A dialoge of comfort against tribulacion, made by Syr Thomas More Knyght, and set foorth by the name of an Hu[n]garie[n], not before this time imprinted

¶The .x. Chapter. Of the thirde kynde of tribulacion vvhiche is not sent a man for his synne, but for exercyse of his pacience and encrease of his merite, vvhich is better than medicinable.

☞Vincent.

THe thyrde kynde vncle that remaineth now be∣hind, that is to wit, which is sent to a mā by god, and not for his synne, neither committed, nor whiche would els come, and therefore is not medicinable, but sente for exercise of our pacience, and encrease of oure merite: and therfore better than medicinable, though it be as you say, and as in dede it is better for the man thā ani of y^e other two kindes in another world, where their reward shalbe receued: yet can I not se by what reason a man may in this world where the tribulaciō is suffred, take any more comfort therin, than in anye of the other twaine that are sent a man for his sinne: sith he can not here know, whether it be sēt him for sin before committed, or sin that els should fall, or for en∣crease of meri••e and reward after to come. Namelye

sith euery man hath cause inough to feare and thinke y^• his sinne alreadye passed hath deserued it, and that it is not without peril a man to thinke otherwyse.

☞Anthon••.

This y^t you say Cosin, hath place of truth, in farre the most part of mē, & therfore must thei not ē∣••y nor disdain (sith they may take in their tribulaciō, consolacion for their part sufficient) y^t some other that more be worthy, take yet a great deale more. For as I told you Cosin, though y^e best mā must cōf••sse himself a sinner, yet be there many mē (though to the number few) y^t for y^e kind of their liuing, & therby y^• clerenes of their cōsci••nce may wel & without sinne haue a good hope y^• god sēdeth thē some great grief for exercise of their pacience, & for increase of their merite, as it appe∣reth not only by. S. Paul, in y^e place before remēbred: but also by y^• holy mā Iob, whiche in sundry places of dispiciōs w^t his burdenous cōforters, letted not to sai, that y^• clerenes of his own cōscience declared & shew∣ed to hīself y^t he deserued not y^e sore tribulaciō y^t he thā had: howbeit as I told you before, I wil not aduise eue∣ri mā at au••̄ture to be bold vpō this maner of cōfort. But yet some mē I know, suche as I durste (for their more ease & cōfort in their gret & grieuous paines) put thē in right good hope, y^t god sēdeth it vnto thē: not so much for their punishmēt, as for exercise of their pacy∣ence. And some tribulacions are there also y^t grow vpō such causes, y^t in those cases I w••uld neuer let, but al∣wai would w^tout any doubt, geue y^t coūsel & comfort to any mā.

Vincent.

What causes good vncle be those?

☞Anthony.

Mary Cosin, whersoeuer a man falleth in tribulaciō for y^e maintenaūce of iustice, or for y^e defence of gods cause. For if I should hap to find a mā y^t had lōg liued a very verteous life, & had at y^• last happed to

fall into the Turkes handes & there did abide by the truth of his faith, & with the suff••ing of al kinde of tor∣mētes taken vpon his body stil did teache & testify the truth if I should in his passiō geue him spiritual com∣fort might I be bolde to tel him no farther, but that he should take pacience in his pain, & that god sendeth it him for his sinne, & that he is wel worthy to haue it al∣though it wer yet much more: he might thē wel answer me, & such other cōforters, as Iob āswered his. Onerosi consolatores estis vos. Eurdenous & heauye cōforters be you. Nay I would not faile to bid hī boldly, while I should se him in his passiō, cast sin & hel & purgatory & al vpō y^• deuils pate, & dout not but like as if he gaue ouer his hold, al his merite wer lost & he turned to misery: so yf he s••and & perseuer stil in the cōfession of his faith all his whole pain shal turne all into glory. Ye more shall I yet say thē this: y^• if there wer a chris••en mā, that had among those infidels•• cōmitted a very deadly crime, such as wer worthy death, not by their lawes only, but by Chrstes to, as māslaughter, or adultry, or such other thing like, if whē he wer taken, he wer offred pardon of his life, vpō condicion y^t he•• should forsake y^e faith of Christ: if this mā would now rather suffer death thā so do, should I cōfort hī in his pain, but as I would a ma∣lefactor: Nay this mā though he should haue dyed for his sinne, dieth now for Christes sake, while he might liue stil if he would forsake him. The bare pacient ta∣king of his deth, should haue serued for y^e satisfacciō of his sin through y^e merite of Christes passion, I meane without help of which no pain of our own could be sa∣tisfactory. But now shal Christ for his forsakīg of his own life, in y^e honor of his faith, forgeue y^e pain of al his sinnes, of his mere liberalitie, & accept all the paine of

his death, for merite of reward in heauen, and shal as∣signe no part therof to the paimēt of his debt in pur∣gatorie, but shal take it al as an offring, and requite it al with glory: and this man amonge Christen men, al had he bene beefore a deuill, nothyng after woulde I doubt to take him for a Marter.

☞Vincent.

Uerely good vncle me thinketh this is sayd meruelously wel, and it specially deliteth and comfor∣teth me to heare it, because of our principal feare that I fyrst spake of the Turkes cruell incursion into this countrey of ours.

☞Anthony.

Cosin, as for y^e matter of that feare I pur∣pose to touche last of al: nor I ment not here to speake therof, had it not bene for the vehemencie of your ob∣ieccion brought it in my way. But rather would I els haue putte some exaumple for this place, of suche as suffer tribulacions for maintenaūce of right & iustice, and that rather chose to take harme, than doe wronge in any maner of matter. For surely if a man maye (as in dede he may) haue great comfort in the clerenes of his conscience, that hath a false crime put vpon hym, and by false witnes proued vpon him, & he falsly puni∣shed, and put to worldly shame and paine therfore: an hūdreth times more coūfort may he haue in his heart, that where whyte is called blacke, and ryght is called wronge, abydeth by the trueth and is persecuted for iustyce.

☞Vincent.

Than if a man sewe me wrongfully for my owne lande in whiche my selfe haue good right, it is a comforte yet to defende it well, syth god shall geue me thanke therefore.

☞ Antony.

Naye naye Cosin naye, there walke you somewhat wyde: for there you defende your own

ryghte for youre temporall auayle: and syth S. Paule counsayleth, Non vosmet defendentes charissimi. Defende not your selfe my moste dere frendes. And oure sauioure coūsayleth. Si qui vult tecum iudicio contendere & tunic•••••• tuam totlere, dimitte ei & pallium. If a man wil stryue with the at the law and take away thy coate, leaue hym thy gowne to. The defence therfore of our owne right asketh no reward. Say you spede well if you geat leaue, looke hardely for no thanke•• But on the other side if you doe as S. Paule biddeth, Querentes non que sua sunt sed que aliorum. Seke not for youre owne profite but for other folkes: but de∣fend therfore of pitie a poore widowe or a poore father∣les child, & rather suffer sorowe by some strong extor∣cyoner than suffer them take wrong. Or yf you be a Iudge and wyll haue suche zeale to Iustyce that you wyll rather abyde tribulacion by the malice of some mightie man than iudge wrong for hys fauoure: suche tribulacions lo bee those that are better than onely medicinable, & euery man vpō whom they fall may be bolde so to reckē thē: and in hys depe trouble may wel say to himself y^e wordes y^t Christ hath taught him for hys comforte•• Beati misericorde•• quoniam misericordiam consequentu••. Blessed be y^e mercifull men for they shall haue mercy geuē them. Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iusticiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum. Blessed be they that suffer perse∣cucyon for Iustice, for theirs is the kyngdome of heauen. Heare is an highe comfort lo for them that are in the case. And in this case their own conscyence can shewe yt them and so may fulfyll their heartes with spirituall ioye that the pleasure maye farre sur∣mount the heauines and the grefe of al their temporal trouble. But goddes nearer cause of fayth agaynste the Turkes haue yet a farre passyng comforte that

by mani degrees farre excelleth this which as I haue ••••••d I purpose to treate laste: and for this tyme thys ••u••fiseth concerning the speciall comfort that mē may take in this thyrd kinde of tribulacion.