The question concerning general temptations -- namely, whether a person so abandoned or tempted in conscience could have true faith and be in the state of grace -- is treated (alongside the writers mentioned above) superbly by Richard Sibbes in his treatise The Broken Reed and in his work The Soul's Conflict and Victory over Itself. Also, Thomas Goodwin does this in his treatise The Child of Light Walking in Darkness. For reasons mentioned earlier, the way and order in which, according to the papists, one may be healed of this disease is very deficient. However, where they do speak correctly, they speak very well.
Aside from the authors cited, John Gerson offers a number of things worth reading in his treatise Remedy against Faint-heartedness and in another work entitled Spiritual Beggary. But surpassing all others is William of Paris, whose words one of our own men, William Ames, has included as an extract in his second volume of Cases of Conscience.
Below is the extract in question.
William of Paris on Temptations, quoted by William Ames, Conscience With the Power and Cases Thereof, The Second Booke of Conscience, pp. 49-54, Certaine collections out of the Booke of William Paris concerning temptations, and the refifting of them, which I thought good here to fet down for the further illuftration of the Doctrine of temptations, because they are not read in the Author, except by a very few.
Firft, Temptation in one fenfe is nothing elfe but a triall, and to tempt is nothing elfe but to make a triall or experiment of anything, that we may know it, that is, that it may be difcover’d, and become manifest, and this is all that the Devill can de, hee cannot with frength conquer us, or caft us down. For unleffe we of our owne accord truft him, and deliver our felves into his hand, he can have no power over us. He can prevaile no farther againft us, then we give him leave or permit him. All that he can do therefore is to tempt us, that is to make an experiment what we are, whether weake or strong, whether we be fuch as will yield to him, or whether fuch as will refift him valiantly. And if in the beginning of the temptation, he finde that we make valiant refiftance, he defpairing of the victory, and being overcome and confounded, for the moft part departeth prefently. And this is the property of a tempter when hee hath made his argument, and found what he fought for, to furceafe the work of temptation.
II. In another fense temptation fignifies, a fighting againft one, or a war, or a battell, and it is very likely that whatsoever the Devill attempts againft us is by way of fuch a fight, if we consider the matter but diligently. For he doth all that he doth with a purpofe and defire to conquer, whether he lay fnares for us, or whether he make tryall of us, or whether he pretend fome good things to deceive us, or whether he fmite us with the ftaffe, or fword, whether he undermine the wall of our defenfe, or whether he take from us our fpirituall food, or procure it to be taken away, for he doth do all thefe things with a defire to do us a mifchiefe. And in very deed, all thefe are parts of that war, or combate, wherewith hee fights againft us.
III. Every finne hath its temptations, and againft the mind of man doth the devill fight, befieging it, in a circumventing way, and ordering his armies, and forces, againft the armies of virtues, and againft the Caftle of mans foule.
IV. The fightings which arife from the faculty of reafon within our felves are thefe, 1. Curiofity, that is a luft to know things not neceffary, and things the knowledge of which tend nothing to, nor help forward at all falvation, 2. Slowneffe to believe, 3. Levity in believing every thing, 4. Doubtfulneffe, 5. Sufpitioufneffe, 6. A fpirit of blafphemy which is a spring and fountaine of abominable thoughts, and of thoughts fo horrible and troublefome, that fuch a kind of temptation is like a martirdome, and there have beene fome that have rather defired to fuffer Martyrdome then to endure fuch thoughts.
V. Any one may refift any temptation of the Devill, if he do fimply and purely will it, without any mixture of unwillingneffe. For no man is overcome, or yields to the temptations utterly against his will, for fo his will remains unconquered, and victorious and uninclined to confent unto the temptation, and fo a man fhould both yield, and not yield. But that a man may, fimply, and purely be willing to make refiftance it is not from man himfelfe, or from any naturall power in him but from the gift of God, and the helpe and affiftance of his grace.
VI. Now wee muft obferve that when the queftion is, whether a man may have a will to refift temptation? This word may doth admit two fignifications; For it fignifies fometimes a poffibility which is paffive, in refpect of capacity, and fometimes in regard of virtue or power, or efficiency, now it is manifest, that no man can refift any temptation by way of efficiency, but by way of poffibility, or paffibility.
VII. Befides the gifts of graces and of virtues the providence and protection of God is neceffary for believers, that they may refift temptations, and fo are thofe manifold helps wherewith God fuccors his elect in the combate.
VIII. The firft of thefe helpes is a driving away of the enemies whereby they are fometimes not fuffered to tempt the Elect, Job. 1.
IX. The fecund helpe is a bridling of the enemies that they cannot tempt fo much as they would, Job. 2.
X. The third helpe is from the tempter himfelfe, when even that very fhape under which he tempts affords us fome helpe and inftruction, fo the forme of the Serpent might have caufed Eve to have fufpected his temptation.
XI. The fourth helpe is from the temptation itfelfe, when it either ftirs up feare in us, which is the best keeper, or ftirs us up to fight, and incourageth us againft the enemy.
XII. The fifth is, a new grace, or an increafe of the former. For to thofe that imploy their talents well God gives an increafe either in the greatneffe, or number, Mat. 25. Luke. 19.
XIII. The fixth is a ceffation, or peace, or rather a truce from the temptation.
XIV. The feventh is a refrefhment in the heate of temptation, which is a mitigation of it, as when the tribulation is turned into a follace.
XV. The eighth is a comforting, that is a ftrengthening, and lifting up of the heart by a promise of ftrength and victory, and by a demonftration of the weakneffe of the enemies, and the lightneffe of the fight.
XVI. The ninth is confolation, that is a chearing of the heart, in troubles, in furrow and griefe.
XVII. The tenth is a beftowing of Faith and Hope, and a confirmation of the fame, againft the fhaking of feare, which arifeth from our own defect and infirmity.
XVIII. The eleventh is an upholding of them that are fet upon that they faill not, that is, that they receive no hurt. Now they are oft times fo affaulted that they are ready to fall, and that for this end that they may acknowledge their own imfirmities, and may afcribe it to Gods mercy and not their own power, that they are kept from falling.
XIX. The twelfth is, Gods receiving of them that fly unto him, in refpect of which he is called, the hiding place of the Elect.
XX. The thirteenth is Gods fighting againft and overthrowing the enemies.
XXI. The fourteenth is outward tribulation of which there are many profits helping this way.
XXII. The fixteenth is the remembrance of the last things, Death, judgment, damnation and happineffe.
XXIII. It is very difficult to overcome temptations becaufe that in this corruption of our nature no man fights with all his ftrength againft any temptation, but partly for it, and againft himselfe. A believer in temptation is as a Kingdome divided within it felfe, like an armed Horfeman that fits upon a winching, unruly, and unbroken Colt, like a Houfe well built, but upon a weak foundation, like ftout warriour ftanding upon a flippery pavement, or he is partly armed, and partly without armour, or loaded with a grievous burthen.
XXIV. Amongft the moft hidden treacheries and moft fubtill temptations of the devil, whereby the most wife, and valiant Chriftians are often times brought under: the firft is a long tedioufneffe, whereby he wearies him, by which he indeavors, not only to bring him whom he tempts into the temptation, but into defperation alfo, to make him believe that he belongs not to God, and that God cares not for him, And from hence comes this folly and mifchief becaufe men know not what a great deale of advantage arifeth from a long and often combating with temptations, how it ferves for the breaking of pride which is rooted within us, for the difcovering of other infirmities which would elfe have never been feen, and for the prefervation of humility.
XXV. The fecond craft of the devill is, the strangeneffe of the temptation, for he oft times fets upon many of the elect with unufuall temptations, whereupon it happens that they become very fearefull that they belong not to God, becaufe they cannot heare of any that have bin tempted in the fame fort.
XXVI. The third fubtility is, when the devill goes about to make a man change that ftate wherein he is, and wherein he is well, even as Birds and Fifhes, are often times, by noife and vehement ftirring, driven out of thofe places in which they were fafe from the nets and fnares of the Foulers, and Fifhers.
XXVII. The fourth fubtility is when he invites a man to thofe things that are above his ftrength.
XXVIII. The fifth fubtility is when under the pretence of fome good, he drawes man into danger.
XXIX. The fixth fubtility is when under the pretence of virtue he perfwades a man to fome vice.
XXX. The feventh and moft dangerous fubtility of all, is a peace, and ceffation from temptations, whereupon follows fecurity, floth, pride, contempt of our brethren, hardnes of heart.
XXXI. A man may refift temptations three wayes, 1. He refifts that confents not. The tempter is overcome, if he overcome not us, 2. He refifts temptations that flyes from them and fhunns them, 3. He refifteth which beateth them back & makes oppofition.
XXXII. With a fhunning of temptations we must joyne an indignation. For even as a Marchant that hath fome pretious commodity, will fcorne to looke after, or to hearken to fuch a chapman as fhall offer him for it a great deale under the worth, and fome times falls into an indignation againft him, fo he which lvoes God intirely will not vouchfafe to looke after or hearken to the Devill, whatfoever he offer him, that he would forfake him, yea and he cannot but have an indignation when he offers him that which is infinitely of leffe worth and even nothing at all in comparifon.
XXXIII. And here it is a point of wifdom, and fpirituall fkilfullneffe, fo to cleave unto virtue and to preferve and defend it that the darts of the tempter may not come at us. So many which love God fervently, do fo cleave unto him and bend themfelves to do his pleafure, and do imploy themfelves fo diligently therein, being fixed in fuch kind of excercifes immovably, that the Darts of the temptation do not touch them.
XXXIIII. A temptation is beft of all beaten back by its owne weapon, now every virtue doth fo, as oft as in the temption its beauty and pretioufneffe is ferioufly thought upon, for by fuch a kinde of meditation, both the fines that do tempt us, and the thoughts and darts that proceed from them, are always as it were wounded, and weakened, and fometimes alfo they vanish into nothing, even as darkneffe vanifheth, and flyeth away, where light approacheth; for this caufe onely doth vice, and the pleafures and profits thereof feeme to us in the hour of temptation to be of fome moment worth, becaufe at that time the Law of virtue is hid from our Eyes, either through ignorance, or negligence, even as the onely reafon why rotten wood, and the feales of fifhes do fhine in the night is, because the light of the fun or at leaft other lights are wanting.
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