The White Rose of Langley: A Story of the Olden Time — John Shaqi
The White Rose of Langley: A Story of the Olden TimeHolt, Emily Sarah
History
The White Rose of Langley: A Story of the Olden Time
Holt, Emily Sarah
Great Britain -- History -- Lancaster and York, 1399-1485 -- Fiction
"Then if the same hap should chance unto you again, I counsel you to
travail [trouble] yourself neither with Father Dominic nor our Lady, but
to go straight to our Lord Himself. Maybe He were pleased to absolve
you something sooner than Father Dominic. Look you, the priest died not
to atone God for your sins, neither our Lady did not. And if it be, as
men do say, that commonly the mother is more fond [foolishly indulgent]
unto the child than any other, by reason she hath known more travail and
pain [labour] with him, then surely in like manner He that hath borne
death for our sins shall be more readier to assoil them than he that no
did."
These were bold words to speak in the year of grace 1385. But the
Queen's squire, John Calverley, was one of those advanced Lollards of
whom there were very few, and his son had learned of him. Even Wycliffe
himself would scarcely have dared to venture so far as this, until the
latter years of his life. It takes long to convince men that no lesser
advocate is needed between them and the one Mediator with God. And
where they are taught that "Mary is the human side of Jesus," the result
generally is that they lose sight of the humanity of Jesus altogether.
It was not, therefore, unnatural that Maude's answer should have
been,--"But, Master Calverley! so saying you should have no need of our
Lady." She expected Hugh to reply by an indignant denial; and it
astounded her no little to hear him quietly accept the unheard-of
alternative.
"Do you as you list, Mistress Maude," he answered. "For me, I am
content with our Lord."
"Well-a-day! methought all pity [piety] lay in worship of our Lady!"
said Maude, in that peculiar constrained tone which implies that the
speaker feels himself the infinitely distant superior of his antagonist.
"Mistress," was Hugh's answer, "I never said that I was content without
our Lord. I lack an advocate, to the full as well as any; but Saint
Paul saith that `oo [one] God and a mediatour is of God and of men, a
man, Christ Jesu.' And methinks he should be a sorry mediator that
lacked an advocate himself."
Avice had lifted her head, and had fixed her eyes intently on Hugh. She
had said nothing more; she was learning.
"Likewise saith He," resumed Hugh, "that `no man cometh to the Fadir but
by me.' Again, `no man may come to me but if the Fadir that hath sente
me drawe him:' yet `all thing that the Fadir gyueth me schal come to
me.'"
Avice spoke at last.
"`All thing given' and none other? Then without we be given, we may not
come. And how shall a man wit so much?"
"Methinks, Madam," said Hugh, thoughtfully, "that if a man be willing to
come, and to give himself, he hath therein witness that he was given of
the Father."
"But to give himself wholly unto God," added Maude, "signifieth that he
shall take no more pleasure in this life?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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