And of all his temptations, this is the most perilous, the most bitter, the most sharp, and the most rigorous.  For in other temptations he useth either pleasant allectives unto sin, or other secret sleights and snares; and cometh in the night and stealeth on in the dark unaware; or in some other part of the day flieth and passeth by like an arrow; so shaping himself sometimes in one fashion, sometimes in another, and dissimulating himself and his high mortal malice, that a man is thereby so blinded and beguiled that he cannot sometimes perceive well what he is.  But in this temptation, this plain open persecution for the faith, he cometh even in the very midday—­that is, even upon those who have a high light of faith shining in their hearts—­and he openly suffereth himself to be perceived so plainly, by his fierce malicious persecution against the faithful Christians, for hatred of Christ’s true Catholic faith, that no man having faith can doubt what he is.  For in this temptation he showeth himself such as the prophet nameth him, “the midday devil,” so lightsomely can he be seen with the eye of the faithful soul, by his fierce furious assault and incursion.  For therefore saith the prophet that the truth of God shall compass that man round about who dwelleth in the faithful hope of his help with a shield “from the incursion and the devil of the midday,” because this kind of persecution is not a wily temptation but a furious force and a terrible incursion.  In other of his temptations, he stealeth on like a fox, but in this Turk’s persecution for the faith, he runneth on roaring with assault like a ramping lion.

This temptation is, of all temptations, also the most perilous.  For in temptations of prosperity he useth only delectable allectives to move a man to sin; and in other kinds of tribulation and adversity he useth only grief and pain to pull a man into murmuring, impatience, and blasphemy.  But in this kind of persecution for the faith of Christ he useth both twain—­that is, both his allectives of quiet and rest by deliverance from death and pain, with other pleasures also of this present life, and besides that the terror and infliction of intolerable pain and torment.

In other tribulation—­as loss, or sickness, or death of our friends—–­though the pain be peradventure as great and sometimes greater too, yet is not the peril nowhere nigh half so much.  For in other tribulations, as I said before, that necessity that the man must perforce abide and endure the pain, wax he never so wroth and impatient with it, is a great reason to move him to keep his patience in it and be content with it and thank God for it and of necessity make a virtue, that he may be rewarded for it.  But in this temptation, this persecution for the faith—­I mean not by fight in the field, by which the faithful man standeth at his defence and putteth the faithless in half the fear and half the harm too; but I mean where he is taken and held, and may for the forswearing or denying of his faith be delivered and suffered to live in rest and some in great worldly wealth also.  In this case, I say, since he needeth not to suffer this trouble and pain unless he will, there is a marvellous great occasion for him to fall into the sin that the devil would drive him to—­that is, the forsaking of the faith.