Book Review: St. Thomas More's "A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation"

A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation by St. Thomas More; Aeterna Press, available here.

St. Thomas More was a respected lawyer and trust friend of King Henry VIII in early 16th century England. In the midst St. Thomas More was a respected lawyer and trust friend of King Henry VIII in early 16th century England. In the midst of the Protestant Reformation that was upending Europe, remained a steadfast and committed Catholic as Henry VIII chose to split England from Catholic Church so that he could procure a declaration of nullity for his marriage. St. Thomas More was appointed to the position of Chancellor after his predecessor, Cardinal Wolsey, was dismissed by King Henry, accepting the position on the condition that he would not be involved in the matters of the King's marriage, and in 1534 when Henry severed from Rome and declared himself to be the head of the Church in England, More held his ground yet against, refusing to swear allegiance to Henry as the head of the Church. ^1^ Because of his refusal to acknowledge Henry VIII as the head of the Church, he was imprisoned in April 1534 and beheaded in July 1535.^2^

His time of imprisonment, however, was not a fruitless time of simply awaiting his eventual martyrdom. Rather, he was allowed to have some writing utensils, and it was during this time that he penned what would become a Christian classic; his Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation. The Dialogue is a fictional conversation spanning no small amount of time between two men, Vincent and Anthony, in an exchange that is somewhat reminiscent of the dialogues written of Socrates by Plato, in that two people come together for a deeper understanding of some truth, and while one is the wiser over the other, they nevertheless both have great insights to offer the reader. One of the difficulties I found in reading this book and writing a review, however, is that even from the beginning of the dialogue there are so often entire sections of well-explicated thought and consolation that to convey them would mean to have an overly-lengthy review, but I shall try my best to make summaries of them.

The fictional dialogue between Anthony, a wise religious Christian, and his younger cousin Vincent, the Dialogue is a conversation taking place during a Turkish invasion of their home country by an exceptionally cruel Turkish leader. As a result, Vincent is seeks out the wisdom and comfort of his wise uncle, Anthony. Regarding the Turkish leader, Vincent writes that "his might strength and power, his high malice and hatred, and his incomparable cruelty, with robbing, spoiling, burning and laying waste all the way that his army cometh." ^3^ Interestingly, however, is that despite how cruel and horrendous the Turkish leader is with regards to his treatment of Christians, More writes (as Vincent) that "there is no born Turk so cruel to Christian folk as is the false Christian that falleth from the faith." ^4^ It is a quick line, but one which offers a unique insight into the seriousness with which More (and presumably his contemporaries) viewed the seriousness with which they took the faith.

Anthony continually encourages Vincent to focus on God as the sole comfort during any such tribulations. Many a man try to find comfort in the wisdom of man, but without a recognition and turn to God, relying on these "blind apothacaries" will do one more harm than good. Anthony likens the reliance on human wisdom absent God to a physician who gives incorrect or useless medicines for ailments; "For therewith do they kill up in corners many such simple folk as they find so foolish as to put their lives in the hands of such ignorant and unlearned Blind Bayards." ^5^

More writes that there are essentially two kinds of people during trials of tribulation: "one sort that will not seek for comfort, and another sort that will." And each of these two groups can be further divided into two groups each.

Of those "that will not seek for comfort," he writes there are two people. The first group are those who will be so drowned in sorry that "they fall into a careless deadly dullness, regarding nothing, thinking almost of nothing, no more than if they lay in lethargy," which is the "highest kind of deadly sin of sloth." The second subgroup is that person who does not wish to seek out nor with to receive comfort, but in their tribulation choose to lash out at others in their anger and frustration, such that it "profiteth no man to speak to them." Of those that will "seek comfort," there are two. First is group that find comfort in worldly pleasures. The second group, then is that group proper to the Christian, in that it is "those who long and desire to be comforted by God." ^6^

In some ways, the metaphorical "danger on the horizon," alluded to as the Turkish invader, is reminiscent of the tribulation which we are going through at our current time. Unlike tribulations of old, such as in the early centuries of the Church which faced a very visible threat, we are facing an invisible threat in the coronavirus. The dangers beset by this virus, either directly as a result of acquiring the virus, or indirectly through the dreaded economic collapse, dreaded civil unrest, and the fear of death absent the sacraments, are on the metaphorical horizon and something which we are anxiously preparing for. To such trials and tribulations of our own, More as Anthony writes: "Verily if we people of the Christian nations were such as would God we were, I would little fear all the preparations that the great Turk could make. No, nor yet, being as bad as we are, I doubt not at all but that in conclusion, however base Christendom be brought, it shall spring up again, till the time be come very near to the day of judgment[.]" ^7^ In other words, no matter how bad things get, no matter how low Christendom is brought down, he does not doubt that it will spring forth again in Christ.

The advice of More in the Dialogue is more than simple platitudes of "have faith." Rather, his call for us to have faith and rely on God is also based on things that we do ourselves; in other words, it is practical as well. There is a strong emphasis on prayer, reliance on scripture, the various spiritual riches that are offered through the Church, and a meditation on the passion of Christ. He writes that "special verses may be drawn out of the psalter, against the devil's wicked temptations… which in such horrible temptation are pleasing to God and to the devil very terrible." Special focus is placed on the words of Christ himself as taken from the temptation in the desert - "begone Satan" - and the Pater Noster prayer - "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." ^8^

Ultimately, the Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation is a spiritual reading which allows one to understand in a more thorough way the nature of man, the ways of God, the tricks of the devil, and allowing man to understand the purpose of tribulations in his life. Though we may encounter numerous trials and tribulations in this life, we must never forget that the ultimate enemy is the devil, and it would behoove us to keep our focus on the true enemy, no mater what circumstances we find ourselves in. At the end of the Dialogue, More writes (for lack of a better words) these fighting words, the call to arms of the Church Militant:

"The devil it is, therefore, who, if we will fall for fear of men, is ready to run upon us and devour us. And is it wisdom, then, to think so much upon the Turks that we forget the devil? What a madman would he be who, when a lion were about to devour him, would vouchsafe to regard the biting of a little fisting cur? Therefore, when he roareth out upon us by the threats of mortal men, let us tell him that with our inward eye we see him well enough, and intend to stand and fight with him, even hand to hand. If he threaten us that we be too weak, let us tell him that our captain Christ is with us, and that we shall fight with the strength of him who hath vanquished him already. And let us fence with faith, and comfort us with hope, and smite the devil in the face with the firebrand of charity." ^9^


^1^ Alan Schreck, PhD, The Compact History of the Catholic Church, (Servant: Cincinnati, 2009), 77-78.

^2^ Germain P. Marc'hadour, Thomas More: English Humanist and Statesman., Encyclopedia Britannica (27 April 2020) at britannica.com

^3^ Thomas More, A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation (Aeterna Press: New York, 2015), 4.

^4^ Ibid.

^5^ More, Dialogue, 7.

^6^ More, Dialogue, 9-10

^7^ More, Dialogue, 123.

^8^ More, Dialogue, 98-99.

^9^ More, Dialogue, 201.