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 last Chapter. The consideracion of the painefull death of Christe, is sufficient to make vs content to suffre painefull death for his sake.

SUrely Cosin as I sayd before, in y^e bearing the losse of worldly goodes, in suffering of captiuitie, thraldome & imprisonmēt, and in the glad sustaining of worldly shame, that if we woulde in al those pointes depely ponder y^e sample of our sauiour hym selfe, it were of it selfe alone suf∣ficient to encourage euerye kinde Christen man and womā, to refuse none of al those calamities for his sake•• So saye I nowe for paineful death also, y^t if we could and woulde wyth dewe compassion conceyue in our mindes a righte imaginacion and remembraunce of Christes bitter paynful passion, of y^e many sore bloudy strokes that the cruel tormētors wyth Roddes and whippes gaue him vpō euery part of his holye tender bodye: the scorneful crowne of sharpe thornes beaten doune vpon hys holye head so s••rayte and so depe, that on euerye parte hys blessed bloude issued out and streamed doune his louely limmes, drawen and stretched out vpō the crosse, to the intollerable paine of hys forbeaten & sore beaten vaines & senewes, newe feling, with y^e crewel stretching and straining payne, farre passing any crampe in euey parte of hys blessed bodye at once. Than the great longe nayles crewe••ly dryuen wyth hammers thorowe his holy handes and

feete, and in this horrible paine lifte vp & let hang w^t y^• paice of al his body, bearing doune vpō the painefull wounded places, so greuously perced wyth nailes and in such torment (without pitie, but not without many dispightes) suffred to be ••ined & pained y^e space of more than three long houres til him selfe willingly gaue vp vnto hys father, hys holye soule. After whych yet to shewe y^e mightines of theyr malice after his holy soule departed, persed his holy heart with a sharpe speare, at which issued ••ut y^e holy bloud & water, wherof his holy sacramētes haue inestimable secrete strength: if we would I say remember these thinges in such wise as would god we would, I verely thinke & suppose, y^• the consideracion of his incōparable kindnes, coulde not in such wise faile to enflame our kaye cold heartes, & set them on fyre in hys loue, that we shoulde find our ••elfe, not onely conte••te, but also glad and desirous to suffre death for his sake, that so meruelous louinglye letted not to sustaine so farre passing painefull deathe for oures. Woulde GOD we woulde here to the shame of oure colde affeccion agayne towarde God, for suche ferue••te loue, and inestimable kynd∣nes of GOD towarde vs: would god we woulde I saye, but cōsider what hoate affeccion many of these fleshely louers haue borne, and daylye doe beare to those vpon whome they dote.

Howe many of them haue not letted to ieoparde their liues, and howe many haue willingely loste theyr liues in dede, wythout eyther great kindnes shewed them before (and afterwarde you wote well they coulde nothynge wynne?) but ••uen that it contented and satysfied theyr mynde, y^• by theyr deathe theyr louer should clerely se how faithfully they loued. The deli••e

wherof, imprinted in their fātasie, not asswaged onely, but counterpaised also they thought al their paine. Of these affecciōs with y^e woonderful dolorous effectes folowing theron, not onely old writtē stories, but ouer y^t I thinke in euery countrey christen & heathen both, experience geueth vs proofe inough. And is it not thā a wonderful shame for vs for y^• drede of tēporal death, to forsake our sauiour y^t willingly suffred so painefull death, rather thā he woulde forsake vs, considering y^t he shal for our suffering•• so highly reward vs w^t euer∣lasting welth. Oh, if he y^t is content to die for her loue, of whome he looketh after for no reward, & yet by hys death, goeth frō her, might by his death be sure to come to her; & euer after in delite & pleasure to dwell wyth her. Such a louer woulde not let here to dye for her twise, and howe cold louers be we thā vn••o god, if ra∣••her thā dye for hym once, we wil refuse him and for∣sake him for euer, that bothe died for vs before, & hath al••o prouided that if we die here for hym, we shall in heauen euerlastingly both liue & also raigne with him. For as Saint Paule saith, if we suffer with hym, we shall raigne with hym.

Howe many Romaines, howe many noble courages of other sundry coūtreies haue willingly geuen their owne liues and suffred greate deadlye paines, & very painfull deathes for theyr countreyes•• & the respecte of winning by theyr deathes, the onely reward of worldly renowne & fame. And should we thā shrinke to suffer as muche for eternall honoure in heauen and euer∣lasting glorye? The deuil hath some also so obstinate heretyques•• that endure wit••ingly painefull death for vaine glorye: & is it not than more then shame; that Christ shall ••ee his catholyques forsake hys fayth, ra∣ther

than suffer the same for heauen and very glorye•• Would god as I many times haue said, that the remē∣braunce of Christes kindnes in suffring his passiō for vs, the consideracion of hell that we shoulde fall in by forsaking of him, the ioyful meditacion of eternall lyfe in heauen, that we shal winne with this shorte tempo∣rall death paciently taken for him: had so depe a place in our brest as reason would they should, and as (if we would do our deuor toward it, and labor for it, and pray therfore) I verely thinke they should: for then shoulde thei so take vp our mind•• and rauish it al an other way, that as a man hur•• in a fraye feleth not sometime hys wound, nor yet is not ware therof til his mind fal more theron, so farforth, y^t sometime an other man sheweth him that he hath lost an hand before he perceiue it him∣self. So the mind rauished in the thinking depelye of those other thinges, Christes death, hell and heauē, wer likely to minish and put away of oure painfull deathe foure partes of y^e feling, ether of the feare or of y^e paine. For of this am I very sure, if we had the fiftienth part of y^e loue to Christ that he hath had, and hath vnto vs: al the pain of this Turkes persecucion could not kepe vs frō him but that there would be at this daye as ma∣ni martirs here in Hungarie, as haue be afore in other countreyes of old. And of this poynte put I no doubt•• but that if the Turke stode euen here, with al his whole a••mie about him, and euery of them wer ready at oure hand with all the terrible tormentes that they could y∣magine, and (but if we would forsake the faith) wer set∣tyng their tormentes to vs, and to the encrease of our ••er••or fell al at once in a shoute with trumpets tabrets and tembrels al blowē vp at once, and al theyr gunnes

let goe, therwith to make vs a feareful noyse if there should sodeinly than on the other side y^e groūde quake and riue a twayn, and the deuils rise oute of hell, and shewe themselfe in such ougli shape as damned wret∣ches shal see thē, & with y^e hidious howlyng that those hel houndes should shritche, laie hel open on euery sdie rounde about our fete, that as we stode, we should ••oke down into that pestilent pit, and see the swarme of sely soules in the terrible tormentes there, we would ware so frayde of the sight, that as for the Turkes host we should scantly remember we sawe them: and in good faith for al that, yet thinke I far••her this, that if there might thā appeare the great glory of god, the Trinitie in hys high meruelous maiestie, our Sauioure in hys gloryous manhode, sitting on hys trone with his im∣maculate mother, and al y^t glorious company callyng vs there vnto them, and that yet our waye should lye thorowe meruelous painfull death, before we coulde come at them, vpon the sight I say of that glory there woulde I wene be no man that once woulde shrinke thereat, but euery man would runne on towarde thē, in al that euer he mighte, thoughe there laie for malice to kil vs by the way•• both al the Turkes tormentors, & all y^e deuils to. And therfore Cosin, let vs wel considre these thynges, and let vs haue sure hope in the helpe of god, and I than doubt not, but we shalbe sure, that as the Prophet sayth, the trou••h of hys promyse shall so compasse vs with a pauice, that of this incurcion of this midde day deuil, this Turkes persecuciō, we shal neuer nede to feare: for eyther if we truste in god wel, and prepare vs therefore, the Turkes shal neuer med∣dle with vs•• or els if he doe, harme•• shall he none dooe vs•• but in s••ede of harme, inestimable good, of whose

gracious helpe wherefore shoulde we so sore nowe dis∣payre (excepte we were so madde men as to wene, that either his power or hys mercye were worne oute al∣ready, when we see so many a thousande holy martirs by his holy helpe suffred as much before as any man should be put ••o now. Or what excuse can we haue by y^e tēdernes of our fleshe, whē we can be no more tēder, thā were many of thē among whō were not onely mē of strength, but also weake women and children & sith the strength of them all s••ode in the helpe of god, and y^t the very strongest of them all was neuer able of them selfe & with gods helpe the feblest of thē al was strong inough to stand against al y^e world, let vs prepare our self with praier, with our whole trust in his helpe with∣out any trust in our own strength, let vs thinke th••ron and prepare vs in our myndes therto, long beefore: let vs therin cōforme our wil vnto hys, not desiring to be brought vnto the peril of persecucion, for it semeth a proude high minde to desire martirdom, but desiring help and ••••rength of god, if he suffre vs to come to the stresse eyther being sought, founde, or broughte oute a∣gainst our wils•• beyng by hys commaundemente (for the comfort of our cure) bounden to abide: let vs fal to fasting•• to praier to almose dede in time, and geue that vnto god that may be taken from vs. If the deuil put in our mind•• y^e sauing of our land & oure goodes, let vs remember that we cannot saue thē long. I ••he feare vs with exile and fleing from our countrey, let vs re∣membre y^t we be borne into y^e brode world (& not lyke a t••ee to s••i••ke stil in on•• place) and y^t whither so euer we go god shal go w^t vs. If he thre a••ē vs w^t captiuitie, let vs tel him again, better is it to be thral vnto mā a ••hile for y^e pleasure of god, thā by displeasīg of god, be perpe∣tual thral vnto y^e deuil: if he threate vs w^t imprisōmēt

let vs tel him we wil rather be mans prisoners a while here in earth, than by forsaking the faith, be his priso∣ners for euer in ••el. If he put in our mindes the terror of the Turkes, let vs consider his false sleight therin, for this tale he telleth vs to make vs forgeat him. But let vs remember wel y^t in respect of himself, the Turke is but a shadow, nor al that they al can doe, can be but a fle a biting in comparison of the mischief that he goeth ab••ut. The Turkes are but his tormentors for himself doth the dede. Our Lord saith in the Apocalips, Diabo∣lus m••tret aliquos vestrum••n carcerem, vt tentemini. The deuyll shall send some of you to prison to tempt you. He saith not y^• men shal, but that the d••uil shal himself. For withoute question the deuils owne dede it is to bring vs by hys temptacion with feare and force thereof into eternall damnacion. And therfore saith, S. Paul. Non est nobis col∣luctatio aduersus carnem & sāguinem, fed &c. Our wrestlyng is not against flesh and bloud. &c. Thus may you see that in suche persecucions it is the mid day deuil himself that maketh suche incursion vpon vs, by the men that are his ministers, to make vs fal for feare. For ••y•• we fal, he can neuer hurt vs•• And therfore sayth. S. Petre, Resi∣stite diabolo & fugiet a vob••s•• Stand againste the deuill, and he shal flye from you. For he neuer ••unneth vpon a man to season him with his clawes, til he see him downe on the ground willingly fallen himself. For his fashion is to set his seruantes again••t vs, and by thē to make vs for feare or for impacience to fal, & himself in y^e meane whyle compasseth vs running and roaring like a rā∣••ing Lion about vs, loking ••••o w••l fal, y^t he than may deuoure him, Aduer••••riu•• v••ster diabolus (saith. S. Peter) Sic••: leo rugiens c••rcuit queren•• quem de••oret, Your aduersa••ye the deuill l••ke a roring Liō, rūneth about incircui••e, seking whō

he may deuoure. The deuil it is therfore that if we for feare of men wil fal) is ready to runne vpon vs, and de∣uoure vs. And is it wisedome than so muche to thinke vpon the Turkes that we forgeat the deuil? what mad man is he that when a Liō wer about to deuoure him, would vouchesafe to regard the biting of a litle fysling ••urre? Therfore whē he roareth out vpō vs by y^e threts of mortal men, let vs tel him that with our inward iye, we see him wel ynough, and entend to stande & fighte with him, euen hand to hand: if he threaten vs that we be to weake, let vs tell him that our Captain Christ is with vs, and that we shal fi••hte with his strength, that hath vanquished him already, and let vs fence vs with faith, and comfort vs with hope, and smite the deuill in the face with a fyrebrande of cha••itie. For surelye if we be of the tender louing mind that our maister was•• and not hate them that kil vs but pitie them and praye for them, with sorowe for the peril that thei worke to them self, that fire of charitie throwen in his face, striketh the deuil sodainly so blind, that he cannot se where to fastē a stroke on vs. When we fele vs to bol••, remember our own feblenesse. When we fele vs to fainte, remember Christes strēgth. In our feare let vs remēber Christes painefull agonye that himselfe ••oulde (for oure coum∣fort) suffer before his passiō, to thētēt y^t no feare should make vs despaire. And euer cal for his help such as him self lust to sende vs, and than we nede neuer to doubte but that either he shal kepe vs from the painful death, or shal not fayle so to strength vs in it, that he shal ioy∣ou••ly bring vs to heauen by it. And then doth he much more for vs then if he kept vs from it. For as god dyd more for poore Lazare in helping him pacientely to dye for hunger at the riche mannes doore, than if he hadde

brought him to the dore al the riche glotous dinner, so though he be gracious to a man whom he delyuereth out of paynefull trouble, yet doth he muche more for a man, if thorowe right paynful death he deliuer him frō thys wretched worlde into eternal blisse, from whiche whosoeuer shrinke away with forsaking of hys fayth, and falleth in the perell of euerlasting fier, he shall be very sure to repent it ere it be long after. For I weene that whensoeuer he falleth sicke next, he wil wishe that he had been killed for Christes sake before. What foly is it than for feare to flye from that death, which thou seest thou shalt shortly after wishe thou haddest dyed, yea I wene almo••t euery good christē mā woulde ve∣ry fayne thys day that he had been for Christes fayth cruelly killed yesterday, euen for the desyre of heauen, though there were no hell, but to feare while the payn is comming, there is all our let. But then if we would remembre hell payne on the other syde, into which we fal while we flye fro this, then should this shorte payn be no let at al, and yet should we be more pricked for∣warde, if we were faythful by depe considering of the Ioyes of heauen of whiche the Apostle sayeth: Non sunt digne passi••nes huius temporis ad futuram gloriam que reuelabitur in nobis the passions of this tyme, be not worthy to y^e glory that is to come, which shalbe shewed in vs. We should not I wene Cosin, nede much more in all this whole mat∣ter, than that one text of. S. Paul if we would consy∣der it wel. For surely my own good Cosin, remember that if it were possible for me and you alone•• to suffre as much trouble as the whole world doth together, all that were not worthy of it selfe to bryng vs to the ioye which we hope to haue euerlastingly: and therefore I pray you let the consideracion of that Ioye, put our all

worldly trouble out of your heart, and also pray that it maye doe thesame in me: and euen thus wyll I good Cosin, with these wordes make a sodayne ende of my whole tale, and bidde you fare wel, for now I begin to fele myselfe some what wery.

☞Vincent.

Forsoth good vncle this is a good ende, and it is no meruaile though you be waxē wery, for I haue this day put you to so much labour, y^e sauing for the comfort that your selfe may take of your tyme so well bestowed, and for the comfort that I haue my selfe ta∣ken and moe shal I trust for your good counsayle ge∣uen, els woulde I bee very sorye to haue put you to so much pain, and now shal our lorde rewarde and recō∣pence you therfore, and many shal I trust pray for you for to thentent that the moe may take profit by you, I purpose vncle as my poore witte and learning wyll serue me, to put your good coūsayle in remembraunce not in our language onely, but in the Almayne tonge to, and thus praying god to geue me and all other that shall rede it, the grace to folowe your good counsayle therin, I shal commit you to god.

A••tony.

Sith you be minded Cosin, to bestowe so much labour therō. I would it had happed you to fetche the counsayle at some wyser man that could haue ge∣uē you better, but better mē may set moe thynges and better also thereto, and in the meane tyme, I besec••e our lord to breath of hys holy spirite in y^e readers brest whiche inwardely maye teache him in hearte, without whome, litle auaileth all that all ••he mouthes of the worlde wer able to teache in mennes eares. And thus good Cosin, fare well tyll God brynge vs together a∣gayne, eyther here or in heauen. Amen.