The.viii. Chapter. The declaracion larger concerning them that fal in tribulacion by their ovvne knovven fault

☞Vincent. THis semeth me very good good, vncle, sauing yt it semeth somewhat brief and short, & therby me thinketh somewhat obscure and da[…]ke.

Anthony. We shal therfore to geue it light withal touch euery member somewhat more at large: One mēber is you wot[…] wel of thē yt fal in tribulaciō thorow theyr owne certayn wel deseruing dede open and knowne vnto thē selfe, as where we fal in a sickenes, folowing 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 thē, 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 punishemēt after this world in an other place: This wordly trybulaciō of payne & punishmēt, by goddes good prouision for him put vpō him here in this world before, shal by the meane of Christes passion (if the mā 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 ye mā, 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 mā, yt though mē make theyr rekening one here with an other: such, god yet of his hygh boū 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 & punishmēt for the same, & waxeth sory, not for yt onely that he shal sustayn suche punishment: but for yt also, that he hath offended God, and therby deserued much more. Our lord frō yt time counteth it not for paine taken against his wyll, but it shalbe 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, yt 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 tribulaciō feling theyr own fraylety so effectually, and the false flatte[…]ing world failing thē, 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 cōmitted sacrilege at ye greate citie of Hierico wherupō god toke a great vengeance vpon the children of Israell, and after tolde thē the cause, and bad thē go seke the fault and trye it out by lottes, when the lot fell vpō 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 ye good exhortaciō of Iosue, saying vnto hym. Fili mi, da gloriam deo Israel, & confitere & indica mihi quid feceris & neabscondas. Mine own sonne, geue glori to ye god of Israel, and confesse and shewe me what thou hast done, and hide it not. He cōfessed humbly the thefte, and mekely toke his death therfore, & hadde, I doubt not, both strēgth & comforte in his paine, & died a very good mā (which if he had neuer come in tribulaciō had bene in perel neuer hapli to haue had iust remorce therof in al his whole life, but might haue died wrechedly & gone to ye deuil eternally, & thus made this thefe a good medicine of his wel deserued paine & tribulaciō. Cōsider y• wel conuerted thefe y• honge on Christes right hand, did not he (by his meke sufferaūce & hūble knowlege of his fault asking forgeuenes of god & yet cōtēt to suffer for his sī) make of his iust punishmēt & wel deserued trybulaciō, a very good special medicine to cure him of all payn in thother world, & wyn him eternal saluaciō: & thus I say, yt this kinde of tribulaciō though it seme ye most base & the least cōfortable, is yet (if ye mā wil so make it) a very meruelous holesom medicine & may therfore be to ye mā yt wyl so consider it, a great cause of comfort and spiritual consolacion.