VINCENT: But, good uncle, though some do thus, this answereth not
the full matter. For we see that the whole church in the common
service uses divers collects in which all men pray, specially for
the princes and prelates, and generally every man for others and
for himself too, that God would vouchsafe to send them all
perpetual health and prosperity. And I can see no good man praying
God to send another sorrow, nor are there such prayers put in the
priests' breviaries, as far as I can hear. And yet if it were as
you say, good uncle, that perpetual prosperity were so perilous to
the soul, and tribulation also so fruitful, then meseemeth every
man would be bound of charity not only to pray God send his
neighbour sorrow, but also to help thereto himself. And when folk
were sick, they would be bound not to pray God send them health,
but when they came to comfort them, they should say, "I am glad,
good friend, that you are so sick--I pray God keep you long
therein!" And neither should any man give any medicine to another
nor take any medicine himself neither. For by the diminishing of
the tribulation he taketh away part of the profit from his soul,
which can with no bodily profit be sufficiently recompensed.
And also this you know well, good uncle, that we read in holy
scripture of men that were wealthy and rich and yet were good
withal. Solomon was, you know, the richest and most wealthy king
that any man could in his time tell of, and yet was he well beloved
with God. Job also was no beggar, perdy, nor no wretch otherwise.
Nor did he lose his riches and his wealth because God would not
that his friend should have wealth, but rather for the show of his
patience, to the increase of his merit and the confusion of the
devil. And, for proof that prosperity may stand with God's favour,
"God restored Job double of all" that ever he lost, and gave him
afterward long life to take his pleasure long. Abraham was also,
you know, a man of great substance, and so continued all his life
in honour and wealth. Yea, and when he died, too, he went unto such
wealth that when Lazarus died in tribulation and poverty, the best
place that he came to was that rich man's bosom!
Finally, good uncle, this we find before our eyes, and every day we
prove it by plain experience that many a man is right wealthy and
yet therewith right good, and many a miserable wretch is as evil as
he is wretched. And therefore it seemeth hard, good uncle, that
between prosperity and tribulation the matter should go thus, that
tribulation should be given always by God to those that he loveth,
for a sign of salvation, and prosperity sent for displeasure, as a
token of eternal damnation.