iupiter whom the Poetes fayne for the greate God inuited al the poore wormes of theaâ—th vnto a greate solemne feaste that it pleased hym I haue forgotten vpon what occasion vpon a tyme to prepare for them the snaile kept her at home woulde not come therat And when Iupiter asked her after wherâ—ore she came not at his feast where he sayd she shoulde haue bene welcome and haue faren well and should haue seen a goodly palace and been delighted with many goodly pleasures she aunswered him that she loâ—ed no place so wel as her own house
this thinge than is it easy for the monke that we spake of to declare howe he knoweth his vision for a true reuelacion and not a false desusyon if there be so greate dyfference betwene them ☞ Anthony Not so easy Cosin yet as you wene it were for how can you proue vnto me that you be awake Vincent Mary lo doe I not wagge my hand shake my head and stampewith my feete here in the â—â—ore Anthony Haue you neuer dreamed ere this that you haue done the same Vincent Yes that I haue more to than that for I haue ere this in my slepe dreamed that I doubted whyther I were awake or aslepe and haue in good fayth thought that I dyd therupon euen the same thinges that I doe nowe in dede therby determined that I was not a slepe And yet haue I dreamed in good fayth farther that I haue been afterwarde at dyner there makinge merye with company haue tolde the same dreame at the table laughed wel therat that while I was aslepe I had by suche meanes of mouing the partes of my bodie coÌ„sideriÌ„g therof so verely thought my selfe waking ¶ Anthony And wil you not nowe sone trowe you whan you wake ryse laugh as well at your selfe whaÌ„ you see that you lye nowe in your warme bed aslepe agayn and dreame all this tyme while you wene so verely that you be wakyng and talkyng of these matters with me ☞ Vincent Goddes lorde vncle you goe nowe merely to worke with me in dede when you loke and speake so sadly and would make me wene I were aslepe ☞ Anthony It maye be that you bee so for any thyng that you can saye or dooe wherby you maye with any reasoÌ„ that you can make driue me to coÌ„fesse that your selfe be sure of the contrary syth you can doe nor saye nothing nowe wherby you be sure to be waking but that you haue ere this or hereafter maye thinke youre selfe as surely to doe the selfe same thynges in dede whyle you be all the while a slepe and nothyng doe but lye dreaming ☞ Vincent Well well vncle thoughe I haue ere thys thoughte my selfe awake whyle I was in dede aslepe yet for all thys I knowe wel inough that I am awake nowe and so doe you to thoughe I cannot fynde the woordes by which I maye with reason enforse you to confesse it but that alwaye you may dryue me of by the sample of my dreame Antony Thys is Cosin as me semeth very true and likewise semeth me the matter and difference betwene some kinde of true reuelacions and some kinde of false illusions as it standeth betwene the thynges that are done waking and the thynges that in our dreames seme to be done whyle we be slepyng that is to wete that he which hath that kynde of reuelacion from god is as sure of the trueth as we be of our owne dede whyle we be wakynge And he that is illuded by the Deuyll is in suche wyse deceyued and worse to than be they by theyr dreame yet reckoneth him self as sure for the tyme as the other sauinge that the one falsely weneth and the other truely knoweâ—h but I saye not Cosin that this kind of sure knowledge cometh in euery kynd of reuelacion for there are many kindes wherof were to long to talke nowe but I say that God doeth or may doe to man in some thing certaynly send some such Vincent Yet than maye this religious man of whom we spake when I shewe him the Scripture agaynst his reuelacion and therfore cal it an illusyon bidde me with reason goe care for my selfe for he knoweth well and surely hymselfe that his reuelacion is good and true and not any false illusion sith for al the generall commaundemente of god in the Scripture God maye dispence where he will and whan he wyll and maye commaunde him to doe the contrarie as he commaunded Abraham to kil his owne sonne and as Sampson had by inspiracion of God coÌ„maundement to kill himselfe with pulling downe the house on hys own head at the feast of the Philistines now if I would doe than as you bade me right now goe tell hym that such apparycions were illusions and sith that goddes worde is in the Scripture agaynst hym playne for the prohibicion he must proue me the trueth of his reuelacion wherby I may know that it is not a false illusioÌ„ Than shal he aske me again wherby that I can proue my selfe to be awake and talke with him and not to be aslepe and dreame so syth in my dreame I maye as surely wene so as I knowe that I doe so and thus shall he dryue me to the same baye to whiche I would bryng hym ☞ Anthony This is well sayed Cosin but yet coulde he not scape you so for the dispensacion of Goddes common precept whiche dispensacion he must saye that he hath by his reuelacioÌ„ is a thing of such sort as sheweth it selfe noughte false for it neuer hath had any sample lyke synce the worlde began tyll now that any maÌ„ hath read or heard of among faythfull people commeÌ„ded Firste in Abraham as touchyng the death of hys sonne god entended it notâ— but onely tempted the towardnes of the fathers obedience In Sampson all men make not the matter very sure whether he be saued or not but yet therin some matter cause appeareth for the Philistines beyng enemyes to god vsing Sampson for their mocking stocke in scorne of God it is well likely that God gaue hym the mynde to besâ—owe hys own lyfe vpon the reuenging of the displeasure â—hat those blasphemous Philistines did vnto god and that appeareth metely clerely by this that though hys strength failed hym when he wanted his heere yet had he not as it semeth that strength euermore at haÌ„d whyle he had hys heere but at suche tymes as it pleased god to geue it hymâ— which thyng appeareth by these wordes that the Scripture in some place of that matter sayeth Irâ—uit virtus dominni in Sampsonem The power or myght of god russhed into Sampson and so therfore whyle thys thyng that he dyd in the pullyng downe of the house was done by the special gyfte of strength thaÌ„ at that point geuen hym by god it well declareth that the strength of god and therwith the spirite of god entred into him Therfore S. Ausâ—eÌ„ also rehearseth that certayne holy verteous virgins in tyme of persecucion beyng by gods enemies infidels pursued vpon to be deâ—â—oured by force ranne into a water and drouned themselfe rather than they would be bereued of theyr virginitie and albeit that he thinketh that it is not lawful for any other mayde to folowe their sample but rather suffer other to dooe her any maner violence by force and commit sinne of his own vpon her against her wil than willingly and therby synfully herselfe become an homicide of her selfe yet he thinketh yâ— in theÌ„ it happed by the speciall
merite great cause of encrease in coÌ„fort haue those folke of the clearer conscience in the feruoure of their tribulacion in that they make the comfort of a double medicine and of that is the kind which we shal finally speake of that I â—al better than medicinable but as I haue before spokeÌ„ of this kind of tribulacioÌ„ howe it is medicinable in that it cureth the sin passed purchaseth remissioÌ„ of the pain dew therfore so let vs somewhat coÌ„sider how this tribulacion sent vs by god is medicinable in that it preserueth vs froÌ„ the sinnes into whiche wâ— were els like to fal if that thiÌ„g be a good medicine that restoreth vs our helth wheÌ„ we lese it as good a medicine muste this nedes be that preserueth our helth while we haue it suffreth vs not to fal into the painful siknes that must after driue vs to a painful plaister Nowe seeth god soÌ„time that worldly welth is with one that is yet good coÌ„ming vpoÌ„ him so fast that for seing how much weight of worldly welth the man maye beareâ— and how much wil ouercharge him and enhaunce his heart vp so hie the grace should fal froÌ„ him Loe god of his goodnes I saye preueÌ„teth his fal sendeth him tribulacioÌ„ betime while he is yet good to garre hym ken his maker and by lesse liking yâ— false flattering world set a crosse vpoÌ„ the ship of his heart beare a low saile theroÌ„ that the boisterous blast of prâ—de blow him not vnder the water Some young louely lady loe that is yet good inough god seeth a storme come toward hir that would if her helth hir fatte feding should a litle lenger last strike her into some letcherous loue iÌ„ stede of her old acquainted knight lay her a bed with a new acquaynted knaue But god louing her more teÌ„derly thaÌ„ to suffer her fal into such shameful beastly sinne sendeth her in seasoÌ„ a goodly fayre feruent feuer that maketh her bones to rattel and wasteth away her wantoÌ„ fleshâ— bewtifieth her fayre fel with the colour of a kightes claw maketh her loke so louely that her louer would haue litle luste vpon her make her also so lustyâ— that if her louer laie in her lap she should so sore loÌ„g to breake vnto him the very bottome of her stomake that she should not be able to refrain it froÌ„ him but sodeinly lay it al in his necke Did not as I before shewed you the blessed apostle himself coÌ„fesse that the high reuelacioÌ„s that god had geueÌ„ him might haue enhauÌ„ced hiÌ„ into such high pride that he might haue caught a foule fal had not the prouideÌ„t goodnes of god prouided for his remedi And what was his remedy but a painful tribulacioÌ„ so sore that he was faine thrise to cal to god to take the tibulacioÌ„ from hâ—m yet would not god grauÌ„t his request but let him lye so loÌ„g therinâ— tyl him self that saw more in Saint Paule theÌ„ saint Paule saw in himselfâ— wist wel the time was come in which he might wel wtout his harme take it froÌ„ him â— thus you se good Cosin that tribulacion is double medicine both a cure of the synne passed and a preseruatiuâ— fro the synne that is to come And therfore in this kind of tribulacion is there good occasion of double comforte but that is I saye diuersly to sundry diuers folkes as their owne conscience is with syn combred or clere Howbeit I wyl aduise no maÌ„ to be so bold as to thinke that theyr tribulacion is sente them to kepe them fro the pryde of theyr holines Let men leaue that kynde of comforte hardly to Sainct Paul tyll their liuing be lyke but of the remnaunt maye men wel take great comfort and good beside ¶ The .x. Chapter Of the thirde kynde of tribulacion vvhiche is not sent a man for his synne but for exercyse of his pacience and encrease of his merite vvhich is better than medicinable ☞ Vincent THe thyrde kynde vncle that remaineth now behind that is to wit which is sent to a maÌ„ by god and not for his synne neither committed nor whiche would els come and therefore is not medicinable but sente for exercise of our pacience and encrease of oure merite and therfore better than medicinable though it be as you say and as in dede it is better for the man thaÌ„ ani of the other two kindes in another world where their reward shal be receued yet can I not se by what reason a man may in this world where the tribulacioÌ„ is suffred take any more comfort therin than in anye of the other twaine that are sent a man for his sinne sith he can not here know whether it be seÌ„t him for sin before committed or sin that els should fall or for encrease of meriâ—e and reward after to come Namelye sith euery man hath cause inough to feare and thinke yâ— his sinne alreadye passed hath deserued it and that it is not without peril a man to thinke otherwyse ☞ Anthonâ— This that you say Cosin hath place of truth in farre the most part of meÌ„ therfore must thei not eÌ„â—y nor disdain sith they may take in their tribulacioÌ„ consolacion for their part sufficient that some other that more be worthy take yet a great deale more For as I told you Cosin though the best maÌ„ must coÌ„fâ—sse himself a sinner yet be there many meÌ„ though to the number few that for the kind of their liuing therby yâ— clerenes of their coÌ„sciâ—nce may wel without sinne haue a good hope yâ— god seÌ„deth theÌ„ some great grief for exercise of their pacience for increase of their merite as it appereth not only by S. Paul in the place before remeÌ„bred but also by yâ— holy maÌ„ Iob whiche in sundry places of dispicioÌ„s with his burdenous coÌ„forters letted not to sai that yâ— clerenes of his own coÌ„science declared shewed to hiÌ„self that he deserued not the sore tribulacioÌ„ that he thaÌ„ had howbeit as I told you before I wil not aduise eueri maÌ„ at auâ—Ì„ture to be bold vpoÌ„ this maner of coÌ„fort But yet some meÌ„ I know suche as I durste for their more ease coÌ„fort in their gret grieuous paines put theÌ„ in right good hope that god seÌ„deth it vnto theÌ„ not so much for their punishmeÌ„t as for exercise of their pacyence And some tribulacions are there also that grow vpoÌ„ such causes that in those cases I wâ—uld neuer let but alwai would wtout any doubt geue that couÌ„sel comfort to any maÌ„ Vincent What causes good vncle be those ☞ Anthony Mary Cosin whersoeuer a man falleth in tribulacioÌ„ for the maintenauÌ„ce of iustice or for the defence of gods cause For if I should hap to find a maÌ„ that had loÌ„g liued a very verteous life had at yâ— last happed to fall into the Turkes handes there did abide by the truth of his faith with
With whiche aunswere Iâ—piter waxed so angry that he said sith â—he loueth her house so wel she should neuer after goe from home but shoulde alwaye beare her house vpon her backe wheresoeuer she wenâ—e And so hath she done euer since as they saye and at the leastwise I wote wel she doeâ—h so nowe and hath done as long time as I can remembre Vincent Forsoth vncle I would wene the tale were not all fayned For I thynke verely that so muche of your tale is true Antony Esope meynâ—e by that fained fable to touche â—he foly of suche folke as so set their fantasye vpon some â—male simple pleasure that they cannot fynde in their hearâ—es to forbeare it neyther for the pleasure of a better man nor for the gaining of a better thyng by which their fond frowarde fashion they sometime fal in great indignacion and take thereby no litle harme And surely such Christen folke as by their foolishe aâ—feâ—cioÌ„ which they haue set like yâ— snaile vpoÌ„ their own house here this earth cannot for yâ— lothenes of leuing that house find in their heart with their good wyll to goe to the great feast that god prepareth in heauen of his goodnes so gentely calleth theÌ„ to Be like I feare me but if they mende that mind in tyme to be serued as the snayle was and yet much worse to for they be like to haue their house here yâ— earth bounde fast vpoÌ„ theiâ— baâ—kes for euer and not walke therewith where they will as the snaile â—â—epeth about with hers but lye fast bound in the middes with the foule fyer of hel about them for into this foly they bryng themselfe by theyr own fault as the droâ—ken man bryngeth him selfe inâ—o dronkennesse wherby the euyll that he doth in hys dronkennesse is not forgeuen hym for hys foly but to hys payne imputed to his faulte Vincent Surâ—ly vncle this semeth not vnlikely and by their faulte they fall to such foly in dede And yet if this be foly in dede there are than some folke fooles that wene them selfe right wyse Anthony That wene themselfe wyse mary I neuer sawe foole yetâ— that thought himselfe other than wise For as it is one sparke of sobernes lefte in a dronken head wheÌ„ he perceyueth hymself dronke and geatteth him fayre to bed so if a foole perceyue himselfe a foole that point is no foly but a litle sparke of wit But now Cosin as for those kynde of fooles sith they be loth to dye for the loue that they beare to their worldly fantasyes whiche they shoulde by their death leaue bâ—hind them and forsake thei that would for that cause rather forsake the faith than die would raâ—her forsake it than sel their worldly goodes though there were offered theÌ„ no perel of death at al. And thaÌ„ as touching those that are of that mind we haue you wote well sayd as much as your self thought sufficient this after none here before Vincent Ueâ—ely that is vncle very true now haue you rehearsed as farre as I can remembre al the other kindes of them that would be loâ—h to die for any other respect than the greuous qualities of shame and pain ioyned vnto death and of all those kyndes excepte the kinde of infidelitie whom no comforte can helpe but couÌ„sayle onely to thatteining of faith which faith must be to the receyuing of comforte presupposed and had ready before as you shewed in the beginning of our communicacioÌ„ the first day that we talked of the matter But els I say except that one kynd there is none of the remnaunt of those that were before vntouched which were lykely to forsake theyr fayth in this persecucion for the feare and dreade of â—eath saue for those greuous qualities pain I meane and shame that thei see well would come therewith And therfore vncle I pray you geue vs some comforte against those twain For in good faith if death should come without them in such a case as this is wherby the lesing of this life we should fynde a farre better myne owne reason geueth â—e â—hat saue for the other griefes going before the â—haunge there would no man that witte hath any thing sticke at al. Antony Yes peraduenture sodaynly before they gather their wittes vnto them and therwith well way the matter but they Cosin that wyl considre the matter wel reason grounded vpoÌ„ the foundacioÌ„ of fayth shal shewe them very greate subâ—tancial causes for which the dreade of those greuous qualities that they see shal come with death shame I meane paine also shal not so sore abashe them as sinfully to dryue them therfro for the proofe wherof let vs first begin at the consideraâ—ion of the shame The .xxiii. Chapter Of the shame that iâ— ioyned vvith the death in the persecucion for the fayth HOwe can any faythful wyse man dâ—eade that death so sore for any respect of shame whaÌ„ his reason hys fayth together may shortly make hym pâ—â—câ—â—ue that there is therin no peâ—e of very shame at al. For how can that death be shameful that is glorious or how can it be but glorious to dye for the fayth of Christ if we dye both for the fayth and in the fayth ioyned with hope and charitie while the Scripture â—o playnely â—ayeth preâ—iosa in conspectu domini mors sanctoruÌ„ eiuâ— precious is in the sight of god the death of hys saintesâ—â—ow if the death of his Saintes be glorious in the sight of god it can nâ—uer be shamâ—full in verye dâ—de howe shamefull so euer it seme here in the sighte of men for here we maye see and be sure that not at the death of Saint Stephin onely to whom it lyked him to shew himself with the heauen open ouer his head but at the death also of euery man that so dieth for the faith god with hys heauenly company beholdeth his whole passion verely loketh on Now if it so were Cosin that you shoulde be brought thorowe the brode hie strete of a greate long Citie and that all a long the waye that you were goyng there wâ—re on the tone syde of the way a rabble of ragged beggers and mad men that woulde dispise you disprayse you with al the shameful names that they could cal you and al the villanous woordes that they could saye to you and that there were than al a long the oâ—her syde of thesame strete where you should come by a goodly company standyng in a fayre raunge a rowe of wyse and worshipful folke allowing you coÌ„mending you mo than .xv. times as many as that rabble ragged beggars and rayling madde men are Would you let your way by your wil wening that you wente vnto your shame for the shamefull iestyng and rayling of those madde foolishe wretches or holde on your way with a good chere and a glad heartâ— thynkyng youre selfe muche honoured by the laude and approbacion of that other honorable sort Vincent Naye by my trueth vncle there
I see wel that you recken that whoso dieth a natural death dieth like a wanton euen al at his case You make me remeÌ„bre a maÌ„ that was once in a galley subtill wyth vs on the sea which while the sea was sore wrought the waues rose very high he came neuer on the sea afore lay tossed hither and thitherâ— yâ— pore soule groned sore for paine he thought he would very faine be dead euer he wished woulde god I were on land that I might die in rest the waues so troubled him there with tossing him vp doune to fro that he thought yâ— trouble letted him to dye because the waues would not let him rest but if he mighte geatte once to land he though he should thaÌ„ dye there eueÌ„ at his ease ¶ Vincent Nay Uncle this is no doubt but that death is to euery man painefull but yet is not the naturall death so painefull as the violent ¶ Anthony By my trouth Cosin me thinketh that the death which men cal comonly natural is a violent deaâ—h to euery maÌ„ whom it fetcheâ—h hence by force againsâ— hys wil that is euery maÌ„ which when he dieth is loth to die faine would yet lyue longer if he mighte Howe be it howe small the payne is in the naturall deathe Cosin fayne woulde I wytte who hath tolde you As farre as I can perceiue those folk the coÌ„monly depart of theyr natural death haue euer one disease sicknes or other whereof if yâ— paine of the whole weke or twaine in which they lie pining in theiâ— bedde were gathered together in so short a time as a maÌ„ hath his paine that dieth a violeÌ„t death it would I wene make double the paine that it is so that he yâ— naturally dieth ofter suffereth more paine than lesse though he suffer it in a longer time And thaÌ„ would many a maÌ„ be more loth to suffer so loÌ„g lingering in paine thaÌ„ with a sharper to be soner rid And yet lieth many a maÌ„ moe daies thaÌ„ one in welnere as great paine coÌ„tinually as is the paine that with the violent death riddeth yâ— maÌ„ in lesse thaÌ„ halfe an howre except a maÌ„ would wene that where as the paine is great to haue a knife cutte his fleshe in the out side fro the skinne inward yâ— paine would be much lesse if the knife might on the inside beginne cutte frâ— the middes outward Some we heare in theyr death beddes coÌ„plaine that they thinke they feele sharpe knifes cut a two theyr heart stringes And some crye out thinke they feele within the braine panne theyr head pricked euen ful of pinnes And they that lye in a pleuresie thinke at euerye time that they coughe they fele a sharpe sword swappe them to the hearte ¶ The .xxv. Chapter The coÌ„sideracion of the painâ— of hell in vvhich vve fall if vve forsake our sauiourâ— maye make vs set all the painefull death of thys vvorlde at right nought HOwebeit what shoulde we nede to make anye such coÌ„parisoÌ„ betwene the natural death the violent For the matter yâ— we be in hand with here may put it â—ut of doubt that he whych for feare of the violent death forsaketh the faith of Christ putteth him self in the perel to find his natural death more paineful a thousande times For his naturall death hath hys euerlasting payne so sodeinly knyt vnto it that there is not one moment of an houre betwene but the ende of the tone is the beginning of the tother that after shall neuer haue ende And therfore was it not wythout greate cause that Christ gaue vs so good warning before when he sayed as S. Luke in the .xii. chapitâ—r reherseth Dico â—obis amicis meis ne terreamini ab iis qui occidunt corpus post hac non habent amplius quod faciant Ostendam autem vobis quem â—imeatis Timete eum qui postquam occiderit habet potestatem mittere in geâ—ennam Ita dico vobis hunc timeteâ— I say to you that are my freÌ„des be not afrayd of them that kil the body and which wheÌ„ that is done are able to do no more But I shal shewe you whom you shal feare Feare hym that which wheÌ„ he hath killed hath in his power farther to caste hym whom he killeth into euerlasting fyre So I saye to you be afâ—ayd of him God meaneth not here that we should nothing dreade at al any man that can but kill yâ— body but he meaneth that we shoulde not in such wise dreade any such that we should for dreade of theÌ„ displease him that can euerlastingly kil both body soule with a death euer dying and that shall yet neuer dye And therfore he addeth and repeateth in the end againeâ— the feare that we should haue of him saith Ita dico vobis hunâ— timete so I saye to you feare him Oh good god Cosin if a man would wel waygh these wordes let theÌ„ sinke as they should do doune depe into his heart often bethinke him self theron it would I doubt not be able inough â—o make vs set at nought al the great Turkes threates esteme him not at a strawe but wel coÌ„tent to endure al the paine that al the world could put vpoÌ„ vs for so shorte while as all they were able to make vs dwell therin rather than by the shrinking froÌ„ those paines though neuer so sharpe yet but short to caste our self into the payne of hel an huÌ„dreth thousand times more intolerable wherof there shall neuer come an ende A woful death is that death in which folke shall euermore be dying neuer can once be dead wherof the scripture sayth Vocabunt mortem mors fugiet ab eis They shal cal crye for death death shal flye from theÌ„ O good lord if one of theÌ„ were nowe put in the choise of the both they would rather suffer the whole yere together the most terrible death that all the Turkes in Turkeye could deuise thaÌ„ yâ— death that they lie in for yâ— space of half an howre In howe wreched foly fall thaÌ„ these faithlesse or feble faithed folke that to auoide the paine so farre the lesse and so short fal in the stede therof into paine a thousand thousand times more horrible of which terrible tormeÌ„t they be sure they shal neuer haue end Thys matter Cosin lacketh as I beleue but eyther full faith or sufficient minding For I thinke on my faith if we haue the grace verely to beleue it and ofteÌ„ to thinke wel theron the feare of al the Turkes persecucioÌ„ with al this midde day deuil were able to make them doe in the forcing vs to forsake our faith should neuer be able to turne vs. Vincent By my trouth Uncle I thinke it is as you say for sure if we would as ofteÌ„ thinke on these paines of hel as we be very loth to do seke vs peuish pastimes of purpose to