Part 47 (2/2)
[Footnote 1128: Bibl. Nat. Latin Collection, no. 6199, folio 36.
_Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 395-410. Lanery d'Arc, _Memoires et consultations_, pp. 365 _et seq._ Le P. Ayroles, _La Pucelle devant l'eglise de son temps_, pp. 31-52.]
The great doctor Gerson, former Chancellor of the University, was then ending his days at Lyon in the monastery of Les Celestins, of which his brother was prior. His life had been full of work and weariness.[1129] In 1408 he was priest of Saint-Jean-en-Greve in Paris. In that year he delivered in his parish church the funeral oration of the Duke of Orleans, a.s.sa.s.sinated by order of the Duke of Burgundy; and he roused the pa.s.sions of the mob to such a fury that he ran great danger of losing his life. At the Council of Constance, possessed by a so-called ”merciful cruelty”[1130] which goaded him to send a heretic to the stake, he urged the condemnation of John Huss, regardless of the safe-conduct which the latter had received from the Emperor; for in common with all the fathers there a.s.sembled he held that according to natural law both divine and human, no promise should be kept if it were prejudicial to the Catholic Faith. With a like ardour he prosecuted in the Council the condemnation of the thesis of Jean Pet.i.t concerning the lawfulness of tyrannicide. In things temporal as well as spiritual he advocated uniform obedience and the respect of established authority. In one of his sermons he likens the kingdom of France to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar, making the merchants and artisans the legs of the statue, ”which are partly iron, partly clay, because of their labour and humility in serving and obeying....” Iron signifies labour, and clay humility. All the evil has arisen from the King and the great citizens being held in subjection by those of low estate.[1131]
[Footnote 1129: Launoy, _Historia Navarrici Gymasii_, book iv, ch. v.
J.B. Lecuy, _Essai sur la vie de Jean Gerson, chancelier de l'eglise et de l'universite de Paris, sur sa doctrine, sur ses ecrits...._ Paris, 1832, 2 vols. in 8vo. Vallet de Viriville, _Histoire de Charles VII_, vol. ii, p. 94. A.L. Ma.s.son, _Jean Gerson, sa vie, son temps, ses oeuvres_, Lyon, 1894, 8vo.]
[Footnote 1130: _Par une cruaute misericordieuse._ Du Boulay, _Historia Universitatis Parisiensis_, vol. iv, p. 270.]
[Footnote 1131: Gerson, _Opera_, vol. iv, pp. 668-678.]
Now, crushed by suffering and sorrow, he was teaching little children.
”It is with them that reforms must begin,” he said.[1132]
[Footnote 1132: Gerson, _Adversus corruptionem Juventutis_. A.
Lafontaine, _De Johanne Gersonio puerorum adulescentiumque inst.i.tutore...._ La Chapelle-Montligeon, 1902, in 8vo.]
The deliverance of the city of Orleans must have gladdened the heart of the old Orleanist partisan. The Dauphin's Councillors, eager to set the Maid to work, had told him of the deliberations at Poitiers, and asked him, as a good servant of the house of France, for his opinion concerning them. In reply he wrote a compendious treatise on the Maid.
In this work he is careful from the first to distinguish between matters of faith and matters of devotion. In questions of faith doubt is forbidden. With regard to questions of devotion the unbeliever, to use a colloquial expression, is not necessarily d.a.m.ned. Three conditions are necessary if a question is to be considered as one of devotion: first, it must be edifying; second, it must be probable and attested by popular report or the testimony of the faithful; third, it must touch on nothing contrary to faith. When these conditions are fulfilled, it is fitting neither persistently to condemn nor to approve, but rather to appeal to the church.
For example, the conception of the very holy Virgin, indulgences, relics, are matters of faith and not of devotion. A relic may be wors.h.i.+pped in one place or another, or in several places at once.
Recently the Parlement of Paris disputed concerning the head of Saint Denys, wors.h.i.+pped at Saint-Denys in France and likewise in the cathedral at Paris. This is a matter of devotion.[1133]
[Footnote 1133: Gallia Christiana, vol. vii, col. 142. Jean Juvenal des Ursins, year 1406.]
Whence it may be concluded that it is lawful to consider the question of the Maid as a matter of devotion, especially when one reflects on her motives, which are the rest.i.tution of his kingdom to her King and the very righteous expulsion or destruction of her very stubborn enemies.
And if there be those who make various statements concerning her idle talk, her frivolity, her guile, now is the time to quote the saying of Cato: ”Common report is not our judge.” According to the words of the Apostle, it doth not become us to call in question the servant of G.o.d.
Much better is it to abstain from judgment, as is permitted, or to submit doubtful points to ecclesiastical superiors. This is the principle followed in the canonisation of saints. The catalogue of the saints is not, strictly speaking, necessarily a matter of faith, but of pious devotion. Nevertheless, it is not to be highly censured by any manner of man.
To come to the present case, the following circ.u.mstances are to be noted: First, the royal council and the men-at-arms were induced to believe and to obey; and they faced the risk of being put to shame by defeat under the leaders.h.i.+p of a girl. Second, the people rejoice, and their pious faith seems to tend to the glory of G.o.d and the confounding of his enemies. Third, the enemy, even his princes, are in hiding and stricken with many terrors. They give way to weakness like a woman with child; they are overthrown like the Egyptians in the song sung by Miriam, sister of Moses, to the sound of the timbrel in the midst of the women who went out with her with timbrels and with dances: ”Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”[1134] And let us likewise sing the song of Miriam with the devotion which becometh our case.
[Footnote 1134: Exodus, xv, 20, 21 (W.S.).]
Fourth, and in conclusion, this point is worthy of consideration: The Maid and her men-at-arms despise not the wisdom of men; they tempt not G.o.d. Wherefore it is plain that the Maid goes no further than what she interprets to be the instruction or inspiration received from G.o.d.
Many of the incidents of her life from childhood up have been collected in abundance and might be set forth; but these we shall not relate.
Here may be cited the examples of Deborah and of Saint Catherine who miraculously converted fifty doctors or rhetoricians, of Judith and of Judas Maccabeus. As is usually the case, there were many circ.u.mstances in their lives which were purely natural.
A first miracle is not always followed by the other miracles which men expect. Even if the Maid should be disappointed in her expectation and in ours (which G.o.d forbid) we ought not to conclude therefrom, that the first manifestation of her miraculous power proceeded from an evil spirit and not from heavenly grace; we should believe rather that our hopes have been disappointed because of our ingrat.i.tude and our blasphemy, or by some just and impenetrable judgment of G.o.d. We beseech him to turn away his anger from us and vouchsafe unto us his favour.
Herein we perceive lessons, first for the King and the Blood Royal, secondly for the King's forces and the kingdom; thirdly for the clergy and people; fourthly for the Maid. Of all these lessons the object is the same, to wit: a good life, consecrated to G.o.d, just towards others, sober, virtuous and temperate. With regard to the Maid's peculiar lesson, it is that G.o.d's grace revealed in her be employed not in caring for trifles, not in worldly advantage, nor in party hatred, nor in violent sedition, nor in avenging deeds done, nor in foolish self-glorification, but in meekness, prayer, and thanksgiving.
And let every one contribute a liberal supply of temporal goods so that peace be established and justice once more administered, and that delivered out of the hands of our enemies, G.o.d being favourable unto us, we may serve him in holiness and righteousness.
At the conclusion of his treatise, Gerson briefly examines one point of canon law which had been neglected by the doctors of Poitiers. He establishes that the Maid is not forbidden to dress as a man.
Firstly. The ancient law forbade a woman to dress as a man, and a man as a woman. This restriction, as far as strict legality is concerned, ceases to be enforced by the new law.
<script>