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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +This etext was prepared by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk +from the 1883 Cassell & Co. edition edition. + + + + + +SERMONS ON THE CARD AND OTHER DISCOURSES + +by Hugh Latimer + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + + +Hugh Latimer, a farmer's son, was born about the year 1491, at +Thurcaston, in Leicestershire. He was an only son, with six +sisters, who were all well cared for at home. He was a boy of +fourteen when sent to Clare College, Cambridge. When about twenty- +four years old, he had obtained a college fellowship, had taken the +degree of Master of Arts, and was ordained Priest of the Roman +Church at Lincoln. In 1524, at the age of about thirty, he +proceeded to the degree of B.D., and on the occasion of his doing so +he argued publicly for the Pope's authority against opinions of +Melancthon. Thomas Bilney went afterwards to Latimer's rooms, gave +him his own reasons for goodwill to the teaching of Melancthon, and +explained to him his faith as a Reformer in a way that secured +Latimer's attention. Latimer's free, vigorous mind, admitted the +new reasonings, and in his after-life he looked always upon "little +Bilney" as the man who had first opened his eyes. + +With homely earnestness Latimer began soon to express his new +convictions. His zeal and purity of life had caused him to be +trusted by the University as a maintainer of old ways; he had been +appointed cross-bearer to the University, and elected one of the +twelve preachers annually appointed in obedience to a bull of Pope +Alexander VI. Now Latimer walked and worked with Bilney, visiting +the sick and the prisoners, and reasoning together of the needs of +Christendom. The Bishop of the diocese presently forbade Latimer's +preaching in any of the pulpits of the University. Robert Barnes, +prior of the Augustinian Friars at Cambridge, a man stirred to the +depths by the new movement of thought, then invited Latimer to +preach in the church of the Augustinians. Latimer was next summoned +before Wolsey, whom he satisfied so well that Wolsey overruled the +Bishop's inhibition, and Latimer again became a free preacher in +Cambridge. + +The influence of Latimer's preaching became every year greater; and +in December, 1529, he gave occasion to new controversy in the +University by his two Sermons on the Card, delivered in St. Edward's +Church, on the Sunday before Christmas, 1529. Card-playing was in +those days an amusement especially favoured at Christmas time. +Latimer does not express disapproval, though the Reformers generally +were opposed to it. The early statutes of St. John's College, +Cambridge, forbade playing with dice or cards by members of the +college at any time except Christmas, but excluded undergraduates +even from the Christmas privilege. In these sermons Latimer used +the card-playing of the season for illustrations of spiritual truth +drawn from the trump card in triumph, and the rules of the game of +primero. His homely parables enforced views of religious duty more +in accordance with the mind of the Reformers than of those who held +by the old ways. The Prior of the Dominicans at Cambridge tried to +answer Latimer's sermon on the cards with an antagonistic sermon on +the dice: the orthodox Christian was to win by a throw of cinque +and quatre--the cinque, five texts to be quoted against Luther; and +the quatre the four great doctors of the Church. Latimer replied +with vigour; others ranged themselves on one side or the other, and +there was general battle in the University; but the King's Almoner +soon intervened with a letter commanding silence on both sides till +the King's pleasure was further declared. The King's good-will to +Latimer was due, as the letter indicated, to the understanding that +Latimer "favoured the King's cause" in the question of divorce from +Katherine of Arragon. + +In March, 1530, Latimer was called to preach before Henry VIII., at +Windsor. The King then made Latimer his chaplain, and in the +following year gave him the rectory of West Kington, in Wiltshire. +The new rector, soon accused of heresy, was summoned before the +Bishop of London and before Convocation; was excommunicated and +imprisoned, and absolved by special request of the King. When +Cranmer became Archbishop of Canterbury, Latimer returned into royal +favour, and preached before the King on Wednesdays in Lent. In +1535, when an Italian nominee of the Pope's was deprived of the +Bishopric of Worcester, Latimer was made his successor; but resigned +in 1539, when the King, having virtually made himself Pope, dictated +to a tractable parliament enforcement of old doctrines by an Act for +Abolishing Diversity of Opinion. From that time until the death of +Henry VIII. Latimer was in disgrace. + +The accession of Edward VI. brought him again to the front, and the +Sermon on the Plough, in this volume, is a famous example of his use +of his power under Edward VI., as the greatest preacher of his time, +in forwarding the Reformation of the Church, and of the lives of +those who professed and called themselves Christians. The rest of +his story will be associated in another volume of this Library with +a collection of his later sermons. + +H. M. + + + +SERMONS ON THE CARD. + + + +THE TENOR AND EFFECT OF CERTAIN SERMONS MADE BY MASTER LATIMER IN +CAMBRIDGE, ABOUT THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1529. + + + +Tu quis es? Which words are as much to say in English, "Who art +thou?" These be the words of the Pharisees, which were sent by the +Jews unto St. John Baptist in the wilderness, to have knowledge of +him who he was: which words they spake unto him of an evil intent, +thinking that he would have taken on him to be Christ, and so they +would have had him done with their good wills, because they knew +that he was more carnal, and given to their laws, than Christ indeed +should be, as they perceived by their old prophecies; and also, +because they marvelled much of his great doctrine, preaching, and +baptizing, they were in doubt whether he was Christ or not: +wherefore they said unto him, "Who art thou?" Then answered St. +John, and confessed that he was not Christ. + +Now here is to be noted the great and prudent answer of St. John +Baptist unto the Pharisees, that when they required of him who he +was, he would not directly answer of himself what he was himself, +but he said he was not Christ: by the which saying he thought to +put the Jews and Pharisees out of their false opinion and belief +towards him, in that they would have had him to exercise the office +of Christ; and so declared further unto them of Christ, saying, "He +is in the midst of you and amongst you, whom ye know not, whose +latchet of his shoe I am not worthy to unloose, or undo." By this +you may perceive that St. John spake much in the laud and praise of +Christ his Master, professing himself to be in no wise like unto +him. So likewise it shall be necessary unto all men and women of +this world, not to ascribe unto themselves any goodness of +themselves, but all unto our Lord God, as shall appear hereafter, +when this question aforesaid, "Who art thou?" shall be moved unto +them: not as the Pharisees did unto St. John, of an evil purpose, +but of a good and simple mind, as may appear hereafter. + +Now then, according to the preacher's mind, let every man and woman, +of a good and simple mind, contrary to the Pharisees' intent, ask +this question, "Who art thou?" This question must be moved to +themselves, what they be of themselves, on this fashion: "What art +thou of thy only and natural generation between father and mother, +when thou camest into this world? What substance, what virtue, what +goodness art thou of, by thyself?" Which question if thou rehearse +oftentimes unto thyself, thou shalt well perceive and understand how +thou shalt make answer unto it; which must be made on this wise: I +am of myself, and by myself, coming from my natural father and +mother, the child of the ire and indignation of God, the true +inheritor of hell, a lump of sin, and working nothing of myself but +all towards hell, except I have better help of another than I have +of myself. Now we may see in what state we enter into this world, +that we be of ourselves the true and just inheritors of hell, the +children of the ire and indignation of Christ, working all towards +hell, whereby we deserve of ourselves perpetual damnation, by the +right judgment of God, and the true claim of ourselves; which +unthrifty state that we be born unto is come unto us for our own +deserts, as proveth well this example following: + +Let it be admitted for the probation of this, that it might please +the king's grace now being to accept into his favour a mean man, of +a simple degree and birth, not born to any possession; whom the +king's grace favoureth, not because this person hath of himself +deserved any such favour, but that the king casteth this favour unto +him of his own mere motion and fantasy: and for because the king's +grace will more declare his favour unto him, he giveth unto this +said man a thousand pounds in lands, to him and his heirs, on this +condition, that he shall take upon him to be the chief captain and +defender of his town of Calais, and to be true and faithful to him +in the custody of the same, against the Frenchmen especially, above +all other enemies. + +This man taketh on him this charge, promising his fidelity +thereunto. It chanceth in process of time, that by the singular +acquaintance and frequent familiarity of this captain with the +Frenchmen, these Frenchmen give unto the said captain of Calais a +great sum of money, so that he will but be content and agreeable +that they may enter into the said town of Calais by force of arms; +and so thereby possess the same unto the crown of France. Upon this +agreement the Frenchmen do invade the said town of Calais, alonely +by the negligence of this captain. + +Now the king's grace, hearing of this invasion, cometh with a great +puissance to defend this his said town, and so by good policy of war +overcometh the said Frenchmen, and entereth again into his said town +of Calais. Then he, being desirous to know how these enemies of his +came thither, maketh profound search and inquiry by whom this +treason was conspired. By this search it was known and found his +own captain to be the very author and the beginner of the betraying +of it. The king, seeing the great infidelity of this person, +dischargeth this man of his office, and taketh from him and from his +heirs this thousand pounds of possessions. Think you not that the +king doth use justice unto him, and all his posterity and heirs? +Yes, truly: the said captain cannot deny himself but that he had +true justice, considering how unfaithfully he behaved him to his +prince, contrary to his own fidelity and promise. So likewise it +was of our first father Adam. He had given unto him the spirit of +science and knowledge, to work all goodness therewith: this said +spirit was not given alonely unto him, but unto all his heirs and +posterity. He had also delivered him the town of Calais; that is to +say, paradise in earth, the most strong and fairest town in the +world, to be in his custody. He nevertheless, by the instigation of +these Frenchmen, that is to say, the temptation of the fiend, did +obey unto their desire; and so he brake his promise and fidelity, +the commandment of the everlasting King his master, in eating of the +apple by him inhibited. + +Now then the King, seeing this great treason in his captain, deposed +him of the thousand pounds of possessions, that is to say, from +everlasting life in glory, and all his heirs and posterity: for +likewise as he had the spirit of science and knowledge, for him and +his heirs; so in like manner, when he lost the same, his heirs also +lost it by him and in him. So now this example proveth, that by our +father Adam we had once in him the very inheritance of everlasting +joy; and by him, and in him, again we lost the same. + +The heirs of the captain of Calais could not by any manner of claim +ask of the king the right and title of their father in the thousand +pounds of possessions, by reason the king might answer and say unto +them, that although their father deserved not of himself to enjoy so +great possessions, yet he deserved by himself to lose them, and +greater, committing so high treason, as he did, against his prince's +commandments; whereby he had no wrong to lose his title, but was +unworthy to have the same, and had therein true justice. Let not +you think, which be his heirs, that if he had justice to lose his +possessions, you have wrong to lose the same. In the same manner it +may be answered unto all men and women now being, that if our father +Adam had true justice to be excluded from his possession of +everlasting glory in paradise, let us not think the contrary that be +his heirs, but that we have no wrong in losing also the same; yea, +we have true justice and right. Then in what miserable estate we +be, that of the right and just title of our own deserts have lost +the everlasting joy, and claim of ourselves to be true inheritors of +hell! For he that committeth deadly sin willingly, bindeth himself +to be inheritor of everlasting pain: and so did our forefather Adam +willingly eat of the apple forbidden. Wherefore he was cast out of +the everlasting joy in paradise into this corrupt world, amongst all +vileness, whereby of himself he was not worthy to do any thing +laudable or pleasant to God, evermore bound to corrupt affections +and beastly appetites, transformed into the most uncleanest and +variablest nature that was made under heaven; of whose seed and +disposition all the world is lineally descended, insomuch that this +evil nature is so fused and shed from one into another, that at this +day there is no man nor woman living that can of themselves wash +away this abominable vileness: and so we must needs grant of +ourselves to be in like displeasure unto God, as our forefather Adam +was. By reason hereof as I said, we be of ourselves the very +children of the indignation and vengeance of God, the true +inheritors of hell, and working all towards hell: which is the +answer to this question, made to every man and woman, by themselves, +"Who art thou?" + +And now, the world standing in this damnable state, cometh in the +occasion of the incarnation of Christ. The Father in heaven, +perceiving the frail nature of man, that he, by himself and of +himself, could do nothing for himself, by his prudent wisdom sent +down the second person in Trinity, his Son Jesus Christ, to declare +unto man his pleasure and commandment: and so, at the Father's +will, Christ took on him human nature, being willing to deliver man +out of this miserable way, and was content to suffer cruel passion +in shedding his blood for all mankind; and so left behind for our +safeguard laws and ordinances, to keep us always in the right path +unto everlasting life, as the evangelists, the sacraments, the +commandments, and so forth: which, if we do keep and observe +according to our profession, we shall answer better unto this +question, "Who art thou?" than we did before. For before thou didst +enter into the sacrament of baptism, thou wert but a natural man, a +natural woman; as I might say, a man, a woman: but after thou +takest on thee Christ's religion, thou hast a longer name; for then +thou art a christian man, a christian woman. Now then, seeing thou +art a christian man, what shall be thy answer of this question, "Who +art thou?" + +The answer of this question is, when I ask it unto myself, I must +say that I am a christian man, a christian woman, the child of +everlasting joy, through the merits of the bitter passion of Christ. +This is a joyful answer. Here we may see how much we be bound and +in danger unto God, that hath revived us from death to life, and +saved us that were damned: which great benefit we cannot well +consider, unless we do remember what we were of ourselves before we +meddled with him or his laws; and the more we know our feeble +nature, and set less by it, the more we shall conceive and know in +our hearts what God hath done for us; and the more we know what God +hath done for us, the less we shall set by ourselves, and the more +we shall love and please God: so that in no condition we shall +either know ourselves or God, except we do utterly confess ourselves +to be mere vileness and corruption. Well, now it is come unto this +point, that we be christian men, christian women, I pray you what +doth Christ require of a christian man, or of a christian woman? +Christ requireth nothing else of a christian man or woman, but that +they will observe his rule: for likewise as he is a good Augustine +friar that keepeth well St. Augustine's rule, so is he a good +christian man that keepeth well Christ's rule. + +Now then, what is Christ's rule? Christ's rule consisteth in many +things, as in the commandments, and the works of mercy, and so +forth. And for because I cannot declare Christ's rule unto you at +one time, as it ought to be done, I will apply myself according to +your custom at this time of Christmas: I will, as I said, declare +unto you Christ's rule, but that shall be in Christ's cards. And +whereas you are wont to celebrate Christmas in playing at cards, I +intend, by God's grace, to deal unto you Christ's cards, wherein you +shall perceive Christ's rule. The game that we will play at shall +be called the triumph, which, if it be well played at, he that +dealeth shall win; the players shall likewise win; and the standers +and lookers upon shall do the same; insomuch that there is no man +that is willing to play at this triumph with these cards, but they +shall be all winners, and no losers. + +Let therefore every christian man and woman play at these cards, +that they may have and obtain the triumph: you must mark also that +the triumph must apply to fetch home unto him all the other cards, +whatsoever suit they be of. Now then, take ye this first card, +which must appear and be shewed unto you as followeth: you have +heard what was spoken to men of the old law, "Thou shalt not kill; +whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of judgment: but I say unto +you" of the new law, saith Christ, "that whosoever is angry with his +neighbour, shall be in danger of judgment; and whosoever shall say +unto his neighbour, 'Raca,' that is to say, brainless," or any other +like word of rebuking, "shall be in danger of council; and whosoever +shall say unto his neighbour, 'Fool,' shall be in danger of hell- +fire." This card was made and spoken by Christ, as appeareth in the +fifth chapter of St. Matthew. + +Now it must be noted, that whosoever shall play with this card, must +first, before they play with it, know the strength and virtue of the +same: wherefore you must well note and mark terms, how they be +spoken, and to what purpose. Let us therefore read it once or +twice, that we may be the better acquainted with it. + +Now behold and see, this card is divided into four parts: the first +part is one of the commandments that was given unto Moses in the old +law, before the coming of Christ; which commandment we of the new +law be bound to observe and keep, and it is one of our commandments. +The other three parts spoken by Christ be nothing else but +expositions unto the first part of this commandment: for in very +effect all these four parts be but one commandment, that is to say, +"Thou shalt not kill." Yet nevertheless, the last three parts do +shew unto thee how many ways thou mayest kill thy neighbour contrary +to this commandment: yet, for all Christ's exposition in the three +last parts of this card, the terms be not open enough to thee that +dost read and hear them spoken. No doubt, the Jews understood +Christ well enough, when he spake to them these three last +sentences; for he spake unto them in their own natural terms and +tongue. Wherefore, seeing that these terms were natural terms of +the Jews, it shall be necessary to expound them, and compare them +unto some like terms of our natural speech, that we, in like manner, +may understand Christ as well as the Jews did. We will begin first +with the first part of this card, and then after, with the other +three parts. You must therefore understand that the Jews and the +Pharisees of the old law, to whom this first part, this commandment, +"Thou shalt not kill," was spoken, thought it sufficient and enough +for their discharge, not to kill with any manner of material weapon, +as sword, dagger, or with any such weapon; and they thought it no +great fault whatsoever they said or did by their neighbours, so that +they did not harm or meddle with their corporal bodies: which was a +false opinion in them, as prove well the three last other sentences +following the first part of this card. + +Now, as touching the three other sentences, you must note and take +heed, what difference is between these three manner of offences: to +be angry with your neighbour; to call your neighbour "brainless," or +any such word of disdain; or to call your neighbour "fool." Whether +these three manner of offences be of themselves more grievous one +than the other, it is to be opened unto you. Truly, as they be of +themselves divers offences, so they kill diversly, one more than the +other; as you shall perceive by the first of these three, and so +forth. A man which conceiveth against his neighbour or brother ire +or wrath in his mind, by some manner of occasion given unto him, +although he be angry in his mind against his said neighbour, he will +peradventure express his ire by no manner of sign, either in word or +deed: yet, nevertheless, he offendeth against God, and breaketh +this commandment in killing his own soul; and is therefore "in +danger of judgment." + +Now, to the second part of these three: That man that is moved with +ire against his neighbour, and in his ire calleth his neighbour +"brainless," or some other like word of displeasure; as a man might +say in a fury, "I shall handle thee well enough;" which words and +countenances do more represent and declare ire to be in this man, +than in him that was but angry, and spake no manner of word nor +shewed any countenance to declare his ire. Wherefore as he that so +declareth his ire either by word or countenance offendeth more +against God, so he both killeth his own soul, and doth that in him +is to kill his neighbour's soul in moving him unto ire, wherein he +is faulty himself; and so this man is "in danger of council." + +Now to the third offence, and last of these three: That man that +calleth his neighbour "fool," doth more declare his angry mind +toward him, than he that called his neighbour but "brainless," or +any such words moving ire: for to call a man "fool," that word +representeth more envy in a man than "brainless" doth. Wherefore he +doth most offend, because he doth most earnestly with such words +express his ire, and so he is "in danger of hell-fire." + +Wherefore you may understand now, these three parts of this card be +three offences, and that one is more grievous to God than the other, +and that one killeth more the soul of man than the other. + +Now peradventure there be some that will marvel, that Christ did not +declare this commandment by some greater faults of ire, than by +these which seem but small faults, as to be angry and speak nothing +of it, to declare it and to call a man "brainless," and to call his +neighbour "fool:" truly these be the smallest and the least faults +that belong to ire, or to killing in ire. Therefore beware how you +offend in any kind of ire: seeing that the smallest be damnable to +offend in, see that you offend not in the greatest. For Christ +thought, if he might bring you from the smallest manner of faults, +and give you warning to avoid the least, he reckoned you would not +offend in the greatest and worst, as to call your neighbour thief, +whoreson, whore, drab, and so forth, into more blasphemous names; +which offences must needs have punishment in hell, considering how +that Christ hath appointed these three small faults to have three +degrees of punishment in hell, as appeareth by these three terms, +judgment, council, and hell-fire. These three terms do signify +nothing else but three divers punishments in hell, according to the +offences. Judgment is less in degree than council, therefore it +signifieth a lesser pain in hell, and it is ordained for him that is +angry in his mind with his neighbour, and doth express his malice +neither by word nor countenance: council is a less degree in hell +than hell-fire, and is a greater degree in hell than judgment; and +it is ordained for him that calleth his neighbour "brainless," or +any such word, that declareth his ire and malice: wherefore it is +more pain than judgment. Hell-fire is more pain in hell than +council or judgment, and it is ordained for him that calleth his +neighbour "fool," by reason that in calling his neighbour "fool," he +declareth more his malice, in that it is an earnest word of ire: +wherefore hell-fire is appointed for it; that is, the most pain of +the three punishments. + +Now you have heard, that to these divers offences of ire and killing +be appointed punishments according to their degrees: for look as +the offence is, so shall the pain be: if the offence be great, the +pain shall be according; if it be less, there shall be less pain for +it. I would not now that you should think, because that here are +but three degrees of punishment spoken of, that there be no more in +hell. No doubt Christ spake of no more here but of these three +degrees of punishment, thinking they were sufficient, enough for +example, whereby we might understand that there be as divers and +many pains as there be offences: and so by these three offences, +and these three punishments, all other offences and punishments may +be compared with another. Yet I would satisfy your minds further in +these three terms, of "judgment, council, and hell-fire." Whereas +you might say, What was the cause that Christ declared more the +pains of hell by these terms than by any other terms? I told you +afore that he knew well to whom he spake them. These terms were +natural and well known amongst the Jews and the Pharisees: +wherefore Christ taught them with their own terms, to the intent +they might understand the better his doctrine. And these terms may +be likened unto three terms which we have common and usual amongst +us, that is to say, the sessions of inquirance, the sessions of +deliverance, and the execution-day. Sessions of inquirance is like +unto judgment; for when sessions of inquiry is, then the judges +cause twelve men to give verdict of the felon's crime, whereby he +shall be judged to be indicted: sessions of deliverance is much +like council; for at sessions of deliverance the judges go among +themselves to council, to determine sentence against the felon: +execution-day is to be compared unto hell-fire; for the Jews had +amongst themselves a place of execution, named "hell-fire:" and +surely when a man goeth to his death, it is the greatest pain in +this world. Wherefore you may see that there are degrees in these +our terms, as there be in those terms. + +These evil-disposed affections and sensualities in us are always +contrary to the rule of our salvation. What shall we do now or +imagine to thrust down these Turks and to subdue them? It is a +great ignominy and shame for a christian man to be bond and subject +unto a Turk: nay, it shall not be so; we will first cast a trump in +their way, and play with them at cards, who shall have the better. +Let us play therefore on this fashion with this card. Whensoever it +shall happen the foul passions and Turks to rise in our stomachs +against our brother or neighbour, either for unkind words, injuries, +or wrongs, which they have done unto us, contrary unto our mind; +straightways let us call unto our remembrance, and speak this +question unto ourselves, "Who art thou?" The answer is, "I am a +christian man." Then further we must say to ourselves, "What +requireth Christ of a christian man?" Now turn up your trump, your +heart (hearts is trump, as I said before), and cast your trump, your +heart, on this card; and upon this card you shall learn what Christ +requireth of a christian man--not to be angry, nor moved to ire +against his neighbour, in mind, countenance, nor other ways, by word +or deed. Then take up this card with your heart, and lay them +together: that done, you have won the game of the Turk, whereby you +have defaced and overcome him by true and lawful play. But, alas +for pity! the Rhodes are won and overcome by these false Turks; the +strong castle Faith is decayed, so that I fear it is almost +impossible to win it again. + +The great occasion of the loss of this Rhodes is by reason that +christian men do so daily kill their own nation, that the very true +number of Christianity is decayed; which murder and killing one of +another is increased specially two ways, to the utter undoing of +Christendom, that is to say, by example and silence. By example, as +thus: when the father, the mother, the lord, the lady, the master, +the dame, be themselves overcome by these Turks, they be continual +swearers, avouterers, disposers to malice, never in patience, and so +forth in all other vices: think you not, when the father, the +mother, the master, the dame, be disposed unto vice or impatience, +but that their children and servants shall incline and be disposed +to the same? No doubt, as the child shall take disposition natural +of the father and mother, so shall the servants apply unto the vices +of their masters and dames: if the heads be false in their +faculties and crafts, it is no marvel if the children, servants, and +apprentices do joy therein. This is a great and shameful manner of +killing christian men, that the fathers, the mothers, the masters, +and the dames shall not alonely kill themselves, but all theirs, and +all that belongeth unto them: and so this way is a great number of +christian lineage murdered and spoiled. + +The second manner of killing is silence. By silence also is a great +number of christian men slain; which is on this fashion: although +that the father and mother, master and dame, of themselves be well +disposed to live according to the law of God, yet they may kill +their children and servants in suffering them to do evil before +their own faces, and do not use due correction according unto their +offences. The master seeth his servant or apprentice take more of +his neighbour than the king's laws, or the order of his faculty, +doth admit him; or that he suffereth him to take more of his +neighbour than he himself would be content to pay, if he were in +like condition: thus doing, I say, such men kill willingly their +children and servants, and shall go to hell for so doing; but also +their fathers and mothers, masters and dames, shall bear them +company for so suffering them. + +Wherefore I exhort all true christian men and women to give good +example unto your children and servants, and suffer not them by +silence to offend. Every man must be in his own house, according to +St. Augustine's mind, a bishop, not alonely giving good ensample, +but teaching according to it, rebuking and punishing vice; not +suffering your children and servants to forget the laws of God. You +ought to see them have their belief, to know the commandments of +God, to keep their holy-days, not to lose their time in idleness: +if they do so, you shall all suffer pain for it, if God be true of +his saying, as there is no doubt thereof. And so you may perceive +that there be many a one that breaketh this card, "Thou shalt not +kill," and playeth therewith oftentime at the blind trump, whereby +they be no winners, but great losers. But who be those now-a-days +that can clear themselves of these manifest murders used to their +children and servants? I think not the contrary, but that many have +these two ways slain their own children unto their damnation; unless +the great mercy of God were ready to help them when they repent +there-for. + +Wherefore, considering that we be so prone and ready to continue in +sin, let us cast down ourselves with Mary Magdalene; and the more we +bow down with her toward Christ's feet, the more we shall be afraid +to rise again in sin; and the more we know and submit ourselves, the +more we shall be forgiven; and the less we know and submit +ourselves, the less we shall be forgiven; as appeareth by this +example following: + +Christ, when he was in this world, amongst the Jews and Pharisees, +there was a great Pharisee whose name was Simon: this Pharisee +desired Christ on a time to dine with him, thinking in himself that +he was able and worthy to give Christ a dinner. Christ refused not +his dinner, but came unto him. In time of their dinner it chanced +there came into the house a great and a common sinner named Mary +Magdalene. As soon as she perceived Christ, she cast herself down, +and called unto her remembrance what she was of herself, and how +greatly she had offended God; whereby she conceived in Christ great +love, and so came near unto him, and washed his feet with bitter +tears, and shed upon his head precious ointment, thinking that by +him she should be delivered from her sins. This great and proud +Pharisee, seeing that Christ did accept her oblation in the best +part, had great indignation against this woman, and said to himself, +"If this man Christ were a holy prophet, as he is taken for, he +would not suffer this sinner to come so nigh him." Christ, +understanding the naughty mind of this Pharisee, said unto him, +"Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee." "Say what you please," +quod the Pharisee. Then said Christ, "I pray thee, tell me this: +If there be a man to whom is owing twenty pound by one, and forty by +another, this man to whom this money is owing, perceiving these two +men be not able to pay him, he forgiveth them both: which of these +two debtors ought to love this man most?" The Pharisee said, "That +man ought to love him best, that had most forgiven him." +"Likewise," said Christ, "it is by this woman: she hath loved me +most, therefore most is forgiven her; she hath known her sins most, +whereby she hath most loved me. And thou hast least loved me, +because thou hast least known thy sins: therefore, because thou +hast least known thine offences, thou art least forgiven." So this +proud Pharisee had an answer to delay his pride. And think you not, +but that there be amongst us a great number of these proud +Pharisees, which think themselves worthy to bid Christ to dinner; +which will perk, and presume to sit by Christ in the church, and +have a disdain of this poor woman Magdalene, their poor neighbour, +with a high, disdainous, and solemn countenance? And being always +desirous to climb highest in the church, reckoning themselves more +worthy to sit there than another, I fear me poor Magdalene under the +board, and in the belfry, hath more forgiven of Christ than they +have: for it is like that those Pharisees do less know themselves +and their offences, whereby they less love God, and so they be less +forgiven. + +I would to God we would follow this example, and be like unto +Magdalene. I doubt not but we be all Magdalenes in falling into sin +and in offending: but we be not again Magdalenes in knowing +ourselves, and in rising from sin. If we be the true Magdalenes, we +should be as willing to forsake our sin and rise from sin, as we +were willing to commit sin and to continue in it; and we then should +know ourselves best, and make more perfect answer than ever we did +unto this question, "Who art thou?" to the which we might answer, +that we be true christian men and women: and then, I say, you +should understand, and know how you ought to play at this card, +"Thou shalt not kill," without any interruption of your deadly +enemies the Turks; and so triumph at the last, by winning +everlasting life in glory. Amen. + + + +ANOTHER SERMON OF M. LATIMER, CONCERNING THE SAME MATTER. + + + +Now you have heard what is meant by this first card, and how you +ought to play with it, I purpose again to deal unto you another +card, almost of the same suit; for they be of so nigh affinity, that +one cannot be well played without the other. The first card +declared, that you should not kill, which might be done divers ways; +as being angry with your neighbour, in mind, in countenance, in +word, or deed: it declared also, how you should subdue the passions +of ire, and so clear evermore yourselves from them. And whereas +this first card doth kill in you these stubborn Turks of ire; this +second card will not only they should be mortified in you, but that +you yourselves shall cause them to be likewise mortified in your +neighbour, if that your said neighbour hath been through your +occasion moved unto ire, either in countenance, word, or deed. Now +let us hear therefore the tenor of this card: "When thou makest +thine oblation at mine altar, and there dost remember that thy +neighbour hath any thing against thee, lay down there thy oblation, +and go first and reconcile thy neighbour, and then come and offer +thy oblation." + +This card was spoken by Christ, as testifieth St. Matthew in his +fifth chapter, against all such as do presume to come unto the +church to make oblation unto God either by prayer, or any other deed +of charity, not having their neighbours reconciled. Reconciling is +as much to say as to restore thy neighbour unto charity, which by +thy words or deeds is moved against thee: then, if so be it that +thou hast spoken to or by thy neighbour, whereby he is moved to ire +or wrath, thou must lay down thy oblation. Oblations be prayers, +alms-deeds, or any work of charity: these be all called oblations +to God. Lay down therefore thine oblation; begin to do none of +these foresaid works before thou goest unto thy neighbour, and +confess thy fault unto him; declaring thy mind, that if thou hast +offended him, thou art glad and willing to make him amends, as far +forth as thy words and substance will extend, requiring him not to +take it at the worst: thou art sorry in thy mind, that thou +shouldest be occasion of his offending. + +"What manner of card is this?" will some say: "Why, what have I to +do with my neighbour's or brother's malice?" As Cain said, "Have I +the keeping of my brother? or shall I answer for him and for his +faults? This were no reason--As for myself, I thank God I owe no +man malice nor displeasure: if others owe me any, at their own +peril be it. Let every man answer for himself!" Nay, sir, not so, +as you may understand by this card; for it saith, "If thy neighbour +hath anything, any malice against thee, through thine occasion, lay +even down (saith Christ) thine oblation: pray not to me; do no good +deeds for me; but go first unto thy neighbour, and bring him again +unto my flock, which hath forsaken the same through thy naughty +words, mocks, scorns, or disdainous countenance, and so forth; and +then come and offer thine oblation; then do thy devotion; then do +thy alms-deeds; then pray, if thou wilt have me hear thee." + +"O good Lord! this is a hard reckoning, that I must go and seek him +out that is offended with me, before I pray or do any good deed. I +cannot go unto him. Peradventure he is a hundred miles from me, +beyond the seas; or else I cannot tell where: if he were here nigh, +I would with all my heart go unto him." This is a lawful excuse +before God on this fashion, that thou wouldest in thy heart be glad +to reconcile thy neighbour, if he were present; and that thou +thinkest in thy heart, whensoever thou shalt meet with him, to go +unto him, and require him charitably to forgive thee; and so never +intend to come from him, until the time that you both depart one +from the other true brethren in Christ. + +Yet, peradventure, there be some in the world that be so devilish, +and so hard-hearted, that they will not apply in any condition unto +charity. For all that, do what lieth in thee, by all charitable +means, to bring him to unity. If he will in no wise apply +thereunto, thou mayest be sorrowful in thy heart, that by thine +occasion that man or woman continueth in such a damnable state. +This notwithstanding, if thou do the best that lieth in thee to +reconcile him, according to some doctors' mind, thou art discharged +towards God. Nevertheless St. Augustine doubteth in this case, +whether thy oblations, prayers, or good deeds, shall avail thee +before God, or no, until thy neighbour come again to good state, +whom thou hast brought out of the way. Doth this noble doctor doubt +therein? What aileth us to be so bold, and count it but a small +fault, or none, to bring our neighbour out of patience for every +trifle that standeth not with our mind? You may see what a grievous +thing this is, to bring another man out of patience, that per- +adventure you cannot bring in again with all the goods that you +have: for surely, after the opinion of great wise men, friendship +once broken will be never well made whole again. Wherefore you +shall hear what Christ saith unto such persons. Saith Christ, "I +came down into this world, and so took on me bitter passion for +man's sake, by the merits whereof I intended to make unity and peace +in mankind, to make man brother unto me, and so to expel the +dominion of Satan, the devil, which worketh nothing else but +dissension: and yet now there be a great number of you, that have +professed my name, and say you be christian men, which do rebel +against my purpose and mind. I go about to make my fold: you go +about to break the same, and kill my flock." "How darest thou," +saith Christ, "presume to come unto my altar, unto my church, or +into my presence, to make oblation unto me, that takest on thee to +spoil my lambs? I go about like a good shepherd to gather them +together; and thou dost the contrary, evermore ready to divide and +lose them. Who made thee so bold to meddle with my silly beasts, +which I bought so dearly with my precious blood? I warn thee out of +my sight, come not in my presence: I refuse thee and all thy works, +except thou go and bring home again my lambs which thou hast lost. +Wherefore, if thou thyself intend to be one of mine, lay even down +by and by thine oblation, and come no further toward mine altar; but +go and seek them without any questions, as it becometh a true and +faithful servant." + +A true and faithful servant, whensoever his master commandeth him to +do any thing, he maketh no stops nor questions, but goeth forth with +a good mind: and it is not unlike he, continuing in such a good +mind and will, shall well overcome all dangers and stops, whatsoever +betide him in his journey, and bring to pass effectually his +master's will and pleasure? On the contrary, a slothful servant, +when his master commandeth him to do any thing, by and by he will +ask questions, "Where?" "When?" "Which way?" and so forth; and so +be putteth every thing in doubt, that although both his errand and +way be never so plain, yet by his untoward and slothful behaviour +his master's commandment is either undone quite, or else so done +that it shall stand to no good purpose. Go now forth with the good +servant, and ask no such questions, and put no doubts. Be not +ashamed to do thy Master's and Lord's will and commandment. Go, as +I said, unto thy neighbour that is offended by thee, and reconcile +him (as is afore said) whom thou hast lost by thy unkind words, by +thy scorns, mocks, and other disdainous words and behaviours; and be +not nice to ask of him the cause why he is displeased with thee: +require of him charitably to remit; and cease not till you both +depart, one from the other, true brethren in Christ. + +Do not, like the slothful servant, thy master's message with cautels +and doubts: come not to thy neighbour whom thou hast offended, and +give him a pennyworth of ale, or a banquet, and so make him a fair +countenance, thinking that by thy drink or dinner he will shew thee +like countenance. I grant you may both laugh and make good cheer, +and yet there may remain a bag of rusty malice, twenty years old, in +thy neighbour's bosom. When he departeth from thee with a good +countenance, thou thinkest all is well then. But now, I tell thee, +it is worse than it was, for by such cloaked charity, where thou +dost offend before Christ but once, thou hast offended twice herein: +for now thou goest about to give Christ a mock, if be would take it +of thee. Thou thinkest to blind thy master Christ's commandment. +Beware, do not so, for at length he will overmatch thee, and take +thee tardy whatsoever thou be; and so, as I said, it should be +better for thee not to do his message on this fashion, for it will +stand thee in no purpose. "What?" some will say, "I am sure he +loveth me well enough: he speaketh fair to my face." Yet for all +that thou mayest be deceived. It proveth not true love in a man, to +speak fair. If he love thee with his mind and heart, he loveth thee +with his eyes, with his tongue, with his feet, with his hands and +his body; for all these parts of a man's body be obedient to the +will and mind. He loveth thee with his eves, that looketh +cheerfully on thee, when thou meetest with him, and is glad to see +thee prosper and do well. He loveth thee with his tongue, that +speaketh well by thee behind thy back, or giveth thee good counsel. +He loveth thee with his feet, that is willing to go to help thee out +of trouble and business. He loveth thee with his hands, that will +help thee in time of necessity, by giving some alms-deeds, or with +any other occupation of the hand. He loveth thee with his body, +that will labour with his body, or put his body in danger to do good +for thee, or to deliver thee from adversity: and so forth, with the +other members of his body. And if thy neighbour will do according +to these sayings, then thou mayest think that he loveth thee well; +and thou, in like wise, oughtest to declare and open thy love unto +thy neighbour in like fashion, or else you be bound one to reconcile +the other, till this perfect love be engendered amongst you. + +It may fortune thou wilt say, "I am content to do the best for my +neighbour that I can, saving myself harmless." I promise thee, +Christ will not hear this excuse; for he himself suffered harm for +our sakes, and for our salvation was put to extreme death. I wis, +if it had pleased him, he might have saved us and never felt pain; +but in suffering pains and death he did give us example, and teach +us how we should do one for another, as he did for us all; for, as +he saith himself, "he that will be mine, let him deny himself, and +follow me, in bearing my cross and suffering my pains." Wherefore +we must needs suffer pain with Christ to do our neighbour good, as +well with the body and all his members, as with heart and mind. + +Now I trust you wot what your card meaneth: let us see how that we +can play with the same. Whensoever it shall happen you to go and +make your oblation unto God, ask of yourselves this question, "Who +art thou?" The answer, as you know, is, "I am a christian man." +Then you must again ask unto yourself, What Christ requireth of a +christian man? By and by cast down your trump, your heart, and look +first of one card, then of another. The first card telleth thee, +thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not be angry, thou shalt not be out +of patience. This done, thou shalt look if there be any more cards +to take up; and if thou look well, thou shalt see another card of +the same suit, wherein thou shalt know that thou art bound to +reconcile thy neighbour. Then cast thy trump upon them both, and +gather them all three together, and do according to the virtue of +thy cards; and surely thou shalt not lose. Thou shalt first kill +the great Turks, and discomfort and thrust them down. Thou shalt +again fetch home Christ's sheep that thou hast lost; whereby thou +mayest go both patiently and with a quiet mind unto the church, and +make thy oblation unto God; and then, without doubt, he will hear +thee. + +But yet Christ will not accept our oblation (although we be in +patience, and have reconciled our neighbour), if that our oblation +be made of another man's substance; but it must be our own. See +therefore that thou hast gotten thy goods according to the laws of +God and of thy prince. For if thou gettest thy goods by polling and +extortion, or by any other unlawful ways, then, if thou offer a +thousand pound of it, it will stand thee in no good effect; for it +is not thine. In this point a great number of executors do offend; +for when they be made rich by other men's goods, then they will take +upon them to build churches, to give ornaments to God and his altar, +to gild saints, and to do many good works therewith; but it shall be +all in their own name, and for their own glory. Wherefore, saith +Christ, they have in this world their reward; and so their oblations +be not their own, nor be they acceptable before God. + +Another way God will refuse thy voluntary oblation, as thus: if so +be it that thou hast gotten never so truly thy goods, according both +to the laws of God and man, and hast with the same goods not +relieved thy poor neighbour, when thou hast seen him hungry, +thirsty, and naked, he will not take thy oblation when thou shalt +offer the same, because he will say unto thee, "When I was hungry, +thou gavest me no meat; when I was thirsty, thou gavest me no drink; +and when I was naked, thou didst not clothe me. Wherefore I will +not take thy oblation, because it is none of thine. I left it thee +to relieve thy poor neighbours, and thou hast not therein done +according unto this my commandment, Misericordiam volo, et non +sacrificium; I had rather have mercy done, than sacrifice or +oblation. Wherefore until thou dost the one more than the other, I +will not accept thine oblation." + +Evermore bestow the greatest part of thy goods in works of mercy, +and the less part in voluntary works. Voluntary works be called all +manner of offering in the church, except your four offering-days, +and your tithes: setting up candles, gilding and painting, building +of churches, giving of ornaments, going on pilgrimages, making of +highways, and such other, be called voluntary works; which works be +of themselves marvellous good, and convenient to be done. Necessary +works, and works of mercy, are called the commandments, the four +offering-days, your tithes, and such other that belong to the +commandments; and works of mercy consist in relieving and visiting +thy poor neighbours. Now then, if men be so foolish of themselves, +that they will bestow the most part of their goods in voluntary +works, which they be not bound to keep, but willingly and by their +devotion; and leave the necessary works undone, which they are bound +to do; they and all their voluntary works are like to go unto +everlasting damnation. And I promise you, if you build a hundred +churches, give as much as you can make to gilding of saints, and +honouring of the church; and if thou go as many pilgrimages as thy +body can well suffer, and offer as great candles as oaks; if thou +leave the works of mercy and the commandments undone, these works +shall nothing avail thee. No doubt the voluntary works be good and +ought to be done; but yet they must be so done, that by their +occasion the necessary works and the works of mercy be not decayed +and forgotten. If you will build a glorious church unto God, see +first yourself to be in charity with your neighbours, and suffer not +them to be offended by your works. Then, when ye come into your +parish-church; you bring with you the holy temple of God; as St. +Paul saith, "You yourselves be the very holy temples of God:" and +Christ saith by his prophet, "In you will I rest, and intend to make +my mansion and abiding-place." Again, if you list to gild and paint +Christ in your churches, and honour him in vestments, see that +before your eyes the poor people die not for lack of meat, drink, +and clothing. Then do you deck the very true temple of God, and +honour him in rich vestures that will never be worn, and so forth +use yourselves according unto the commandments: and then, finally, +set up your candles, and they will report what a glorious light +remaineth in your hearts; for it is not fitting to see a dead man +light candles. Then, I say, go your pilgrimages, build your +material churches, do all your voluntary works; and they will then +represent you unto God, and testify with you, that you have provided +him a glorious place in your hearts. But beware, I say again, that +you do not run so far in your voluntary works, that ye do quite +forget your necessary works of mercy, which you are bound to keep: +you must have ever a good respect unto the best and worthiest works +toward God to be done first and with more efficacy, and the other to +be done secondarily. Thus if you do, with the other that I have +spoken of before, ye may come according to the tenor of your cards, +and offer your oblations and prayers to our Lord Jesus Christ, who +will both hear and accept them to your everlasting joy and glory: +to the which he bring us, and all those whom he suffered death for. +Amen. + + + +A SERMON MADE BY M. HUGH LATIMER, AT THE TIME OF THE INSURRECTION IN +THE NORTH, WHICH WAS IN THE TWENTY-SEVENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF KING +HENRY THE EIGHTH, ANN. DOM. 1535. UPON THE EPISTLE READ IN THE +CHURCH THE TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY, TAKEN OUT OF +THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS. + + + +Put on all the armour of God, that ye may stand, &c. [Ephes. vi. +10, et seq.] + +Saint Paul, the holy apostle, writeth this epistle unto the +Ephesians, that is, to the people of the city of Ephesus. He +writeth generally, to them all; and in the former chapters he +teacheth them severally how they should behave themselves, in every +estate, one to another; how they should obey their rulers; how wives +should behave themselves towards their husbands; children towards +their parents; and servants towards their masters; and husbands, +parents and masters should behave them, and love their wives, +children, and servants; and generally each to love other. + +Now cometh he forth and comforteth them, and teacheth them to be +bold, and to play the men, and fight manfully. For they must fight +with valiant warriors, as appeareth afterward in the text. And +against they come to fight he comforteth them, saying, "My +brethren." He calleth them brethren; for though he taught them +before to be subject to kings and rulers, and to be obedient to +their superiors, yet he teacheth them that in Christ we be all +brethren, according to the saying in this same chapter, "God is no +accepter of persons." "My brethren," saith he, "be ye comforted, be +ye strong;" not trusting to yourselves; no, but be bold, and +comforted "by our Lord, and by the power of his virtue:" not by your +own virtue, for it is not of power to resist such assaults as he +speaketh of hereafter. "Put on, or apparel you with, the armour of +God." Armour is an apparel to clothe a man, and maketh him seemly +and comely; setteth forth his body, and maketh him strong and bold +in battle. And therefore Saint Paul exhorteth generally his +brethren to be armed; and as the assaults be strong, and not small, +so he giveth strong armour, and not small: "Put on," saith he, "the +armour of God." He speaketh generally of armour, but afterwards he +speaketh particularly of the parts of armour, where he saith, be +armed complete, whole; be armed on every part with the armour of +God; not borrowed, nor patched, but all godly. And as armour +setteth forth a man's body, so this godly armour maketh us seemly in +the sight of God, and acceptable in his wars. + +Be ye therefore "armed at all points with the armour of God, that ye +may stand strongly against the assaults of the devil." "That ye may +stand," saith he. Ye must stand in this battle, and not sit, nor +lie along; for he that lieth is trodden under foot of his enemy. We +may not sit, that is, not rest in sin, or lie along in sluggishness +of sin; but continually fight against our enemy, and under our great +Captain and Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ, and in his quarrel, armed +with the armour of God, that we may be strong. We cannot be strong +unless we be armed of God. We have no power of ourselves to stand +against the assaults of the devil. There St. Paul teacheth what our +battle is, and wherefore we must be thus armed. + +For, saith he, "we have not wrestling or strife against flesh and +blood:" which may be understood, against certain sins, which come of +the flesh only; but let us take it as it standeth, "against flesh +and blood," that is, against any corporal man, which is but a weak +thing in comparison, and with one stroke destroyed or slain: but we +have to do with strong, mighty princes and potentates; that mighty +prince, that great conqueror of this world, the devil, yea a +conqueror: for though our Saviour Jesus Christ conquered him and +all his, by suffering his blessed passion, yet is he a great +conqueror in this world, and reigneth over a great multitude of his +own, and maketh continual conflicts and assaults against the rest, +to subdue them also under his power; which, if they be armed after +St. Paul's teaching, shall stand strongly against his assaults. +"Our battle," saith St. Paul, "is against princes, potestates," that +is, against devils: for, after the common opinion, there fell from +heaven of every order of angels, as of potentates. He saith also, +"against worldly rulers of these darknesses:" for, as doctors do +write, the spirits that fell with Lucifer have their being in aere +caliginoso, the air, in darkness, and the rulers of this world, by +God's sufferance, to hurt, vex and assault them that live upon the +earth. For their nature is, as they be damned, to desire to draw +all mankind unto like damnation; such is their malice. And though +they hang in the air, or fall in a garden or other pleasant place, +yet have they continually their pain upon their backs. Against +these we wrestle, and "against spiritual wickedness in coelestibus," +that is, in the air; or we fight against spiritual wickedness in +heavenly things. + +Think you not that this our enemy, this prince with all his +potentates, hath great and sore assaults to lay against our armour? +Yea, he is a crafty warrior, and also of great power in this world; +he hath great ordnance and artillery; he hath great pieces of +ordnance, as mighty kings and emperors, to shoot against God's +people, to persecute or kill them; Nero, the great tyrant, who slew +Paul, and divers other. Yea, what great pieces hath he had of +bishops of Rome, which have destroyed whole cities and countries, +and have slain and burnt many! What great guns were those! + +Yea, he hath also less ordnance evil enough, (they may be called +serpentines;) some bishops in divers countries, and here in England, +which he hath shot at some good christian men, that they have been +blown to ashes. So can this great captain, the devil, shoot his +ordnance. He hath yet less ordnance, for he hath of all sorts to +shoot at good christian men; he hath hand-guns and bows, which do +much hurt, but not so much as the great ordnance. These be +accusers, promoters, and slanderers; they be evil ordnance, shrewd +handguns, and bows; they put a man to great displeasure; oftentimes +death cometh upon that shot. For these things, saith the text, +"take the armour of God." Against the great captains, the devils, +and against their artillery, their ministers, there can nothing +defend us but the armour of God. + +"Take therefore this armour," saith the text, "that ye may resist in +the evil day, and in all things stand perfectly, or be perfectly +strong." This evil day is not so called here, because any day or +time is evil; for God made every day good, and all days be good: +but St. Paul calleth it the "evil day," because of the misfortune +that chanceth or cometh in that day. As we have a common saying, "I +have had an evil day, and an evil night," because of the heaviness +or evil that hath happened; so saith Paul, "that ye may resist in +the evil day:" that is, when your great adversary hath compassed you +round about with his potestates and rulers, and with his artillery, +so that you be almost overcome, then, if you have the armour of God, +you shall be strong, and need not to fear his assaults. + +St. Paul hath spoken of this armour of God generally, and now +declareth the parts and pieces of armour; and teacheth them how to +apparel every part of the body with this armour. He beginneth yet +again, saying, "Be strong, having your reins, or your loins girded +about." Some men of war use to have about their loins an apron or +girdle of mail, gird fast for the safeguard of the nether part of +their body. So St. Paul would we should gird our loins, which +betokeneth lechery or other sinfulness, with a girdle, which is to +be taken for a restraint or continence from such vices. In "truth," +or "truly gird:" it may not be feigned, or falsely girt, but in +verity and truth. There be many bachelors, as yet men unmarried, +which seem to be girt with the girdle of continence, and yet it is +not in truth, it is but feignedly. And some religious persons make +a profession of continence or chastity, and yet not in truth, their +hearts be not truly chaste. Such feigned girding of the loins +cannot make a man strong to resist the assaults of the great captain +or enemy in the evil day. Yet some get them girdles with great +knots, as though they would be surely girt, and as though they would +break the devil's head with their knotted girdles. Nay, he will not +be so overcome: it is no knot of an hempton girdle that he feareth; +that is no piece of harness of the armour of God, which may resist +the assault in the evil day; it is but feigned gear; it must be in +the heart, &c. + +"And be ye apparelled or clothed," saith Paul, "with the habergeon +or coat-armour of justice, that is, righteousness." Let your body +be clothed in the armour of righteousness: ye may do no wrong to +any man, but live in righteousness; not clothed with any false +quarrel or privy grudge. Ye must live rightly in God's law, +following his commandments and doctrine, clothed righteously in his +armour, and not in any feigned armour, as in a friar's coat or cowl. +For the assaults of the devil be crafty to make us put our trust in +such armour, he will feign himself to fly; but then we be most in +jeopardy: for he can give us an after-clap when we least ween; that +is, suddenly return unawares to us, and then he giveth us an after- +clap that overthroweth us: this armour deceiveth us. + +In like manner these men in the North country, they make pretence as +though they were armed in God's armour, gird in truth, and clothed +in righteousness. I hear say they wear the cross and the wounds +before and behind, and they pretend much truth to the king's grace +and to the commonwealth, when they intend nothing less; and deceive +the poor ignorant people, and bring them to fight against both the +king, the church, and the commonwealth. + +They arm them with the sign of the cross and of the wounds, and go +clean contrary to him that bare the cross, and suffered those +wounds. They rise with the king, and fight against the king in his +ministers and officers; they rise with the church, and fight against +the church, which is the congregation of faithful men; they rise for +the commonwealth, and fight against it, and go about to make the +commons each to kill other, and to destroy the commonwealth. Lo, +what false pretence can the devil send amongst us? It is one of his +most crafty and subtle assaults, to send his warriors forth under +the badge of God, as though they were armed in righteousness and +justice. + +But if we will resist strongly indeed, we must he clothed or armed +with the habergeon of very justice or righteousness; in true +obedience to our prince, and faithful love to our neighbours; and +take no false quarrels in hand, nor any feigned armour; but in +justice, "having your feet shod for [the] preparation of the gospel +of peace." + +Lo, what manner of battle this warrior St. Paul teacheth us, "to be +shod on our feet," that we may go readily and prepare way for the +gospel; yea, the gospel of peace, not of rebellion, not of +insurrection: no, it teacheth obedience, humility, and quietness; +it maketh peace in the conscience, and teacheth true faith in Jesus +Christ, and to walk in God's laws armed with God's armour, as Paul +teacheth here. Yea, if bishops in England had been "shod for the +preparation of this gospel," and had endeavoured themselves to teach +and set [it] forth, as our most noble prince hath devised; and if +certain gentlemen, being justices, had executed his grace's +commandment, in setting forth this gospel of peace, this disturbance +among the people had not happened. + +But ye say, it is new learning. Now I tell you it is the old +learning. Yea, ye say, it is old heresy new scoured. Nay, I tell +you it is old truth, long rusted with your canker, and now new made +bright and scoured. What a rusty truth is this, Quodcumque +ligaveris, "Whatsoever thou bindest," &c. This is a truth spoken to +the apostles, and all true preachers their successors, that with the +law of God they should bind and condemn all that sinned; and +whosoever did repent, they should declare him loosed and forgiven, +by believing in the blood of Christ. But how hath this truth over- +rusted with the pope's rust? For he, by this text, "Whatsoever thou +bindeth," hath taken upon him to make what laws him listed, clean +contrary unto God's word, which willeth that every man should obey +the prince's law: and by this text, "Whatsoever thou loosest," he +hath made all people believe that, for money, he might forgive what +and whom he lusted; so that if any man had robbed his master, or +taken anything wrongfully, the pope would loose him, by this pardon +or that pardon, given to these friars or those friars, put in this +box or that box. And, as it were, by these means a dividend of the +spoil was made, so that it was not restored, nor the person rightly +discharged; and yet most part of the spoil came to the hands of him +and his ministers. What is this but a new learning; a new canker to +rust and corrupt the old truth? Ye call your learning old: it may +indeed be called old, for it cometh of that serpent which did +pervert God's commandment and beguiled Eve; so it is an old custom +to pervert God's word, and to rust it, and corrupt it. + +We be a great many that profess to be true ministers of the gospel; +but at the trial I think it will come to pass as it did with Gideon, +a duke, which God raised up to deliver the children of Israel from +the Midianites, in whose hands they were fallen, because they had +broken God's commandment, and displeased God: yet at the length he +had compassion on them, and raised up Gideon to deliver them. When +they heard that they had a captain, or a duke, that should deliver +them, they assembled a great number, about thirty thousand: but +when it came to pass that they should fight, they departed all save +five hundred. So, I fear me, that at the trial we shall be found +but a few ministers of the true gospel of peace, and armed in the +true armour of God. + +It followeth, "And in all things take the shield or buckler of +faith." The buckler is a thing wherewith a man most chiefly +defendeth himself: and that must be perfect faith in Jesus Christ, +in our Captain, and in his word. It must also be a true faith, it +is else no part of the armour of God: it may not be feigned, but a +buckler, which may stop or quench the violence of the flaming darts +of the most wicked. + +"Take also the helmet or head-piece of health," or true health in +Jesus Christ; for there is no health in any other name: not the +health of a grey friar's coat, or the health of this pardon or that +pardon; that were a false helmet, and should not defend the violence +of the wicked. + +"And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Lo, St. +Paul teacheth you battle; to take in your left hand the shield of +faith, to defend and bear off the darts of the devil, and in the +other hand a sword to strike with against the enemy: for a good man +of war may not stand against, and defend only, but also strike +against his enemy. So St. Paul giveth us here a sword, "The word of +God." For this sword is it that beateth this great captain, our +enemy. Christ himself gave us ensample to fight with this sword; +for he answered the devil with the scripture, and said, "It is +written." With this sword he drave away the devil: and so let us +break his head with this sword, the true word of God, and not with +any word of the bishop of Rome's making; not with his old learning, +nor his new learning, but with the pure word of God. + +The time passeth: I will therefore make an end. Let us fight +manfully, and not cease; for no man is crowned or rewarded but in +the end. We must therefore fight continually, and with this sword; +and thus armed, and we shall receive the reward of victory. And +thus the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all your spirits. +Amen. + + + +THE SERMON THAT THE REVEREND FATHER IN CHRIST, M. HUGH LATIMER, +BISHOP OF WORCESTER, MADE TO THE CONVOCATION OF THE CLERGY, BEFORE +THE PARLIAMENT BEGAN, THE 9 DAY OF JUNE, THE 28 YEAR OF THE REIGN OF +OUR LATE KING HENRY THE 8. TRANSLATED OUT OF LATIN INTO ENGLISH, TO +THE INTENT THAT THINGS WELL SAID TO A FEW MAY BE UNDERSTOOD OF MANY, +AND DO GOOD TO ALL THEM THAT DESIRE TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH. + + + +Filii hujus seculi, &c.--Luc. xvi. + +Brethren, ye be come together this day, as far as I perceive, to +hear of great and weighty matters. Ye be come together to entreat +of things that most appertain to the commonwealth. This being thus, +ye look, I am assured, to hear of me, which am commanded to make as +a preface this exhortation, (albeit I am unlearned and far +unworthy,) such things as shall be much meet for this your assembly. +I therefore, not only very desirous to obey the commandment of our +Primate, but also right greatly coveting to serve and satisfy all +your expectation; lo, briefly, and as plainly as I can, will speak +of matters both worthy to be heard in your congregation, and also of +such as best shall become mine office in this place. That I may do +this the more commodiously, I have taken that notable sentence in +which our Lord was not afraid to pronounce "the children of this +world to be much more prudent and politic than the children of light +in their generation." Neither will I be afraid, trusting that he +will aid and guide me to use this sentence, as a good ground and +foundation of all such things, as hereafter I shall speak of. + +Now, I suppose that you see right well, being men of such learning, +for what purpose the Lord said this, and that ye have no need to be +holpen with any part of my labour in this thing. But yet, if ye +will pardon me, I will wade somewhat deeper in this matter, and as +nigh as I can, fetch it from the first original beginning. For +undoubtedly, ye may much marvel at this saying, if ye well ponder +both what is said, and who saith it. Define me first these three +things: what prudence is; what the world; what light; and who be +the children of the world; who of the light: see what they signify +in scripture. I marvel if by and by ye all agree, that the children +of the world should be wiser than the children of the light. To +come somewhat nigher the matter, thus the Lord beginneth: + + +There was a certain rich man that had a steward, which was accused +unto him that he had dissipated and wasted his goods. This rich man +called his steward to him and said, What is this that I hear of +thee? Come, make me an account of thy stewardship; thou mayest no +longer bear this office. + + +Brethren, because these words are so spoken in a parable, and are so +wrapped in wrinkles, that yet they seem to have a face and a +similitude of a thing done indeed, and like an history, I think it +much profitable to tarry somewhat in them. And though we may +perchance find in our hearts to believe all that is there spoken to +be true; yet I doubt whether we may abide it, that these words of +Christ do pertain unto us, and admonish us of our duty, which do and +live after such sort, as though Christ, when he spake any thing, +had, as the time served him, served his turn, and not regarded the +time that came after him, neither provided for us, or any matters of +ours; as some of the philosophers thought, which said, that God +walked up and down in heaven, and thinketh never a deal of our +affairs. But, my good brethren, err not you so; stick not you to +such your imaginations. For if ye inwardly behold these words, if +ye diligently roll them in your minds, and after explicate and open +them, ye shall see our time much touched in these mysteries. Ye +shall perceive that God by this example shaketh us by the noses and +pulleth us by the ears. Ye shall perceive very plain, that God +setteth before our eyes in this similitude what we ought most to +flee, and what we ought soonest to follow. For Luke saith, "The +Lord spake these words to his disciples." Wherefore let it be out +of all doubt that he spake them to us, which even as we will be +counted the successors and vicars of Christ's disciples, so we be, +if we be good dispensers and do our duty. He said these things +partly to us, which spake them partly of himself. For he is that +rich man, which not only had, but hath, and shall have evermore, I +say not one, but many stewards, even to the end of the world. + +He is man, seeing that he is God and man. He is rich, not only in +mercy but in all kind of riches; for it is he that giveth to us all +things abundantly. It is he of whose hand we received both our +lives, and other things necessary for the conservation of the same. +What man hath any thing, I pray you, but he hath received it of his +plentifulness? To be short, it is he that "openeth his hand, and +filleth all beasts with his blessing," and giveth unto us in most +ample wise his benediction. Neither his treasure can be spent, how +much soever he lash out; how much soever we take of him, his +treasure tarrieth still, ever taken, never spent. + +He is also the good man of the house: the church is his household +which ought with all diligence to be fed with his word and his +sacraments. These be his goods most precious, the dispensation and +administration whereof he would bishops and curates should have. +Which thing St. Paul affirmeth, saying, "Let men esteem us as the +ministers of Christ, and dispensers of God's mysteries." But, I +pray you, what is to be looked for in a dispenser? This surely, +"That he be found faithful," and that he truly dispense, and lay out +the goods of the Lord; that he give meat in time; give it, I say, +and not sell it; meat, I say, and not poison. For the one doth +intoxicate and slay the eater, the other feedeth and nourisheth him. +Finally, let him not slack and defer the doing of his office, but +let him do his duty when time is, and need requireth it. This is +also to be looked for, that he be one whom God hath called and put +in office, and not one that cometh uncalled, unsent for; not one +that of himself presumeth to take honour upon him. And surely, if +all this that I say be required in a good minister, it is much +lighter to require them all in every one, than to find one any where +that hath them all. Who is a true and faithful steward? He is +true, he is faithful, that cometh no new money, but taketh it ready +coined of the good man of the house; and neither changeth it, nor +clippeth it, after it is taken to him to spend, but spendeth even +the self-same that he had of his Lord, and spendeth it as his Lord's +commandment is; neither to his own vantage uttering it, nor as the +lewd servant did, hiding it in the ground. Brethren, if a faithful +steward ought to do as I have said, I pray you, ponder and examine +this well, whether our bishops and abbots, prelates and curates, +have been hitherto faithful stewards or no? Ponder, whether yet +many of them be as they should be or no? Go ye to, tell me now as +your conscience leadeth you (I will let pass to speak of many +other), was there not some, that despising the money of the Lord, as +copper and not current, either coined new themselves, or else +uttered abroad newly coined of other; sometime either adulterating +the word of God or else mingling it (as taverners do, which brew and +utter the evil and good both in one pot), sometime in the stead of +God's word blowing out the dreams of men? while they thus preached +to the people the redemption that cometh by Christ's death to serve +only them that died before his coming, that were in the time of the +old testament; and that now since redemption and forgiveness of sins +purchased by money, and devised by men is of efficacy, and not +redemption purchased by Christ (they have a wonderful pretty example +to persuade this thing, of a certain married woman, which, when her +husband was in purgatory, in that fiery furnace that hath burned +away so many of our pence, paid her husband's ransom, and so of duty +claimed him to be set at liberty): while they thus preached to the +people, that dead images (which at the first, as I think, were set +up, only to represent things absent) not only ought to be covered +with gold, but also ought of all faithful and christian people (yea, +in this scarceness and penury of all things), to be clad with silk +garments, and those also laden with precious gems and jewels; and +that beside all this, they are to be lighted with wax candles, both +within the church and without the church, yea, and at noon days; as +who should say, here no cost can be too great; whereas in the mean +time we see Christ's faithful and lively images, bought with no less +price than with his most precious blood (alas, alas!) to be an +hungred, a-thirst, a-cold, and to lie in darkness, wrapped in all +wretchedness, yea, to lie there till death take away their miseries: +while they preached these will-works, that come but of our own +devotion, although they be not so necessary as the works of mercy, +and the precepts of God, yet they said, and in the pulpit, that +will-works were more principal, more excellent, and (plainly to +utter what they mean) more acceptable to God than works of mercy; as +though now man's inventions and fancies could please God better than +God's precepts, or strange things better than his own: while they +thus preached that more fruit, more devotion cometh of the beholding +of an image, though it be but a Pater-noster while, than is gotten +by reading and contemplation in scripture, though ye read and +contemplate therein seven years' space: finally, while they +preached thus, souls tormented in purgatory to have most need of our +help, and that they can have no aid, but of us in this world: of +the which two, if the one be not false, yet at the least it is +ambiguous, uncertain, doubtful, and therefore rashly and arrogantly +with such boldness affirmed in the audience of the people; the +other, by all men's opinions, is manifestly false: I let pass to +speak of much other such like counterfeit doctrine, which hath been +blasted and blown out by some for the space of three hours together. +Be these the Christian and divine mysteries, and not rather the +dreams of men? Be these the faithful dispensers of God's mysteries, +and not rather false dissipators of them? whom God never put in +office, but rather the devil set them over a miserable family, over +an house miserably ordered and entreated. Happy were the people if +such preached seldom. + +And yet it is a wonder to see these, in their generation, to be much +more prudent and politic than the faithful ministers are in their +generation; while they go about more prudently to stablish men's +dreams, than these do to hold up God's commandments. + +Thus it cometh to pass that works lucrative, will-works, men's +fancies reign; but christian works, necessary works, fruitful works, +be trodden under the foot. Thus the evil is much better set out by +evil men, than the good by good men; because the evil be more wise +than be the good in their generation. These be the false stewards, +whom all good and faithful men every day accuse unto the rich master +of the household, not without great heaviness, that they waste his +goods; whom he also one day will call to him, and say to them as he +did to his steward, when he said, "What is this that I hear of +thee?" Here God partly wondereth at our ingratitude and perfidy, +partly chideth us for them; and being both full of wonder and ready +to chide, asketh us, "What is this that I hear of you?" As though +he should say unto us, "All good men in all places complain of you, +accuse your avarice, your exactions, your tyranny. They have +required in you a long season, and yet require, diligence and +sincerity. I commanded you, that with all industry and labour ye +should feed my sheep: ye earnestly feed yourselves from day to day, +wallowing in delights and idleness. I commanded you to teach my +commandments, and not your fancies; and that ye should seek my glory +and my vantage: you teach your own traditions, and seek your own +glory and profit. You preach very seldom; and when ye do preach, do +nothing but cumber them that preach truly, as much as lieth in you: +that it were much better such were not to preach at all, than so +perniciously to preach. Oh, what hear I of you? You, that ought to +be my preachers, what other thing do you, than apply all your study +hither, to bring all my preachers to envy, shame, contempt? Yea, +more than this, ye pull them into perils, into prisons, and, as much +as in you lieth, to cruel deaths. To be short, I would that +christian people should hear my doctrine, and at their convenient +leisure read it also, as many as would: your care is not that all +men may hear it, but all your care is, that no lay man do read it: +surely, being afraid lest they by the reading should understand it, +and understanding, learn to rebuke our slothfulness. This is your +generation, this is your dispensation, this is your wisdom. In this +generation, in this dispensation, you be most politic, most witty. +These be the things that I hear of your demeanour. I wished to hear +better report of you. Have ye thus deceived me? or have ye rather +deceived yourselves? Where I had but one house, that is to say, the +church, and this so dearly beloved of me, that for the love of her I +put myself forth to be slain, and to shed my blood; this church at +my departure I committed unto your charge, to be fed, to be +nourished, and to be made much of. My pleasure was ye should occupy +my place; my desire was ye should have borne like love to this +church, like fatherly affection, as I did: I made you my vicars, +yea, in matters of most importance. + +"For thus I taught openly: 'He that should hear you, should hear +me; he that should despise you, should despise me.' I gave you also +keys, not earthly keys, but heavenly. I left my goods that I have +evermore most highly esteemed, that is, my word and sacraments, to +be dispensed of you. These benefits I gave you, and do you give me +these thanks? Can you find in your hearts thus to abuse my +goodness, my benignity, my gentleness? Have you thus deceived me? +No, no, ye have not deceived me, but yourselves. My gifts and +benefits towards you shall be to your greater damnation. Because +you have contemned the lenity and clemency of the master of the +house, ye have right well deserved to abide the rigour and severity +of the judge. Come forth then, let us see an account of your +stewardship. An horrible and fearful sentence: Ye may have no +longer my goods in your hands. A voice to weep at, and to make men +tremble!" + +You see, brethren, you see, what evil the evil stewards must come +to. Your labour is paid for, if ye can so take heed, that no such +sentence be spoken to you; nay, we must all take heed lest these +threatenings one day take place in us. But lest the length of my +sermon offend you too sore, I will leave the rest of the parable and +take me to the handling of the end of it; that is, I will declare +unto you how the children of this world be more witty, crafty, and +subtle, than are the children of the light in their generation. +Which sentence would God it lay in my poor tongue to explicate with +such light of words, that I might seem rather to have painted it +before your eyes, than to have spoken it; and that you might rather +seem to see the thing, than to hear it! But I confess plainly this +thing to be far above my power. Therefore this being only left to +me, I wish for that I have not, and am sorry that that is not in me +which I would so gladly have, that is, power so to handle the thing +that I have in hand, that all that I say may turn to the glory of +God, your souls' health, and the edifying of Christ's body. +Wherefore I pray you all to pray with me unto God, and that in your +petition you desire, that these two things he vouchsafe to grant us, +first, a mouth for me to speak rightly; next, ears for you, that in +hearing me ye may take profit at my hand: and that this may come to +effect, you shall desire him, unto whom our master Christ bad we +should pray, saying even the same prayer that he himself did +institute. Wherein ye shall pray for our most gracious sovereign +lord the king, chief and supreme head of the church of England under +Christ, and for the most excellent, gracious, and virtuous lady +queen Jane, his most lawful wife, and for all his, whether they be +of the clergy or laity, whether they be of the nobility, or else +other his grace's subjects, not forgetting those that being departed +out of this transitory life, and now sleep in the sleep of peace, +and rest from their labours in quietness and peaceable sleep, +faithfully, lovingly, and patiently looking for that that they +clearly shall see when God shall be so pleased. For all these, and +for grace necessary, ye shall say unto God God's prayer, Pater- +noster. + + + +THE SECOND SERMON, IN THE AFTERNOON. + + + +Filii hujus seculi, &c.--Luc. xvi. [8]. + +Christ in this saying touched the sloth and sluggishness of his, and +did not allow the fraud and subtlety of others; neither was glad +that it was indeed as he had said, but complained rather that it +should be so: as many men speak many things, not that they ought to +be so, but that they are wont to be so. Nay, this grieved Christ, +that the children of this world should be of more policy than the +children of light; which thing was true in Christ's time, and now in +our time is most true. Who is so blind but he seeth this clearly; +except perchance there be any that cannot discern the children of +the world from the children of light? The children of the world +conceive and bring forth more prudently; and things conceived and +brought forth they nourish and conserve with much more policy than +do the children of light. Which thing is as sorrowful to be said, +as it seemeth absurd to be heard. When ye hear the children of the +world, you understand the world as a father. For the world is +father of many children, not by the first creation and work, but by +imitation of love. He is not only a father, but also the son of +another father. If ye know once his father, by and by ye shall know +his children. For he that hath the devil to his father, must needs +have devilish children. The devil is not only taken for father, but +also for prince of the world, that is, of worldly folk. It is +either all one thing, or else not much different, to say, children +of the world, and children of the devil; according to that that +Christ said to the Jews, "Ye are of your father the devil:" where as +undoubtedly he spake to children of this world. Now seeing the +devil is both author and ruler of the darkness, in the which the +children of this world walk, or, to say better, wander; they +mortally hate both the light, and also the children of light. And +hereof it cometh, that the children of light never, or very seldom, +lack persecution in this world, unto which the children of the +world, that is, of the devil, bringeth them. And there is no man +but he seeth, that these use much more policy in procuring the hurt +and damage of the good, than those in defending themselves. +Therefore, brethren, gather you the disposition and study of the +children by the disposition and study of the fathers. Ye know this +is a proverb much used: "An evil crow, an evil egg." Then the +children of this world that are known to have so evil a father, the +world, so evil a grandfather, the devil, cannot choose but be evil. +Surely the first head of their ancestry was the deceitful serpent +the devil, a monster monstrous above all monsters. I cannot wholly +express him, I wot not what to call him, but a certain thing +altogether made of the hatred of God, of mistrust in God, of lyings, +deceits, perjuries, discords, manslaughters; and, to say at one +word, a thing concrete, heaped up and made of all kind of mischief. +But what the devil mean I to go about to describe particularly the +devil's nature, when no reason, no power of man's mind can +comprehend it? This alonely I can say grossly, and as in a sum, of +the which all we (our hurt is the more) have experience, the devil +to be a stinking sentine of all vices; a foul filthy channel of all +mischiefs; and that this world, his son, even a child meet to have +such a parent, is not much unlike his father. + +Then, this devil being such one as can never be unlike himself; lo, +of Envy, his well-beloved Leman, he begat the World, and after left +it with Discord at nurse; which World, after that it came to man's +state, had of many concubines many sons. He was so fecund a father, +and had gotten so many children of Lady Pride, Dame Gluttony, +Mistress Avarice, Lady Lechery, and of Dame Subtlety, that now hard +and scant ye may find any corner, any kind of life, where many of +his children be not. In court, in cowls, in cloisters, in rochets, +be they never so white; yea, where shall ye not find them? Howbeit, +they that be secular and laymen, are not by and by children of the +world; nor they children of light, that are called spiritual, and of +the clergy. No, no; as ye may find among the laity many children of +light, so among the clergy, (how much soever we arrogate these holy +titles unto us, and think them only attributed to us, Vos estis lux +mundi, peculium Christi, &c. "Ye are the light of the world, the +chosen people of Christ, a kingly priesthood, an holy nation, and +such other,") ye shall find many children of the world; because in +all places the world getteth many children. Among the lay people +the world ceaseth not to bring to pass, that as they be called +wordly, so they are wordly indeed; driven headlong by worldly +desires: insomuch that they may right well seem to have taken as +well the manners as the name of their father. In the clergy, the +world also hath learned a way to make of men spiritual, worldlings; +yea, and there also to form worldly children, where with great +pretence of holiness, and crafty colour of religion, they utterly +desire to hide and cloak the name of the world, as though they were +ashamed of their father; which do execrate and detest the world +(being nevertheless their father) in words and outward signs, but in +heart and work they coll and kiss him, and in all their lives +declare themselves to be his babes; insomuch that in all worldly +points they far pass and surmount those that they call seculars, +laymen, men of the world. The child so diligently followeth the +steps of his father, is never destitute of the aid of his +grandfather. These be our holy holy men, that say they are dead to +the world, when no men be more lively in worldly things than some of +them be. But let them be in profession and name most farthest from +the world, most alienate from it; yea, so far, that they may seem to +have no occupying, no kindred, no affinity, nothing to do with it: +yet in their life and deeds they shew themselves no bastards, but +right begotten children of the world; as that which the world long +sithens had by his dear wife Dame Hypocrisy, and since hath brought +them up and multiplied to more than a good many; increased them too +much, albeit they swear by all he-saints and she-saints too, that +they know not their father, nor mother, neither the world, nor +hypocrisy; as indeed they can semble and dissemble all things; which +thing they might learn wonderful well of their parents. I speak not +of all religious men, but of those that the world hath fast knit at +his girdle, even in the midst of their religion, that is, of many +and more than many. For I fear, lest in all orders of men the +better, I must say the greater part of them be out of order, and +children of the world. Many of these might seem ingrate and unkind +children, that will no better acknowledge and recognise their +parents in words and outward pretence, but abrenounce and cast them +off, as though they hated them as dogs and serpents. Howbeit they, +in this wise, are most grateful to their parents, because they be +most like them, so lively representing them in countenance and +conditions, that their parents seem in them to be young again, +forasmuch as they ever say one thing and think another. They shew +themselves to be as sober, as temperate, as Curius the Roman was, +and live every day as though all their life were a shroving time. +They be like their parents, I say, inasmuch as they, in following +them, seem and make men believe they hate them. Thus grandfather +Devil, father World, and mother Hypocrisy, have brought them up. +Thus good obedient sons have borne away their parents' commandments; +neither these be solitary, how religious, how mocking, how monking, +I would say, soever they be. + +O ye will lay this to my charge, that monachus and solitarius +signifieth all one. I grant this to be so, yet these be so solitary +that they be not alone, but accompanied with great flocks of +fraternities. And I marvel if there be not a great sort of bishops +and prelates, that are brethren germain unto these; and as a great +sort, so even as right born, and world's children by as good title +as they. But because I cannot speak of all, when I say prelates, I +understand bishops, abbots, priors, archdeacons, deans, and other of +such sort, that are now called to this convocation, as I see, to +entreat here of nothing but of such matters as both appertain to the +glory of Christ, and to the wealth of the people of England. Which +thing I pray God they do as earnestly as they ought to do. But it +is to be feared lest, as light hath many her children here, so the +world hath sent some of his whelps hither; amongst the which I know +there can be no concord nor unity, albeit they be in one place, in +one congregation. I know there can be no agreement between these +two, as long as they have minds so unlike, and so contrary +affections, judgments so utterly diverse in all points. But if the +children of this world be either more in number, or more prudent +than the children of light, what then availeth us to have this +convocation? Had it not been better we had not been called together +at all? For as the children of this world be evil, so they breed +and bring forth things evil; and yet there be more of them in all +places, or at the least they be more politic than the children of +light in their generation. And here I speak of the generation +whereby they do engender, and not of that whereby they are +engendered, because it should be too long to entreat how the +children of light are engendered, and how they come in at the door; +and how the children of the world be engendered, and come in another +way. Howbeit, I think all you that be here were not engendered +after one generation, neither that ye all came by your promotions +after one manner: God grant that ye, engendered worldly, do not +engender worldly: and as now I much pass not how ye were +engendered, or by what means ye were promoted to those dignities +that ye now occupy, so it be honest, good and profitable, that ye in +this your consultation shall do and engender. + +The end of your convocation shall shew what ye have done; the fruit +that shall come of your consultation shall shew what generation ye +be of. For what have ye done hitherto, I pray you, these seven +years and more? What have ye engendered? What have ye brought +forth? What fruit is come of your long and great assembly? What +one thing that the people of England hath been the better of a hair; +or you yourselves, either more accepted before God, or better +discharged toward the people committed unto your cure? For that the +people is better learned and taught now, than they were in time +past, to whether of these ought we to attribute it, to your +industry, or to the providence of God, and the foreseeing of the +king's grace! Ought we to thank you, or the king's highness? +Whether stirred other first, you the king, that he might preach, or +he you by his letters, that ye should preach oftener? Is it +unknown, think you, how both ye and your curates were, in [a] +manner, by violence enforced to let books to be made, not by you, +but by profane and lay persons; to let them, I say, be sold abroad, +and read for the instruction of the people? I am bold with you, but +I speak Latin and not English, to the clergy, not to the laity; I +speak to you being present, and not behind your backs. God is my +witness, I speak whatsoever is spoken of the good-will that I bear +you; God is my witness, which knoweth my heart, and compelleth me to +say that I say. + +Now, I pray you in God's name, what did you, so great fathers, so +many, so long a season, so oft assembled together? What went you +about? What would ye have brought to pass? Two things taken away-- +the one, that ye (which I heard) burned a dead man; the other, that +ye (which I felt) went about to burn one being alive: him, because +he did, I cannot tell how, in his testament withstand your profit; +in other points, as I have heard, a very good man; reported to be of +an honest life while he lived, full of good works, good both to the +clergy, and also to the laity: this other, which truly never hurt +any of you, ye would have raked in the coals, because he would not +subscribe to certain articles that took away the supremacy of the +king:- take away these two noble acts, and there is nothing else +left that ye went about, that I know, saving that I now remember, +that somewhat ye attempted against Erasmus, albeit as yet nothing is +come to light. Ye have oft sat in consultation, but what have ye +done? Ye have had many things in deliberation, but what one is put +forth, whereby either Christ is more glorified, or else Christ's +people made more holy I appeal to your own conscience. How chanced +this? How came it thus? Because there were no children of light, +no children of God amongst you, which, setting the world at nought, +would study to illustrate the glory of God, and thereby shew +themselves children of light? I think not so, certainly I think not +so. God forbid, that all you, which were gathered together under +the pretence of light, should be children of the world! Then why +happened this? Why, I pray you? Perchance, either because the +children of the world were more in number in this your congregation, +as it oft happeneth, or at the least of more policy than the +children of light in their generation: whereby it might very soon +be brought to pass, that these were much more stronger in gendering +the evil than these in producing the good. The children of light +have policy, but it is like the policy of the serpent, and is joined +with doveish simplicity. They engender nothing but simply, +faithfully, and plainly, even so doing all that they do. And +therefore they may with more facility be cumbered in their +engendering, and be the more ready to take injuries. But the +children of this world have worldly policy, foxly craft, lion-like +cruelty, power to do hurt, more than either aspis or basiliscus, +engendering and doing all things fraudulently, deceitfully, +guilefully: which as Nimrods and such sturdy and stout hunters, +being full of simulation and dissimulation before the Lord, deceive +the children of light, and cumber them easily. Hunters go not forth +in every man's sight, but do their affairs closely, and with use of +guile and deceit wax every day more craftier than other. + +The children of this world be like crafty hunters; they be misnamed +children of light, forasmuch as they so hate light, and so study to +do the works of darkness. If they were the children of light, they +would not love darkness. It is no marvel that they go about to keep +other in darkness, seeing they be in darkness, from top to toe +overwhelmed with darkness, darker than is the darkness of hell. +Wherefore it is well done in all orders of men, but especial in the +order of prelates, to put a difference between children of light and +children of the world, because great deceit ariseth in taking the +one for the other. Great imposture cometh, when they that the +common people take for the light, go about to take the sun and the +light out of the world. But these be easily known, both by the +diversity of minds, and also their armours. For whereas the +children of light are thus minded, that they seek their adversaries' +health, wealth, and profit, with loss of their own commodities, and +ofttimes with jeopardy of their life; the children of the world, +contrariwise, have such stomachs, that they will sooner see them +dead that doth them good, than sustain any loss of temporal things. +The armour of the children of light are, first, the word of God, +which they ever set forth, and with all diligence put it abroad, +that, as much as in them lieth, it may bring forth fruit: after +this, patience and prayer, with the which in all adversities the +Lord comforteth them. Other things they commit to God, unto whom +they leave all revengement. The armour of the children of the world +are, sometime frauds and deceits, sometime lies and money: by the +first they make their dreams, their traditions; by the second they +stablish and confirm their dreams, be they never so absurd, never so +against scripture, honesty, or reason. And if any man resist them, +even with these weapons they procure to slay him. Thus they bought +Christ's death, the very light itself, and obscured him after his +death: thus they buy every day the children of light, and obscure +them, and shall so do, until the world be at an end. So that it may +be ever true, that Christ said: "The children of the world be +wiser, &c." + +These worldlings pull down the lively faith, and full confidence +that men have in Christ, and set up another faith, another +confidence, of their own making: the children of light contrary. +These worldlings set little by such works as God hath prepared for +our salvation, but they extol traditions and works of their own +invention: the children of light contrary. The worldlings, if they +spy profit, gains, or lucre in any thing, be it never such a trifle, +be it never so pernicious, they preach it to the people (if they +preach at any time), and these things they defend with tooth and +nail. They can scarce disallow the abuses of these, albeit they be +intolerable, lest in disallowing the abuse they lose part of their +profit. The children of the light contrary, put all things in their +degree, best highest, next next, the worst lowest. They extol +things necessary, Christian, and commanded of God. They pull down +will-works feigned by men, and put them in their place. The abuses +of all things they earnestly rebuke. But yet these things be so +done on both parties, and so they both do gender, that the children +of the world shew themselves wiser than the children of light, and +that frauds and deceits, lies and money, seem evermore to have the +upper hand. I hold my peace; I will not say how fat feasts, and +jolly banquets, be jolly instruments to set forth worldly matters +withal. Neither the children of the world be only wiser than the +children of light, but are also some of them among themselves much +wiser than the other in their generation. For albeit, as touching +the end, the generation of them all is one; yet in this same +generation some of them have more craftily engendered than the other +of their fellows. + +For what a thing was that, that once every hundred year was brought +forth in Rome of the children of this world, and with how much +policy it was made, ye heard at Paul's Cross in the beginning of the +last parliament: how some brought forth canonizations, some +expectations, some pluralities and unions, some tot-quots and +dispensations, some pardons, and these of wonderful variety, some +stationaries, some jubilaries, some pocularies for drinkers, some +manuaries for handlers of relicks, some pedaries for pilgrims, some +oscularies for kissers; some of them engendered one, some other such +fetures, and every one in that he was delivered of, was excellent +politic, wise; yea, so wise, that with their wisdom they had almost +made all the world fools. + +But yet they that begot and brought forth that our old ancient +purgatory pick-purse; that that was swaged and cooled with a +Franciscan's cowl, put upon a dead man's back, to the fourth part of +his sins; that that was utterly to be spoiled, and of none other but +of our most prudent lord Pope, and of him as oft as him listed; that +satisfactory, that missal, that scalary: they, I say, that were the +wise fathers and genitors of this purgatory, were in my mind the +wisest of all their generation, and so far pass the children of +light, and also the rest of their company, that they both are but +fools, if ye compare them with these. It was a pleasant fiction, +and from the beginning so profitable to the feigners of it, that +almost, I dare boldly say, there hath been no emperor that hath +gotten more by taxes and tallages of them that were alive, than +these, the very and right-begotten sons of the world, got by dead +men's tributes and gifts. If there be some in England, that would +this sweeting of the world to be with no less policy kept still than +it was born and brought forth in Rome, who then can accuse Christ of +lying? No, no; as it hath been ever true, so it shall be, that the +children of the world be much wiser, not only in making their +things, but also in conserving them. I wot not what it is, but +somewhat it is I wot, that some men be so loth to see the abuse of +this monster, purgatory, which abuse is more than abominable: as +who should say, there is none abuse in it, or else as though there +can be none in it. They may seem heartily to love the old thing, +that thus earnestly endeavour them to restore him his old name. +They would not set an hair by the name, but for the thing. They be +not so ignorant (no, they be crafty), but that they know if the name +come again, the thing will come after. Thereby it ariseth, that +some men make their cracks, that they, maugre all men's heads, have +found purgatory. I cannot tell what is found. This, to pray for +dead folks, this is not found, for it was never lost. How can that +be found that was not lost? O subtle finders, that can find things, +if God will, ere they be lost! For that cowlish deliverance, their +scalary losings, their papal spoliations, and other such their +figments, they cannot find. No, these be so lost, as they +themselves grant, that though they seek them never so diligently, +yet they shall not find them, except perchance they hope to see them +come in again with their names; and that then money-gathering may +return again, and deceit walk about the country, and so stablish +their kingdom in all kingdoms. But to what end this chiding between +the children of the world and the children of light will come, only +he knoweth that once shall judge them both. + +Now, to make haste and to come somewhat nigher the end. Go ye to, +good brethren and fathers, for the love of God, go ye to; and seeing +we are here assembled, let us do something whereby we may be known +to be the children of light. Let us do somewhat, lest we, which +hitherto have been judged children of the world, seem even still to +be so. All men call us prelates: then, seeing we be in council, +let us so order ourselves, that we be prelates in honour and +dignity; so we may be prelates in holiness, benevolence, diligence, +and sincerity. All men know that we be here gathered, and with most +fervent desire they anheale, breathe, and gape for the fruit of our +convocation: as our acts shall be, so they shall name us: so that +now it lieth in us, whether we will be called children of the world, +or children of light. + +Wherefore lift up your heads, brethren, and look about with your +eyes, spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England. +Is it so hard, is it so great a matter for you to see many abuses in +the clergy, many in the laity? What is done in the Arches? Nothing +to be amended? What do they there? Do they evermore rid the +people's business and matters, or cumber and ruffle them? Do they +evermore correct vice, or else defend it, sometime being well +corrected in other places? How many sentences be given there in +time, as they ought to be? If men say truth, how many without +bribes? Or if all things be well done there, what do men in +bishops' Consistories? Shall you often see the punishments assigned +by the laws executed, or else money-redemptions used in their stead? +How think you by the ceremonies that are in England, oft times, with +no little offence of weak consciences, contemned; more oftener with +superstition so defiled, and so depraved, that you may doubt whether +it were better some of them to tarry still, or utterly to take them +away? Have not our forefathers complained of the ceremonies, of the +superstition, and estimation of them? + +Do ye see nothing in our holidays? of the which very few were made +at the first, and they to set forth goodness, virtue, and honesty: +but sithens, in some places, there is neither mean nor measure in +making new holidays, as who should say, this one thing is serving of +God, to make this law, that no man may work. But what doth the +people on these holidays? Do they give themselves to godliness, or +else ungodliness? See ye nothing, brethren? If you see not, yet +God seeth. God seeth all the whole holidays to be spent miserably +in drunkenness, in glossing, in strife, in envy, in dancing, dicing, +idleness, and gluttony. He seeth all this, and threateneth +punishment for it. He seeth it, which neither is deceived in +seeing, nor deceiveth when he threateneth. + +Thus men serve the devil; for God is not thus served, albeit ye say +ye serve God. No, the devil hath more service done unto him on one +holiday, than on many working days. Let all these abuses be counted +as nothing, who is he that is not sorry, to see in so many holidays +rich and wealthy persons to flow in delicates, and men that live by +their travail, poor men, to lack necessary meat and drink for their +wives and their children, and that they cannot labour upon the +holidays, except they will be cited, and brought before our +Officials? Were it not the office of good prelates to consult upon +these matters, and to seek some remedy for them? Ye shall see, my +brethren, ye shall see once, what will come of this our winking. + +What think ye of these images that are had more than their fellows +in reputation; that are gone unto with such labour and weariness of +the body, frequented with such our cost, sought out and visited with +such confidence? What say ye by these images, that are so famous, +so noble, so noted, being of them so many and so divers in England? +Do you think that this preferring of picture to picture, image to +image, is the right use, and not rather the abuse, of images? But +you will say to me, Why make ye all these interrogations? and why, +in these your demands, do you let and withdraw the good devotion of +the people? Be not all things well done, that are done with good +intent, when they be profitable to us? So, surely, covetousness +both thinketh and speaketh. Were it not better for us, more for +estimation, more meeter for men in our places, to cut away a piece +of this our profit, if we will not cut away all, than to wink at +such ungodliness, and so long to wink for a little lucre; specially +if it be ungodliness, and also seem unto you ungodliness? These be +two things, so oft to seek mere images, and sometime to visit the +relicks of saints. And yet, as in those there may be much +ungodliness committed, so there may here some superstition be hid, +if that sometime we chance to visit pigs' bones instead of saints' +relicks, as in time past it hath chanced, I had almost said, in +England. Then this is too great a blindness, a darkness too +sensible, that these should be so commended in sermons of some men, +and preached to be done after such manner, as though they could not +be evil done; which, notwithstanding, are such, that neither God nor +man commandeth them to be done. No, rather, men commanded them +either not to be done at all, or else more slowlier and seldomer to +be done, forasmuch as our ancestors made this constitution: "We +command the priests that they oft admonish the people, and in +especial women, that they make no vows but after long deliberation, +consent of their husbands and counsel of the priest." The church of +England in time past made this constitution. What saw they that +made this decree? They saw the intolerable abuses of images. They +saw the perils that might ensue of going on pilgrimage. They saw +the superstitious difference that men made between image and image. +Surely, somewhat they saw. The constitution is so made, that in +manner it taketh away all such pilgrimages. For it so plucketh away +the abuse of them, that it leaveth either none or else seldom use of +them. For they that restrain making vows for going of pilgrimage, +restrain also pilgrimage; seeing that for the most part it is seen +that few go on pilgrimage but vow-makers, and such as by promise +bind themselves to go. And when, I pray you, should a man's wife go +on pilgrimage, if she went not before she had well debated the +matter with herself, and obtained the consent of her husband, being +a wise man, and were also counselled by a learned priest so to do? +When should she go far off to these famous images? For this the +common people of England think to be going on pilgrimage; to go to +some dead and notable image out of town, that is to say, far from +their house. Now if your forefathers made this constitution, and +yet thereby did nothing, the abuses every day more and more +increased, what is left for you to do? Brethren and fathers, if ye +purpose to do any thing, what should ye sooner do, than to take +utterly away these deceitful and juggling images; or else, if ye +know any other mean to put away abuses, to shew it, if ye intend to +remove abuses? Methink it should be grateful and pleasant to you to +mark the earnest mind of your forefathers, and to look upon their +desire where they say in their constitution, "We COMMAND you," and +not, "We COUNSEL you." How have we been so long a-cold, so long +slack in setting forth so wholesome a precept of the church of +England, where we be so hot in all things that have any gains in +them, albeit they be neither commanded us, nor yet given us by +counsel; as though we had lever the abuse of things should tarry +still than, it taken away, lose our profit? To let pass the solemn +and nocturnal bacchanals, the prescript miracles, that are done upon +certain days in the west part of England, who hath not heard? I +think ye have heard of St. Blesis's heart which is at Malverne, and +of St. Algar's bones, how long they deluded the people: I am +afraid, to the loss of many souls. Whereby men may well conjecture, +that all about in this realm there is plenty of such juggling +deceits. And yet hitherto ye have sought no remedy. But even still +the miserable people are suffered to take the false miracles for the +true, and to lie still asleep in all kind of superstition. God have +mercy upon us! + +Last of all, how think you of matrimony? Is all well here? What of +baptism? Shall we evermore in ministering of it speak Latin, and +not in English rather, that the people may know what is said and +done? + +What think ye of these mass-priests, and of the masses themselves? +What say ye? Be all things here so without abuses, that nothing +ought to be amended? Your forefathers saw somewhat, which made this +constitution against the venality and sale of masses, that, under +pain of suspending, no priest should sell his saying of tricennals +or annals. What saw they, that made this constitution? What +priests saw they? What manner of masses saw they, trow ye? But at +the last, what became of so good a constitution? God have mercy +upon us! If there be nothing to be amended abroad, concerning the +whole, let every one of us make one better: if there be neither +abroad nor at home any thing to be amended and redressed, my lords, +be ye of good cheer, be merry; and at the least, because we have +nothing else to do, let us reason the matter how we may be richer. +Let us fall to some pleasant communication; after let us go home, +even as good as we came hither, that is, right-begotten children of +the world, and utterly worldlings. And while we live here, let us +all make bone cheer. For after this life there is small pleasure, +little mirth for us to hope for; if now there be nothing to be +changed in our fashions. Let us say, not as St. Peter did, "Our end +approacheth nigh," this is an heavy hearing; but let us say as the +evil servant said, "It will be long ere my master come." This is +pleasant. Let us beat our fellows: let us eat and drink with +drunkards. Surely, as oft as we do not take away the abuse of +things, so oft we beat our fellows. As oft as we give not the +people their true food, so oft we beat our fellows. As oft as we +let them die in superstition, so oft we beat them. To be short, as +oft as we blind lead them blind, so oft we beat, and grievously beat +our fellows. When we welter in pleasures and idleness, then we eat +and drink with drunkards. But God will come, God will come, he will +not tarry long away. He will come upon such a day as we nothing +look for him, and at such hour as we know not. He will come and cut +us in pieces. He will reward us as he doth the hypocrites. He will +set us where wailing shall be, my brethren; where gnashing of teeth +shall be, my brethren. And let here be the end of our tragedy, if +ye will. These be the delicate dishes prepared for the world's +well-beloved children. These be the wafers and junkets provided for +worldly prelates--wailing and gnashing of teeth. Can there be any +mirth, where these two courses last all the feast? Here we laugh, +there we shall weep. Our teeth make merry here, ever dashing in +delicates; there we shall be torn with teeth, and do nothing but +gnash and grind our own. To what end have we now excelled other in +policy? What have we brought forth at the last? Ye see, brethren, +what sorrow, what punishment is provided for you, if ye be +worldlings. If ye will not thus be vexed, be ye not the children of +the world. If ye will not be the children of the world, be not +stricken with the love of worldly things; lean not upon them. If ye +will not die eternally, live not worldly. Come, go to; leave the +love of your profit; study for the glory and profit of Christ; seek +in your consultations such things as pertain to Christ, and bring +forth at the last somewhat that may please Christ. Feed ye +tenderly, with all diligence, the flock of Christ. Preach truly the +word of God. Love the light, walk in the light, and so be ye the +children of light while ye are in this world, that ye may shine in +the world that is to come bright as the sun, with the Father, the +Son, and the Holy Ghost; to whom be all honour, praise, and glory. +Amen. + + + +A SERMON OF THE REVEREND FATHER MASTER HUGH LATIMER, PREACHED IN THE +SHROUDS AT ST. PAUL'S CHURCH IN LONDON, ON THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF +JANUARY, ANNO 1548. + + + +Quaeunque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt.--Rom. xv. +4. + +"All things which are written, are written for our erudition and +knowledge. All things that are written in God's book, in the Bible +book, in the book of the holy scripture, are written to be our +doctrine." + +I told you in my first sermon, honourable audience, that I purposed +to declare unto you two things. The one, what seed should be sown +in God's field, in God's plough land; and the other, who should be +the sowers: that is to say, what doctrine is to be taught in +Christ's church and congregation, and what men should be the +teachers and preachers of it. The first part I have told you in the +three sermons past, in which I have assayed to set forth my plough, +to prove what I could do. And now I shall tell you who be the +ploughers: for God's word is a seed to be sown in God's field, that +is, the faithful congregation, and the preacher is the sower. And +it is in the gospel: Exivit qui seminat seminare semen suum; "He +that soweth, the husbandman, the ploughman, went forth to sow his +seed." So that a preacher is resembled to a ploughman, as it is in +another place: Nemo admota aratro manu, et a tergo respiciens, +aptus est regno Dei. "No man that putteth his hand to the plough, +and looketh back, is apt for the kingdom of God." That is to say, +let no preacher be negligent in doing his office. Albeit this is +one of the places that hath been racked, as I told you of racking +scriptures. And I have been one of them myself that hath racked it, +I cry God mercy for it; and have been one of them that have believed +and expounded it against religious persons that would forsake their +order which they had professed, and would go out of their cloister: +whereas indeed it toucheth not monkery, nor maketh any thing at all +for any such matter; but it is directly spoken of diligent preaching +of the word of God. + +For preaching of the gospel is one of God's plough-works, and the +preacher is one of God's ploughmen. Ye may not be offended with my +similitude, in that I compare preaching to the labour and work of +ploughing, and the preacher to a ploughman: ye may not be offended +with this my similitude; for I have been slandered of some persons +for such things. It hath been said of me, "Oh, Latimer! nay, as for +him, I will never believe him while I live, nor never trust him; for +he likened our blessed lady to a saffron-bag:" where indeed I never +used that similitude. But it was, as I have said unto you before +now, according to that which Peter saw before in the spirit of +prophecy, and said, that there should come after men per quos via +veritatis maledictis afficeretur; there should come fellows "by whom +the way of truth should be evil spoken of, and slandered." But in +case I had used this similitude, it had not been to be reproved, but +might have been without reproach. For I might have said thus: as +the saffron-bag that hath been full of saffron, or hath had saffron +in it, doth ever after savour and smell of the sweet saffron that it +contained; so our blessed lady, which conceived and bare Christ in +her womb, did ever after resemble the manners and virtues of that +precious babe that she bare. And what had our blessed lady been the +worse for this? or what dishonour was this to our blessed lady? But +as preachers must be wary and circumspect, that they give not any +just occasion to be slandered and ill spoken of by the hearers, so +must not the auditors be offended without cause. For heaven is in +the gospel likened to a mustard-seed: it is compared also to a +piece of leaven; and as Christ saith, that at the last day he will +come like a thief: and what dishonour is this to God? or what +derogation is this to heaven? Ye may not then, I say, be offended +with my similitude, for because I liken preaching to a ploughman's +labour, and a prelate to a ploughman. But now you will ask me, whom +I call a prelate? A prelate is that man, whatsoever he be, that +hath a flock to be taught of him; whosoever hath any spiritual +charge in the faithful congregation, and whosoever he be that hath +cure of souls. And well may the preacher and the ploughman be +likened together: first, for their labour of all seasons of the +year; for there is no time of the year in which the ploughman hath +not some special work to do: as in my country in Leicestershire, +the ploughman hath a time to set forth, and to assay his plough, and +other times for other necessary works to be done. And then they +also maybe likened together for the diversity of works and variety +of offices that they have to do. For as the ploughman first setteth +forth his plough, and then tilleth his land, and breaketh it in +furrows, and sometime ridgeth it up again; and at another time +harroweth it and clotteth it, and sometime dungeth it and hedgeth +it, diggeth it and weedeth it, purgeth and maketh it clean: so the +prelate, the preacher, hath many diverse offices to do. He hath +first a busy work to bring his parishioners to a right faith, as +Paul calleth it, and not a swerving faith; but to a faith that +embraceth Christ, and trusteth to his merits; a lively faith, a +justifying faith; a faith that maketh a man righteous, without +respect of works: as ye have it very well declared and set forth in +the Homily. He hath then a busy work, I say, to bring his flock to +a right faith, and then to confirm them in the same faith: now +casting them down with the law, and with threatenings of God for +sin; now ridging them up again with the gospel, and with the +promises of God's favour: now weeding them, by telling them their +faults, and making them forsake sin; now clotting them, by breaking +their stony hearts, and by making them supplehearted, and making +them to have hearts of flesh; that is, soft hearts, and apt for +doctrine to enter in: now teaching to know God rightly, and to know +their duty to God and their neighbours: now exhorting them, when +they know their duty, that they do it, and be diligent in it; so +that they have a continual work to do. Great is their business, and +therefore great should be their hire. They have great labours, and +therefore they ought to have good livings, that they may +commodiously feed their flock; for the preaching of the word of God +unto the people is called meat: scripture calleth it meat; not +strawberries, that come but once a year, and tarry not long, but are +soon gone: but it is meat, it is no dainties. The people must have +meat that must be familiar and continual, and daily given unto them +to feed upon. Many make a strawberry of it, ministering it but once +a year; but such do not the office of good prelates. For Christ +saith, Quis putas est servus prudens et fidelis? Qui dat cibum in +tempore. "Who think you is a wise and faithful servant? He that +giveth meat in due time." So that he must at all times convenient +preach diligently: therefore saith he, "Who trow ye is a faithful +servant?" He speaketh it as though it were a rare thing to find +such a one, and as though he should say, there be but a few of them +to find in the world. And how few of them there be throughout this +realm that give meat to their flock as they should do, the Visitors +can best tell. Too few, too few; the more is the pity, and never so +few as now. + +By this, then, it appeareth that a prelate, or any that hath cure of +soul, must diligently and substantially work and labour. Therefore +saith Paul to Timothy, Qui episcopatum desiderat, hic bonum opus +desiderat: "He that desireth to have the office of a bishop, or a +prelate, that man desireth a good work." Then if it be a good work, +it is work; ye can make but a work of it. It is God's work, God's +plough, and that plough God would have still going. Such then as +loiter and live idly, are not good prelates, or ministers. And of +such as do not preach and teach, nor do their duties, God saith by +his prophet Jeremy, Maledictus qui facit opus Dei fraudulenter; +"Cursed be the man that doth the work of God fraudulently, +guilefully or deceitfully:" some books have it negligenter, +"negligently or slackly." How many such prelates, how many such +bishops, Lord, for thy mercy, are there now in England! And what +shall we in this case do? shall we company with them? O Lord, for +thy mercy! shall we not company with them? O Lord, whither shall we +flee from them? But "cursed be he that doth the work of God +negligently or guilefully." A sore word for them that are negligent +in discharging their office, or have done it fraudulently; for that +is the thing that maketh the people ill. + +But true it must be that Christ saith, Multi sunt vocati, pauci vero +electi: "Many are called, but few are chosen." Here have I an +occasion by the way somewhat to say unto you; yea, for the place I +alleged unto you before out of Jeremy, the forty-eighth chapter. +And it was spoken of a spiritual work of God, a work that was +commanded to be done; and it was of shedding blood, and of +destroying the cities of Moab. For, saith he, "Cursed be he that +keepeth back his sword from shedding of blood." As Saul, when he +kept back the sword from shedding of blood at what time he was sent +against Amaleck, was refused of God for being disobedient to God's +commandment, in that he spared Agag the king. So that that place of +the prophet was spoken of them that went to the destruction of the +cities of Moab, among the which there was one called Nebo, which was +much reproved for idolatry, superstition, pride, avarice, cruelty, +tyranny, and for hardness of heart; and for these sins was plagued +of God and destroyed. + +Now what shall we say of these rich citizens of London? What shall +I say of them? Shall I call them proud men of London, malicious men +of London, merciless men of London? No, no, I may not say so; they +will be offended with me then. Yet must I speak. For is there not +reigning in London as much pride, as much covetousness, as much +cruelty, as much oppression, and as much superstition, as was in +Nebo? Yes, I think, and much more too. Therefore I say, repent, O +London; repent, repent. Thou hearest thy faults told thee, amend +them, amend them. I think, if Nebo had had the preaching that thou +hast, they would have converted. And, you rulers and officers, be +wise and circumspect, look to your charge, and see you do your +duties; and rather be glad to amend your ill living than to be angry +when you are warned or told of your fault. What ado was there made +in London at a certain man, because he said, (and indeed at that +time on a just cause,) "Burgesses!" quoth he, "nay, Butterflies." +Lord, what ado there was for that word! And yet would God they were +no worse than butterflies! Butterflies do but their nature: the +butterfly is not covetous, is not greedy, of other men's goods; is +not full of envy and hatred, is not malicious, is not cruel, is not +merciless. The butterfly glorieth not in her own deeds, nor +preferreth the traditions of men before God's word; it committeth +not idolatry, nor worshippeth false gods. But London cannot abide +to be rebuked; such is the nature of man. If they be pricked, they +will kick; if they be rubbed on the gall, they will wince; but yet +they will not amend their faults, they will not be ill spoken of. +But how shall I speak well of them? If you could be content to +receive and follow the word of God, and favour good preachers, if +you could bear to be told of your faults, if you could amend when +you hear of them, if you would be glad to reform that is amiss; if I +might see any such inclination in you, that you would leave to be +merciless, and begin to be charitable, I would then hope well of +you, I would then speak well of you. But London was never so ill as +it is now. In times past men were full of pity and compassion, but +now there is no pity; for in London their brother shall die in the +streets for cold, he shall lie sick at the door between stock and +stock, I cannot tell what to call it, and perish there for hunger: +was there ever more unmercifulness in Nebo? I think not. In times +past, when any rich man died in London, they were wont to help the +poor scholars of the Universities with exhibition. When any man +died, they would bequeath great sums of money toward the relief of +the poor. When I was a scholar in Cambridge myself; I heard very +good report of London, and knew many that had relief of the rich men +of London: but now I can hear no such good report, and yet I +inquire of it, and hearken for it; but now charity is waxen cold, +none helpeth the scholar, nor yet the poor. And in those days, what +did they when they helped the scholars? Marry, they maintained and +gave them livings that were very papists, and professed the pope's +doctrine: and now that the knowledge of God's word is brought to +light, and many earnestly study and labour to set it forth, now +almost no man helpeth to maintain them. + +Oh London, London! repent, repent; for I think God is more +displeased with London than ever he was with the city of Nebo. +Repent therefore, repent, London, and remember that the same God +liveth now that punished Nebo, even the same God, and none other; +and he will punish sin as well now as he did then: and he will +punish the iniquity of London, as well as he did then of Nebo. +Amend therefore. And ye that be prelates, look well to your office, +for right prelating is busy labouring, and not lording. Therefore +preach and teach, and let your plough be doing. Ye lords, I say, +that live like loiterers, look well to your office; the plough is +your office and charge. If you live idle and loiter, you do not +your duty, you follow not your vocation: let your plough therefore +be going, and not cease, that the ground may bring forth fruit. + +But now methinketh I hear one say unto me: Wot ye what you say? Is +it a work? Is it a labour? How then hath it happened that we have +had so many hundred years so many unpreaching prelates, lording +loiterers, and idle ministers? Ye would have me here to make +answer, and to show cause thereof. Nay, this land is not for me to +plough; it is too stony, too thorny, too hard for me to plough. +They have so many things that make for them, so many things to lay +for themselves, that it is not for my weak team to plough them. +They have to lay for themselves long customs, ceremonies and +authority, placing in parliament, and many things more. And I fear +me this land is not yet ripe to be ploughed: for, as the saying is, +it lacketh weathering: this gear lacketh weathering; at least way +it is not for me to plough. For what shall I look for among thorns, +but pricking and scratching? What among stones, but stumbling? +What (I had almost said) among serpents, but stinging? But this +much I dare say, that since lording and loitering hath come up, +preaching hath come down, contrary to the apostles' times: for they +preached and lorded not, and now they lord and preach not. For they +that be lords will ill go to plough: it is no meet office for them; +it is not seeming for their estate. Thus came up lording loiterers: +thus crept in unpreaching prelates; and so have they long continued. +For how many unlearned prelates have we now at this day! And no +marvel: for if the ploughmen that now be were made lords, they +would clean give over ploughing; they would leave off their labour, +and fall to lording outright, and let the plough stand: and then +both ploughs not walking, nothing should be in the commonweal but +hunger. For ever since the prelates were made lords and nobles, the +plough standeth; there is no work done, the people starve. They +hawk, they hunt, they card, they dice; they pastime in their +prelacies with gallant gentlemen, with their dancing minions, and +with their fresh companions, so that ploughing is set aside: and by +their lording and loitering, preaching and ploughing is clean gone. +And thus if the ploughmen of the country were as negligent in their +office as prelates be, we should not long live, for lack of +sustenance. And as it is necessary for to have this ploughing for +the sustentation of the body, so must we have also the other for the +satisfaction of the soul, or else we cannot live long ghostly. For +as the body wasteth and consumeth away for lack of bodily meat, so +doth the soul pine away for default of ghostly meat. But there be +two kinds of inclosing, to let or hinder both these kinds of +ploughing: the one is an inclosing to let or hinder the bodily +ploughing, and the other to let or hinder the holiday-ploughing, the +church-ploughing. + +The bodily ploughing is taken in and inclosed through singular +commodity. For what man will let go, or diminish his private +commodity for a commonwealth? And who will sustain any damage for +the respect of a public commodity? The other plough also no man is +diligent to set forward, nor no man will hearken to it. But to +hinder and let it all men's ears are open; yea, and a great many of +this kind of ploughmen, which are very busy, and would seem to be +very good workmen. I fear me some be rather mock-gospellers, than +faithful ploughmen. I know many myself that profess the gospel, and +live nothing thereafter. I know them, and have been conversant with +some of them. I know them, and (I speak it with a heavy heart) +there is as little charity and good living in them as in any other; +according to that which Christ said in the gospel to the great +number of people that followed him, as though they had had any +earnest zeal to his doctrine, whereas indeed they had it not; Non +quia vidistis signa, sed quia comedistis de panibus. "Ye follow +me," saith he, "not because ye have seen the signs and miracles that +I have done; but because ye have eaten the bread, and refreshed your +bodies, therefore you follow me." So that I think many one now-a- +days professeth the gospel for the living's sake, not for the love +they bear to God's word. But they that will be true ploughmen must +work faithfully for God's sake, for the edifying of their brethren. +And as diligently as the husbandman plougheth for the sustentation +of the body, so diligently must the prelates and ministers labour +for the feeding of the soul: both the ploughs must still be going, +as most necessary for man. And wherefore are magistrates ordained, +but that the tranquillity of the commonweal may be confirmed, +limiting both ploughs? + +But now for the fault of unpreaching prelates, methink I could guess +what might be said for excusing of them. They are so troubled with +lordly living, they be so placed in palaces, crouched in courts, +ruffling in their rents, dancing in their dominions, burdened with +ambassages, pampering of their paunches, like a monk that maketh his +jubilee; munching in their mangers, and moiling in their gay manors +and mansions, and so troubled with loitering in their lordships, +that they cannot attend it. They are otherwise occupied, some in +king's matters, some are ambassadors, some of the privy council, +some to furnish the court, some are lords of the parliament, some +are presidents, and comptrollers of mints. + +Well, well, is this their duty? Is this their office? Is this +their calling? Should we have ministers of the church to be +comptrollers of the mints? Is this a meet office for a priest that +hath cure of souls? Is this his charge? I would here ask one +question: I would fain know who controlleth the devil at home in +his parish, while he controlleth the mint? If the apostles might +not leave the office of preaching to the deacons, shall one leave it +for minting? I cannot tell you; but the saying is, that since +priests have been minters, money hath been worse than it was before. +And they say that the evilness of money hath made all things dearer. +And in this behalf I must speak to England. "Hear, my country, +England," as Paul said in his first epistle to the Corinthians, the +sixth chapter; for Paul was no sitting bishop, but a walking and a +preaching bishop. But when he went from them, he left there behind +him the plough going still; for he wrote unto them, and rebuked them +for going to law, and pleading their causes before heathen judges: +"Is there," said he, utterly among you no wise man, to be an +arbitrator in matters of judgment? What, not one of all that can +judge between brother and brother; but one brother goeth to law with +another, and that under heathen judges? Constituite contemptos qui +sunt in ecclesia, &c. Appoint them judges that are most abject and +vile in the congregation." Which he speaketh in rebuking them; +"For," saith he, ad erubescentiam vestram dico--"I speak it to your +shame." So, England, I speak it to thy shame: is there never a +nobleman to be a lord president, but it must be a prelate? Is there +never a wise man in the realm to be a comptroller of the mint? I +speak it to your shame. I speak it to your shame. If there be +never a wise man, make a water-bearer, a tinker, a cobbler, a slave, +a page, comptroller of the mint: make a mean gentleman, a groom, a +yeoman, or a poor beggar, lord president. + +Thus I speak, not that I would have it so; but "to your shame," if +there be never a gentleman meet nor able to be lord president. For +why are not the noblemen and young gentlemen of England so brought +up in knowledge of God, and in learning, that they may be able to +execute offices in the commonweal? The king hath a great many of +wards, and I trow there is a Court of Wards: why is there not a +school for the wards, as well as there is a Court for their lands? +Why are they not set in schools where they may learn? Or why are +they not sent to the universities, that they may be able to serve +the king when they come to age? If the wards and young gentlemen +were well brought up in learning, and in the knowledge of God, they +would not when they come to age so much give themselves to other +vanities. And if the nobility be well trained in godly learning, +the people would follow the same train. For truly, such as the +noblemen be, such will the people be. And now, the only cause why +noblemen be not made lord presidents, is because they have not been +brought up in learning. + +Therefore for the love of God appoint teachers and schoolmasters, +you that have charge of youth; and give the teachers stipends worthy +their pains, that they may bring them up in grammar, in logic, in +rhetoric, in philosophy, in the civil law, and in that which I +cannot leave unspoken of, the word of God. Thanks be unto God, the +nobility otherwise is very well brought up in learning and +godliness, to the great joy and comfort of England; so that there is +now good hope in the youth, that we shall another day have a +flourishing commonweal, considering their godly education. Yea, and +there be already noblemen enough, though not so many as I could +wish, able to be lord presidents, and wise men enough for the mint. +And as unmeet a thing it is for bishops to be lord presidents, or +priests to be minters, as it was for the Corinthians to plead +matters of variance before heathen judges. It is also a slander to +the noblemen, as though they lacked wisdom and learning to be able +for such offices, or else were no men of conscience, or else were +not meet to be trusted, and able for such offices. And a prelate +hath a charge and cure otherwise; and therefore he cannot discharge +his duty and be a lord president too. For a presidentship requireth +a whole man; and a bishop cannot be two men. A bishop hath his +office, a flock to teach, to look unto; and therefore he cannot +meddle with another office, which alone requireth a whole man: he +should therefore give it over to whom it is meet, and labour in his +own business; as Paul writeth to the Thessalonians, "Let every man +do his own business, and follow his calling." Let the priest +preach, and the noblemen handle the temporal matters. Moses was a +marvellous man, a good man: Moses was a wonderful fellow, and did +his duty, being a married man: we lack such as Moses was. Well, I +would all men would look to their duty, as God hath called them, and +then we should have a flourishing christian commonweal. + +And now I would ask a strange question: who is the most diligentest +bishop and prelate in all England, that passeth all the rest in +doing his office? I can tell, for I know him who it is; I know him +well. But now I think I see you listening and hearkening that I +should name him. There is one that passeth all the other, and is +the most diligent prelate and preacher in all England. And will ye +know who it is? I will tell you: it is the devil. He is the most +diligent preacher of all other; he is never out of his diocess; he +is never from his cure; ye shall never find him unoccupied; he is +ever in his parish; he keepeth residence at all times; ye shall +never find him out of the way, call for him when you will he is ever +at home; the diligentest preacher in all the realm; he is ever at +his plough: no lording nor loitering can hinder him; he is ever +applying his business, ye shall never find him idle, I warrant you. +And his office is to hinder religion, to maintain superstition, to +set up idolatry, to teach all kind of popery. He is ready as he can +be wished for to set forth his plough; to devise as many ways as can +be to deface and obscure God's glory. Where the devil is resident, +and hath his plough going, there away with books, and up with +candles; away with bibles, and up with beads; away with the light of +the gospel, and up with the light of candles, yea, at noon-days. +Where the devil is resident, that he may prevail, up with all +superstition and idolatry; censing, painting of images, candles, +palms, ashes, holy water, and new service of men's inventing; as +though man could invent a better way to honour God with than God +himself hath appointed. Down with Christ's cross, up with purgatory +pickpurse, up with him, the popish purgatory, I mean. Away with +clothing the naked, the poor and impotent; up with decking of +images, and gay garnishing of stocks and stones: up with man's +traditions and his laws, down with God's traditions and his most +holy word. Down with the old honour due to God, and up with the new +god's honour. Let all things be done in Latin: there must be +nothing but Latin, not so much as Memento, homo, quod cinis es, et +in cinerem reverteris: "Remember, man, that thou art ashes, and +into ashes thou shalt return:" which be the words that the minister +speaketh unto the ignorant people, when he giveth them ashes upon +Ash-Wednesday; but it must be spoken in Latin: God's word may in no +wise be translated into English. + +Oh that our prelates would be as diligent to sow the corn of good +doctrine, as Satan is to sow cockle and darnel! And this is the +devilish ploughing, the which worketh to have things in Latin, and +letteth the fruitful edification. But here some man will say to me, +What, sir, are ye so privy of the devil's counsel, that ye know all +this to be true? Truly I know him too well, and have obeyed him a +little too much in condescending to some follies; and I know him as +other men do, yea, that he is ever occupied, and ever busy in +following his plough. I know by St. Peter, which saith of him, +Sicut leo rugiens circuit quaerens quem devoret: "He goeth about +like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." I would have this +text well viewed and examined, every word of it: "Circuit," he +goeth about in every corner of his diocess; he goeth on visitation +daily, he leaveth no place of his cure unvisited: he walketh round +about from place to place, and ceaseth not. "Sicut leo," as a lion, +that is, strongly, boldly, and proudly; stately and fiercely with +haughty looks, with his proud countenances, with his stately +braggings. "Rugiens," roaring; for he letteth not slip any occasion +to speak or to roar out when he seeth his time. "Quaerens," he +goeth about seeking, and not sleeping, as our bishops do; but he +seeketh diligently, he searcheth diligently all corners, where as he +may have his prey. He roveth abroad in every place of his diocess; +he standeth not still, he is never at rest, but ever in hand with +his plough, that it may go forward. But there was never such a +preacher in England as he is. Who is able to tell his diligent +preaching, which every day, and every hour, laboureth to sow cockle +and darnel, that he may bring out of form, and out of estimation and +room, the institution of the Lord's supper, and Christ's cross? For +there he lost his right; for Christ said, Nunc judicium est mundi, +princeps seculi hujus ejicietur foras. Et sicut exaltarit Moses +serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet Filium hominis. Et cum +exaltatus fuero a terra, omnia traham ad meipsum. "Now is the +judgment of this world, and the prince of this world shall be cast +out. And as Moses did lift up the serpent in the wilderness, so +must the Son of man be lift up. And when I shall be lift up from +the earth, I will draw all things unto myself." For the devil was +disappointed of his purpose: for he thought all to be his own; and +when he had once brought Christ to the cross, he thought all +cocksure. But there lost he all reigning: for Christ said, Omnia +traham ad meipsum: "I will draw all things to myself." He meaneth, +drawing of man's soul to salvation. And that he said he would do +per semetipsum, by his own self; not by any other body's sacrifice. +He meant by his own sacrifice on the cross, where he offered himself +for the redemption of mankind; and not the sacrifice of the mass to +be offered by another. For who can offer him but himself? He was +both the offerer and the offering. And this is the prick, this is +the mark at the which the devil shooteth, to evacuate the cross of +Christ, and to mingle the institution of the Lord's supper; the +which although he cannot bring to pass, yet he goeth about by his +sleights and subtil means to frustrate the same; and these fifteen +hundred years he hath been a doer, only purposing to evacuate +Christ's death, and to make it of small efficacy and virtue. For +whereas Christ, according as the serpent was lifted up in the +wilderness, so would he himself be exalted, that thereby as many as +trusted in him should have salvation; but the devil would none of +that: they would have us saved by a daily oblation propitiatory, by +a sacrifice expiatory, or remissory. + +Now if I should preach in the country, among the unlearned, I would +tell what propitiatory, expiatory, and remissory is; but here is a +learned auditory: yet for them that be unlearned I will expound it. +Propitiatory, expiatory, remissory, or satisfactory, for they +signify all one thing in effect, and is nothing else but a thing +whereby to obtain remission of sins, and to have salvation. And +this way the devil used to evacuate the death of Christ, that we +might have affiance in other things, as in the sacrifice of the +priest; whereas Christ would have us to trust in his only sacrifice. +So he was, Agnus occisus ab origine mundi; "The Lamb that hath been +slain from the beginning of the world;" and therefore he is called +juge sacrificium, "a continual sacrifice;" and not for the +continuance of the mass, as the blanchers have blanched it, and +wrested it; and as I myself did once betake it. But Paul saith, per +semetipsum purgatio facta: "By himself," and by none other, Christ +"made purgation" and satisfaction for the whole world. + +Would Christ this word, "by himself," had been better weighed and +looked upon, and in sanctificationem, to make them holy; for he is +juge sacrificium, "a continual sacrifice," in effect, fruit, and +operation; that like as they, which seeing the serpent hang up in +the desert, were put in remembrance of Christ's death, in whom as +many as believed were saved; so all men that trusted in the death of +Christ shall be saved, as well they that were before, as they that +came after. For he was a continual sacrifice, as I said, in effect, +fruit, operation, and virtue; as though he had from the beginning of +the world, and continually should to the world's end, hang still on +the cross; and he is as fresh hanging on the cross now, to them that +believe and trust in him, as he was fifteen hundred years ago, when +he was crucified. + +Then let us trust upon his only death, and look for none other +sacrifice propitiatory, than the same bloody sacrifice, the lively +sacrifice; and not the dry sacrifice, but a bloody sacrifice. For +Christ himself said, consummatum est: "It is perfectly finished: I +have taken at my Father's hand the dispensation of redeeming +mankind, I have wrought man's redemption, and have despatched the +matter." Why then mingle ye him? Why do ye divide him? Why make +you of him more sacrifices than one? Paul saith, Pascha nostrum +immolatus est Christus: "Christ our passover is offered;" so that +the thing is done, and Christ hath done it semel, once for all; and +it was a bloody sacrifice, not a dry sacrifice. Why then, it is not +the mass that availeth or profiteth for the quick and the dead. + +Wo worth thee, O devil, wo worth thee, that hast prevailed so far +and so long; that hast made England to worship false gods, forsaking +Christ their Lord. Wo worth thee, devil, wo worth thee, devil, and +all thy angels. If Christ by his death draweth all things to +himself, and draweth all men to salvation, and to heavenly bliss, +that trust in him; then the priests at the mass, at the popish mass, +I say, what can they draw, when Christ draweth all, but lands and +goods from the right heirs? The priests draw goods and riches, +benefices and promotions to themselves; and such as believed in +their sacrifices they draw to the devil. But Christ is he that +draweth souls unto him by his bloody sacrifice. What have we to do +then but epulari in Domino, to eat in the Lord at his supper? What +other service have we to do to him, and what other sacrifice have we +to offer, but the mortification of our flesh? What other oblation +have we to make, but of obedience, of good living, of good works, +and of helping our neighbours? But as for our redemption, it is +done already, it cannot be better: Christ hath done that thing so +well, that it cannot be amended. It cannot be devised how to make +that any better than he hath done it. But the devil, by the help of +that Italian bishop yonder, his chaplain, hath laboured by all means +that he might to frustrate the death of Christ and the merits of his +passion. And they have devised for that purpose to make us believe +in other vain things by his pardons; as to have remission of sins +for praying on hallowed beads; for drinking of the bakehouse bowl; +as a canon of Waltham Abbey once told me, that whensoever they put +their loaves of bread into the oven, as many as drank of the pardon- +bowl should have pardon for drinking of it. A mad thing, to give +pardon to a bowl! Then to pope Alexander's holy water, to hallowed +bells, palms, candles, ashes, and what not? And of these things, +every one hath taken away some part of Christ's sanctification; +every one hath robbed some part of Christ's passion and cross, and +hath mingled Christ's death, and hath been made to be propitiatory +and satisfactory, and to put away sin. Yea, and Alexander's holy +water yet at this day remaineth in England, and is used for a remedy +against spirits and to chase away devils; yea, and I would this had +been the worst. I would this were the worst. But wo worth thee, O +devil, that has prevailed to evacuate Christ's cross, and to mingle +the Lord's supper. These be the Italian bishop's devices, and the +devil hath pricked at this mark to frustrate the cross of Christ: +he shot at this mark long before Christ came, he shot at it four +thousand years before Christ hanged on the cross, or suffered his +passion. + +For the brasen serpent was set up in the wilderness, to put men in +remembrance of Christ's coming; that like as they which beheld the +brasen serpent were healed of their bodily diseases, so they that +looked spiritually upon Christ that was to come, in him should be +saved spiritually from the devil. The serpent was set up in memory +of Christ to come; but the devil found means to steal away the +memory of Christ's coining, and brought the people to worship the +serpent itself, and to cense him, to honour him, and to offer to +him, to worship him, and to make an idol of him. And this was done +by the market-men that I told you of. And the clerk of the market +did it for the lucre and advantage of his master, that thereby his +honour might increase; for by Christ's death he could have but small +worldly advantage. And so even now so hath he certain blanchers +belonging to the market, to let and stop the light of the gospel, +and to hinder the king's proceedings in setting forth the word and +glory of God. And when the king's majesty, with the advice of his +honourable council, goeth about to promote God's word, and to set an +order in matters of religion, there shall not lack blanchers that +will say, "As for images, whereas they have used to be censed, and +to have candles offered unto to them, none be so foolish to do it to +the stock or stone, or to the image itself; but it is done to God +and his honour before the image." And though they should abuse it, +these blanchers will be ready to whisper the king in the ear, and to +tell him, that this abuse is but a small matter; and that the same, +with all other like abuses in the church, may be reformed easily. +"It is but a little abuse," say they, "and it may be easily amended. +But it should not be taken in hand at the first, for fear of trouble +or further inconveniences. The people will not bear sudden +alterations; an insurrection may be made after sudden mutation, +which may be to the great harm and loss of the realm. Therefore all +things shall be well, but not out of hand, for fear of further +business." These be the blanchers, that hitherto have stopped the +word of God, and hindered the true setting forth of the same. There +be so many put-offs, so many put-byes, so many respects and +considerations of worldly wisdom: and I doubt not but there were +blanchers in the old time to whisper in the ear of good king +Hezekiah, for the maintenance of idolatry done to the brasen +serpent, as well as there hath been now of late, and be now, that +can blanch the abuse of images, and other like things. But good +king Hezekiah would not be so blinded; he was like to Apollos, +"fervent in spirit." He would give no ear to the blanchers; he was +not moved with the worldly respects, with these prudent +considerations, with these policies: he feared not insurrections of +the people: he feared not lest his people would bear not the glory +of God; but he, without any of these respects, or policies, or +considerations, like a good king, for God's sake and for conscience +sake, by and by plucked down the brasen serpent, and destroyed it +utterly, and beat it to powder. He out of hand did cast out all +images, he destroyed all idolatry, and clearly did extirpate all +superstition. He would not hear these blanchers and worldly-wise +men, but without delay followeth God's cause, and destroyeth all +idolatry out of hand. Thus did good king Hezekiah; for he was like +Apollos, fervent in spirit, and diligent, to promote God's glory. + +And good hope there is, that it shall be likewise here in England; +for the king's majesty is so brought up in knowledge, virtue, and +godliness, that it is not to be mistrusted but that we shall have +all things well, and that the glory of God shall be spread abroad +throughout all parts of the realm, if the prelates will diligently +apply their plough, and be preachers rather than lords. But our +blanchers, which will be lords, and no labourers, when they are +commanded to go and be resident upon their cures, and preach in +their benefices, they would say, "What? I have set a deputy there; +I have a deputy that looketh well to my flock, and the which shall +discharge my duty." "A deputy," quoth he! I looked for that word +all this while. And what a deputy must he be, trow ye? Even one +like himself: he must be a canonist; that is to say, one that is +brought up in the study of the pope's laws and decrees; one that +will set forth papistry as well as himself will do; and one that +will maintain all superstition and idolatry; and one that will +nothing at all, or else very weakly, resist the devil's plough: +yea, happy it is if he take no part with the devil; and where he +should be an enemy to him, it is well if he take not the devil's +part against Christ. + +But in the meantime the prelates take their pleasures. They are +lords, and no labourers: but the devil is diligent at his plough. +He is no unpreaching prelate: he is no lordly loiterer from his +cure, but a busy ploughman; so that among all the prelates, and +among all the pack of them that have cure, the devil shall go for my +money, for he still applieth his business. Therefore, ye +unpreaching prelates, learn of the devil: to be diligent in doing +of your office, learn of the devil: and if you will not learn of +God, nor good men, for shame learn of the devil; ad erubescentiam +vestrum dico, "I speak it for your shame:" if you will not learn of +God, nor good men, to be diligent in your office, learn of the +devil. Howbeit there is now very good hope that the king's majesty, +being of the help of good governance of his most honourable +counsellors trained and brought up in learning, and knowledge of +God's word, will shortly provide a remedy, and set an order herein; +which thing that it may so be, let us pray for him. Pray for him, +good people; pray for him. Ye have great cause and need to pray for +him. + + + +A SERMON ON THE PARABLE OF A KING THAT MARRIED HIS SON, MADE BY +MASTER LATIMER. + + + +MATTHEW XXII. [2,3.] + +Simile factum est regnum coelorum homini regi qui fecit nuptias +filio suo. + +The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which married his +son, and sent forth his servants to call them that, &c. + +This is a gospel that containeth very much matter; and there is +another like unto this in the fourteenth of Luke: but they be both +one in effect, for they teach both one thing; and therefore I will +take them both in hand together, because they tend to one purpose. +Matthew saith, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, +which married his son;" Luke saith, "A certain man ordained a great +supper:" but there is no difference in the very substance of the +matter, for they pertain to one purpose. Here is made mention of a +feast-maker: therefore we must consider who was the feast-maker: +secondarily, who was his son: thirdly, we must consider to whom he +was married: fourthly, who were they that called the guests: +fifthly, who were the guests. And then we must know how the guest- +callers behaved themselves: and then, how the guests behaved +themselves towards them that called them. When all these +circumstances be considered, we shall find much good matters covered +and hid in this gospel. + +Now that I may so handle these matters, that it may turn to the +edification of your souls, and to the discharge of my office, I will +most instantly desire you to lift up your hearts unto God, and +desire his divine Majesty, in the name of his only-begotten Son, our +Saviour Jesus Christ, that he will give unto us his Holy Ghost:- +unto me, that I may speak the word of God, and teach you to +understand the same; unto you, that you may hear it fruitfully, to +the edification of your souls; so that you may be edified through +it, and your lives reformed and amended; and that his honour and +glory may increase daily amongst us. Wherefore I shall desire you +to say with me, "Our Father," &c. + +Dearly beloved in the Lord, the gospel that is read this day is a +parable, a similitude or comparison. For our Saviour compared the +kingdom of God unto a man that made a marriage for his son. And +here was a marriage. At a marriage, you know, there is commonly +great feastings. Now you must know who was this feast-maker, and +who was his son, and to whom he was married; and who were those that +should be called, and who were the callers; how they behaved +themselves, and how the guests behaved themselves towards them that +called them. + +Now this marriage-maker, or feast-maker, is Almighty God. Luke the +Evangelist calleth him a man, saying, "A certain man ordained a +great supper." He calleth him a man, not that he was incarnate, or +hath taken our flesh upon him: no, not so; for you must understand +that there be three Persons in the Deity, God the Father, God the +Son, and God the Holy Ghost. And these three Persons decked the Son +with manhood; so that neither the Father, neither the Holy Ghost, +took flesh upon them, but only the Son; he took our flesh upon him, +taking it of the Virgin Mary. But Luke called God the Father a man, +not because he took flesh upon him, but only compared him unto a +man; not that he will affirm him to be a man. Who was he now that +was married? Who was the bridegroom? Marry, that was our Saviour +Jesus Christ, the second person in the Deity; the eternal Son of +God. Who should be his spouse? To whom was he married? To his +church and congregation: for he would have all the world to come +unto him, and to be married unto him: but we see by daily +experience that the most part refuse his offer. But here is shewed +the state of the church of God: for this marriage, this feast, was +begun at the beginning of the world, and shall endure to the end of +the same: yet for all that, the most part refused it: for at the +very beginning of the world, ever the most part refused to come. +And so it appeareth at this time, how little a number cometh to this +wedding and feast: though we have callers, yet there be but few of +those that come. So ye hear that God is the feast-maker; the +bridegroom is Christ, his Son, our Saviour; the bride is the +congregation. + +Now what manner of meat was prepared at this great feast? For ye +know it is commonly seen, that at a marriage the finest meat is +prepared that can be gotten. What was the chiefest dish at this +great banquet? What was the feast-dish? Marry, it was the +bridegroom himself: for the Father, the feast-maker, prepared none +other manner of meat for the guests, but the body and blood of his +own natural Son. And this is the chiefest dish at this banquet; +which truly is a marvellous thing, that the Father offereth his Son +to be eaten. Verily, I think that no man hath heard the like. And +truly there was never such kind of feasting as this is, where the +Father will have his Son to be eaten, and his blood to be drunk. + +We read in a story, that a certain man had eaten his son; but it was +done unawares: he knew not that it was his son, else no doubt he +would not have eaten him. The story is this: There was a king +named Astyages, which had heard by a prophecy, that one Cyrus should +have the rule and dominion over his realm after his departure; which +thing troubled the said king very sore, and therefore [he] sought +all the ways and means how to get the said Cyrus out of the way; how +to kill him, so that he should not be king after him. Now he had a +nobleman in his house, named Harpagus, whom he appointed to destroy +the said Cyrus: but howsoever the matter went, Cyrus was preserved +and kept alive, contrary to the king's mind. Which thing when +Astyages heard, what doth he? This he did: Harpagus, that nobleman +which was put in trust to kill Cyrus, had a son in the court, whom +the king commanded to be taken; his head, hands, and feet to be cut +off; and his body to be prepared, roasted, or sodden, of the best +manner as could be devised. After that, he biddeth Harpagus to come +and eat with him, where there was jolly cheer; one dish coming after +another. At length the king asked him, "Sir, how liketh you your +fare?" Harpagus thanketh the king, with much praising the king's +banquet. Now the king perceiving him to be merrily disposed, +commanded one of his servants to bring in the head, hands, and feet +of Harpagus's son. When it was done, the king showed him what +manner of meat he had eaten, asking him how it liketh him. Harpagus +made answer, though with an heavy heart, Quod regi placet, id mihi +quoque placet; "Whatsoever pleaseth the king, that also pleaseth +me." And here we have an ensample of a flatterer, or dissembler: +for this Harpagus spake against his own heart and conscience. +Surely, I fear me, there be a great many of flatterers in our time +also, which will not be ashamed to speak against their own heart and +consciences, like as this Harpagus did; which had, no doubt, a heavy +heart, and in his conscience the act of the king misliked him, yet +for all that, with his tongue he praised the same. So I say, we +read not in any story, that at any time any father had eaten his son +willingly and wittingly; and this Harpagus, of whom I rehearsed the +story, did it unawares. But the Almighty God, which prepared this +feast for all the world, for all those that will come unto it, he +offereth his only Son to be eaten, and his blood to be drunken. +Belike he loved his guests well, because he did feed them with so +costly a dish. + +Again, our Saviour, the bridegroom, offereth himself at his last +supper, which he had with his disciples, his body to be eaten, and +his blood to be drunk. And to the intent that it should be done to +our great comfort; and then again to take away all cruelty, +irksomeness, and horribleness, he sheweth unto us how we shall eat +him, in what manner and form; namely, spiritually, to our great +comfort: so that whosoever eateth the mystical bread, and drinketh +the mystical wine worthily, according to the ordinance of Christ, he +receiveth surely the very body and blood of Christ spiritually, as +it shall be most comfortable unto his soul. He eateth with the +mouth of his soul, and digesteth with the stomach of his soul, the +body of Christ. And to be short: whosoever believeth in Christ, +putteth his hope, trust, and confidence in him, he eateth and +drinketh him: for the spiritual eating is the right eating to +everlasting life; not the corporal eating, as the Capernaites +understood it. For that same corporal eating, on which they set +their minds, hath no commodities at all; it is a spiritual meat that +feedeth our souls. + +But I pray you, how much is this supper of Christ regarded amongst +us, where he himself exhibiteth unto us his body and blood? How +much, I say, is it regarded? How many receive it with the curate or +minister? O Lord, how blind and dull are we to such things, which +pertain to our salvation! But I pray you, wherefore was it ordained +principally? Answer: it was ordained for our help, to help our +memory withal; to put us in mind of the great goodness of God, in +redeeming us from everlasting death by the blood of our Saviour +Christ; yea, and to signify unto us, that his body and blood is our +meat and drink for our souls, to feed them to everlasting life. If +we were now so perfect as we ought to be, we should not have need of +it: but to help our imperfectness it was ordained of Christ; for we +be so forgetful, when we be not pricked forward, we have soon +forgotten all his benefits. Therefore to the intent that we might +better keep it in memory, and to remedy this our slothfulness, our +Saviour hath ordained this his supper for us, whereby we should +remember his great goodness, his bitter passion and death, and so +strengthen our faith: so that he instituted this supper for our +sake, to make us to keep in fresh memory his inestimable benefits. +But, as I said before, it is in a manner nothing regarded amongst +us: we care not for it; we will not come unto it. How many be +there, think ye, which regard this supper of the Lord as much as a +testoon? But very few, no doubt of it: and I will prove that they +regard it not so much. If there were a proclamation made in this +town, that whosoever would come unto the church at such an hour, and +there go to the communion with the curate, should have a testoon; +when such a proclamation were made, I think, truly, all the town +would come and celebrate the communion to get a testoon: but they +will not come to receive the body and blood of Christ, the food and +nourishment of their souls, to the augmentation and strength of +their faith! Do they not more regard now a testoon than Christ? +But the cause which letteth us from celebrating of the Lord's +Supper, is this: we have no mind nor purpose to leave sin and +wickedness, which maketh us not to come to this supper, because we +be not ready nor meet to receive it. But I require you in God's +behalf; leave your wickedness, that ye may receive it worthily, +according to his institution. For this supper is ordained, as I +told you before, for our sake, to our profits and commodities: for +if we were perfect, we should not need this outward sacrament; but +our Saviour, knowing our weakness and forgetfulness, ordained this +supper to the augmentation of our faith, and to put us in +remembrance of his benefits. But we will not come: there come no +more at once, but such as give the holy loaves from house to house; +which follow rather the custom than any thing else. Our Saviour +Christ saith in the gospel of St. John, Ego sum panis virus, qui de +coelo descendi; "I am the living bread which came down from heaven." +Therefore whosoever feedeth of our Saviour Christ, he shall not +perish; death shall not prevail against him: his soul shall depart +out of his body, yet death shall not get the victory over him; he +shall not be damned. He that cometh to that marriage, to that +banquet, death shall be unto him but an entrance or a door to +everlasting life. Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est; "The bread that +I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the +world." As many as will feed upon him, shall attain to everlasting +life: they shall never die; they shall prevail against death; death +shall not hurt them, because he hath lost his strength. If we would +consider this, no doubt we would be more desirous to come to the +communion than we be; we would not be so cold; we would be content +to leave our naughty living, and come to the Lord's table. + +Now ye have heard what shall be the chiefest dish at this marriage, +namely, the body and blood of Christ. But now there be other +dishes, which be sequels or hangings-on, wherewith the chief dish is +powdered: that is, remission of sins; also the Holy Ghost, which +ruleth and governeth our hearts; also the merits of Christ, which +are made ours. For when we feed upon this dish worthily, then we +shall have remission of our sins; we shall receive the Holy Ghost. +Moreover, all the merits of Christ are ours; his fulfilling of the +law is ours; and so we be justified before God, and finally attain +to everlasting life. As many, therefore, as feed worthily of this +dish, shall have all these things with it, and in the end +everlasting life. St. Paul saith, Qui proprio Filio suo non +pepercit, sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum, quomodo non etiam +cum illo omnia nobis donabit? "He which spared not his own Son, but +gave him for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things +also?" Therefore they that be in Christ are partakers of all his +merits and benefits; of everlasting life, and of all felicity. He +that hath Christ hath all things that are Christ's. He is our +preservation from damnation; he is our comfort; he is our help, our +remedy. When we feed upon him, then we shall have remission of our +sins: the same remission of sins is the greatest and most +comfortable thing that can be in the world. O what a comfortable +thing is this, when Christ saith, Remittuntur tibi peccata, "Thy +sins are forgiven unto thee!" And this is a standing sentence; it +was not spoken only to the same one man, but it is a general +proclamation unto all us: all and every one that believeth in him +shall have forgiveness of their sins. And this proclamation is +cried out daily by his ministers and preachers; which proclamation +is the word of grace, the word of comfort and consolation. For like +as sin is the most fearful and the most horriblest thing in heaven +and in earth, so the most comfortablest thing is the remedy against +sin; which remedy is declared and offered unto us in this word of +grace and the power to distribute this remedy against sins he hath +given unto his ministers, which be God's treasurers, distributers of +the word of God. For now he speaketh by me, he calleth you to this +wedding by me, being but a poor man; yet he hath sent me to call +you. And though he be the author of the word, yet he will have men +to be called through his ministers to that word. Therefore let us +give credit unto the minister, when he speaketh God's word: yea, +rather let us credit God when he speaketh by his ministers, and +offereth us remission of our sins by his word. For there is no sin +so great in this world, but it is pardonable as long as we be in +this world, and call for mercy: for here is the time of mercy; here +we may come to forgiveness of our sins. But if we once die in our +sins and wickedness, so that we be damned, let us not look for +remission afterwards: for the state after this life is +unchangeable. But as long as we be here, we may cry for mercy. +Therefore let us not despair: let us amend our lives, and cry unto +God for forgiveness of our sins; and then no doubt we shall obtain +remission, if we call with a faithful heart upon him, for so he hath +promised unto us in his most holy word. + +The holy scripture maketh mention of a sin against the Holy Ghost, +which sin cannot be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the +world to come. And this maketh many men unquiet in their hearts and +consciences: for some there be which ever be afraid, lest they have +committed that same sin against the Holy Ghost, which is +irremissible. Therefore some say, "I cannot tell whether I have +sinned against the Holy Ghost or not: if I have committed that sin, +I know I shall be damned." But I tell you what ye shall do: +despair not of the mercy of God, for it is immeasurable. I cannot +deny but that there is a sin against the Holy Ghost, which is +irremissible: but we cannot judge of it aforehand, we cannot tell +which man hath committed that sin or not, as long as he is alive; +but when he is once gone, then I can judge whether he sinned against +the Holy Ghost or not. As now I can judge that Nero, Saul, and +Judas, and such like, that died in sins and wickedness, did commit +this sin against the Holy Ghost: for they were wicked, and +continued in their wickedness still to the very end; they made an +end in their wickedness. But we cannot judge whether one of us sin +this sin against the Holy Ghost, or not; for though a man be wicked +at this time, yet he may repent, and leave his wickedness tomorrow, +and so not commit that sin against the Holy Ghost. Our Saviour +Christ pronounced against the scribes and Pharisees, that they had +committed that sin against the Holy Ghost; because he knew their +hearts, he knew they would still abide in their wickedness to the +very end of their lives. But we cannot pronounce this sentence +against any man, for we know not the hearts of men: he that sinneth +now, peradventure shall be turned tomorrow, and leave his sins, and +so be saved. Further, the promises of our Saviour Christ are +general; they pertain to all mankind: he made a general +proclamation, saying, Qui credit in me, habet vitam aeternam; +"Whosoever believeth in me hath everlasting life." Likewise St. +Paul saith, Gratia exsuperat supra peccatum; "The grace and mercies +of God exceedeth far our sins." Therefore let us ever think and +believe that the grace of God, his mercy and goodness, exceedeth our +sins. Also consider what Christ saith with his own mouth: Venite +ad me, omnes qui laboratis, &c. "Come unto me, all ye that labour +and are laden, and I will ease you." Mark, here he saith, "Come all +ye:" wherefore then should any body despair, or shut out himself +from these promises of Christ, which be general, and pertain to the +whole world? For he saith, "Come all unto me." And then again he +saith, Refocillabo vos, "I will refresh you:" you shall be eased +from the burdens of your sins. Therefore, as I said before, he that +is blasphemous, and obstinately wicked, and abideth in his +wickedness still to the very end, he sinneth against the Holy Ghost; +as St. Augustine, and all other godly writers do affirm. But he +that leaveth his wickedness and sins, is content to amend his life, +and then believing in Christ, seeketh salvation and everlasting life +by him, no doubt that man or woman, whosoever he or they be, shall +be saved: for they feed upon Christ, upon that meat that God the +Father, this feast-maker, hath prepared for all his guests. + +You have heard now who is the maker of this feast or banquet: and +again, you have heard what meat is prepared for the guests; what a +costly dish the house-father hath ordained at the wedding of his +son. But now ye know, that where there be great dishes and delicate +fare, there be commonly prepared certain sauces, which shall give +men a great lust and appetite to their meats; as mustard, vinegar, +and such like sauces. So this feast, this costly dish, hath its +sauces; but what be they? Marry, the cross, affliction, +tribulation, persecution, and all manner of miseries: for, like as +sauces make lusty the stomach to receive meat, so affliction +stirreth up in us a desire to Christ. For when we be in quietness, +we are not hungry, we care not for Christ: but when we be in +tribulation, and cast in prison, then we have a desire to him; then +we learn to call upon him; then we hunger and thirst after him; then +we are desirous to feed upon him. As long as we be in health and +prosperity, we care not for him; we be slothful, we have no stomach +at all; and therefore these sauces are very necessary for us. We +have a common saying amongst us, when we see a fellow sturdy, lofty, +and proud, men say, "This is a saucy fellow;" signifying him to be a +high-minded fellow, which taketh more upon him than he ought to do, +or his estate requireth: which thing, no doubt, is naught and ill; +for every one ought to behave himself according unto his calling and +estate. But he that will be a christian man, that intendeth to come +to heaven, must be a saucy fellow; he must be well powdered with the +sauce of affliction, and tribulation; not with proudness and +stoutness, but with miseries and calamities: for so it is written, +Omnes qui pie volunt vivere in Christo persecutionem patientur; +"Whosoever will live godly in Christ, he shall have persecution and +miseries:" he shall have sauce enough to his meat. Again, our +Saviour saith, Qui vult meus esse discipulus, abneget semetipsum et +tollat crucem suam et sequatur me; "He that will be my disciple must +deny himself and take his cross upon him, and follow me." Is there +any man that will feed upon me, that will eat my flesh and drink my +blood? Let him forsake himself. O this is a great matter; this is +a biting thing, the denying of my own will!' As for an ensample: I +see a fair woman, and conceive in my heart an ill appetite to commit +lechery with her; I desire to fulfil my wanton lust with her. Here +is my appetite, my lust, my will: but what must I do? Marry, I +must deny myself, and follow Christ. What is that? I must not +follow my own desire, but the will and pleasure of Christ. Now what +saith he? Non fornicaberis, non adulteraberis; "Thou shalt not be a +whoremonger, thou shalt not be a wedlock-breaker." Here I must deny +myself, and my will, and give place unto his will; abhor and hate my +own will. Yea, and furthermore I must earnestly call upon him, that +he will give me grace to withstand my own lust and appetite, in all +manner of things which may be against his will: as when a man doth +me wrong, taketh my living from me, or hurteth me in my good name +and fame, my will is to avenge myself upon him, to do him a foul +turn again; but what saith God? Mihi vindicta, ego retribuam; "Unto +me belongeth vengeance, I will recompense the same." Now here I +must give over my own will and pleasure, and obey his will: this I +must do, if I will feed upon him, if I will come to heaven. But +this is a bitter thing, a sour sauce, a sharp sauce; this sauce +maketh a stomach: for when I am injured or wronged, or am in other +tribulation, then I have a great desire for him, to feed upon him, +to be delivered from trouble, and to attain to quietness and joy. + +There is a learned man which hath a saying which is most true: he +saith, Plus crux quam tranquillitas invitat ad Christum; "The cross +and persecution bring us sooner to Christ than prosperity and +wealth." Therefore St. Peter saith, Humiliamini sub potenti manu +Dei; "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God." Look, what +God layeth upon you, bear it willingly and humbly. But you will +say, "I pray you, tell me what is my cross?" Answer: This that God +layeth upon you, that same is your cross; not that which you of your +own wilfulness lay upon yourselves: as there was a certain sect +which were called Flagellarii, which scourged themselves with whips +till the blood ran from their bodies; this was a cross, but it was +not the cross of God. No, no: he laid not that upon them, they did +it of their own head. Therefore look, what God layeth upon me, that +same is my cross, which I ought to take in good part; as when I fall +in poverty, or in miseries, I ought to be content withal; when my +neighbour doth me wrong, taketh away my goods, robbeth me of my good +name and fame, I shall bear it willingly, considering that it is +God's cross, and that nothing can be done against me without his +permission. There falleth never a sparrow to the ground without his +permission; yea, not a hair falleth from our head without his will. +Seeing then that there is nothing done without his will, I ought to +bear this cross which he layeth upon me willingly, without any +murmuring or grudging. + +But I pray you, consider these words of St. Peter well: Humiliamini +sub potenti manu Dei; "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of +God." Here St. Peter signifieth unto us that God is a mighty God, +which can take away the cross from us when it seemeth him good; yea, +and he can send patience in the midst of all trouble and miseries. +St. Paul, that elect instrument of God, shewed a reason wherefore +God layeth afflictions upon us, saying: Corripimur a Domino, ne cum +mundo condemnemur; "We are chastened of the Lord, lest we should be +condemned with the world." For you see by daily experience, that +the most part of wicked men are lucky in this world; they bear the +swing, all things goeth after their minds; for God letteth them have +their pleasures here. And therefore this is a common saying, "The +more wicked, the more lucky:" but they that pertain to God, that +shall inherit everlasting life, they must go to the pot; they must +suffer here, according to that scripture, Judicium a domo Dei +incipit; "The judgment of God beginneth at the house of God." +Therefore it cometh of the goodness of God, when we be put to taste +the sauce of tribulation: for he doth it to a good end, namely, +that we should not be condemned with this wicked world. For these +sauces are very good for us; for they make us more hungry and lusty +to come to Christ and feed upon him. And truly, when it goeth well +with us, we forget Christ, our hearts and minds are not upon him: +therefore it is better to have affliction than to be in prosperity. +For there is a common saying, Vexatio dat intellectum; "Vexation +giveth understanding." David, that excellent king and prophet, +saith, Bonum est mihi quod humiliasti me, Domine: "Lord," saith he, +"it is good for me that thou hast pulled down my stomach, that thou +hast humbled me." But I pray you, what sauce had David, how was he +humbled? Truly thus: his own son defiled his daughter. After +that, Absalom, one other of his sons, killed his own brother. And +this was not enough, but his own son rose up against him, and +traitorously cast him out of his kingdom, and defiled his wives in +the sight of all the people. Was not he vexed? had he not sauces? +Yes, yes: yet for all that he cried not out against God; he +murmured not, but saith, Bonum est mihi quod humiliasti me; "Lord, +it is good for me that thou hast humbled me, that thou hast brought +me low." Therefore when we be in trouble, let us be of good +comfort, knowing that God doth it for the best. But for all that, +the devil, that old serpent, the enemy of mankind, doth what he can +day and night to bring us this sauce, to cast us into persecution, +or other miseries: as it appeareth in the gospel of Matthew, where +our Saviour casting him out of a man, seeing that he could do no +more harm, he desired Christ to give him leave to go into the swine; +and so he cast them all into the sea. Where it appeareth, that the +devil studieth and seeketh all manner of ways to hurt us, either in +soul, or else in body. But for all that, let us not despair, but +rather lift up our hearts unto God, desiring his help and comfort; +and no doubt, when we do so, he will help: he will either take away +the calamities, or else mitigate them, or at the leastwise send +patience into our hearts, that we may bear it willingly. + +Now you know, at a great feast, when there is made a delicate +dinner, and the guests fare well, at the end of the dinner they have +bellaria, certain subtleties, custards, sweet and delicate things: +so when we come to this dinner, to this wedding, and feed upon +Christ, and take his sauces which he hath prepared for us, at the +end cometh the sweetmeat. What is that? Marry, remission of sins, +and everlasting life; such joy, that no tongue can express, nor +heart can think, which God hath prepared for all them that come to +this dinner, and feed upon his Son, and taste of his sauces. And +this is the end of this banquet. This banquet, or marriage-dinner, +was made at the very beginning of the world. God made this marriage +in paradise, and called the whole world unto it, saying, Semen +mulieris conteret caput serpentis; "The Seed of the woman shall +vanquish the head of the serpent." This was the first calling; and +this calling stood unto the faithful in as good stead as it doth +unto us, which have a more manifest calling. Afterward Almighty God +called again with these words, speaking to Abraham: Ego ero Deus +tuus et seminis tui post te; "I will be thy God, and thy seed's +after thee." Now what is it to be our God? Forsooth to be our +defender, our comforter, our deliverer, and helper. Who was +Abraham's seed? Even Christ the Son of God, he was Abraham's seed: +in him, and through him, all the world shall be blessed; all that +believe in him, all that come to this dinner, and feed upon him. +After that, all the prophets, their only intent was to call the +people to this wedding. Now after the time was expired which God +had appointed, he said, Venite, parata sunt omnia; "Come, all things +are ready." + +But who are these callers? The first was John Baptist, which not +only called with his mouth, but also shewed with his finger that +meat which God had prepared for the whole world. He saith, Ecce +Agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mundi; "Lo, the Lamb of God, that +taketh away the sins of the world." Also Christ himself called, +saying, Venite ad me, omnes qui laboratis; "Come to me, all ye that +travail and labour, and I will refresh you." Likewise the apostles +cried, and called all the whole world; as it is written, Exivit +sonus eorum per universam terram; "Their sound is gone throughout +all the world." But, I pray you, what thanks had they for their +calling, for their labour? Verily this: John Baptist was beheaded; +Christ was crucified; the apostles were killed: this was their +reward for their labours. So all the preachers shall look for none +other reward: for no doubt they must be sufferers, they must taste +of these sauces: their office is, arguere mundum de peccato, "to +rebuke the world of sin;" which no doubt is a thankless occupation. +Ut audiant montes judicia Domini, "That the high hills," that is, +great princes and lords, "may hear the judgments of the Lord:" they +must spare no body; they must rebuke high and low, when they do +amiss; they must strike them with the sword of God's word: which no +doubt is a thankless occupation; yet it must be done, for God will +have it so. + +There be many men, which be not so cruel as to persecute or to kill +the preachers of God's word; but when they be called to feed upon +Christ, to come to this banquet, to leave their wicked livings, then +they begin to make their excuses; as it appeared here in this +gospel, where "the first said, I have bought a farm, and I must +needs go and see it; I pray thee have me excused. Another said, I +have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee +have me excused. The third said, I have married a wife, and +therefore I cannot come." And these were their excuses. You must +take heed that you mistake not this text: for after the outward +letter it seemeth as though no husbandman, no buyer or seller, nor +married man shall enter the kingdom of God. Therefore ye must take +heed that ye understand it aright. For to be a husbandman, to be a +buyer or seller, to be a married man, is a good thing, and allowed +of God: but the abuse of such things is reproved. Husbandman, and +married man, every one in his calling, may use and do the works of +his calling. The husbandman may go to plough; they may buy and +sell; also, men may marry; but they may not set their hearts upon +it. The husbandman may not so apply his husbandry to set aside the +hearing of the word of God; for when he doth so, he sinneth +damnably: for he more regardeth his husbandry than God and his +word; he hath all lust and pleasure in his husbandry, which pleasure +is naught. As there be many husbandmen which will not come to +service; they make their excuses that they have other business: but +this excusing is naught; for commonly they go about wicked matters, +and yet they would excuse themselves, to make themselves faultless; +or, at the least way, they will diminish their faults, which thing +itself is a great wickedness; to do wickedly, and then to defend +that same wickedness, to neglect and despise God's word, and then to +excuse such doings, like as these men do here in this gospel. The +husbandman saith, "I have bought a farm; therefore have me excused: +the other saith, I have bought five yoke of oxen; I pray thee have +me excused:" Now when he cometh to the married man, that same +fellow saith not, "Have me excused," as the others say; but he only +saith, "I cannot come." Where it is to be noted, that the +affections of carnal lusts and concupiscence are the strongest above +all the other: for there be some men which set all their hearts +upon voluptuousness; they regard nothing else, neither God nor his +word; and therefore this married man saith, "I cannot come;" because +his affections are more strong and more vehement than the other +men's were. + +But what shall be their reward which refuse to come? The house- +father saith, "I say unto you, that none of those men which were +bidden shall taste of my supper." With these words Christ our +Saviour teacheth us, that all those that love better worldly things +than God and his word shall be shut out from his supper; that is to +say, from everlasting joy and felicity: for it is a great matter to +despise God's word, or the minister of the same; for the office of +preaching is the office of salvation; it hath warrants in scripture, +it is grounded upon God's word. St. Paul to the Romans maketh a +gradation of such-wise: Omnis quicunque invocaverit nomen Domini +salvabitur: quomodo ergo invocabunt in quem non crediderunt, aut +quomodo credent ei quem non audisrunt? that is to say, "Whosoever +shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved: but how shall +they call upon him, in whom they believe not? How shall they +believe on him of whom they have not heard? How shall they hear +without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be +sent?" At the length he concludeth, saying, Fides ex auditu; "Faith +cometh by hearing." Where ye may perceive, how necessary a thing it +is to hear God's word, and how needful a thing it is to have +preachers, which may teach us the word of God: for by hearing we +must come to faith; through faith we must be justified. And +therefore Christ saith himself, Qui credit in me, habet vitam +aeternam; "He that believeth in me hath everlasting life." When we +hear God's word by the preacher, and believe that same, then we +shall be saved: for St. Paul saith, Evangelium est potentia Dei ad +salutem omni credenti; "The gospel is the power of God unto +salvation to all that believe; the gospel preached is God's power to +salvation of all believers." This is a great commendation of this +office of preaching: therefore we ought not to despise it, or +little regard it; for it is God's instrument, whereby he worketh +faith in our hearts. Our Saviour saith to Nicodeme, Nisi quis +renatus fuerit, "Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the +kingdom of God." But how cometh this regeneration? By hearing and +believing of the word of God: for so saith St. Peter, Renati non ex +semine mortali corruptibili; "We are born anew, not of mortal seed, +but of immortal, by the word of God." Likewise Paul saith in +another place, Visum est Deo per stultitiam praedicationis salvos +facere credentes; "It pleased God to save the believers through the +foolishness of preaching." But, peradventure, you will say, "What, +shall a preacher teach foolishness?" No, not so: the preacher, +when he is a right preacher, he preacheth not foolishness, but he +preacheth the word of God; but it is taken for foolishness, the +world esteemeth it for a trifle: but howsoever the world esteemeth +it, St. Paul saith that God will save his through it. + +Here I might take occasion to inveigh against those which little +regard the office of preaching; which are wont to say, "'What need +we such preachings every day? Have I not five wits? I know as well +what is good or ill, as he doth that preacheth." But I tell thee, +my friend, be not too hasty; for when thou hast nothing to follow +but thy five wits, thou shalt go to the devil with them. David, +that holy prophet, said not so: he trusted not his five wits, but +he said, Lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum, Domine; "Lord, thy word +is a lantern unto my feet." Here we learn not to despise the word +of God, but highly to esteem it, and reverently to hear it; for the +holy day is ordained and appointed to none other thing, but that we +should at that day hear the word of God, and exercise ourselves in +all godliness. But there be some which think that this day is +ordained only for feasting, drinking, or gaming, or such +foolishness; but they be much deceived: this day was appointed of +God that we should hear his word, and learn his laws, and so serve +him. But I dare say the devil hath no days so much service as upon +Sundays or holy days; which Sundays are appointed to preaching, and +to hear God's most holy word. Therefore God saith not only in his +commandments, that we shall abstain from working; but he saith, +Sanctificabis, "Thou shalt hallow:" so that holy day keeping is +nothing else but to abstain from good works, and to do better works; +that is, to come together, and celebrate the Communion together, and +visit the sick bodies. These are holy-day works; and for that end +God commanded us to abstain from bodily works, that we might be more +meet and apt to do those works which he hath appointed unto us, +namely, to feed our souls with his word, to remember his benefits, +and to give him thanks, and to call upon him. So that the holy-day +may be called a marriage-day, wherein we are married unto God; which +day is very needful to be kept. The foolish common people think it +to be a belly-cheer day, and so they make it a surfeiting day: +there is no wickedness, no rebellion, no lechery, but she hath most +commonly her beginning upon the holy-day. + +We read a story in the fifteenth chapter of the book of Numbers, +that there was a fellow which gathered sticks upon the sabbath-day; +he was a despiser of God's ordinances and laws, like as they that +now-a-days go about other business, when they should hear the word +of God, and come to the Common Prayer: which fellows truly have +need of sauce, to be made more lustier to come and feed upon Christ +than they be. Now Moses and the people consulted with the Lord, +what they should do, how they should punish that fellow which had so +transgressed the sabbath-day. "He shall die," saith God: which +thing is an ensample for us to take heed, that we transgress not the +law of the sabbath-day. For though God punish us not by and by, as +this man was punished; yet he is the very self-same God that he was +before, and will punish one day, either here, or else in the other +world, where the punishment shall be everlasting. + +Likewise in the seventeenth chapter of the prophet Jeremy God +threateneth his fearful wrath and anger unto those which do profane +his sabbath-day. Again, he promiseth his favour and all prosperity +to them that will keep the holy-days; saying, "Princes and kings +shall go through thy gates," that is to say, Thou shalt be in +prosperity, in wealth, and great estimation amongst thy neighbours. +Again: "If ye will not keep my sabbath-day, I will kindle a fire in +your gates;" that is to say, I will destroy you, I will bring you to +nought, and burn your cities with fire. These words pertain as well +unto us at this time, as they pertained to them at their time: for +God hateth the disallowing of the sabbath as well now as then; for +he is and remaineth still the old God: he will have us to keep his +sabbath, as well now as then: for upon the sabbath-day God's seed- +plough goeth; that is to say, the ministry of his word is executed; +for the ministering of God's word is God's plough. Now upon the +Sundays God sendeth his husbandmen to come and till; he sendeth his +callers to come and call to the wedding, to bid the guests; that is, +all the world to come to that supper. Therefore, for the reverence +of God, consider these things: consider who calleth, namely, God; +consider again who be the guests; all ye. Therefore I call you in +God's name, come to this supper; hallow the sabbath-day; that is, do +your holy-day work, come to this supper; for this day was appointed +of God to that end, that his word should be taught and heard. +Prefer not your own business therefore before the hearing of the +word of God. Remember the story of that man which gathered sticks +upon the holy day, and was put to death by the consent of God: +where God shewed himself not a cruel God, but he would give warning +unto the whole world by that man, that all the world should keep +holy his sabbath-day. + +The almighty ever-living God give us grace to live so in this +miserable world, that we may at the end come to the great sabbath- +day, where there shall be everlasting joy and gladness! Amen. + + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext Sermons on the Card, by Hugh Latimer + |