Part 30 (1/2)

To this, he said, ”It were enough to bury Saints fair in the earth; but now Saints that be dead, be compelled to beg for covetousness! the which in their life, hated covetousness and begging. But I say to you all, and know it for a truth, that with your shrines and idols, and your feigned absolutions and indulgences, and your temporalities, ye draw to you all the richesse of this world.”

=”WHERE IS THE CROSS CHRIST DIED ON?”=

”Why Sir,” said one of the Clerks, ”will ye not wors.h.i.+p images?”

”What wors.h.i.+p?” said the Lord.

Then said Friar [THOMAS] PALMER [Warden of the Minorites], ”Sir, ye will wors.h.i.+p the Cross of CHRIST that he died on?”

”Where is it?” said the Lord.

The Friar said, ”I put case, Sir, that it were here before you!”

The Lord said, ”This is a ready man! to put to me a question of a thing, that they wot never where it is? And yet I ask you, What wors.h.i.+p?”

A Clerk said, ”Such wors.h.i.+p as PAUL speaketh of, that is this, _G.o.d forbid me to joy, but in the cross of our Lord JESU CHRIST._”

Then said the Lord, and spread his arms abroad, ”This is a very cross!”

Then said the [HENRY BEAUCLERC] Bishop of LONDON, ”Sir, ye wot well!

that he died on a material cross.”

Then said the Lord, ”Our salvation come in only by him that died on the cross, and by the material cross. And, well I wot, that this was the cross that PAUL joyed on, that is, in the Pa.s.sion of our LORD JESU CHRIST.”

The Archbishop said, ”Sir JOHN! ye must submit you to the ordinance of the Church!”

The Lord said, ”I wot not whereto?”

=LORD COBHAM ADJUDGED A HERETIC.=

Then the Archbishop read a bill of his judgement, and convicted him for a heretic.

After the reading of the bill, the Lord said, ”Though ye judge my body, I hope to G.o.d! that He will save my soul!” and he said that he ”would stand to the death, by these things beforesaid; with the help of JESU!”

And then he said to all the people, ”Sirs, for G.o.d's love! be well ware of these men! for they will beguile you else! and lead you blindlings into h.e.l.l, and themselves also! For CHRIST saith, 'If one blind man lead another, both fall into the ditch!”

And after this, thus he prayed for his enemies, and said, ”LORD G.o.d! I beseech thee, forgive my pursuers! if it be thy will!”

And then he was led again to the Tower of London: and thus was the end.