Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation

Chapter 10

VINCENT: The third kind of tribulation, uncle, remaineth now--that

is, that which is sent a man by God, and not for his sin either

committed or which otherwise would come, and therefore is not

medicinable, but is sent for exercise of our patience and increase

of our merit, and therefore better than medicinable. Though it be,

as you say (and as indeed it is) better for the man than any of the

other two kinds in another world, where the reward shall be

received, yet I cannot see by what reason a man can in this world,

where the tribulation is suffered, take any more comfort in it than

in any of the other twain that are sent him for his sin. For he

cannot here know whether it be sent him for sin before committed,

or for sin that otherwise should befall, or for increase of merit

and reward after to come. For every man hath cause enough to fear

and think that his sin already past hath deserved it, and that it

is not without peril for a man to think otherwise.

ANTHONY: This that you say, cousin, hath place of truth in far the

most part of men. And therefore must they not envy nor disdain,

since they may take in their tribulation sufficient consolation for

their part, that some other who is more worthy may take yet a great

deal more. For, as I told you, cousin, though the best must confess

himself a sinner, yet there are many men--though to the multitude,

few--who for the kind of their living and the clearness of their

conscience may well and without sin have a good hope that God

sendeth them some great grief for the exercise of their patience

and for increase of their merit. This appeareth not only by St.

Paul, in the place before remembered, but also by the holy man Job,

who in sundry places of his disputations with his burdensome

comforters forbore not to say that the clearness of his own

conscience declared and showed to himself that he deserved not that

sore tribulation that he then had. Howbeit, as I told you before, I

will not advise every man at adventure to be bold upon this manner

of comfort. But yet know I some men such that I would dare, for

their more ease and comfort in their great and grievous pains, to

put them in right good hope that God sendeth it unto them not so

much for their punishment as for exercise of their patience.

And some tribulations are there, also, that grow upon such causes

that in those cases I would never forbear but always would, without

any doubt, give that counsel and comfort to any man.

VINCENT: What causes, good uncle, are those?

ANTHONY: Marry, cousin, wheresoever a man falleth in tribulation

for the maintenance of justice or for the defence of God's cause.

For if I should happen to find a man who had long lived a very

virtuous life, and had at last happened to fall into the Turks'

hands; and if he there did abide by the truth of his faith and,

with the suffering of all kinds of torments taken upon his body,

still did teach and testify the truth; and if I should in his

passion give him spiritual comfort--might I be bold to tell him no

further but that he should take patience in his pain, and that God

sendeth it to him for his sin, and that he is well worthy to have

it, though it were yet much more? He might then well answer me, and

other such comforters, as Job answered his: "Burdensome and heavy

comforters be you." Nay, I would not fail to bid him boldly, while

I should see him in his passion, to cast sin and hell and purgatory

and all upon the devil's pate, and doubt not but--as, if he gave

over his hold, all his merit would be lost and he would be turned

to misery--so if he stand and persevere still in the confession of

his faith, all his whole pain shall turn all into glory.

Yea, more shall I yet say than this. If there were a Christian man

who had among those infidels committed a very deadly crime, such as

would be worthy of death, not only by their laws but by Christ's

too (as manslaughter, or adultery, or other such thing); and if

when he were taken he were offered pardon of his life upon

condition that he should forsake the faith of Christ; and if this

man would now rather suffer death than so do--should I comfort him

in his pain only as I would a malefactor? Nay, this man, though he

would have died for his sin, dieth now for Christ's sake, since he

might live still if he would forsake him. The bare patient taking

of his death would have served for the satisfaction of his

sin--through the merit of Christ's passion, I mean, without help of

which no pain of our own could be satisfactory. But now shall

Christ, for his forsaking of his own life in the honour of his

faith, forgive the pain of all his sins, of his mere liberality,

and accept all the pain of his death for merit of reward in heaven,

and shall assign no part of it to the payment of his debt in

purgatory, but shall take it all as an offering and requite it all

with glory. And this man among Christian men, although he had been

before a devil, nothing would I doubt afterward to take him for a

martyr.

VINCENT: Verily, good uncle, methinketh this is said marvellous

well. And it specially delighteth and comforteth me to hear it,

because of our principal fear that I first spoke of, the Turk's

cruel incursion into this country of ours.

ANTHONY: Cousin, as for the matter of that fear, I purpose to

touch it last of all. Nor meant I here to speak of it, had it not

been that the vehemency of your objection brought it in my way. But

otherwise I would rather have put instead some example of those who

suffer tribulation for maintenance of right and justice, and choose

rather to take harm than to do wrong in any manner of matter. For

surely if a man may--as indeed he may--have great comfort in the

clearness of his conscience, who hath a false crime put upon him

and by false witness proved upon him, and who is falsely punished

and put to worldly shame and pain for it; a hundred times more

comfort may he have in his heart who, where white is called black

and right is called wrong, abideth by the truth and is persecuted

for justice.

VINCENT: Then if a man sue me wrongfully for my own land, in which

I myself have good right, it is a comfort yet to defend it well,

since God shall give me thanks for it?

ANTHONY: Nay nay, cousin, nay, there walk you somewhat wide. For

there you defend your own right for your temporal avail. But St.

Paul counseleth, "Defend not yourselves, my more dear friends," and

our Saviour counseleth, "If a man will strive with thee at the law

and take away thy coat, leave him thy gown too." The defence

therefore of our own right asketh no reward. Say you speed well, if

you get leave; look hardly for no thanks!

But on the other hand, if you do as St. Paul biddeth, "Seek not for

your own profit but for other folk's" and defend therefore of pity

a poor widow or a poor fatherless child, and rather suffer sorrow

by some strong extortioner than suffer them to take wrong; or if

you be a judge and have such zeal to justice that you will abide

tribulation by the malice of some mighty man rather than judge

wrong for his favour--such tribulations, lo, are those that are

better than only medicinable. And every man upon whom they fall may

be bold so to reckon them, and in his deep trouble may well say to

himself the words that Christ hath taught him for his comfort,

"Blessed be the merciful men, for they shall have mercy given them.

Blessed be they that suffer persecution for justice, for theirs is

the kingdom of heaven."

Here is a high comfort, lo, for those that are in this case. And

their own conscience can show it to them, and can fill their hearts

so full with spiritual joy that the pleasure may far surmount the

heaviness and grief of all their temporal trouble. But God's nearer

cause of faith against the Turks hath yet a far surpassing comfort

that by many degrees far excelleth this. And that, as I have said,

I purpose to treat last. And for this time this sufficeth

concerning the special comfort that men may take in this third kind

of tribulation.