Although the
respect of God vanquish all the rest of the trouble that we have
hitherto perused (as loss of goods, lands, and liberty), yet, when
we remember the terror of shameful and painful death, that point
suddenly putteth us in oblivion of all that should be our comfort.
And we feel (all men, I fear me, for the most part) the fervour of
our faith wax so cold and our hearts so faint that we find
ourselves at the point of falling even for fear.
ANTHONY: I deny not, cousin, that indeed in this point is the sore
pinch. And yet you see, for all this, that even this point too
taketh increase or diminishment of dread according to the
difference of the affections that are beforehand fixed and rooted
in the mind--so much so, that you may see a man set so much by his
worldly substance that he feareth less the loss of his life than
the loss of lands. Yea, you may see a man abide deadly torment,
such as some other man had rather die than endure, rather than to
bring out the money that he hath hid. And I doubt not but that you
have heard by right authentic stories of many men who (some for one
cause, some for another) have not hesitated willingly to suffer
death, divers in divers kinds, and some both with despiteful rebuke
and painful torment too. And therefore, as I say, we may see that
the affection of the mind toward the increase or decrease of dread
maketh much of the matter.
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