A most sweet and assured comfort for all those that are afflicted in conscience…A most sweete and assured comfort for all those that are afflicted in consciscience…

To them which are troubled with such blind griefs, whereof they can see no reason, as often it happeneth to Gods Children; who either never knew God, or had but a general knowledge of him. I answer, that as I deny no Physic to be ministered, if it in part proceed from a natural cause, so I require the word especially to show the principal and original cause to begin in the soul. And this I do the rather, because I would have wisdom both in considering the state of the body if need so require; and in looking chiefly to the soul, which so few think of. If a ⟨image 53⟩man troubled in conscience come to a Minister, it may be he will look all to the soul and nothing all to the body; if he cometh to a Physician, he only considereth of the body, & neglecteth the soul: for my part, I would never have the Physicians counsel severed, nor the Ministers labour neglected; because the soul and body dwelling together, it is convenient, that as the soul should be cured by the word, by prayer, and by fasting, by threatening, or by comforting; so the body also should be brought into some temperature, by Physic, by purging, by diet, ⟨image 54⟩by restoring, by music, and by such like means; providing always that it be still done so in the fear of God, and wisdom of his spirit, as we think not by these ordinary means to smoother or smoke out our troubles; but as purposing to use them as preparatives, whereby both our souls and bodies may be made more capable of the spiritual means to follow after.

To them which are troubled with such blinde griefes, whereof they can see no reason, as often it happeneth to Gods Children; who either neuer knew God, or had but a general knowledge of him. I answere, that as I denie no Phisicke to bee ministred, if it in part proceed from a naturall cause, so I require the word especially to shew the principall and originall cause to begin in the soule. And this I doo the rather, because I would haue wisedome both in considering the state of the bodie if need so require; and in looking chiefly to the soul, which so few thinke of. If a ⟨image 53⟩man troubled in conscience come to a Minister, it may be he will looke all to the soule and nothing all to the bodie; if hee commeth to a Phisition, hee onely considereth of the bodie, & neglecteth the soul: for my part, I would neuer haue the Phisitions counsell seuered, nor the Ministers labour neglected; because the soule and bodie dwelling together, it is conuenient, that as the soule should be cured by the word, by prayer, and by fasting, by threatening, or by comforting; so the bodye also should bee brought into some temperature, by Physicke, by purging, by dyet,