The.xiii. Chapter. Of pusillanimitie

THerefore find I that in this nightes feare, one greate parte thereof is the fault of pusillanimitie, yt is to witte, feble, and faynte stomake, by whiche a man for fainte hearte, is afrayed where he nedeth not: by reasō whereof he f[…]yeth often tymes for feare of that thing, of which if he fledde not, he shoulde take no harme: and some man dooeth some tyme by his fleing make his enemy bolde on him, which would if he fled not but durst abyde therby, geue ouer & […]ee from him. This fault of pusillanimitie maketh a manne in his tribulacion for fieble heart, firste impacient, and afterwarde often tymes driueth 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 ye doing of many good thinges, whiche (if he tooke a good s[…]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 feare[…] by the deuill hath framed in theyr fantasy, and loke in ye gospel vpō 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 ye 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.