And
therein may you rehearse such things as should prove that the
vision which moveth him is no true revelation, but a very false
illusion.
VINCENT: Verily, uncle, I well allow that a man should, in this
thing as well as in every other in which he longeth to do another
man good, seek such a pleasant way that the party should be likely
to like his communication, or at least to take it well in worth.
And he should not enter in unto it in such a way that he whom he
would help should abhor him and be loth to hear him, and therefore
take no profit by him.
But now, uncle, if it come, by the one way or the other, to the
point where he will or shall hear me; what be the effectual means
with which I should by my counsel convert him?
ANTHONY: All those by which you may make him perceive that he is
deceived, and that his visions are no godly revelations but very
devilish illusion. And those reasons must you gather of the man,
of the matter, and of the law of God, or of some one of these.
Of the man may you gather them, if you can peradventure show him
that in such-and-such a point he is waxed worse since such
revelations have haunted him than he was before--as, in those who
are deluded, whosoever be well acquainted with them shall well
mark and perceive. For they wax more proud, more wayward, more
envious, suspicious, misjudging and depraving other men, with the
delight of their own praise, and such other spiritual vices of the
soul.
Pages:
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178