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THUS much let it suffice to have spoken, as far as, by God's help, our
slender ability was able, concerning spiritual pride of which we have said
that it attacks advanced Christians. And this kind of pride is not familiar
to or experienced by most men, because the majority do not aim at attaining
perfect purity of heart, so as to arrive at the stage of these conflicts;
nor have they secured any purification from the preceding faults of which
we have here explained both the character and the remedies in separate
books. But it generally attacks those only who have conquered the former
faults and have already almost arrived at the top of the tree in respect of
the virtues. And because our most crafty enemy has not been able to destroy
them through a carnal fall, he endeavours to cast them down and overthrow
them by a spiritual catastrophe, trying by this to rob them of the prizes
of their ancient rewards secured as they were with great labour. But as for
us, who are still entangled in earthly passions, he never deigns to tempt
us in this fashion, but overthrows us by a courser and what I called a
carnal pride. And therefore I think it well, as I promised, to say a few
things about this kind of pride by which we and men of our stamp are
usually affected, and the minds especially of younger men and beginners are
endangered.
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