All manner of tribulation, cousin, that any man can have, as far
as for this time cometh to my mind, falleth under some one at
least of these three kinds: Either it is such as he himself
willingly taketh; or, secondly, such as he willingly suffereth;
or, finally, such as he cannot put from him.
This third kind I purpose not to speak of now much more, for there
shall suffice, for the time, those things that we treated between
us the other day. What kind of tribulation this is, I am sure you
yourself perceive. For sickness, imprisonment, loss of goods, loss
of friends, or such bodily harm as a man hath already caught and
can in no wise avoid--these things and such like are the third
kind of tribulation that I speak of, which a man neither willingly
taketh in the beginning, nor can (though he would) afterward put
away.
Now think I that, just as no comfort can serve to the man who
lacketh wit and faith, whatsoever counsel be given, so to those
who have both I have, as for this kind, said in manner enough
already. And considering that suffer it he must, since he can by
no manner of means put it from him, the very necessity is half
counsel enough to take it in good worth and bear it patiently, and
rather of his patience to take both ease and thanks than by
fretting and fuming to increase his present pain, and afterward by
murmur and grudge to fall in further danger of displeasing God
with his froward behaviour.
And yet, albeit that I think that what has been said sufficeth,
yet here and there I shall in the second kind show some such
comfort as shall well serve unto this last kind too.