I - General plan of Grossetete's life.

Summary

The sketch of Bishop Grossetete's life and virtues is thus delineated in a few words by Matthew Parisa where he styleth him, ‘That great Doctor of the Church, thoroughly versed in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. The lover of truth, the diligent searcher into the Holy Scriptures, the protector of the widow and orphan, the instructor of the people, the teacher of the clergy, the patron of scholars, the director of priests, the persecutor of the unchaste, the corrector of monks, the reprover of prelates, the bold and open reprehender of king and pope, and lastly the Hammer (alias scourge) and contemner of the Romans.’

These outlines of our prelate's life the Reader will see filled up throughout his whole story. There he will see him, a Lover of truth and wisdom, which from his youth he preferred to corporeal satisfactions. A ‘diligent searcher of the Holy Scriptures’, which he made the foundation of his sacred studies and pressed the same rational method upon his disciples. A ‘protector of the widow and orphan’, whom he assisted himself and interceded for with others. An ‘instructor of the people’, to whom he constantly preached to under the distractions of his professorship, and the occupations of the episcopacy. A ‘teacher of the clergy’, whether in his synods, or ordinations, or visitations. A ‘director of priests’, not only by wise regulations but by the vigorous and indefatigable execution thereof and by his own example. A ‘patron of Scholars’, whether in directing the studies of his diocesan University of Oxford, or by promoting to the Church dignities, such as were respectable for their learning and virtue. A ‘persecutor of the unchaste’, whether among the clergy, religious or laity, more especially among the two first of those three orders, whom when found incorrigible, he deprived of their benefices and expelled from his diocese. A ‘corrector of monks’, in seeing that they observed the rules of perfection, prescribed to them by their holy founders and by them professed, especially in the articles of poverty and chastity. In reforming the relaxed by wise constitutions, and putting the disorderly under penance. A ‘reprover of prelates’, whether abbots, rectors, doctors or bishops, sometimes by charitable and eloquent letters, and sometimes by the censures of the Church. A bold ‘reprehender of kings and popes’, by remonstrating to them, in a free, yet humble and respectful manner, whenever he found them reprehensible.