Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation: With Modifications To Obsolete Language By Monica StevensMore, Thomas, Saint
Religion
Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation: With Modifications To Obsolete Language By Monica Stevens
More, Thomas, Saint
Consolation
Now the affections of men's minds are imprinted by divers means.
One way is by means of the bodily senses, moved by such things,
pleasant or unpleasant, as are outwardly offered unto them through
sensible worldly things. And this manner of receiving the
impression of affections is common unto men and beasts. Another
manner of receiving affections is by means of reason, which both
ordinately tempereth those affections that the five bodily senses
imprint, and also disposeth a man many times to some spiritual
virtues very contrary to those affections that are fleshly and
sensual. And those reasonable dispositions are spiritual
affections, and proper to the nature of man, and above the nature
of beasts. Now, as our ghostly enemy the devil enforceth himself to
make us lean to the sensual affections and beastly, so doth
almighty God of his goodness by his Holy Spirit inspire us good
motions, with the aid and help of his grace, toward the other
spiritual affections. And by sundry means he instructeth our reason
to lean to them, and not only to receive them as engendered and
planted in our soul, but also in such wise to water them with the
wise advertisement of godly counsel and continual prayer, that they
may become habitually radicated and surely take deep root therein.
And according as the one kind of affection or the other beareth the
strength in our heart, so are we stronger or feebler against the
terror of death in this cause.
And therefore, cousin, will we essay to consider what things there
are for which we have cause in reason to master the fearful
affection and sensual. And though we cannot clean avoid it and put
it away, yet will we essay in such wise to bridle it at least that
it run not out so far like a headstrong horse that, in spite of our
teeth, it carry us out unto the devil.
Let us therefore now consider and well weigh this thing that we
dread so sore--that is, shameful and painful death.
XXII
And first I perceive well by these two things that you join unto
"death"--that is, "shameful" and "painful"--that you would esteem
death so much the less if it should come along without either shame
or pain.
VINCENT: Without doubt, uncle, a great deal the less. But yet,
though it should come without them both, by itself, I know well
many a man would be for all that very loth to die.
ANTHONY: That I believe well, cousin, and the more pity it is. For
that affection happeth in very few without the cause being either
lack of faith, lack of hope, or finally lack of wit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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