, he would
be no good man either, since he plainly said he was God. But
through he would go never so far forth with you, yet Christ will,
as I said, not take your service by halves, but will that you shall
love him with all your whole heart. And because, while he was
living here fifteen hundred years ago, he foresaw this mind of
yours that you have now, with which you would fain serve him in
some such fashion that you might keep your worldly substance still,
but rather forsake his service than put all your substance from
you, he telleth you plainly fifteen hundred years ago with his own
mouth that he will have no such service of you, saying, "You cannot
serve both God and your riches together."

And therefore, this thing being established for a plain conclusion,
which you must needs grant if you have faith--and if you be gone
from that ground of faith already, then is all our disputation, you
know, at an end. For how should you then rather lose your goods
than forsake your faith, if you have lost your faith and let it go
already? This point, I say, therefore, being put first for a
ground, between us both twain agreed, that you have yet the faith
still and intend to keep it always still in your heart, and are
only in doubt whether you will lose all your worldly substance
rather than forsake your faith in your word alone; now shall I
reply to the point of your answer, wherein you tell me the lothness
of the loss and the comfort of the keeping hinder you from forgoing
your goods and move you rather to forsake your faith.

I let pass all that I have spoken of the small commodity of them
unto your body and of the great harm that the having of them doth
to your soul. And since the promise of the Turk, made unto you for
the keeping of them, is the thing that moveth you and maketh you
thus to doubt, I ask you first whereby you know that, when you have
done all that he will have you do against Christ, to the harm of
your soul--whereby know you, I say, that he will keep you his
promise in these things that he promiseth you concerning the
retaining of your well-beloved worldly wealth, for the pleasure of
your body?

VINCENT: What surety can a man have of such a great prince except
his promise, which for his own honour it cannot become him to break?

ANTHONY: I have known him, and his father before him too, to break
more promises than five, as great as this is that he should here
make with you. Who shall come and cast it in