So, in this temptation, the devil
findeth the man of his own foolish fancy afraid and then crieth in
the ear of his heart, "Thou fallest, thou fallest!" and maketh the
foolish man afraid that he should, at every foot, fall indeed. And
the devil so wearieth him with that continual fear, if he give the
ear of his heart to him, that at last he withdraweth his mind from
due remembrance of God, and then driveth him to that deadly
mischief indeed. Therefore, like as, against the vice of the
flesh, the victory standeth not all in the fight, but sometimes
also in the flight (saving that it is indeed a part of a wise
warrior's fight to flee from his enemies' traps), so must a man in
this temptation too, not only resist it always with reasoning
against it, but sometimes set it clear at right naught and cast it
off when it cometh and not once regard it so much as to vouchsafe
to think thereon.
Some folk have been clearly rid of such pestilent fancies with
very full contempt of them, making a cross upon their hearts and
bidding the devil avaunt. And sometimes they laugh him to scorn
too, and then turn their mind unto some other matter. And when the
devil hath seen that they have set so little by him, after certain
essays, made in such times as he thought most fitting, he hath
given that temptation quite over.
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