XII. To rug ProPLE or PirsEN! (Undated: March 1412)
To the good—perseverance in virtue; and to the evil—a holy knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Dear lords and brothers in God’s grace, I hear to my great grief that there is a difference and dissension among you concerning divine truth, and that you who began well are doing badly, vexing God, losing your souls, showing a bad example to others, flinging away your integrity, and for the
[himself if he had come with the request. First one commission of]
[cardinals was appointed who obtained beautiful horses, silver cups,]
[and precious rings from his adversaries. Then the Pope transferred]
[the matter to others, and the same thing happened again. Of the latter]
[commission some are dead, some in the prisons of Ladislaus, Then the]
[Pope himself took up the matter, saying that he wished to decide it him-]
[self, All men,” he added, have got something from the case, but I]
[have nothing.” But when my advocates pleaded for a hearing he]
[refused, and asked for yellow knights,” of which Goose had had none,]
[nor would he have given them if he had possessed them, So the Pope,]
[wanting to get these “knights “(a gold coin), ordered my proctors to]
[be thrown into prison (Doe. 726; cf. Mon. i. 235, 332, and Doc, 191). Written in Czech; see supra, p. 58, for the circumstances.]
i 62 FROM THE DEATH OF ZBINEK: insignificant gain of this world are holding of small moment the life eternal. Why do you not recall our Saviour’s words: What doth it profit a, man if he gain the whole world but suffer the loss of his soul? and what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?! Why do 3 you not recall that you were a good example to all 3 Bohemia by your goodly concord, your attention to 1 God’s word, and the restraint you exercised over a 4 wrong spirit? Oh! how strangely you have forgotten 2 thatit was your holy union in that which is good r that defended you from your enemies, enriched you, 3 and marked you out before God and man! The? devil, God’s enemy, saw this, and took it so much to: heart that he aroused the members of Antichrist: and himself to drive divine grace and goodwill out 3 of you. And now the unclean spirit has returned to the: house from which he had been driven out. Taking seven p spirits more wicked tham himself, he has come back; amd 1 the last state is made worse than the first? He hath 3 swept out of you the divine word, and restored to z you frivolities, gambling, and other sins! Where is i the Shepherd of your souls? How does He guide H you? Your wound hath not been pointed out. There ri is none to have pity on you, to pour in oil and wine 4 and to bind wp the wound? inflicted on you by the 3 thieves. Methinks you are attended by those who: administer poison to you by making light of Holy A Writ, and who pour in the oil, not of true love, but of i flattery. You do not understand that the smooth- £ tongued flatterer is an enemy, while he that chastises 5 is a lover and a healer of wounds, although the sick 3 man is angry and murmurs at the chastisement. O E holy Gregory! great Pope, thou sayest: He alone shall 3! Mark viii. 36-7. ^ Luke xi. 246. Lukex. 34..
be my friend, who shall cleanse away my soul’s impurity. Dear saint, pray for the people of Pilsen, that in this matter they may be imitators of you; and then, as of old, they will spread abroad God’s word, will love sermons preached against sins, wil embrace their true leaders and reject ravening wolves. Then they wil perceive that he who chastises leads them to God, while the flatterer separates them from Godand that while the flatterer nourishes with poison, the chastiser restores with wine. They wil remember that they are soon to die, and that he who dies well will be in bliss, while the wretch that has defiled himself will fall into eternal fire.
O beloved followers of Christ! you know that a good name 4s better than precious ointment? What are you doing with your good name, which used to be of this kind: “The people of Pilsen are above all i peaceable, administer their municipality aright, love God’s word, drive out priest’s paramours and procurers, have put down gambling, and show a good example to other cities.” Faithfully had God cared for you and had sown wheat among you, but the devil scattered tares, so that the wheat was choked: Oh! in the name of the dear Lord God, in the name of His shameful and cruel martyrdom, in the name of your salvation, your honour, the correction of others and your own happiness, return, you that have strayed, return to the truth. You that are holy, become more holy still! For the Lord God saith: The time is at hand: he that hurteth, let him hurt still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is just, let him be justified still: and he that is holy, let him be I have not discovered this passage