The second Chapter. Of the fourth temptacion, vvhich is persecucion for the fayth touched in these vvoordes of

THe fourth temptacion Cosin, that the Prophe[…] speaketh of in the fore remembred Psalme. Qu[…] habitat in a diutorio altissimi. &c. is playn open persecucion whiche is touched in these woordes. Ab incursu et demonio meridiano. And of all his temptacions, this is the moste perilous, the most bitter, sharp, and the most rigorous. For wheras in other temptacions, he vseth ether pleasant allectiues vnto sinne, or other secret sleyghtes & traines, and cometh in the night and stealeth on in the darke vnware, or in some other parte of the day, […]tyeth and passeth by like an arrowe, so shaping himself some time in one fashion, sumtime in an other: & so dissim[…]ling himself and his high mortal malice, that a man i[…] therby so blinded & begyled, that he may not sometyme perceue well what he is. In this tēptaciō. this plain opē persecucion for the fayth, he cometh euen in the very midde day, that is to wete, euen vpon them that haue an high light of fayth shining in theyr heart, and openly suffreth himself so plainly be perceiued, by his fierce furious malicious persecucion against ye faithful christen, for hatred of Christes true catholique faith, that no manne hauing faith, can doubt what he is. For in this temptacion he sheweth himself, such as the prophet nameth him, demonium meridianum, the mid day deuill. He maie be so light[…]omly sene with the eye of a faithful soule, by his fierce f[…]rious assaut & incursion. For therfore saith ye prophet, yt the truth of god shal compasse ye mā round about, yt dwelleth in ye faithful hope of his helpe with a pauice. Ab incursu & demonio meridiano, frō the incursion and ye deuil of the mid day, because this kind of persecuciō is not a wylye temptacyon, but a furious force, and a terrible incursion. In other of hys temptacions he steale[…]h on lyke a Foxe: but in thys Turkes persecucion for the faythe he runneth on roaryng with assaulte lyke a rampyng Lyon. Thys temptacion is of all temptacions also the moste perilous: for whereas in temptacions of prosperitie, he vseth onely delectable allectiues, to moue a mā to sinne, & in other kindes of tribulacions & aduersitie he vseth onelye griefe and paine to pull a man into murmure, impacience & blasphemy, in this kind of persecucion for ye faith of Christ, he vseth b[…]th twaine, yt is to wit, both his allectiues of quiet and rest by deliueraunce from death and payne, with other pleasures also of this presente life: & besyde that the terror and infliccion of intollerable paine and tormente in other tribulacion, as l[…]sse of sickenesse, or death of our frēdes, though the pain be peraduenture as great and some time greater to: yet is not the perel no where nigh halfe so muche. For in other tribulacions as I sayde beefore, the necessitie that the manne must of fyne force abyde and endure the payne, waxe he neuer so wrothe and impacient therwith, is a great occasion to moue him to kepe his pacience therein, and be content therewith, and thanke God thereof and of necessitie to make a vertue, that he maye bee rewarded for. But in thys temptacion, this pe[…]secucion for the faythe, I meane not by fight in the […]ielde, by which the faythefull manne standeth at hys defence, and putteth the faythlesse in halfe the feare, and halfe the harme too. But where he is taken and in holde, and maye for the foreswearing or the denying of his faith, bee deliuered and su[…]fered to liue in reste, and some in great worldly wealth also.

In this case I say this thing, that he nedeth not to suffre this trouble and payn but he wil, is a meruelous gr[…]at occasion for him to fal into the sinne that the deuil would driue him to, that is to wete, the forsaking of his faith: and therfore as I say, of all the deuils temptacions is thys temptacion, this persecucyon for the faith, the moste perilous.

Vincent. The more perilous vncle that thys temptation is (as in dede of al temptacions the most perilous it is) the more nede haue they that stand in peril therof, to be before with substaunciall aduise and good counsayle, wel armed agaynst it, that we may with the coumfort and consolacion therof the better beare that tribulacion when it cometh, and the better withstande the temptacion.

☞Anthony[…]. You say Cosin Uincent therin very trueth, and I am content to fall therfore in hande therwith: but forasmuch Cosin as me thinketh that of this tribulacion somewhat you bee more frayde than I (and of trueth somewhat more excusable it is in you, thā it wer in me[…] my age considered, and the sorowe that I haue suffered alreadye, with some other consideracions on my part beside) reherse you therfore ye griefes & paines that you thinke in this tribulacion possible to fall vnto you: and I shall agaynst eche of them geue you counsayle, and rehearse you such occasion of coumfort and consolacion, as my poore wit and learnyng can call to my mynd.

Vincent,. In good faith vncle I am not al thing afraid in this case onely for my selfe, but well you wote I haue cause to care also for many moe, and that folke of sondry sortes[…] men and weomen bothe, and that not all of one age.

☞Antony. Al that you haue cause to feare for Cosin, for all them haue I cause to feare with you to, syth all your kinsfolkes and alyes[…] whithin a litle be lykewyse vnto me: howbeit, to say ye trueth, euery man hath cause in this case, to feare both for hymselfe, & also for euery other. For syth as the Scripture sayth: Vnicuique deus dedit curam de proximo suo, god hath geuen euery man cure and charge of his neighbour. There is no mā yt hath any sparke of christen loue & charitie in his brest, but that in a matter of such perel as thys is, wherin the soule of man standeth in so great daunger to be loste, he muste nedes care and take thought, not for hys frēdes only, but also for hys ve[…]y foes. We shal therfore Cosin, not rehearse your harmes or myne that may befall in this persecucion, but al the great harmes ingeneral, as nere as we can cal to mynd that may happe vnto any man.