Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse Part 21

"-- Then, Sir, since by the word of Christ specially, that is his voice, priests are commanded to preach; whatsoever priest that it be, that hath not goodwill and full purpose to do thus, and ableth not himself after his cunning and power to do his office, by the example of Christ and his Apostles: whatsoever other thing that he doeth, displeaseth G.o.d. For, lo, Saint GREGORY saith, _That thing left, that a man is bound chiefly to do; whatsoever other thing that a man doeth, it is unthankful to the HOLY GHOST._ And therefore saith [ROBERT GROSSETeTE, Bishop of] LINCOLN, _That priest that preacheth not the Word of G.o.d, though he be seen to have none other default, he is Antichrist and Sathanas, a night-thief and a day-thief, a slayer of souls, and an angel of light turned into darkness._

"Wherefore, Sir, these authorities and others well considered, I deem myself d.a.m.nable, if I, either for pleasure or displeasure of any creature, apply me not diligently to preach the Word of G.o.d: and in the same d.a.m.nation, I deem all those priests which, of good purpose and will, enforce them not busily to do thus, and also all them that have purpose or will to let [_hinder_] any priest of this business."

=THE _PSALTER_ TAKEN FROM WILLIAM.=

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said to those three Clerks that stood before him, "Lo, Sirs, this is the manner and business of this losell and such others, to pick out such sharp sentences of Holy Scripture and of Doctors to maintain their sect and lore [_teaching_] against the ordinance of Holy Church. And therefore, losell! is it, that thou covetest to have again the _Psalter_ that I made to be taken from thee at Canterbury, to record sharp verses against us! But thou shalt never have that _Psalter_, nor none other book, till that I know that thy heart and thy mouth accord fully to be governed by Holy Church."

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, all my will and power is, and ever shall be, I trust to G.o.d! to be governed by Holy Church."

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop asked me, "What was Holy Church?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, I told you before, what was Holy Church: but since ye ask me this demand, I call CHRIST and his saints, Holy Church."

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said unto me, "I wot well that CHRIST and his saints are Holy Church in heaven; but what is Holy Church in earth?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, though Holy Church be every one in charity; yet it hath two parts. The first and princ.i.p.al part hath overcomen perfectly all the wretchedness of this life, and reigneth joyfully in heaven with CHRIST. And the other part is here yet in earth, busily and continually fighting, day and night, against temptations of the Fiend, forsaking and hating the prosperity of this world, despising and withstanding their fleshly l.u.s.ts; which only are the pilgrims of CHRIST, wandering towards heaven by steadfast faith, and grounded hope, and by perfect charity. For these heavenly pilgrims may not, nor will not, be letted [_hindered_] of their good purpose by reason of any Doctors discording from Holy Scripture, nor by the floods of any tribulation temporal, nor by the wind of any pride of boast, or of menacing of any creature; for they are all fast grounded upon the sure stone CHRIST, hearing his word and loving it, exercising them faithfully and continually in all their wits to do thereafter."

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said to his Clerks, "See ye not how his heart is endured [_hardened_], and how he is travailled with the Devil, occupying him thus busily to allege such Sentences to maintain his errors and heresies! Certain, thus, he would occupy us here all day, if we would suffer him!"

=THE 1ST CHARGE OF THE SHREWSBURY MEN.=

One of the +Clerks+ answered, "Sir, he said, right now, that this _Certification_ that came to you from Shrewsbury is untruly forged against him. Therefore, Sir, appose you him now here, in all the points which are certified against him; and so we shall hear of his own mouth his answers, and witness them."

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop took the _Certification_ in his hand, and looked thereon awhile; and then he said to me, "Lo, herein is certified against thee, by worthy men and faithful of Shrewsbury, that thou preachedst there _openly in Saint Chad's Church, that the Sacrament of the Altar was material bread after the consecration_. What sayest thou? Was this truly preached?"

=_MATERIAL BREAD_ NOT FOUND IN SCRIPTURE.=

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, I tell you truly that I touched nothing there of the Sacrament of the Altar, but in this wise, as I will, with G.o.d's grace, tell you here.

"As I stood there in the pulpit, busying me to teach the commandment of G.o.d, there knelled a sacring-bell; and therefore mickle people turned away hastily, and with great noise ran from towards me. And I seeing this, say to them thus, 'Good men! ye were better to stand here full still and to hear G.o.d's Word. For, certes, the virtue and the mede of the most holy Sacrament of the Altar standeth much more in the Belief thereof that ye ought to have in your soul, than it doth in the outward Sight thereof. And therefore ye were better to stand quietly to hear G.o.d's Word, because that through the hearing thereof, men come to very true belief.' And otherwise, Sir, I am certain I spake not there, of the worthy Sacrament of the Altar."

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said to me, "I believe thee not!

whatsoever thou sayest, since so wors.h.i.+pful men have witnessed against thee. But since thou deniest that thou saidest thus there, what sayest thou now? Resteth there, after the consecration, in the [h]ost, material bread or no?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, I know of no place in Holy Scripture, where this term, _material bread_, is written: and therefore, Sir, when I speak of this matter, I use not [_am not accustomed_] to speak of material bread."

+Archbishop.+ Then the Archbishop said to me, "How teachest thou men to believe in this Sacrament?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, as I believe myself, so I teach other men."

+Archbishop.+ He said, "Tell out plainly thy belief hereof!"

+William.+ And I said, with my Protestation, "Sir, _I believe that the night before that CHRIST JESU would suffer wilfully Pa.s.sion for mankind on the morn after, he took bread in his holy and most wors.h.i.+pful hands, lifting up his eyes, and giving thanks to G.o.d his Father, blessed this bread and brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying to them_, Take, and eat of this, all of you! This is my body!

"And that this is, and ought to be all men's belief, MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, and PAUL witnesseth.

"Other belief, Sir, have I none, nor will have, nor teach: for I believe that this sufficeth in this matter. For in this belief, with G.o.d's grace, I purpose to live and die: [ac]knowledging as I believe and teach other men to believe, that _the wors.h.i.+pful Sacrament of the Altar is the Sacrament of CHRIST's flesh and his blood, in form of bread and wine_."

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said to me, "It is sooth, that this Sacrament is very CHRIST's body in form of bread: but thou and thy sect teachest it to be the substance of bread! Think you this true teaching?"

+William.+ And I said, "Neither I nor any other of the sect that ye d.a.m.n [_condemn_], teach any otherwise than I have told you, nor believe otherwise, to my knowing.

=ST. PAUL, A DOCTOR OF HOLY CHURCH.=

"Nevertheless, Sir, I ask of you, for charity! that will ye tell me plainly, how ye shall understand this text of Saint PAUL, where he saith thus, _This thing feel you in yourselves, that is, in CHRIST JESU, while he was in the form of G.o.d._ Sir, calleth not PAUL here, _the form of G.o.d_, the substance or kind of G.o.d? Also, Sir, saith not the Church, in the _Hours_ of the most blessed Virgin, accordingly hereto, where it is written thus, _Thou Author of Health! remember that some time thou took, of the undefiled Virgin, the form of our body!_ Tell me, for charity!

therefore, Whether _the form of our body_ be called here, _the kind of our body_, or no?"

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said to me, "Wouldst thou make me declare this text after thy purpose, since the Church hath now determined that 'there abideth no substance of bread after the consecration in the Sacrament of the Altar!' Believest thou not, on this Ordinance of the Church?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, whatsoever Prelates have ordained in the Church, our Belief standeth ever whole. I have not heard that the ordinance of men under Belief, should be put into Belief."

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said to me, "If thou hast not learned this before, learn now, to know that thou art out of belief, if, in this matter, and others, thou believest not as Holy Church believeth! What say Doctors treating of this Sacrament?"

=THE FAITH OF THE CHURCH FOR 1,000 YEARS.=

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, Saint PAUL, that was a great Doctor of Holy Church, speaking to the people and teaching the right belief of this most holy Sacrament, calleth it _bread that we break_. And also in the Canon of the _Ma.s.se_, after the consecration, this most worthy Sacrament is called _holy bread_. And every priest in this land, after he hath received this Sacrament, saith to this wise, _That thing which we have taken with our mouth, we pray G.o.d, that we may take it with a pure and clean mind_: that is, as I understand, 'We pray G.o.d, that we may receive, through very belief, this holy Sacrament worthily.' And, Sir, Saint AUGUSTINE saith, _That thing that is sense is bread, but that men's faith asketh to be informed of, is very CHRIST's body._ And also FULGENTIUS, an ententif Doctor, saith, _As it were an error to say that CHRIST was but a substance, that is Very Man and not Very G.o.d, or to say that CHRIST was Very G.o.d and not Very Man; so is it_, this Doctor saith, _an error to say that the Sacrament of the Altar is but a substance_.

And also, Sir, accordingly hereto, in the _Secret_ of the mid-_Ma.s.s_ of Christmas day, it is written thus, _Idem refulsit DEUS, sic terrena substantia n.o.bis conferat quod divinum est_; which sentence, with the _Secret_ of the fourth ferye _quatuor temporum Septembris_, I pray you, Sir, declare here openly in Englis.h.!.+"

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said to me, "I perceive well enough whereabout thou art! and how the Devil blindeth thee, that thou maist not understand the ordinance of Holy Church, nor consent thereto! But I command thee now, answer me shortly, 'Believest thou that, after the consecration of this foresaid Sacrament, there abideth substance of bread or not?'"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, as I understand, it is all one to grant or to believe that there dwelleth substance of bread, and to grant or to believe that this most worthy Sacrament of CHRIST's own body is one Accident without Subject. But, Sir, for as mickle as your asking pa.s.seth mine understanding, I dare neither deny it nor grant it, for it is a School matter [_a subject for debate in the University Schools_], about which I busied me never for to know it: and therefore I commit this term _accidens sine subjecto_, to those Clerks which delight them so in curious and subtle sophistry, because they determine oft so difficult and strange matters, and wade and wander so in them, from argument to argument, with _pro_ and _contra_, till they wot not where they are! nor understand not themselves! But the shame that these proud sophisters have to yield them to men and before men, maketh them oft fools, and to be concluded shamefully before G.o.d."

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said to me, "I purpose not to oblige thee to the subtle arguments of Clerks, since thou art unable thereto!

but I purpose to make thee obey to the determination of Holy Church."

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, by open evidence and great witness, a thousand years after the Incarnation of CHRIST, that determination which I have, here before you, rehea.r.s.ed was accepted of Holy Church, as sufficient to the salvation of all them that would believe it faithfully, and work thereafter charitably. But, Sir, the determination of this matter, which was brought in since the Fiend was loosed by Friar THOMAS [ACQUINAS, _d._ 1274] again, specially calling the most wors.h.i.+pful Sacrament of CHRIST's own body, an _Accident without Subject_; which term, since I know not that G.o.d's law approveth it in this matter, I dare not grant: but utterly I deny to make this friar's sentence [_enunciation_] or any such other my belief; do with me, G.o.d!

what Thou wilt!"

+Archbishop.+ And the Archbishop said to me, "Well, well! thou shalt say otherwise ere that I leave thee!"

=THE 2ND CHARGE OF THE SHREWSBURY MEN.=

"But what sayest thou to this second point that is recorded against thee, by worthy men of Shrewsbury, saying that thou preachedst openly there that _the images ought not to be wors.h.i.+pped in any wise_?"

+William.+ And I said, "Sir, I preached never thus, nor, through G.o.d's grace, I will not, any time, consent to think nor to say thus; neither privily, nor apertly. For, lo, the LORD witnesseth by Moses, that the things which He made were _right good_, and so then they were, and yet are, and shall be good and wors.h.i.+pful in their kind. And thereto, to the end that G.o.d made them to, they are all preisable [_valuable_] and wors.h.i.+pful; and specially man that was made after the image and likeness of G.o.d is full wors.h.i.+pful in his kind: yea, this holy image, that is man, G.o.d wors.h.i.+ppeth [_respecteth_]. And herefore every man should wors.h.i.+p others in kind, and also for heavenly virtues that men use charitably. Also I say, wood, tin, gold, silver, or any other matter that images are made of; all these creatures [_created things_] are wors.h.i.+pful in their kind, and to the end that G.o.d made them for.

=HOW IMAGE-CARVERS SHRIVE THEMSELVES FIRST.=

"But the carving, casting, nor painting of any imagery made with man's hands (albeit that this doing be accepted of men of highest state and dignity, and ordained of them to be a calendar [_horn book_] to lewd men that neither can nor will be learned to know G.o.d in His Word, neither by His creatures, nor by His wonderful and divers workings); yet this imagery ought not to be wors.h.i.+pped in the form, nor in the likeness of man's craft: nevertheless that every matter that painters paint with, since it is G.o.d's creature, ought to be wors.h.i.+pped in the kind and to the end that G.o.d made and ordained it to serve man."

+Archbishop.+ Then the Archbishop said to me, "I grant well that n.o.body oweth [_ought_] to do wors.h.i.+p to any such images for themselves; but a crucifix ought to be wors.h.i.+pped for the Pa.s.sion of CHRIST that is painted therein, and so brought therethrough to man's mind: and thus the images of the blessed Trinity and of [the] Virgin MARY, CHRIST's mother, and other images of the saints ought to be wors.h.i.+pped. For, lo, earthly kings and lords, which use to send their letters ensealed with their arms or with their privy signet, to men that are with them, are wors.h.i.+pped of these men. For when these men receive their lord's letters, in which they see and know the wills and biddings of their lords, in wors.h.i.+p of their lords, they do off their caps to these letters: why not, then, since in images made with man's hands, we may read and know many divers things of G.o.d and of His saints, shall we not wors.h.i.+p their images?"

+William.+ And I said, with my foresaid Protestation, "I say that these worldly usages of temporal lords that ye speak now of, may be done in case without sin: but this is no similitude to wors.h.i.+p images made by man's hand, since that MOSES, DAVID, SOLOMON, BARUCH, and other saints in the _Bible_, forbid so plainly the wors.h.i.+pping of all such images."