f to be awake and talk with him and not be asleep and
dream so, since in my dream I may as surely think so as I know
that I do so. And thus shall he drive me to the same bay to which
I would bring him.

ANTHONY: This is well said, cousin, but yet could he not escape
you so. For the dispensation of God's common precept, which
dispensation he must say that he hath by his private revelation,
is a thing of such sort as showeth itself naught and false. For it
never hath any example like, since the world began until now, that
ever man hath read or heard of, among faithful people commended.

First, as for Abraham, concerning the death of his son: God
intended it not, but only tempted the towardness of the father's
obedience. As for Sampson, all men make not the matter very sure
whether he be saved or not, but yet therein some matter and cause
appeareth. For the Philistines being enemies of God and using
Sampson for their mocking-stock in scorn of God, it is well likely
that God gave him the mind to bestow his own life upon the
revenging of the displeasure that those blasphemous Philistines
did unto God. And that appeareth clear enough by this: that though
his strength failed him when he lacked his hair, yet had he not,
it seemeth, that strength evermore at hand while he had his hair,
but only at such times as it pleased God to give it to him. This
thing appeareth by these words, that the scripture in some place
of that matter saith, "The power or might of God rushed into
Sampson." And so therefore, since this thing that he did in the
pulling down of the house was done by the special gift of strength
then at that point given him by God, it well declareth that the
strength of God, and with it the spirit of God, entered into him
for it.

St. Austine also rehearseth that certain holy virtuous virgins, in
time of persecution, being pursued by God's enemies the infidels
to be deflowered by force, ran into a water and drowned themselves
rather than be bereaved of their virginity. And, albeit that he
thinketh it is not lawful for any other maid to follow their
example, but that she should suffer another to do her any manner
of violence by force and commit sin of his own upon her against
her will, rather than willingly and thereby sinfully herself to
become a homicide of herself; yet he thinketh that in them it
happened by the special instinct of the spirit of God, who, for
causes seen to himself, would rather that they should av