The.xv. Chapter. Other obieccions

☞Vincent. BUt yet good vncle, thoughe some doe thus, this answereth not full ye matter: for we see that the whole churche in ye cōmō seruice vse diuers collectes, in which al mē pray specially for the princes and the prelates, & generally euery m[…] for oth[…]r & for him selfe to, that god would vouchesafe to send thē all perpetual health & prosperitie. And I cannot see no good mā pray god send an other sorow, nor no such prayers are put in ye priestes portes, as farre as I can hea[…]e. And yet if it were as you saye good vncle, that perpetuall prosperitie were to the soule so perilous, and tribulacion therto so fruitefull, than were as me semeth, euery mā boūdē of charitie, not only to pray god sende their neyghbor sorowe, but also to helpe thereto themselfe, And when folke are sicke, not praye god sende thē health, but when they come to comfort them, they should say I am gladde good gossep yt you be so sicke, I pray god kepe you long therin, & neither should any man geue any medicine to an other, nor take any med[…]ine himself neither: for by the minishing of the tribulacion he taketh awaye parte of the profite from his soule which can with no bodely profite be sufficientlye recōpensed. And also thys wote you wel good vncle, yt we reade in holy scripture of men yt were welthy and riche, & yet were good withal. Salomō was you wote wel ye richest & the most welthy kyng yt any mā coulde in hys time tel of, & yet was he welbeloued with God. Iob was also no beggar perdye, nor no wretche otherwise, nor lost his riches & hys welth, for yt God woulde not that his frend should haue welth but for the shewe of hys pacyence to thencrease of hys meryte and confusion of the deuil, and for proofe that prosperitie may stand wyth gods fauour, Reddidit deus Iob omnia duplicia. God restored him double of all that euer he loste, and gaue hym after long lyfe to take hys pleasure long.

Abraham was eke you wote wel a man of greate substaunce, and so continued all hys lyfe in honor and in welth: yea, and whē he dyed to he wēt vnto such welth that Lazarus whiche died in tribulacion and pouerty, the beste place that he came to was that riche mans bosome. Finally good vncle this we fynde at our iye, and euery daye we proue it by plaine experience, that many a man is right welthy and yet therwith ryghte good: and many a miserable wretche as euill as he is wretched. And therefore it semeth harde good vncle that betwene prosperitie and tribulacion the matter should goe thus, that tribulacion should be geuen alwaye by god to those that he loueth for a sygne of saluacion, and prosperite sent for displeasure and a token of eternall damnacion.