FIFTH CHAPTER

How God converted a heathen in a foreign land through this pious layman, and how that the Holy Ghost still to this day displays His grace with the same power that He showed on the day of Pentecost, when He finds fitting hearts to receive Him. Further, how this pious man gives still better instruction to the Doctor in these matters, and shows him that he is a true Pharisee, and brings him to submit to be converted and amend his ways.

THEN said the Master, “If God give thee grace to say still more, I should heartily rejoice in it, for I tell thee in all sincerity that I have listened to thee gladly, dear son: now I beg thee for God’s sake do not leave me, but stay here, and if thou lack money I will not let thee want for anything, if I have to pledge a book for it.” Then said the man, “God reward you, dear sir: know that I need not your kindness, for God hath made me a steward of His goods, so that I have of earthly wealth five thousand florins, which are God’s, and if I knew where there was need of them, or where God would have them bestowed, I would give them away.” Then said the Master, “Then, dear son, thou art indeed the steward of a rich man and a great Lord! I am in great wonderment about that thou saidst, 60that I and all teachers could not teach thee as much by the Day of Judgment as thou hast been taught in an hour. Now tell me, for I wish to hear, has the Scripture proceeded from the Holy Ghost?” Then said the man, “Sir, methinks it seems impossible that after I have said so much to you, you should talk in such a childish fashion! Look here, dear Master! I will ask you a question, and if with all your reason you can explain it to me, either by the Scriptures, or without the Scriptures, I will give you ten thousand florins.” Then said the Master, “What is that?” The man said, “Can you instruct me how I should write a letter to a heathen far away in a heathen land, in such fashion and language that the heathen should be able to read and understand it; and make the letter such that the heathen should come to the Christian faith?” Then said the Master, “Dear son, these are the works of the Holy Ghost; tell me where has this happened? If thou know anything of the matter, tell me in what way this came to pass, and whether it happened to thyself?” Then said the man, “Albeit I am unworthy of it, yet did the Holy Spirit work through me, a poor sinner; and how it came to pass would take long to tell, and make such a long story that one might write a large book about it: The heathen was a very good-hearted man, and often cried to Heaven, and called upon Him who had made him and all the world, and said: ‘O Creator of all creatures, I have been born in this land: now the Jews have another faith, the Christians another. O Lord, who art over all, and hast made all creatures, if there be now any faith better than that in which I have been born, or if there be 61any other better still, show it to me in what wise Thou wilt, so that I may believe it, and I will gladly obey Thee and believe: but if it should be that Thou dost not show it me, and I should die in my faith, since I knew no better, if there were a better faith, but Thou hadst not shown it nor revealed it to me, Thou wouldst have done me a grievous injustice.’ Now, behold, dear sir, a letter was sent to that heathen, written by me, a poor sinner, in such sort that he came to the Christian faith; and he wrote me a letter back again, telling what had befallen him, the which stood written in a good German tongue, that I could read it quite well. Dear sir, there were much to be said on this matter, but for this time it is enough; you are well able to mark the meaning thereof.” Then said the Master, “God is wonderful in all His works and gifts! Dear son, thou hast told me very strange things.”

The man said, “Dear sir, I fear that I have said some things to you which have vexed you greatly in your mind; it is because I am a layman, and you are a great doctor of Holy Scripture, and yet I have said so much to you after the manner of a teacher. But that I have meant it well and kindly, and sought your soul’s salvation in it, and simply the glory of God, and nothing else, of that God is my witness.” Then said the Master, “Dear son, if it will not make thee angry, I will tell thee what vexes me.” Then said the man, “Yea, dear sir, speak without fear; I promise not to take it amiss.” The Master said, “It amazes me greatly, and is very hard to receive, that thou being a layman, and I a priest, I am to take instruction from thee; and it also troubles me much that thou calledst me a 62Pharisee.” Then said the man, “Is there nothing else that you cannot take in?” The Master answered, “No, I know of nothing else.” Then said the man, “Shall I also explain to you these two things?” He answered, “Yes, dear son, I pray thee in all kindness to do so, for God’s sake.” Then said the man, “Now tell me, dear Master, how it was, or whose work it was, that the blessed Saint Katharine, who was but a young virgin barely fourteen years old, overcame some fifty of the great masters, and moreover so prevailed over them that they willingly went to martyrdom? Who wrought this?” Then said the Master, “The Holy Ghost did this.” Quoth the man, “Do you not believe that the Holy Ghost has still the same power?” The Master, “Yes, I believe it fully.” The man, “Wherefore then do you not believe that the Holy Ghost is speaking to you at this moment through me, a poor sinner and unworthy man, and is minded to speak to you? He spoke the truth through Caiaphas, who was also a sinner; and know, that since you take what I have said to you so much amiss, I will refrain from saying anything to you for the future.” Then said the Master, “Dear son, do not do that: I hope, if God will, to be the better for thy words.” The man said, “Ah, dear sir, it vexes you also that I should have called you a Pharisee, and yet I gave you such full proof of it that you could not deny it. This should have been enough to content you, but since it is not, I must say still more, and prove to you once again, that I am right, and that you are what I said. Dear Master, you know very well that our Lord Jesus Christ said himself, ‘Beware of the Pharisees, for they bind heavy burdens, and grievous 63to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.’ Now, dear sir, look at yourself; in this sermon of yours you have bound and laid upon us twenty-four articles, and you keep few enough of them yourself. Again: Our Lord said, ‘Beware of the Pharisees: whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do, but do not ye after their works, for they say and do not.’” Quoth the Master, “Our Blessed Lord spoke these words to the men of his own day.” The man said, “He speaks them still, now and evermore, to all men. Dear Master, look at yourself; whether you touch these burdens and bear them in your life is known to God and also to yourself; but I confess that as far as I can judge of your present condition, I would rather follow your words than your life. Only look at yourself, and see if you are not a Pharisee in the eyes of God; though not one of those false hypocritical Pharisees whose portion is in hell-fire.” The Master said, “I know not what I shall say; this I see plainly, that I am a sinner, and am resolved to better my life, if I die for it. Dear son, I cannot wait longer; I pray thee, simply for God’s sake, to counsel me how I shall set about this work, and show me and teach me how I may attain to the highest perfection that a man may reach on earth.” Then said the man, “Dear sir, do not be wroth with me; but I tell you of a truth that such counsel is scarcely to be given you; for if you are to be converted, all your wonted habits must be broken through with great pain; because you must altogether change your old way of life: and besides I take you to be near fifty years old.” Then said the Master, 64“It may be so; but O dear son, to him who came into the vineyard at the eleventh hour was given his penny the same as to him who came in at the first. I tell thee, dear son, I have well considered the matter, and my heart is so firmly set that if I knew this moment that I must die for it, I would yet, with the help of God, cease from my carnal life, and my earthly reasonings, and live according to thy counsel. I beseech thee for God’s sake not to keep me longer waiting, but to tell me this moment how I must begin.” Then said the man, “Dear sir, because you have received grace from God, and are willing to humble yourself and submit, and to bow down before a poor, mean, unworthy creature; for all this let us give the glory to God, to whom it is due, for this grace proceeds from him, and flows back to Him. Since then, dear sir, I am to instruct you, and counsel you in God’s name, I will look to Him for help, and do so in love to Him, and set you a task such as they give children to begin with at school,—namely, the four-and-twenty letters of the alphabet, beginning with A: