VINCENT: The third kind of tribulation, uncle, remaineth now--that
is, that which is sent a man by God, and not for his sin either
committed or which otherwise would come, and therefore is not
medicinable, but is sent for exercise of our patience and increase
of our merit, and therefore better than medicinable. Though it be,
as you say (and as indeed it is) better for the man than any of the
other two kinds in another world, where the reward shall be
received, yet I cannot see by what reason a man can in this world,
where the tribulation is suffered, take any more comfort in it than
in any of the other twain that are sent him for his sin. For he
cannot here know whether it be sent him for sin before committed,
or for sin that otherwise should befall, or for increase of merit
and reward after to come. For every man hath cause enough to fear
and think that his sin already past hath deserved it, and that it
is not without peril for a man to think otherwise.

ANTHONY: This that you say, cousin, hath place of truth in far the
most part of men. And therefore must they not envy nor disdain,
since they may take in their tribulation sufficient consolation for
their part, that some other who is more worthy may take yet a great
deal more. For, as I told you, cousin, though the best must confess
himself a sinner, yet there are many men--though to the multitude,
few--who for the kind of their living and the clearness of their
conscience may well and without sin have a good hope that God
sendeth them some great grief for the exercise of their patience
and for increase of their merit. This appeareth not only by St.
Paul, in the place before remembered, but also by the holy man Job,
who in sundry places of his disputations with his burdensome
comforters forbore not to say that the clearness of his own
conscience declared and showed to himself that he deserved not that