the people to be punished He went not about to excuse them nor said not this is the first time bear with them but presented them by by to the people saying Lo here they be take them do with them according to their desertes Oh I wold ther wer no more bearers of other mens syns then this good father Samuel was I heard of late of a notable boodshed Audio saith S. Paul so do I. I know it not but I heare of it Ther was a searcher in London whych executing his office displeased a marchaunt man in so much that when he was doing his office they wer at words the mar chant man threatned him the searcher said the king shuld not lose his custome The marchant goes me home sharpes hys woodknife comes againe knockes him on the head kyls hym They that tolde me the tale saye it is wyncked at they looke thorow their fingers wil not se it Whether it be taken vp with a pardon or no I cānot tel but this I am sure if ye beare with such matters the diuel shal beare you away to hel Bloodshed murder would haue no bearing It is a haynous thing bloudshedding especially voluntary murder 〈◊〉 murder For in 〈◊〉 God saith it poluteth the whole realme Poluitur illa terra c. et non potest expiari fine sanguine The lād cānot be purged nor clensed again til his blud be shed that shed it It is the office of a king to see suche murderers puni shed with death non frustra gest at gladiū What wil you 〈◊〉 of a king he beareth a swearde before him not a Pecockes fether I go not about to styr you now to cruelty but I speake a gainst bearing of bloodshed This bearing must be looked vpō In certain causes of murther such great circumstaūces may be that the king mai pardon a murther But if I wer worthy to be of counsail or if I wer asked myne aduise I would not haue the king to pardon a velūtary murther a pretensed 〈◊〉 ther. I can tel where one man 〈◊〉 an other in a townshyp was attached vpon the same 〈◊〉 men wer impaneled the 〈◊〉 had frendes the Shriue laboured the bench the. 〈◊〉 men stack 〈◊〉 it said except he would disburs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they woulde finde him gilty Meanes wer found that the. 〈◊〉 crownes was paid The quest comes in saies not gilty Here was not gilty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crownes This is bearing some of the bench wer hāged thei wer wel serued This makes men bold to do murder slaughter We should reserue murdering tyl we come to our enemies the kyng byd vs fight He that woulde bestur hym then were a prety felow in dede Crownes If theyr crownes wer thauen to she shoulders they wer serued well ynough I knew wher a woman was got with child was a shamed at the matter went into a secret place wher she had no womē at her trauel was deliuered of three children at a birth She wroung their neckes cast them into a water so kylde her children Sodaynly she was gaunt agayne her neyghbours suspecting the matter caused her to be examined she graunted al. Afterward she was rained at the bar for it dispatched found not gilty through bearing offrienoes bribyng of that Judge Wher at the same Sessions another poore womā was hanged for stealing a few rags of a hedge that wer not woorth a crowne Ther was a certayne gentleman a professour of the woorde of God he sped neuer the better for that ye may be sure who was accused for murthering of a mā wherupon he was cast into prison And by chaūce as he was in prison one of his frendes cam vnto him for to visit him he declared to his frēd that he was neuer gilty in the murthering of the mā So he wēt his waies the gentleman was arained 〈◊〉 as he went to his execution he saw his frendes 〈◊〉 sayd vnto him Cōmend me to thy maister I pray thee tel him I am that same man 〈◊〉 I was when he was with me And if thou tarye a whyle thou shalt se me die Ther was sute made for this mās par don but it could not be gotten Belike the Shriues or some other bare him no good wyl But he died for it And afterward I being in the Tower hauing leaue to com to the Lieutenāts table I heard 〈◊〉 say that ther was a mā hanged afterward that killed the same man for whom this Gentleman was put to death O lord what bearing what bolstering of naughty matters is this in a Christen realm I desire your Maiesty to reme dy the matter God graunt you to se redres in thys 〈◊〉 in your own person Although my Lord Protector I dout not the rest of the counsail do in the mean while al that lieth in them to redres things I would such as be rulers noble men maisters shuld be at this point with their seruaunts to certify 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this sort If any man go about to do you wrong I wyl do my best to help you in your right But if thou breake the law thou 〈◊〉 haue iustice If ye wil be māquellers murderers transgressours looke for no bearing at my handes A straunge thyng What nede we in the vengeaunce to burden our selues wyth other mēs syns Haue we not syns ynowe of our own What nede haue I to burden my self with other mens syns I haue bur dens 〈◊〉 heapes of syns One heape of knowen syns an other of vnknowen 〈◊〉 I had nede to say Ab occultis meis munda me domine O lord deliuer me frō my hidden my vnknowē sins Thē if I beare with other mens sins I must say Deliuer me frō 〈◊〉 mens syns A straunge saying from my other mens syns Who beareth wyth other folkes offences he cōmunicateth with other folkes syns Men haue sins inough of their own although they bear not bolster vp other men in their noughtines thys bearing this bolstering lookyng thorow their singers is naught What that 〈◊〉 hap shuld I or ani els encrease my burden My other mens synnes forgeue me O Lorde A straunge language they haue hyd syns of theyr own ynough although they bear not with giltines of other mens syns Oh father Samuel would not beare hys owne sonnes He offerd his own sons to punishmēt said Ecce filij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt euen at the fyrst tyme he said Lo here they be I discharge my self take thē vnto you as for my part presto sū loqui corani domino et Christo eius I am here redy to answer for selfe my before the Lord his anointed Behold here I am recorde of me before the Lord Vtrum cuiusquam bouem c. Whether I haue taken any mans Oxe any mans Asse or whether I haue don
now but a shepheard and his dog so they hinder the kynges honour most of all My Lordes and maysters I say also that al such procedings which are against the kinges honor as I haue a part declared before and as far as I can perceyue doo intend plainly to make the yomanry slauery and the clergy shauery For such workes are al singular priuate wealthe and commodity 〈◊〉 of the cleargye had to much but that is taken awaye and nowe we haue to litle But for myne owne part I haue no cause to complain for I thanke God and the kynge I haue suffycient and God is my iudge I came not to craue of any mā any thing but I know them that haue to litle There lieth a great matter by these appropriations great reformation is to be hadde in them I know wheris a great market town with diuers hamelets inhabitants wher do rise yerely of their labours to the va lue of l. pound and the vicar that serueth being so great a cure hathe but xii or xiiii markes by yeare so that of thys pensyon he is not able to bie him bokes nor geue his neigh bor drinke al the great gain goeth another way My father was a 〈◊〉 and had no landes of hys own only he had a farme of iii. or iiii pound by yere at the vttermooste and here vpon he tilled so much as kept halfe a dosen men He had walke for a hundred shepe and my mother milked xxx kyne He was able and did finde the kyng a harnesse with himselfe and his horse whyle he came to the place that he shoulde receiue the kynges wages I can remembre that I buckled hys harnesse when he wente vnto Blacke heathe felde He kept me to schole or els I hadde not bene able to haue preached before the kinges maiesty now He maryed my systers wyth v. pounde or xx nobles a piece so that he brought them vp in god linesse and fear of God He kepte hospitality for his pore neighboures And some almesse he gaue to the pore and al thys dyd he of the said farm Where he that now hath it payeth xvi pound by yere or more and is not able to do any thing for his prince for him selfe nor for his children or geue a cup of drink to the pore Thus al then hansyng rearing goth to your priuate commodity welth So that where ye had a single to much you haue that sins the same ye haue enhansed the rent so haue encresed an other to muche So nowe ye haue double to muche which is to to much But let the precher preach til his tōg be worn to that stomps nothing is amended We haue good statutes made for the common wealth as touching comme ners enclosers many metings and 〈◊〉 but in the 〈◊〉 of the matter there commeth nothing forthe Well well thys is one thing I wil say vnto you from whence it commeth I know euen from the deuil I know his 〈◊〉 in it For if ye bring it to passe that the yomanry be not able to put their sonnes to schole as in dede vniuersities do wonderously decay al redy and that they be not able to marrye theyr daughters to the auoidynge of whoredome I say ye plucke saluation from the people and vtterly destroye the realme For by yemans sonnes the faith of Christe is and hath bene maintayned 〈◊〉 Is this realme taughte 〈◊〉 rich mens sonnes No no read the chronicles ye shall finde somtime noble menues sonnes whych haue beue vnpreaching bishops and prelates but ye shal fynde none of them learned men But verily they that shoulde looke to the redresse of these thinges be the greatest againste them In thys realme are a great many of folkes and amongest many I knowe but one of tender zeale at the motyon of his pore tenauntes hath let down his landes to the old rentes for their relief For gods loue let not him be a Phenix let him not be alone let him not be an hermite closed in a wal some good man folow him and do as he geueth example Surueyers there be that gredely gorge vp their couetous goodes handmakers I meane honest men I touche not but al such as suruey they make vp their mouthes but the commens be vtterlye vndone by them Whose bitter crye ascending vp to the eares of the God of Sabaoth the gredy pit of hel burning fire without great repentance do ta ry and loke for them A redresse God graunt For furelye surely but that two thinges do comforte me I would despair of the redresse in these matters One is that the kings maiesty when he commeth to age wil se a redresse of these things so out of frame 〈◊〉 example by 〈◊〉 down his own lands first and then enioyn his fubiects to folow him The second hope I haue is I beleue that the generall accompting day is at hand the dreadful day of 〈◊〉 I mean which shal make an end of all these 〈◊〉 and miseries For as the scriptures be Cū dixerint pax pax whē they shal say peace peace Omnia tura all thynges are sure Then is the day at hand a mery day I say for al such as do in this world study to serue please God and continue in his faith fear loue and a dreadful horrible daye for them that decline from God walkinge in their owne wayes to whome as it is wrytten in the xxv of Mathew is said Ite maledicti in ignem eternum Go ye cursed into eueriasting pu nyshment Wher shal be wailinge and gnashing of teethe But vnto thother he shal say Venite benedicti Come ye bles sed children of my Father possesse ye the kingdome prepared for you from the beginnyng of the world of the which God make vs al partakers Amen ¶ The second Sermon of Maister Hughe Latimer which be preached before king Edward QVecunque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam c. Al thynges that are wrytten in Gods boke in the holy Bible they were wrytten before our time but yet to cōtynue from age to age as long as the world doth stand In this boke is contained doctryne for all estates euen for kinges A king herein may learne howe to guid himself I told you in my last sermon much of the duty of a king And there is one place behind yet and it folow eth in the text Postquam autem sederit in solio regni sui c. And when the kinge is set in the seate of his kingdome he shal wryte him out a boke and take a copye of the priestes or Leuites He shall haue the boke with him and why to reade in it al the daies of his life to learn to fear god and learne hys lawes and other things as it foloweth in the text with the appurtenances and hangings on that he turn not from God ne ther to the right hand nor
though they take other mens goods thorough sutteltie and craftes it is no synne But I tell you Those thynges which we bye or gette with our labour or are giuen vs by inheritaunce or other wayes those thinges bee oures by the law which maketh meum and tuum myne and thyne Now all things gottē otherwise are not oures as those things which be gotten by crafty conueiaunces by guile and fraude by robbery and stealing by extortion and oppression by handemakyng or howe soeuer you come by it besyde the right way it is notyours in so much that youmay not giue it for gods sake for god hateth it But you will say what shall we do with the good gotten by vnlaufull meanes Marye I tell thee make restitution which is the onely way that pleaseth god O lord what bribery falshod deceiuing false getting of goods is in Englād And yet for al that we heare nothing of 〈◊〉 which is a miserable thig I tel you none of thē whi che haue takē their neighbors good frō him by any maner of falshod none of thē I 〈◊〉 shal be saued except they make resti tution either in affect or effect in effect when they bee able in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they bee not able in no wyse 〈◊〉 sayethe Si impius egerit 〈◊〉 rapinam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whan the vngodlye doth repent and restoreth the good gotten wrōgfully and vnlaufully For vnlawful good ought to be restored agayne without restitution loke not for saluation Also this is a true sentēce vsed of s. Augustin Non remittitur peccarum nisi restituatur ablatum Robbery falsehode or otherwise yll gotten goodes can not be forgiuen of god except it be restored agayn Zacheus that good publican that cōmon officer he gaue a good ensample vnto al 〈◊〉 and extorsioners I would they all would folowe his ensample he erercised not open robberye he killed no man by the waye but with craftes and suttelties he deceiued the poore When the poore men came to him he had them to come agayne an other daye and so delayed the time til at the leugth he weried poore men so gate somewhat of them Suche felowes are now in our time very good chepe but 〈◊〉 wil not learne the second lesson They haue red the first lesson how Zache was a bribetaker but they will not reade the seconde they saye A. but they wyll not saye B. What is the seconde lesson 〈◊〉 quem defraudaui reddam quadruplum Yf I haue decetued any man I wil restore it foure folde But we maye argue that they bee not suche felowes as Zache was for we here nothyng of restitution they lacke right repentāce It is a wonderful thing to see that christen people wil liue in such an estate wherein they know themselues to be damned for whā they go to bed they go in the name of the deuyll In summa what so euer they do they do it in his name because they bee out of the fauour of god God 〈◊〉 theim not therefore I say it is to be lamented that we here nothing of restitution S. Paule sayeth Qui furabatur non amplius furetur he that stale let him steale no more which wordes teache vs that he which hath stolne or deceiued and 〈◊〉 it he is a stronge these so long till he restore againe the thing taken and shall looke for no 〈◊〉 of his synnes at gods hande till he hath restored againe suche goodes There be some which say repentance or 〈◊〉 wil serue it is enough whan I am 〈◊〉 for it Those felowes can not tell what repentance meaneth Loke vpon Zacheus he dyd repent but restitution by and by folowed So let vs 〈◊〉 too let vs liue vprightly and godly and when we haue done 〈◊〉 or deceiued any body 〈◊〉 vs make 〈◊〉 and after beware of such 〈◊〉 of suche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let vs call vpon God and 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it 〈◊〉 I told you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue occasion to speake of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for I feare if I shold leue it so som of you wold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrongfully and affirme that all things should be 〈◊〉 I say not so Certain it is that God hath 〈◊〉 proprieties of things so that that whiche is myne is not thine and what thou hast I can not take from thee If all thynges were common there could be no theft so this 〈◊〉 Non 〈◊〉 furtum Thou shalt not 〈◊〉 wer in vain butit is not so The lawes of the realms make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 myn and 〈◊〉 If I haue things by those lawes thā I haue them well but this you must not forget that s. Paul saith Sitis necesitatibus sanctorum communicantes Relieue the necessitie of those which haue nede Thinges are not so cōmon that another mā may take my good from me for this is theft but they are so common that we oughte to distribute them vnto the poore to helpe them to comfort them with it we ought one to 〈◊〉 an other for this is a stāding sentence Qui habue rit substantiā huius mundi viderit fratrē suū necessitatem habere clauserit viscera sua ab co quomodo 〈◊〉 Dei manet in eo He that hath the substance of this world shal 〈◊〉 his brother to haue nede shutteth vp his entier affection frō hym how dwelleth the loue of God in him There was a certain maner of hauing things in cōmon in the time of the apostles For som goodmē as Bernabas was solde their landes and possessions and broughte the money vnto the apostles but that was doone for this cause ther was a great meny of christen people at that time intreated very ill in so much that they left all their goodes Now such folk cam vnto the apostels for and helpe Therfore those which were faithful men seing the pouertie of their brethren went sold that that they had spente the 〈◊〉 amongeste such poore which were newly made christians Amongst other whiche sold their goods there was one Anauias Zaphira his wife two very suttle persons they went and sold their good so but thei 〈◊〉 a wise part they wold not stād in danger of the losing of al their goodes Therfore thei agreed together toke the one part frō the money laid it vp with thother part thei came to Peter affirming that to bee the whole money For they thought in their heartes like as al vnfaithful men doo We can not tell how long this religion shal abide it is good to be wise kepe somwhat in store what soeuer shal 〈◊〉 Now Peter knowing by the holy ghost their falshoode first 〈◊〉 him with one word and after her too which in dede is a feareful ensample wherby we shold be monished to beware of
vnto Moses he burned in the fyre and yet he was not consumed 〈◊〉 was the cause Mary gods power We rede also in the 3. Chap. of Daniell how that Nabuchadonozcr the king caused a golden image to be made And so called all his lordes and his people to come and worship his Idole which he had set vp threatning further that whosoeuer wold not fall doune and worship the said ydole should be caste in a hote ouen Now there were three young men Sydrach Mesach and Abdenago which refused to worship the said ydole saienge O Nabuchadonozer we ought not to consente vnto thee in this matter for why our god whom we serue is able to kepe vs from the hote burnyng ouen and can righte well delyuer vs oute of thy handes and thoughe he will not yet shalte thou know that we will not serue thy gods nor doe any reuerēce to that ymage which thou hast set vp Then was Nabuchadonozer exceding full of indignation against them and commaunded by and by that the ouen should be made se uen tymes hoter than it was wonte to bee and spake vnto the strongest men that were in his hoste to bynde Sydrach Mesach and Abdenago and cast them in the burnyng ouen So these menne were bounde in theire coates hosen shoes with theirother garments and cast in to an hote burning ouen for the kinges commaundement was so strayght and the ouen was exceding hote and these three men Sydrach Mesach and Abdenago fell doune in the hote burning ouen beyng fast bound Then Nabuchadonozer the king merueyled and stode vp in all hast and spake vnto his councell saying did ye not cast these three men into the fyer they answered 〈◊〉 yea O king he answered and sayd lo for al that I do see fowre men goyng lose in the myddest of the fyre and nothyng corrupte and the fourth is like the sonne of GOD to looke 〈◊〉 Here in this storie you se that though the nature of the fire is to consume yet these three men were not consumed wyth the same for not a heare of their heade perished but rather the fyre brake oute and consunied them that put them in the ouen so the fyre of his nature woulde haue consumed them yet thorow the power of god the strength of the fyre was 〈◊〉 quished and the menne were preserued from it Euen so is it with the 〈◊〉 with the false doctryne the nature of itis to consume to corrupt and bryng to euerlastyng sorow yet let vs hope that our forefathers were not damned for god hath many ways to preserue them from perishing ye a in thelast houre of death god can worke with his holy ghost and teach them to know Christ his sonne for theyr sauior though they were taught other wayes before yet god can preserue theym from the poyson of the false doctryne I wyl shewe you a notable story done in kyng Achabs ryme written in the 〈◊〉 boke of the kynges 18. Chap. At the tyme when Achab that wycked kyng and his wife Iezabel more wickeder then her husbande when they had the rule they abolished the worde of god cleane and set vp false doctryne killed the true prophets of god in so much that Elias saith vnto god with cryeng and great lamentations sayeng Lord the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenaunte broken doune thyne altars and 〈◊〉 thy prophetes with the sworde And I only am lefte and they seke my life to take it away Here it appereth that the pulpets at that tyme were occupied with false teachers with false religion lyke as it was in the tyme of our forefathers in so much that Elias crieth out and faith plainly that there were left no more but he oncly But what saith god I haue lefte me seuen thousande which haue not bowed their knees vnto Baal when Elias thought that there was lefte more but he only then god shewed hym a great many which were left and not infected with the poyson of the false doctryne Therfore lyke as god could preserue a greate number of the Israelites at the same tyme so he could preserue oure forefathers from the poyson of poperye which was taught at that tyme for the Lorde knoweth whyche arc hys Item Christe hymselfe sayeth Quos mihi dedit Pater No man shall take these from me whiche my father hath geuen vnto me that is to say which are ordeyned to euerlasting lyfe Non repellet dominus 〈◊〉 suam haereditatem suam non relinquet the Lorde wyll not caste away hys people and hys inheritaunce he wyll not forsake therfore lette vs hope that thoughe the doctryne at that tyme was 〈◊〉 and poysoned yet for all that God hathe had his he hathe 〈◊〉 seuen thousand that is to say a great number amongest theim whyche 〈◊〉 no harms by the false 〈◊〉 for he wonderfully preserued them lyke as he dydde in the greate dearthe when all thynges were so dere whenne the ryche frankelinges would not sell theyr corne in the markets then at that time the poore was wonderfullye preserued of god for after mans reason they could not lyue yet god preserued them in so muche that theyr chylden were as fat and as wel lykyng as yf they had ben gentilmens children So lyke as god could preserue the poore with his chyldren in that great derthe so he could preserue our forcfathers from euerlasting perdition thoughe they lacked the foode of theyr soules yet he could fede them inwardly with the holy ghost But now ye will say seeyng then that God can saue 〈◊〉 and bryng them to euerlasting lyfe withoute the outwarde hearyng of the woorde of God then wee haue no neede to heare the word of GOD we nede not to haue preachers amongest vs. For lyke as he hath preserued them so he will pre serue vs to with out the hearinge of gods worde This is a folishe reason I will aunswere you this I wyll make you thys argument God can and is able to preserue thyngs from fyre so that they shal not burne or consume and therfore I wyll go set my house a fyre and it shal bee preserued Or this god prescrued these three men from fyre so that thei toke no harme ergo I wyll goe and caste my 〈◊〉 into the fyre and I shall take no harme Is this nowe a good reason No no for these thrce men had their vocation to goe in the fyrc they were caste in by violence so if god wyll haue thee to goe into the fyre by violence for hys wordes sake 〈◊〉 go with a good wyll and no doute either he wil prescrue thee as he dyd them or els he will take thee oute of thys myserable lyse to euerlastyng felicitie but to caste my selfe into the fyere with oute anye 〈◊〉 I mase not for it is written Non tentabis dominum 〈◊〉 tuum Thou 〈◊〉 not tempte the Lord thy God So lykewyse in oure tyme GOD hath 〈◊〉 light
sayth he Who trowe you is a faithful seruaunt He speaketh it as though it were a care thing to finde such a one as though he wonld say ther be but a few of them to finde in the world And howe fewe of them ther be throughout this realm that geue meate to their flocke as they should do the Uisitours can best tel To few to few the nioze is the pity neuer so few as now By thys then it appeareth that a prelate or any that hath cure of soul must diligently and subitancially worke labour Therefore saith Paule to Timothe Qui episcopatum desidcrat bic bonum opus desiderat He that desireth to haue the offi e of a Bishop or a prelate that man desireth a good woorke Then if it be good woorke it is worke Ye can make but a worke of it It is Gods worke Gods plough that plough God woulde haue styl goyng Suche then as 〈◊〉 lyue ydlelye are not good prelates or Ministers And of such as do not preach teache nor do not their duties God saith by his prophet Jeremy Ma ledictusqui facit opus dei fraudutenter 〈◊〉 or deceitfully some bookes haue negligenter negligently or slackly How ma ny such prelates how many such bishops Lord for thy mercy are there now in England And what shal we in this case do Shal we company with them O Lord for thy mercy shal we not company with them O Lord whither shal we flee frō them But curssed be he that doth the woorke of God negligently or gylefully A sore woord for them that are negligent in discharging their office or haue done it fraudulentlye for that is the thyng that maketh the people yll But true it must be that Christ saith Multi sunt 〈◊〉 pauci vero electi Many are called but few are chosen Here haue I an occasiō by the way somwhat to say vnto you yea for the place that I alledged vnto you before out of Jeremy the. 48. Chapter And it was spoken of a spirituall woorke of God a worke that was cōmaunded to be done it was of shedding bloud of destroying the Cities of Moab for saith he cursed be he that keepeth backe hys swoorde from sheddyng of bloud As Saule when he kept backe the swoord from sheddyng of bloud at what time he was sent agaynst Amalech was refused of God for beyng disobedient to Gods cōmaundementes in that he spared Agag the Kyng So that that place of the Prophet was spoken of them that went to the destruction of the Cities of Moab amonge the whych there was one called Nebo whych was much reproued for wolatry supersticion pride auarice cruelty tiranny for hurdnes of hart and for these synnes was plaged of God and destroied Now what shal we say of these rich citizens of Lōdon What shal I say of them shal I cal them proude men of London malicious men of London merciles men of Lōdon No no I may not say so they wyl be offended with me than Yet must I speake For is there not raygning in London as much pride as much couetousnes as much cruelty as much oppression as much supersticion as was in Nebo Yes I thynke and much more to Therfore I say repent O London repent repent Thou hearest thy faultes told thee amende them amende them I thynke if Nebo had had the preachyng that thou hast they would haue conuerted And you rulers officers be wise and circumspect 〈◊〉 to your charge se you doo your duties rather be glad to amende your 〈◊〉 lyuing then to be angrye when you are warned or told of your fault What a do was there made in London at a certain man because he said and in dede at that tyme on a sust cause 〈◊〉 quoth he nay butterflies Lord what a do there was for that word And yet would God they wer no wrose then Butterflies Butterflies do but theyr nature the Buttersly is not 〈◊〉 is not greedy of other mens 〈◊〉 is not ful of 〈◊〉 hatred is not malicious is not cruel is not merciles The Butterflye 〈◊〉 not in her own dedes 〈◊〉 preferreth the tradicions of men before Gods word it cōmitteth not idolatri nor worshippeth false Gods But London can not abide to be rebuked such is the nature of man If they be pricked they wyl kick If they be rubbed on the gale they wyl wynce But yet they wyl not amende theyr faultes they wyl not be yl spoken of But how shall I speake well of them If you could be content to receyue and folow the word of God and fauour good preachers if you could beare 〈◊〉 be tolde of your faultes if you could amend when you heare of them if you would be glad to refourme that is a mysse yf I might se any such inclinacion in you that you would leaue to be mercyles and begin to be charitable I would then hope wel of you I would then speake wel of you But London was neuer so yl as it is now In tymes 〈◊〉 men were ful of pity and compassion but now there is no pity for in London their brother shal die in the stretes for cold he shal lye sicke at theyr dore betwene stock and stock I cannot tell what to cal it and perish ther for hunger was there any more vnmercifulnes in Nebo I thinke not In tymes past when any ryche man dyed in London they were wont to help the poore Scholars of the 〈◊〉 with exhibycion When any man dyed they would bequeth great sums of mony towarde the relife of the poore When I was a scoler in Chambridge my self I heard very good report of London and knew many that had reliefe of the rich men of London but now I can heare no such good report and yet I enquire of it and herken for it but now charitie is waxen cold none helpeth the scholer nor yet the 〈◊〉 And in those 〈◊〉 what did they whē they helped the scholers Mary they main teined gaue them liuinges that were very 〈◊〉 and professed the Popes doctrine now that the knowledg of Gods word is brought to lyght and many earnestly study and labour to set it forth now almost no man helpeth to maintayn them Oh London London repent repent for I thinke God is more displeased with London then euer he was with the City of Nebo 〈◊〉 therfore repent London remembre that the same god liueth now that punished Nebo euen that same god none other he wil punish syn as wel now as he did then he wil punish that iniquity of Londō as wel as he did thē of Ne bo Amend therfore And ye that be prelates 〈◊〉 wel to your office for right prelating is busy labouring and not lordyng Therefore preach teach let your plow be doing Ye Lords I say that lyue like loiterers 〈◊〉 wel to your office that plow is your office charge
theyr 〈◊〉 they draw to the Diuel But Christ it is that draweth soules vnto hym by hys bloudye Sacrifice What haue we to doo then but epulari in domino to eate in the Lorde at hys Supper What other seruice haue we to doo to hym and what other sacrifice haue we to offer but the mortification of our sleshe What other oblacion haue wee to make but of obedience of good lyuyng of good woorkes and of helping our neyghbours But as for our redemption it is done already it cannot be better Christ hath done that thyng so well that it can not bee amended It can not be deuised howe to make that any better then he hath done it But the Dyuell by the helpe of that Italian Byshop yonder hys Chaplayne hath laboured by al meanes that he myght to frustrate the deathe of Christ and the merites of hys passion And they haue deuised for that purpose to make vs beleue in other vayne things by hys pardons as to haue remission of synnes for praying on halowed beades for drynkyng of the bakehouse bole as a Channon of Waltam Abbeyonce told me that when so euer they put theyr loaues of bread into the ouen as many as dranke of the pardon bole should haue pardon for drynkyng of it A mad thyng to geue pardon to a bole Then to 〈◊〉 Alexanders holy water to halowed belles palmes candels ashes and what not And of these thynges euerye one hath taken away some part of Christes sanctification Euery one hath robbed some part of Christes passion and crosse hath mingled Christes death and hath bene made to be propitiatory and satisfactory and to put away sinne Yea and Alexanders holy water yet at thys day remayneth in England and is vsed for a remedy agaynst spirites and to chase away Deuyls yea and I woulde thys had bene the woorste I woulde thys were the woorst But wo woorth thee O Deuyll that hast preuayled to euacuate Christes crosse and to mingle the Lordes Supper These be the Italian Byshops deuises and the Dyuel hath prycked at thys marke to frustrate the crosse of Christ. He shot at thys marke long before Christe came he shotte at thys prycke foure thousande yeares before Christ hanged on the Crosse or suffered hys passion For the brasen Serpent was set vp in the 〈◊〉 to put men in remembraunce of Christes commyng that lyke as they which beheld the brasen Serpent were healed of theyr bodely diseases so they that looked spirituallye vpon Christe that was to come in hym shoulde be saued spirituallye from the Diuel The Serpent was set vp in memorye of Christ to come but the Diuel founde meanes to steale awaye the memory of Christes commyng and brought the people to woorshyp the Serpent selfe and to sence hym to honour him and to offer to hym to woorshyppe hym and to make an Idole of hym And this was done by the market men that I tolde you of And the Clarke of the market dyd it for the lucre and aduauntage of hys Mayster that thereby hys honour myghte encrease for by Christes death he could haue but final world ly aduauntage And euen now so hath he certayn blaunchers longyng to the market to let and stoppe the light of the Gospel and to hynder the Kynges proceedynges in settyng foorth the woord and glory of God And when the Kynges Maiesty wyth the aduise of hys honourable Counsayle goeth aboute to promote Gods woord and to set an order in matters of religion there shal not lacke blaunchers that wyl saye As for Images where as they haue bene vsed to be senced and to haue candels offered vnto them none be so foolysh to doo it to the stock or stone or to the Image selfe but it is done to God and hys honour besore the Image And though they 〈◊〉 abuse it these blaunchers wyl be ready to whysper the Kyng in the eare and to tel hym that thys abuse is but a smal matter And that the same with al other like abuses in the church may be refourmed easely It is but a 〈◊〉 abuse say they and it may be easely amended But it should not be taken in 〈◊〉 at the fyrste for feare of trouble or further inconueniences The people wyl not beare sodayne alteracions an insurrection may be made after 〈◊〉 mutacion whych may be to the great harme and losse of the Realme Therfore al things shal be wel but not out of hand for feare of further busynes These be the blaunchers that hitherto haue stopped the word of God and hyndered the true settyng foorthe of the same There be so many put offes so many put byes so manye 〈◊〉 and considraetions of worldly wisdome And I dout not but there were blaunchers in the olde time to whysper in the eare of good Kynge Ezechyas for the mayntenaunce of Idolatrye done to the brasen Serpent aswell as there hath bene nowe oflate and be now that can blaunche the abuse of Images and other lyke thynges But good Kyng Ezechias woulde not bee so blynded he was lyke to Apollos feruent in spirite He woulde geue no eare to the Blaunchers he was not moued wyth the worldly 〈◊〉 wyth these prudent considerations wyth these policies he feared not insurrections of the people He feared not least his people woulde not beare the glorye of God but he wythout anye of these respectes or 〈◊〉 or considerations like a good kynge for Goddes sake and for conscience sake by by plucked downe the brasen serpente and destroyed it vtterlye and beate it to pouder He out of hande dyd caste downe all Images he 〈◊〉 al Idolatrie and clerely dyd extirpate al supersticion He woulde not heare these blaunchers and wordly wyse men but with out delaye foloweth gods cause and destroyeth all 〈◊〉 out of hande Thus dyd good kinge Ezechias for he was lyke Apollo feruent in spirite and diligente to promote Goddes glorie And good hope ther is that it shall be lykewyse here in Englande for the kynges Maiestye is so broughte vp in knowledge vertue and godlynesse that it is not to be mystrusted but that we shal haue al thynges well and that 〈◊〉 glorye of God shall be spread abrode throughout all partes of the realme yf the Prelates wil diligently apply their plough and be preachers rather then Lordes But our blaunchers which wyl be Lordes and no labourers when they are commaunded to go and be resident vpon their cures and preache in theyr benifices they would say What I haue set a deputie there I haue a deputie that loketh well to my flocke the whiche shall discharge my dutie A deputie quod be I loked for that worde all this whyle And what a deputie must he be trowe ye Euen one like himself he muste be a Cannonist that is to saye one that is brought vp in the studye of the Popes lawes and decres One that wil set foorth papistrie as well as hym selfe wyll 〈◊〉 and one that wyl 〈◊〉 al
supersticion and Idolatrye And one that wyll nothing at all 〈◊〉 els very weakely resist the Deuils plough yea happy it is if he take not part wyth the Deuyl where he should be an enemy to hym it is wel if he take not the Deuiles part agaynst Christ. But in the meane time the Prelates take theyr pleasures They are Lords and no labou rers but the Deuil is diligent at his plough He is no vnpreaching prelate He is no Lordly loyterer from his cure but a busy plough man so that among al the prelates and among al the packe of them that haue cure the 〈◊〉 shal go for my mony For he styl applyeth his busynes Therfore ye vnpreaching prelates learne of the Deuil to be diligent in doing of your office Learne of the Deuil And if you wyl not learne of God nor good men for shame learne of the Deuyl ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dico I speake it for your shame If you wil not learne of God nor good man to be diligent in your office learne of the Deuil 〈◊〉 there is now very good hope that the Kinges maiesty being by the helpe of good gouernaunce of his moost honourable counsailours he is trained brought vp in learning and knowledge of gods word wil shortly prouide a remedy and set an order herein which thing that it may so be let vs praye for hym Praye for hym good people praye for hym ye haue great cause and neede to praye for hym FINIS THE SEVEN SERmons of the reuerend father M. Hughe Latimer whiche he preached before our late souerayne Lorde of famous memory king Edward the .vi. within the Preaching place in the Palace at Westminster in the yeare of our Lorde 1549. the first Sermon the .viii. of Marche wherunto are added other two Sermons aswel that he preached at Stamford as also the last that he made before the late kyng Edward whiche he called hys vltimum vale ¶ Imprinted at Lōdon by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate ¶ Cumgratia priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per septennium An. 1562. ¶ To the righte vertuous and gratious Lady Katherine Douches of Suffolk Thomas Some her humble and faithful Oratour wisheth godly fauour euer lasting saluation from God the father through Iesus Christ our mereifull Lorde WHan man is borne for man that one to another should be a God and not a deuyll an helper no hynderer vnto whom also the vse of the tonge is only geuen whereby they doo both expresse and shew the affections of their mindes there is no man which can say I haue no nede of any man But amonges infinite mischiefes and euilles of mans pouertie and anguish by whiche he hath nede of other mens helpe is the instruction of prudence or vertue and of science For mankinde in this do precel chiefly brute beastes because they helpe one another by mutuall communication In learnyng good and vertuous maners the vse of commoning is required chiefly that men erryng and ignoraunte shoulde be taught for there is none which shall euer lerne of himselfe al though he be neuer so happily borne Therfore it shall become euery man which do intende to liue godly to here and learne godly bokes to print heauenly documēts in their harts For as euill doctrine deuelish bokes filthie talke do corrupt good maners so faithful precepts godly bokes chast cōmoning honest shal edifie cōfirm wherfore intending to do good vnto al men and namely vn to suche as erre and be ignorante I haue gathered writ and brought into lighte the famous fryday 〈◊〉 of M. Hugh Latimer which he preached in Lēt last past before our most noble king Edwad the sixt at the new palaice of westminster the third yere of his reigne which Sermōs most vertuous La dy I dedicate vnto your honorable grace nothing doubting but that you will gladly imbrace them not only because of their excellencie but chiefly for the profit which shal ensue thorough them vnto the ignorant For in them are fruteful godly documents directing ordinatly not only the steps cōuersation and liuing of kings but also of other ministers and subiectes vnder him And let no man begreued though it be not so exactly done as he did speake it for in very dede I am not able so to doo to wryte word for word as he did speake that passeth my capacitie though I had xx mens wittes and no fewer handes to write with all As it is vnpossible that a little ryuer should receiue the recourse of the mayne sea with in his brimmes so that no water should ouer whelm the sides therof In lyke manner is it more vnlyke my simple witte to comprehende absolutly the aboundante eloquence and learning whiche floweth most aboundantly out of godly Latimers mouth Notwithstanding yet had I rather with shamefastnes declare charitably this parte of his godly documents and counsell then with slouthfulnes forget or kepe close folishly that thing which may profete many who is that will not be glad to heare and beleue the doctrine of godly Latymer whom God hathe appoynted a prophet vnto our most noble Kynge and vnto our Realme of England to declare the message of the lyuing god to 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 oute all sinnes and vice to plant and graffe in mens hartes the plenteousnes of all spirituall blessynges in Iesus Chryste oure Lorde Moyses Ieremias Helias did neuer declare the true message of God vnto theyr rulers and people with a more sincere spirite faythfull minde aud godly zeale then godly Latimer dothe now in our dayes vnto our moste noble Kynge and 〈◊〉 the whole realme Furthermore also Iosia receyued neuer the boke of Gods will at the handes of Helkia the hye priest or the admonicion of Hulda that prophetesse with a more perfect and godly feare then oure most noble Kynge doth most faithfully geue credite vnto the wordes of good fa ther Latimer And I haue no doubt but all godly men will lykewise receyue gladly his godly Sermons and geue credit vnto the same Therfore this my rude laboure of another mans swete most vertuous ladye I offer most humbly vnto your grace moued there vnto of godly zeale thorough the godly fame that is disperst vniuersally of youre most Godly disposicion and vnfained loue towardes the lyuyng almightye eternall God and his holy worde practysed dayly bothe in your graces most vertuous behauour and also godly charitie towards the edificatiō of euery mēbre graffed in Chryst Iesu most humbly desyring your grace to accept fauourably thys my temerous enterpryse And I your most humble and faythfull Oratour shall praye vnto Iehouah the God whiche is of hymself by whom and in whom all thynges lyue moue and be that that good work which he hath begonne in you he may perform it vnto your last endyng through our Lord Iesu Chiste who preserue and kepe your grace now euer So be it The argument of the fyrst Sermon IN this first Sermon is declared taught the godly
and necessary if they be wel vsed But horses are not to be preferred aboue pore men I was ones offended with the kinges horses and therfore toke occasion to speake in the presence of the kinges maiesty that deade is whan 〈◊〉 stode Abbeis were 〈◊〉 ned for the cōfort of the poore Wherfore I sayd it was not decent that the kings horses should be kept in them as ma ny were at that time the liuing of poore mē therby minished takē a way But afterward a certain noble mā said to me what hast thou to do with the kinges horses I answered and said I spake my conscience as gods word directed me He sayd horses be the maintenances and part of a kinges honour and also of his realme wherefore in speakinge agaynst them ye are against the kinges honour I aunswered God teacheth what honour is decent for the king and for all other men accordinge vnto their vocations God apoynteth euery king a sufficient liuing for his state and de gree both by landes and other customes And it is lawfull for euery king to enioy the same goodes and possessions But to extort and take away the righte of the poore is agaynst the honour of the king And you do moue the kinge to do after that manner then you speake agaynste the honour of the king For I full certify you extortioners violent oppressers in grossers of tenamēts and lāds through whose couetusnes villages decay and fall down the kings leig people for lack of susten āce are famished and decayed They be those which speake a gaynste the honoure of the king God requireth in the king and al magistrats a good hart to walk directly in his wayes And in all subiects an obediēce dewe vnto a king Therfore I pray god both the king and also we his people may endeuer diligently to walke in his wayes to his great honour and our profite Let him not prepare vnto him selfe to many wiues c. All though we reade heare that the kings amongst the Jewes had liberty to take more wiues then one we may not therfore attempt to walk in ordinatly and to thinke that we may take also many wiues For christ hath for bidden this vnto vs Christians And let vs not impute 〈◊〉 vnto the Iewes because they had many wiues For they had a dispensation so to do Christe limiteth vnto vs one wife only And it is a great thing for a man to rule one wife rightly and ordinatly For a woman is frayle and procliue vnto all euels a woman is a very weake vessel and may sone deceiue a man and bring him vnto euil Many examples we haue in holy scripture Adam had but one wife called Cue and how sone had she brought him to consent vnto euilt and to come to destruc tion How did wicked Iesabell peruerte kinge Hachabs hart from god and al godlines and finaly vnto 〈◊〉 It is a very hard thing for a man to rule well one woman Therfore let our king what time his grace shal be so minded to take a wife chose him one which is of god that is which is of the houshold of fayth Yea let all estates be no lesse circumspect in chosing her taking great deliberacion and then they shall not neede diuorsements and such mischeues to the euil example and slaunder of our realm And that she be such one as the kinge can finde in his hearte to loue and leade his life in pure and chast espousage and 〈◊〉 shall he be the more prone and redy to aduance gods glory punish and extirpe the great lechery vsed in this realme Therfor we ought to make a continuall prayer vnto god for to graunt our kinges grace such a mate as may knitte his heart and heres according to gods ordinance and law and not to consider and cleaue onely to a politike matter or coniunction for the enlarginge of dominions for suerty and defence of contries settinge apart the institution ordinance of god We hane now a prety little shilling in deede a very prety one I haue but one I think in my purse and the last day I had put it away almost for an old grote and so I trust some will take them The fines of the siluer I can not se. But therin is printed a fine sentence that is Timor domini fons vite vel sapientie The feare of the Lord is the fountayne of life or wisedome I would god this sentence were alwayes printed in the hart of the king in chosing his wife and in al his officers For like as the feare of God is fons sapientie or vite so the forgetting of god is fons stulticie the fountaine of folishnes or of death although it be neuer so politike for vpon such politike matters death doth ensue and folow All their deuorcementes and other like conditions to the greate displeasure of all mighty god which euils I feare me is much vsed at these dayes in the mariage of noble mens children for ioyning lands to lāds possessions to possessions neither the vertuous education nor liuing being regarded but in the infācy such mariages be made to the displeasure of god and breach ofespousals Let the king therfore chose vnto him a godly wife wherby he shall the better liue chast and in so liuing all godlines shall encrease and rightwisenes be maynteyned Notwith stāding I know here after some wil come and moue your grace towardes wantonnes and to the inclination of the flesh and vayne affectiōs But I would your grace should beare in memory an history of a good king called Lewes that traueled towardes the holy land which was a greate matter in those dayes and by the way sickned being long absent from his wife And vpon this matter the phisitians did agre that it was for lack of a woman And did consult with the bishops therin who did conclude that because of the distance of his wife being in an other contry he should take a wench This good kynge hearyng theyr couclusyon wold not assent there vnto but sayd he had rather be syck euen vnto death then he would break hys espousals Do worth suche councellers byshops nay rather bussardes Neuerthelesse if the kyng shoulde haue consented to theyr conclusyon and accomplyshed the same if he had not chaū sed well they woulde haue excused the matter as I haue hard of two that haue consulted together and accordynge to the aduise of his frend the one of them wroughte where the succession was not good The other imputed a pece of reproche to him for hys such counsel geuen He exeused the matter sayinge that he gaue hym none other councell but if it had bene hys cause he woulde haue done lyke wise So I thynke the bishops woulde haue excused the matter if the kyng should haue reproued them for theyr counsel I do not reade that the king dyd rebuke them for theyr councel but if he
Discipline they be wythout al order Where they should geue place they wil not stur one inch yea where magistrates shuld determine matters they wil breake into the place before they come and at theyr comming not moue a whit for them Is this discipline Is thys good order If a man say any thing vnto them they regard it not They that be caled to answer wil not answer directly but skoffe the matter oute Men the more they know the worse they be it is truely sayde sciencia inflat knowledge maketh vs proud and causeth vs to forget all and set a way disciplin Surely in Poperye they had a reuerence but now we haue none at al Ineuer saw the like This same lack of the feare of God and dyscipline in vs was one of the causes that the father wold not hear his sonne This pain suffred our sauior Christ for vs who neuer deserued it 〈◊〉 what it was that he suffred in thys garden till Iudas came The dolors the terrors the sorrowes that he suffered be vnspeakable He suffred part ly to make amends for our sinnes partly to geue vs exā ple what we should doo in like case What comes of thys gear in th end Wel now he prayeth again he resorteth to his father again Angore correptus prolixius orabat He was in sorer pains in more anguish thē euer he was therfore he prayeth lōger more ardētly more feruētly more vehemētly thē euer he did before Oh lord what a wōderful thinge is this this horror of death is worse thē death it self more He prayeth now the third time He did it so instantlye so feruently that it brought out a bloudy sweat such plēty that it dropped down euen to the groūd There issued out of his precious body drops of blud What a paine was he in when these bloudy drops fel so aboundantlye frō hym Yet for al that how vnthankful do we shewe oure selues toward him that died only for our sakes for the remedy of our sinnes Oh what blasphemy do we commit day by day what litle regard haue we to his blessed passion thus to swear by gods bloud by Christes passion We haue no thing in our pastime but gods bloud gods woundes We continually blaspheme his passyon in hauking hunting dising carding Who wold think he shuld haue such ennemies amōg those that professe his name What became of his bloud that fel down trow 〈◊〉 was that bloud of Hales of it wo worth it What a do was it to bring this oute of the kinges hed This great abhomination of the bloud of hales could not be taken a great while out of hys minde You that be of the court especially ye sworn chaplains beware of a lesson that a great man taught me at my first cōming to the court he told me for good will he thoughte it wel 〈◊〉 sayd vnto me You must beware how so euer ye do that ye cōtrary not the king let him haue his saiyngs folow him go with him Mary out vpon this counsel shal I say as he sayes Say your cōscience or els what a worm shal ye fele gnawinge what a remorse of conscience shall ye haue when ye remēbre how ye haue slacked your duety It is a good wise verse Gutta cauat lapidem non vi sed sepe cadendo The drop of raine maketh a hole in the stone not by violence but by oft falling Likewise a prince must be turned not violently but he must be won by a litle and a litle He must haue his duty told him but it must be don with humblenesse with request of pardon or els it wer a daungerous thing Unpreachinge prelates haue bene the cause that the bloud of Hales did so long blinde the king Wo worth that such an abhominable thing shoulde be in a Christen realme but thankes be to God it was partlye redressed in the kinges dayes that dead is aud much more now God graunt good wil and power to goo forward if ther be any such abhomination behind that it may vtterly be roted vp O how happy are we that it hath plesed almigh ty God to vouchsafe that his sonne shuld sweat bloud for the redeming of our synnes and again how vnhappy are we if we wil not take it thankfully that was redemed so painfully Alas what hard hartes haue we Our sauioure Christ neuer synned and yet sweat he blud for our sinnes we will not once water our eyes wyth a few tears What an horrible thing is sinne that no other thinge would remedy and pay the raunsome for it but only the bloude of our sauiour Christ. There was nothing to pacifye the fathers wrath against man but such an agony as he suffred al the passion of al the martyrs that euer were all the sacrifices of Patriarkes that euer were al the good workes that euer were done were not able to remedy oure synne to make satisfaction for our sinnes nor any thing besides but this extreme passion and bloud sheddinge of our most merciful sauiour Christ. But to draw toward an end what became of this thre fold prayer at the length it pleased God to hear his sōnes prayer and sent him an angell to corroborate to strengthen to comfort him Christ nead no angels help if he had listed to case him self with his deitye He was the sonne of God what then for so much as he was man he receyued comfort at the aungels hand as it accordes to our infirmity His obedience his continuance and sufferinge so pleased the father of heauen that for his sonnes sake be he neuer so great a sinner leauing his sinne and repentinge for the same he wil owe him such fauoure as thoughe he had neuer committed any sinne The father of heauen wil not suffer him to be tempted wyth this great horror of death and hel to the vttermost and aboue that he is able to bear Loke for it my frendes by him and through him he shal be able to ouercome it let vs do as oure sauioure Christ did and we shal haue helpe from aboue we shal haue angels help if we truste in hym heauen and earth shall geue vp rather then we shall lacke helpe he sayeth he is Adiutor in necessitatibus an healper in tyme of nead When the angell had comforted him and when this horror of death was gon he was so strong that he offred hym self to Iudas and sayd I am he To make an end I praye you take paynes it is a daye of penaunce as we vse to say geue me leue to make you wery this day The Iewes had him to 〈◊〉 and Annas and there they whipte him bet him they set a crowne of sharpe thorne vpon hys head and nailed him to a tree yet all this was not so bitter as thys horror of death and this agony that he suffred in the garden in suche a degree as is
the roote down withal couetousnes So thys place of Paule brought me to thys text of Luke See and beware of couetousnes Therfore you Preachers out with your swordes and strike at the roote speake agaynst couetousnes and crye out vpon it Stand not tyckyng and toying at the braunches nor at the boughes for then there wil new boughes and braū ches spryng agayne of them but strike at the roote and feare not these Giauntes of Englande these great men and men of power these men that are oppressours of the poore Feare thē not but strike at the roote of all euyll whych is myscheuous couetousnes For couetousnes is the cause of rebellion I haue forgotten my logyke but yet I can iumble at a Silogisme and make an argumēt of it to proue it by Couetousnes is the roote of al euyl Rebellion is an euil Ergo Couetousnes is the roots of rebellion And so it was in dede Couetousnes was the cause of rebellion this last Sommer and both parties had couetousnes as well the Gentlemen as the Commous Both parties had Couetousnes for both parties had an inordinate desyre to haue that they had not and that is 〈◊〉 an inordinate desyre to haue that one hath not The Commons would haue hadde from the Gentlemen suche thynges as they desyred The Gentlemen would none of it and so was there couetousnes on both sides The Commons thought they had a ryght to the thynges that they inordinatly sought to haue But what then they must not come to it that waye Nowe on the other side the Gentlemen had a desire to keepe that they had and so they rebelled to agaynste the kynges commaundement and agaynst suche good order as he and hys counsel woulde haue set in the realme And thus both parties had couetousnes and both parties dyd rebell I hearde saye that there was godlye ordinaunces deuised for the redresse of it But the Giauntes would none of it in no sauce I remember myne owne selfe a certayne Giaunt a great man who sat in commission about such matters And when the tounsemen should bryng in what had beene inclosed he frouned and chafed and so nere looked and threatened the poore men tha they durst not aske theyr ryght I red of late in an Act of Parliment and thys Act made mencion of an act that was made in kyng Henries dayes the 〈◊〉 I trow it was yea and such an other busynes there was in kyng 〈◊〉 tyme the seconde also In this parliment that I speake of the Gentlemen and the Cōmons were at variaunce as they were now of late And there the Gentlemen that wer Landlordes would nedes haue away muche landes from theyr tenauntes and would needes haue an Act of parliment that it myght be lawfull for them to enclose and make seuerall from theyr tenauntes and from the Commons suche porcions of theyr landes as they thought good muche a dooe there was about thys Act. At last it was concluded and graūted that they myght so do Prouided alway that they shoulde leaue sufficient to the tenaunt Wel it was wel that they wer bounde to leaue sufficient for theym But who shoulde bee the Judge to lymite what was sufficient for theym Or who shall nowe iudge what is sufficient Wel I for my part can not tell what is sufficient But me thought it was well that the tennaunts and poore commous should haue sufficient For if they had sufficient thought I they had cause to be quiet And thē 〈◊〉 I to make thys argument within my selfe If at that time it were put in theyr will and power that they myght enclose leauing to the tennaunt that were sufficient for hym yf they had it then in theyr power thought I that they myght thys doo they woulde leaue no more then sufficient If they lest to the tenauntes and poore commons no more in those dayes but sufficient then if they had anye more taken from them since that time then had they now not sufficient They in Christ are equal with you 〈◊〉 of the realm must nedes be The poorest plowman is in Christ equall with the greatest Prince that is Let them therefore haue sufficient to maintaine them and to fynde them theyr necessaries A plow 〈◊〉 must haue sheepe yea they must haue sheepe to dunge theyr grounde for bearinge of corne for if they haue no shepe to healpe to fat the grounde they shall haue but bare corne thyn They must haue swyne for theyr foode to make theyr veneryes or bacon of theyr bacon is theyr venison for they shall now haue hangum tuum if they get any other veneson so that bacon is theyr necessary meate to 〈◊〉 on whych they may not lack They must haue other catels as 〈◊〉 to draw their ploughe and for cariage of thinges to the markets and kine for their mylke and chese whych they must lyue vpon pay theyr 〈◊〉 These cattell must haue pasture whych pasture if they lacke the rest must nedes fayle them And pasture 〈◊〉 can not haue if the 〈◊〉 be taken in inclosed from thē So as I sayde ther 〈◊〉 in both pactes rebellion Therfore for Gods loue restore theyr sufficient vnto them and searche no more what is the cause of rebelliō But se and 〈◊〉 of couetousnesse for couetousnes is the cause of rebellion Wel now if couetousnes be the cause of rebellion then preaching against couetousnesse is not the cause of rebellion Some say that the preaching now a daies is the cause of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebellion for since thys 〈◊〉 preachinge hath come in there hath bene much sedicion and therefore it must nedes be that that preaching is the cause of rebellion heare in Englande 〈◊〉 our preaching is the cause of rebellion much like as Christ was cause of the destrucion of Jerusalem For saith Christ Si non uenisse locutu fuissem eis 〈◊〉 non haberent c. If I had not com sayth Christ and spoken to them they shoulde haue no synne So we preachers haue come spoken to you we haue drawē ourswerdes of Gods word and stryken at the rootes of al 〈◊〉 to haue them cut downe and if ye wyll not amende what can we do more And preaching is cause of sedicion beare in England much like as Ely was the cause of trouble in Israel for hee was a preacher there and tolde the people of all degres theyr faultes and so they wynched and kycked at hym and accused hym to Achab the King that he was a sedicious fellow and a troublous preacher and made much 〈◊〉 in the Realme So the King sente for hym and he was brought to Achab the King who sayd vnto hym Art thou he that troubleth al 〈◊〉 and Ely answered and sayd naye thou thy Fathers house are they that trouble al Israell Ely had preached Gods word he had playnly told the people of theyr euill doinges he had shewed them Gods threateninges In gods behalfe I speake
England 〈◊〉 go about to take away all but this priest had had his glebelande taken from him by a great man Well first wente out letters for this man to appeare at a day processe went out for hym according to the order of the law and charged by vertue of those letters to appeare afore the 〈◊〉 at suche a daye The daye came The 〈◊〉 sat in his hall ready to minister iustice The priest was there presente The gentleman this Lord thys great man was called and commaunded to make his appe raunce according to the write that had ben directed out for hym And the Lorde came and was there but he appered not No quod the kynge was he sommoned as he shoulde be had he any warning to be here It was answered yea and that he was there walkinge vp and downe in the hall and that he knew wel inough that that was his daye and also that he had al ready bene called but he said he would not come before the king at that time allcoginge that he neaded not as yet to make an aunswer because he had had but one summoning No quod the kyng is hehere present yea forsoth sir said the priest The king commaunded him to be called and to come before him And the end was this He made this Lord this great man to restore vnto the priest not only the glebeland which he had taken from the priest but also the rent and profit therof for so longe time as he had withholden it frō the priest whiche was viii yeares or therabout saith he when ye can shewe better cuidence the the priest hath done why it ought to be your land then he shal restore it to you again and the profyts therof that he shal receiue in the meane time But till that daye come I charge ye that ye suffer him peaceably to enioy that is his Thys is a noble king and this I tel for your example that ye may do the lyke 〈◊〉 vpon the matter your selfe Pore men put vp bils euery day and neuer the nere Confyrme your kingdome in iudgemente and begin doinge of your own office your self euen nowe whyle you are yonge and sytte once or twise in the weeke in councell amonge your Lordes it shal cause things to haue good successe and that matters shal not be lingred for the from daye to daye It is good for euery man to do hys own office to se that well executed discharged Ozias king in Iuda he wold nedes do thoffice of the priest he wold nedes offer incense in that sanctuary which to do was the priests office But he was so dēly 〈◊〉 with the lepry for his labor so cōtinued a lepre al dais of his life S. Jhons disciples would haue had theyr master to take vpon him that he was Christ. But what sayd Jhō Nemo sibi assumit quicquā nisi datū fuerit ei desuper No man may take any thing vpon him self except it be geuen vnto him from aboue If the Deuonshire men had wel 〈◊〉 sidered this they had not prouoked the plages that they haue had light vpon them But vnpreching prelacy hathe bene the chyefest cause of al this hurly burly and commotyons But if Christ may chalenge any kinde of men for takynge his office vpon them he may say to the massemōgers Who gaue you commissyon to offer vp Christ who gaue you au tority to take mine office in hande for it is only christes of fice to do that It is a great matter to offer christ if Christ had offred his body at that last supper then shuld we so do to who is worthy to offer vp Christ an abhominable presum cyon Paule sayth Accepit panem postquam gracias egissit fregit ac dixit Accipite edite He tooke bread and after that he had geuen thankes he bralie it and saide Take ye eate ye c. and so sayd Hoc est corpus meum He gaue thankes well thē in thanks geuing there is non oblation and when he gaue thankes it was not hys bodye When I was in examination I was asked many questiōs and it was sayd to me what Christ did that should we do a bishop gathered that vpon these wordes Hoc facite inmei recordacionem Then said he to me how knowe ye that they eate it before he sayde Hoc est corpus meum I answered agayne and sayd how know ye that they did not eate it c. So I brought into him the place of Paul aboue sayd and that in thankes geuing is none oblation and when he gaue thankes it was not his body for he gaue thankes in the beginnyng of supper before they eate any māner thing at all as his accustomed maner was to do I wonder therfore that they will or dare by this text take vppon them to offer Christs body They should rather saye Quis me constituit oblatorem Who made me an offerer But when Christ sayd Quis me constituit iudicem aut diuisorem super vos Who hath made me a Iudge or a deuider of landes among you Christ did refuse an other mansoffice an office that he was not of his father deputed vnto Christes 〈◊〉 was a spirituall kingdom his office was a spiritual office he was a spiritual iudg And therfore when the woman 〈◊〉 in ad ultery was brought befere him he refused not to playe the iudge but said Quis te accusat and she sayd agayn Nemo domine No man lord saith she then said he Nec ego te condēno Nor I 〈◊〉 thee not Vade et noli amplius peccare 〈◊〉 thy waies sin no more Here he toke vpōhim his owne office did his office for his office was to preach to bid sinners a mēd their euil liuing not to be a tēporal iudge in tēporal causes And here is an other occasiō of a suit to your highnes for that punishmēt of lechery For lechery 〈◊〉 in Eng lād like a floud But now to make an end in tēporal causes he said Quis me constituit iudicem c. Who made me a iudge of tēporall causes among you of worldly matters Thus came this felow in here with interrupting of Christes sermon receiued the answer which I haue rehearsed Thou man thou felow quod he who hathe made me a iudge among you And he said vnto all the audience Videte et caue te ab auaricia See and beware of couetousnes Whye so Qui a non in abundancia cuiusquoem vita eius est ex his que possidet For no mannes life standeth in the habundaunce of the thynges whyche he possesseth we may haue thynges necessarye and we may haue habouudaunce of thinges but the haboundance doth not make vs blessed It is no good argumēt Quo plus quisque habet tanto beatus viuit The more riches that a man hath the more happelly the more blisfullye he lyueth For a certayne greate man that had purchased much lands
are withoute order or honesty The more we know thewors we be In time of popery ther was som reuerence but now none at all Why christ suf fered so sore in the garden Christ prayed the third time and swettes bloud Oure ingratytude and vnthank fulnes to God which di ed for vs. 〈◊〉 swearing in al our pastimes The bloud of 〈◊〉 was taken once for a religious relique M. Latimers lesson that was taught hym at his first comminge to the court A princes mind must be perswaded but not violent ly forced Sinne is horrible and why What was the only remeadye for oure synne Whye Christe receyued comfort of thangel Note a comfor table promyse and a ioyfull 〈◊〉 A lesson for vs in tyme oftēptation The horror of deathe and the agonye whyche christ sustained in the garden excedeth the other paynes Agaynst suche as denye that Christ descended into hel Arrogant spitits of vayne glory Curious braynes are neuer content An argumente that Goddes word is abrode Bear with father Latymer in this place Fire gnashing of teethe the worme of conscience are termes vttrynge to vs the pains of hel The 〈◊〉 phrase and maner of speaking of the scripture is to be noted Christe wrought our saluation in all his doinges Christ was be neficiall to vs in all his dooinges The blessed cō munion is a re membraunce of Christes passion The vsage of the primatiue churche in the receuing of the 〈◊〉 at the buriall of the dead Massing was the foulest 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great mā that neuer knew other 〈◊〉 the whore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fayth What 〈◊〉 will serue Fayth is a 〈◊〉 ble woman she is at her gentleman vsher going before her her train after her The true 〈◊〉 of faythe Christ came not to deliuer from ciuil 〈◊〉 None suche 〈◊〉 as these 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 The victory 〈◊〉 Gods The 〈◊〉 of the net Diuers 〈◊〉 of Gospellers The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A good lesson for preachers Learne to discharge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 name chaunged The pops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prcuailed a lone Agremente against God Thus haue their successours done 〈◊〉 sence Subtile 〈◊〉 pentes 〈◊〉 Patrons of benefices Wherfore 〈◊〉 do striue The office of saluacion Christensoules are Christes house God wil 〈◊〉 no new waye Father 〈◊〉 wishe What a charge hangeth vppon the 〈◊〉 of pre ching Note this ye patrons The properties of a good preacher Hipocrites A daungerous question God 〈◊〉 wisdome Mariage of 〈◊〉 Father Latimers 〈◊〉 A subtil 〈◊〉 Geue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 own They 〈◊〉 theyr own questyon The 〈◊〉 confesse ignorancy A good profe Geue to our Ceasar Geue is an he uy worde to some Sinne is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lincoln shire Christe was not Lord treasurer The treasurers duety 〈◊〉 muche a 〈◊〉 may take Twenty poūd menne to the 〈◊〉 The king map 〈◊〉 vniust One cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To geue 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 the stocke Blessinge and cursyng Causes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to maintayne the stocke The ryght order of prayer Note thys well Learne 〈◊〉 spend thy goods Good vsurye Things du to God The Minister must be prouided for The Kyng muste appoint that ministers 〈◊〉 Haue no re spect to the person A meane to reforme ne hligent Cu rates Many turn thys text The true Gods seruice Leaue the Fathers to God The 〈◊〉 of Ionas sermon Ionas sermon was not curious Niniue and Englande compared A signe of true 〈◊〉 Preachers must consider tyme place Ordinary meanes must be 〈◊〉 sed Cesar was 〈◊〉 Beware of lying 〈◊〉 people To do frulye diminisheth not our stocke A straunge 〈◊〉 Latimers 〈◊〉 vale A buse in mariage This 〈◊〉 dy did God deuise One synne wayteth vp on another What Giaunts are Couetousnes caused God to repent Thys speche is after the 〈◊〉 of men Londō but a village in comparisō Niniue shal arise agaist England The sonns of God and daughters of men Eue was a good womā Who bee the sonnes of God Noe is laughed 〈◊〉 skorn 〈◊〉 must be in this life England hath many Ionasses The 〈◊〉 of al mischise Preachers must strike at the roote The cause of rebellion The frou ning of a Giaunt An argument ment mete to be marked Al are equal in Christ. The plowmās vensō A good request Preaching is cause of rebellion The cause of trouble Preaching against couetousnes The cause of Goodwin 〈◊〉 The womans iniū tion Gods 〈◊〉 naunce Why Women be couered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 learne to speake Tussockes and tuftes 〈◊〉 Adams in 〈◊〉 world The cause why Tussoks be not in scriptur 〈◊〉 halfe and whole 〈◊〉 sters The diuel hathe hys purpose My Lorde is a sleepe The praier of a noble man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 broother wors 〈◊〉 a papist Christ 〈◊〉 good seede 〈◊〉 eauen is 〈◊〉 taken Paule excō 〈◊〉 God can make best lawes 〈◊〉 manglers 〈◊〉 Gods 〈◊〉 Fetchers of 〈◊〉 compasses Caines falt 〈◊〉 not be byd Iosephes brethren wrought se 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 po licy A brybing brother Gods prourb 〈◊〉 true 〈◊〉 wyll be 〈◊〉 Kinges officer for a whyle 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessary sute A chose for disceyuers Let not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An argu mēt of gods election The way to 〈◊〉 syn A sute to the Kyng An 〈◊〉 Chapiain God wyl defend 〈◊〉 Two affec tions to 〈◊〉 eschued Read chronicles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dyeth not before 〈◊〉 tyme. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying Comforte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dispeare A man in 〈◊〉 peare c̄an 〈◊〉 muche against him selfe Why some 〈◊〉 is called 〈◊〉 No sinne that is repented is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be well gouerned 〈◊〉 a chylde The beste per swation for a desperate person We may not tempt God A nother neces sary suite Gods promes is not 〈◊〉 The rainbowe 〈◊〉 teache vs What the rain bow teacheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men loue no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two brethren haue reigned in England The intent of a question asked This was but by heare saye The 〈◊〉 is answered The canse of 〈◊〉 The king of Denmarke None may me dle with others offyce Masmongers bsury Christes office Christe 〈◊〉 another mans office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the king A terrible example A true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gentlemen Lacke of promoters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 is cōtrary to god Riches bringe 〈◊〉 of mynde 〈◊〉 thys 〈◊〉 spoken Who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
any thynge to do within the house of God the whiche is bys Churche purifyed with the blud of Chryst. For the 〈◊〉 know that they themselues cannot pray vnto the Lorde theyr God except theyr hartes be faythfully disposed to do the works of theyr vocatyon trewly and faithfully of the which the 〈◊〉 is to see the people instructed by faythfull ministers in the way 〈◊〉 of the Lorde the which instructions can not be geuen by such as are not only defyled with suche kynde of 〈◊〉 as is aboue rehersed but also are vtterly 〈◊〉 of all good gyfts and knowe not the principles of theyr religion This matter is so 〈◊〉 and of suche importaunce that the magistratee hauing the feare of god before their eyes must nedes consider it with spede for it toucheth the eternall saue garde of them for whom the sonne of god did shede his owne hartes bloud they oughte to be put into hands of such as do not passe for theyr owne saluation muche lesse for others therfore with great and spedy dilygence the magistrats are bound scyng god dothe put them in trust with hys chyldren to prouide that as they be bought with the bloud of Chryst so they may be nourished with the true and sincere word of god to the praise of his name and theyr eternall comfort Further who can not lament euen from the botom of his harte to see a great number to lyue in such carelesnes and flatter themselues in theyr owne sinnes thinkinge that they be the chyldren of God when as in very dede the comfortable spirit of faythfull prayer is departed from them and they worthely numbred amongst them that haue no God nor Chryst As those men be whiche be so greedy vpon the world and haue addicte and consecrate themselues vnto it after suche a forte as though thys worlde should last for eucr And in this takyng be the grea ter part of the gentelmen which with suche extremities intreate 〈◊〉 poore tenantes with raysyng of rents taking of synes and other kyndes of extreme dealinges that they are compelled day and nighte to crie vnto God for vengeaunce against them and can any man thinke that these pitiles and cruell men can appeare before the maiestie of god and craue remission of theyr sinnes when as they be purposed to go on forwarde still in their extreme dealinges against the poore I will not speake nowe of them that beyng not content with theyr landes and rentes do catche into theyr hands spiritual liuyngs as personages such lyke and that vnder the pretense to make prouision for theyr houses What hurt and domage thys realme of England doth sustayne by that deuelyshe kynde of prouision for gentelmens houses knightes and Lords houses they cantel best that do trauell in the countreyes and see with their cyes great parishes and market townes with innumerable others to be 〈◊〉 destitute of Gods word and that because that these greedy men haue spoyled the lyuings and gotten them into theyr hands and in stead of a faythful painfull teacher they hyre a sir John which hath better skill in playing at tables or in kepyng of a garden then in Gods word he for a triefle doth serue the cure and so help to bring the people of God in daunger of theyr soules And all those serue to accomplishe the abhominable pryde of suche gentelmen which cōsume the goods of the poore the which ought to haue ben bestowed vppon a lerned minister in costly apparel belly chere or in building of gorgious houses But let thē be assured that a day will come when it will be layd to theyr charge Rapina pauperū in domibus vestris And then they shall perceaue that theyr faire houses ar built in the place called Aceldama they haue a bloudy foundation and therfore can not stād long This matter also is so wayghtye and the spirituall slaughter of the poore people so miserable and wofull that except the magistrates spedely looke thereunto and redres the same the Lorde of Sabaoth hymself will synde oute som remedy to delyuer his people from suche cater pillers and requyre the bloud of his people at theyr hāds by whose couetousnes they were letted to come to the knowledge of Christ. And besides thys suche 〈◊〉 wolues as deuoure the lyuings of teachers ministers of gods word shall not be hable to come in the presence of the Lord to pray vnto hym or to prayse hym for all that euer they doo yea euen their prayers is execrable before the Lord so long as they turne their eare fro the heating of the lawe of the Lorde that is to saye so longe as they doo not euen from the verye 〈◊〉 of theyr hartes 〈◊〉 aboute to redresse these heynous faultes with the which they be intangled Let them repēt therfore euen 〈◊〉 before the wrathfull indignation of the Lord faule vppon them and so destroy them in theyr sinnes And these thyngs ought to be considered of all them that pretende christianytie of what estate or degree soeuer they be as well lawyers whose couetousnes hath almost deuoured England as craftesmen husbandmen seruauntes and others remembryng with them selues that if theyr hartes be inclined to wickednes the Lorde will not heare theyr prayers Let them stand in awe of the Lorde theyr God and so behaue themselues in theyr conuersation and life that they may haue recourse vnto him and be incoraged to make theyr praiers cōsidētly before him in the name of Iesus Christ of whom they shall receaue comfort of soule and body as well in this world as in the world to come eternally For this is most certayne that if they procede in their wickednes and vngodlynes not passying wheather they be ruled moued and stirred by the gratious spirit of God to praise his name or not then most assuredly the Lord wil power out his plages vpon the hole realme according to the saying of the Prophet the Lord will power out his wrath vpon the kingdoms that haue not called vppon his name Now to the intent that they which are ignoraunt and vnlerned may the better be instracted howe to order themselues when they go about to present themselues before the maiestye of God and talke with hym concernyng those thinges whiche be nedefull for theyr soules health and preseruation of their bodyes I thought it good by the instant request of the godly learned to put fourth these sermons here folowing in print which were preached in king Edwards 〈◊〉 before the right honorable ladye Katheryne Duches of Suffolke her grace by that same reuerend sather and most constant martyr of Chryste Doctor Hughe Latymer my most deere master For whose most paynfull trauels faythful 〈◊〉 trew carefulnes for his countrey pacient imprisōment and constant suffering all the whole realme of England hathe great cause to geue vnto the eternall God most high laude and prayse For who is he that is so ignorante that did not see the wonderfull handiworke of God in that
man did not God appoint him euē in king Kenries dayes to be a singular instrument to set forth hys truth by his preachyng to open the eyes of such as were deluded by the subtyll and deccatfull craftes of the popish presates How many fold wayes was he troubled toste and tormoyled from poste to piller by the popish by shops Whose handes he could not haue escaped if God had not moued the kinges maiesties hart that then was to assist hym By whose absolute power diucrse times he was deliuered from the cruell Lyons And although it did please God in proces of tyme to suffer the kyngs 〈◊〉 to be deluded and circumuented by the subtyl 〈◊〉 sions of those popish by shops to establish by lawe syxs vngodly articles Yet thys faythfull seruaunt of Chryste woulde rather put hys owne lyfe in daunger then forsake or depart from that the which afore most faithfully he had taught out of Gods worde Wherfore he was contented ra ther to be cast into the Tower and there to loke dayly for death then to be found a wauering reede or to deceane hys Prynce For they sayd he that doo allow any thyng disagreing from Gods word in respecte to fulfill the appetites of Princes ar betraiers murtherers of their princes because they prouoke the wrathe of God to destroy suche princes these slatterers become gilty of the blood of their princes and are the chiefs causes of their destructions Wherefore this faythfull man or god knowing his prince to be deluded by the false priests and bemge assureb the thinges that were allowed to be contrary to gods word was redy thus to aduenture his lyfe at the which time god mercifully deliuered him to the great comfort of al godly harts and singuler cōmodity of his church Now whē he was thus deliuered did he giue himself vp to that pleasures of the world to delicatenes or idlenes No assuredly but euen then most of al he began to set fourth his plough to till the ground of the lord and to 〈◊〉 the good corne of gods word behauing him self as a faythful messenger of god being afrayed of no man telling all degrees theire dueties faithfully and truely without respect of persons or any kind of flattery In the whiche his paynefull trauels he continued al kinge Edwardes time preaching for the most part euery sondaye twoo sermons to the great shame confusion and 〈◊〉 of a great number of our fatbellied vnpreaching prelats For he beinge a sore brused man and aboue three score 7 yeres of age took notwithstanding at these paines in preching and besides this euery morning ordinarily winter and sommer aboute two of the clock in the morning he was at his booke most diligētly And besides this how carefull he was for the preseruation of the churche of God and for the good successe of the gospel they can bcare record which at that time were in autoritye whome continually by his letters he admonished of their 〈◊〉 and assisted with his godly counsel But when the time approched 〈◊〉 which god had appoynted for the punishmēt of the carnal gospcllers hipocrited which most wickedly abused the same how faythfully he did 〈◊〉 both prinatly and open ly al kinds of men they that wer then about him can beare record But one thing amongest others is principally to be noted that god not onelye gaue vnto him his sprit most plentiously and comfortably to preach hys word vnto his 〈◊〉 but also by the same spirite he did most 〈◊〉 prophecy of al those kindes of plages which in very dede afterwards en sued so playnly I say as thoughe he had seene them before hys eyes so that if England euer had a Prophet he was one 〈◊〉 amongst other things he euer affirmed that the preaching of the gospel would cost hym his life to that which thing he did most cherefully arme prepare him self being certenly perswaded that Winchest was kept in the tower for the same purpose Therefore not long after Quene Mary was proclamed a pursiuant was sent down into the country for to call hym vp Of whose cōming when he was made ware about six howers before by a faythful man of god Ioha Carelesse a mā worthy of euerlasting memory he pre pared himself towards hys iorney before the sayd pursiuant came to his house At that which thing whē the pursiuāt marueled seing him so prepa red towards his iorney he sayd vnto him my frend you be a welcō mes senger to me and be it known vnto you to the whole world that I go as willingly to Lōdon at this presēt being called by my prince to render a reckning of my doctrin as euer I was to any place in the world and I do not dout but that god as he hath made me worthy to preach hys word before two excellēt princes so he wil able me to witnesse the same vnto the third eyther to her comfort or discomforte eternally c. At the which tune the pursiuant when he had deliuered hys letters departed 〈◊〉 that he had commaundeniēt not to tary for him by whose sodē departure it was manifest that they would not haue had him to appere but rather to haue fled out of the realm They knew that his cōstantnes should cōfound them in their popery and confirm the godly in the truth As concerning the maner and forme how he was interteyned when he came before the counsell how stoutly he did behaue himselfe in Christes cause and was content to beare most paciently all the mocks and tan̄tes geuen him by the scornful and pestilent papists also howe pacientlye he tooke his imprisonment and how boldly and willingly he in the end aduentured his life in the defence of the glorious gospel of Iesus Christe because theise thinges be at large described in the booke of the martyrs by that most godly lerned and excellent instrument of God master Iohn Fox I wil not spend the time now to reherse the same sauing one thing the which I would wishe all godly bishops and faythfull preachers to note the which is this that he being in prison comfortles and destitute of all worldly help most of al did reioyce in this that god had geuen him grace to aply his office of preching assisted him without fear or flattry to tel vnto the wicked theyr faultes admonish thē of their wickednes neyther alowing nor consenting to any thing that might be preiudicial or hurtfull vnto the gospell of Christe although the refusall thereof did cast him in daunger of his life God graunt that al those that be in that of fice may folow his footesteppes and that the reste that eyther refuse to take payns or are giuen to flatter may be turned out and be set to the cart or plough and others put into their romes that be willing diligent and hable to do their dewties The other thinge that I would haue no ted is his 〈◊〉 and diligence in prayer wherin oftentimes