The.ix. Chapter. Fyrst of temptacion in generall as it is common to bothe

TO speake of euery kinde if temptation particularly by it selfe, this were you wote well in maner an infinite thinge: for vnder that as I tolde you, fall persecutions and all. And this Deuill hath of his open fight as many sundry poysoned dartes, he tempteth vs by the worlde, he tempteth vs by our owne fleshe, he tempteth vs by pleasure, he tempteth vs by payne he tempteth vs by our foes, he tempteth vs by our owne frendes, and vnder colour of kynrede, he maketh many tymes our next frendes our most foes: for as our sauior sayth, Inimici hominis domestici eius. But in all maner of so diuers temptacions one ma[…]uelous comforte is this, y• with the moe we be tempted, ye gladder haue we cause to be[…]ffor. S. Iames sayth, Omne gaudium existimate fratres quum in t[…]mptaciones varias incideritis. Esteme it and take it, sayth he, my brethren for a thinge of all ioye, whan you fall into diuers and sundri maner of temptacions: & no maruaile, for there is in this worlde sette vp as it were a game of wrestling, wherin the people of God come in on the one side, and on the other side come mighty stronge wres[…]lers and wily, that is to wete, the Deuylles, the cursed proud damned sprites: for it is not our fleshe alone that we must wrestle with, but with the deuyll too, Non eft nobis colluctacio aduersus carnem & sanguinem, sed aduersus principes & potestates tenebrarum harum aduersus spiritalia nequitie in celestibus. Our wrestling is not here sayth. S. Paule agaynst fleshe and blud, but agaynst the Princes and Potestates of these darke regyons, agaynst the spyrituall wycked ghostes of the ayre.

But as God (vnto them that on his parte geue his aduersary the fall) hathe prepared a croune, so he that will not wrestle shal none haue: for as. S. Paule saith, Nemo coronabitur nisi quilegittime certauerit. there shal no mā haue […]he crowne but he that doth his deuor therfore, according to the lawe of the game. And than as holy. S. Barnard sayth: how couldest thou fight or wrestle, therfore, if there were no chalenger against thee, yt woulde prouoke the therto. And therfore maye it be a greate comforte as. S. Iames sayth to euery mā that feleth himself chalenged & prouoked by tēpta[…]ion, for therby perceyueth he that it commeth to his course to wrestle, which shall be (but if he willingly wyll playe ye coward or the foole) ye matter of his eternall reward in heauē.