Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse Part 24

=WILLIAM TO EXPLAIN CHRYSOSTOM'S _HOMILY_.=

+William.+ And, certain, I was somewhat afraid to answer hereto; for I had not busied me to study about the sense hereof: but lifting up my mind to G.o.d, I prayed Him, of grace. And, as fast, as I thought how CHRIST said to his apostles, _When, for my name, ye shall be brought before judges, I will give into your mouth, wisdom, that your adversaries shall not against say_ [gainsay]; and trusting faithfully in the Word of G.o.d, I said, "Sir, I know well, that many men and women have now swearing so in custom, that they know not, nor will not know that they do evil for to swear as they do: but they think and say, that they do well for to swear as they do; though they know well that they swear untruly. For they say, 'They may by their swearing, though it be false, [a]void blame or temporal harm; which they should have, if they swore not thus.'

"And, Sir, many men and women maintain strongly that they swear well, when that thing is sooth that they swear for.

"Also full many men and women say now that 'It is well done to swear by creatures, when they may not (as they say) otherwise be believed.'

"And also full many men and women now say that 'It is well done to swear by G.o.d and by our Lady, and by other Saints; for to have them in mind!'

"But since all these sayings are but excusations [_excuses_] and sin, methinketh, Sir, that this sentence of CHRYSOSTOM may be alleged well against all such swearers: witnessing that these sin grievously; though they think themselves for to swear in this foresaid wise, well. For it is evil done and great sin for to swear truth, when, in any manner, a man may excuse him without oath."

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said that "CHRYSOSTOM might be thus understood."

+A Clerk.+ And then a Clerk said to me, "Wilt thou tarry my Lord no longer! but submit thee here meekly to the ordinance of Holy Church; and lay thine hand upon a book, touching the Holy Gospel of G.o.d, promising, not only with thy mouth but also with thine heart, to stand to my Lord's ordinance?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, have I not told you here, how that I heard a Master of Divinity say that, in such a case, it is all one to touch a book, and to swear by a book?"

=ARCHBP.'S VIEWS ENFORCED BY FORCE.=

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said, "There is no Master of Divinity in England so great, that if he hold this opinion before me, but I shall punish him as I shall do thee, except thou swear as I shall charge thee!"

=SPECIMEN OF THE ARGUMENTS OF SCHOOLMEN.=

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, is not CHRYSOSTOM an ententif Doctor?"

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said, "Yea!"

+William.+ And I said, "If CHRYSOSTOM proveth him worthy great blame that bringeth forth a book to swear upon, it must needs follow that he is more to blame that sweareth on that book!"

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said, "If CHRYSOSTOM meant according to the ordinance of Holy Church, we will accept him!"

+A Clerk.+ And then said a Clerk to me, "Is not the Word of G.o.d, and G.o.d Himself _equipollent_, that is, of one authority?"

+William.+ And I said, "Yea!"

+A Clerk.+ Then he said to me, "Why wilt thou not swear, then, by the Gospel of G.o.d, that is, G.o.d's Word; since it is all one to swear by the Word of G.o.d and by G.o.d Himself?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, since I may not, now, otherwise be believed but by swearing, I perceive, as AUGUSTINE saith, that it is not speedful that ye, that should be my brethren, should not believe me: therefore I am ready, by the Word of G.o.d (as the LORD commanded me by His Word), to swear."

+A Clerk.+ Then the Clerk said to me, "Lay, then, thine hand upon the book, touching the Holy Gospel of G.o.d; and take thy charge!"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, I understand that the Holy Gospel of G.o.d may not be touched with man's hands!"

+A Clerk.+ And the Clerk said I fonded [_fooled_], and that I said not truth.

+William.+ And I asked this Clerk, "Whether it were more to read the Gospel, or to touch the Gospel?"

+A Clerk.+ And he said, "It was more to read the Gospel!"

=GOSPEL HID IN THE LETTER OF SCRIPTURE.=

+William.+ Then I said, "Sir, by authority of Saint JEROME, the Gospel is not the Gospel for [_through_] reading of the letter, but for the belief that men have in the Word of G.o.d; that it is the Gospel that we believe, and not the letter we read: for because the letter that is touched with man's hand is not the Gospel, but the sentence that is verily believed in man's heart is the Gospel. For so Saint JEROME saith, _The Gospel, that is the virtue of G.o.d's Word is not in the leaves of the book, but it is in the root of reason. Neither the Gospel,_ he saith, _is in the writing above of the letters; but the Gospel is in the marking of the sentence of Scriptures_.

"This sentence approveth Saint PAUL, saying thus, _The Kingdom of G.o.d is not in word, but in virtue._ And DAVID saith, _The voice of the LORD, that is, His Word, is in virtue._ And, after, David saith, _Through the Word of G.o.d, the heavens were formed; and in the Spirit of His mouth is all the virtue of them._ And I pray you, Sir, understand ye well how DAVID saith that, _in the Spirit of the mouth of the LORD is all the virtue of angels and of men_"?

+A Clerk.+ And the Clerk said to me, "Thou wouldst make us to fond with thee! Say we not that the Gospels are written in the _Ma.s.s_ book?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, though men use [_are accustomed_] to say thus, yet it is unperfect speech. For the princ.i.p.al part of a thing is properly the whole thing: for, lo, man's soul that may not now be seen here, nor touched with any sensible thing, is properly Man! And all the virtue of a tree is in the root thereof, that may not be seen; for do away with the root, and the tree is destroyed! And, Sir, as ye said to me, right now, G.o.d and His Word are of one authority; and, Sir, Saint JEROME witnesseth that CHRIST, Very G.o.d and Very Man, is hid in the letter of his Law; thus also, Sir, the Gospel is hid in the letter!

"For, Sir, as it is full likely many divers men and women here in the earth touched CHRIST, and saw him, and knew his bodily person; which neither touched, nor saw, nor knew ghostly his G.o.dhead: right thus, Sir, many men now touch, and see, and write, and read the Scriptures of G.o.d's Law, which neither touch, see, nor read effectually the Gospel. For as the G.o.dhead of CHRIST, that is, the virtue of G.o.d, is known by the virtue through belief; so is the Gospel, that is CHRIST's Word!"

+A Clerk.+ And a Clerk said to me, "These be full misty matters and unsavoury, that thou showest here to us!"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, if ye, that are Masters, know not plainly this sentence, ye may sore dread that the Kingdom of Heaven be taken from you! as it was from the Princes of Priests and from the Elders of the Jews."

+A Clerk (? Malveren).+ And then a Clerk, as I guess MALVEREN, said to me, "Thou knowest not thine equivocations! for the 'Kingdom of Heaven'

hath diverse understandings. What callest thou the 'Kingdom of Heaven'

in this sentence, that thou shewest here?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, by good reason, and sentence of Doctors, the Realm of Heaven is called here, the understanding of G.o.d's Word."

+A Clerk.+ And a Clerk said to me, "From whom, thinkest thou, that this understanding is taken away?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, by authority of CHRIST himself, the effectual understanding of CHRIST's word is taken away from all them chiefly which are great-lettered [_learned_] men, and presume to understand high things, and will be holden wise men, and desire masters.h.i.+p and high state and dignity: but they will not conform them to the living and teaching of CHRIST and of His Apostles."

+Archbishop.+ Then the Archbishop said, "Well, well, thou wilt judge thy sovereigns! By G.o.d! the King [_HENRY IV._] doeth not his duty, but he suffer thee to be condemned!"

=THEY LAYED WAIT TO ENTRAP WILLIAM.=

+A Clerk.+ And then another Clerk said to me, "Why, on Friday last, that was [_August 5, 1407_], counselledst thou a man of my Lord's, that he should not shrive him to Man, but only to G.o.d?"

And with this asking, I was abashed; and then, by and by, I knew that I was surely betrayed of a man that came to me in prison [? _at Saltwood Castle_] on the Friday before, communing with me in this matter of confession: and, certain, by his words, I thought that this man came then to me of full fervent and charitable will. But now I know, he came to tempt me and to accuse me. G.o.d forgive him, if it be His holy will!

And with all mine heart, when I had thought thus, I said to this Clerk, "Sir, I pray you that ye would fetch this man hither! and all the words, as near as I can repeat them, which that I spake to him on Friday in the prison, I will rehea.r.s.e now here, before you all, and before him."

+Archbishop.+ And, as I guess, the Archbishop then said to me, "They that are now here, suffice to repeat them. How saidest thou to him?"

=TALK ON CONFESSION, IN SALTWOOD CASTLE.=

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, that man came and asked me of divers things; and after his asking, I answered him, as I understood that good was. And, as he shewed to me by his words, he was sorry for his living in Court, and right heavy for his own vicious living, and also for the viciousness of other men, and specially of priests' evil living; and herefore, he said to me with a sorrowful heart, as I guessed, that he purposed fully, within short time, for to leave the Court, and busy him to know G.o.d's Law, and to conform all his life hereafter.

"And when he had said to me these words, and others more, which I would rehea.r.s.e and [_if_] he were present, he prayed me to hear his confession.

"And I said to him, 'Sir, wherefore come ye to me, to be confessed of me? Ye wot well that the Archbishop putteth and holdeth me here, as one unworthy either to give or to take any Sacrament of Holy Church!'

"And he said to me, 'Brother, I wot well, and so wot many others more, that you and such others are wrongfully vexed; and herefore I will common [_commune_] with you the more gladly.'