mnation, openly confess his
faith if men took him and by dread of death would drive him to the
contrary, it seemeth me (in a manner) implied that we are bound
conditionally to have evermore that mind--actually sometimes, and
evermore habitually--that if the case should so befall, then with
God's help so we would do. And thus much methinketh necessary, for
every man and woman to be always of this mind and often to think
thereon. And where they find, in the thinking thereon, that their
hearts shudder and shrink in the remembrance of the pain that their
imagination representeth to the mind, then must they call to mind
and remember the great pain and torment that Christ suffered for
them, and heartily pray for grace that, if the case should so
befall, God should give them strength to stand. And thus, with
exercise of such meditation, through men should never stand full
out of fear of falling, yet must they persevere in good hope and in
full purpose of standing.

And this seemeth to me, cousin, so far forth the mind that every
Christian man and woman must needs have, that methinketh every
curate should often counsel all his parishioners, beginning in
their tender youth, to know this point and think on it, and little
by little from their very childhood accustom them sweetly and
pleasantly in the meditation thereof. Thereby the goodness of God
shall not fail so to inspire the grace of his Holy Spirit into
their hearts, in reward of that virtuous diligence, that through
such actual meditation he shall confirm them in such a sure habit
of spiritual faithful strength, that all the devils in hell, with
all the wrestling that they can make, shall never be able to wrest
it out of their heart.

VINCENT: By my troth, uncle, methinketh that you say very well.

ANTHONY: I say surely, cousin, as I think. And yet all this have I
said concerning them that dwell in such places that they are never
like in their lives to come in the danger to be put to the proof.
Howbeit, many a man may think himself far from it, who yet may
fortune to come to it by some chance or other, either for the truth
of faith or for the truth of justice, which go almost all alike.

But now you and I, cousin, and all our friends here, are far in
another point. For we are so likely to fall in the experience of it
soon, that it would have been more timely for us, all other things
set aside, to have devised upon this matter, and firmly to have
settled ourselves up