vs for them and being both ful of wonder redy to chide asketh vs what is this that I hear of you As though he shuld say vnto vs all good mē in al places complain of you accuse your auarice your ex actions your tirany Thei haue required in you a lōg season yet require diligence sincerity I cōmaunded you that withal industry labour ye should fede my sheepe ye earnestly feede your selues from day to day wallowing in delites ydlenes I cōmaunded you to teach my cōmaundementes not your fansies that ye should seeke my glorye my vauntage you teache your owne traditions seke your owne glory profit You preach very seldom whan ye do preach ye do nothing but cumber them that preach truly as much as lieth in you that it were much better such not to preach at al thā so perni 〈◊〉 to preach Oh what I hear of you You that ought to be my preachers What other thyng do you thā aply al your study hyther to bring al my preachers to 〈◊〉 shame contempt yea more thā this ye pul them into perils into prisōs as muche as in you lyeth to cruel deathes To be shorte I would that Christen people should heare my doctrine and at their cōuenient leasure rede it also as many as would your care is not that al men may heare it but al your care is that no lay man do rede it Surely being afrayd least they by the reding shuld vnderstand it vnderstanding learn to rebuke our slouthfulnes This is your generation this is your dispēsation this is your wisdom In this generation in this dispēsation you be most politike most witty These be the thyngs that I heare of your 〈◊〉 I wished to heare better report of you Haue ye thus deceiued me or haue ye rather deceiued your selues Wher I had but one house that is to say the church this so derely beloued of me that for the loue of her I put my selfe forth to be slayne to shed my bloude this Church at my departure I cōmitted vnto your charge to be fed to be nourished to be made much of My pleasure was ye shuld occupy my place my desyre was ye shuld haue 〈◊〉 lyke loue to thys Church lyke fatherly affection as I dyd I made you my Uicars yea in matters of moste importaunce For thus I taught openly He that shoulde heare you shoulde heare me He that should despise you shoulde despise me I gaue you also keyes not earthlye keyes but heauenlye I lefte my goodes that I haue euermore most hyghly estemed that is my word sacraments to be dispensed of you These 〈◊〉 I gaue you do you giue me these thanks Can ye find in your hartes thus to abuse my goodnes my benignity my 〈◊〉 Haue 〈◊〉 thus deceiued me No no ye haue not deceyued me but your selues My giftes benefites toward you shall be to your greater dampnation Because ye haue contempned the lenity clemēcy of the master of the house ye haue right wel desexued to abide the rigour seuerity of that iudge Come forth thē let vs se accompt of your stewardship An horible fearful sentence Ye may haue no lōger my goodes in your hands A voice to wepe at and to make men tremble You se brethrē you se to what euyl the euel stewardes must come to Your labour is payd for if ye can so take hede that no such sentence be spoken to you Nay we must all take hede lest these 〈◊〉 one day take place in vs. But lest the lēgth of my sermon offend you to sore I wyl leaue the rest of the Parable and take me to the handling of the end of it that is I wyl declare you how the children of this world be more witty craf ty and subtile then are the children of the light in their generation Which sentence would God it lay in my poore tonge to explicate with such light of wordes that I might seme rather to haue painted it before your eyes then to haue spoken it and that you might rather seme to se the thing thē to here it But I confesse plainely this thing to be far aboue my power Therfore this being only left to me I wish for that I haue not am sory that that is not in me which I wold so gladly haue That is power so to handle the thing that I haue in hande that al that I say may turn to the glory of god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 helth the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 body wherfore I pray 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 with me vnto God that in your peticiō you desire that 〈◊〉 two things he vouchsafe to graūt vs first a 〈◊〉 for me to speake ryghtly next eares for you that in hearing me ye maye take profit at my hand that this may com to effect you shal desire him vnto whō our Maister Christ bad we should pray saying euen the same prayer that he him 〈◊〉 institute Pater noster Wherin ye shal pray for our most gracious soueraigne Lord that king chiefe supreme head of the church of England vnder Christ for the most excellent gracious vertuous Lady Queene Iane his most lawful wyfe for all his whether they be of the clergy or 〈◊〉 whether they be of the nobi lity or els other his graces subiects not forgetting those that being departed out of this 〈◊〉 life now sleve in that slepe of peace rest from their labours in quietnes in peaceable 〈◊〉 faithfully louingly paciently lookyng for that that they clerely shal se when God shal be so pleased For all these 〈◊〉 grace necessary ye shal say vnto god gods praier Pater noster Filii huius seculi c. Luc. 16. CHrist in this saying touched the slouth and 〈◊〉 of hys and dyd not allowe the fraud and subtility of other neyther was glad that it was in dede 〈◊〉 he had sayd but complained rather that it should be so as many men speake many thinges not that they ought to be so but that they are wont to be so Nay this greued Christ that the children of this world should be of more policy then the children of lyght which thing was true in Christes time and now in our tyme is most true Who is so blynd but he seeth this clerely except perchance there be any that can not discerne the children of the world from the children of lyghtThe children of the world conceyue bring forth more prudently and thinges conceyued and brought forth they 〈◊〉 and conserue with much more polycy then do the childrē of lyght Which thing is as sorowfull to be sayd as it semeth absurde to be herd Whan ye heare the children of the world you vnderstād the world as a father For the world is father of many children not by first creation and worke but by imitation and loue He is not only a father but also the sonne of
is goddes Thus ye may perceiue it was our sauioure Christe that spake these wordes and they were spoken vnto the Phari seis that tempted him But they be a doctrine vnto vs that are 〈◊〉 disciples For whose wordes should we delite to heare and learne but the wordes and doctrine of our sa uiour christ And that I may at this time so declare them as may be for gods glory your edifying and my discharge I pray you all to helpe me with your prayers In the whiche prayer c. For the vniuersall churche of christ thorow the whole world c. For the preseruation of our Soueraigne Lord king Edward the. vi sole supreame head vnder God and christ of the churches of England and of Ireland c. Secondly for the kings most honorable 〈◊〉 Thirdly I commend vnto you the soules departed this lyfe in the 〈◊〉 of Christ that ye remember to geue 〈◊〉 prayse and thankes to almightye God for his greate goodnes and mercy shewed vnto them in that great nede conflict against the deuil and sinne To geue them at the houre of death fayth in his sonnes death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they might conquere and ouercome and get the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thankes I saye for this adding prayers and supplycations for your selues that it may please God to geue you the like fayth and grace to trust only vnto the death of his deare sō as he gaue vnto them For as they be gone so must we the deuill wil be as ready 〈◊〉 tempt vs as he was then and our sinnes wil light as heuy vpō vs as theirs did vpon thē And we are as weake and vnable to resist as were they Praye therfore that we may haue grace to die in the same sayth of Christe as they did and at the latter daye be raysed with 〈◊〉 Isaac and Jacob and be partakers with Christ in the kingdome of heauen for this and grace 〈◊〉 vs saye the Lords prayer Tunc abeuntes Tunc It hangeth ou a text before Christe told them a similitude that the kingdō of heauē is lyke to a king that made a bridale to his senne he maryed his sonne and sent his seruaunts out to bid hys gestes Well they would not come although he had made great preparing and muche cost for them ambicion couetousnes and crueltie woulde not let them come Then he sent his warriours and destroyed them and again sente other seruauntes to bidde gestes to his bridall hande ouer head come who would They did his bidding the 〈◊〉 was full of gestes The king now would vew his 〈◊〉 fynding there one not cladde in mariyng garmentes he asked him frend howe camest thou here not hauing a mariage garment And commaunded to bind him hand fote cast him into vtter darknes there was wayling grinding of teth For many 〈◊〉 called and few be chosen Now Christ expoundeth this The kingdome of heauen is preaching of the Gospell This mariage is the ioyning of Christe hys churche which was begonne by Christ heare in earth and shall continue to the ende of the world The bidders of hys gestes are preachers but here are so many lettes and hinderances couetis is a let ambicion is a let crueltie is the gretest let For they bet his seruaunts brake theyr heades yea 〈◊〉 them which 〈◊〉 them to this bridall With this the king was angry and sent his men of warre to destroy those vnthankefull people Was he not angrye with couetousnes and with ambition Yes he is angrye with couetous men with ambitious men But most of all with cruel tie This is an angre aboue commune anger when men be not only 〈◊〉 but also adde crueltie to persecute the preachers that commeth to call vs to this mariage This toucheth God so nigh that he sayeth Qui vos audit me audit This crueltie the king would not leaue vnpunished but sent forth his men of warre They are called his mē of warre his men his men for warres come at his commaun dement Titus and 〈◊〉 sent of God to punish those couetous Jewes ambicious Jewes cruell Jewes that wolde not credit Christ nor beleue the preaching of saluation Now in warre what 〈◊〉 so euer get the victorye that is Gods parte that is Gods host Nabuchodonosor was an euill man a wicked man yet was he sent of God to punish the stubburne and couetous Jewes for their ambicion and crueltie and forsaking gods most holy word And he is called in scripture Gods seruaunt It is no good argumente He hath the victory Ergo he is a good man But this is a good argument He hathe the victory Ergo God was on his side and by him punished the contrary parte The preachers called good and bad They can doo no more but call God is he that must bringe in God must open the hartes as it is in the Actes of the Apostles When Paule preached to the women there was a silke woman Cuius cor deus aperu it whose hart God opened None could open it but God Paule could but only preache God must work God must doo the thing in wardly But good and bad came Therfore the preaching is likned to a Fishers net that taketh good fish and bad and draweth all to the shoare In the whole multitude that professe the Gospel al be not good all cannot away with the mortifying of theyr flesh they wil with good will beare the name of Christians of gospellers but to do the dedes they grudge they repine they cā not 〈◊〉 with it A monge the Apostles all were not honest naye one was a deuil So among so great number of gospellers some are carde gospellers som are dise gospellers som pot gospellers all are not good al seke not amendment of life Then commeth the king to see his gestes And findeth one not hauing the mariage garment and sayth to him Frēde how camest thou hither and hast not the mariage garmēt Fayth is the mariage garmente not a fayned fayth without good liuing but faythe that worketh by loue He was blamed because he professed one thing and was in dede another Why did he not blame the preachers There was no faulte in them they did theyr deuties they had no further commaundemente but to call them to the mariage The garment he should haue prouided hym selfe Therefore he quarrelleth not with the preachers what both this felowe here Why suffered ye him to enter c. for theyr commission extended no further but only to call him Many are greued that there is so 〈◊〉 fruite of theyr preaching And when as they are 〈◊〉 why doo you not preache hauing so great giftes geuen you of God I would preache say they but I see so litle fruite so litle amendmēt of lyfe that it maketh me wery I noughty aunswere a very noughtye answere Thou arte troubled with that God gaue thee no charge of and leauest vndone that thou arte charged with God commaundeth thee to preache
other such their figmentes they can not fynd they can not find No these be so lost as they them selfes graunt that though they seke them neuer so diligently yet they shal not find them except perchance they hope to se them come in agayn with their names And that then money gathering may returne agayne and deceite walke a boute that country and so stablysh theyr kingdom in al kingdoms But to what end this chiding betwene the children of the world the children of lyght wyl come onely he knoweth that once shal iudge them both Now to make hast and to come som what nygher the end go ye to good brethren and fathers for the loue of God go ye to and seyng we are here assembled let vs doo some thyng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may be knowen to be the children of lyght Let vs do somwhat lest we which hitherto haue ben iudged children of the world seme euen styl to be so All men cal vs 〈◊〉 lates then seing we be in counsel let vs so order our selfes that as we be prelates in honour and dignity so we maye be prelatcs in holynes beneuolence diligence sincerity All men knowe that we be here gathered and with most feruent desyre they anheale breath and gape for the fruit of our conuocation as our actes shal be so they shal name vs so that now it lyeth in vs whether we wil be called children of the world or children of light Wherfore lyfte vp your heades brethren and loke about with your eyes spye what thinges are to be reformed in the church of England Is it so hard is itso great a matter for you to se many abuses in the clergy many in the laity What is done in the arches Nothing to be amendedWhat do they there Do they euermore ryd the peoples busy nes and matters or combre and ruffle them Do they euermore correct vice or elles defend it somtime being well corrected in other places How many sentences be gyuen there in time as they ought to be If mensay truth how many with out brybes Dr if all thinges be wel done there what do men in byshops Consistories Shal you ofter se the punishmentes assigned by the lawes executed or els mony redemptiōs vsed in their stede How thinke you by the Ceremonies that are in England ofte times with no litle offence of weake consciences contempned more oftener with superstition so desyled and so depraued that you maye doubte whether it were better some of them to tary styll or vtterly to take them away Haue not our forefathers complayned of the nombre of ceremonies of the superstition and estimation of them Do ye se nothing in our holy dayes of the which very few were made at the fyrst and they to set forth goodnes vertue honestie But sithens in some places there is neyther meane nor measure in making newe holy dayes as who should say this one thing is seruing of God to make this lawe that no man may woorke But what doth the people on these holy dayes Doo they gyue them selfe to godiynes or els vngodlynes See ye nothing brethren If you se not yet God seeth God seeth all the whole holye dayes to be spent miserablye in dronkennes in glossing in strife in enuye in daunsing dicing ydelnes and glottonye He seeth al this and threateneth punishment for it He seeth it which neither is deceyued in seeing nor deceyueth when he threateneth Thus men serue the Diuel for God is not thus serued al be it ye say ye serue god No the diuel hath more seruice done vnto hym on one holy day then on many working daies Let al these abuses be compted as nothing who is he that is not sory to se in so many holy dayes rytch and welthy persons to flowe in delicates and men that lyue by theyr trauayl poore men to lacke necessary meate and drink for theyr wyues and theyr children and that they can not labour upon the holy dayes except they wyl be cited brought before our officials Were it not the office of good prelates to consult vpon these matters and to seke some remedy for them Ye shall se my brethren ye shal se once what wyl come of this our wynking What thinke ye of these images that are had more thē theyr felowes in reputation that are gone vnto with such labour and werines of the body frequēted 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 dyuers in England Do you thynke that this preferring of picture to picture image to image is the righte vse and not rather the abuse of ymages But you wyll saye to me why make ye al these interrogatiōs And why in these your demaundes do you let and withdraw the good deuotiō of the people Be not al thinges weldon that are done with good intent whan they be profitable to vs So surely couetousnes both thinketh and speaketh Wer it not better for vs more for estemation more meeter for men in our places to cut away a 〈◊〉 of this our profyt if we wyl not cut awaye al then to wynke at such vngodlynes and so long to winke for alyttel lucre specially if it be vngodlynesse and also 〈◊〉 vnto you vngodlynes These be two thinges so oft to seke mere images and sometyme to visite the relikes of saintes And yet as in those there maye be much vngodlynes committed so there may here som superstiti ōbe hyd if that sometime we chaunce to visit pygges bones in steede of sayntes relyques as in tyme past it hath chaunced I had almost sayd in England Then this is to great a blindnes a darkenesse to sensible that these should be so cōmended in sermons of some men preached to be don after such maner as though they could not be euil done which not withstanding are such that neyther God nor man commaundeth them to be don No rather men commaunded them either not to be done at all or els more slowlyer seldomer to be don for as much as our aūcetours made this constitution We commaunde the Priestes that they oft admonish the people and in especial women that they make no vowes but after long deliberation conse nt of their husbandes and counsell of the Priest The church of Englād in time past made this constitution What sawe they that made this decre They sawe the intollerable abuses of Images They sawe the peryls that might ensue of going on pilgremage They sawe the superstitious difference that men made betwene image and image Surely somwhat they sawe The constitution is so made that in maner it taketh away al such pilgrimages For it so plucketh away the abuse of them that it leaueth eyther none or els seldome vse of them For they that restreine making vowes for going of pilgrimage restreine also pilgrimage Seing that for the most parte
vs that the wicked be not enough punished here it shall 〈◊〉 woorse with them after their deathe So that it shall be a chaunge they that haue pleasure here and lyue accordyng to their desyres they shall come to afflictions in the other worlde Againe they that haue afflictions here they shall come yonder to the perpetuall sabboth where there is no maner of miseries but a perpetuall landyng and praisyng of GOD. To whome with the 〈◊〉 and the holy ghost be all honour and glorie nowe and euer worlde without ende Amen The fyfth Sermon of maister Doctour Latymers Matth. ix Luc 8. Marc. 5. WHile he spake vnto them this Behold there came a certain ruler and worshipped him saying my daughter is euen now diseased but come and laye thy hand vppon her and she shall lyue And Iesus arose and folowed hym and so dyd his disciples behold a woman which was diseased with an issue of bloud twelfe yeres cam behind him c. This is a notable storie and much comfort we shall fynde in it yf we will consider and waye it with all the circumstaunces The Euangelist Marc sayth the rulars name was Iairus he was an officer somme thynke that he was a reader of scripture as there were at that tyme or perchance he was such an officer as we cal churchwardēs which is a 〈◊〉 office in the great cities Churchwardēs can bryng much matters to passe such a great officer he was For though that Iewes had a law that they should make no sacrifices no where but at Ierusalem where the temple was al the ceremonies yet for all that they had in euery towne their churches or synagoges like as we haue churches here in England cōmonly euery towne hath a church And this word Church somtimes it signifieth the congregation the people that is gathered together somtymes it signifieth the place where the people come together continens pro contento Nowe our sauiour commyng to Capernau where that great man dwelled which was such a towne as Bristowe or Conentreis Iairus commeth vnto him in all hast and falleth downe before him Et precabatur multum and maketh greate sute vnto hym that he woulde come to his house and heale his doughter which was sycke No doubt he had heard what maner a man our sauior was and wherfore he was come into this worlde namely to saue 〈◊〉 bothe in soules and bodies and he had hearde also the generall proclamation written in the. xi chap. of Math. where our sauiour saith Come vnto me all ye that laboure and are laden and I will ease you This proclamation this Iairus had hearde and beleued it And therefore he cometh to Christ He dyd not as a great many of vs do which whan we be in trouble or sicknes or lose any thing we runne hither and thither to wyssardes or 〈◊〉 whome we call wyse men whan there is no man so foolishe and blynde as they 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 leadeth them accordyng vnto his will and pleasure and yet we runne after them sekyng ayde and comfort at their handes But this good man dyd not so he knew that god had forbidden to run to wyssards But what doothe he Mary be commeth to Christ our 〈◊〉 with a good strong and vnfained faith For as I tolde you before he had hearde before of Christ of his proclamation whiche moued hym nowe in his distresse to come vnto him And no doubt he had a good substanciall faithe as it appered by his behauiors yet he had not so good a faithe as the Centurion had which sent a message vnto hym saying Lord say but one word and my seruant shal be whole This was a wonders great faith in somuche that Christ saith Non reperi 〈◊〉 fidem in Israel I haue not foūd such a faith in al Israel But though this Iairus had not so good a faith as the Centurion had yet he hath had suche one which leadeth hym to Christ. He commeth to Christe he beleeueth that Christ is able to helpe hym and accordyng vnto his belefe it happeneth vnto hym For his doughter was healed as ye shall heare afterwarde And so vppon hym is fulfylled the Scripture Credide 〈◊〉 quod 〈◊〉 sum I haue beleued and therefore I haue spoken For looke what manne so euer hath a good faythe he wyll not holde his peace he wil speake he wyll calle for healpe at his handes For yf this Iairus hadde not hadde a good faythe he woulde not haue humbled hymselfe so muche to falle downe before such a poore man as our sauiour was Some wold haue had respect to their honors They would haue thought it skorne to fall doune before such a poore man as our sauiour was or els he would haue bene afraide of the people that were present to honor him so highly and to confesse hym to be a helper And no doubt that Iairus was in greate danger of his 〈◊〉 for Christ was not beloued amongest the Iowes therfore it was a great matter for this Iairus to honor Christ so openly before all the multitude And no doubt if he had not 〈◊〉 so good strong and earnest faith he wold not haue done as he did but he had a good strong faithe therfore he was not afraide of any thing in the worlde Now ye shall learne of this Iairus first by his ensample to go to Christ in all distresses to seke helpe by hym And also ye shall marke and obserue his greate and fatherlye loue that he hath towardes his daughter for he maketh greate sute to Christ for her whiche signifieth that he hath a greate and earnest loue towardes her The same fatherly affection and loue of the parentes towards their children is the good gift of God And god hath planted the same in their hertes And this specially for two respectes Fyrst for the childrens sake for it is an irkesome thyng to bryng vp children and not only that but also it is a chargeable thing to kepe them and to waite vpon them and preserue them from all perill if god had not planted such loue in the parentes heartes in 〈◊〉 it were impossible to doo so muche for theim but God hath planted suche loue in their heartes whiche loue taketh away all irksomnes of all labour and payne for what is a chylde whan it is left alone what can it do How is it able to lyue An other cause is wherfore god hath planted such loue in the parentes hearts towards their children that we might lerne by it what affections he beareth towards vs. for though the loue of parentes towardes their children bee very great yet the loue of god towards vs is greater yea his loue towardes vs passeth farre all fatherly loue which they haue towardes their children And though Christ only be the very naturall sonne of god yet with his deathe and passion he hath merited that we be the chosen children of god For god for our
it is sene that few go on pilgremage but vowe makers and such as by promise bynde them selfe to go And when I pray you should a mans wife go on pilgremage if she went not before she had wel debated the matter with her selfe and obteined the consent of her husband being a wyse man and were also counselled by a learned Priest so to do When should she go 〈◊〉 of to these famous Images For this the common people of England thinke to be going on pilgremage to go to som dead and notable image out of towne that is to say far from theyr house Now if your forefathers made this constitution and yet thereby dyd nothing the abuses euery daye more more encreased what is left for you to do Bretherne and fathers if ye purpose to do any thing what should ye soner do then to take vtterly away these deceytful and iugling Images or els if ye know any other meane to put away abuses to shewe it if ye intend to remoue abuses Me thinke if should be grateful and pleasant to you to marke the ernest mynd of your forefathers and to loke vpon their desire wher they saye in theyr constitution We commaund you and not we counsel you How haue we ben so long a cold so long slacke in setting forth so holsom a precepte of the church of Englād where we be so hot in all thinges that haue any gaynes in them all be it they be neyther commaunded vs nor yet gyuen vs by counsell as though we had leauer the abuse of thinges should tary styll then it taken away lose our profit To let passe the solemyne and 〈◊〉 bacchanals the prescript myracles that are done vpon certayne dayes in the Weste parte of England who hath not hard I thinke ye haue heard of sainte Blesis hart which is at Maluerne and of saynt Algars bones how long they deluded the people I am afrayd to the losse of many soules Wherby men maye wel coniecture that al aboute in this realme there is plenty of such iuglinge deceites And yet hytherto ye haue sought no remedy But euen styll the myserable people is suffered to take the false myracles for the true and to lye styll a sleepe in al kynde of superstition God haue mercy vpon vs. Last of al how thinke you of matrimony Is al well here What of baptisme Shall we euermore in ministring of it speake latine and not englyshe rather that the people maye knowe what is sayd and done What thinke ye of these masse priestes and of the Masses them selues What say ye Be al things here so without abuses that nothing ought to be amended Your forefathers sawe somwhat which made this constitution against the venality and sale of Masses that vnder paine of suspending no priest shuld sel his saying of tricennals or annals What saw they that made this constitution What Priestes saw they what maner of masses sawe they trow ye But at the last what becā of so good a constitution God haue mercy vpō vs. If there be nothing to be amended abrod cōcerning that whole let euery one of vs make one better If ther be neither abrod nor at home any thing to be amended redressed My lordes be ye of good chere be mery at the least because we haue nothing els to do let vs reasō the matter how we may be richer Let vs fal to some pleasaunt communication after let vs go home euen as good as we came hyther that is right begotten thildren of the world vtterly worldlynges And while we lyue here let vs al make bone chere For after this life there is small pleasure lyttel myrthe for vs to hope for if now there be nothing to be chaunged in our facions Let vs say not as Saint Peter dyd Our end approcheth nigh this is an heauy hearing but let vs say as the euil seruaunt said It wyl be long ere my maistere come This is pleasant Let vs beate our felowes 〈◊〉 vs eate drynke with dronkerds 〈◊〉 as oft as we do not take away the abuse of thinges so ofte we beate our felows As oft as we gyue not the people their true fode so oft we beate our felowes As oft as we let them 〈◊〉 in superstition so oft we beate thē To he short as oft as we blind lead them blinde so oft we beate and greuously strike our felowes When we walter in plesures and idelnes then we eate and drinke with drunkards But God wyl come God wyl com he wyll not tary longe away He wyl come vpon such a day as we nothing loke for hym and at such houre as we know not He wyl come and cut vs in peeces He wyl reward vs as he doth the hipocrites He wil set vs where wayling shal be my brethren where gnashing of teeth shal be my brethren And let here be the ende of our tragidie if ye wyl These be the delycate dishes prepared for worldes wel beloued children These be the wafers and ionketes prouided for worldly prelates wayling and gnashing of teth Can there be any mirth where these two courses last al the feast Here we laugh there we shal weepe Our teeth make mery here euer dashing in delicates there we shal be torne with teeth and do nothing but gnash grind our own To what ende haue we now excelled other in policy What haue we brought forth at the last Ye se brethren what sorow what punishment is prouided for you yf ye be worldlynges If ye wyl not thus be vered be not ye the children of the world If ye wyl not be the children of the world be not stryken wyth the loue of wordly thynges leane not vpon them If ye wyll not dye eternallye liue not worldlye Come go to my brothers go to I say againe once agayne go to leaue the loue of your profit study for the glory profite of Christ seke in your consultations such thinges as pertayne to Christ and bring forth at the last sōwhat that may please Christ. Feede ye tenderly with all diligence the flock of Christ. 〈◊〉 truely the word of God Loue the lyght walke in the lyght and so be ye the children of lyght whyle ye are in this world 〈◊〉 ye may shine in the world that is to come bright as the sonne with the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whom be all honour praise and glory Amen ¶ A notable sermon of the reuerend father Maister Hugh Latimer preached in the Shroudes at Poules churche in London on the xviii day of January Anno. 1548. * Quecunque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt Roma xiiii AL things which are written are writtē for our erudition and knowledge Al thinges that are written in gods boke in the Byble boke in the boke of the holy scripture are writtē to be our doctrine I told you in my fyrst sermon honorable audiēce that I purposed to declare vnto
and vnderstanding more learning and knowledge at this age then xx of his progenitors that I could name had at any tyme of their lyfe I tolde you in my last sermon of ministers of the kings people and had occasion to shew you how few noble men were good preachers and I left oute an history then which I will now tell you There was a Bishop of Wynchester in king Henry the vi dayes whiche king was but a chylde and yet were there many good Actes made in hys childehod and I do not read that they were broken This Byshop was a greate man borne did beare suche a stroke that he was able to shoulder the Lorde Protectour Well it chaunced that the lord Protectour and he fell oute and the Byshop would beare nothing at all with him but played me the Satrapa so that the Regent of Fraunce was fayne to be sent for from beyond the seas to set them at one and to go betwene them For the Bishop was as able and readye to buccle with the Lorde Protectoure as he was with hym Was not this a good prelate he should haue ben at home a preaching in hys Dioces in a waniant This Protector was so noble and Godly a man that he was called of euery man the good Duke Humfrey He kept such a house as ne uer was kept since in England without any enhaunsyng of rentes I warrant you or any suche matter And the bishop for standing so stifly by the matter and bearyng vp the order of our mother the holy churche was made Cardinall at Calice and thyther the byshop of Rome sent him a cardinals hat He should haue had a tiburne tippet a halpeny halter and all suche proud prelates These Romishe hattes neuer brought good into England Uppon this the bishop goeth me to the queene Katherin the kinges wyfe a proud woman and a stout and perswaded her that if the duke were in suche authoritie styll and lyued the people would honor him more thē they did the king And the king should not be set by and so betwene them I can not tell how it came to pas but at Sente Edmundsbury in a parliamēt the good Duke Humfrey was smothered But now to returne to my text and to make further re hearsall of the same the matter beginneth thus Et post quā sederit Rex And when the king is set in the seat of his kingdom what shall he do shall he daunce and dally banket hauke and hunte No forsoth syr For as God set an order in the kinges stable as I tolde you in my laste Sermon so will he appoint what pastime a king shal haue What must he doo then He must be a student He muste write Gods booke him selfe Not thinking because he is a kyng he hath licence to doo what he will as these worldly flatterers are wont to say Yea trouble not your self sir ye may hauke and hunt take youre pleasure As for the guiding of your kingdom and people let vs alone with it These flattering clawbacks ar original rotes of all mischief and yet a Kinge may take his pastime in hauking or hunting or suche lyke pleasures But he must vse them for recreation when he is wery of waightye affayres that he may returne to them the more lustye and this is called pastime with good company He must write out a boke hym selfe He speaketh of wryting because printing was not vsed at that time And shall the king write it out him selfe He meaneth he shall see it written rather then he shoulde be without it wryte it him self Iesus mercy is God so cha ry with a king to haue him well brought vp instructed yea forsoth For if the king be well ordered the realme is well ordered Where shall he haue a copie of this boke of the Leuites And why Because it shall be a true copie not falsifyed Moyses left the boke in an olde chest and the 〈◊〉 had it in kepyng And because there should be no errour no addition nor taking away from it he biddeth him fetche the copy of the Leuites And was not here a greate miracle of God how this boke was preserued It had lain hid many yeares and the Iewes knew not of it Therfore at length when they had found it and knew it they lamented for theyr ignoraunce that had so long bene withoute it and rent their clothes repenting theyr vnfaythfulnesse And the holy bible Gods boke that we haue among vs it hath ben preserued hytherto by wonderfull miracle of god though the kepers of it were neuer so malitious Firste euer syth the bishop of Rome was firste in authoritie they haue gone aboute to destroye it but God worketh wonder fully he hath preserued it mauger theyr beartes and yet ar we vnthankfull that we can not consider it I wil tell you what a bishop of this realme sayde once to me he sent for me and meruayled that I would not consent to such traditions as were then set out And I aunswered him that I woulde be ruled by Gods boke and rather then I woulde dissent one iote frō it I would be torne with wild horsses And I chaunced in our cōmunication to name the Lordes supper 〈◊〉 saith the bishop What do ye call the Lordes supper What new terme is that There stode by him a dubber one doctour Dubber he dubbed him by and by and sayd that this terme was seldome red in the doctours And I made answer that I would rather folow Paule in vsyng his termes then them though they had all the doctours on theyr syde Why sayd the bishop cā not we with out scriptures order the people howe did they before the scripture was fist wryttē and copied out But God knoweth full ill yet would they haue ordered them For seyng that hauing it they haue deceyued vs in what case should we haue ben now without it But thankes be to God that by so wonderfull a myracle hath preserued the boke still It foloweth in the text Habebit secum c. He shall haue it with him in his progresse he must haue a man to carye it that when he is haukyng and hunting or in any pastime maye alwaies commune with them of it He shall reade in it not once a yeare for a time or for his recreation whē he is weary of haukyng or hunting but cunctis diebus vita suae All the daies of his life Where ar those worldlyngs now These bledder puffed vp wyly men Wo worth them that euer they were about any king But how shal he read this boke as the Homilies are read Some call them homlies and in dede so they may be well called for they are homely handled For though the priest reade them neuer so well yet if the parish like them not there is suche talking and babling in the churche that nothing can be heard Aud yf the parysh be
God elles we may not tempt the maiestye of his 〈◊〉 Beware temptyng of God wel he commes to Symons boate and why rather to Symons boate then another I wyll answere as I fynde in experience in my selfe I came hyther to day from Lambeth in a whirry and when I came to take my boate the water men came aboute me as the maner is and he wold haue me and he would haue me I toke one of them Now ye wyll aske me why I came in that boate rather then in another beecause I woulde goe into that that I see stand nexte me it stoode more 〈◊〉 for me And so did Christe by Simons boate It stoode neerer for hym he saw a better seate in it A good natural reason Now come the papystes and they will make a misterye of it they wyll pycke out the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome in Pe ters boate We may make allegories ynough of euery place in scripture but surely it muste needes bee a symple matter that standeth on so weke a grounde But ye shal see further He desyred Peter to thruste out his boate from the shore He desired hym Here was a good lesson for the byshop of Rome and all his colledge of Cardinalles to learne 〈◊〉 and gentlenes Rogabat eum He desired him it was 〈◊〉 done of hym without any austeritie but 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nes and softenes and humility What an 〈◊〉 is this that he geueth them here but they spye it not they can se nothing but the supremacye of the bishop of Rome A wonderous thing what sight they haue They see nothing but the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome Imperabatis ouibus meis saith Ezechiel Cū auaritia austeritate disperse sunt absque pastore Ye haue ruled my shepe and commanded them with great lordlines austerity and power and thus ye haue dispersed my shepe abroad why There was no shepherd they had wanted one a great while Rome hath bene many a hundred yeres wtout a good shepherd They wold not learn to rule them gētly they had rule ouer them but it was with 〈◊〉 excōmunications with great austeritie and thunderboltes and the deuill and 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beseche God open their 〈◊〉 that they may se the truth and not be blynded with those things that noman can se but 〈◊〉 It foloweth in the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 He taught syttyn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 belike were sitters in those days as it is writen in an other place 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They syt in the chayre of Moyses I would our preachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or standyng one waye or other It was a goodly pulpytte that oure Sautour Christe had gotten hym here An olde rotten boate And yet he 〈◊〉 his fathers will his fathers 〈◊〉 out of thys pulpyt He cared not for the pulpyt so he mighte do the people good In deede it is to bee commended for the preacher to stand or sit as the place is but I wold not 〈◊〉 it so 〈◊〉 estemed but that a good preacher may de clare the word of god 〈◊〉 on a horse or preching in a tre And yet if 〈◊〉 shoulde bee done the vnpreaching prelates would laugh it to scorne And though it be good to haue the 〈◊〉 sette vp in churches that the people maye resort thither yet I 〈◊〉 not haue it so 〈◊〉 vsed but that in a prophane place the worde of God might be 〈◊〉 som tymes and I 〈◊〉 not haue the people offended wythall no more then they be with our Sauiour Christes preachyng out of a boate And 〈◊〉 to haue pulpettes in churches it is ve ry wel done to haue them but they would be occupied for it is a vain thing to haue them as they stād in many churches I heard of a Bishop of Englande that 〈◊〉 on 〈◊〉 and as it was the custome when the Bishoppe should come and be runge into the town the great belles clapper was fal len down the tyall was broken so that the Bishop could not be 〈◊〉 into the toune There was a great matter made of 〈◊〉 and the chiefe of the paryshe were much blamed for it in the visitation The bishoppe was somewhat quicke wyth theym and 〈◊〉 that he was muche offended They made theyr aunsweres and 〈◊〉 themselues as well as they could it was a chaunce sayd they that the 〈◊〉 brake and we coulde not get it mended by and by we must tarye tyll we canne haue it done It shal be amended as 〈◊〉 as may be Among the other there was one wyser then the rest he commes me to the Bishop Why my lord saith he doth your lordshyp make to greate a matter of the bell that lacketh hys clapper here is a 〈◊〉 sayeth he and poynted to the pulpit that hath lacked a clappar this 20. yeres We haue a person that 〈◊〉 out of this benefice fyftye pounde euerye yere but we neuer see hym I warrant you the Bishop was an vnpreachyng presate He coulde finde faute with the bel that wāted a clapper to ring him into the town but he could not find any faut with the person that preached not at his be 〈◊〉 Euer this office of preaching hath ben left regarded it hath scant had the name of gods seruice They muste syng 〈◊〉 festa dies about the churche that no man was the better for it but to shewe theyr gay coates and garmentes I came once my selfe to a place ridyng on a iorney homeward from London and I sente worde ouer night into the toune that I would preach there in the morning bicause it was ho lyday and me thoughte it was an holydayes worke The churche stode in my way and I toke my horse and my company and wente thither I thought I should haue founde a great company in the churche and when I came there the churche dore was faste locked I taried there halfe an hower and more at last the keye was found and one of the 〈◊〉 commes to me and sayes Syr this is a busy day with vs we canne not heare you it is Robin hoodes daye The paryshe are gone abroade to gather for Robyn hoode I pray you let them not I was fayne there to geue place to Robin hoode I thought my rochet shoulde haue bene regarded though I were not but it would not serue it was faine to geue place to Robin hoodes men It is no laughyng matter my frends it is a wepyng matter a heauye matter a heauy matter vnder the 〈◊〉 for gatheryng for Robyn hoode a traytour and a theefe to put 〈◊〉 a preacher to haue hys office lesse estemed to prefer Robyn 〈◊〉 before the ministracion of Goddes worde and all this hath come of vnpreachyng prelates Thys realme hath bene yl prouided for that it hath had such corrupt iudgementes in it to prefer Robin hoode to goddes worde Yf the Bishoppes had bene preachers there shoulde neuer haue bene any such thing but we haue a
the couetous persons sayth Paule shal not posses ne enter into the Kingdom of God Here therefore I shal desyre you to praye c. Uidete et cauete ab 〈◊〉 Se beware of couetousnes Fyrst who spake these wordes 〈◊〉 Christe spake thē if I had spoken them of my selfe it had bene 〈◊〉 worth But Christ spake them 〈◊〉 a good 〈◊〉 The story is Duo litigabant inter se. There were two at 〈◊〉 betwene them selues Luc. xii and by this it appeareth that Christ spake them wel Christ spake these words at that tyme and now he speaketh them by 〈◊〉 preacher whom ye ought to beleue and so it is al one But vppon what occasion dyd he speake it there were ii brethren at stryfe together for landes welthy men as it appeareth and the ritch felow would not tary 〈◊〉 Christ had ended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but interrupted it and would nedes haue his matter dispatched by and by He was at Christes Sermō but yet he woulde not differ his worldly cause tyll Christ had made an end of hys Godly exhortacion Thys was a 〈◊〉 brother he was a gospeller he was a carnall gospeller as many be now adayes for a piece of an Abby or for a porcion of chauntry lands to get somwhat by it and to serue hys comodity He was a gospeller one of the new brethren somwhat worsse then a ranck papyst How be it a 〈◊〉 papist now adayes shal 〈◊〉 haue promotion then a true Gospeller 〈◊〉 haue that more pity But this was a thorny gospeller he heard Christes preaching and followed hym for company heard his words But he was neuer the 〈◊〉 for it but that care of that world so choked 〈◊〉 word of God in him that he could not heare the sermon to the ende but interrupted the sermon for hys worldly matter 〈◊〉 it were aldon And what was Chrst then doing forsoth he was sowing of good seede but it fel vpon 〈◊〉 groūd so that it could not take any rote in this felow to bring forth good fruit in him And let me tel you of the seed that Christ was then sowing Beare 〈◊〉 me a whyle seing that I come now to take mine vltimum uale of this place heare me 〈◊〉 giue me leaue a 〈◊〉 while let me take my 〈◊〉 honestly At the tyme when thys fellow interrupted Christes sermon he was preachyng a long Sermon to hys Discyples and to the people beyng gathered together in a wounderfull greate multitude as appeareth in the. xii Chapter of Saynte Lukes Gospell and there he first of all taught hys Disciples a good lesson saying Cauete uobis a farmento Phariseorum Beware in any wise sayth he from the 〈◊〉 of the Pharises What is thys leuen of the Pharises Leauen is somtimes taken for corrupt lyuyng whych infecteth others by the euil example ther of and against suche corrupt liuing Gods preacher muste cry oute earnestlye and neuer sease till it be rooted vp In the Citie of Corinth one had maried his stepmother hys fathers wyfe And he was a 〈◊〉 follow a great riche man an alderman of the City and therfore they wincked at it they would not medle in the matter they had nothing to do with it and he was one of the head men ofsuche rule and authority that they durst not manye of them But. S. Paule hearing of the matter writ vnto them and in Gods behalfe charged them to do awaye suche abhominacion from among them Saynt Paule would not leaue them till he had excommunicated the wycked doer of suche abhominacion If we shoulde nowe excommunicate all suche wycked doers ther would be muche a do in England Ye that are Magestrates 〈◊〉 fauoure for affection to suche and wyll not suffer they maye be rooted out or put to shame Oh he is suche a mans seruaunt we may not do him any shame Oh he is a gentleman c. And so the thing is not now any thing looked vnto Lechery is vsed thorowe out England suche lechery as is vsed in none other place of the world And yet it is made a matter of sport a of matter no thing a laughing matter and a tryfle not to be passed on nor not to be refourmed But beware ye that are Maiestrates theyr synne dothe leauen you all Therefore for Gods loue beware of thys leauen Wel I truste it wyll be one day amended I looke not to liue long yet I trust as old as I am to liue so long as to see Lechery punyshed I would wysh that Moyses lawe were 〈◊〉 for punyshment of Lechery and that the offenders ther in myght be punyshed according to the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 lawe And here I wyll make a sute to your hyghenesse to restore vnto the Church the discipline of Christ. In excommunicating suche as be notable offenders nor neuer 〈◊〉 anye other way For no man is able to deuise a better way then God hath done which is excommunicacion to put them from the congregacion 〈◊〉 they be confounded Therfore restore Christes discipline for excommunicacion And that shal be a mean both to pacifye Gods wrath and indignacion against vs and also that lesse abommacion shall be vsed then in tymes past hath bene and is at thys day I speake thys of a conscience and I meane and moue it of a good wil to your grace and your Realme Bring into the Churche of Englande open Discipline of excommunicacion that open synners maye bee stricken with all Somtime Leauen is taken for corrupt Doctrine and so it is here taken in this place when 〈◊〉 saithe Beware of the leauen of the Phariseis For Christ intended to make his disciples teachers of all the world and therefore to beware of corrupt doctrine And that that he sayde to them he sayth also to vs. Receiue no corrupt doctrine no mingle mangle Yet ther be Leaueners yet styll and mingle manglers that haue sowred Christes doctrine with the 〈◊〉 of the Pharises Yea and where there is anye peece of Leauen they wyll maintayne that one 〈◊〉 more then all the doctryne of Christ and about that purpose they occupy and bestowe all theyr wittes Thys was the first seed The seconde seed was Nihil occultum quod non reuelabitur There is nothing 〈◊〉 or hidden that shal not be reuealed and opened It parteyneth all to one purpose for there he taught his disciples too beware of the leauen which was hypocrisye declaryng vnto them that hypocrisye woulde not be alwayes hydden but suche as were not sincere shoulde be knowen atthe last daye and al that was taught shoulde at length be knowen It hath also an other meanyng for it is Gods prouerbe There is nothyng so pryuye but it shall be opened at leaste wyse in the great daye of 〈◊〉 In the dreadfull daye of generall accompt in the daye of reuelacion Then shall it be openlye knowen what so euer is doone be it neuer so pryuely doone These followes that haue there 〈◊〉