Show MEDIAEVAL AL PREACHING Sermons Though Preserved in I Latin atin Were Delivered In irs the Vernacular V The Puritans were not not as has been supposed supposed supposed sup sup- posed tho Inventors of ot extemporary preaching the practice was distinctly mediaeval mediaeval me me- me and was stopped about tho time of Elizabeth Elzabeth As to tho the language language we meet with wih difficulties to determine which were In Latin and which In the countless dialects of ot tho the day which so 50 10 continually fluctuated that It Is a matter of wonder won won- d der dr r how tho the missionaries could In many cases case have done the work they are credIted credited credited cred cred- with wih unless s we presuppose on the part pat of tho masses a much greater knowledge knowl knowl- edge O of Latin than Is commonly supposed This however o i would seem eo to be PC probable proba proba- ble his namely that the tine ad lum of the tho eighth ninth and tenth centuries con cen h tunes s were e Os generally delivered f I In the ver- ver and n extemporary x and afterward e translated i te ten Into n Latin y either by r the orator himself or some hearer What will strike the tho average non non-Cath- alic alc as os wi so very strange In view of the current t opinion to tho opposite Is the l almost f ls marvelous g grasp p of scripture Pt e ethE of the thE typical mediaeval preacher whether we consider the number of quotations same their variety Neale W or estimates t the Interpretation as 10 t to 1 tg the of the ra ratie ratio ra- ra tie tio tC between a mediaeval it sermon an and that of a a modern divine as regards rEgards the number number num num- ber bee of texts customarily cited The contrast contrast contrast con con- Is still greater greter when we turn to the tho manner of citation the mediaeval preacher preach preach- er or e citing naturally oly easily logically as one saturated with wih scripture from Us its ls being his own dally daily spiritual u food the modern o I m HI ill at t ease a lra tacking R ona iO quotation ot rol rolo here f and there f uselessly altogether lt e ewhen with tt the I air o of a man nu who feels rather shaky when ire treating an alt al unfamiliar subject the theone theone theone one evidently read the scriptures the other other oth oth- er Cr only concordance rea and index The second prominent characteristic of mediaeval preaching was Its Is practical sense common character c especially a l when I n i appealing t to the masses Their popularity t ty with wih the latter later would bo be sufficient proof of this assertion even oven if we had not prof the tho sermons s themselves to judge e by Of 1 g OG de sN N Neuilly hu W a celebrated el A ep p preacher of the tile thirteenth century we aro are told b ba bv by a contemporary that h he excited x to O such extent x te all ro people le not only I of the l lower orders but Kings s KI and anel Princes as well wel by y his few and simple words that nono none dare oppose him lm People r rushed h In n crowds d t from o different rl nl countries o to hear a him f Those hose who were able to tear and preserve prem preserve pre pre- serve the smallest fragment e of his s dress esteemed m de themselves e l nappy happy P so 50 much fH so In fact tact that to save lois Ills own wardrobe nono too extensive at host boat the good nan made mack the sign of the cross over another man alan whose clothes tho the people Immediately Immediate Immediate- ly tore to rags as relics of the benedic benedic- tion Catholic ra World Word |