Fiction

Contraband

by Chris Gailer
07/03/14
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CONTRABAND

by Chris Gailer

[email protected]

Peter Schoeffer owned a printing press in the Rhineland town of Worms. It was a modest business but it brought in enough money to feed and clothe his family. Most of his work
consisted of printing newsletters for the local churches, schools and the council. He also printed flyers to promote various community events. It was not often however, that he got a really large project and he longed to print something he deemed worthwhile. His father had been in a partnership in one of the largest printing businesses inEurope. His notable work had included the Latin Psalter and the Latinus Herbarius which illustrates and describes 150 plants.

Peter and his family lived in an apartment above the print shop. This meant that he was never far away from his work. His clients could always find him and if they had an urgent job for him he could work well into the night before retiring to his room upstairs. This ability to finish a job quickly brought him a reputation and hence more clients.

He employed two boys to help him with the business. They were both from poor families who had sent them into the workforce at an early age in order to bring more income into their households. Peter had found out from talking with them that without the money he paid them their parents could not afford to pay rent and would be forced out to live on the streets. Peter felt some pride in the fact that he was helping to prevent these two families from falling into poverty.

The boys names were Simon and John. They were hard and honest workers. Perhaps they feared that otherwise they might lose their vital jobs. He had taught them all that he knew of the printing trade. He knew that one of them-Simon, had ambitions to one day own a printing press and Peter paid particular attention to him. Whenever Peter had a job that would cause him to work well into the night, Simon would stay back to work with him.

It was on one of those nights that the stranger called. A stranger with a special task. A stranger that would cause Peter and Simon to work back many nights on a project that would change their lives forever.

The College was holding an athletics carnival throughout the next week. They needed five thousand leaflets printed before the next morning so that they could distribute them around the local community. Peter and Simon had just finished the job and were bundling them into stacks of one hundred when their was a knock on the door.

“I thought you weren't coming for your leaflets until the morning” Peter shouted towards the locked door of his shop. “We aren't finished bundling them yet. Come back in the morning.”

“I don't know anything about any leaflets” called the faceless voice from the other side of the door, “but I do have an important project that I would like you to complete.”

“Everybody thinks their job is important” snarled Peter at the door. “I am in the middle of a job for the College. Come back tomorrow and give me your job and I will consider it.”

“I can see you tomorrow then?” called the faceless voice. “Great, and my job is of utmost importance. It may save many lives.”

Peter then heard footsteps gradually fading as the stranger walked away from his shop. He looked at Simon and shrugged. “What could ever be that important. Come on, we had better get this finished so you can get home.”

The next morning Simon arrived early to help Peter. He not only wanted to be there to help load the leaflets onto the College's cart, but he was eager to find out who this stranger was and what job he had that was so important.

John arrived at the print shop just as the College cart pulled up. He set to work in helping with the loading immediately. Simon told him of the stranger who had called the previous night and how he reckoned that his job must really be important for him to call at such a strange hour.

“I reckon he has something to hide if he came to the shop at night” replied John. “Anyway, did you get a good look at him?”

“Nah, door was locked and he never came in the shop.” Simon realized he would not know him if he saw him again. Only one thing he might recognize, his accent was English.

Once the cart was loaded they went into the print shop to prepare for their next job. The Council of Worms had sent the minutes of their last meeting to be printed. This job would be easy as only four copies were required. We should knock this over in an hour, Peter thought.

Just as they were beginning to set up the print blocks there was a knock on the door. Simon rushed over and opened the door.

“Good morning young lad.” It was the voice of the stranger who had visited the previous night. Simon could not mistake that English accent.

“How can I help you?' Peter had walked over, also recognizing the voice from the night before.

“I have a manuscript I have been working on. I need five thousand copies printed and shipped to London.”

Peter considered the magnitude of such a project when he saw the thickness of the manuscript. “This would take many weeks to complete.”

“I will pay handsomely and all your expenses will be covered.” replied the stranger as he handed over the manuscript.

Peter opened up the manuscript and found that it was written in English. Peter was fluent in English as well as his own native German tongue so he would have no trouble understanding the content of the manuscript. As he turned over the pages he recognized what it was and looked up at the stranger in astonishment.

“This book is contraband. I will not make copies for you. Take your business elsewhere.” Peter was defiant.

“Please Mr. Schoeffer I have tried many other printers and have been turned away each time.”

“And rightly so,” interrupted Peter. “Do you realize the trouble I could be in if I did help you out? The authorities would close my shop down and incarcerate me.”

“Then you need to work on it secretly. Continue to work on other projects and work on my project at night.”

“And what makes you think I will do that for you. I would be taking a great risk, and no matter how much you are willing to pay, I don't think it is worth the possibility of losing my business and my freedom.”

“Have you ever read this book Mr. Schoeffer?” the stranger inquired.

“No I haven't” replied Peter, “but what difference would it make if I did?”

“I challenge you to read it before deciding not to print it. You may come to realize just how important it is, it may challenge you to think about the direction of your own life. Please read it, I will be back in a week for your decision.”

“But just having this book in my shop may be dangerous.”

“Just one week, and if you are not convinced after reading through it I will take my business elsewhere.”

Peter reluctantly took the manuscript as the stranger turned and left his shop. I will read it, Peter thought, but I must keep it hidden. I will take it up to my apartment and read through it at night. My wife cannot read English so there is no danger of her discovering that I have a contraband manuscript in my possession.

Peter began reading that very night. He became fascinated with the story of a man who had lived some 1500 years earlier. The man was called Jesus and he spoke with some authority. Even the leaders of the day could not argue against him. The people would flock to hear him speak. He made some incredible claims about himself which amounted to a claim that he was God. He also seemed to be a man of compassion. He cared for those who followed him and performed many healing miracles.

He did, however have his enemies who conspired against him, particularly from among the religious leaders. They hated his popularity and called him a blasphemer. They eventually
had him arrested and hanged on a cross. Yet his followers claimed that he was raised from the dead.

Peter Schoeffer doubted this at first but he continued to read. As he did so he saw a transformation in the lives of Jesus' followers. At his arrest they had run away like cowards, but after they began to claim that he had risen they spoke out boldly about him, sometimes in the face of great opposition. He read of a man called Paul who had at first opposed these followers. He had turned completely to follow Jesus.

The manuscript also had letters written by this man Paul. As Peter read through them he became convinced that his own life needed some changes. He was convicted of the fact that he had rebelled against God and that the only way to be put right again was to believe in Jesus' resurrection and to follow him.

He had seen the priests pray and they always knelt, but they always used Latin which Peter couldn't understand. He resolved to speak to the stranger about it and decided that other people needed to know about it. He would print copies of the stranger's manuscript.

The stranger returned a week later just as he said. Peter told him about how he felt after reading the manuscript and his confusion over prayer being in Latin.

The stranger laughed and told him that he had translated the Bible into English so that the ordinary person could understand. “God is accessible to everyone, you can pray to him in any language.” He knelt down with Peter and showed him how to pray, suggesting what words he should use.

When they had finished they both stood up. Peter felt happier than he had ever felt before. The stranger told him that he was now a Christian. A child of God and that his destiny was in heaven. They talked about arrangements for printing copies of the manuscript and having them shipped to London and then shook hands.

As the stranger was leaving Peter called out to him “I didn't catch your name.”

The stranger turned and smiled. “We will be seeing a lot of each other over the coming months. My name is Tyndale, William Tyndale.”

Postscript: History tells us that William Tyndale translated the New Testament into English and had it printed by Peter Schoeffer in the city of Worms in 1526. He was condemned for this and for other brave acts which were designed to get the Word of God into the hands of the common man. In 1536 he was tried on a charge of heresy and sentenced to death.

As for the fate of Peter Schoeffer we are told little more than the fact that he was employed to print Tyndale's translation. I do not know whether the experience actually did cause him to become a Christian but he must have read at least parts of the manuscript. One must wonder whether he was touched by what he read.

'For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart' Heb 4:12 (NIV).