[Imprynted at London :: Without Temple barre in saynte Clementes parysshe by me Iulyan Notary dwellynge at ye sygne of the thre kynges,
And this boke fynysshed the yere of our lorde. M.cccc. [et] vii [1507] And ended the. xxvi. daye of ye moneth of Ianyuer]
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Subject terms
Spiritual life -- Middle Ages, 600-1500.
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"Scala perfectionis." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A03936.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 8, 2024.
Pages
¶Of dyuers temptacyons of the fende. Caplm xxxvii
NEuertheles it behouyth a man to suffre many temptacyons fyrst / And thyse temptacyons fal¦len oftsythes to some men & wymmen after whan com¦forte is withdrawen / vpon dyuers maners by malyce of the enmye / As thus / whan the deuyl perceyuethe de∣uocyon moche withdrawen. that the soule is lefte as it were nakyd for a tyme / thenne sendeth he to some men temptacyons of lechery of glotenye. so hote & so bren̄yn¦ge / that hem shall thynke that they felyd neuer none
soo greuous in al her lyfe tyme before whan they yaaf hem moost to synne. In so moche that they shal thynke it impassyble for to stonde longe and suffre that they ne shal nedes falle but they haue helpe / and therfore haue they thenne moche sorowe / both for lackyng of comfor¦te and deuocyon whiche they were wonte to haue / And they haue moche drede of fallyng fro god by suche opē synnes / And al this werketh the deuyl at the suffraun∣ce of god for to doon hem forthynke her good purpoos & tourne ayen to synne as they were wonte to do / But who so wyl abide a whyle and suffer a lytyl payne / and not tourne ayene to synne for noo thynge the honde of our lorde is full nere / and helpyth ryght soone. For he kepyth hym ful sykerly / and the man wote not how as the prophete dauid sayth in the persone of our lorde. Cum ip̄o sum in tribulacyone. eripiam cū & glorifica∣bo eum / I am with hym in his tribulacyon / & in temp∣tacyon I shal delyuer hym / and I shall make hym glo∣ryous in my blysse / Some men he tempteth by ghost∣ly synnes malycyously. as by mystro wynge of the fay∣th or of the sacrament of our lordes blessed body / Also of despeyre or of blasphemye in our lorde or ony of hys sayntes / or lothynge of her lyfe / or bytternes or vnskyl¦ful heuynes / or of to moche drede of hymself and of her body yf they put hē holy to goddis seruyse / Some men he tompteth also. and namly solytory men & wymmen by dredes & vglynes. & quakynges and shakynges / ey¦ther apperyng to hem ī bodely lyknes or elles in ymagi¦nyng slepynge & wakyng / And taryeth hem so that vn¦neth may they haue ony rest / And also on many other wyses he tempteth. mo than I can or may saye /