of theyr prosperyte the selfsame sinful thinges with which they displease God most at length wyth manye tymes vsing thys maner god vtterly casteth them of And theÌ„ they sette noughte nother by GOD nor deuill Peccator cum in profundum venerit contemnit When the synner cometh euyn into the depth than he contemneth and setteth nought by nothing sauing worldlye feare that maye fall by chaunce or that nedes muste they wote well fall once by deth But alas when death cometh thaÌ„ cometh agayn theyr sorowe than wyll no softe bed serue nor no companye make hym merye than he muste leaue his outwarde worshippe and comforte of hys glorye and lye panting in his bed as it were on a pyne banke thaÌ„ cometh his feare of his euill lyfe and of his dreadeful death ThaÌ„ commeâ—h the tormeÌ„t of his coÌ„bred coÌ„science and feare of his heauy iudgement Than the deuill drawyth him to dyspayer with imagination of hel and suffreth hym not than to take it for a fable Ah wo worthe the while that folke thinke not of this in time God sendeth to some maÌ„ great trouble iâ— his minde greate tribulacioÌ„ about his worldly goodes because he would of hys goodnes take his detite his coÌ„fidence froÌ„ them And yet the man wythdrawith no part of hys fonde fantacies but falleâ—h more feruently to them then before and setteth his whole harte like a foole more vpon them and he taketh him all to the deuyll of hys worldly counsaylers and wythout any counsayle of god or anye truâ—t putte in hym maketh manye wyse waies as he wenethâ— and al turne at length vnto foly and one subtyll drifte dryueth an other to naught Some haue I sene euyn iâ— their last sycknes sytte vp in theyr death bed vnderproppted with pillous take ther play felâ—oâ—es to theÌ„ comfort them selfe wyth cardes and thys they sayde dyd ease them well to put fantasies out of their heades and what fantasies trowe you such as I tolde you ryght nowe of their owne lewde lyfe and peryl of there soule of heauen and of hell that iâ—cked them to thinke of and therefore cast it out wyth carde playe as longe as euer they might tyll the pure panges of death pulled theyr harte fro theyr play and put them in the case they coulde not recken theyr game And then lefte them ther gamners and slily slong awaye And long was it not ere they galpeb vp the goste And what game they came than to that god knoweth and not I. I praye god it were good but I feare it very sore Some men are there also yâ— doe as did kyng Saule in tribulacioÌ„ go seke vnto the deuil This king had commaunded al suche to be destroyed as vse the false abhomynable supersticion of this vngracious wichecraft Necromancye and yet fel he to such foly afterwade him selfe that ere he wente to battayle he sought vnto a wytch besought her to raise vp a dead man to tell him how he shoulde spede Nowe had god shewed him before by Samuel that he should come to nought and he wente aboute none amendement but waxed worse and worse so that god lust not to looke to him and when he soughte by the Prophetes to haue answere of god there came none aÌ„swere to him which thing he thoughte straunge and because he was not with god heard at his pleasure he made suite to the deuil desiring a woman by witchecrafte to rayse vp dead Samuel but spede had he such therof as coÌ„meÌ„ly they haue al that in their busines medle with such matters For an euil aunswere had he an euil spede therafter his army discomfited and him selfe slayne And as it is rehearsed in Paralipomenon the .x. Chapter of the first boke One cause of his fal was for lacke of truste in god for which he left to take couÌ„sayle of god fel to seke counsayle of the witch against gods prohibicion in the lawe and against his owne good dede by which he punished put out all witches so late afore Such spede let them looke for that playe the same parte as I see manye doe that in a great losse sende to seke a coniurer to geat theyr geare againe and merueilous thinges there they see sometyme but neuer grote of theyr good agayne And many fond fooles there are that when they lye sicke will meddle with no physicke in no maner wyse nor sende his water to no cuÌ„ning maÌ„ but send his cappe or his hose to a wyse womaÌ„ otherwyse called a wytche Then sendeth she worde agayne that she hath spyed in his hose where wheÌ„ he toke no hede he was taken with a sprite betwene two dores as he went in the twylight but the spirite would not lette him fele it in .v. dayes after and it hathe all the whyle festred in hys bodye and that is the griefe thaâ— payneth him so sore but let him go to no leache craft nor any maner of phisicke other then good meate or stroÌ„g drinke for sirroppes should sowce him vp But he shal haue .v. leaues of valerian that she enchauÌ„ted with a charme and gathered with her lefte hande lette him laie those .v. leaues to his right thombe not binde it fast to but let it hang lose therat by a greene threde he shall neuer nede to chaunge it loke it fal not away but let it hang till he be whole and he shall nede nomore In suche wyse wytches and in such madde medicines haue there in many fooles more faith a great deale thaÌ„ in god And thus Cosin as I tel you al these kynde of folke that in their tribulacion call not vpon God but seke for their helpe and for their ease otherwhere to the fleshe and the worlde and some to the flinging fiende him self The tribulacion that goddes goodnes sendeth them for good theÌ„selfe by their foly â—â—râ—e vnto their harme And theÌ„ that on thother side seke vnto God therein both comforte and profite they greatly take therby ¶ The .xix. Chapter An other obieccion vvith the ansvvere therunto Vincent I Lyke well good vncle al your aunswers herin but one doubte yet remayneth there in minde which riseth vpon this aunswere that you make and that doubt soyled I wyll as for this time mine own good vncle encombre you no farther For me thinke I doe you very much wroÌ„g to geue you occasion to labor your selfe so muche in matter of â—ome study with long talkyng at once I will therfore at this time moue you but one thyng and seke other tyme at your more ease for the remnaunte My doubt good vncle is this I perceiue well by your answeres gathered and considered together that you wil well agree that a man may both haue worldly welth and yet well goe to god And that on the other syde a man maye be miserable and lyue in tribulacion and yet goe to the deuill And as a man maye please God by pacience in aduersitie so maye he please God by thankes geueÌ„ in
geue vs faith but only god let vs neuer cease to call vppon God therefore ☞ Vincent Forsoth my good vncle me thinketh that this fouÌ„dacioÌ„ of faith which as you saie must be laid first is so necessarily requisite that without it al spiritual couÌ„fort wer vtterly geueÌ„ in vain And therfore now shall we pray god for a ful a fast faith And I praye you good vncle procede you farther in the processe of your matter of spirituall comfort againste tribulacion ☞ Antony That shal I Cosin with good wil. ¶ The thyrd Chapter The fyrst comfort in tribulacion may a man take in thys VVhan he feleth in himselfe a desyre and longyng to be comforted by God I Will in my poore mynde assigne for the fyrst comfort the desier and longing to be by God comforted and not without some reason call I this the fyrste cause of comforte For lyke as the cure of that person is in a maner desperate that hath no will to be cured so is the discomforte of that person desperate that desireth not his own coÌ„forte And here shal I note you two kyndes of folke that are in tribulacion and heauines One sorte that will seke for no comfort an other sorte that wil. And yet of those that will not are there also two sortes For fyrst one sort there are that are so drowned in sorowe that they fall into a careles deadlye dulnes Regarding nothing thinking almoste of nothyng no more than if they laye in a letarge with whiche it may so fall that witte and remembraunce will weare away and fall euen fayre from them And this comfortles kinde of heauines in tribulacion is the hyghest kinde of the deadlye sinne of slothe An other sorte are there that will seke for no comforte nor yet none receiue but are in their tribulacion be it losse or sicknes so testie so fumishe and so farre oute of all pacience that it boteth no maÌ„ to speake to them and these are in a maner with impacieÌ„ce as furious as though they were in halfe a frenesie and may with a custome of such facioned behauiour fall in therto ful whole And thys kinde of heauines in tribulacion is euen a mischieuous high braunche of the mortal sinne of yre Than is there as I tolde you an other kynde of folke which faine woulde be comforted and yet are they of two sortes to One sort are those that in theyr sorowe seke for worldly comfort and of them shall we now speake the lesse for the diuers occasions that we shal after haue to touche theÌ„ in moe places than one But this will I here saye that I learned of Saynct Barnard He that in tribulacioÌ„ turneth himselfe vnto worldly vanities to geat helâ—e comfort by them fareth lyke a man that in perill of drowning catcheth whatsoeuer cometh next to hand and that holdeth he fast be it neuer so simple a sticke but than that helpeth him not for the sticke he draweth downe vnder the water with him there lye they drowned bothe together So surely if we custome our selfe to put our trust of coumfort in the delyte of these pieuishe worldelye thinges God shal for that foule fault suffre our tribulacion to growe so great that all the pleasures of this worlde shall neuer beare vs vp but all oure pieuishe pleasure shal in the depth of tribulacioÌ„ drown with vs. The other sorte is I saye of those that long and desyre to bee coumforted of GOD. And as I tolde you beefore they haue an vndoubted greate cause of coumforte euen in that poynte alone that they considre themselfe to desyre and longe to bee by almyghtye God coumforted Thys mynde of theyrs may wel be cause of great comfort vnto them for two great consideracions The one is that they see themselfe seeke for their coumfort where they cannot fayle to finde it For God both can geue them comfort and wil. He can for he is almightie he wil for he is al goodâ— and hath himselfe promised Petite et accipietis Aske and ye shall haue He that hathe fayth as he must nedes haue that shal take comfort cannot doubt but that God wil surely kepe his promise And therfore hath he a greate cause to be of good comfort as I say in that he consâ—dereth that he longeth to be comforted by hym which his faith maketh him sure wil not fayle to coÌ„fort him But here considre this that I speake here of hym that in tribulacion longeth to bee comforted by God and it is he that referreth the maner of his coÌ„fortyng to God holding himselfe content whether it be by the taking away or the minyshment of the tribulacion it self or by the geuing him pacience and spiritual consolacion therein For of hym that onelye longeth to haue god take his trouble from him we cannot so wel warrant that minde for a cause of so greate comfort For both may he desyre that that neuer mindeth to be the better may misse also the effect of his desyre because his request is happely not good for himself And of this kind of longing requiring we shal haue occasioÌ„ farther to speake herafter But he which referring the maner of his comforte vnto God desireth of god to be coÌ„forted asketh a thing so lawfull so pleasant vnto god that he cannot fayle to spede therefore hath he as I saye great cause to take comfort in the very desyre it selfe An other cause hath he to take of that desire a very great occasion of comfort For sith his desyre is good and declareth vnto himself that he hath in god a good faith it is a good token vnto him yâ— he is not an abiect cast out of gods gracious fauour while he perceiueth yâ— god hath put such a verteous well ordred appetite in his mind For as euery euil mind cometh of the worlde and our selfe and the Deuill so is euerye such good mynde eyther immediately or by the meane of oure good Aungell or other gracious occasyon inspyred into mannes hearte by the goodnes of God hymselfe And what a comfort than may this be vnto vs whan we by that desyre perceyue a sure vndoubted token that toward our final saluacion our Sauiour is himselfe so graciously busy about vs ¶ The fourth Chapter That tribulacion is a meane to dravve men to that good mynd to desyre and long for the comfort of God Vincent FOrsoothe good vncle this good mynde of longyng for Gods comfort is a good cause of great comfort in dede our lord in tribulacion send it vs. But by this I see wel that woe may thei be which in tribulacion lacke that mind and that desyre not to be comforted by God but are either of slouth or impacience discomfortlesse or of folye seeke for theyr chiefe ease and comfort any where elles Anthonie That is good cosyn verye trewe as long as they stand in that state But than must you consider that tribulacion is yet a meane to dryue hym
vpon our owne glotonous feastyng or a man that is punyshed for his owne open faulte These tribulacions loe and such other lyke albeit that they maye seme dyscomfortable in that a man maye be sorye to thinke him selfe the cause of his own harme yet hath he good cause of comforte in theÌ„ if he consydre that he maye make them medicinable for him if him selfe will For where as there was dewe to that sinne except it were pourged here a farre greater punishemeÌ„t after this world in an other place This wordly trybulacioÌ„ of payne punishmeÌ„t by goddes good prouision for him put vpoÌ„ him here in this world before shal by the meane of Christes passion if the maÌ„ wil in true faith and good hope by meke and pacient sufferance of his tribulacion so make it serue him for a sure medicine to cure him and clerely dyscharge him of al the sicknes and disease of those paynes that els he should suffer after For suche is the greate goodnes of almyghty god that he punisheth not one thinge twyse And albeit so that this punishment is put vnto the maÌ„ not of his own eleccyon and fre choyce but so by force as he would faine auoide it and falleth in it aginst his wil therfore scantly worthy no thanke yet so farre passeth the greate goodnes of god the poore vnperfite goodnes of maÌ„ that though meÌ„ make theyr rekening one here with an other such god yet of his hygh bouÌ„tye in mannes accoumpte toward him alloweth it for otherwise For though a man fall in his payne by his own faulte and also fyrst agaynst his wyl yet as sone as he confesseth his faulte and applyeth his wil to be content to suffer that pain punishmeÌ„t for the same waxeth sory not for that onely that he shal sustayn suche punishment but for that also that he hath offended God and therby deserued much more Our lord froÌ„ that time counteth it not for paine taken against his wyll but it shal be a merueilous good medicine worke as a willingly taken payne the purgacion and clensing of his soule with gracious remission of his sinne and of the farre greater payne that els had bene prepared therfore peraduenture in hel for euer For many there are vndoubtedly that would els driue forth and dye in their deadly sinne which yet in such tribulacioÌ„ feling theyr own fraylety so effectually and the false flatteâ—ing world failing theÌ„ so fully turne goodly to god and cal for mercye by grace make vertue of necessitie and make a medicine of their maladi taking their trouble mekely and make a right godly ende Consider well the story of Acham that coÌ„mitted sacrilege at the greate citie of Hierico wherupoÌ„ god toke a great vengeance vpon the children of Israell and after tolde theÌ„ the cause and bad theÌ„ go seke the fault and trye it out by lottes when the lot fell vpoÌ„ the very man that did it being tryed by the fallyng fyrst vpon his trybe than vpon his house and finally vpon his person he might wel see that he was deprehended and taken against his wil but yet at the good exhortacioÌ„ of Iosue saying vnto hym Fili mi da gloriam deo Israel confitere indica mihi quid feceris neabscondas Mine own sonne geue glori to the god of Israel and confesse and shewe me what thou hast done and hide it not He coÌ„fessed humbly the thefte and mekely toke his death therfore hadde I doubt not both streÌ„gth comforte in his paine died a very good maÌ„ which if he had neuer come in tribulacioÌ„ had bene in perel neuer hapli to haue had iust remorce therof in al his whole life but might haue died wrechedly gone to the deuil eternally thus made this thefe a good medicine of his wel deserued paine tribulacioÌ„ CoÌ„sider yâ— wel conuerted thefe yâ— honge on Christes right hand did not he by his meke sufferauÌ„ce huÌ„ble knowlege of his fault asking forgeuenes of god yet coÌ„teÌ„t to suffer for his siÌ„ make of his iust punishmeÌ„t wel deserued trybulacioÌ„ a very good special medicine to cure him of all payn in thother world wyn him eternal saluacioÌ„ thus I say that this kinde of tribulacioÌ„ though it seme the most base the least coÌ„fortable is yet if the maÌ„ wil so make it a very meruelous holesom medicine may therfore be to the maÌ„ that wyl so consider it a great cause of comfort and spiritual consolacion The .ix. Chapter The second point that is to vvitte that tribulacion that is sente vs by God vvithout any open certaine deseruing cause knovvne to our selfe and this kynd of tribulacion is medicinable if men vvill so take itâ— and therefore great occasion of comforte Vincent UErely myne vncle this firste kinde of tribulacion haue you to my minde opened sufficiently therefore I pray you resort now to the secoÌ„d Anthony The second kinde was you wote wel of such tribulacioÌ„ as is so sent vs by god that we know no certayn cause deseruing that preseÌ„t trouble as we certainly know that vpoÌ„ such a surfit we fel in such a sicknes or as the thefe knoweth yâ— for such a certaine theft he is falleÌ„ into such a certain punishemeÌ„t but yet sith we seldom lack faults against god worthy wel deseruing great punishmeÌ„t in dede we may wel thinke wisdom it is so to doe that with sin we haue deserued it and that god for some sinne sendeâ—h it though we certainly knowe not our self for whych therfore as yet thus farforth is this kind of tribulacioÌ„ somewhat in effect in comfort to be takeÌ„ like vnto the other for this as you se if we thus wil take it wel reckening it to be sent for sin suffering it mekely therfore iÌ„ medicinable against the paine in the other world to come for our sinnes in this worlde passed whiche is as I shewed youâ— a cause of right great coÌ„fort But yet may thaÌ„ this kind of tribulacioÌ„ be to some meÌ„ of more sober liuing therby of yâ— more clere coÌ„scieÌ„ce soÌ„what a litle more coÌ„fortable for though thei may none otherwise reâ—kin them self thaÌ„ sinners For as Saint Paul saith Nulliuâ— mihi consius sum seâ— non in hoc iustificatus sum My coÌ„scyence grudgeth me not of any thing but yet am I not therby iustified And as Saint IhoÌ„ sayth Si dixerimus quia peccâ—tum non habemus ipsi nos seducimus veritas in nohis non est If we saye that we haue no sin in vs we beguyle our self and trouth is there not in vs yet for as much as the cause is to theÌ„ not so certayn as it is to the other afore remeÌ„bred in the first kind that it is also certain that god soÌ„time seÌ„deth tribulacioÌ„ for kepiÌ„g preseruing a maÌ„ froÌ„ such sin as he should els fal in somtime also for excercise of their pacieÌ„ce encrease of
and be paynefullye buryed in hell Saincte Paule sayeth vnto the Hebrues that GOD those that he loueth he chastyseth Et flagellat omnem filium quem recipit And he scourgeth euerye sonne of hys that he receyueth Sayncte Paule sayeth also Per multas trâ—bulaciones oportet nos introire in regnum dei By manye trybulacyons muste we goe into the kingdome of GOD. And no meruayle for oure Sauiour Christ sayd of him selfe vnto hys two dysciples that wer goyng into the castle of Emaus An nesciebatis quia oportebat Christum pati sic introire in regnum suâ—m Knowe you not that Christe muste suffer and so goe into hys kyngdome and woulde wee that are seruauntes looke for more priuiledge in oure Maysters house than oure Maister him selfe Would we â—eat into hys kyngdome with ease when he hymselfe gote not into his owne but by payne Hys kyngdom hath he ordayned for hys discyples and he sayeth vnto vs all Qui vâ—lt esse meus discipulus tollat crucem suam sequatur me Yâ— anye manne wyll be my disciple lette hym learne at me to dooe as I haue done take his crosse of trybulacion vpon his backe and folowe me He saieth not here loe lette hym laughe and make merye Nowe if heauen serue but for Chrystes dysciples and thei be those that take theyr crosse of trybulacyon when shall these folke come there that neuer haue tribulacyon And if it be true that Saincte Paule saieth that GOD chastyseth all them that he loueth and scourgeth euerye chylde whome he receyueth and to heauen shall none come but suche as he loueth and receyueth whan shall they come thyther whom he neuer chastyseth nor neuer dooeth vouchesafe to fyle hys handes vpon them and geue them so muche as one lashe And yf wee can not as Saincte Paule sayeth we can not come to heauen but by manye trybulacions howe shal they come thither than that neuer haue none at all Thus see we well by the verye Scripture it selfe howe true the woordes are of olde holye Sainctes that wyth one voyce in a maner saye al one thing that is to wit that we shall not haue bothe contynuall wealth in thys worlde and in the other too And therefore syth they that in thys worlde without anye trybulacion enioye their long continuall course of neuer interrupted prosperitie haue a great cause of feare and of discoumforte lest they bee farre fallen out of gods fauor and stande depe in his indignacion and displeasure whyle he neuer sendeth them trybulacion whiche he is euer wonte to sende them whome he loueth They therefore I saye that are in trybulacion haue on the other syde a greate cause to take in theyr gryefe great inwarde coumforte and spyrytuall consolacion ¶ The .xiiii. Chapter A certaine obieccion and the ansvver therto Vincent VErelye good vncle thys semeth so in dede howbeit yet me thynke you saye verye sore in some thynges concernyng suche persons as are in contynuall prosperitie and they be you wote well not a fewe and those are they also that haue the rule and aucthoritye of thys worlde in theyr hande And I wote well that when they talke with suche greate connyng menne as can I trowe tell the trueth and when they aske them whyther whyle they make merye here in earth all theyr lyfe they maye not yet for all that haue heauen after to they doe tel them yes yes well ynough For I haue heard them tell them so my selfe ☞ Antony I suppose good Cosyn that no very wyse man and specially none that very good is therewith will tell any man fully of that fashyon but surely such as so say to them I feare me that they flatter them either for lucre or feare Some of them thinke peraduenture thus This man maketh muche of me now and geueth me money also to faste and watche praye for him but so I feare me would he doe no more if I should goe tell him nowe that all that I doe for hym will not serue him but if he goe faste and watche and praie for himselfe to For if I should sette therto and saye farther that my diligente intercession for hym should I trust be the meane that god should the soner geue him grace to amende and fast and watche and praye and take affliccion in his owne body for the bettering of hys synfull soule he woulde bee wonderous wroth with that For he would be loth to haue any such grace at all as should make him to leaue of any of his mirth and so sitte and mourne for his synne Suche minde as this lo haue there some of those that are not vnlerned and haue worldly wit at wil which tell great men suche tales as perilously beguile them rather then the flatterer that so telleth them woulde with a treue tale ieoperd to lese his lucre Some are there also that suche tales tell them for coÌ„sideracion of an other feare For seing the man sette sore on his pleasure that they dispaire any amendment of hym whatsoeuer they shoulde shewe hym and thaÌ„ seing also besyde that the man doth no greate harme but of a gentle nature doth some good meÌ„ some good they praye god theÌ„ selfe to send him grace and so they let hym lie lame styll in his fleshly lustes Ad probatiâ—â—m piscinam expectantes aque motumâ— At the poole that the gospel speaketh of beside the temple wherin they washed the shepe for the sacrifice and they tary to see the water stired And when his good Aungel coming from God shall once beginne to styre the water of his hearte and moue him to the lowly mekenes of a simple shepe than if he call them to him they will tell him an other tale and helpe to beare him and plounge him into the poole of penaunce ouer the hard eares but in the meane while for feare leste whan he woulde waxe neuer the better he would waxe much the worse and from gentle smooth swete curtice waxe angrye roughe frowarde and sower thereupoÌ„ be troublous tedyous to the world to make fayre weather withal they geue hym fayre woordes for the while and put him in good comforte and let hym for the remnaunte stande at his own aduenture And in such wise deale they with him as the mother doth some tyme with her childe whiche when the lytle boye will not ryse in time for her but lie styll a bedde and slugge and when he is vâ— wepeth because he hath lyen so long fearing to be beaten at scole for his late coming thither she telleth hym then that it is but early dayes and he shall come tyme ynough and byddeth hym goe good sonne I warraunte thee I haue sent to thy maister my selfe take thy bread and butter with thee thou shalte not bee beaten at all And thus so she maye sende hym mery forth at the dore that he wepe not in her sight at home she studieth not much vpon the matter though he be taken tardye and beateÌ„ wheÌ„
prosperitie Now sith you grauÌ„t these thinges to be such that either of them both maye be matter of vâ—rtue or els matter of synne matter of damnacion or matter of saluacioÌ„ they seme nother good nor badde of their owne nature but thinges of themself equal and indifferent turning to god or the contrary after as they be takeÌ„ And than if this be thus I can perceiue no cause why you should geue the preeminence vnto tribulacioÌ„ or wherfore you shoulde recken more cause of comfort therin then you should reckeÌ„ to stand in prosperitie but rather a great deale lesse by in maner halfe syth in prosperitie the maÌ„ is well at ease may also by geuing thanke to god geat good vnto hys soule wheras in tribulacion though he may merite by pacience as in abouÌ„dauÌ„ce of worldly welth thother may by thaÌ„ke Yet lacketh he much comfort that the welthy maÌ„ hath in that he sore is greued with heauines and payn besides this also that a welthy man well at ease maye praye to god quietly merely with alacritie and great quietnes of mynde whereas he that lyeth groning in hys griefe can not endure to praie nor thinke almost vpon nothyng but vpon his payne ☞ Antony To beginne Cosin where you leaue the prayers of hym that is in welth and hym that is in woe if the meÌ„ be both noughte their prayers be both like For neither hath the one lust to praye nor thother neither And as the one is let with hys payne so is the other with hys pleasure sauyng that the payne sâ—yreth hym some tyme to call vpon God in hys griefe thoughe the man be ryghte badde where the pleasure pulleth his mynde another waye thoughe the man be meâ—ely good And thys poynte I thinke there are very fewe that can if they saye true saye that they fynde it otherwyse For in tribulacion which commeth you wote wel in many sundry kindes any man that is not a dul beast or a desperate wretche calleth vpon God not houerly but ryghte hartelye and seâ—â—eth his heart full whole vpon his request so sore he longeth for ease and helpe of his heauines But when men are welthy and well at their ease while oure tounge pattereth vpon oure prayers a pace good God howe many madde wayes our minde wandereth the while Yet wote I well that in some tribulacion suche sore sickenes there is or other greuous bodely payne that hard it were for a manne to saye a long payer of maâ—tens and yet some that lye a dying saye ful deuoutly the .vii. Psalmes and other praiers with the priest at their aneiling but those that for the griefe of theyr payne cannot endure to dooe it or that be more tender and lacke that stronge heart and stomacke that some other haue God requireth no such long praiers of them But the listing vp their heart alone withoute any woorde at all is more acceptable to hym of one in suche case than long seruice so sayed as folke vse to saye it in health The martirs in their agonye made no long praiers aloude but one ynche of suche a prayer so prayed in that payne was worth a whole â—alne and more euen of theyr owne prayers prayed at some other tymeâ— Greate learned men saye that Christ albeit he was very God and as god was in eternall equall blisse with his father yet as man merited not for vs onely but for him selfe to for proofe wherof they laie in these wordes the auctorite of S Paule Christus humiliauit semet ipsum factus obedience vsque ad mortem mortem autem crucisâ— propter quod deus exaltauit illum donauitâ—lli nomen quod est super omne nomen vt in nomine Iesu omne genuflectatur celesiâ—m terrestrium infernorum omnis lingua confiteatur quia dominus Iesus Christus in gloriâ— est dei patris Christe hath humbled hymselfe and became obedyente vnto the death and that vnto the death of the crosse for which thing god hath also exalted hymâ— and geuen him a name whiche is aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery knee be bowed both of the celâ—stial creatures and the terrestrial and the infernal to and that euery tongue shall confesse that our Lord Iesus Christe is into the glory of God his father Now if it so be as these great learned men vpon such auctorities of holy Scripture say that our sauiour so merited as man and as man deserued rewarde not for vs onely but for himselfe also than were there in hys dedes as it semeth sundrye degrees differences of deseruing and not hys maundy like merite as hys passion nor his slepe like merite as his watche and his prayer no nor hys prayers peraduenture all of lyke merite neither But though there none was nor none coulde be in hys most blessed parson but excellent and incomparably passyng the praier of any pure creature yet his owne not al alike but some one farre aboue other some And thaÌ„ if it thus be of all his holy praiers the chiefe semeth me those that he made in his greate agonye and paine of his bitter passion The fyrst wheÌ„ he fel thrise prostrate in his agony whan the heauines of his hearte with feare of death at hande so payneful and so cruell as he well behelde it made such a feruent commocion in his blessed body that the bloudy sweat of his holy flesh dropped downe on the grounde The other wer the painfull prayers that he made vpon the crosse where for al the tormente that he hanged in of beating naylyng and stretching oute all his lymmes with the wresting of his sinewes and breaking of hys tender vaynes and the sharpe crowne of thorne so priâ—king him into the head that his blessed blud stremed down al his face In al these hideous paynes in al their cruell despites yet two verye deuout seruent praiers he made The one for theyr pardon that so dispiteously put hym to his paine and the other about his own deliuerauÌ„ce coÌ„meÌ„ding his own soule vnto his holy father in heaueÌ„ These praiers of his amoÌ„g all that euer he made made in his most pain reckon I for the chief And these praiers of our sauior at his bitter passion of his holy martirs in the feruour of their torment shall serue vs to se that there is no prayer made at pleasure so strong effectual as in tribulacion now come I to the touching of the reason that you make where you tell me that I graunte you that bothe in wealthe and in woe some men maye be nought and offende God the one by impacience the other by fleshly luste And on the other syde bothe in tribulacion and prosperitie too some manne maye also doe verye well and deserue thanke of god by thankes geuen to god as well of hys gyfte of ryches woorship and wealthe as of nede and penurye priesonmente sickenes and payne and that therefore you cannot see for what cause I
man by which we maye see with how tender affeccyon GOD of his greate goodnes longeth to gather vnder the proteccion of his wynges and howe often lyke a louynge henne he clocketh home vnto him euen those chickeÌ„s of his that wylfully walke abrode in the kyghtes danger and will not come at his clockynge but euer the more he clockethe for them the farther they goe from him And therfore can we not doubte if we will folowe him with faythfull hope come runne vnto him but that he shall in all matter of temptacion take vs nere vnto him and sette vs euen vnder his wynges and than are we safe if we will tary there For against our wil can there no power pul vs thence nor hurt our soules there Pone me saith the Prophet iuxta te cuiâ—suis manus pugnet contra me Set me nere vnto the fight against me whose hand that wyl and to shewe the great safegarde and suerty that we shall haue while we syt vnder his heauenlye feathers The Prophet sayth yet a great deale farther Sub vmbra alarum tuarum exultabo That is to wete that we shall not onely when we sitte by hys swete syde vnder his heaueÌ„ly wing sytte in safegard but that we shall also vnder the couering of hys heauenly wynges wyth greate exultacion reioyse The .xi. chapter Of .iiii. kyndes of temptacions and therein both the partes of that kinde of tribulacion that men vvillingly suffre touched in tvvo vearsis of the Psalter NOwe in the next vearses folowing the Prophet briefly comprehendeth foure kyndes of temptacion and therein al the tribulacioÌ„ that we shall nowe speake of and also some part of that which we haue spoken of before and therfore I shal peraduenture except any farther thing fal in our way with the treating of those .ii. vearses finishe ende al our matter The Prophet sayth in the psalme Sâ—uto circumdabit te veritas eius non timebis a timore nocturno A sagitta volante in die a negotio perambulante in tenebris ab incursu et demonio meridiano The trueth of God shall compasse the aboute wyth a pauice thou shalt not be afraid of the nightes feare nor of the arrowe flying in the daie nor of the busines walking about in darkenesses nor of the incursion or inuasion of the deuill in the mydde daye Firste Cosin in these wordes The trouthe of GOD shall coumpasse the aboute wyth a pauice The Prophet for the cumforte of euery good man in al temptacion and in all tribulacion beside those other thinges that he saide before that the shoulders of god shal shadowe them and that also they should sytte vnder hys wynge here sayeth he farther The trouth of GOD shall compasse thee with a pauice that is to witte that as god hath faithfully promised to protecte and defend those that faiâ—hfully wyll dwel in the truâ—t of his helpe so wil he truely performe it thou yâ— such one art wil yeâ—routh of his promise defend not wyth a litle rounde buckler that scant can couer the head but wyth a long large pauice that couereth all alonge the bodye made as Sainte Barnard saieth brode aboue with the godhead and narowe beneath wyth the manhead so that this pauice is our sauiour Christe him selfe and yet is this pauice not lyke other pauices of thys world which are not made but in such wyse as while they defende one parte the man may be wounded vpoÌ„ another but this pauice is such that as the Prophet sayeth it shall round aboute enclose and compasse the so that thyne enemye shall hurte thy soule on no syde For Scuto saith he circundabit te veritas eius wyth a pauice shall hys truethe enuirone and compasse the rounde aboute and than continently folowyng to the entent that we should see that it is not without necessite that the pauice of god should cuÌ„passe vs about vpoÌ„ euery syde He sheweth in what wyse we be by the deuil with traynes and assaultes by iiii kyndes of teÌ„ptacions tribulacions enuyroned on vpoÌ„ euery side against al which cumpasse of teÌ„ptacions and tribulacioÌ„s that round cumpassing pauice of Goddes trueth shall in suche wyse defende vs and kepe vs safe that we shal nede to dreade none of them all The .xii. Chapter The firste kynde of the foure temptacions FYrste he sayeth Non timebis a timore nocâ—urno Thou shalt not be afrayd of the feare of the nighte By the nyghte is there in scripture sometyme vnderstand trybulacion as appeareth in the .xxxiiii. Chapter of Iob. Nouit â—nim deus opera â—orum idâ—irco induceâ— nocrem God hath knoweÌ„ the workes of them therefore shall he bring nighte vpon them that is to witte tribulacion for theyr wyckednes and well you wote that the night is of the nature of it selfe verye discumfortable and full of feare And therefore by the nightes feare here I vnderstande the tribulacion by whych the deuill thorowe the sufferaunce of god eyther by hym selfe or other that are hys instrumentes tempteth good folke to impacience as he did Iob. But he that as the prophet sayth dwelleth and continueth faythfully in the hope of goddes helpe shall so be becleped in on euerye syde wyth the shielde or pauice of god that he shal haue no nede to be afrayde of such tribulacion that is here called the nightes feare And it maye be also conuenientlye called the nightes feare for two causes The oneâ— for that many times the cause of hys trybulacyoÌ„ is vnto him that suffereth it darke and vnknowen and therin varyeth it and dyffereth from that trybulacion by whych the deuill tempteth a man wyth open fyght and assaulte for a knowen good thing froÌ„ which he would withdrawe him or for some knowen euill thing into which he would driue him by force of such persecucioÌ„ An other cause for which it is called the nightes feare may be for that the night is so farre out of courage naturallye so casteth folke in feare that of euery thing wherof they perceiue any maner dreade their fantasy doubleth theyr feare and maketh them often wene that it were muche worse then in dede it is The Phrophet sayth in the psalter Posuisti tenebras facta est noâ— in illa pertransibunt omnes bestiâ— siluarum Catuli leonum rugientes querentes a deo escam sibi Thou haste good lord set the darknes and made was the night and in the nighte walke al the beastes of the wood The whelpes of the Lyons roaring and calling vnto GDO for theyr meate Nowe though that the Lyons whelpes walke aboute roaring in the night and seke for theyr pray yet can they not geat such meate as they woulde alway but muste holde them selfe content wyth such as God suffereth to fall in theyr waye And thoughe they be not ware therof yet of god they aske it and of hym they haue it And thys maye be coumforte to al good men in theyr night feare in theyr darke tribulacion that thoughe
in confession and than hungre pricked him forward that as the shrewde wyfe sayed he dyd in dede begynne al afreshe But yet the prycke of conscience wythdrewe and helde hym backe because he woulde not for breaking of his penauÌ„ce take any praye for his meale tide that should passe the price of .vi. d. It happed him thaÌ„ as he walked prolling for his geare about he came where a maÌ„ had in fewe daies before cast of two olde leane lame horses so sycke that no fleshe was there almoste leaft on them and the one when the woulfe came by could scant stande vpon his legges and the other alreadye dead and hys skynne rypped of and caryed away And as he loked vpon theÌ„ sodeinly he was first aboute to fede vpon them and whette hys teethe on theyr bones but as he looked asyde he spied a fayre cowe in a close walking wyth her younge calfe by her syde and as soone as he sawe them hys consceince began to grudge hym againste bothe those two horses and than he syghed said vnto him selfe Alas wicked wretch that I am I had almost broken my penaunce ere I was ware for yonder dead horse because I neuer sawe no dead horse solde in the market and I shoulde euen dye therfore by the waye that my sinfull soule shal to I can not deuise what price I should set vpon him but in my conscience I set him farre aboue vi d. therfore I dare not medle with him Now thaÌ„ is yoÌ„der quicke horse of likelihode worth a great deale of money for horse be deare in this couÌ„trey specially such softe aumblers for I see by his pace he trotteth not nor can scaÌ„t shift a foote therfore I may not meddle with him for he very farre passeth my vi d. but kine this countrey here hath inoughâ— but noney haue they very litle therfore considering the plenty of the kyne and the scarcitie of the money as for yonder peuishe â—owe semeth vnto me in my conscience worth not past a grote and she be worth so much Nowe than as for her calfe is not so much as she by halfe and therefore whyle the cowe is in my conscience worth but foure pence my conscience cannot seâ—ue me for sinne of my soule to prayse her calfe aboue two pence and so passe they not .vi. d betwene them both and therefore them twayne may I wel eate at this one meale breake not my penaunce at all and so thereupon he dyd withoute any scruple of coÌ„science If such beastes could speake nowe as mother Maude sayd they could thanâ— some of them would I wene tel a tale almost as wyse as this wherin saue for the minishing of old mother Maudes tale els would a shorter â—rocesse haue serued but yet as peuishe as the parable is in this it serueth for oure purpose that the nightes feare of a conscience somewhat scrupulouse though it be painfull and troâ—blous to him that hath it lyke as this poore asse had here is lesâ—e harme yet than a conscience â—uerlarge or suche as for his own fantasie the man lust to frame himself now drawing it narrowe now stretching it in breadth after the maner of a cheuerel pointe to serue on euery syde for hys owne commoditie as did here the wylye â—oulfe but suche folke are out of â—ribulacion and coÌ„forte nede they none and therfore are they out of our matter but those that are in the nightes feare of their owne scrupulous conscience lette them be well ware as I sayed that the deuill for wearines of the one drawe them not into the other and whyle he woulde flee from Scylla dryue him into Charibdis He muste dooe as dothâ— a shippe that shoulde come into a hauen in yâ— mouth wherof lie secret rockes vnder the water on both sides if he be by missehappe entred in among theÌ„ that are on the one syde and cannot tell how to geat oute he must geat a substaunciall cunning pilote that so can conduce hym from the rockes on that syde that yet he bryng him not into those that are on the other syde but can guide hym in the midde way let them I saye that are therfore in the troublouse feare of theyr own scrupulous conscience submitte the rule of their owne conscience to the counsayle of some other good man whiche after the varietie and the nature of the scrupulous may temper his aduise yea although a maÌ„ be very well learned him selfe yet let hym in this case learne the custome vsed among phisicions for be one of them neuer so cunning yet in his owne disease and sickenes he neuer vseth to trust al to himselfe but sendeth for suche of his felowes as he knoweth mete and putteth himselfe in their handes for many consideracions wherof they assigne the causes and one of the causes is feare wherof vpon some tokens he may coÌ„ceyue in hys own passion a great deale more then nedeth that were good for his health that for the time he knewe no suche thyng at all I knewe once in thys towne one of the most cunning men in that facultie and the beste experte and therwith the moste famous toâ— and he that the greatest cures did vpon other men and yet when he was him selfe once very sore sicke I heard his fellowes that than loked vnto hym of all whiche euery one woulde in their owne disease haue vsed his helpe before any other men wishe yet that for the tyme of hys owne sickenes being so sore as it was he had knowen no phisicke at all he toke so great hede vnto euery suspicious token and feared so farre the worste that his feare did him some tyme muche more harme thaÌ„ the syckenes gaue him cause And therfore as I say whoso hath such a trouble of his scrupulouse conscience lette him for a while forbeare the iudgemeÌ„t of hymselfe and folowe the counsayle of some other whom he knoweth for well learned and verteousâ— and specially in the place of confession for there is god specially present with his grace assisting his holy Sacramente and lette hym not doubte to acquiet hys mynde and folowe that he there is biddden and thinke for a whyle lesse of the feare of Goddes iustice and be more mery in the remembraunce of hys mercye and perseuer in prayer for grace and abyde and dwell faythfully in the sure hope of his helpe and than shal he find withoute any doubte that the pauyce of Goddes trouth shall as the Prophet saith so compasse him about that he shal not nede to dreade this nightes feare of scrupulositie but shall haue afterwarde his conscience stablysshed in good quiet and rest The .xv. Chpter An other kynd of the nightes feare an other doughter of pusillanimitie that is to vvete that horrible temptacion by vvhiche some folke are tempted to kill and destroye themselfe Vincent VErelye good Uncle you haue in my mynde well declared these kyndes of the nights feare ☞ Antony Sureli Cosin but yet are there
in aucthoryte be not al euermore of one minde But sometime variance amonge themâ— eyther for the respecte of profyite or for contencion of rule or for mayntenaunce of matters suÌ„dry partes for theyr sundry friendes It can not be that both the partes can haue theyr owne mynde nor often are they content which see theyr conclusion quaile but x. times they take the missing of theyr mynde more dyspleasauntly than other poore men doe And thys goeth not onelye to men of meane authoritie but vnto the very greatest The princes theÌ„self can not haue you wote well al theyr wyll for howe were it possible while eche of them almost would if he myght be lord ouer al the remnaunte Than many men vnder theyr princes in authoritie are in the case that prieuy malice and enuie many beare them in hearte falselye speake them fayre and prayse them wyth their mouthes which when there happeth any greate fal vnto them baule and barke and byte vpon them lyke dogges Finally the cost charge the daunger perill of warre wherin theyr parte is more than a poore mannes is syth the matter more dependeth vpoÌ„ them and many a poore plough man maye sitte styll by the fyre while they muste ryse and walke and somtime theyr authoritie falleth by the chaunge of theyr maisters mynde and of that see we dayly in one place or other ensamples such so many that the parable of the Philosopher can lacke no testimony which likened yâ— seruantes of greate princes vnto the coumptors with which men doe cast a coumpt For like as the countor yâ— staÌ„deth sometime for a farthing is sodeynly set vp standeth for a. M. pouÌ„de after as sone set down efte sone beneath to stand for a farthing againe So fareth it loe sometime wyth those that seeke the waye to rise growe vp in auâ—thoritie by the fauour of greate princes that as they rise vp high so fal they downe againe as lowe Howebeit though a maÌ„ escape al such adueÌ„tures abide in great authoritie til he dyeâ— yet thaÌ„ at the leaste wise euery maÌ„ muâ—t leaue it at the last that whiche we cal at least hath no very long time to it Let a maÌ„ reckeÌ„ his yeres that are passed of hys age ere euer he can geat vp alofte let him wheÌ„ he hath it firste in his fiste recken howe longe he shal be like to lyue after and I weene that thâ—n the moâ—â— parte shal haue litle cause to reioyce they shal see the time likely to be so short that theyr honour autoritiâ— by nature shal endure beside the manifolde chaunces wherby they maye lese it more soone And than when they see that they must nedes leaue it the thing which they dyd much more set theyr heart vpoÌ„ than euer they had reasonable cause what sorowe â—hey take therfore that shal I not nede to tell you And thus it semeth vnto me Cosin in good faith that sith in the hauing the profite is not great the displeasures neyther small nor fewe and of the lesing so many sundry chauÌ„ces that by no meane a maÌ„ can kepe it longe that to parte there froÌ„ is suche a paynefull griâ—fe I can see no very great cause for which as an high worldly coÌ„moditie men should greatly desier it The .xii. Chapter ¶ That these outvvard goode desired but for vvordly vvelth be not onely litle good for the body but â—re alsoÌ„ much harme for the soule ANd â—hus farre haue we considered hither toâ— in these outward goodes that are called the giftes of fortune no farther but the slender commoditie that worldely minded men haue by them But nowe if we consider farther what harme to the soule they take by them the desier theÌ„ but onely for the wretched welth of this worke ThaÌ„ shall we wel perceiue howe farre more happy is he that wel leseth theÌ„ than he that cuil findeth them These thinges though they be such as are of theyr owne nature indifferent that is to witte of them self thinges neyther good nor badde but are matter that maye serue to the tone or the tother â—fter as meÌ„ wyl vse them yet nede we litle to doubte it but that they that desier them but for theyr worldely pleasure for no farther godly purpose the deuiâ— shal soone turne them froÌ„ thinges indiffereÌ„t vnto theÌ„ and make them thinges verye nought For though that they be indifferent of theyr nature yet can not the vse of theÌ„ lightly stand indifferent but determinately muste eyther be good or badde And therefore he that desireth theÌ„ but for worldly pleasure desyreth theÌ„ not for any good And for better purpose thaÌ„ he â—esireth them to better vse is he not likely to put theÌ„ and therefore not vnto good but consequentlye to nought As for ensample first consider it in riches he â—hat longeth for them as for thynges of temporall commodytie and not for anye godlye purpose what good they shall doe hym Saint Paule declareth where he writeth vnto Timothe Qui volunt diuites fieri incidunt in temptacioneÌ„ in laqucum diâ—boli desâ—deria muâ—ta inutilia noxia que â—erguÌ„t homines in interiâ—uÌ„ penditionem They that long to be rich fal into teÌ„ptacioÌ„ and into the grinne of the deuil and into many desiers vnprofitable and noyous which droune men into death and into perdicion And the holy scripture sayth also in the .xxi. Chapter of the Prouerbes Qui â—ongregaâ— thesauros inpingetur in laqueus mortis He that gathereth treasures shal be showued into the grinnes of death so that where as by the mouth of S. Paule god saith that they shal fall into the deuils grinne he sayth in the tother place that they shall be pusshed or showued in by violence of trouth whyle a man desireth riches not for any good godlye purpose but for onelye welth it must nedes be that he shal haue litle coÌ„science in the geatting but by all euil wayes than he can inuente shall laboure to geatte them and than shall he eyther nigardly heape them vp together which is you wote wel damnable or wastfullye missespende them aboute worldly pompe pride and glotony wyth occasion of many sinnes moe and that is yet much more damnable As for fame and glory desyred but for worldly pleasure doth vnto the soule inestimable harme For that setteth mennes heartes vpon highe deuyces and desiers of suche thynges as are immoderate and outragious by help of false flatterers puffe vp a maÌ„ in pride make a bryttel man lately made of earthe that shall agayne shortely be layde ful lowe in earth there lye and rotteâ— and turne againe into earth take hym selfe in the meane tyme for a god here vpon the earth and weene to wynne him selfe to be lorde of al the earth This maketh battelles betwene these greate princes with much trouble to much people greate eâ—fusioÌ„ of bloud one Kinge to looke to raygne in fyue realmes that
onely be commonlye called by that name must nedes make that impriesonment which only among the people beareth that name muche more odious and dreadeful than the general impriesonmeÌ„t wherwith we be euery man vniuersally priesoned at large walkyng where we wil rouÌ„d about the wide world In which brode priesoÌ„ out of those narrow priesons there is with the priesoners no such hard handlyng vsed Antony I sayde I trowe Cosyn that I purposed to proue you farther yet that in this generall prieson the large prieson I meane of this whole world folke be for the tyme that they be therin as sore handled and as hardly and wreÌ„ched and wrongen and braked in suche paynful wyse that our hertes saue that we consider it not haue with reason good and greate cause to grudge agaynst And as farreforth onely as pertayneth to the respecte of payne as much horror to conceiue agaynst the harde handling that is in this prieson as the tother that is in that ☞ ¶ Vincent In dede vncle trueth it is that this you sayd you woulde proue ☞ Anthony Naye so muche saide I not Cosyn but I sayde I woulde if I coulde and if I could not than woulde I therin geue ouer my parte But that trust I Cosyn I shall not nede to doe the thing semeth me so playn For Cosyn though the prince and Kynges haue bothe Aungelles and deuylles that are Gaylors ouer hym yet the chiefe Gaylor ouer thys whole brode prieson the worlde is as I take it God And that I suppose you will graunt me too ¶ Vincent That will I not vncle denye Antony If a man be Cosin coÌ„mitted vnto prieson for no cause but to bee kept though there lye neuer so greate charge vppon hym yet his keper if he bee good and honeste is neyther so cruell that wouâ—de payne the manne of malyce nor so couetyse that woulde put hym to payne to make hym seeke hys frendes and to paye for a pennye worthe of ease Elles if the place be suche that he be sure to kepe hym safe otherwyse or that he can geat suretye for the recompence of more harme than he seeth he shoulde haue if he scaped He wyl neuer handle him in any such harde fashionâ— as we most abhorre imprisonment for But marye if the place be suche as the keper can not otherwyse be sure then is he compelled to kepe hym after the rate the straiter And also if the prisoner be vnruly and fall to fyghting with his felowes or doe some other maner of shrewde turne then vseth the keper to punish hym sundry wise in some of such fashions as your selfe haue spoken of So is it now Cosin that god the chief Iailor as I say of thys brode pryeson the worlde is neyther cruell nor coueâ—ise And this pryeson is also so sure and so subtellye buylded that albeit that it lyeth open vppon euerye syde wythoute anye walle in the worlde yet wandre we neuer so farre aboute therein the waye to geat oute at shall we neuer fynde so that he nedeth neyther to coller vs nor to stoâ—ke vs for anye feare of scapyng awaye And therefore excepte he see some other cause than oure onelye kepyng for death he letteth vs in the meane whyle for as longe as he luste to respite vs walke aboute in the pryeson and dooe therein what we wyll vsyng oure selfe in such wyse as he hath by reason and reuelacyon from tyme to tyme tolde vs hys pleasure And hereof it commeth loe that by reason of thys fauouâ—e for a tyme wee waxe as I sayde so wanton that we forgeat where wee be wenyng that wee were Lordes at large where as wee be in dede if wee woulde well consyder it eueÌ„ sely poore wretches in prieson For of trueth our verye prieson this earth is and yet thereof we caute vs oute partely by couenauÌ„tes yâ— we make among vs and part by fraud part by violence too dyuers partes diuersly to oure selfe and chaunge the name therof from the odious name of prison and call it oure owne lande or our liuelode Upon our pryson we buylde oure prison we garnishe it with golde and make it gâ—orious In this pryson they bye and sel. In this prieson they brawle and chyde In this pryson they runne together and fight In this they dyce In this they carde In this they pype and reuill In thys they synge and daunce And in this prieson many a man reputed right honest letteth not for his pleasure in the darke prieuelye to playe the knaue And thus while god our kyng and our chief Iaylor too suffreth vs and letteth vs alone we wene oure self at libertie and we abhorre the state of those whom we call pryesoners takyng our selues for no pryesoners at al. In whyche false perswasion of wealth and forgeatfulnes of oure owne wretched sâ—ate whiche is but a wanderyng aboute for a while in this prieson of this world tyll we be brought vnto the execucyon of â—eath whyle wee forgeat with oure sollye bothe oure selfe and oure Gayle and oure vnder Iaylours Aungels and deuils bothe And oure chiefe Iailoure God too GOD that forgeatâ—eth not vs but seeth vs all the whyle well ynough and beyng sore dyscontente to see so shreude rule kepte in the Iayle beesyde that he sendeth the hange manne deathe to putte to execucyon here and there some tymes by the thousaÌ„des at once he handleth many of the remnaunte whose execucion he forbeareth yet vnto a farther tyme euen as hardly and â—unisheth them as sore in â—hys common pryeson of the worlde as there are anye handled in those specyal pryeâ—ons whyche for the hard handlyng vsed you say therein youre heart hath in such horror and so sore abhorreth ¶ Vincent The remnaunt wyl I not gayne saye For me â—hynke I see it so in dede but that god oure chief Iaylor in this worlde vseth any suche priesonlye fashyon of punishment that poynt I must nedes denie For I neither see hym laye anye man in the stockes or strike fetters on his legges and so muche as shutte hym vp in a chaumber eyther ☞ Anthony Is he no minstrell Cosin â—hat playeth not on a harpe maketh no manne no melodie but he that playeth on a lute He may be a minstrell and make melodye you wote well wyth some other instrument some straunge fashioned peraduenture that neuer was sene before God oure chyefe Iaylâ—ure as hymselfe is inuysyble so vseth he in hys punyshemente inuysyble instrumentes and therefore not of lyke fashyonâ— as the tother Iaylours dooe but yet of lyke effect and as painfull in felyng as those For he layeâ—h one of his priesoners with an hote fâ—uer as euil at his ease in a warme bedde as the tother Iaylour layeth hys vpon the cold grounde He wryngeth hym by the browes with a mygreme he collereth them by the necke with a quynsy bolteth them by the armes with a palsey that they can not lyfte theyr handes to theyr heades he manacleth theyr handes with the goute
A dialoge of comfort against tribulacion made by Syr Thomas More KNYGHT and set foorth by the name of an HuÌ„garieÌ„ not before this time imprinted Londini in aedibus Richardi Totteli ¶ Cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ A Table wherin is expressed the summe and effecte of euery Chapter conteined in this boke A Declaracion of the first boke That the deuysed comfortes by the old paâ—nim philosophers wer vnsufficient and the cause wherefore cap. i. That for a foundacion men must nedes beginne with faith cap. ii The first coÌ„fort in tribulacion may a man take in this whan he feleth a desire and longing to be coumforted by god ca. iii. That tribulacion is a meane to draw a man to that good minde to desire and long for the coÌ„forte of god ca. iiii The speciall meane to geat this first comforte in tribulacion ca. v. It â—uffiseth not that a maÌ„ haue a desire to be coÌ„forted by god only by the taking away of the tribulacion ca. vi A great comfort it may be in tribulacioÌ„ that euerye tribulacioÌ„ is if we our self wil a thing ether medicinable or els more than mediâ—inable ca. vii The declaracion larger concernyng them that fall in tribulacion by their owne knowen faulte and that yet suche tribulacion is medicinable cap. viii The second point that is to wit that tribulacion that is sent vs by god without ani open certain deseruing cause knowen to our self this kind of tribulacion is medicinable if men wil so take itâ— and therefore great occasion of coumforte cap. ix Of the third kind of tribulacioÌ„ which is not sent a maÌ„ for his sinne but for exercise of his pacience encrease of his merite which is better then medicinable cap. x. An other kind of comfort yet in the base kind of tribulacion sent for oure sinne cap. xi A certain obieccion against the thinges aforesaid ca. xii That a man ought to be comfortable to himselfe haue good hope be ioyfull also in tribulacioÌ„ appeareth wel by this that a man hath greate cause of feare and heauines that continueth alway stil in welth discontinued with no tribulacion cap. xiii A certain obieccion and the answer therto cap. xiiii Other obieccions cap. xv The answer to the obieccion cap. xvi An answer to the second obiecâ—ion cap. xvii Of theÌ„ that in tribulacion seke not vnto god but some to the flesh and some to the world and some to the deuil himself cap. xviii An other obieccion with the answer therunto cap. xix A Summary commendacion of tribulacion cap. xx A declaracion of the seconde Boke Whether a man mai not in tribulacioÌ„ vse some worldly reâ—reacion for his comfort cap. i. Of the shorte vncertaine life in extreme age or sickenes cap. ii He deuideth tribulacion into three kindes of whiche thre the last he passeth shortelye ouer cap. iii. cap. iiii An obieccion concerning them that turne not to god till they come at the last caste cap. v. An obieccion of them the say the tribulacion of penaunce nedeth notâ— but is a supersticious folye cap. vi What if a maÌ„ cannot wepe nor in his heart be sory for his sinnes cap. vii Of that kinde of trybulacion whiche thoughe they not willingly take yet they willingly suffer cap. viii First of teÌ„ptacioÌ„ in general as it is coÌ„moÌ„ to both ca. ix A special comfort in al temptacion cap. x. Of foure kindes of temptacions and therin bothe the partes of that kind of tribulacion that men willinglye suffer touched in two vearses of the psalter cap. xi The first kind of the foure temptacions cap. xii Of pusillanimitie cap. xiii Of the daughter of pusillanimiâ—ie a scrupulous conscience cap. xiiii An other kynd of the nightes feare an other daughter of pusillanimitie that is to wit the horrible teÌ„ptacion by which some folke are tempted to kil destroy themself ca. xv Of him that wer moued to kyll himself by illusion of the deuil which he reckoned for a reuelacioÌ„ ca. xvi ca. xvii Of the deuill named Negorium that is to wit busines walking about in the darknesses cap. xviii cap. xix A declaracion of the thyrde Boke Whither a man should cast in his mind and appointe in his heart before that if he were taken with Turkes he woulde rather dye than forsake the faith cap. i. Of the fourth temptacion which is persecucion for the faith touched in these wordes of the prophete Ab incursu demenâ—o meridiaâ—o cap. ii cap. iii. cap. iiii Of the losse of the goodes of fortune cap. v. Of the vnsuretie of landes and possessions ca. vi These outward goodes or gyftes of fortune are two maner of wayes to be considred cap. vii The litle coÌ„moditie of riches being set by but for this presente life cap. viii The litle commoditie of fame beeyng desired but for â—orldlye pleasure cap. ix Of flattrye cap. x. The litle commoditie that menne haue of roumes officis and autoritie if thei desire them but for their worldly commoditie cap. xi That these outward goodes desired but for worldlye welth be not onely litle good for the bodye but are also muche harme for the soule cap. xii Whether meÌ„ desire these outward goodes for their only worldly welth or for ani good verteous purpose this persecucioÌ„ of the Turke agaiÌ„st the faith wil declare the coÌ„fort yâ— both twain mai take in the lesing theÌ„ thus ca. xiii An other cause for which any maÌ„ should be content to forgo his goodes in the Turkes said persecucioÌ„ ca. xiiii This kinde of tribulacion trieth what minde meÌ„ haue to their goodes which thei that are wise wil at the fame therof se wel and wisely layd vp safe before cap. xv An other coumforte and courage againstâ— the losse of substance cap. xvi Of bodily paine and that a man hath no cause to take discomfort in persecucion though he fele himself in an horror at the thinking vpon the bodely paine cap. xvii Of comfort against bodily pain and first againste captiuitie cap. xviii Of imprisonment and comfort there against cap. xix ca. xx The feare of shameful painful death ca. xxi Of death considred by himself alone as a bare leauing of this life onely cap. xxii Of the shame that is ioyned with the death in the persecucion for the faith cap. xxiii Of painful death to be suffred in the Turkes persecucion for the faith cap. xxiiii The consideracion of the paines of hel in which we fal if we forsake our sauior may make vs set al the paynful death of this worlde at right naught cap. xxv The coÌ„sideracioÌ„ of the ioyes of heueÌ„ should make vs for Christes sake abide eÌ„dure ani painful death ca. xxvi The consideracion of the painful death of Christ is sufficient to make â—s content to suffer painful death for his sake ca. xxvii FINIS ¶ A Dialogue of comfort agaynst Tribulacion Made by an Hungâ—rien in Latine and translated oute of Latine into Frenche and
from that state And that is one of the causes for whiche God sendeth it vnto man For albeit that payn was ordeyned of God for the punyshmente of synnes for whiche they that neuer can nowe but sinne can neuer be but euer punished in hell yet in thys worlde in whiche his high mercy geueth men space to be better the punyshmente by tribulacion that he sendethâ— serueth ordinarily for a meane of amendment Sainct Paule was himselfe sore agaynst Chryst tyll Christ gaue him a great fall and threw him to the ground and strake him starke blynde and with that tribulacion he turned to him at the fyrst woorde and God was his phisicion and healed hym soone after both in body and soule by his Minister Ananias and made him his blessed Apostle Some are in the beginning of tribulacion verye stubborne and stiffe against god and yet at length tribulacion bringeth theÌ„ home The proude King Pharao dyd abyde and endure two or thre of the first plages and would not once sâ—oupe at theÌ„ But then god layd on a sorer lashe that made him crye to him for helpe and then sente he for Moyses and Aaron and confessed him selfe a synner and god for good and righteous and praid theÌ„ to praie for him and to withdrawe that plage and he would let theÌ„ go But when his tribulacion was withdrawen than was he naught agayne So was his tribulacion occasion of his profyt and his helpe againe cause of his harme For his tribulacion made him cal to god and his helpe made hard hys heart againe Many a man that in an easy tribulacion falleth to seke his ease in the pastime of worldly fantasyes fyndeth in a greater paine al those comfortes so feble that he is faine to fall to the seking of goddes helpe And therefore is I saye the very tribulacion it selfe many tymes a meane to bringe the man to the takyng of the afore remembred comforte therin that is to witte to the desyer of comfort geueÌ„ by god which desyre of goddes comfort is as I haue proued you greate cause of comforte it selfe ¶ The fifthe Chapter The speciall meanes to geat this firste comforte in Tribulacion HOwe be it though the tribulacion it selfe be a meane ofteÌ„ times to geat man this first comforte in it yet it self some time alone bringeth not a man to it And therefore syth withoute this comforte firste had there can in tribulacion none other good comforte come forth we muste laboure the meanes that this first comfort maye come And therunto semeth one that if the man of sloth or impacience or hope of worldly comfort haue no minde to desyre and seke for comfort of god those that are his frendes that come to visite and comforte him must afore al thinge put that point in his minde and not spend the time as they commenly do in trifling and turning him to the fantasies of the worlde They must also moue him to praye god put this desire in his minde which wheÌ„ he getteth once he than hath the first coÌ„fort And wythout doubte if it be wel considered a comforte meruelous great His frendes also that thus counsaile him must vnto thatteyning therof helpe to praye for him them selfe cause him to desyer good folke to helpe him to pray therfore And than if these wayes be takeÌ„ for the getting I nothing doubt but the goodnes of god shal geue it ¶ The .vi. Chapter It suffiseth not that a man haue a desier to be comforted by god onely by the taking aâ—aye of the tribulacion ☞ Vincent Uerely me thinketh good vncle that this couÌ„sayle is very good For except the person haue first a desire to be coÌ„forted by god els caÌ„ I not se what it can auaile to geue him any further counsayle of any spiritual coÌ„forte howe be it what if the maÌ„ haue this desier of gods comfort that is to wytte that it maye please god to comfort him in his tribulacioÌ„ by taking that tribulacion froÌ„ him is not this a good desier of goddes comfort a desire sufficient for him that is in tribulacion Anthony No Cosin that is it not I touched before a word of this point passed it ouer because I thought it woulde fall in our waye agayne and so wote I well it wil ofter than once And nowe am I glad that you moue it me here your self A maÌ„ maie many times well and wythout sinne desier of god the tribulacion to be taken from him but neither maye we desier that in euery case nor yet very wel in no case except very fewe but vnder a certayne condicion either expressed or implied For tribulacioÌ„s are ye wote well of manye soÌ„dry kindes some bi losse of goods or possessioÌ„s some bi yâ— sicknes of our selfe some bi the losse of frendes or by some oâ—her paine put vnto our bodyes some by the dreade of the losing those thinges that we fayne would saue vnder which feare fall all the same thinges that we haue spoken before For we maie feare losse of goodes or possessions or the losse of our frendes their grief trouble or our owne bi sickenes imprisonmeÌ„t or other bodily payn we may be troubled with the drede of death and many a good man is troubled most of all with the feare of that thing which he that moste nede hath feareth least of al that is to wyt the feare of losinge through deadlye sinne the life of his seli soule And this last kind of tribulacion as the sorest tribulacion of all though we touche here there some pieces therof before yet the chief part the principal point wil I reserue to treate apart effectually that matter in the last ende But nowe as I said where the kindes of tribulacioÌ„ are so diuers some of this tribulacioÌ„ A maÌ„ may pray god take froÌ„ him take some coÌ„fort in the trust the god wil so do and therefore against hungre sycknes bodily hurte against the losse of eyther bodye or soule men maye lawfully many times pray to the goodnes of God either for theÌ„ self or their frend And toward this purpose are expressely prayed many deuout orâ—sons in the comeÌ„ seruice of our mother holy church And toward our helpe in some of these thinges serue some of the peticioÌ„s in the Pater noster wherein we praye daylye for oure daylye foode and to be preserued from the fal in temptacion and to be deliuered from euyll But yet maye we not alwaye praye for the takyng awaye from vs of euery kynd of temptacioÌ„ For if a man should in euery sycknes praie for his health againe when shoulde he show him selfe content to die and to depart vnto god and that mynde must a man haue ye wote wel or els it wil not be wel One tribulacioÌ„ is it to good meÌ„ to feele in theÌ„ selfe the conflicte of the fleshe agaynste the soule the rebellioÌ„ of sensualitie against the rule and gouernaÌ„ce of reason the reliques that remayne in mankynde of olde
maner of theyr preachers â—here For as you remembre when I was in Saxoni these matters were in a maner but in a maÌ„meringâ— nor Luther was not than wedde yet nor religious men oute of theyr habyte but suffered where those that woulde be of the secte frely to preache what they would vnto the people And forsoth I heard a religious maÌ„ there my self one that had been reputed and taken for very good and which as farre as the folke perceyued was of hys owne liuing somewhat auster and sharpe but his preaching was wonderful me thinke I heare him yet his voice was loude and shryll his learning lesse thaÌ„ meane but where as his matter was muche parte against fasting al afflyccion for any penaunce which he called mennes inuencions he cryed euer out vpon them to kepe well the lawes of Christe let goe theyr pieuishe penaunce purpose theÌ„ to mend and seke nothing to saluacion but the death of Christ for he is our iustyce and he is our sauior our whole satisfaccion for all our deadlye sinnes he did ful penaunce for vs all vpon his paynefull crosse he washed vs there all cleane wyth the water of his swete syde and boughte vs out of the deuils daunger with hys deare precious bloud Leaue therfore leaue I beseche you these inueÌ„cions of men your foolishe lenton fastes and your peuishe penaunce minyshe neuer Christes thanke nor looke â—o saue your selfe it is Christes death I tell you that must saue vs al Chrystes deathe I tell you yeâ— againe and not our own dedes leaue your own fasting therefore leane to Christ alone good christeÌ„ people for Christes deare bitter passion Nowe so loude so shryll he cried Christ in their eares and so thicke he came forth wyth Christes bytter Passion and that so bytterly spoken wyth the sweate dropping downe hys chekes that I merueiled not though I sawe the poore women wepe for he made my owne heere to stand vp vpon my headde and wyth suche preaching were the people so brought in that some fel to breake their fastes on the fasling dayes not of frailetie or of malice first but almost of deuocion lest they should take from Chryste the thanke of his bytter passion But when they were a whyle noseled in that poynte fyrst they could abide endure after many thynges moe wyth whych had he than begonne they woulde haue pulled him downe ☞ Antony Cosyn GOD amende that maÌ„ what soe-euer he be and god kepe all good folke from suche maner of preachers such one preacher muche more abuseth the name of Christe and his bitter Passion than v. huÌ„dreth hasardars that in theyr idle busines sweare and forsweare them selfe by his holye bitter passion at dice. They carye the myndes of the people from the perceiuing of theyr â—rafte by the continuall namynge of the name of Christ and crying hys passion so shryll into theyr eares they forgeat that the churche hath euer taught them that all our penaunce wythout Christes Passion were not worth a peaâ—e and they make the people wene that we would be saued by our own dedes without Christes death where we coÌ„fesse that his onely passion meriteth incomparably more for vs than al our owne dedes doe but hys pleasure is that we shall also take payne our owne selfe wyth him and therfore he byddeth all that wyll be hys dyscyples take theyr crosses vpon theyr backes as he dyd and wyth theyr crosses folowe hym and where they saye that fasting serueth but for temperaunce to tame the fleshe and kepe it from wantonnes I would in good fayth haue wente that Moyses had not bene so wylde that for the taminge of his fleshe he should haue nede to faste whole .xl. dayes together No nor Hely neyther nor yet our sauiour hym selfe which beganne and the Apostles folowed and all chrystendome haue kept the lenton .xl. dayes fast that these folke cal nowe so foolishe King Achas was not dysposed to be waÌ„ton in his fleshe when he fasted and wente clothed in sacke cloth all besprent with asshes Nor no more was in Niniue the king al the Cytie but they wayled dyd payneful penaunce for theyr sinne to procure god to pitie theÌ„ withdraw his indignacioÌ„ Anna that in her wydowhed abode so many yeares with fasting and praying in the temple tyl â—he byrth of Christâ— was not I wene in her olde age so sore disposed to the wantones of her fleshe that she fasted al therefore Nor. S. Paul the fasted so much fasted not all therfore neyther The scripture is full of places that prouethe fasting not to be the inuencion of maÌ„ but the institucioÌ„ of god that it hath many moe profytes than one And that the fasting of one man maye dooe good to an other our sauiour saieth hym selfe where he sheweth that some kynde of diuelles can not be by one man caste out of an other Nisiin oratione ieiunio wythout prayer and fasting And therfore I meruaile that they take this waye against fasting and other bodilye penance and yet muche more I meruaile that they mislike the sorowe and he auines and displeasure of mynde that a man should take in forethinking of his synne The Prophet sayth Sindite corda vestra non vestimenta Teare your heartes he sayeth and not your clothes And the Prophet Dauyd sayeth Cor contritum huâ—iliatum deus non despicies A contrite heart and an humbled that is to say a heart broken torne and wyth tribulacion of heauines for his sinnes layed a lowe vnder foote shalte thou not good Lord despyse He sayeth also of hys owne contricion Laboraui in gemitu meo lauabo per singulas noctes lecrum meum lacrimis meis stratum meum rigabo I have laboured in my wailing I shal euery nyght washe my bed with my teares my couche wyl I water But what should I nede in this matter to laye forth one place or twayne The scripture is full of those places by which it playnlye appereth that god looketh of duetie not onely that we shoulde amende and be better in the time to come but also be sorye and wepe and bewayle our sinnes coÌ„mitted before and all the olde holy Doctours be ful and whole of that mind that men must haue for theyr synnes contricion and sorowe in heart The .vii. Chapter ¶ VVhat if a man can not vvepe nor in hys heart be sorye for his sinnes ☞ Vincent FOrsothe vncle yet semeth me thys thynge somwhat a sore sentence not for that I thinke other wyse but that there is good cause and great wherefore a man so shoulde but for yâ— of trueth some man can not be sory and heauy for his sinne that he hathe done though he neuer so fayn would but though he can be conteÌ„t for gods sake to forbeare it from thenceforth yet for euery sinne that is passed can he not onely not wepe but some were happely so wanton that when he happeth to remembre them he can scantly
him by impacience into a contrarye affeccion making frowardlye stubburne and angry againste God and thereby to fall into blasphemye as dooe the damned soules in hell this faulte of pusillanimitie and timerouse mynd letteth a man also many times from the doing of many good thinges whiche if he tooke a good sâ—omake to him in the trust of Goddes helpe he were well able to dooe but the deuill casteth him in a cowardise and maketh him take it for humilitie to thinke him selfe vnmete and vnable thereto and therefore to leaue the good thing vndone whereof GOD offereth hym occasyon and had made hym mete and conueniente thereto But suche folke haue nede to lyfte vp theyr heartes and call vpon God and by the counsayle of other good ghostly folke caste awaye the cowardise of their owne conceite whiche the nightes feareâ— by the deuill hath framed in theyr fantasy and loke in the gospel vpoÌ„ him which laid vp his talente and lefte it vnoccupied and therefore vtterly lost it wyth a greate reproche of his pusillanymitie by whiche he hadde wente he shoulde haue excused hym selfe in that he was afrayde to put it forth in vre and occupye it and all this feare commeth by the deuilles dryfte wherein he taketh occasion of the fayntnes of our good and sure truste in god and therfore let vs faithfully dwel in the good hope of hys helpe and than shall the pauice of his trueth so compasse vs aboute that of thys nyghtes feare we shall haue no feare at all The .xiiii. Chapter Of the doughter of pusillanimitie a scrupulous conscience THys Pusillanimytie bryngeth forthe by the nyghtes feare a verye tymerous daughter a sely wretched Gyrle and euer puling that is called scrupulosytie or a scrupulous conscience Thys gyrle is a metely good pussell in a house neuer idle but euer occupied and busy but albeit she haue a verye gentle maystres that loueth her wel is well content wyth that she doeth or if it be not all well as all can not be alwayes wel content to pardon her as she doeth other of her felowes and so letteth her knowe that she wyll yet can this peuishe Gyrle neuer cease whining and puling for feare leste her maystres be alwaye angry wyth her and that she shal shrewdly be shent Were her maistres wene you lyke to be coÌ„tent with this condicion Naye verely I knewe such one my selfe whose maystres was a verye wyse woman and whiche thing is in women rare verye mylde and also meeke and liked verye well suche seruice as she dyd her in her house but this continuall dyscomfortable fashioÌ„ of hers she so much misliked yâ— she woulde sometyme saye Eygh what ayleth this gyrle The eluishe vrchyn weneth I were a deuill I trow suerly if she did me .x. times better seruice theÌ„ she doeth yet wyth this fantastical feare of hers I woulde be loth to haue her in my house Thus fareth loe the scrupulous persoÌ„ which frameth him selfe many tymes double the feare that he hathe cause many tymes a great feare where there is no cause at al and of that whiche is in dede no sinne maketh a veniall and that yâ— is no venial imagineth to be deadlye and yet for all that falleth in them beyng namely such of theyr own nature as no maÌ„ long liueth without thaÌ„ he feareth that he be neuer ful confessed nor neuer full coÌ„tryte and than that his sinnes be neuer full forgeuen him and than he confesseth and confesseth agayne and cumbreth hym selfe and hys confessor both and than euery praier that he saieth though he saye it as wel as the frayle infyrmitie of the man wyl suffer yet is he not satisfied but if he saye it agayne and yet after that againe and when he hath sayed one thyng thryse as litle is he satysfied wyth the laâ—te as wyth the first and than is his heart euermore in heauines vnquiet and in feare full of doubt and dulnes wythout comforte or spyrytuall consolacion Wyth this nyghtes feare the deuill sore troubleth the minde of many a ryghte good man that doeth he to bring him to some great incoÌ„uenience for he wil if he can driue hym so much to the fearefull mindinge of goddes rigorous Iustice that he wyll kepe hym from the cumfortable remembraunce of goddes greate mercy and so make him doe all his good workes wearilye and wythout consolacion and quicknes Moreouer he maketh hym take for sinne some thinge â—hat is none and for deadly some such as are but veniall to the entent that when he shall fall in them he shal by reasoÌ„ of his scruple sinne where ells he should not or sinne deadly whyle his conscience in the dede doing so gaue him where els in dede he had but offended venyally Yea farther the deuil loÌ„geth to make all his good workes and spirituall excercise so painfull and and so tedious vnto him that wyth some other subtyll suggestion or false wyly doctryne of a false spirituall libertie he shoulde for the false ease pleasure that he shoulde sodeinly finde therin be easily conueied from that euill fault into a muche worse haue his coÌ„science as wide as large after as euer it was narrowe and strayte before For better is yet of trueth a conscience a lytle to strayte then a greate deale to large My mother had wheÌ„ I was a litle boye a good olde womaÌ„ that toke hede to her childreÌ„ they called her mother Maudeâ— I trowe you haue heard of her Vincent Yea yea verye much Antony She was wonte when she sate by the fyre with vs to tel vs that were children many chyldyshe tales But as Plinius sayth that there is no boke lightly so badde but that some good thing a man may pyke out therof so thinke I there is no tale so foolishe but that yet in one matter or other to some purpose it may hap to serue For I remembre meâ— that amonge other of her fonde chyldyshe tales she tolde vs one that the Asse and the woulfe came on a tyme to coÌ„fession to the foxe The poore Asse came to shryft in the shroftide a daye or two before Ashewednesdaye but the woulfe would not come to coÌ„fessioÌ„ vntil he saw first Palme Sonday pasâ— thaÌ„ foded yet forthe farder vntyll good Frydaye came The Foxe asked the Asse before he beganne Benedicite wherefore he came to confession so soone before lente began The poore beast answered hm againe for feare of deadly sinne and for feare he shoulde lese his part of any of those prayers that the priest in the clensinge dayes prayeth for them that are confessed alreadye Than in his shryfte he had a meruelous great grudge in his inwarde conscyence that he had one daye geueÌ„ hys maister a cause of angre in that that with hys rude roaring before hys maister arose he had awaked hym out of hys slepe and bereued hym of his reste The foxe for the faultâ— lyke a good dyscrete coÌ„fessor charged him to doe so
he in a sore tribulacion a verye peryllous for than were it a tokeÌ„ that the deuil had eyther by bringing hym into some great sinne broughte him into dispayre or peraduenture his reuelacioÌ„s foundeÌ„ false reproued or by some secret sinne of his diuulged and deprehended cast him both in dispayre of heauen thorowe feare and in a wearines of this life for shame sith he seeth his estimacioÌ„ lost amoÌ„g other folke of whose praise he was wont to be proude therefore Cosin in such case as thys is the man is to be fayre handled and swetely and wyth dowce and tender louing wordes to be put in good courage comforted in al that meÌ„ godly may And here must they put hym in mynde that if he dyspayre not but pull vp his courage and trust in goddes great mercye he shall haue in conclusion great cause to be glad of this fal for before he stoode in greater perill then he was ware of while he tooke him selfe for better thaÌ„ he was and god for â—auour that he bare him hath suffered hym to fall depe into the Deuills â—aunger to make hym therby knowe what he was while he tooke him selfe for so sure and therfore as he suffered hym than to fall for a remedye against ouer boulde pride so wyl god nowe if the man meken hym selfeâ— not wyth vnfrutefull dyspayre but with frutefull penauÌ„ce so set him vp againe vpoÌ„ his fete so strengthen hym wyth his grace that for this one fal that the deuill hath geuen him he shal geue the deuil an hundreth And here must he be put in remembraunce of Marye Magdalene of the prophet Dauid and specyally of Saint Peter whose high bolde courage tooke a foule fall and yet because he dispayred not of gods mercye but wept and called vpon it howe highly God tooke him into his fauour again in his holy scripture is wel testified wel through christeÌ„dome knoweÌ„ now shal it be charitably done if some good verteous folke suche as him selfe somewhat estemeth and hath afore longed to stande in estimacion wyth doe resorte some tyme vnto hym not onelye to geue hym counsayle But also to aske aduise and counsayle of him in some cases of their owne conscienceâ— to let him thereby perceiue that they no lesse esteme him nowe but rather more than they dyd before sith they thinke him nowe by this fal better expert of the deuilles craft and therby not onely better instructed him self but also better able to geue good counsaile and aduise to other This thing wyll in my minde wel amende and lifte vp hys courage from the perel of that desperate shame ☞ Vincent Me thinketh vncle that thys were a perilous thing For it may peraduenture make him sette the lesse by his fall and therby cast hym into his fyrste pride or into hys other sinne againe the falling wherunto draue him into this dispayre ☞ Antony I doe not meane Cosin that euerye foole should at aduenture fall in hand wyth him for so loe might it happe for to doe harme in dede But Cosin if a cunning Phisicion haue a man in hand he can wel disserne whan and howe longe some medicine is necessarye whych at an other tyme mynistred or at that tyme ouerlonge continued might put the pacyent in peryl for if he haue his pacient in an agewe to the cure wherof he nedeth his medicines in theyr workiÌ„g cold yet if he happe ere that feuer be full cured to fall into some such other dysease as except it were holpen with hote medicines were lykely to kyll the bodye before the feuer coulde be cured he woulde for the while haue his most care to the cure of that thing wherin were most present peril whan that were once out of ieopardye doe than the more except diligence after about the farther cure of the feuer And likewise if the ship were in perill to fall into Scilla the feare of falling into Charibdys on the other side shall neuer let any wyse mayster therof to drawe him froÌ„ Scilla towarde Charibdys first of al in al that euer he may But when he hath hym once so farre froÌ„ Scylla that he seeth him selfe out of that daunger theÌ„ wil he begin to take hede to kepe him wel froÌ„ the other likewise wheÌ„ this maÌ„ is falling downe to dyspayre to the final distruccioÌ„ of hym selfe a good wise spiritual leache wil first looke vnto that by good comfort lifte vp his courage when he seeth that perill wel past care for the cure of his other faultes after howbeit euen in the geuing of his coÌ„fort he may find waies inough in such wise to teÌ„pre his wordes that the maÌ„ may take occasioÌ„ of good courage yet farre from occasioÌ„ geuing of more recidiuacioÌ„ into his former sinne sith the great part of his couÌ„saile shal be to courage him to ameÌ„dmeÌ„t that is pardy farre froÌ„ falling to sin again ☞ Vincent I thinke Uncle that folke fall into this vngracious minde throwe the deuilles temptacioÌ„ by many moe meanes than one Antony That is Cosin very true for the deuill taketh his occasions as he seeth them fal meete for him Some he stirreth to it through werynes of them selfe after some great losse some for feare of bodely harme and some as I saide for feare of worldly shame One wyst I my selfe which had beene longe reputed for an honest man which was fallen in such a fantasye that he was welnere worne awaye therwith but what he was tempted to doe that would he tel no man but he told vnto me that he was sore combred that it alway ran in his mind that folkes faÌ„tasies were fallen froÌ„ him and that they estemed not his wit as they were wont to doe but euer his mynde gaue him that the people begaÌ„ to take him for a foole folke of trouth did no thing so at all but reputed him both for wise and honest Two other knewe I that were marueilouslye afrayde that they should kyll them selfe coulde tel me no cause wherfore they so feared it but onely that theyr owne mynd so gaue them neyther losse had they anyeâ— nor no such thing toward them nor none occasion of any worldely shame the one in bodye very well liking and lussy wonderous wearye were they bothe twayne of that mynde and alwaye they thought that doe it they woulde not for no thing but neuerthelesse they euer feared they shoulde and wherefore they so both feared neyther of them both could tell the one leâ—t he shoulde doe it desyred is frendes to binde him ¶ Vincent This is vncle a meruelouse strauÌ„ge maner ☞ Antony Forsoth Cosin I suppose that many of theÌ„ are in this case the deuill as I sayde before seketh his occasions For as S. Peter sayth Diabolus tanquam leo rugens circuit querens quem deuoret The deuil as a roaring Lyon goeth about seking whome he maye deuâ—ure He marketh well the state and the
wil be made riche he speaketh not of the hauing but of the will the desier affeccioÌ„ the loÌ„ging for itâ— for that can not be lightly wtout sinne for the thinge yâ— folke sore long for they will make many shiftâ—s to gâ—at ieopard theÌ„ self therfore to declare that the hauing of riches is not forbyddeÌ„â— but the inordinate affeccioÌ„ of the mind sore set therupoÌ„ The prophet saith Diuitie si afflâ—aÌ„t nolite cor apponere If riches flowe vnto you set not your harts therupoÌ„ And albeit that our lord by the said ensaÌ„ple of the camel or the cable rope to come throw the nedles eye sayde yâ— it is not onely hard but also impossible for a riche man to entre into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ yet he declared that though the riche man can not geat into heauen of him self yet god he sayd can geat hym in wel inough for vnto meÌ„ he said it was â—mpossible but not vnto god for vnto god he sayd al thinges are possible And yet ouer that he tolde of which maner riche men he meynt that could not geat into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ saying Filioli quaÌ„ difficile est confidentes in pecuniis in regnum dei introire My babes howe harde is it for them that put theyr trust and confidence in theyr money to entre into the kingdome of god Vincent This is I suppose vncle very true and els god forbidde For elles were the worlde in a full harde case if euery riche man were in such daunger peril ☞ Anthony That were it Cosin in dede and so I wene is it yet For I feare me to the multitude there be very fewe but that they longe sore to be riche of those that longe so to be very fewe reserued also but that they set theyr heartes very sore thereon Vincent That is Uncle I feare me veri true but yet not the thinge that I was about to speake of but the thing that I would haue saide was this that I can not wel perceiue the world being such as it is so manye poore people therein howe any man maye be riche and kepe him riche without daunger of damnacion therefore For al the while that he seeth poore people so many that lacke while him self hath to geue them and whose necessitie while he hath wherwith he is bound in such case of duetye to releue so farforth that holye Saynte Ambrose sayeth that who so that dye for defaulte where we might help them we kyl them our selfe I can not see but that euery riche man hathe great cause to stande in great feare of damnacioÌ„ nor I can not perceiue as I saie howe he can be deliuered of that feare as long as he kepeth his riches and therfore though he mighte kepe hys riches if there lacked poore men yet stand in goddes fauour therewith as Abraham dyd and many an other holy riche maÌ„ since yet it such aboundance of poore meÌ„ as there be nowe in euery countrey any man that kepeth any ryches it muste nedes be that he hath an inordynate affeccion thereunto while he geueth it not out vnto the poore nedy persoÌ„s that the duety of charitie bindeth straineth him to And thus Uncle in thys worlde at this day me semeth your comforte vnto good men that are riche troubled wyth â—eare of damnacion for the keping can very scantly serue ☞ Antony Harde is it Cosin in many maner thinges to bydde or forbydde affyrme or denye reproue or allowe a matter nakedly proponed and put forth or precisely to saye this thing is good or this thing is nought wythout consideracioÌ„ of the circumstaunces Holy Saint Austen telleth of a phisicioÌ„ that gaue a man a medicine in a certaine disease that holpe him the selfe same man at an other tyme in the selfe same dysease â—ooke the selfe same medicine him selfe and had thereof more harme than good whiche thinge wheÌ„ he shewed vnto the phisicion asked hym wherof that harme shoulde hap that medicine quod he did the no good but harme because thou tookest it when I gaue it the not This answere S. Austen very well alloweth for the though the medicine were one yet might there be peraduenture in the sicknes some suche dyffereÌ„ce as the pacient perceiued not yea or in the maÌ„ him self or in the place or in the time of the yere many thinges might make the let for whiche the phisicion would not than haâ—â— geuen him the selfe same medicine that he gaue him before to peruse euery circuÌ„stance that might Cosin in this matter be touched were to be considered waighed would in dede make this parte of thiâ— deuil of busines a very busy piece of worke a loÌ„g but I shall a litle open the point that you speake of and shall shewe you what I thinke therin wyth as fewe wordes as I conueniently can than wil we goe to dinner First Cosin he that is a riche man kepeth all his good he hath I thinke very good cause to be very frayd in dede And yet I feare me that such folke feare it least for they be very farre froÌ„ the state of good meÌ„ sith if they kepe stil al thaÌ„ are they very farre froÌ„ charitie doe you woâ—e wel almose either liâ—â—le or none at alâ— But nowe is our questioÌ„ Cosin not in what case that riche maÌ„ standeth that kepeth al but whither we should suffer men to stande in a perillous dreade and feare for the keping of any great part For if that by the kepyng still of so much as maketh a riche maÌ„ stil they stand in the state of damnacioÌ„ thaÌ„ aâ—e the curates boundeÌ„ plainly to tel theÌ„ so according to the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of god geuen vnto theÌ„ al in the persoÌ„ of Ezechyel Si dicente me ad impium morte morieris non annunciaueris ei c. If whan I say to the wicked maÌ„ Thou shalte dye yâ— doe not shewe it vnto him nor speake it vnto him that he may be turned froÌ„ his wicked waye and maye liue he shall soothly dye in his wyckednes hys bloud shall I verilye require of thine handes But Cosin thoughe god inuited men vnto the folowing of him selfe in wyful pouertie by the leauing of altogether at once for his sake as the thing whereby wyth being out of the solicitude of worldlye busines farre froÌ„ the desier of earthly coÌ„modities they may the more spedely geat and attaine the state of spirituall perfeccioÌ„ the hungry desire longing for celestial thinges yeâ— doth he not commauÌ„d euery in aÌ„ so to doe vpon the peril of daÌ„nacioÌ„ For where he saieth Qui noÌ„ renuÌ„ciauerit omnibus que posâ—idet noÌ„ potest esse meus discipulus He that forsaketh not al that euer he hath can not be my disciple He declareth wel by other wordes of his owne in the selfe same place a litle bâ—fore what he meaneth For there saieth he more Si quis
to shewe my cunning and I hoped to be liked the better because I sawe that he that satte next me should say his seÌ„tence after me was an vnlearned priest for he could speake no latine at al but wheÌ„ he came forth for hys parte wyth my Lordes commendacion the wylye Foxe hadde beene so well accustomed in the courte wyth the crafte of flatterye that he wente beyonde me to to farre And than myght I see by him what excellencie a ryghte meane wytte maye come to in one crafte that in al hys whole lyfe studieth and busieth hys witte aboute no moe but that one But I made after a solemne vowe to my selfe that if euer he and I were matched together at that borde againe when we should fall to our flattery I woulde flatter in latine that he shoulde not contende â—yth me no more For thoughe I could be contente to be oute runne of a horse yet woulde I no more abyde it to be outâ—unne of an Asse But Uncle here beganne nowe the game he that sate highest and was to speake laste was a greate benyfâ—zed man and not a doctor onelye but also somewhat learned in dede in the lawes of the Churche a worlde it was to see howe he maâ—ked euerye mannes worde that spake before hym and it semed that euerye worde the more proper that it was the worse he liked it for the comâ—raunce that he had to studye out a better to passe it The man euyn sweatte with the laboure so that he was fayne in the whyle nowe and than to wype hys face howbeit in conclusion when it came to hys course we that had spoken before hym had so taken all vp among vs before that we had not lefte hym one wyse woorde to speake Antony Alas good manne among so many of you some good felowe shoulde haue lente hym one Vincent It neded not as happe was vncle For he found out such a shift that in his slattering he passed vs all the mayny Antony Why what sayd he Cosin Vincent By oure ladye vncle not one woorde But lyke as I trowe Plinius telleth that whan Appelles the painter in the table that he painted of the sacrifice and the death of Iphigenia had in the makyng of the sorowefull countenaunces of the noble menne of Grece that beheld it spente oute so muche of hys craft and hys connyng that when he came to make the countenaunce of kyng Agamemnon her father whiche ye reserued for the laste leste if he hadde made his visage before he muste in some of the other after eyther haue made the visage lesse dolorous than he could and thereby haue forborne some parte of his praise or doyng the vttermoste of hys crafte myghte haue happed to make some other looke more heauely for the pitie of her paine than her owne father which had bene yet a farre greater faulte in hys payntyng when he came I saye to the makyng of hys face therfore laste of all he coulde deuyse no maner of newe heauye cheare and countenaunce for her father but that he had made there alreadye in some of the other muche more heauye before and therefore to th entent that no manne shoulde see what maner countenaunce it was that her father had the paynter was fayne to paint him holding hys face in hys hande kercher the like pagiaunt in a maner plaied vs there this good auncient honorable flatterer for when he sawe that he coulde finde no woorde of prayse that woulde passe all that had been spoken beefore alreadye the wylye foxe woulde speake neuer a woorde but as he were rauished vnto heauen warde with the wonder of the wysdome and eloquence that my Lordes grace had vttered in that Oracion he fette a long sighe with an Oh from the bottome of hys breste helde vp both hys handes and lyfted vp hys head and cast both hys yien vp into the welkin and wepte Anthony Forsoth Cosin he played hys parte very properlye but was that great prelates Oracyon any thyng prayse worthy for you can tell I see well for you would not I wene playe as Iuuenal merely describeth the blynde Senatoure one of the flatterers of Tyberyus themperoure that among the remnaunte â—o magnified the greate fyshe that themperoure hadde sente for them to shewe them whiche thys blinde Senatoure Montanus I trowe they called hym marueled of as muche as any that marueled moste and many thynges he spake thereof with some of hys woordes directed thereunto lookyng hymself toward the lyfte syde whyle the fyshe laye on hys ryghte syde you woulde not I trowe Cosin haue taken vpon you to prayse it so but if you had heard it ☞ Vincent I heard it vncle in dede and to say the trouth it was not to dispraise howbeit surelye somewhat lesse prayse might haue serued it by more a great deale than the half but thys am I sure had it been the worst that euer was made the prayse had not been the lesse of one here For they that vsed to prayse hym to hys face neuer considered howe muche the thing deserued but how great a laude and prayse themselfe could geue his good grace Anthony Surely Cosin as Terence sayeth suche folkes make men of fooles euen starke mad and much cause haue theyr lordes to be righte angry with them ☞ Vincent God hath in dede and is I wene but as for their lordes vncle if they would after waxe angrye with them therfore they should in my mynde doe them very greate wrong when it is one of the thynges that they specially kepe them for For those that are of suche vaynglorious mynd be they lordes or be they meaner men can be much better content to haue their deuises commended then amended and requier they their seruaunt and their frende neuer so specially to tell them the very trueth yet shall he better please them if he speake them fayre then if he tell them trueth For they be in the case that Martial is speaketh of in an Epigrame vnto a frende of his that requireth his iudgemeÌ„t how he liked his veaâ—sis but he praied him in any wise to tel him euen the verye trueth to whoÌ„ Marcial made aunswere in this wise The very trueth of me thou dost require the verye trueth is this my frende dere that the very trueth thou wouldest not gladly heare in good fayth vncle the self same prelate that I told you my â—ale ofâ— I dare be bolde to sweare it I know it so surely had on a time made of hys owne drawyng a certayne treatise that shoulde serue for a leage betwene the countreye and a great Prince In which treatise himself thought that he had deuysed his articles so wysely and indicted theÌ„ so wel that al the world would allow them wherupon longing sore to be praised he called vnto him a frende of his a man well learned and of good woorship and very well expert in those matters as he that had been diuerse tymes embassadour for that
forsake Christ for them which while he liued for our sake forsoke al the world beside the suffring of shameful painful death whereof we shall speake after If we these thinges I say wil coÌ„sider wel wil pray god with his holy hand to print theÌ„ in our heartes wil abyde and dwel styll in the hope of his helpe hys trueth shal as the prophete sayth so coÌ„passe vs about with a pauice yâ— we shall not nede to bee afrayd ab incursu et demonio meridiano of this incursion of this midde day deuil thys open plain persecucion of the Turkeâ— for any losse that we can take by the bereuing from vs of our wretched worldlye goodes for whose shorte smal pleasure in thys life forborne we shal be with heauenly subâ—taunâ—e euerlastinglye recompensed of God in ioyful blisse and glorye ¶ The .xvii. Chapter Of bodely payn and that a man hath not cause to take discoÌ„fort in persecucion though he fele himselfe in an horror at the thistking vpon the bodely payne ¶ Vincent FOrsoth vncle as for these outward goodes you haue so farâ—orth saide that albeit no man caÌ„ be sure what strength he shal haue or how faint howe feble he may hap to find himself wheÌ„ he shal come to the point therfore I can make no warraÌ„tise of my selfe seing that S Peter so sodainly fainted at a womaÌ„s word so cowardly forsoke his maister for whom he had so boldlâ— fought wÌ„tin so few houres afore And by that fal in forsakiÌ„g wel perceued that hâ— had been rash in his promise and was wel woorthy to take a fall for puttyng so full trust in himselfe yet in good fayth me thinketh nowe and God shall I trust helpe me too kepe this thought stil that if the Turke should take al that I haue vnto mi very shyrt except I forsake my fayth offre it me al again with .v. times asmuch therto to fal into his secte I would not once sticke thereat rather to forsake it euery whit theÌ„ of Christes holy faith to forsake any one poynt But surely good vncle wheÌ„ I bethinke me farther on the griefe the payne that may turne vnto my flesh here fynd I that feare that forseth my heart to treÌ„ble Anthony Neither haue I cause to meruayle therof nor you Cosin cause to be dismayde therefore The great horror feare that our Sauiour had in his own flesh agaynst his paynful passioÌ„ maketh me litle to meruayl may wel make you take that comfort to that for no such maner of gendring felt in your seÌ„sual partes the flesh shrinketh at the meditacion of payne and death youre reason shal geue ouer but resist it and manlye maister it and though you woulde fayne flee from the payneful death and be loth to come thereto yet may the meditacion of his great grieuous agony moue you him selfe shall if you so desyre him not fayle to worke with you therin geat and geue you the grace that you shal submit and conforme your will therin vnto his as he did his vnto hys father shal therupon be so coÌ„forted with the secret inward inspiracion of his holy sprite as he was with the personal presence of that Angell that after his agony came comforted him that you shall as his true disciple folow hym and with good will without grudge doe as he did and take your crosse of pain passion vpon your backe and dye for the trueth with him therby raigne with him crouned in eternal glory And this I say to geue you warning of the thyng thaâ— is truth to th entent whan a man feleth such an horror of death in his heart he should not therby stand in outragious feare that he were fallyng for many such men standeth for al that feare full fast And finally better abydeth the brunte when god is so good vnto hym as to bryng hym therto and encourage hym therin thaÌ„ doth some other that in the beginning feleth no feare at al and yet may it be and most ofteÌ„ so it is for god hauing many mansions and all wonderful welthfull in his fathers house exalteth not eueri good maÌ„ vp to the glory of a martyr but foreseing their infirmitie that though they be of good wyll before and peraduenture of right good courage to would yet play S. Peter if they wer brought to the poynt and therby bryng theyr soules into the perill of eternall damnacion He prouideth otherwyse for them before they come thereat and eyther findeth away that men shal not haue the mynd to lay any handes vpon them as he founde for his diâ—ciples wheÌ„ hymself was willingly takeÌ„ or that if they set hand on theÌ„ they shal haue no power to holde theÌ„ as he founde for S. Iohn theuangelist whiche lette his sheete fall from hym whereupon they caught holde and so stedde hymselfe naked awaye and scaped fro them or thoughe they hold him and bryng him to prison to yet god sometyme deliuereth them thence as he did S. Peter and sometyme he taketh them to him out of the pryson into heauen and fuffereth them not to come to their torment at all as he hath done by many a good holy man And some he suffereth to be brought into the tormente and yet he suffereth them not to dye therin but lyue many yeares after and dye their natural death as he did S. Iohn theuangelist and by mani an other moe as we maye well see bothe in sundrye stories and in the Epistles of Saincte Ciprian also And therefore whiche waie GOD wyll take with vs we can not tell but surelye if we be true Christian men this can we wel tell that withoute anye bolde warrantise of oure selfe or foolishe truste in oure strength we be bound vpon pain of damnacion that we be not of the contrarye mynde but that we wyll wyth hys helpe how lothe so euer we fele oure fleshe thereto rather yet than forsake hym or hys fayth afore the worlde whyche if we dooe he hath promysed to forsake vs afore hys father and all the holy coumpanye of heauen Rather I saye than we would so dooe we would with his helpe endure and sustayn for his sake all the tormentrye that the deuyll with all hys faithlesse tormentors in thys world would deuyse And then when we be of thys mynde and submytte oure wyll vnto hys and call and praie for hys grace we can tell well ynough that he will neuer suffre them to putte more vpon vs than his grace wyll make vs all to beare but wyll also wyth theyr temptacion prouyde vs for a sure waye for Fidelis deus sayth Saynct Paule Qui non patitur vos tentari supra id quod potestis sed dat etiam cum temptatione prouentum GOD is sayth the Apostle faythfull whiche suffereth you not to be tempted aboue that you maye beare but geueth also with the temptacyon a waye oute For eyther as I sayde he will keepe vs oute of
countreye I must considre that the cause of my griefe is myne owne wrong imaginacion wherby I beguile my self with an vntrue perswasion wening that this wâ—re myne owne countrey wheras of trueth it is not so For as S. Paul saith Non habemus hic ciuitatem manentem sed futuram inquirimus we haue here no Citie nor dwelling contrey at al. but we seke for one that we shal come to and in what countrey soâ—uer we walke in thys world we bee but as pilgrimes and waye faring men and if I shoulde take any countrey for my own it must be that countrey to which I come and not the countrey from whiche I â—ame that countrey that shall bee to me than for a whyle fo straunge shall yet perdye bee no more straunge to me nor lenger straunge to me neither thaÌ„ was mine own natiue countrey wheÌ„ I came first into it And therfore if the point of my beyng farre from hence be very greuous to me and that I finde it a greate payne that I am not where I would be that griefe shall greate parte growe for lacke of sure settyng and setlyng my mynde in god where it shoulde be which fault of myne when I mend I shall soone ease my griefe Nowe as for al other griefes and paynes that are in captiuitie â—hraldom and bondage I cannot denye but many there are and greate howbeit they seme yet somewhat what saye I somewhat I maye saye a greate deale the more because we tooke oure former liberty for more a great deale than in dede it was Let vs therefore consydre the matter thus captiuitie bondage or thraldome what is it but the violente restrainte of a man beeing so subdued vnder the dominion rule and power of an other that he â—ust dooe what the tother lust to commaunde him and maye not at hys libertie dooe suche thynges as he lust hymselfe nowe when we shall be caryed awaye with a Turke and be fayne to bee occupied aboute suche thynges as he luste to sette vs here shal we lamente the losse of oure libertie and thynke we beare an heauye burdayne of oure seruile condycion and so to dooe I graunte well we shall haue many tymes greate occasyon but yet shoulde we I suppose sette thereby somewhat the lesse if we woulde remembre well what libertie that was that we lost and take it for no larger than it was in dedâ— for we recken as though we myghte before doe what we woulde but therin deceyue we oure selfe For what free man is there so freeâ— that can be suffered to doe what hym lust In many thinges GOD hath resâ—rayned vs by hys hygh commaundemente so many that of those thynges whiche els we woulde dooe I wene it be more â—heÌ„ the half Howbeit because god forgâ—ue vs we let so litle therfore but doe what we lust as thoughe we heard him not we reckeÌ„ oure libertie neuer the lesse â—or yâ— But â—han is oure libertie much restrayned by the lawes made by men for the quiet and politique gouernaunce of the people And these would I wene let oure libertie but a litle neither were it not for feare of paynes that maye fal therupon Loke than whither other men that haue aucthoritie ouer vs commaunde vs neuer no busines which we dare not but doe and therfore do it ful oft full sore against our willes Of which thinges some seruice is some time so paineful and so perilous too yâ— no lord can lightly commaunde his bond man worse nor seldome dooeth commaunde him half so sore Let euerye free man that rekoneth his libertie to stand in doing what he lust coÌ„sydre wel the pointes I wene he shal thaÌ„ find his liberty much lesse thaÌ„ he toke it for before And yet haue I lefte vntouched the bondage yâ— almost euery man is in yâ— bosteth himself for free the bondage I meane of sin which to be a very bondage I shall haue our sauiour himselfe to beare me good record For he saith Qui facit peccatum seruus est peccati He that committeth sin is the thral or the bondman of sin And then if this be thus as it must nedes so be sith god saith it is so who is there thaÌ„ that may make so muche boste of hys libertie that he should take it for so sore a thing so strange to become through chauÌ„ce of warre boÌ„d vnto a maÌ„ while he is already through sinne become willingly thrall and bonde vnto the deuil Let vs loke wel how many thinges and of what vyle wretched sort the deuil driueth vs to do dayly through the rash braydes of our blinde affeccions which we be for our fautful lacke of grace fayne to folow and are to feble to refraine and than shal we finde in oure naturall fredome our bonde seruice suche that neuer was there any man lord of any so vile a villain that euer would for very shame commaunde hym so shamefull seruice And let vs in the doyng of oure seruice to the man that we be slaue vnto remeÌ„ber what we wer wonte to doe about the same tyme of the daye while we were at our free lybertye before were well likelye if we were at liberty to doe the like againe we shall peraduenture perceiue that it were better for vs to doe this busines than that Nowe shall we haue greate occasion of coÌ„forte if we considre that our seruitude though in the coumpte of the worlde it seme to come by chaunce of warre coÌ„meth yet in verye dede vnto vs by the prouident hand of godâ— and that for our great good if we wyll take it well both in remyssion of sinnes also matter of our merite The greatest griefe that is in boÌ„dage or captiuitie is this as I trowe that we be forced to doe such labour as wyth our good wyll we woulde not But then agaynst that griefe Senecke teacheth vs a good remedye Semper da operam ne quid inuitus fatias Endeuour thy selfe euer more that thou doe nothing against thy wil. But that thing that we see we shal nedes doe let vs vse alway to put our good will thereto Vincent That is vncle sone said but it is harde to doe ¶ Anthony Our froward mind maketh euery good thing hard and that vnto our owne more hurte and harme But in this case if we will be good christen meÌ„ we shal haue greate cause gladlye to be content for the greate comforte that we may take thereby while we remmbre yâ— in the pacient glad doing of our seruice vnto yâ— maÌ„ for goddes sake according to his high coÌ„maundemeÌ„t by the mouth of S. Paule Seruiobedite dominis We shall haue our thanke our whole reward of god finally if we remeÌ„ber the greate huÌ„ble mekenes oâ— our sauiour Christ him selfe that he being very almightie god Humiliauit semeâ—ipâ—um formam serui accipiens Humbled him self toke the forme of a bond maÌ„ or a slaue rather than hys father should forsake vs we may thinke our selfe
is no doubt but I woulde muche regarde the commendacion of those commendable folke and not regarde of a rishe yâ— railing of all these ribauldes ¶ Anthony Than Cosin can there no maÌ„ that hath faith accompte hymselfe shamed here by any maner death that he suffereth for the fayth of Christe whyle howe vile and howe shamefull soeuer it seme in the syghte here of a fewe worldly wretches it is alowed approued for very precious and honorable in the sighte of god and all the glorious company of heauen which as perfectly stande and behold it as these peuishe people doe are in nomber moe than an hundred to one and of that hundred euery one an hundreth tymes more to be regarded and estemed than of the tother and hundred suche whole rabbles And now if a man would be so madde as for feare of the rebuke that he should haue of such rebuke ful beastes he would be ashamed to coÌ„fesse the fayth of Chriâ—t than with fleing from a shadowe of shame he should fall into a very shame and a deadly painfull shame in dede for than hath our Sauiour made a sure promise that he wil shewe himselfe ashamed of that man before the father of heauen al his holy angels saying in the .ix. Chapter of S. Luke Qui me erubuerit meo sermones huncfilius hominiâ— erubesset quum venerit iâ— maiestate sua patris sanctorum angeloâ—um He that is ashamed of me and my wordes of him shal the sonne of man be ashamed when he shall come in the maiestie of hymselfe and of his father and of the holy Aungels And what maner a shamefull shame shall that be than if a mannes chekes glowe some tyme for shame in thys worlde they will fall on fyer for shame when Christe shall shewe hymselfe ashamed of them there to suffer the thing for Christes faith that we worldly wretched fooles wene were villanie and shame the blessed Apostles reckened for greate glory For they when they were with dispite and shame scourged and therupon coÌ„maunded to speake no more of the name of Christ wente their waye fro the counsayle ioyfull and glad that god had vouchesafed to doe them the worship to suffre shamefull dispite for the name of Iesu and so proude were they of that shame and vilanous payne put vnto them that for all the forbidding of that great couÌ„saile assembled thei ceased not eueri day to preache out the name of Iesu stil not in the temple onely oute of which they were fet and whipped for thesame before but also to double it with went preachyng that name about from house to house to I would sith we regard so greatly thestimacion of worldly folkes we woulde among many noughtie thinges that they vse regarde also some such as are good for it is a maner among theÌ„ in many places that some by handy crafte some by marchandise some by other kinde of liuyngâ— aryse come forward in the world coÌ„monly folke are inowe set forth to conuenient masters vnder whoÌ„ they be brought vp and growe but whensoeuer nowe they fynd a seruauÌ„t suche as disdaineth to doe suche thynges as he that is his master did while he was seruaunte hymselfe that seruaunt euery maÌ„ accompteth for a proude vnthrifte neuer like to come to good proofe Let vs so marke consider this and waye well therwithal that oure master Christe not the master onely but the maker of all this whole worlde was not so proude to disdayne for oure sakes the moste villanous and moste shamefull death after the worldly accompte that then was vsed 〈◊〉 the worlde and the moste dispightefull mockyng therwith ioyned to most greuous payn as crownyng hym with sharpe thorne that the bloud ranne downe about his face than they gaue hym a rede in his hand for a septre and kneled downe to hym and saluted hym lyke a king in scorne and bet then the rede vpon the sharpe thornes about hys holy head now saith our sauiour that the disciple or the seruaunt is not aboue hys master and therfore sith our master endured so many kyndes of paynfull shameâ— very proude beastes maye we wâ—ll thynke our selfe if we disdayne to doe as our master did And wheras he thorow shame ascended in to glory we would be so madde that we rather wil fall into euerlastyng shame both before heauen and hell than for feare of a short worldly shame to folowe him â—nto euerlasting glory ¶ The .xxiiii. Chapter Of paynful death to be suffred in the Turkes persecucion â—or the fayth Vincent IN good fayth vncle as for the shame ye shall nede to take no more payn for I suppose surely that any man that hath reason in his head shall holde hymselfe satisfied with this but of trueth vncle all the pinche is in the payn For as for shame I perceiue wel now a man maye with wisdom so master it that it shall no thyng moue hym at all so farre forth that it is almost in euery countrey become a comen prouerbe that shame is as it is taken but by god vncle all the wysdome in thys worlde can neuer â—o master payne but that payne wyll be paynfull spite of all the witte in thys worlde Antony Trouth is it Cosin that no man can with al the reason he hath in suche wyse chaunge the nature of pain that in the hauing of payn he fele it not for but if it â—e felt it is perdy no payne and that is the natural cause Cosin for which a man may haue hys legge striken of by the knee and greue him not if his head be of but halfe an houre before But reasoÌ„ may make a reasonable man though he would not bee so foolyshe as causeles to fall therin yet vpon good causes eyther of gayning some kindes of greate profyt or auoydyng some kynde of great losse or eschewing therby the suffring of farre great payn not to shrynke therfro and refuse it to his more hurt and harme but for hys farre greater aduauntage commoditie content and glad to sustaiâ—e it and this doeth reason alone in many casis where it hath much lesse helpe to take hold of theÌ„ it hath in this matter of faith For wel you wote to take a sowre and a bitter pocion is great grief and displeasure and to be launced and to haue â—he flesh cut is no litle payn now wheÌ„ such thinges shal be ministred vnto a childe or to â—ome childishe man either they wil by theyr own willes rather let theyr sicknes or their sore growe on to theyr more griefe til it be come incurable than abyde the payn of the curing in tyme and that for faynt heart ioyned with lacke of discrecion But a man that hath more wysdome though he would withoute cause no more abyde the â—ayne wyllyngly than woulde the other yet â—ith reason sheweth hym what good he shall haue by the sufferyng and what harme by the refusing this maketh him wel coÌ„tent and glad also