For he saith, "What availeth it a man if he won all
the whole world, and lost his soul?" This would be, methinketh,
cause and occasion enough, to him who had never so much part of
this world in his hand, to be content rather to lose it all than
for the retaining or increasing of his worldly goods to lose and
destroy his soul.
VINCENT: This is, good uncle, in good faith very true. And what
other thing any of them who would not for this be content, have to
allege in reason for the defence of their folly, that can I not
imagine. I care not in this matter to play the part any longer, but
I pray God give me the grace to play the contrary part in deed. And
I pray that I may never, for any goods or substance of this
wretched world, forsake my faith toward God either in heart or
tongue. And I trust in his great goodness that so I never shall.
XV
ANTHONY: Methinketh, cousin, that this persecution shall not only,
as I said before, try men's hearts when it cometh and make them
know their own affections--whether they have a corrupt greedy
covetous mind or not--but also the very fame and expectation of it
may teach them this lesson, ere ever the thing fall upon them
itself. And this may be to their no little fruit, if they have the
wit and the grace to take it in time while they can.
Pages:
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304