+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 GOD, and GOD 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 GOD, that is, GOD's Word; since it is all one to swear by the Word of GOD and by GOD 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 GOD (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 GOD; and take thy charge!" +William.+ And I said, "Sir, I understand that the Holy Gospel of GOD 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 GOD; 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 GOD'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_.