And in the communication, upon these words of St. John, “Give not credence to every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they be of God,” and these words of St. Paul, “The angel of Satan transfigureth himself into the angel of light,” you shall take occasion (the better if they hap to come in on his side), but yet not lack occasion neither if those texts, for lack of his offer, come in upon your own—­occasion, I say, you shall not lack to enquire by what sure and undeceivable tokens a man may discern the true revelations from the false illusions.  A man shall find many such tokens both here and there in divers other authors and all together in divers goodly treatises of that good godly doctor, Master John Gerson, entitled De probatione spirituum. As, whether the party be natural in manner or seem anything fantastical.  Or, whether the party be poor-spirited or proud.  The pride will somewhat appear by his delight in his own praise; or if, of wiliness, or of another pride for to be praised of humility, he refused to hear of that, yet any little fault found in himself, or diffidence declared and mistrust of his own revelations and doubtful tokens told, wherefore he himself should fear lest they be the devil’s illusion—­such things, as Master Gerson saith, will make him spit out somewhat of his spirit, if the devil lie in his breast.  Or if the devil be yet so subtle that he keep himself close in his warm den and blow out never a hot word, yet it is to be considered what end his revelations tend to—­whether to any spiritual profit to himself or other folk, or only to vain marvels and wonders.  Also, whether they withdraw him from such other good virtuous business as, by the common rule of Christendom or any of the rules of his profession, he was wont to use or bound to be occupied in.  Or whether he fall into any singularity of opinions against the scripture of God, or against the common faith of Christ’s Catholic Church.  Many other tokens are spoken of in the work of Master Gerson, by which to consider whether the person, neither having revelations of God nor illusions from the devil, do feign his revelations himself, either for winning of money or worldly favour, and delude the people withal.

But now for our purpose:  If, among any of the marks by which the true revelations may be known from false illusions, that man himself bring forth, for one mark, the doing or teaching of anything against the scripture of God or the common faith of the church, you may enter into the special matter, in which he can never well flee from you.  Or else may you yet, if you wish, feign that your secret friend, for whose sake you come to him for counsel, is brought to that mind by a certain apparition showed unto him, as he himself saith, by an angel—­as you fear, by the devil.  And that he cannot as yet be otherwise persuaded by you but that the pleasure of God is that he shall go kill himself.  And that he believeth if he do so he shall then be thereby