Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/52

 40 HISTORY OF THE GERMAN TEOPLE of a single citizen ; in Neuffen, of a lady ; in Blaubeuren, Dornstetten, and Bottwar, of a priest ; as also those of Brackenheim and Sulz. This priest, Thomas Pfluger, pastor of Leidringen, founded the pulpit endowment ' under the conviction that the Word of God, devoutly preached and listened to, brings to man abundant graces and blessings in this life, and helps him to gain eternal salvation, for, through preaching, the human reason and understanding are enlightened, and man is led to correct his life and imitate Jesus Christ in the doing of good deeds, in order to be pleasing to God. Preaching incites man to observe the Divine command- ments.' At the close of the Middle Ages there were, in the diocese of Augsburg, twelve towns possessing pulpit endowments where preaching was regularly held. The number of collections of sermons and other works printed for the use of preachers is a conclusive evidence of how extensively preaching was cultivated at the period of the invention of printing. There are still extant more than one hundred such works of more or less value, consisting of sermons for the Sundays and holy days of the year, for Lent and Advent, serial discourses on the Commandments and the seven deadly sins, as well as exhortations for various occasions. Among the most noteworthy writers of such works are the Carthusian Dyonisius, the Franciscans Heinrich Herp and Johannes Meder, and the Dominican Johann Herolt ; the Augustinian Gottschalk Hollen ; the Canons Paul Wann and Michael Lochmayer ; and the three great theologians, Ulrich Krafft, pastor of Ulm ; Gabriel Biel, cathedral preacher of Mentz, and after- wards professor at Tubingen ; and Geiler von Kaisers- berg. In the whole collection there is scarcely one