Whereas that thought, were it never
so horrible and never so abominable, is yet unto those who never
like it, but ever still abhor it and strive still against it,
matter of conflict and merit and not any sin at all.
Some have, with holding a knife in their hand, suddenly thought
upon the killing of themselves, and forthwith, in devising what a
horrible thing it would be if they should mishap to do so, have
fallen into a fear that they would do so indeed. And they have,
with long and often thinking thereon, imprinted that fear so sore
in their imagination, that some of them have not afterwards cast
it off without great difficulty. And some could never in their
life be rid of it, but have afterward in conclusion miserably done
it indeed. But like as, where the devil useth the blood of a man's
own body toward his purpose in provoking him to lechery, the man
must and doth with grace and wisdom resist it; so must the man do
whose melancholy humours and devil abuseth, toward the casting of
such a desperate dread into his heart.
VINCENT: I pray you, uncle, what advice would be to be given him
in such a case?
ANTHONY: Surely, methinketh his help standeth in two things:
counsel and prayer.
First, as concerning counsel: Like as it may be that he hath two
things that hold him in his temptation; that is, some evil humours
of his own body, and the cursed devil that abuseth them to his
pernicious purpose, so must he needs against them twain the
counsel of two manner of folk; that is, physicians for the body
and physicians for the soul.
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