"The Charters of Christ seek to prove human salvation by closely imitating the form and language of feudal grants of land. Their use of Latin, Middle English, and pictorial elements makes them accessible to a variety of audiences. In Piers Plowman, on the other hand, charters may appear to grant pardon or salvation, but in the end they fail to provide real assurance. The more closely a document follows the letter of the law, the further it is from God's spirit."--BOOK JACKET.