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 yt I thinke other wyse, but that there is good cause and great, wherefore a man so shoulde, but for y• of trueth some man can not be sory and heauy for his sinne yt he hathe done, though he neuer so fayn would: but though he can be contēt 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 forbeare to laughe. Nowe if contrycion & sorowe of hearte, be so requisyte of necessitie to remission. many a man should stand as it semeth, in a very perylous case.

☞Anthony. Many so shoulde in dede[…] Cosyn, and in dede many so do. And ye olde saynctes wryte very sore in this poynte: how be it, Misericordia domini super omnia opera eius The mercy of God is aboue all his workes, & he standeth bound to no cōmon rule, Et ipse cognouit figmentum suum & propitiatur infirmitatibus nostris. and he knoweth the frayeltye of this earthen vessel that is of his own makyng, and is mercifull, and hath pitye and compassyon vpon our feble infyrmyties, and shall not exacte of vs aboue ye thinge that we may dooe. But yet Cosyn, he that fyndeth him selfe in that case, in that he is mynded to doe well hereafter, let him geue GOD thankes that he is no worse: but in that he can not be sory for his synne passed, let him be sory hardly that he is no better. And as. S. Iherom byddeth him that for his sinne soroweth in his harte, be glad and reioyse in his sorowe: so would I counsaile him that can not be sadde for his sinne, to be sory yet at ye leaste that he can not be sory. Besydes this, though I woulde in no wyse any man should dyspayer, yet would I counsayle suche a man while that affecciō laste[…]h, not to be to bolde of courage, but lyue in double feare. Fyrst, for it is a token, eyther of faynt fayth or of a dul dyligence, for suerly if we well beleue in God, and therwith depely consyder his high maies[…]ye with the perell of our synne, and the greate goodnes of God also, eyther shoulde dreade make vs tremble and breake our stony heart, or loue shoulde for sorow relent it into teares? Besides this, syth I can scante beleue, but syth so lytle myslykynge of our olde sinne is an affeccion not very pure and cleane, & none vncleane thing shal enter into heauen, clens[…]d shal it be, & purifyed before that we come thether. And therfore woulde I farther aduise one in yt case, the coūsayle which master Gerson geueth euery man, that syth the body and the soule together make the whole man the lesse afflicciō that he feleth in his soule, ye more payne in recompence: let him put vpon his bodye, and purge the spyrite by the affliccion of the fleshe, and he that so dothe, I dare laye my lyfe, shall haue his harde hearte after relent into teares, and his soule in an wholsome heauines and heauenly gladnes to, specially if (whiche must be ioyned with euery good thinge) he ioyne faythful prayer therewith. But Cosin, as I tolde you ye other daye before: in these matters with these newe men wil I not dispute, but suerli for mine owne parte I can not well holde with thē: for as myne owne poore wyttes cā perceyue, ye holy scripture of GOD is very playne agaynst them, & the whole corps of chrystendom in euery chrystē region[…] and ye very places in which they dwell thē selfe, haue euer vnto theyr owne dayes clearly beleued agaynste them, and all the old holy doctors haue euermore taughte agaynst them, and al ye olde holy enterpretors haue construed the scripture agaynst them. And therfore if these men haue nowe perceiued so late, that ye scripture hathe bene misse vnderstandē all this while, and yt of all those olde holy doctors no mā coulde vnderstande it, than am I to olde at this age to begyn to studye it nowe, and trust these mennes cunnynge Cosyn, that dare I not in no wyse, syth I can not see nor perceiue no cause wherefore I should thinke that th[…]se men mighte not nowe in the vnderstandyng of scrypture[…] as well be deceiued them selfe, as they beare vs in hand yt al those other haue bene all this while before: how[…]beit Cosyn, if it so be that theyr waye be not wronge, but that they haue founde out so easy a waye to heauen as to take no thoughte, but make mery, nor take no penaunce at all, but syt them downe & drynke well for our sauiours sake, set cocke a hope & fyll in al the cuppes at once[…] & thā let Christes passion paye for all the shot, I am not he yt will enuye theyr good happe, […]ut suerly counsayle dare I geue no man to aduēture that waye with them. But suche as feare lest ye waye be not suer, & take vpon them willingly tribulaciō of penance, what comforte they do take, and well maye take therin, yt haue I somewhat tolde you alreadi. And sith these other folke sit so mery without such tribulacion, we nede to talke to thē you wotte wel of no suche maner comforte, and therfore of this kinde of trybulacion will I make an ende.