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My beloved, seeing that we showed yesterday the love which ought to be between wife and husband, yet we showed it not fully: for sometimes their love of each other will become carnal and displeasing to God. Wherefore we will speak this morning the manner in which each ought to love the other.. . . For ignorance excuses not from sin. . . . So for example of a priest who undertakes to do his priestly work, that is, to consecrate the Lord's Body, and knows not the manner nor the words of consecration, how would you hold this man excused? If, indeed, he sins even in that he does not as he should. Hear now what befel once upon a time; for this is to our present point. There were two priests who spake together, and one said unto the other, "How do you say the words of consecration for Christ's Body? "I" (said the other) "I say Hoc est Corpus meum" Then began they to dispute one with other: "You say not well"-"Nay, it is you who says ill"-and, as they disputed thus, there came another priest to whom they told the whole matter, and who said: "Neither one of you says well, nor the other, for the true words Hoc est corpusso meusso": and proceeded by demonstration: "You see how he says corpusso, wherefore the adjective should be meusso; therefore (I say) henceforth say you nothing else but: Hoc est corpusso meusso." To which speech the others consented not: wherefore they accorded together to a parish priest near by, going to him of set purpose and laying the case before him. Then the parish priest answering "Ha, what needs all this ado? I go to it right simply; I say an Ave Maria over the Host!" - Now, I ask you, are these men excused? See you not that they make men adore a God a mere piece of bread? Be sure that each of them commits a most deadly sin, seeing that it was their bounden duty to do after the manner which Jesus Christ has ordained to Holy Church. So I say also that, whatever a man does, it is his bounden duty to know all that pertains to that thing….But the mother sins more than the daughter, if she does not teach as she ought. I say that the mother should teach her under pain of mortal sin; for otherwise she sets her daughter in grievous peril, together with her husband.. . . Moreover, you confessors, whenever such folk come into your hands, take heed that you admonish them shrewdly. For whence comes this?-from not knowing that which they should know. In old days, this sacrament was wont to be held in the greatest devotion, and no girl went to her husband without confession and communion. Men had much more devotion to the sacraments than they have in these days.. . . Moreover I say, you are not excused by your evil purpose: for there are some men and women who say they love not to hear such things in public sermons.-Why will you not hear? -Because I would fain do after my own fashion, and my ignorance will hold me excused - That is as the prophet David says: "He would not understand that he might do well": he would not hear, that he might do after his own will.-Oh (said he) I do it not through unwillingness to do well! These things are not lawful matter for sermons, therefore I will not hear - What! how then, if they are lawful to do, how (I say) is it not lawful for me to admonish thee? A hit, a palpable hit, in your teeth! Know you what? You are like unto Madonna Saragia.[ ie "Mrs Cherry"] Lo! I will tell you what befel once upon a time in Siena. There was a lady called Madonna Saragia who loved well those great cherries of the Mark. She had a vineyard that lay out there-you know, out towards the convent of Munistero. One May, therefore, when her farmer-bailiff came to Siena, Madonna Saragia asked him: " Have you then no cherries yet in the vineyard?" "O," said he, "I waited till the should be a little riper." And she: "See then that you bring them on Saturday, or come not hither to Siena again!" The bailiff promised; and on the Saturday he took a great basket of cherries and came to Siena and brought them to the lady. When therefore she saw him, she made much of him, and took the basket. "Thrice welcome! Oh. how much good you have done me!" and, taking the basket apart into her private chamber, she began to eat the cherries by the handful; (they were fine and large, they were cherries of the Mark!) To be brief, she took a skin-full of the cherries. Then, when her husband came home to dinner, the lady took a little basket of these fruit, and laid them on the table, and said: "The bailiff is come, and has brought us a few cherries." And when the meal was finished, she took these cherries and began to eat thereof, in the bailiff's presence. And as she ate, she took them one by one and made seven bites of each cherry; and in eating she said to the bailiff: "What eating is there of cherries out in the country?" "Lady," said he, "we eat them as just you eat them in your room: we eat them by the handful!" "Ugh! la! " cried she, " How says the fellow? fie on you, knave!" "Lady," said he again, "we eat them as I have said." Here
the preacher goes on to comment on Rom. 1:27, I Thess. 4, 4, I Cor 7:4,
Exodus 20:14, and Ezekiel 18:6 From C.G. Coulton, ed, Life in the Middle Ages, (New York: Macmillan, c.1910), Vol 1, 216-229 [The translation in Coulton has been considerably modernized here.] This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use. (c)Paul Halsall August 1996
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