Ioannis Wolphii Tigurini de christiana perseverantia commentationis consolatoriae, ad N. captivos fratres liber unus. ...

life, which so few take for this very reason, that one must pass through the cross and miseries as if through briars and thorns.

For these reasons, therefore, among the other writings of my father, I wished to bring this one to light above all others, because it would teach those Christians who have occasion to struggle with evils of this kind to persevere in true faith and consolation, and would thus be most suited to these our times. Although it seems to serve only those men whose hearts are too deeply possessed by the face and image of these calamities, to the point that they almost lose hope: for the common crowd usually errs in two ways when bearing adverse things: in deficiency, if they are too secure and are no more affected by these divine punishments than an ass (as the saying goes) is by rain: and on the contrary in excess, if they turn their eyes only toward the atrocity of their sins and crimes and the gravity of the punishment, and do not remember divine clemency and mercy equally: yet, if it is weighed more correctly, it will be seen to be prepared for the removal of both these errors: while it teaches the former to know God as clement and merciful