II
The fourth temptation, cousin, that the prophet speaketh of in the
fore-remembered psalm is plain open persecution. And it is touched
in these words: _"Ab incursu et demonio meridiano."_
And of all his temptations, this is the most perilous, the most
bitter, the most sharp, and the most rigorous. For in other
temptations he useth either pleasant allectives unto sin, or other
secret sleights and snares; and cometh in the night and stealeth on
in the dark unaware; or in some other part of the day flieth and
passeth by like an arrow; so shaping himself sometimes in one
fashion, sometimes in another, and dissimulating himself and his
high mortal malice, that a man is thereby so blinded and beguiled
that he cannot sometimes perceive well what he is. But in this
temptation, this plain open persecution for the faith, he cometh
even in the very midday--that is, even upon those who have a high
light of faith shining in their hearts--and he openly suffereth
himself to be perceived so plainly, by his fierce malicious
persecution against the faithful Christians, for hatred of Christ's
true Catholic faith, that no man having faith can doubt what he is.
For in this temptation he showeth himself such as the prophet
nameth him, "the midday devil," so lightsomely can he be seen with
the eye of the faithful soul, by his fierce furious assault and
incursion.
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