The.xxi. Chapter. The feare of shameful and paynefull death

Vincent. FOrsothe vncle (oure Lorde rewarde you therefore) yf wee feared not farther beeside ymprisonmente, that terryble dart of shamefull and paynefull deathe: as for ymprysonmente I woulde verelye trust, that remembring those thynges whiche I haue here heard of you, rather than I shoulde forsake the fayth of our Sauiour, I would wyth helpe of grace neuer shrynke thereat. But nowe are we come vncle with muche woorke at the laste, vnto the laste and vttermoste poynte, of the dreade that maketh, incursum & demonium meridianum. This incursyon of thys mydde daye deuyll, thys open inuasyon of the Turke, and his persecucion agaynste the fayth, seme so terrible vnto mennes myndes, that althoughe the respecte of GOD vanquisheth all the remnaunte of the troubles that we haue hytherto perused as losse of goodes, landes and libertie, yet when we remember the terroure of shamefull and paynefull deathe, that poynte so sodaynelye putteth vs in obliuyon of all that shoulde be oure coumforte, that we fele (all me[…]ne I feare me for the moste parte) the feruouce of oure faith waxe so colde, and oure heartes so fainte, that wee fynde oure selfe at the poynte to fall euen there fro for feare.

Anthony. To this I saye not naye Cosin, but that in dede in this poynte is ye sore pynche. And yet you se for al this, that euen thys poynt too, taketh encrease or minishmēt of drede after the difference of the affeccions that are before fixed and rooted in the mynde so farre forth that you see some man set so muche by his worldlye substaunce, that he lesse feareth the losse of his life, than the losse of landes: yea some manne shall you see that abyde[…]h d[…]adlye tormente, and suche as some other hadde rather dye then endure, rather than he woulde brynge oute the moneye that he hathe hydde. And I doubte not but you haue hearde of manye by ryght antētiue stories, that (some for one cause, some for other) haue not letted wyllinglye to suffre deathe, diuerse in diuerse kindes: and some both with dyspightful rebuke and painful tormente too. And therfore as I say, we may see that the affeccion of the mynde towarde the encrease or decrease of the dreade, maketh muche of the matter. Now are the affeccions of mens myndes imprinted by diuerse meanes: One waye, by the bodely sences moued by suche thinges pleasant or dyspleasant, as are outwardly thorow sencible worldly thinges offered and abiected vnto them. And thys maner of receyuyng the impressyon of affeccions, is common vnto menne and beastes. Another maner of receiuing affeccions, is by the meane of reason, which[…] both ordinately tempereth those affeccions, that the bodely.v. wittes imprint and also dysposeth a man many tymes to some spiritual vertues, very contrarye to those affeccions that are fleshly and sēsual. And those reasonable disposicions been affeccions spirituall and proper to the nature of man, and aboue the nature of beastes. Now as our gostly enemy the deuil enforceth hymselfe to make vs leane to the sensuall affeccions and beastly: so doth almightye God of hys goodnes by hys holye spirite inspire vs good mocions, with ayde and helpe of hys grace towarde the tother affeccions spirituall, and by soondrye meanes instructeth oure reason to leane vnto them, and not onelye to receyue them as engendred and planted in our soule, but also in suche wyse water them with wyse aduertisement of godly counsayle and continuall prayer, that they maye be habitually radycate, & surely take depe roote therein, and after as the tone kynde of affeccion or the tother beareth the strength in our heart, so be we stronger or febler agaynst the terror of death in thys cause. And therefore will we Cosin, assaye to consider what thinges there are for which we haue cause in reason[…] to master that affeccion fearefull and sensuall[…] and thoughe we cannot cleane auoide it and put it away[…] yet in such wyse to bridle it at the leaste[…] that it […]un[…] not out so farre, like […]n head stronge horse[…] that spite of oure […]eeth it carye vs out vnto the deuill. Lette vs therfore now consider and waie wel thys thyng, that we dreade […]o sore, that is to witte, shamefull and painfull death.