De arte praedicatoria

It has been said what preaching is, what it ought to be like, and about what matters it ought to be made; now it remains to show whose office preaching ought to be. Preaching ought to belong to prelates, and it is to be set forth by them. For to them belong two things, teaching and life: teaching, so that they may instruct others; life, so that they may offer to others an example of good living. To signify this, it was commanded that the mouth of the turtledove be turned back to the wings in the sacrifice.¹ By the turtledove is figured the simplicity of the preacher; by the turning back to the wings is understood that the preacher ought to have in deed what he proposes in word.

The same is also figured by the curving back of the pastoral staff, that what he preaches to others, he may reflect back upon himself, by reason of good work. To convey these two things, namely prudence and good life, it is said of the steward: Who then, do you think, is the faithful and prudent servant? etc.² For the preacher must be faithful in word and in deed; faithful in word, lest he mix false things with true; faithful in word, lest he propose the word with an eye to human favor; faithful in word, lest he sell his preaching for earthly gain; faithful in word, lest he contradict his words with his deeds. Whence it is said of false preachers: Our innkeepers mix water with wine.³ For they mix water with wine who preach false things along with true, as heretics do; likewise those who sell the word for human favor, as hypocrites do; who extract earthly things through preaching, as hirelings do; who contradict in deed what they say in word, as false Christians do.

He must also be faithful in deed, so that what he does, he does with right intention, and makes God the end of the deed itself. Thus he must be prudent in word and deed. In word, that he may know what things are to be preached, and what not. In deed, that he may know to whom and when things are to be preached; namely, greater things to the greater, lesser things to the lesser. To whom, lest the holy thing of God be set before the unworthy as before dogs, nor pearls be handed over to be trampled underfoot by swine.⁴ When, that he may propose the word when the time demands it, and be silent when the opportunity of the time is lacking; because as Solomon says: There is a time to speak, and a time to be silent.⁵

To preachers belongs knowledge, that they be trained in both Testaments, discerning in the examination of sentences, eloquent in sermons, circumspect in all their acts, despisers of the world, diligent in their office. For of the prelate Malachi says: The lips of the priest keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law from his mouth, because he is the angel of the Lord of hosts.⁶ And Jesus the son of Sirach says: If you have knowledge, answer your neighbor; if not, let your hand be upon your mouth, lest you be caught by an undisciplined word.⁷ For that gospel saying is greatly to be feared: If the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit.⁸ And this saying of the Apostle: he who is ignorant will be ignored.⁹ And what will the Lord say to the foolish virgins? Amen I say to you, I do not know you.¹⁰ And that saying: cursed be the old man who is still learning his letters. Likewise: Cursed shall be the sinner of a hundred years.¹¹

Now there is a certain affected ignorance, when someone is able to know and does not wish to, this is coarse and supine, and conquerable, and therefore inexcusable. Of this it is said: He was unwilling to understand, that he might act well.¹² Likewise: Man, when he was in honor, did not understand; he was compared to senseless beasts, and made like unto them.¹³ This ignorance belongs to prelates, who through contempt slip into ignorance; through pride they remain in folly: priests and prophets without reason; teachers of impossible things, judges of hidden things.

O base ignorance, abominable folly, which imposes silence on the prelate, renders our dog, that is the shepherd, mute; this is the calamites, which, thrown into the mouth of a dog, takes away its barking. The prelates of our time sit in the chair before they are trained under the rod; they receive the honor of mastership before they bear the burden of a disciple. These wish to preside, not to profit others, the reward of honor, not the weight of the burden. To such a prelate one may say: Physician, heal yourself;¹⁴ plead the case for yourself; you who are the vicar of Christ, imitate his own work, who began to do and to teach.¹⁵ For he who teaches and does not act contradicts Christ; he places unbearable burdens on his subjects, but is unwilling to move them with his finger. Some hide the talent of divine wisdom entrusted to them in a napkin; namely, those who through negligence refuse to preach: some hide it in a dunghill, namely those who contradict in works what they say in words; others in mud, who hide the word out of envy.