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THE 

FREDERIC IVES CARPENTER 
MEMORIAL COLLECTION 



i.-, No. 7. Subscription price per year. $5.00. . MARCH' 13; ;i886.' 



SERMONS ON THE CARD 



By HUGH LATIMER. 





LIMITED 

739-7^1 BKoADWAY.NYJ 



= Entered at the roet t 'nice, yew i orK, n. i ., as secopn-clnsa matter, i 

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The Baron's blade is dimmed with rust, 

With rust his armor cakes, 
His plate and cup aside are thrust, 

His crest in anger shakes. 

" Now who will clean," he cries in wrath, 
" This sword, these arms of mine ? 
What potent eage the secret hath. 
Once more to make them shine 5 " 

Then forth a traveled vassal stepped, 

Who knew of foreign lands. 
Qnoth he : "A tnixtnre deftly yclepped, 

Awaits my lord's commands. 

" It polisheth. whate'er it meets, 

As those who use it know ; 
Fame sings its praise and fortune greets 
The great ' Sapolio.' *" 

A cake forthwith he brought to view, 

Which then and there was tried, 
" In sooth the metal shines anew," 
The mighty barcn cried. 

" That vassal wise shall knighted be, 

Who brought this prince of charms ; 
Sapolio henceforth shall he 
Wear for his co^t of arms." 



* What is Sapolio ? It is a solid, handsome cake of scouring 
soap, which has no equal for all cleaning purposes except the 
laundry. To use it is to value it. 

What will Sapolio do ? Why, it will clean paint, make oil- 
cloths bright, and give the floors, tables and shelves a new appear- 
ance. - ' 

It will take the grease off the dishes and off the pots and pans. 
You can scour the knives and forks with it, and make the tin 
things shine brightly. 

The wash-basin, the bath-tub, even the greasy kitchen sink, 
will be as" clean as a new pin if you use Sapolio. One cake will 
prove all we say. Be a clever little housekeeper and try it. 

Beware of imitations. There is but one Sapolio. 



ENOCH MORGAN'S SONS CO.,. 



CASSELL'S NATIONAL LIBRARY. 



SERMONS ON THE CARD 



AND OTHER DISCOURSES. 



BY 

HUGH LATIMEB, 

SOMETIME BISHOP OF WOKCESTEE, 
IvIAHTYB, 15.V.. 




CAS SELL & COMPANY, LIMITED 
739 & 741 Broadway New York. 



SERMONS o$ THE CARD 



AND OTHER DISCOURSES. 



BY 

HUGH LATIMER, 
'i 

SOMETIME BISHOP OP WORCBSTBB,. 
MART YE", 1555. 




CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: 
739 & 741 Broadway New York. 



. .' , -- . v. 

' * -., ; 'C-^" : 

' ' ' 









Frederic Tvss Carpenter. 
Memorial OollectiOB, 



IHGH LATIMKE, a farmer's son, was born about the year 1491, 
{f-Thur'caston, in Leicestershire.- He was an only son, with' 
jx : sisters, who were -all well cared for at home. He was a 
H>y of fourteen when sent to Clare College, Cambridge. When 
bout twenty-four years old, he had obtained a college .fellow- 
liip, had taken the degree of Master of Arts, and was ordained; 
^riest'of the Roman Church at Lincoln. In 1524, at^the age 
f about, thirty, he proceeded to the degree of B D.,' and on 
h"e occasion of his doing so he argued publicly for the Pope's 
iitherity against opinions of Melancthon. Thomas Bilney 
rent afterwards to Latimer's rooms, gave him his own reasons 
or goodwill to the teaching of Melancthon, and explained to 
lim his faith as a Reformer in a way that secured Latimer's 
[ttentiori. Latimer'a free, vigorous mind admitted the new 
mings, and in his after-life he looked always upon "little 
ilney " as the man who had first opened his eyes. 
"Vyith homely earnestness Latimer began soon to express his 
>w convictions. His zeal and purity of life had caused him 
';be trusted by the University as a maintainer of old ways ; 
3' had been appointed cross-bearer to the University, and 
[ec'ted 1 one of the twelve preachers annually appointed in obedi- 
ice to a bull of Pope Alexander VI. Now Latimer walked 
'id' worked with Bilney, visiting the sick and the prisoners, 
id reasoning together of the needs of Christendom. The 
^shop of the diocese presently forbade Latimer'.* preaching in 
ry of the pulpits of the University. Robert Barnes, prior of 
- Augustiniah Friars at Cambridge, a man stirred to the 
ths by the new movement of thought, then invited Latimer 
.preach in the chui-eh of the Augustinians. Latimer was 
rt summoned before "Wolsey, whom he satisfied so well that 
>lsey overruled the Bishop s inhibition, and Latimer again 
ame a free preacher in Cambridge. 

"he influence -of Latimer's preaching became every year 
ater ; and in December, 1529, he gave occasion to new con- 
(versy in the University by his two Sermons on the Card, 
liVered in St. Edward's Church, on the Sunday before Christ- 
1529. Ca'd-playing was in those days ah amusement 
lly favoured at Christmas time. Latimer does not ex- 
disapproval, though the Reformers generally were opposed 
it The early statutes of St. Johiva College, Cambridge, 



106610 






V : : forbade playing .with dice^or cafds'by members : of.' the college 
''__' at any time except Christmas, but excluded undergraduates 

even from the Christmas privilege. la these sermons Latiinef 
used the card-playing of the season for illustrations of spiritual 

-. truth drawn from the trump card in triumph,- and the. rules 

of the game of primero. His homely parables enforced *ieWs 

: of -religious duty more in accordance with the inind pf^tfie 

Reformers than of those who held by the old ways. The Prior 

- of the Dominicans at Cambridge tried to answer Latiinef '^ 
sermon on the cards with an antagonistic sermon on the dice^ 
the orthodox Christian was to win by a throw, of cinque and] 

- quatre the cinque, live texts to be quoted against Luther* j 
and the quatre the four great doctors of the Church. Latinie 
replied with vigour ; others ranged themselves on one side /a 
the other, and there was general battle in the University ;' biy 
the King's Almoner soon intervened with a letter commaudinj 
silence on both sides till bhe.KingY pleasure was further de 
clared. The King's good-will to Latimer was due, as the letter m 
dicated, to the understanding that Latimer ' ' favoured the King? 
cause " in the question of divorce from Katherine of Arragon.-J 

In March, 1530, Latimer was called to preach before Hentf 
"VIII., at Windsor. The King then made Latimer his chaplain 
and in the following year gave him the rectory of ; We" 
Kington, in Wiltshire. The new rector, soon accused' 
heresy, was summoned before the Bishop of London and befoii 
Convocation; was excommunicated and imprisoned, 'and >a| 
solved by special request of the King. When Cranmer becaic 
Archbishop of Canterbury, Latimer returned into royal favouj 
and preached before the King on Wednesdays in ' Lent. ";. "B 

- 1535, when an Italian nominee of the Pope's was deprived irfl 
the Bishopric of Worcester, Latimer was made his successor ; ra 
resigned in 1539, when the King, having virtually made hiinsej 
Pope, dictated to a tractable parliament enforcement of old, dif 
trines by an Act for Abolishing Diversity of Opinion. From t B 

- time until the death of Henry VIII. Latimer was in disgrace^ 

The accession of Edward VI. brought him again to the froi 

> and the Sermon .on the Plough, in this volume, is a fame 

example of his use of his power under Edward VI., as t 

greatest preacher of his time, in forwarding the EeformatiJ 

- of the Church, and of the lives of those who professed^a 

called themselves Christians. The rest of his story will 

associated in another volume of this Library with a collect? 

of his later sermons. Hi M.,- 



SERMONS ON THE CARD. 



THE TENOR AND EFFECT OF CERTAIN SERMONS 
MADE BY MASTER LATIMER IN CAMBRIDGE, 
ABOUT THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1529. 



Tuquis es? Which words are as much to say in 
English, "Who art thou?" These be the words 
of -the Pharisees, which were sent by the Jews unto 
.St. John Baptist in the wilderness, to have know- 
ledge of him who he was : which words they spake 
Unto him of an evil intent, thinking that he would 
have taken on him to be Christ, and so they would' 
have had him done with their good wills, because 

> 

they knew that he was more carnal, and given to' 
their laws/ than Christ indeed should be, as they 

perceived by their old prophecies ; and also, 
because they marvelled much of his great doctrine,; 

, -ipreaching, and baptizing, they were in - doubt 

'Cv ''" '-'. - - -ft - : 



whether '. he was Christ .or not : wherefore 
said unto him, " Who art thou ? ". , Then ianswer^t 
St. John, and confessed that he was not Christ ; J 
Now here is to be noted the great and prudent 
answer of St. John Baptist unto the Pharisees^ 
that when they required of him who he was, h< 
would not directly answer of himself what he was 
himself, but he said he was not Christ: by the 
which saying he thought to put the Jews anc 
Pharisees out of their false opinion and belie 
towards him, in that they would have had him to 
exercise the office of Christ ; and so declara 
further unto them of Christ, saying, " He is in the 
midst of you and amongst you, whom ye know not 
whose latchet of his shoe I am not worthy to 
unloose, or undo." By this you may perceive tha 
St. John spake much in the laud and praise q 
.Christ his Master, professing himself to be in nc 
wise like unto him. So likewise it shall b 
necessary unto all men and women of this wprlc 
not to ascribe unto themselves any goodness -of,! 

\ 

themselves, but all unto our Lord God, .as shall 



I'appear 'hereafter, ,when this question" aforesaid, 
"Who art thou?" shall be moved unto them: not ". 

; ;-" ' ; ' - - . . . i ,' . 

:"as the Pharisees did unto St. John, of an evil 
purpose, but of a good and simple mind, as may 
.appear hereafter. 

' Now then, according to the preacher's mind, let 
every man and woman, of a good and simple mind, 
contrary to the Pharisees' intent, ask this question, 
"Who art thou?" This question must be moved 
to themselves, what they be of themselves, on this 
fashion : " What art thou of thy only and natural 
generation^between father and mother, when thou 
earnest into this world? What substance, what 
virtue, what goodness art thou of, by thyself ? " 
Which question if thou rehearse oftentimes unto- , 
thyself, thou shalt well perceive and understand, 
hpw thou shalt make" answer unto it ; which musfr 
be made on this wise : I am of myself, and by 
myself, coming from my natural father and mother,, 
the> child of the ire and indignation of God, the^ 
frue inheritor of hell, a lump of sin, and working- 
nothing of myself but all towards hell, except I 



liave better help of another than I have of 
2fow,we may see in what state we enter into this'' 
world, that we be of ourselves the true and just 
inheritors of hell, the children of the ire and 
indignation of Christ, working all towards hell, 
"whereby we deserve of ourselves perpetual damna- 
tion, by the right judgment of God, and the true 
claim of ourselves ; which unthrifty state that we 
"be born unto is come unto us for our own deserts^' 

v 

as proveth well this example following : 

JLet it be admitted for the probation of this, that 
It might please the king's grace now being to 
accept into his favour a mean man, of a simple 
.degree and birth, not born to any possession; 
-whom the king's grace favoureth, not because this 
jperson hath of himself deserved any such favour,' 
fout that the king casteth this favour unto him '--of' 
3iis own mere motion and fantasy : and for because 
the king's grace will more declare his favour unto 
him, he giveth unto this said man a thousand 
pounds in lands, to him and his heirs, on this 
-condition, that he -shall take upon him to be the- 



f captn, ^n<i defeiider ' of h& town of Calais^ 
mid M : l?ei true and faithful 4x> him in the custpdy- 
f : ihe same, against the Frenchmen especially,, ; 
ibove all other enemies. . -- 

This man taketh on: him this charge, promising 
lis fidelity thereunto. It chanceth in process of 
iime, that by the singular acquaintance and fre- 
quent familiarity of this captain with the French- 
nen, these Frenchmen give nnto the said captaui " 
f Calais a great sum of money, so that he will but 
IB content and agreeable that they may enter into 
;he said town of Calais by force of arms; and so* 
ihereby possess the same unto the crown oil 
iVance. Upon this agreement the Frenchmen do 

>v. . ' 

nvade the said town of Calais, alonely by the- 
aegligence of this captain. 

"Now the king's grace, hearing of this invasion,, 
iometh with a great puissance to defend this his 
5~zid town, and so by good policy of war over- 
someth the said Frenchmen, and entereth again: 
nto his said town of Calais. Then he, being 
desirous to know how these enemies of his came - 



thither, maketh, profound, search ^ and inqmiy i 
whom' this treason was, conspired. By this search 
it was known and found his own captain to be the 
very author and the beginner of the betraying: of 
It. The king, seeing the great infidelity of 
person, dischargeth this man of his office, and 
taketh from him and from his heirs this thousanc 
pounds of possessions. Think you not that the 
iking doth use justice unto him, and > all his 
posterity and heirs 1 Yes, truly : the said captain 
cannot deny himself but that he had true justice, 
considering how unfaithfully he behaved him to 
.his prince, contrary to his own fidelity and promise. 
'So likewise it was of our first father Adam. He 
had given unto him the spirit of science and know; 

^ledge, to work all goodness therewith : this said! 

^ x - ' ' ' 1 

spirit was not given alonely unto him, but unto all 
his heirs and posterity. He had also delivered 
him the town of Calais, that is to say, paradise in 
earth, the most strong and fairest town in the 
world, to be in his custody. He nevertheless, by. 
the instigation of these Frenchmen, that' is to 



-say, tie temptation of the fiend, ' did obey unto 1 -, 
their desire; and so he brake his promise and 
fidelity, the commandment of the everlasting 
-Bong his master, in eating of the apple by him 
inhibited, 

r Now then the King, seeing this great treason in\ 
his captain, deposed him of the thousand pounds of ; 

. ? - '' 

possessions, that is to say, from everlasting life in 
glory, and all his heirs .and posterity : for likewise 
, ' BS he had the spirit of science and knowledge, for 
him 'and his heirs ; so in like manner, when he lost . 
the same', his heirs also lost it by him and in him. 
So now this example proveth, that by our father 
Adam we had once in him the very inheritance of 
everlasting joy ; and by him, and in him, again we 
lost the same. 

The heirs of the captain of Calais could not by 
any manner of claim ask of the king the right and 
title of their father in the thousand pounds of 
possessions, by reason the king might answer and 
say unto them, that although their father deserved 
; not of himself to enjoy so great possessions, yet he 



deserved by himself to lose th^m/ and greater, 
committing so high treason, as he did, against his , 
prince's commandments ; whereby he had no wrong 
to lose his title, but was unworthy to have the 
same, and had therein true justice. Let not you 
think, which be his heirs, that if he had justice to 
lose his possessions, you have wrong to lose the 
same. In the same manner it may be answered 
unto all men and women now being, that if our' 
father Adam had true justice to be excluded from 
his possession of everlasting glory in paradise, let 
us not think the contrary that be his heirs, but 
that we have no wrong in losing also the same ; 
yea, we have true justice and right. Then jn i 
what miserable estate we be, that of the right and . 
just title of our own deserts have lost the ever- 
lasting joy, and claim of ourselves to be true 
inheritors of hell ! For he that committeth deadly 
sin willingly, bindeth himself to be inheritor of 
everlasting pain : and so did our forefather Adam 
willingly eat of the apple forbidden. Wherefore- 
lie was cast out of the everlasting joy in paradise; 



into this coirupt worid,; amongst all vileness, 
wfiereby of .himself lie was not worthy to do any C 
thing laudable or pleasant to God, evermore bound 
to corrupt affections and beastly appetites, trans^ 
formed into the most uncleanest and variablest : 
nature that was made under heaven ; of whose: 

'Seed and disposition all the world is lineally 
descended, insomuch that this evil nature is so; 
fused and shed from one into another, that at this., 
day there is no man nor woman living that can of 
themselves wash away this abominable vileness : . 
and so we must needs grant of ourselves to be in 
like displeasure unto God, as our forefather Adam - 
was. By' reason hereof, as I said, we be of : 
ourselves the very children of the indignation and ' 
vengeance of God, the true inheritors of hell, and 
working all towards hell : which is the answer to r 
this question, made to every man and woman, by-~ 
themselves, " Who art thou ?" 

And now, the world standing in this damnable 
state, cometh in the occasion of the incarnation of 

"Christ. The Father in heaven, perceiving the. 



!^W^^3'*;}^^^;^^ 

%';3?^:^Z/'>-'''<V-^ 

'fl*' : V .' "/'.''SEBMONS'ON^THE-'CAEDv' ;- -V' :; - ; v; :-.' "5'. ';';?- 



frail nature of man, that he, by himself and of 
himself, could do nothing for himself, by his 
prudent wisdom sent down the second person in 
Trinity, his Son Jesus Christ, to declare unto 
man his pleasure and commandment: and so, at 
the Father's will, Christ took on him human 
nature, being willing to deliver man out of this 
miserable way, and was content to suffer cruel 
passion, in shedding his blood for all mankind ; 
and so left behind for our safeguard laws and 
ordinances, to keep us always in the right path 
unto everlasting life, as the evangelists, the 
sacraments, the commandments, and so forth : 
. which, if we do keep and observe according to 
our profession, we shall answer better unto this 
question, " Who art thou 1 " than we did before. 
For before thou didst enter into the sacrament 
of baptism, thou wert but a natural man, a natural 
woman ; as I might say, a man, a woman : but 
after thou takest on thee Christ's religion, thou 
.hast a longer name j for then thou art a Christian 
man, a Christian woman. Now then, seeing thou 



* g^r^w-i^-fw^ 

'?. .''? V ".-'- SERMONS Oil THE CABI). ' ''..' 1&. ' 

' urt.a Christian man, what shall be thy answer of 
ibis question, " Who art thou ? " - 

The answer of this question is, when I ask it 
. iinto myself, I must say that I am a Christian 
, irian, ;a Christian woman, the child of everlasting 
oy, through the merits of the bitter passion of 
' C/hrist. This is a joyful answer. Here we may 
see iow much we be bound and in danger untcr 
God, that hath revived us from death to life, ancl 
:-saved us that were damned : which great benefit 
we cannot well consider, unless we do remember 
what we were of ourselves before we meddled 
with him or his laws ; and the more we know our 
feeble nature, and set less by it, the more we shall 
^ conceive and know in our hearts what God hath 
done for us; and the more we know what God. 
.hath' done for us, the less we shall set by ourselves,. 
~ ,and the more we shall love and please God : so 
at in no condition we shall either know our- 
plves or God, except we do utterly confess our- 
elves to be mere vileness and corruption. Well,, 
jow it is come unto this point, that we be christiaru 



16 SERMONS ON THH CARD. 

vaen, Christian women, I pray you~ what 
Christ require of a Christian man, or of a Christian 
woman ? Christ requireth nothing else of a 
Christian man or woman, but that they wil 
obsei-ve his rule : for likewise as he is a goo( 
Augustine friar that keepeth well St. Augustine's 
rule, so is he a good Christian man that keepetl 
well Christ's rule. 

Now then, what is Christ's rule? Christ's rule 
consisteth in many things, as in the command)- 
ments, and the works of mercy, and so forth:" 
And for because I cannot declare Christ's rule 
santo you at one time, as it ought to be done, I 
will apply myself according to your custom at this 
time of Christmas : I will, as I said, declare unto, 
you Christ's rule, but that shall be in Christ's 
<cards. And whereas you are wont to celebrate 
Christmas in playing at cards, I intend, by Godjs 
.grace, to deal unto you Christ's cards, wherein you 
-shall perceive Christ's rule. The game that 
-will play at shall be called the triumph, which, i 
at be well played at, he that dealeth shall win 



the ^players shall likewise win ; and the ^st 
and lookers upon shall do the same ; insomuch: 
that there is no man that is willing to play at this 
triumph with these cards, but they shall be all 
winners, and no losers. ''( 

Let therefore every Christian man and woman, 
play at these cards, that they may have and;;' 
obtain the triumph : you must mark also that thre-j 
triumph must apply to fetch home unto him all 
the other cards, whatsoever suit they be of. I^Tow 
then, take ye this first card, which must appear ' 
and be shewed unto you as followeth : you have' ; 
heard what was spoken to men of the old law/, 
" Thou shalt not Mil ; whosoever shall kill shall -j 
be in danger of judgment: but I say unto -you"..; 
of the new law, saith Christ, " that whosoever' is.- 
angry with his neighbour, shall be in danger of: 
judgment ; and whosoever shall say unto his? 
neighbour 1 , 'Raca/ that is to say, brainless," ' qr 
any other like word of rebuking, "shall be 
danger of council ; and whosoever shall -say unto' 
-his neighbour, ' Fool,' shall be in danger of hel 



18 SEEMON8 ON THE CAB3J. 

fire." This card was made and spoken by Christ, 
as appeareth in the fifth chapter of St. Matthew. 
j. Now it must be noted, that whosoever shall 
play with this card, must first, bofore they play 
with it, know the strength and virtue of the same : 
wherefore you must well note and mark terms, 
.how they be spoken, and to what purpose. Let us 
therefore read it once or twice, that we may be the 
bette'r acquainted with it. 

* ~ Now behold and see, this card is divided into 

four parts : the first part is one of the command- 

.ments that was given unto Moses in the old law, 

before the coming of Christ; which command- 

; nient we of the new law be bound to observe and 

keep, and it is one of our commandments. The 

other three parts spoken by Christ be nothing else 

but expositions unto the first part of thiscommand- 

.ment : for in very effect all these four parts be but 

: one commandment, that is to say, " Thou shalt not 

;kill." Yet nevertheless, the last three parts do 

shew unto thee how many ways thou mayest kill 

, thy neighbour contrary to this commandment : yet, 



SEBMONS ON- THE tJABDi 

for all Christ's exposition in. the three last parts - 

of this card, the terms be not open enough to thee 

that dost read and hear them spoken. No doubfy 

tie Jews understood Christ well enough, when he 

spake to them these three last sentences ; for he 

i spake unto them in their own natural terms and 

tongue. Wherefore, seeing that these terms were 

natural terms of the Jews, it shall be necessary to 

expound them, and compare them unto some like 

| terms of our natural speech, that we, in like 

jmanner, may understand Christ as well as the 

Uews did. We will begin first with the first 

part of this card, and then after, with the other 

three parts. You must therefore understand that 

the Jews and the Pharisees of the old law, to 

whom this first part, this commandment, " Thou, 

shalt not kill," was spoken, thought it sufficient 

and "enough for their discharge, not to kill with 

j any manner of material weapon, as sword, dagger, 

\ or with any such weapon ; and they thought it 

/no great fault whatsoever they said or did by 

j their neighbours, so that they did not harm or 



f^^:p;^^vw? ; ^^^i'''^^^!^^^^^^^^' 1 ^^ 
'20.' "--'". ' -'. SERMONS ON i --" ;ij ---- i - ' :-.->:--'/. 



meddle with their corporal bodies : which was 
a false opinion in them, as prove well the three 
last other sentences following the first part of this 
card. 

Now, as touching the three other sentences, you 
must note and take heed, what difference is 
between these three manner of offences : to be 
angry with your neighbour ; to call your neighbour 
" brainless," or any such word of disdain ; or to call 
your neighbour " fool." Whether these three j 
manner of offences be of themselves more grievous; 
one than the other, it is to be opened unto you. | - 
Truly, as they be of themselves divers offences, so 
they kill diversly, one more than the other ; as you 
shall perceive by the first of these three, and so 
forth. A man which conceiveth against his 
neighbour or brother ire or wrath in his mind, by 
some manner of occasion given unto him, although 
he be angry in his mind against his said neighbour, 
he will perad venture express his ire -by no manner/; 
of sign, either in word or deed : yet, nevertheless, i 
he offendeth against God, and breaketh this com- I 



mandmentln Killing his own. soul ; and is there- 
-fore " in danger of judgment." 

Now, to the second part of these three: That^ 

- man that is moved with ire against his neighbour, 
and in his ire calleth his neighbour "brainless," or 
some other like word of displeasure ; as a man 
might say in a fury, " I shall handle thee well 

| enough]" which words and countenances do, more 
represent and declare ire to be in this man, than in 

him that was but angry, and spake no manner of 
j word nor shewed any countenance to declare his 

ire. Wherefore as he that so declareth his ire 
either by word or countenance offendeth more 
against God, so he both killeth his own soul, and 
doth that in him is to kill his neighbour's soul in 
moving Mm unto ire,, wherein he is faulty himself; 
and so this man is "in danger of council." 

Now to the third offence, and last of these three : 
That man that calleth his neighbour " fool," doth 
more declare his angry mind toward him, than he 
that called his neighbour but "brainless," or any 
such words moving ire : for to call a man " fool," 



^IgjrllW'';, 3 -^^ 

- vl;v '--' :; ' "' ''''' 



that word representeth more envy in a man 
than " brainless " doth. Wherefore he doth most 
offend, because he doth most earnestly with such 
words express his ire, and so he is "in danger of 
hell-fire." 

Wherefore you may understand now, these 
three parts of this card be three offences, and that 
one is more grievous to Qod than the other, and 
that one killeth more the soul of man than the 
other. ' 

Now peradventure there be some that will j 
marvel, that Christ did not declare this command- 
ment by some greater faults of ire, than by these 
which seem but small faults, as to be angry and 
speak nothing of it, to declare.it and to call a man 
"brainless," and to call his neighbour "fool:" 
truly these be the smallest and the least faults that 
belong to ire, or to killing in ire. Therefore be- 
ware how you offend in any kind of ire : seeing 
that the smallest be damnable to offend in, see that 
you offend not in the greatest. For Christ thought, 
if he might bring you from the smallest manner of 



. ; ,,.. .- -.,., ,.. 
faults, and give you warning to avoid the leas^ he. I 

- . ' .-''-, ' ' . . . *'.: 

\reckpned you would not offend in the greatest and - 
worst, as to call your, neighbour thief, whoreson, ' 
whore, drab, and so forth, into more blasphemo.us . 
names > which offences must needs have punish- .; 
ment in hell, considering how that Christ hath .< 
appointed these three small faults to have three, 
degrees of punishment in hell, as appeareth by 
these three terms, judgment, council, and hell-fire. 
These three terms do signify nothing else but three 
divers punishments in hell, according to the offences. 
Judgment is less in degree than council, therefore, 
it signifieth a lesser pain in hell, and it is ordained 
for him that is angry in his mind with his neigh- 
bour, and doth express his malice neither by word 
nor countenance : council is a less degree in hell 
than hell-fire, and is a greater degree in hell than 
..judgment ; and it is ordained for him that calleth ; 
his neighbour " brainless," or any such word, that 
declareth his ire and malice : wherefore it is more 
pain than judgment. Hell-fire is more pain in hell 
than council or judgment, and it. is ordained for 



j>24> '.- ;* -> ..':>_; -SERMONS 01 ^ 

tiim that calleth his neighbour " fool," by reason 
that in calling his neighbour " fool," he declareth 
more his malice, in that it is an earnest word of 
ire : wherefore hell-fire is appointed for it; that is,, 
the most pain of the three punishments. ; : 

' Now you have heard, that to these divers offences 
of ire and killing be appointed punishments accord- 
ing to their, degrees : for look as the offence is, so 
shall the pain be : if the offence be great, the pain 
shall be according ; if it be less, there shall be less 
pain for it. I would not now that you should 
think, because that here are but three degrees of 
punishment spoken of, that there be no more in 
hell. No doubt Christ spake of no more here but 
of these three degrees of punishment, thinking 
they were sufficient, enough for example, whereby 
we might understand that there be as divers and 
many pains as there be offences : and so by these 
three offences, and these three punishments, all 
other offences and punishments may be compared 
with another. Yet I would satisfy your minds 
further in these three terms, of " judgment, council, 



SEBMONS OS THE CABD>. * ' '-:. ', J55' 

and .hell-fire." Whereas you might say, "What was 
the cause that Christ declared more the pains of 

vhell 'by these terms than by any other terms ? I - 
told you afore that he knew well to whom he spake . 
them. These terms were natural and well known 
amongst the Jews and the Pharisees : wherefore 

. Christ taught them with their own terms, to the 
intent they might understand the better his 
doctrine. And these terms may be likened unto 
three terms which we have common and usual 
amongst us, that is to say, the sessions, of in- 

. quirance, the sessions of deliverance, and the '' 
execution-day. Sessions of inquirance is like unto 
judgment ; for when sessions of inquiry is, then 
the judges cause twelve men to give verdict of the \ 
felon's crime, whereby he shall be judged to be 
indicted : sessions of deliverance is much like 
council ; for at sessions of deliverance the judges 
go .among themselves to council, to determine 
sentence against the felon : execution-day is to be 
compared unto hell-fire ; for the Jews had amongst 
themselves a place of execution, named " hell-fire : " 



3^#K. -^V^'S /'^ 

26 ; " SEBMONS ON THE 



and surely when a man goeth to his death, it is the i 
greatest pain in this world. Wherefore you may 
see that there are degrees .in these our terms, as 
there be in those terms. 

These evil-disposed affections and sensualities in 
us are always contrary to the rule of our salvation. 
What shall we do now or imagine to thrust down / 
these Turks and to subdue them ? It is a great 
ignominy and shame for a Christian man to be 
bond and subject unto a Turk : nay, it shall not be 
so ; we will first cast a trump in their way, and 
play with them at cards, who shall have the better. 
Let us play therefore on this fashion with this 
card. Whensoever it shall happen the foul passions ^ 
and Turks to rise in our stomachs against our 
brother or neighbour, either for unkind words, 
injuries, or wrongs, which they have done unto us, 
contrary unto our mind ; straightways let us call 
unto our remembrance, and speak this question 
unto ourselves, " Who art thou 1 " The answer is, 

i 

" I am a Christian man." Then further we. must \ 
say to ourselves, "What requireth Christ of a 



^^fi'c^l?;^^^ 

: \? "SERMONS ON, THE' CARD. 2T ''i 

Christian man 1 }" Now turn up your trump, your . 
heart (hearts is trump, as I said before), and cast 
your trump, your heart, on this card ; 'and upon 
this card you shall learn what Christ requireth of 
a Christian man not to be angry, ne moved to ire 
against his neighbour, in mind, countenance, nor 
other ways, by word or deed. Then take up this 
card with your heart, and lay them together : that 
done, you have won the game of the Turk, whereby 
you have defaced and overcome him by true and 
lawful play. But, alas for pity \ the Rhodes are 
won and overcome by these false Turks ; the strong 
castle JFaith is decayed, so that I fear it is almost 
impossible to win it again. 

The great occasion of the loss of this Rhodes 
is by reason that Christian men do so daily kill 
their .own nation, that the very true number of 
Christianity is decayed ; which murder and killing 
one of another is increased specially two ways, to 
the utter undoing of Christendom, that is to say, by 
example and silence. By example, as thus : when 
the father, the mother, the lord, the lady, the 



W3^r^ f ?"^"'$''&^ 

28 SEEMONS ON THE CAiBD/ ' ; . 

master, the dame, be themselves overcome by these 
Turks, they be continual swearers, avouterers, ; 
.disposers to malice, never in patience, and so forth 
in all other vices : think you not, when the father, 
the mother, the master, the dame, be disposed unto 
vice or impatience, but that their children and 
servants shall incline and be disposed to the same? 
No doubt, as the child shall take disposition natural 
6f the father and mother, so shall the servants 
apply unto the vices of their masters and dames : 
if the heads be false in their faculties and crafts, it 
is no marvel if the children, servants, and appren- 
tices do joy therein. This is a great and shameful 
- manner of killing Christian men, that the fathers, 
the mothers, the masters, and the dames shall not 
alonely kill themselves, but all theirs, and all "that 
belongeth unto them : and so this way is a great 
number of Christian lineage murdered and spoiled. 
The second manner of killing is silence. By 
silence also is a great number of Christian men slain ; 
which is on this fashion : although that the father 
and mother, master and dame, of themselves be 



well disposed to live according to the law of God, . 
yet they may kill their children and servants in 
suffering them to do evil before their own faces, 
and do not use due correction according unto their 
offences. The master seeth his servant or appren- 
tice take more of his neighbour than the king's 
laws, or the order of his faculty, doth admit Tifm ; or 
that he suffereth him to take more of his neighbour 
than he himself would be content to pay, if he were 
in like condition : thus doing, I say, such men kill 
willingly their children and servants, and shall 
go to hell for so doing ; but also their fathers and 
mothers, masters and dames, shall bear them 
company for so suffering them. 

Wherefore I exhort all true Christian men and 
women to give good example unto your children 
and servants, and suffer not them by silence, to 
offend. Every man must be in his own house, ac- 
cording to St. Augustine's mind, a bishop, not 
alonely giving good ensample, but teaching accord- 
ing to it, rebuking and punishing vice ; not suffer- - 
ing your children and servants to forget the laws" 



30 SEBMONS ON THE CABD. ,' 

of God. You ought to see them have their belief; 
to know the commandments of God, to keep their 
holy-days, not to lose their time in idleness : if they 
do so, you shall all suffer pain for it, if God be true 
of his saying, as there is no doubt thereof. And 
so you may perceive that there be many a one that 
breaketh this card, "Thou shalt not kill," and 
playeth therewith oftentime at the blind trump, 
whereby they be no winners, but great losers. But 
who be those now-a-days that can clear themselves 
of these manifest murders used to their children 
,and servants 1 I think not the contrary, but that 
many have these two ways slain their own children 
unto their damnation ; unless the great mercy of 
God were ready to help them when they repent 
there-for. 

Wherefore, considering that we be so prone and 
ready to continue in sin, let us cast down ourselves 
with Mary Magdalene ; and the more we bow down 
with her toward Christ's feet, the more we shall 
be afraid to rise again in sin ; and the more we 
know and submit ourselves, the more we shall be 



ifbrgiven; and- the less we know and submit our- . 
selves, the' less we shall be forgiven ; as appeareth 
by this example following : 

i Christ, when he was in this world, amongst the 
Jews and Pharisees, there was a great Pharisee 
whose name was Simon : this Pharisee desired 
Christ on a time to dine with him, thinking in 
himself that he was able and worthy to give Christ 
a dinner. Christ refused not his dinner, but came 
unto him. In time of their dinner it chanced 
there came into the house a great and a common 
sinner named Mary Magdalene. As soon as she 
perceived Christ, she cast herself down, and called 
unto her remembrance what she was of herself, and 
how greatly she had offended God ; whereby she 
conceived in Christ great love, and so came near 
unto him, and washed his feet with bitter tears, 
and shed upon his head precious ointment, think- 
ing that by him she should be delivered from her 
sins. This great and proud Pharisee, seeing that 
Christ did accept her oblation in the best part, . 
had great indignation against this woman, and said 



^W>?^^^ 

32 ; ".'"' -; ;'< JBEBMONS^.OH^mJiqjIr^^M^j^^^ 



to himself, "If this man Christ were a holy 
prophet^ as he is taken for, he would not suffer 
this sinner to corns so nigh him." Christ, Under- 
standing the naughty mind of this Pharisee, said 
unto' Mm, " Simon, I have somewhat to say unto I 
thee." " Say what you please," quod the Pharisee. ' 
Then said Christ, " I pray thee, tell me this : If 
there be a man to whom is owing twenty pound 
by one, and forty by another, this man to whom 
this money is owing, perceiving these two men be 
not able to pay him, he forgiveth them both: 
which of these two debtors ought to love this 
man most ? " The Pharisee said, " That man ought 
to love him best, that had most forgiven him." 
" Likewise," said Christ, " it is by this woman : she 
hath loved me most, therefore most is forgiven her ; 
she hath known her sins most, whereby she hath 
most loved me. And thou hast least loved me, be- 
cause thou hast least known thy sins : therefore, 
because thou hast least known thine offences, thou 
art least forgiven." So this proud Pharisee had 
an answer to delay his pride. And- think you not, 



f^p5!?.p*fi^^ 

- v '' '~ ; "*' ~'~ : ' 



but that there be amongst us a great number of 
th^se proud Pharisees, which think themselves 
worthy to bid Christ to dinner ; which will perk, 
and presume to sit by Christ in the church, and 
have a disdain of this poor woman Magdalene, 
their poor neighbour, with a high, disdainous, 
.and solemn countenance? And being always 
desirous to climb, highest in the church, reckon- 
ing themselves more worthy to sit there than 
another, 1 fear me poor Magdalene under the 
board, and in the belfry, hath more forgiven of 
Christ than they have : for it is like that those 
'Pharisees do less know themselves and their 
offences, whereby they less love God, and so they 
be less forgiven. 

I would to God we would follow this example, 
and be like unto Magdalene. I doubt not but we be 
all Magdalenes in falling into sin and in offending: 
but we be not again Magdalenes in knowing our- 
selves, and in rising from sin. If we be the true 
.Magdalenes, we should be as willing to forsake our 

rand rise from sin, as we were willing to commit 
T>_ 



sin and to continue in it | and we then should ]mow 
ourselves best, and make more perfect answer tl an 
ever we did unto this question, " Who art thou 
to the which we might answer, that we be trUe 
Christian men and women: and then, I say, you 
should understand, and know how you ought to 
play at this card, " Thou shalt not kill," without 
any interruption of your deadly enemies the Turks ; 
and so triumph at the last, by winning everlasting 
life in glory. Amen. 



ANOTHER SERMON OF M. LATIMER, CON- 
CERNING THE SAME MATTER. 



Now you have heard what is meant by this first 
card, and how you ought to play with it, I purpose 
again to deal unto you another card, almost of the 
same suit ; for they be of so nigh affinity, that one 
cannot be well played without the other. The first 
card declared, that you should not kill, which 
might be done divers ways .; as being angry with. 



H?t*&%&ff^ 

"^- 11 - '-'" 



ye or neighbour, in mind, in countenance, in word, or 
df ed : it declared also, how you should subdue the 
pi ssions of ire, and so clear evermore yourselves 
from them. And whereas this first card doth kill 
-in you these stubborn .Turks of ire ; this second 
card -will not only they should be mortified in you, 
but that you yourselves shall cause them to be like- 
wise mortified in your neighbour, if that your said 
neighbour hath been through your occasion moved 
unto ire, either in countenance, word, or deed. 
Now let us hear therefore the tenor of this card : 
" When thou makest thine oblation at mine altar, 
and there" dost remember that thy neighbour hath 
any thing against thee, lay down there thy oblation, 
and go first and reconcile thy neighbour, and then 
come and offer thy oblation." 

This card was spoken by Christ, as testifieth St. 
Matthew in his fifth chapter, against all such as do 
presume to come unto the church to make oblation 
unto God either by prayer, or any other deed of 
charity, not having their neighbours reconciled. 
Reconciling is as much to say as to restore thy 



i^TT-'SK''!?^ 

36 SESMONS ON THE OABIX. ' . f; 

neighbour unto charity, which by thy words pr 
deeds is moved against thee : 'then, if so be it that 
thou hast spoken to or by thy neighbour, wheretyy 
he is moved to ire or wrath, thou. must lay down 
. thy oblation. Oblations be prayers, alms-deeds, or 
any work of charity : these be all called oblations 
to God. Lay down therefore thine oblation; 
begin to do none of these foresaid works before 
thou goest unto thy neighbour, and confess thy 
fault unto him ; declaring thy mind, that if thou 
hast offended him, thou art glad and willing to, 
make him amends, as far forth as thy words and 
substance will extend, requiring him not to take it 
at the worst : thou art sorry in thy mind, that thou 
shouldest be occasion of his offending. 

" What manner of card is this 1 " will some say : 
" Why, what have I to do with my neighbour's or 
brother's malice ? " As Cain said, " Have I the 
keeping of my brother 1 or shall I answer for him 
and for his faults 1 This were no reason As for 
myself, I thank God I owe no man malice nor 
pleasure : if others owe me any, at their own peril 



SEEMONS OW'THE : OABD. 37 

1 e it. Let every man answer'for himself ! " Nay, 
s ir, not so, as you may understand by this card ; 
for it saith, "If thy neighbour hath anything, any 
inalice against thee, through thine occasion, lay 
^ven down (saith Christ) thine oblation : pray not 
to" me ; do no good deeds for me ; but go first unto 
thy neighbour, and bring him again unto my 
flock, which hath forsaken the same through thy 
naughty words, mocks, scorns, or disdainous 
countenance, and so forth ; and then come and offer 
thine oblation ; then do thy devotion ; then do thy 
.lms-deeds j then pray, if thou wilt have me hear 
thee." 

"O good Lord ! this is a hard reckoning, that I 
must go and seek him out that is offended with 
me, before I pray or do any good deed. I cannot 
go unto him. Perad venture he is a hundred miles 
from me, beyond the seas ; or else I cannot tell 
where : if he were here nigh, I would with all my 
(heart go unto him." This is a lawful excuse be- 
fore God on this fashion, that thou wouldest in thy 
iheart be glad to reconcile thy neighbour, if he were 



%^?S#^W^^ 

88 SEEMONS ON THE i CAKD. 

present ; and that thou thinkest in thy heart, whejn- 
Bflever thou shalt meet with him, to go unto him, 
and'require him charitably to forgive thee ; and BO 
never intend to come from him, until the time that 
you both depart one from the other true "brethren . 
in Christ. 

Yet, peradventure, there be some in the world , 
that be so devilish, and so hard-hearted, that they 
will not apply in any condition unto charity. For 
all that, do what lieth in thee, by all charitable 
means, to bring him to unity. If he will in no wise 
apply thereunto, thou mayest be sorrowful in . thy 
heart, that by thine occasion that man or woman 
continueth in such a damnable state. This not- 
withstanding, if thou do the best that lieth in thee 
to reconcile him, according to some doctors' mind, 
thou art discharged towards God. Nevertheles 
St. Augustine doubteth in this case, whether tlr 
oblations, prayers, or good deeds, shall avail, thee 
before God, or no, until thy neighbour come, again 
to good state, whom thou hast brought out of the 
way. Doth this noble doctor doubt therein!?. 



>;'fiF^'**;;tf^ 

v "'). SEEMONS ON'THE CABD. . 39 

lat aileth us to be so bold, and count it but a 
snjall fault, or none, to bring our neighbour out of 
pa'tience for every trifle that standeth not with our 
mind ? You may see what a grievous thing this 
is, to -bring another man out of patience, that per- 
adventure you cannot bring in again with all the 
goods that you have : for surely, after the opinion 
of great wise men, friendship once broken will be 
never well made whole again. Wherefore you 
shall hear what Christ saith unto such persons. 
Saith Christ, "I came down into this world, and 
so took on me bitter passion for man's sake, 
by the merits whereof I intended to make unity 
and peace in mankind,- to make man brother 
unto me, and so to expel the dominion of Satan, 
the devil, which worketh nothing else but dissen- 
sion : and yet now there be a great number of you, 
that have professed my name, and say you be 
Christian men, which do rebel against my purpose 
and mind. I go about to make my fold : you go 
about to break the same, and kill my flock." " How 
Barest thou," saith Christ, " presume to come unto 



to 



WMwft!M ! ;W^ 

;,f- *. -'".''''* V" *'' '" - 1; - -i' f1 ''-' ' -' , -'' '' .''',* ' : ' - ; ' " '- ! ' '"."' \.'-"- '-'." ' - ' ",*' ' ' "'-' ':' .'''-. -;1 ' .' "' ""' ~j 

40' SEBMONS ON THE CABD. 

my altar, unto my church, or into my presence 
make oblation unto me, that takestonthee to spoil 
my lambs? I go about like a^good shepherd to 
gather them together ; and thou dost the contrary, 
evermore ready to divide and lose them. Who 
made thee so bold to meddle with my silly beasts, 
which I bought so dearly with my precious blood 1 
I warn thee out of my sight, come not in my pre- 
sence : I refuse thee and all thy works, except thou 
go and bring home again my lambs which thou hast 
lost. Wherefore, if thou thyself intend to be one 
of mine, lay even down by and by thine oblation, 
and come no further toward mine altar; but go. 
and seek them without any questions, as it be^ 
cometh a true and faithful servant." 

A true and faithful servant, whensoever bis 
master commandeth him to do any thing, he 
maketh no stops nor questions, but goeth forth 
with a good mind : and it is not unlike he, con- 
tinuing in such a good mind and will, shall well 
overcome all dangers and stops, whatsoever betide 
him in his journey, and bring to pass effeetuallj 






Ti'Wvr* r 3.*T>?<9^*tv*ft-i:r^ 
"$'?f" ^v^ '"'. ? ;,;:*;";*"'>> < : :-v; : -'"" .>';';;/.' ''' ;:: r- '*;:' r ' 

. ; ; - "SERMONS ON "EBECAKD., - x 41 

iis. master's will and pleasure On the contrary, 
slothful servant, when his master commandeth 

lim to > do any thing, by and by he will ask 
questions, " Where 1 " " When ? " " Which way I" 
and so forth ; and so he putteth every thing in 
doubt, that although both his errand and way be 
never so plain, yet by his untoward and slothful 
behaviour his mastei-'s commandment is either 
undone quite, or else so done that it shall stand 
to no good purpose. Go now forth with the good 
servant, and ask no such questions, and put no 
doubts. Be not ashamed to do thy Master's and 
Lord's will and commandment. Go, as I said, 
unto thy neighbour that is offended by thee, and 
reconcile him (as is afore said) whom thou hast 
lost by thy unkind words, by thy scorns, mocks, 
and other disdainous words and behaviours ; and 
be not nice to ask of him the cause why he is 
displeased with thee : require of him charitably 
to remit ; and cease not till you both depart, one 
from the other, true brethren in Christ. 

i' Do not, like the slothful servant, thy master's 



42 SEBMOJTS ON THE CABD. '' ~ ' : 

message with cautels and doubts : come not to thy 

neighbour whom thou hast offended, and give him 

a pennyworth of ale, or a banquet, and so make him 

a fair countenance, thinking that by thy drink or 

dinner he will shew thee like countenance. I 

grant you may both laugh and make good cheer, '< 

and yet there may remain a bag of rusty malice, 

twenty years old, in thy neighbour's bosom. When 

he departeth from, thee with a good countenance, 

thou thinkest all is well then. But now, I tell 

thee, it is worse than it was, for by such cloaked 

charity, where thou dost offend before Christ but 

once, thou hast offended twice herein : for now 

thou goest about to give Christ a mock, if he 

would take it of thee. Thou thinkest to blind 

thy master Christ's commandment. Beware, do 

not so, for at length he will overmatch thee, and 

take thee tardy whatsoever thou be ; and so, as 1 

said, it should be better for, thee not to do his 

message on this fashion, for it will stand thee in 

no purpose. " What ? " some will say, " I am, 

sure he loveth me well enough : he speaketh fair 



'tg'tgsi'^^iifK'j^ 

^X:-''"'- P V-'V'-/-BC:'' i - -'"' : - 



to my face." Yet for all that thou mayest be 
deceived. It proveth not true love in a man, to 
speak fair. If he love thee with his mind and 
heart, he loveth thee with his eyes, with his 

! tongue, with his feet, with his hands and his body ; 
for all these parts of a man's body be obedient to 

the will and mind. He loveth thee with his eyes, 
that looketh cheerfully on thee,' when thou meetest 
with him, and is glad to see thee prosper and do 
well. He loveth thee with his tongue, that 
speaketh well by thee behind thy back, or giveth 
thee good counsel. He loveth thee with his feet, 
that is willing to go to help thee out of trouble 
and business. He loveth thee with his hands, 
that will help thee in time of necessity, by giving 
some alms-deeds, or with any other occupation of 
the hand. He loveth thee with his body, that will 
labour with his body, or put his body in danger to 
do good for thee, or to deliver thee from adversity : 
and so forth, with the other members of his body. 
d if thy neighbour will do according to these 
yings, then thou mayest think that he loveth 



?/;%Tf:y:-v'- T":*^ 

.,-;} _ ;.v.. ;.-.. ._ ,'.-_ ; ..--..- ;* ..;..-..- v^..-j j-.,^ .-. --...' ;;: ^ ..jV^V'V'Y.'f 

44 - ' SEEMONS ON THE CABD, ' ;; 

< . '''"'.."' I 

-thee "well; and thou, in like wise, oughtest to- 
declare and open thy love unto thy neighbour in. 
like fashion, or else you be bound one to reconcile- ' 
the other, till this perfect love be engendered 
amongst you. 

It may fortune thou wilt say, "I am content to- 
do the best for my neighbour that I can, saving 
myself harmless." I promise thee, Christ will not- 
hear this excuse ; for he himself suffered harm for 
our sakes, and for our salvation was put to 
extreme death. I wis, if it had pleased him, he- 
might have saved us and never felt pain ; but in 
suffering pains and death he did give us example, 
and teach us how we should do one for another, as- 
he did for us all ; for, as he saith himself, " he that, 
will be mine, let him deny himself, and follow me, 
in bearing my cross and suffering my pains."' 
Wherefore we must needs suffer pain with Christ 
to do our neighbour good, as well with the body 
and all his members, as with heart and mind. 

Now I trust you wot what your card meaneth :; 
let us see how that we can play with the same.. 



- SERMONS ON THE CABD. 45 

"Whensoever it shall happen you to go arid make 
your oblation unto God, ask of yourselves this, 
question, "Who art thou?" The answer, as you 
know, is, " I am a Christian man." Then you 
raust again ask unto yourself, What Christ requireth 
of a Christian man ? By and by cast down your 
trump, your heart, and look first of one card, then, 
of another. The first card telleth thee, thou shalt 
not kill, thou shalt not be angry, thou shalt not 
be out of patience. This done, thou shalt look if 
"there be any more cards to take up ; and if thou 
look well, thou shalt see another card of the same 
suit, wherein thou shalt know that thou art 
bound to reconcile thy neighbour. Then cast thy 
trump upon them both, and gather them all three 
together, and do according to the virtue of thy 
cards ; and surely thou shalt not lose. Thou shalt 
first kill the great Turks, and discomfort and 
fchrust them down. Thou shalt again fetch home 
Christ's sheep that thou hast lost ; whereby thou 
.piayest go both patiently and with a quiet mind 
iinto the church, and make thy oblation unto 



46 SBEMONS ON THE CABD. 

God; and then, without doubt, he will hear 
thee. - 

But yet Christ will not accept our oblation 
(although we be in patience, and have reconciled 
our neighbour), if that our oblation be inade of 
another man's substance ; but it must be our own. 
See therefore that thou hast gotten thy goods 
according to the laws of God and of thy prince. 
For if thou gettest thy goods by polling and 
- extortion, or by any other unlawful ways, then, 
if thou offer a thousand pound of it, it will stand 
thee in no good effect ; for it is not thine. In 
this point a great number of executors do offend ; 
for when they be made rich by other men's goods, 
then they will take upon them to build churches, 
to give ornaments to God and his altar, to gild 
saints, and :o do many good works therewith ; but 
it shall be all in their own name, and for their 
own glory. Wherefore, saith Christ, they have 
in this world their reward ; and so their oblations, 
be ngt their ownj nor be they acceptable before 
God, ' ' 



T^vV.r^r-7?'r:>^v-^^^ 

""-.... SEBMONS ON THE CABD. 47 j 

Another way God will refuse thy voluntary . 
oblation, as thus : if so be it that thou hast gotten 

1 never so truly thy goods, according both to the 
laws of God and man, and hast with the same 
goods not relieved thy poor neighbour, when thou 
hast seen him hungry, thirsty, and naked, he 
will not take thy oblation when thou shalt offer 
the same, because he will say unto thee, " When 
I was hungry, thou gavest me no meat ; when I 
was thirsty, thou gavest me no drink ; and when 
I was naked, thou didst not clothe me. Where- 
fore I will not take thy oblation, because it is 
none of thine. I left it thee to relieve thy poor 
neighbours, and thou hast not therein done accord- 

_ing unto this my commandment, Misericordiam 
vqlo, et non sacrifitium ; I had rather have mercy 
done, than sacrifice or oblation. Wherefore until 
thou dost the one more than the other, I will not 
accept thine oblation." 

Evermore bestow the greatest part of thy goods 
in works of mercy, and the less part in voluntary 
works. Voluntary works be called all manner 6i 



J}"^sS^?y.&>V^ 
48 SEEMONS ON THE CABD. 



offering in the church, except your four offering-! 
days, and your tithes : setting up candles,. gilding' 
and painting, building of churches, giving of 1 . 
ornaments, going on pilgrimages, making of high-* 
ways, and such other, be called voluntary works j', 
which works be of themselves marvellous' good, and 
convenient to be done. Necessary works, and 
works of mercy, are called the commandments, the 
four offering-days, your tithes, and such other that 
belong to the commandments ; and works of mercy 
consist in relieving and visiting thy poor neighbours. 
Now then, if men be so foolish of themselves, that _ 
they will bestow the most part of their goods in 
voluntary works, which they be not bound to keep, 
but willingly and by their devotion ; and leave 
the necessary works undone, which they are bound 
to do ; they and all their voluntary works are like 
to go unto everlasting damnation. And I promise 
you, if you build a hundred churches, give as 
much as you can make to gilding of saints, and, 
honouring of the church ; and if thou go as many 
pilgrimages as thy body can well suffer, and offer 



. .. . . . .,., . - 

. 8EBMON8 ON THE gABD. '' : "49' 

, as great candles as oaks; if thou leave the works 

' * " 

of mercy and the commandments undone, these 
works shall nothing avail thee. No doubt the 
voluntary works be good and ought to be done ; 
- but yet they must be so done, that by. .their 
occasion the necessary works and the works of 
_ mercy be not decayed and forgotten. If you will 
build a glorious church unto God, see first your- 
self to be in charity with your neighbours, and 
suffer not them to be offended by your works. 
Then, when ye come into your parish-church, 
you bring with you the holy temple of God ; as 
St. Paul saith, " You yourselves be the very holy 
temples of God : " and Christ saith by his prophet, 
"In you will I rest, and intend to make my 
mansion and abiding-place." Again, if you list to 
gild and paint Christ in your churches, and honour 
him in vestments, see that before your eyes ,the 
poor people die not for lack of meat, drink, and 
clothing. Then do you deck the very true temple 
of God, and honour him in rich vestures that will 
jjever be worn, and 9 forth use yourselves accord- 



SJ. ;. --f^- -f;V*,?-??,-i--.j <:- *>"*.'*'.' J.WT.'H .-..:;. ^M ! Vrv<",-v.'--;'"-" Zi-yf. IfT'V- V-fJWS 1 ;;,' 

'-- '*,- -i.' -.', J -''"- "";"' '-.'." . '.'. '- '[''' *'.'':'-'.. "-'-' !-.'' ":'. '*/>. ''"'V"'* 4 - ' / 

50 SERMONS ON THE CABDi ''"'{ 

' ' ' ~ , i 

ing unto the commandments : and then, ^finally,! 
set up your candles, and they will report what a 
glorious light remaineth in your hearts ; for it is 
not fitting to see a dead man light candles. Then, 
I say, go your pilgrimages, build your material 
churches, do all your voluntary works ; and they 
will then represent you unto God, and testify with 
you, that you have provided him. a glorious place 
in your hearts. But beware, I say again, that 
you do not run so far in your voluntary works, 
that ye do quite forget your necessary works of 
mercy, which you are bound to keep : you must 
have ever a good respect unto the best and 
worthiest works toward God to be done first and 
with more efiicacy, and the other to be done 
secondarily. Thus if you do, with the other that 
I have spoken of before, ye may come according to 
the tenor of your cards, and offer your oblations 
and prayers to our Lord Jesus Christ, who will 
both hear and accept them to your everlasting joy 
and glory : fco the which he bring us, and all 
those, whom he suffered death for. Amen. 



'r -^^^}^ '^><W^* :; ''?-^W;-~^?s^ 

i, .'''" ,""."'" ''.' " '';/' " ~ ''-.;?"' ''",' -,':_' " - "".' '"'-. *'"--'.'''-': 

' .'. T : .".- ' . 51 - "'" 



A SERMON MADE BY M, HUGH LATIMER, AT THE 
TIME OF THE INSURRECTION IN THE NORTH, 
WHICH WAS IN THE TWENTY-SEVENTH YEAR 
OF THE REIGN OF KING HENRY THE EIGHTH, 
ANN. DOM. 1535. UPON THE EPISTLE READ IN 
THE CHURCH THE TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY 
AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY, TAKEN OUT OF THE 
SIXTH CHAPTER OF THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL 
TO THE EPHESIANS. 

IT Put on all the armour of God, that ye may stand, $c. 
[Ephes. -vi. 10, et seq.] 

SAINT PAUL, the hb'ly apostle, writeth this epistle 
unto the Ephesians, that is, to the people of the 
city of Ephesus. He writeth generally, to them 
all ; and in the former chapters he teacheth them 
severally how they should behave themselves, ..in 
every estate, one to another ; how they should obey 
their rulers ; how wives should behave themselves 
towards their husbands; children towards their 
parents ; and servants towards their masters ; and- 
husbands, parents and masters should behave them, 



^52 SERMON ON THE EPISTLE BEAD ON THB 

and love their wives, children, and servants ; and 
generally each to love other. 

Now cometh he forth and comforteth them, and 
teacheth them to be bold, and to play the men, and 
fight manfully. For they must fight with valiant 
warriors, as appeareth afterward in the text. And 
against they come to fight he comforteth them, 
saying, "My brethren." He calleth them breth- 
ren; for though he taught them before to be 
subject to kings and rulers, and to be obedient to 
their superiors, yet he teacheth them that in Christ 
we be all brethren, according to the saying in this 
same chapter, " God is no accepter of persons." 
"My brethren," saith ho, "be ye comforted, be ye 
strong ; " not trusting to yourselves ; no, but be 
bold, and comforted "by our Lord, and by the 
power of his virtue : " not by your own virtue, for 
it is not of power to resist, such assaults as he 
speaketh of hereafter. ''J^t on, or apparel you 
with, the armour of Gad 1 ," Armour is an apparel 
$0 clothe a man, and maketh bina seemly and comely; 
getteth forth his body, and maketh him strong and 



m.'VT;^vs^^!? : /-*. 

V .1 ..-/.- ; ; vA.;: X ^,::{;;-/yV-''^:''-^-;--'V'^ /; ' : ''"-':^'; v : ^rV-'T':-'A^C''';-^;; A '.-,- 

) ;' XWJSNTY-FIRST StraTDAT APTEB TBXNJ.XX. Op ;< 

bold in battle. And therefore Saint Paul exhortetb. 
generally bis brethren to be armed ; and as the 
assaults be strong, and not small, so he giveth 
strong armour, and not small : " Put on," saith he, 
" the armour of God'." He speaketh generally of 
armour, .but afterwards he speaketh particularly of 
the parts of armour, where he saith, be armed 
complete, whole ; be armed on every part with the 
armour of God ; not borrowed, nor patched, but all 
godly. And as armour setteth foi-th a man's body, 
so this godly armour maketh us seemly in the sight 
of God, and acceptable in his wars. 

Be ye therefore " armed at all points with the 
armour of God, that ye may stand strongly against 
the assaults of the devil." "That ye may stand," 
saith he. Ye must stand in this battle, and not sit, 
nor lie along; for he that lieth is trodden under 
foot of his enemy. We may not sit, that is, not 
rest in sin, or lie along in sluggishness of sin j but 
continually fight against our enemy, and under our 
great Captain and Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ, and 
in his quarrel, armed with the armour of God, that 



- .-. . 

54V' ^SEBMKHf ON THE BPisoiiE BEAD ow THE 



we may be strong. We cannot be strong unless we 
be armed of God. We have no power of ourselves' 
to stand against the assaults of .the devil. There 
St. Paul teacheth what our battle is, and wherefore 
we must be thus armed. 

For, saith he, " we have not wrestling or strife 
against flesh and blood : " which may be understood, 
against certain sins, which oome of the flesh only ; 
but let us take it as it standeth, " against flesh and 
blood," that is, against any corporal man, which is 
but a weak thing in comparison, and with one 
stroke destroyed or slain : but we have to do with 
strong, mighty princes and potentates ; that mighty 
prince, that great conqueror of this world, the devil, 
yea a conqueror : for though our Saviour Jesus 
Christ conquered him and all his, by suffering his 
blessed passion, yet is he a great conqueror in this 
world, and reigneth over a great multitude of his 
own, and maketh continual conflicts and assaults 
against the rest, to subdue them also under his- 
power ; which, if they be armed after St. Paul's 
teaching, shall stand strongly against his assaults. 



- |y ? . -- x /. -K/^^ 

, I ; v TWEKTY'-WIKBT' SUNDAY AI".TEB< TKnTTS". ' -' *"55l'/ 



' SUND 

/"Our battle," saith St. Paul, "is against princes, - 
potestates," that is, against devils : for, after the 
common opinion, there fell from heaven of every 
order of angels, as of potentates. He saith also, 
" against worldly rulers of these darknesses : " for, " 
.as doctors do write, the spirits that fell with 
Lucifer have their being in aere caliginoso, the air, 
in darkness, and the rulers of this world, by God's 
sufferance, to hurt, vex and assault them that live 
upon the earth. For their nature is, as they be 
damned, to desire to draw all mankind unto like ' 
damnation ; such is their malice. And though they 
hang in the air, or fall in a garden or other plea- 
sant place, yet have they continually their pain 
upon their backs. Against these we wrestle, and 
" against spiritual wickedness in ccdestibus" that 
is, in the air ; or we fight against spiritual wicked- 
ness in heavenly things. 

Think you not that this our enemy, this prince 
with all his potentates, hath great and sore assaults 
to lay against our armour 1 Yea, he is a crafty 
warrior, and also of great power in this world ; he 



^^jfr^Jwr''^;.^^^^ 
56 SEBMON ON T&E EPISTIiE, EAJJ ON THE 

hath great ordnance and artillery j he hath great 

pieces of ordnance, as mighty kings and emperors, 

-to shoot against God's people, to persecute or kill 

them ; Nero, the great tyrant, who slew Paul, and 

:divers other. Yea, what great pieces hath he had 

of bishops of Rome, which have destroyed whole 

cities and countries, and have slain and burnt many ' 

What great guns were those ! 

Yea, he hath also less ordnance evil enough, 
,(they may be called serpentines ; ) some bishops in 
divers countries, and here in England, which he 
hath shot at some good Christian men, that they 
have been blown to ashes. So can this great 
captain, the devil, shoot his ordnance. He hath 
yet less ordnance, for he hath of all sorts to shoot at 
good Christian men ; he hath hand-guns and bows, 
which do much hurt, but not so much as the great 
ordnance. These be accusers, promoters, and 
slanderers ; they be evil ordnance, shrewd hand- 
guns, and bows ; they put a man to great dis- 
pleasure j oftentimes death cometh upon that shot. 
For these things, saith the text, " take. the armour 



- ~*y 

- 

'TWENTY-FIRST STTNDAY AFTEB TBINITT. 57 

of God." Against thte great captains, the devils,_ 
and against their artillery, their ministers, there 
can nothing defend us but the armour of God. 

"Take therefore this armour,'' saith the text, 
"that ye may resist in the evil day, and in all 
things stand perfectly, or be perfectly strong." 
This evil day is not so called here, because any day 
or time is evil ; for God made every day good, and 
all days be good : but St. Paul calleth it the " evil 
day," because of the misfortune that chanceth or 
cometh in that day. As we have a common saying, 
" I have had an evil day, and an evil night," because 
of the heaviness or evil that hath happened; so 
saith Paul, "that ye may resist in the evil day :" 
that is, when your great adversary hath compassed 
you round about with his potestates and rulers, and 
with his artillery, so that you be almost overcome, 
then, if you have the armour of God, you shall be 
strong, and need not to fear his assaults. 

St. Paul hath spoken of this armour of God 
generally, and now declareth the parts and pieces of 
armour ; and teacheth them how to apparel every 



58 SEKMON ON THE EPISTUB BEAD .ON 'THE ( 

part of the body with this armour. He begioneth 
yet again, saying, "Be strong, having your reins, 
or your loins girded about." Some men of war use 
to have about their loins an apron or girdle of mail, 
gird fast for the safeguard of the nether part of 
their body. So St. Paul would we should gird our 
loins, which betokeneth lechery or other sinf ulness, 
with a girdle, which is to be taken for a restraint 
or continence from such vices. In "truth," or 
" truly gird :" it may not be feigned, or falsely girt, 
but in verity and truth. There be many bachelors, 
as yet men unmarried, which seem to be girt with 
the girdle of continence, and yet it is not in truth, it 
is but feignedly. And some religious persons make 
a profession of continence or chastity, and yet not 
in truth, their hearts be not truly chaste. Such 
feigned girding of the loins cannot make a man 
strong to resist the assaults of the great captain or 
enemy in the evil day. Yet some get them girdles 
with great knots, as though they would be surely 
girt, and as though they would break the devil's head 
with their knotted girdles. Nay, he will not be so 



; -. TWENTT-FIEST STJND AT AFTER TBINITT. 59 

overcome : it is no knot of an hempton girdle that 

. lie feareth ; that is no piece of harness of the armour 

of God, which may resist the assault in the evil day ; 

it is but feigned gear ; it must be in the heart, &c. 

" And be ye apparelled or clothed," saith Paul, 
" with the habergeon or coat-armour of justice, that 
is, righteousness." Let your body be clothed in the 
armour of righteousness : ye may do no wrong to 
any man, but live in righteousness ; not clothed 
with any false quarrel or privy grudge. Ye must live 
rightly in God's law, following his commandments 
and doctrine, clothed righteously in his armour, 
and not in any feigned armour, as in a friar's coat 
or cowl. For the assaults of the devil be crafty : 
to make us put our trust in such armour, he will 
feign himself to fly; but then we be most in 
jeopardy f for he can give us an after- clap when 
we least ween ; that is, suddenly return unawares 
to us, and then he giveth us an after-clap that 
overthroweth us : this armour deceiveth us.- 

In like manner these men in the North country, 
they make pretence as though they were armed in 



60 SERMON ON THE EPISTLE BEAD OK THE , / 

God's armour, gird in truth, and clothed in right- 
eousness. I hear say they wear the cross and the 
wounds before and behind, and they pretend much 
truth to the king's grace and to the commonwealth, 
when they intend nothing less ; and deceive the 
poor ignorant people, and bring them to fight against 
both the king, the church, and the commonwealth. 

They arm them with the sign of the cross and 
of the wounds, and go clean contrary to him that 
bare the cross, and suffered those wounds. They 
rise with the king, and fight against the king in 
his ministers and oflicers ; they rise with the 
church, and fight against the church, which is the 
congregation of faithful men ; they rise for the 
commonwealth, and fight against it, and go about 
to make the commons each to kill other, and to 
destroy the commonwealth. Lo, what false pre- 
tence can the devil send amongst us 1 It is one 
of his most crafty and subtle assaults, to send his 
warriors forth under the badge of God, as though 
they were armed in righteousness and justice. 

But if we will resist strongly indeed, we must 



- -- - ,. . . .--. ,.-... . . - . .. : 

.XWEJSITX-FIEST. SUNDAY APTEE TEDIlTJf. 61 

' " . '*. ^ 

be clothed or armed with the habergeon of very 
justice or righteousness ; in true obedience to our 
prince, and faithful love to our neighbours; and 
take no false quarrels in hand, nor any feigned % 
armour; but in justice, "having your feet shod ~ 
for [the] preparation of the gospel of peace." 

Lo, what manner of battle this warrior St. Paul 
teacheth us, " to be" shod on our feet," that we may 
go readily and prepare way for the gospel; yea, 
the gospel of peace, not of rebellion, not of insur- 
rection : no, it teacheth obedience, humility, and 
quietness ; it maketh peace in the conscience, and 
teacheth true faith in Jesus Christ, and to walk in - 
God's laws armed with God's armour, as Paul 
teacheth here. Yea, if bishops in England had 
been "shod for the preparation of this gospel," and 
had endeavoured themselves to teach and set [it] 
forth, as our most noble prince hath devised ; and 
if certain gentlemen, being justices, had executed 
his grace's commandment, in setting forth this 
gospel of peace, this disturbance among the people 
had, not happened. . 



62 SEBMON.CttT THE EPISTLE BEAD QN THE 

But ye say, it .is new learning. Now I tell you 

/ 

it is the old learning. Yea, ye say, it is old heresy 
new scoured. Nay, I tell you it is old truth, long 
rusted with your canker, and now new made bright 
and scoured. What a rusty truth is this, Quod- 
cumque ligaveris, " Whatsoever thou bindest," &c. 
This is a truth spoken to the apostles, and all true 
preachers their successors, thai with the law of 
God they should bind and condemn all that sinned ; 
and whosoever did repent, they should declare him 
loosed and forgiven, by believing in the blood of 
Christ. But how hath this truth over-rusted" with 
the pope's rust ] For he, by this text, " Whatso- 
ever thou bindeth," hath taken upon him to make 
what laws him listed, clean contrary unto God's 
word, which willeth that every man should obey 
the prince's law : and by this text, " Whatsoever 
thou loosest," he hath/made all people believe that, 
for money, he might forgive what and whom he 
lusted ; so that if any man had robbed his master, 
or taken anything wrongfully, the pope would 
loose him, by this pardon or Miat pardon, given to 






Ttn31$rTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. .63 

these friars or those friars, put in this box or that. 

' * , 

box. And, as it were, by these means a dividend 
of the spoil was made, so that it was not restored, 
nor the person rightly discharged ; and yet most 
part of the spoil came to the hands of him and his 
ministers. What is this but a new learning ; a new 
canker to rust and corrupt the old truth ? Ye call 
your learning old : it may indeed be called old, for it 
cometh of that serpent which did pervert God's com- 
mandment and beguiled Eve ; so it is an old custom 
to pervert God's word, and to rust it, and corrupt it. 
We be a great many that profess to be true 
ministers of the gospel ; but at the trial I think it 
will come to pass as it did with Gideon, a duke, 
which God raised up to deliver the children of 
Israel from the Midianites, in whose hands they 
were fallen, because they had broken God's com- 
mandment, and displeased God : yet at the length 
he had compassion on them, and raised up Gideon 
to deliver them. When they heard that they had 
a captain, or a duke, that should deliver them, they 
assembled a great number, about thirty thousand : 



64, SEBMON ON THE K EPISTLE BEAD ON THE ' [ 

''.'-'. ''i 

tut when it came to pass that they should fight, 
they departed all save five hundred. So, I fear 
me, that at the trial we shall be found but a few 
ministers of the true gospel of peace, and armed in 
the true armour of God. 

It followeth, " And in all things take the shield 
or buckler of faith." The buckler is a thing where- 
with a man most chiefly defend eth himself : and that 
must be perfect faith in Jesus Christ, in our Captain, 
and in his word. It must also be a true faith, it is 
else no part of the armour of God : it may not be 
feigned, but a buckler, which may stop or quench 
the violence of the flaming darts of the most wicked. 

" Take also the helmet or head-piece of health," 
or true health in Jesus Christ ; for there is no 
health in any other name : not the health of a grey 
friar's coat, or the health of this pardon or that 
pardon ; that were a false helmet, and should not 
defend the violence of the wicked. 

"And the sword of the Spiiit, which is the word 
of God." Lo, St. Paul teacheth you battle; to 
take in your left hand the shield of faith, to defend 



TWENTY-FIBST :BTTNDAY ATTEE TKIN1TY. 65" 

id bear off the darts of the devil, and in the 
other hand a sword to strike with against the 
enemy: for a good man of -war may not stand 
against, and defend only, but also strike against 
his enemy. So St. Paul giveth us here a sword, 
"The word of God." For this sword is it that 
beateth this great captain, our enemy. Christ 
himself gave us ensample to fight with this sword ; 
for he answered the devil with the scripture, and 
said, " It is written." With this sword he drave 
away the devil : and so let us break bis head with 
this sword, the true word of God, and not with any 
word of the bishop of Rome's making; nt with his 
old. learning, nor his new learning, but with the 
pure word of God. 

The time passeth : I will therefore make an end. 
Let us fight manfully, and not cease ; for no man 
is crowned or rewarded but in the end. "We must 
therefore fight continually, and with this sword ; 
and thus armed, and we shall receive the reward 
of victory. And thus the grace of our Lord Jesus 

Christ be with all your spirits. Amen. 

C-8 " x 

(' , 



't>6 SEBMON PBEACHED BEFOBE THE 

'THE SERMON THAT THE REVEREND FATHER IN 
CHRIST, M. HUGH LATIMER, BISHOP OF WOR- 
CESTER, MADE TO THE CONVOCATION OF THE < 
CLERGY, BEFORE THE PARLIAMENT BEGAN, THE 
9 DAY OF JUNE, THE 28 YEAR OF THE REIGN 
OF OUR LATE KING HENRY THE 8. TRANS- 
LATED OUT OF LATIN INTO ENGLISH, TO THE 
INTENT THAT THINGS WELL SAID TO A FEW 
MAY BE UNDERSTOOD OF MANY, AND DO GOOD 
TO ALL THEM THAT DESIRE TO UNDERSTAND 
THE TRUTH. 

Fitti hujus seculi, G;c. Luc. xvi. 

BRETHREN, ye be come together this day, as far 
as I perceive, to hear of great and weighty matters. 
Ye be come together to entreat of things that 
most appertain to the commonwealth. This being 
thus, ye look, I am assured, to hear of me, which 
am commanded to make as a preface this exhorta- 
tion, (albeit I am unlearned and far unworthy,) 
such things as shall be much meet for this your 
assembly. I therefore, not only very desirous to 
obey the commandment of our Primate, but also 



- ; --v^;-/;<:-;-;^ 

.COJTVOCATION OP THE CLBKGT." ' 67 

'""'' ; : ' ' . ; ' '"; 

right greatly coveting to serve and satisfy all your , 
expectation ; lo, briefly, and as plainly as I can, 
will speak of matters both worthy to be heard in 
your congregation, and also of such as best shall- , 
become mine office in this place. That I may do 
this the more commodiously, I have taken that 
notable sentence in which our Lord was not afraid 
to pronounce "the children of this world to be 
much more prudent and politic than the children 
of light in their generation." Neither will I be 
afraid, trusting that he will aid and guide me to use 
this sentence, as a good ground and foundation of 
all such things, as hereafter I shall speak of. 

Now, I suppose that you see right well, being 
men of such learning, for what purpose the Lord 

- . . said this, and that ye have no need to be holpen 
-with any part of my labour in this thing. But yet, 

1 if ye will pardon me, I will wade somewhat deeper 

in this matter, and as nigh as I can, fetch it from - 
the first original beginning. For undoubtedly, ye 
_ may much marvel at this saying, if ye well ponder ' 
both what is said, and who saith it. Define me first 



-68 SERMON PSEACHED BEFORE THE ( 

these three things: what 'prudence is; what the 
world; what light; and who be the children of the 
world ; who of the light : see what they signify in 
. scripture. I marvel if by and by ye all agree, that 
the children of the world should be wiser than the . 
children of the light. To come somewhat nigher the 
matter, thus the Lord beginneth : 
There was a certain rich man that had a steward, 
which was accused unto him that'Jie had dissi- 
pated and wasted his goods. This rich man 
called his steward to him and said, What is . 
this that I hear of thee ? Come, make me an ac- 
count of thy stewardship; thou mayest no longer 
bear this office. 

BRETHREN, because these words are so spoken in 
a parable, and are so wrapped in wrinkles, that yet 
they seem to have a face and a similitude of a thing 
done indeed, and like an history, I think it much pro- 
fitable to tarry somewhat in them. And though we 
may perchance find in our hearts to believe all that 
is there spoken to be true ; yet I doubt whether we 
may abide it, that these words of Christ do pertain 



. .. . . 

CONVOCATION "OF THE CIiEBGT. 69 , 

unto us, and' admonish us of our duty, which do and ; 

i x 

live after such sort, as though Christ, when he spake 
anything, had, as the time served him, served his 
turn, and not regarded the time that came after 
him, neither provided for us, or any matters of 
ours ; as some of the philosophers thought, which 
said, that God walked up and down in heaven, and 
thinketh never a deal of our affairs. But, my good 
brethren, err not you so ; stick not you to such your 
imaginations. For if ye inwardly behold these 
words, if ye diligently roll them in your minds, and 
after explicate and open them, ye shall see our 
time much touched in these mysteries. Ye shall 
jperceive that God by this example shaketh us by 
the noses and pulleth us by the ears. Ye shall per- 
ceive very plain, that God setteth before our eyes 
in this similitude what we ought most to flee, and 
what we ought soonest to follow. For Luke saith, 
"The Lord spake these words to his disciples." 
Wherefore letib be out of all doubt that he spake 

them to us, which even as we will be counted the 

i 

successors and vicars of Christ's disciples, so we be, 



. - . , . .-. .-. ..- -. 

70 SERMON PEE ACHED BEFORE THE - / 

if we be good dispensers and do our duty. He said 
these things partly to us, which spake them partly of 
himself. For he is that rich man, which not only 
had, but hath, and shall have evermore, I say not 
one, but many stewards, even to the end of the 
world. 

He is man, seeing that he is God and man. He 
, is rich, not only in mercy but in all kind of riches; 
for it is he that giveth to us all things abundantly. 
It is he of whose hand we received both our lives, 
and other things necessary for the conservation of 
the same. What man hath any thing, I pray you, 
but he hath received it of his plentifulness 1 To be 
short, it is he that " openeth his hand, and fQleth 
all boasts with his blessing," and giveth unto us in 
most ample wise his benediction. Neither bis trea- 
sure can be spent, how much soever he lash out ; 
how much soever we take of him, his treasure tar- 
rieth still, ever taken, never spent. 

He is also the good man of the house : the 
church is his household which ought with all 
diligence to be fed with his word and his sacra- 



X" '' ; "5 ~ 1 ' '' ''f f : -^ ' - * ?V-^~/-^ " : - ^^' ^'f^'^f i'.*-'^' : ?y iy '->>: : ''- ; Ff t 

V v CdNTOGATIQN -OF TEE CLERGY. 71 : 

- * r * .- . ' ~ > 

'"'!'" ' ' - " ' - 

ments. These be his goods most precious, the; 

; - " / 

dispensation and administration whereof he would 
bishops and curates should have. Which thing 
St. Paul affirmeth, saying, " Let men esteem us 
as the ministers of Christ, and dispensers of God's 
mysteries." But, I pray you, what is to be looked 
for in a dispenser ? This surely, " That he be 
found faithful," and that he truly dispense, and 
lay out the goods of the Lord; that he give meat 
in time; give it, I say, and not sell it; meat, 
I say, and not poison. For the one doth intoxicate 
and slay the eater, the other feedeth and nourisheth 
him. Finally, let him not slack and defer the 
doing of his office, but let him do his duty when, 
time is, and need requireth it. This is also to* 
be looked for, that he be one whom God hath called! 
and put in office, and not one that cometh uncalled,.- 
unsent for ; not one that of himself presumeth to* 
take honour upon him. And surely, if all this- 
that I say be required in a good minister, it is* 
much lighter to require them all in every one, 
. than to find one any where that hath them alL Who- 



'"*'' -" " ' .r; J:"!ww 
- 72 SERMON >?BEACHEB BEFORE THE / 

- - f ' ' , " :' ' ' ' - 

as a true and faithful steward ? He is true, h 
as faithful, that coineth no new money, but taketh 
it ready coined of the good man of the house; 
;and neither changeth it, nor clippeth it, after it 
is taken to him to spend, but spendeth even the 
self-same that he had of his Lord, and spendeth 
it as his Lord's commandment is ; neither to his 
own vantage uttering it, nor as the lewd servant 
did, hiding it in the ground. Brethren, if a 
faithful steward ought to do as I have said, I 
pray you, ponder and examine this well, whether 
our bishops and abbots, prelates and curates, have 
been hitherto faithful stewards or no 1 ? Ponder, 
whether yet many of them be as they should be 
or no ? Go ye to, tell me now as your conscience 
leadeth you (I will let pass to speak of many 
other), was there not some, that despising the 
money of the Lord, as copper and not current, 
either coined new themselves, or else uttered 
abroad newly coined of other; sometime either 
adulterating the word of God or else mingling 
it (as taverners do, which brew and utter the evil 



; a-^l v *v?2^ 
j CPNTQCATION OP THE GLEBGT.. " 75 

and good both in one pot), sometime in the stead 
of God's word blowing out the dreams of men? 
while they thus preached to the people the redemp- 
tion that cometh by Christ's death to serve only 
them that died before his coming, that were in 
the time of the old testament; and that now since 
redemption and forgiveness of sins purchased by 
money, and devised by men is of efficacy, and not 
redemption purchased by Christ (they have a. 
wonderful pretty example to persuade this thing,. 
of a certain married woman, which, when her 
husband was in purgatory, in that fiery furnace 
that hath burned away so many of our pence, paid 
her husband's ransom, and so of duty claimed; 
him to be set at liberty) : while they thus preached 
to the people, that dead images (which at the first,. 
as I think, were set up, only to represent things 
absent) not only ought to be covered with gold, 
but also ought of all faithful and Christian people- 
(yea, in this scarceness and penury of all things),. 
to be clad with silk garments, and those also laden 
with precious gems and jewels ; and that beside 






74 SEBMON PEE ACHED - BEFORE THE f 

-. - - IT' 

all this, they are to be lighted with wax candles, 
both within the church and without the church, 
yea, and -at noon days ; as who should say, here 
no cost can be too great j whereas in the mean time 
" we see Christ's faithful and lively images, bought 
with no less price than with his most precious 
blood (alas, alas !) to be an hungred, a-thirst, . 
-a-cold, and to lie in darkness, wrapped * in all 
'wretchedness, yea, to lie there till death take away 
their miseries : while they preached these will- 
works, that come but of our own devotion, although 
they be not so necessary as the works of mercy, 
and the precepts of God, yet they said, and in the 
pulpit, that will-works were more principal, more 
excellent, and (plainly to utter what they mean) 
more acceptable to God than works of. mercy ; 
as though now man's inventions and fancies could- 
please God better than God's precepts, or strange 
things better than his own : while they thus 
preached that more fruit, more devotion cometh 
of the beholding of an image, though it be but 
a Pater-noster while, than is gotten by reading and 



.^-v ; T ;'"> ':: ^-^ :;-'< ri,v~ :-;. vvv- ". ; - - ; 

', . CONVOCATION OF THE CLEBGY. 75^ 

contemplation in scripture, though ye read and 
contemplate therein seven years' space: finally, 
while they preached thus, souls tormented in pur- 
gatory, to have most need of our help, and that 
they can have no aid, but of us in this world : of 
the which two, if the one be not false, yet at the 
least it is ambiguous, uncertain, doubtful, and there- 
fore rashly and arrogantly with such boldness 
affirmed in the audience of the people $ the other, 
by all men's opinions, is manifestly false : I let 
pass to speak of much other such like counterfeit 
doctrine, which hath been blasted and blown out 
by some for the space of three hours together. Be 
these the Christian and divine mysteries, and not 
rather the dreams of men? Be these the faithful 
dispensers of God's mysteries, and not rather false 
dissipators of them ? whom God never put in office, 
but rather the devil set them over a miserable 
family, over an house miserably ordered and en- 
treated. .Happy were the people if such preached 
seldom. 

And yet it is a wonder to see these, in their 



76 SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE 

generation, to be much more prudent -and politic 
than the faithful ministers are in their generation ; 
while they go about more prudently to stablish 
men's dreams, than these do to hold up God's 
commandments. 

Thus it cometh to pass that works lucrative, 
will-works, men's fancies reign; but Christian 
works, necessary works, fruitful works, be trodden 
under the foot. Thus the evil is much better set 
out by evil men, than the good by good men; 
because the evil be more wise than be the good 
in their generation. These be the false stewards, 
whom all good and faithful men every day accuse 
unto the rich master of the household, not without 
great heaviness, that they waste his goods ; whom 
he also one day will call to him, and say to them 
as he did to his steward, when he said, "What 
is this that I hear of thee?" Here God partly 
wondereth at our ingratitude and perfidy, partly 
chideth us for them ; and being both full of wonder 
and ready to chide, asketh us, " What is this that 
I hear of you ?" As though he should say unto 



~??W'^ '\"''t"f. iF,^ 

'' JOONTbCATION -...OF- THE CX.EBGY. 77 

us; '? All good men in all places complain of you, 
accuse your avarice, your exactions, your tyranny. 
They have required in you a long season, and yet 
require, diligence and sincerity. I commanded 
you, that with all industry and labour ye should 
feed my sheep : ye earnestly feed yourselves from 
day to day, wallowing in delights and idleness. 
I commanded .you to teach my commandments, and 
not your fancies ; and that ye should seek my 
glory and my vantage : you teach your own tradi- 
tions, and seek your own glory and profit. You 
preach very seldom ; and when ye do preach, do 

' 

nothing but cumber them that preach truly, 
as much as lieth in you : that it were much better 
such were not to preach at all, than so perniciously 
to preach. Oh, what hear I of you? You, that 
ought to be my preachers, what other thing do 
you, than apply all your study hither, to bring alj 
". my preachers to envy, shame, contempt ? Ye 
" more than this, ye pull them into perils, 
prisons, and, as much as in you lieth, to 
deaths. To be short, I would that Christian pi 



f r ,. 

\ 



78 SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE 

should hear my doctrine, and at their convenient 
leisure read it also, as many as would : your care 
is not that all men may hear it, but all your care 
is., that no lay man do read it : surely, being afraid 
lest they by the reading should understand it, and 
understanding, learn to rebuke our slothfulness. 
This is your generation, this is your dispensation, 
this is your -wisdom. In this generation, in this 
dispensation, you be most politic, most witty. 
These be the things that I hear of your demeanour. 
I wished to hear better report of you. Have ye 
thus deceived me? or have ye rather deceived 
yourselves? Where I had but one house, that 
is to say, the church, and this so dearly beloved 
of me, that for the love of her I put myself forth 
to be slain, and to shed my blood ; this church at 
my departure I committed unto your charge, to 
L be fed, to be nourished, and to be made much of. 
[y pleasure was ye should occupy my place ; my 
fire was ye should have borne like love to tbis- 
like fatherly affection, as I did : I made 
my vicars, yea, in matters of most importance. 



' CONVOCATION OF THE OLEBOY. 79* 

"For thus I taught openly : 'He that should 
hear you, should hear me; he that should despise 
you, should despise me.' I gave you also keys, 
.not earthly keys, but heavenly. I left my goods 
that I have evermore most highly esteemed, that 
is, my word and sacraments, to be dispensed of you^ 
These benefits I gave you, and do you give me 
these thanks? Can you find in your hearts thus- 
to abuse my goodness, my benignity, my gentle- 
ness ? Have you thus deceived me ? No, no, ye 
have not deceived me, but yourselves. My gifts 
and benefits towards you shall be to your greater 
damnation. Because you have contemned the 
lenity and clemency of the master of the house, 7 
ye have right well deserved to abide the rigour 
and severity of the judge. Come forth then, let-, 
us see an account of your stewardship. An horrible- 
and fearful sentence : Ye may have no longer my 
goods in your hands. A voice to wep at, andl 
to Make men tremble ! " 

You see, brethren, you see, what evil the evil) 
stewards must come to. Your labour is paid for,. 



80 SERMON PREACHED BEFOBE THE 

if ye can so take heed, that no such sentence be 
spoken to you; nay, we must all take heed lest .... 
these threatenings one day take place in us. Bufc 
lest the length of my sermon offend you too sore, 
I will leave the rest of the parable and take me 
to the handling of the end of it ; that is, I will 
declare unto you how the children of this world be ' 
more witty, crafty, and subtle, than are the chil- 
dren of the light in their generation. Which 
sentence would God it lay in my poor tongue to 
explicate with such light of words, that I might 
seem rather to have painted it before your eyes, 
than to have spoken it ; and that you might rather 
seem to see . the thing, than to hear it ! But I 
confess plainly this thing to be far above my 
power. Therefore this being only left to me, I 
wish for that I have not, and am sorry that that 
is not in me which I would so gladly have, that is, 
power so to -handle the thing that I have .in hand, 
that all that I say may turn to the glory of God, 
your souls' health, and the edifying of Christ's 
body Wherefore I pray you all to pray with me . 



^<'r'PPs^ 

, '. .,""""-.* '.' ( ' ''*'' '"-.'''. . ' ' \ '' ' ' '^ ' .''"'."' ' * ;.- V ''" *^* '!^ . ' *i ')' 

' .CONVOCATION OS 1 THE CLEROT.;: v81 ' 

.unto God, and that in your petition you desire,' 
that these two things he vouchsafe to grant us, 
first, a mouth for me to speak rightly ; next, ears 
for you, that in hearing me ye may take profit at 
my hand : and that this may come to effect, you 
shall desire him, unto whom our master Christ bad 
we should pray, saying even the same prayer that he 
himself did institute. Wherein ye shall pray for 
our most gracious sovereign lord the king, chief 
and supreme head of the church of "England under 
Christ, and for the most excellent, gracious, and 
virtuous lady queen Jane, his most lawful wife, 
and for all his, whether they be of the clergy or 
laity, whether they be of the nobility, or else other 
his grace's subjects, not forgetting those that being 
departed out of this transitory life, and now sleep 
in the sleep .of peace, and rest from their labours 
in quietness and peaceable sleep, faithfully, lovingly, 
and patiently looking for that that they clearly 
shall see when God shall be so pleased. For all 
these, and for grace necessary, ye shall say unto 
God God's prayer, Pater-nosier. 



82 SERMON PEE ACHED BEFORE THE 



THE SECOND SERMON, IN THE AFTERNOON. 

Mlii hujus seeuli, $c. Luc. xvi. [8]. 
CHRIST in this saying touched the sloth and slug- 
gishness of his, and did not allow the fraud and 
subtlety of others ; neither -was glad that it was in- 
deed as he had said, but complained rather that it 
should be so : as many men speak many things, not 

-that they ought to be so, but that they are wont to 
be so. Nay, this grieved Christ, that the children 
of this world should be of more policy than the 
children of light ; which thing was true in Christ's 
time, and now in our time is most true. Who is 
so blind but he seeth this clearly ; except perchance 
there be any that cannot discern the children of 
the world from the children of light? The chil- 
dren of the world conceive and bring forth more 
prudently ; and things conceived and brought 
forth they nourish and conserve with much more 

. policy than do the children of light. Which thing 
is as sorrowful to be said, as it seemeth absurb to 



^'^'sSHv^^^ 

' " oi 1 THE CEBGY. : - : 83'- r ~?> 



be Heard. -When ye hear the children of the } 
world, you understand the world as a father. For -v 
the world is father of many children, not by the - 
first creation and work, but by imitation of love. ; 
He is not only a father, but also the son of another 
father, If ye know once his father, by and, by ye 
shall know his children. For he that hath the ' 
devil to his father, 'nrnst needs have devilish- ' 
children. The devil is not only taken for father, ; 
but also for prince of the world, that is, of worldly 
folk. It is either all one thing, or else not much ; 
different, to say, children of the world, and children 
X of the devil ; according to that that Christ said to f\ 
the Jews, " Ye are of your father the devil : " r 
where as undoubtedly he spake to children of this' '? 
world. Now seeing the devil is both author and - v; 
ruler of the darkness, in the which the children of ; 
this, world walk, or, to say better, wander; they -J 
mortally hate both the light, and also the children -Aj 
of light. And hereof it cometh, that the children ~j 
of light never, or very seldom, lack persecution in : 
this world, unto which the children of the world, -* 



84 SEBMON PBEACHED BEFOBE THE 

that is, of the devil, bringeth them. And there is 
no man but he seeth, that these use much more 
policy in procuring the hurt and damage of the 
good, than those in defending themselves. There- 
fore; brethren, gather you the disposition and study 
of the. children by the disposition and study of the 
fathers. Ye know this is a proverb much used : 
"An evil crow, an evil egg." Then the children 
of this world that are known to have so evil a 
father, the world, so evil a grandfather, the devil, 
cannot choose but be evil. Surely the first head 
of their ancestry was the deceitful serpent the 
devil, a monster monstrous above all monsters. " I / 
cannot wholly express him, I wot not what to call 
him, but a certain thing altogether made of the 
hatred of God, of mistrust in God, of lyings, 
deceits, perjuries, discords, manslaughters ; and, to 
say at one word, a thing concrete, heaped up and 
made of all kind of mischief. But what the devil 
mean I to go about to describe particularly the 
devil's nature, when no reason, no power of man's 
mind can comprehend it 1 This alonely I can say 



-*:^^!^^ 

CONTOC^.TION OP THE CtEKGTi 85 

grossly, and as in a sum, of the' which, all we (our 
hurt is the more) have experience, the devil to be 
a stinking sentine of all vices ; a foul filthy channel 
of all mischiefs ; and that this world, his son, even 
a child meet to have such a parent, is not much 
unlike his father. 

Then, this devil being such one as can never be 
unlike himself ; lo, of Envy, his well-beloved Le- 
man, he begat the World, and after left it with 
Discord at nurse ; which World, after that it came 
to man's state, had of many concubines many sons. 
He was so fecund a father, and had gotten so 
many children of Lady Pride, Dame Gluttony, 
Mistress Avarice, Lady Lechery, and of Dame 
Subtlety, that now hard and scant ye may find any ' 
corner, any kind of life, where many of his children 
be not. In court, in cowls, in cloisters, in rochets, 
be they never so white ; yea, where shall ye not 
find them? Howbeit, they that be secular and 
laymen, are not by and by children of the world ; - 
nor they children of light, that are called spiritual, 
and of the clergy. No, no ; as ye may find among 



86 SERMON PREACHED BEEOBE THE 

the laity many children of light, so among the 
clergy, (how much soever we arrogate these holy 
titles unto us, and think them only attributed to 
us, Vos estis lux mwndi, peculium Ghristi, fyc. 
" Ye are the light of the world, the chosen people 
of Christ, a kingly priesthood, an holy nation, and 
such other,") ye shall find many children of the 
world ; because in all places the world getteth 
many children. Among the lay people the world 
ceaseth not to bring to pass, that as they be called 
wordly, so they are wordly indeed ; driven head- 
long by worldly desires : insomuch that they may 
right well seem to have taken as well the manners 
as the name of their father. In the clergy, the 
world also hath learned a way to make of men 
spiritual, worldlings ; yea, and there also to form 
worldly children, where with great pretence of 
holiness, and crafty colour of religion, they utterly 
desire to hide and cloak the name of the world, as 
though they were ashamed of their father ; which 
do execrate and detest the world (being neverthe- 
less their father) in words and outward signs, but 



^fr^ ? ^S^ 

^ --, .-. y ;$,;> viV-^yr ..-".-, ; _. , _-r.v ''y^'/. : '->:' : "v;''"' ^--'- :>- J.-H'^fST;- 

- CONVOOATIOlir OF THE CLERGY. -. 87 

- in heart and work they coll and kiss him, and in 
all their lives declare themselves to be his babesj 
insomuch that in all worldly points they far pass 
and surmount those that they call seculars, laymen, 
men of the world. The child so diligently fol- 
loweth the steps of his father, is never destitute of - 
the aid of his grandfather. These be our holy 
holy men, that say they are dead to the world, 
when no men be more lively in worldly things than . 
some of them be. But let them be in profession 
and name most farthest from the world, most 
alienate from it ; yea, so far, that they may seem 

to have no occupying, no kindred, no affinity," 
nothing to do with it : yet in their life and deeds 
they shew themselves no bastards, but right be- 
gotten children of the world ; as that which the 
world long sithens had by his dear wife Dame 
Hypocrisy, and since hath brought them up and 
multiplied to more than a good many ; increased 
them too much, albeit they swear by all he-saints 
and she-saints too, that they know not their father, 
nor mother, neither the world, nor hypocrisy ; as _ 



'88 SEBMON PBEACHED BEFORE THE 

indeed they can semble and dissemble all things ; 
which thing they might learn wonderful well of ^ 
their parents. I speak not of all religious men, 
but of those that the world hath fast knit at his 
girdle, even in the midst of their religion, that is, 
of many and more than many. For I fear, lest in 
all orders of men the better, I must say the ' 
greater part of them be out of order, and children 
of the world. Many of these might seem ingrate 
and unkind children, that will no better acknow- 
' ledge and recognise their parents in words and 
outward pretence, but abrenounce and cast them 
off, as though they hated them as dogs and ser- 
pents. Howbeit they, in this . wise, are most 
grateful to their parents, because they be most like 
them, so lively representing them in countenance 
and conditions, that their parents seem in them to 
be young again, forasmuch as they ever say one 
thing and think another.. They shew themselves 
to be as sober, as temperate, as Curius the Roman 
was, and live every day as though all their life 
were a shroving time. They be like their parents, 



-: COHTOCATION OF THB O1EEGT. 89> : 

1 say, inasmuch as they, in following them, seem 
. and make men believe they hate them. Thus 
grandfather Devil, father World, and mother - 
Hypocrisy, have brought them up. Thus good 
obedient sons have borne away their parents'' 
commandments ; neither these be solitary, , how 
religious, how mocking, how monking, I would 
say, soever they be. 

O ye will lay this to my charge, that monacfvus 
and sotitarius signifieth all one. I grant this to 
be so, yet these be so solitary that they be not 
alone, but accompanied with great flocks of f rater- - 
nities. And I marvel if there be not a great sort 
of bishops and prelates, that are brethren germain 
unto these ; and as a great sort, so even as right 
born, and world's children by as good title as they. 
But because I cannot speak of all, when I say 
prelates, T understand bishops, abbots, priors, 
archdeacons, deans, and other of such sort, that 
are jiow called to this convocation, as I see, to en- 
treat . here of nothing but of such matters as both 
appertain to the glory of Christ, and to the wealth 



90 .. SBBMON PREACHED BEFOEE THE 

of the people of England. Which thing I pray 
God they do as earnestly -as they ought to do. 
But it is to be feared lest, as light hath many her 
children here, so the world hath sent some of his 
whelps hither ; amongst the which I know there 
can be no concord nor unity, albeit they be in one 
place; in one congregation. I know there can be 
no agreement between these two, as long as they 
have minds so unlike, and so contrary affections, 
judgments so utterly diverse in all points. But if 
the children of this world be either more in 
number, or more prudent than the children of 
' light, what then availeth us to have this convoca- 
tion ? Had it not been better we had not been 
called together at all ? For as the children of this 
world be evil, so they breed and bring forth things 
evil ; and yet there be more of them in all places, 
or at the least they be more politic than the'chil- 
dren of light in their generation. And here I 
speak of the generation whereby they do engender, 
and not of that whereby they are engendered, be- 
cause it should be too long to entreat, how the 



T^-?:?^^ 

- ' -'-- - ": '- ' -- ~~ '" ' "' '' ^ '" '' L - - : '-"- -^ -^ -" ^ ' ''"'*"*'' ,^ ,\'' ., ~'':'"?^~? 

CKrirooATitosr OP THE CLEBGT. 91 :I1 

children of light are engendered, and how they 4 
come in at the door ; and how the children of the -< 
world be engendered, and come in another way. ' J : 
Howbeit, I think all you that be here were not '>. 
engendered after one generation, neither that ye ~ 
all came by your promotions after one manner: 
God grant that ye, engendered worldly, do not en- 
gender worldly : and as now I much pass not how ; - 
ye were engendered, or by what means ye were 
promoted to those dignities that ye now occupy, so 
it be honest, good and profitable, that ye in this - 
your "consultation shall do and engender. ; 

The end of your convocation shall shew what 
ye have done; the fruit that shall come of your > 
consultation shall shew what generation ye be of. 
For what have ye done hitherto, I pray you, these "?.. 
seven years and more ? What have ye engendered ? 
What have ye brought forth ? What fruit is come . : 
of your long and great assembly? What one ;. 
thing that the people of England hath been the r; 
better of a hair j or you yourselves, either more ' 
accepted before God, or better discharged toward x 



92 SEBMON PBEACHED BEEOBB TKB 

the people committed unto your cure 1 For that 
the people is better learned and taught now, than 
they were in time past, to whether of these ought 
we to attribute it, to. your industry, or to the 
providence of God, and the foreseeing of the king's 
grace ! Ought we to thank you, or the king's high- 
ness 1 Whether stirred other first, you the king, 
that he might preach, or he you by his letters, 
that ye should preach offcener? Is it unknown, 
think you, how both ye and your curates were, in 
[a] manner, by violence enforced to let books to be 
made, not by you, but by profane and lay persons; 
to let them, I say, be sold abroad, and read for the 
instruction of the people ? I am bold with you, 
but I speak Latin and not English, to the clergy, 
not to the laity; I speak to you being present, 
and not behind your backs. God is my witness, I 
speak whatsoever is spoken of the good-will that I 
bear you ; God is my witness, which knoweth my 
heart, and compelleth me to say that I say. 

Now, I pray you in God's name, what did you, 
so great fathers, so many, so long a season, so oft 



:?;^?r?~3'^*3^ 

"--. CONTbCATION OF THE CEEBGY. " 93 , 

v ' ' -, - k - , ' ' 

assembled together? What went you about? 
What would ye have brought to pass ? Two things 
taken away the one, that ye (which I heard) 
burned a dead man : the other, that ye (which I 
felt) went about to burn one being alive: him, 
because he did, I cannot tell how, in his testament 
withstand your profit ; in other points, as I have 
heard, a very good man; reported to be of an 
honest life while he lived, full of good works, good > 
both to the clergy, and also to the laity : this other, 
which truly never hurt any of you, ye would have 
raked in the coals, because he would not subscribe 
to certain articles that took away the supremacy 
of the king : take away these two noble acts, and 
there is nothing else left that ye went about, that 
I know, saving that I now remember, that some- 
what ye attempted against Erasmus, albeit as yet 
nothing is come to light. Ye have oft sat in con- 
sultation, but what have ye done ? Ye have had 
many things in deliberation, but what one is put 
forth, whereby either Christ is more glorified, or 
else Christ's people made more holy ? I appeal to 



94 SERMON PREACHED BEFORE -THE '~ 

your own -conscience. How chanced tins? How 
came it thus ? Because there were no children of 
light, no children of God amongst you, which, 
'setting the world at nought, would study to illus- 
trate the glory of God, and thereby shew them- 
selves children of light ? I think not so, certainly 
I think not so. God forbid, that all you, which 
were gathered together under the pretence of light, 
should be children of the world I Then why 
happened this? Why, I pray you? Perchance, 
either because the children of the world were more 
in number in this your congregation, as it oft 
happeneth, or at the least of more policy than the 
children of light in their generation : whereby it 
might very soon be brought to pass, that these 
were much more stronger in gendering the evil 
than these in producing the good. The children of 
light have policy, but it is like the policy of the 
serpent, and is joined with doveish simplicity. 
They engender nothing but simply, faithfully, and 
plainly, even so doing all that they do. And 
therefore they may with more facility be cum- 



g^'3^^.%^?^ t fi^ 

- CONVOCATION OP THE CKEKGT. 95 

bered in their engendering, and be the more ready 
to take injuries. But the children of this world 
have worldly policy, foxly craft, lion-like cruelty, 
power to do hurt, more than either aspis or 
basiliscus, engendering and doing all things fraudu- 
lently, deceitfully, guilefully : which as Nimrods. 
and such sturdy and stout hunters, being full of 
simulation and dissimulation before the Lord, 
deceive the children of light, and cumber them 
"easily. Hunters go not forth in every man's sight, 
but do their affairs closely, and with use of guile 
and deceit wax every day more craftier than 
other. 

The children of this world be like crafty 
hunters; they be misnamed children of light, 
forasmuch as they so hate light, and so study to 
do the works of darkness. If they were the 
children of light, they would not love darkness. 
. It is no marvel that they go about to keep other 
in darkness, seeing they be in darkness, from top 
to toe overwhelmed with darkness, darker than.ia 
the darkness of helL Wherefore it is well done in 



96 SERMON PBEACHED BEFORE THE 

all orders of men, but especial in the order of 
prelates, to put a difference between children of 
light and children of the world, because great 
deceit ariseth in taking the one for the other. 
Great imposture cometh, when they that th,e 
common people take for the light, go about to take 
the sun and the light out of the world. But these 
be easily known, both by the diversity of minds, 
and also their armours. For whereas the children 
of light are thus minded, that they seek their 
adversaries' health, wealth, and profit, with loss 
of their own commodities, and ofttimes with 
jeopardy of their life ; the children of the world, 
contrariwise, have such stomachs, that they will 
sooner see them dead that doth them good, than 
sustain any loss of temporal things. The armour 
of the children of light are, first, the word of God, 
which they ever set forth, and with all diligence 
put it abroad, that, as much as in them lieth, it 
may bring forth fruit : after this, patience and 
prayer, with the which in all adversities the Lord 
comforteth them. Other things they commit to 



Sfip^^alp^ 

:-.^'; :: o-: : ; | , >,:'.:.'.>-.;,;::--.,-;--; - > ;.,- . i'i : .: v : " /: v. V _---- r' ' [ 

^ . 'CONVOCATION OF THE ctEBGY. ; 97 

"'=-'.- " " x * 

God, unto whom they leave. all revengement. The 
armour of the children of the world are, sometime 
frauds and deceits, sometime lies and money : by 
the first they make their dreams, their traditions ; 
by the second they stablish and confirm their 
dreams, be they never so absurd, never so against 
scripture, honesty, or reason. And if any. man 
resist them, even with these weapons they procure 
to slay him. Thus they bought Christ's death, the 
very light itself, and obscured him after his death : 
thus they buy every day the children of light, and 
obscure them, and shall so do, until the world be at 
an end. So that it may be ever true, that Christ 
said : " The children of the world be wiser, &c." 

These worldlings pull down the lively faith, and 
full confidence that men have in Christ, and set up 
another faith, another .confidence, of their own 
making : the children of light contrary. These 
worldlings set little by such works as God hath 
prepared for our salvation, but they extol traditions 
and works of their own invention : the children of 

light contrary. TJie worldlings, if they spy profit, 
D 8 



98 SEEMON PEEACH33I) BEFOEE THE V ~ 

gains, or lucre ~ in any thing, be it never such a 
trifle, be it never so pernicious, they preach it to 
the people (if they preach at any time), and these 
things they defend with tooth and nail. They can 
scarce disallow the abuses of these, albeit they be 
intolerable, lest in disallowing the abuse they lose 
part of their profit. The children of the light 
contrary, put all things in their degree, best 
highest, next next, the worst lowest. They extol 
things necessary, Christian, and commanded of God. 
They pull down will-works feigned by men, and 
put them in their place. The abuses of all things 
they earnestly rebuke. But yet these things be so 
done on both parties, and so they both do gender, 
that the children of the world shew themselves 
wiser than the children of light, and that frauds 
and deceits, lies and money, seem evermore to have 
the upper hand. I hold my peace ; I will not say 
how fat feasts, and jolly banquets, be jolly instru- 
ments to set forth worldly matters withal. Neither 
the children of the world be only wiser than the 
children of light, but are also some of them among 



5g3Bfssw^v??!^C:|yyy^ 

- COHYOCATION OV THE-CrtESG*. 99 

themselves much wiser than the other in their 
generation, For albeit, as touching the end, the 
generation of them all is one; jet in this same 

"generation some of them have more craftily en- 
gendered than the other of their fellows. 

For what a thing was that, that once every 
hundred year was brought forth in Rome of the 

. children of this world, and with how much policy 
it was made, ye heard at Paul's- Cross in the 
beginning of the last parliament: how some 
brought forth canonizations, some expectations, 
some pluralities and unions, some tot-quots and 
dispensations, some pardons, and these of wonder- 
ful variety, some stationaries, some jubilaries, some 
pocularies for drinkers, some manuaries for handlers 
of relicks, some pedaries for pilgrims, some oscu-" 
laries for kissers ; some of them engendered one, 
some other such fetures, and every one in that he 
was delivered of, was excellent politic, wise ; yea, 
so wise, that with their wisdom they had almost 
made all the world fools. 

But yet they that begot and brought forth that 



100 SEBMON PBEACHE!> BEFOBE THE . 

our old ancient purgatory pick-purse ; that that 
was swaged and cooled with a Franciscan's cowl, 
put upon a dead man's back, to the fourth part of 
his sins; that that was utterly to be spoiled, and 
of none other but of our most prudent lord Pope, 
and of him as oft as him 'listed; that satisfactory, 
that missal, that scalary : they, I say, that were 
the wise fathers and genitors of this purgatory, 
were in my mind the wisest of all their generation, 
and so far pass the children of light, and also the 
rest of their company, that they both are but fools, 
if ye compare them with these. It was a pleasant 
fiction, and from the beginning so profitable to the 
feigners of it, that almost, I dare boldly say, there 
hath been no emperor that hath gotten more by 
taxes and tallages of them that were alive, than 
these, the very and right-begotten sons of the 
world, got by dead men's tributes and gifts. If 

s ' 

there be some in England, that would this sweet- 
ing of the world to be with no less policy kept still 
than it was born and brought forth in Home, who 
then can accuse Christ of lying? No, no; as it 



CONVOCATioiT OB 1 THE CtEEOT. 101^ 

hath been ever true, so it shall be, that the children 
of the "world be much wiser, not only in making- 
their things, -but also in conserving them. I wot 
not what it is, but somewhat it is I wot, that some 
men be so loth to see the abuse of this monster, 
purgatory, which abuse is more than abominable : 
as who should say, there is none abuse in it, or else 
as though there can be none in it. They may 
seem heartily to love the old thing, that thus 
earnestly endeavour them to restore him his old 
name. They would not set an hajr by the name, 
but for the thing. They be not so ignorant (no, , 
they be crafty), but that they know if the name , 
<;ome again, the thing will come after. Thereby it 
ariseth, that some men make their cracks, that 
they, maugre all men's heads, have found pur- 
gatory. I cannot tell what is found. This, to 
pray for dead folks, this is not found, for it was 
never lost. How can that be found that was not 
lost? O subtle finders, that can find things, if God 
will, ere they be lost ! For that cowlish deliver- 
ance, their scalary losings, their papal spoliations, 



102 SEEMON PEEACHED BEFOEE THE '- 

and other such, their figments, they cannot find. 

. No, these be so lost, as they themselves grant, that 

though they seek 1ihem never so diligently, yet they 

1 . V 

shall not find them, except perchance they hope to 
see them come in again with their names ; and 
that then money-gathering may return again, and 
deceit walk about the country, and so stablish 
their kingdom in all kingdoms. But to what end 
this chiding between the children of the world and 
the children of light will come, only he knoweth 
that once shall, judge them both. 

Now, to make haste and to come somewhat 
nigher the end. Go ye to, good brethren and 
fathers, for the love of God, go ye to ; and seeing 
we are here assembled, let us do something where- 
by we may be known to be the children of light 
Let us do somewhat, lest we, which hitherto have 
been iudged children of the world, seem even still 
to be so. All men call us prelates : then, seeing 
we be in council, let us so order ourselves, that we 
be prelates in honour and dignity ; so we may be 
prelates in holiness, benevolence, diligence, and 



^v.-v* : ^ V :->.; f ; : r ; :;., ; v-'^ 

CONVOCATION OF THU CLERGY. 103 /^ 

sincerity. AH men know that we be here gathered, .'.'.' 
and with most fervent desire they anheale, breathe, ; 
and gape for the fruit of our convocation : as our : 
acts shall be, so they shall name us : so that now 
it lieth in us, whether we will be called children of 
the world, or children of light. 

Wherefore lift up your heads, brethren, and look 
about with your eyes, spy what things are to be 
reformed in the church of England. Is it so hard, : 
is it so great a matter for you to see many abuses ' 
in the clergy, many in the laity 1 What is done 
in the Arches ? Nothing to be' amended 1 What 
do they there ? Do they evermore rid the people's 
business and matters, or cumber and ruffle them 1 
Do they evermore correct vice, or else defend it, 
sometime being well corrected in other places'? 
How many sentences be given there in time, as 
they ought to be ? If men say truth, how many 
^without bribes ? Or if all things be well done 
there, what do men in bishops' Consistories ? Shall 
you often see the punishments assigned by the laws 
executed, or else money-redemptions used in their 



104 SERMON PREACHED BEFORE' THE 

stead ? How think' you by the ceremonies that are 
in England, oft-times, with no little offence of weak , 
consciences, contemned ; more oftener with super- 
stition so defiled, and so depraved, that you may 
doubt whether it were better some of them to tarry 
still, or utterly to take them away 1 Have not our 
forefathers complained of the ceremonies, of the 
superstition, and estimation of them ? 

Do ye see nothing in our holidays ? of the which 
very few were made at the first, and they to set 
forth goodness, virtue, and honesty : but sithens, 
in some places, there is neither mean nor measure 
in making new holidays, as who should say, this 
one thing is serving of God, to make this law, that 
no man may work. But what doth the people on 
these holidays 1 Do they give themselves to god- 
liness, or else ungodliness? See ye nothing, 
brethren? If you see not, yet God seeth. God 
seeth all the whole holidays to be spent miserably "" 
in drunkenness, in glossing, in strife, in envy, in 
dancing, dicing, idleness, and gluttony. He seeth 
all this, and threateneth punishment for it. He 



r-^:- v/,v^----^.' -> ,<,-- - "."v; ^'. ; ,'"-''^ v ^~ : / / .;--'-:^- ; .-:;- v-.;;v3 

CONVOCATION OF THE CIiEEGT. _ 105> 

seeth it, which neither is deceived in seeing, noir 
deceiveth when he threateneth. 

Thus men serve the devil ; for God is not thus 
served, albeit ye say ye serve God. No,, the devil 
hath more service done unto him on one holiday, 
than on many working days. Let all these abuses 
be counted as nothing, who is he that is not sorry, 
to see in so many holidays rich and wealthy persons 
to flow in delicates, and men that live by their 
travail, poor men, to lack necessary meat and drink 
for their wives and their children, and that they 
cannot labour upon the holidays, except they will 
be cited, and brought before our Officials 1 Were 
it not the office of good prelates to consult, upon 
these matters, and to seek some remedy for them 1 
Ye shall see, my brethren, ye shall see once, what 
will come of this our winking. 

What think ye of these images that are had 
more than their fellows in reputation ; that are 
gone unto with such labour and weariness of the 
body, frequented with such our cost, sought out 
and visited with such confidence ? What say ye 



r 106 " SERMON PBEACHED BEFOBE THE '-..'. . ' >~ 

'. by these images, that are so famous, so noble, so 
noted, being of them so many and so divers in 
England? Do you think that this preferring , of 
picture to picture, image to image, is the right use, 
and not rather the abuse, of images ? But you will 
say to me, Why make ye all these interrogations ? 
and why, in these your demands, do you let arid 
withdraw the good devotion of the people ? Be not 
all things well done, that are done with good intent, 
when they be profitable to us ? So, surely, cove- 
tousness both thinketh and speaketh. Were it not 
better for us, more for estimation, more meeter for 
men in our places, to cut away a piece of this our 
profit, if we will not cut away all, than to wink at 
such ungodliness, and so long to wink for a little 
lucre ; specially if it be ungodliness, and also seem 
unto you ungodliness 1 These be two things, so oft to 
seek mere images, and sometime to visit the relicks 
of saints. And yet, as in those there may be much 
ungodliness committed, so there may here some 
superstition be hid, if that sometime we chance to 
visit pigs' bones instead of saints' relicks, as in 



r-W'-iv'Srn*?^;^?^^^ 

CONVOCATION OI 1 THE CliEEGT. 107 ^ 

11 ''"$ 

time past it hath chanced, I had almost said, in _;$ 

England. Then this is too great a- blindness, a ,J 

darkness too sensible, that these should be so com- "'}; 

mended in sermons of some men, and preached t -^ 

be done after such manner, as though they could v;; 

not be evil done ; which, notwithstanding, are such, . ^ 

that neither God nor man commandeth them to be -I 

done. No, rather, men commanded them either ; > 

not to be done at all, or else more slowlier and -:' 

seldomer to be done, forasmuch as our ancestors - \-.': 
made this constitution : " We command the priests V ?j 

that they oft admonish the people, and in especial - : 

women, that they make no vows but after long "".-'; 

deliberation, consent of their husbands and counsel -< 

of the priest." The church of England in time ';'-; 

past made this constitution. What saw they that 

made this decree ? They saw the intolerable abuses '.. , 
of images. They saw the perils that might ensue 

of going on pilgrimage. They saw the superstitious ? 

difference that men made between image and image. - : 
Surely, somewhat they saw. The constitution is 
so made, that in manner it taketh away all such 



108 . SERMON PBE ACHED BEKOBE THE ~ 

pilgrimages. For itso plucketli away the abuse of 
them, that it leaveth either none or else seldom use 
of them. For they that restrain making vows for 
going of pilgrimage, restrain also pilgrimage; see- 
ing that for the most part it is seen that few go oil 
pilgrimage but vow-makers, and such as by promise 
bind themselves to go. And when, I pray you,, 
should a man's wife go on pilgrimage, if she went 
not before she had well debated the matter with 
herself, and obtained the consent of her husband,, 
being a wise man, and were also counselled by a 
learned priest so to do ? When should she go far 
off to these famous images ? For this the common 
people of England think to be going on pilgrimage ; 
to go to some dead and notable image out of town,, 
that is to say, far from their house. Now if your 
forefathers made this constitution, and yet thereby 
did nothing, the abuses every day more and more 
increased, what is left for you to do ? Brethren 
and fathers, if ye purpose to do any thing, what 
should ye sooner do, th^,n to take utterly away 
these deceitful and juggling images ; or else, if ye- 



V T-fn 

CONVOCATION OF THE CMIEGT. "109 "/'; 

know any other mean to put away abuses, to shew .? 
it, if ye intend to . remove abuses ? " Methink it , f 
should be grateful and pleasant to you to mark the 
earnest mind of your forefathers, and to look upon '* 
their desire where they say in their constitution, 
"We command yon," and not, "We counsel you." 
How have we been so long a-cold, so long slack in 
setting forth so wholesome a precept of the church . 
of England, where we be so hot in all things that 
have any gains in them, albeit they be neither . 
commanded us, nor yet given us by counsel ; as 
though we had lever the abuse of things should 
tarry still than, it taken away, lose our profit ? To 
let pass the solemn and nocturnal bacchanals, the ; 
prescript miracles, that are done upon certain days 
in the west part of England, who hath not heard 1 
I think ye have heard of St. Blesis's heart which 
is at Malverne, and of St. Algar's bones, how long ', 
[they deluded the people : I am afraid, to the loss of -: 
anany souls. Whereby men may well conjecture, '.. 
that all about in this realm there is plenty of such ^ 
juggling deceits. And yet hitherto ye have sought 



f 

11.0 SEBMON PEEACHEJI) BEFOBE'THE 



no remedy. But even Still the miserable people 
are suffered to take the false miracles for the true, 
and to lie still asleep in all kind of superstition. 
God have mercy upon us ! 

Last of all, how think you of matrimony ? Is 
all well here ? What of baptism 1 Shall we ever- 
more in ministering of it speak Latin, and not in 
English rather, that the people may know what is 
said and done 1 . 

What think ye of these mass-priests, and of the 
masses themselves 1 What say ye ? Be all things 
here so without abuses, that nothing ought to be 
amended? Your forefathers saw somewhat, which 
made this constitution against the venality and 
sale of masses, that, under pain of suspending, no 
priest should sell his saying of tricennals or annals 
What saw they, that made this constitution 1 What 
priests saw they 1 What manner of masses saw 
they, trow ye 1 But at the last, what became of so 
good a constitution ? God have mercy upon us ! It 
there be nothing to be amended abroad, concerning 
the whole, let every one of us make one better : if 



?-^V?V;-*";K!^^ 
; - CONYOCATION OF : THE CLESGT." "- 



there ^be neither abroad nor at home any thing to -' ;' 
be amended and redressed, my lords, be ye of good 
cheer, be merry ; and at the least, because we have . 
nothing else to do, let us reason the matter how ; .. 
we may be richer. Let us fall to some pleasant .J : 
communication; after let us go home, even as . 
good as we came hither, that is, right-begotten 
children of the world, and utterly worldlings. 
And while we live here, let us all make bone cheer. \ 
For after this life there is small pleasure, little r 
mirth for us to hope for ; if now there be nothing :, 
to be changed in our fashions. Let us say, not as ; 
St. Peter did, " Our end approacheth nigh, '' this is '.' 
an heavy hearing ; but let us say as the evil ser- 

vant said, " It will be long ere my master come." ? 

(' 

This is pleasant. Let us beat our fellows : let us 
eat and drink with drunkards. Surely, as oft as S; 
we do not take away the abuse of things, so oft we. - 
beat our fellows. As oft as we give not the people ; 
their true food, so oft we beat our fellows. As oft ; 
as we let them die in superstition, so oft we beat \, 
them. To be short, as oft as we blind lead them -. 



112 SEBMON PBEA.CHED BEFOBE THE 

blind, so oft we beat, and grievously beat our 
fellows. When we welter in pleasures and idle- 
ness, then we eat and drink with drunkards. 
But God will come, God will come, he will not 
tarry long away. He will come upon such a day 
as we nothing look for him, and at such hour as we 
know not. He will come and cut us in pieces. 
He will reward us as he doth the hypocrites. He 
will set us where wailing shall be, my brethren ; 
where gnashing 'of teeth shall be, my brethren. 
And let here be the end of our tragedy, if ye will. 
These be the delicate dishes prepared for the 
world's well-beloved children. These be the wafers 
and junkets provided for worldly prelates wailing 
and gnashing of teeth. Can there be any mirth, 
where these two courses last all the feast 1 Here 
we laugh, there we shall weep. Our teeth make 
merry here, ever dashing in delicates ; there we 
shall be torn with teeth, and do nothing but gnash 
and grind our own. To what end have we now 
excelled other in policy ? What have we brought 
forth at the last ? Ye see, brethren, what sorrow, 



.- . . ,.. - 

CONVOCATION OF THE CLEBOY. . 113 V 

:' ' . - ' ., ' ' '-.''-'-.- "^ 

what punishment is provided for you, if ye be- 
worldling. If "ye will not thus be vexed, be ye 
not the children of the world. If ye will not be 
the children of the world, be not stricken with the - 
love of worldly things ; lean not upon them. If 
ye will not die eternally, live not worldly. Come, 
go to ; leave the love of your profit ; study for the . 
glory and profit of Christ; seek in your consul- 
tations such things as pertain to Christ, and bring 
forth at the last somewhat that may please Christ. 
Feed ye tenderly, with all diligence, the flock of 
Christ. Preach truly the word of God. Love the 
light, walk in the light, and so be ye the children , 
of light while ye are in this world, that ye may 
shine in the world that is to come bright as the 
sun, with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; 
to whom be all honour, praise, and glory. Amen. 



'"""V : - '- 1 ' "'""''. ' U4 -- T '-V '. ^ ; - V - /' ; 



A SERMON OP THE REVEREND FATHER MASTER 
HUGH LATIMER, PREACHED IN THE SHROUDS 
AT ST. PAUL'S CHURCH IN LONDON, ON THE 
EIGHTEENTH DAT OF JANUARY, ANNO 1548. 

Queecmqife scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt. 
Rom. xv. 4. 

"ALL things -which are written, are written for 
our erudition and knowledge. AH things that are 
written in God's book, in the Bible book, in the 
book of the holy scripture, are written to be our 
doctrine." 

I told you in my first sermon, honourable 
audience, that I purposed to declare unto you two 
things. The one, what seed should be sown in 
God's field, in God's plough land ; and the other, 
who should be the sowers : > that is to say, what 
doctrine is to be taught in Christ's church and con- 
gregation, and what men should be the teachers and 
preachers of it. The first parti have told you in 
the three sermons past, in which I have assayed to 



'""; 115 

~ _""..- '" """", ' _ - " *' ' 

.-:' - . * ' . ' -- ' 

set forth my plough, to prove what I could do. And 
now I shall tell you who be the ploughers : for God's" 
word is a seed to be sown in God's field, that is, 
the faithful congregation, and the preacher is the 
sower. And it is in the gospel : Exivit qui semin- 
at semincvre semen suum ; " He that soweth, the 
husbandman, the ploughman, went forth to sow 
his seed." So that a preacher is resembled to a 
ploughman, as it is in another place : Nemo 
admota a/ratro manu, et a tergo respidens, o/ptus 
est regno Dei. " No man that putteth his hand 
to the plough, and looketh back, is apt for the 
kingdom of God." That is to say, let no preacher 
be negligent in doing his office. Albeit this_ is 
one of the places that hath been racked, as I told 
you of racking scriptures. And I have been one 
of them myself that hath racked it, I cry God 
mercy for it ; and have been one of them that 
have believed and expounded it against religious 
persons that would forsake their order which they 
had professed, and would go out of their cloister : 
whereas indeed it touchetb, not monkery, nor 



116 SEBMON OB 1 THE PLOUGH. 

. ' " ' '"_''' 

maketli any thing at all for any such matter}: but 
it is directly spoken of diligent preaching of the 
word of God. 

For preaching of the gospel is one of God's 
plough-works, and the preacher is one of God's 
ploughmen, Ye may not be offended with my 
similitude, in that I compare preaching to the 
labour and work of ploughing, and the preacher 
to a ploughman : ye may not be offended with this 
my similitude ; for I have been slandered of some 
persons for such things. It hath been said of me, 
" Oh, Latimer ! nay, as for him, I will never 
believe him while I live, nor never trust him ; for 
he likened our blessed lady to a saffron-bag:" where 
indeed I never used that similitude. But it was, 
as I have said unto you before now, according to 
that which Peter saw before in the spirit of 
prophecy, and said, that there shoiild come after 
men per quos via veritatis maledictls afficeretur ; 
there should come fellows " by whom the way of 
truth should be evil spoken of, and slandered." 
But in case I had used this similitude, it had not 



SERMON OF THE PLOUGH.' ^ 117 

been to be reproved, but might have been -without 
reproach. For I might have said thus: as the 
saffron-bag that hath been full of saffron, or hath 
had saffron in it, doth ever after savour and smell 
of the sweet saffron that it contained; so our 
blessed lady, which conceived and bare Christ in 
her womb, did ever after resemble the manners 
and virtues of that precious babe that she bare. 

, And "what had our blessed lady been the worse for 
this? or what dishonour was this to our blessed 
lady ? But as preachers must be wary and cir- 
cumspect, that they give not any just occasion to 
be slandered and ill spoken of by the hearers, so 
must not the auditors be offended without cause. 
For heaven is in the gospel likened to a mustard- 
seed : it is compared also to a piece of leaven 5 and 
as Christ saith, that at the last day he will come 
like a thief : and what dishonour is this to God 1 
or what derogation is this to heaven 1 ? Ye. may 
not then, I say, be offended with my similitude, 
for because I liken preaching to a ploughman's 

-labour, and a prelate to a ploughman. But now 



118 SERMON OF THE , PLOUGH. 

you will ask me, whom I call a prelate ? A prelate 
is that man, whatsoever he be, that hath a flock 
to be taught of him; whosoever hath any spiritual 
charge in the faithful congregation, and whosoever 
he be that hath cure of souls. And well may the ' 
preacher and the ploughman be likened together: 
first, for their labour of all seasons of the year; 
for there is no time of the year in which the plough- 
man hath not some special work to do : as in my 
country in Leicestershire, the ploughman hath a time 
to set forth, and to assay his plough, and other times 
for other necessary works to be done. And then 
they also may be likened together for the diversity of 
works and variety of offices that they have to do. 

.-- For as the ploughman first setteth forth his plough, 
and then tilleth his land, and breaketh it in 
furrows, and sometime ridgeth it up again; and 
-at another time harroweth it and clotteth it, and 
sometime dungeth it and hedgeth it, diggeth it 
and weedeth it, purgeth and maketh it clean : so 
the prelate, the preacher^ hath many diverse offices 

' to do. He hath first a busy work to bring his 



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SEKMON OF THE PLOUGH. * 119 ' 

parishioners to a, right faith, as Paul calleth it, , 

^ . ' *" ' " 

and not a swerving faith ; but to a faith that 
embraceth Christ, and trusteth to his merits; 
a lively faith, a justifying faith ; a faith that 
maketh a man righteous, without respect of works : 
as ye have it very well declared and set forth in 
the Homily. He hath then a busy work, I say, 
to bring his flock to a right faith, and then to 
confirm them in the same faith : now casting them 
down with the law, and with threatenings of God 
for sin ; now ridging them up again with the 
gospel, and with the promises of God's favour : ~ 
now weeding them, by -telling them their faults, 
and making them forsake sin ; now clotting them, 
by breaking their sfcony hearts, and by making 
them supplehearted, and making them to have 
' hearts of flesh ; that is, soft hearts, and apt for ' 
doctrine to enter in : now teaching to know God- 
rightly, and to know their duty to God and their 
~ ' neighbours : now exhorting them, when they know 
their duty, that they do it, and be diligent in it; - 
so that. they have a continual work to do. Great is 



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120 * . BEBMON OF THE PLOUGH. 

their business, and therefore great should be their 
hire. They have great labours, and therefore they 
ought to have good livings, that they may eom- 
modiously feed their flock ; for the preaching of 
the word of. God unto the people is called meat : 
scripture calleth it meat ; not strawberries, that 
come but once a year, and tarry not long, but are 
soon gone : but it is meat, it is no dainties. The 
people must have meat that must be familiar and 
continual, and daily given unto them to feed upon. 
Many make a strawberry of it, ministering it but 
once a year ; but such do not the office of good 
prelates." For Christ saith, Quis putas est servus 
prudens et Jidelis ? Qui dat cibum in tempore. 
" Who think you is a wise and faithful servant 1 
He that giveth meat in due time." So that he 
must at all times convenient preach diligently : 
therefore saith he, "Who trow ye is a faithful 
servant 1" He speaketh it as though it were a 
rare thing to find such a one, and as though he 
should say, there be but a few of them to find in 
the world. And how few of them there be 



SEEMXWST OP THE PLOUGH. 121 K; 

' . " -. : V " * ' ' , ' : 

throughout this realm that giye meat to their flock 
as they should do, the Visitors can best tell. Too 
few, too few; the more is the pity, and never so 
few as now. 

By this, then, it appeareth that a prelate, or any 
that hath cure of soul, must diligently and sub- 
stantially work and labour. Therefore saith Paul 
to Timothy, Qui episcopatum desiderat, Jiic bonum 
opus desiderat : " He that desireth to have the ' . 
. office of a bishop, or a prelate, that man desireth a 
good work." Then if it be a good work, it is v 
work ; ye can make but a work of it. It is God's 
work, God's plough, and that plough God would 
have still going. Such then as loiter and live idly, / 

\ 

are not good prelates, or ministers. And of such -' 
as do not preach and teach, nor do their duties, ; 
God saith by his prophet Jeremy, Maledictits qui : 
facit opus Deifraudulenter; "Cursed be the man 
that doth the work of God fraudulently, guilefully 
or deceitfully:" some books have it negligenter, '/ 
"negligently or slackly." How many such pre- 
lates, how many such bishops, Lord, for thy mercy, " 



122 _ ' SEBMON OF THE JPLOTTGH. 

are there now in England I And what shall we in 
this case do 1 shall we company with them 1 O 
Lord, for thy mercy I shall we not company with 
them 1 O Lord, whither shall we flee from them 1 
But "cursed be he that doth the work of God 
negligently or guilefully." A sore word for them 
that are negligent in discharging their office, or 
have done it fraudulently ; for that is the thing 
that maketh the people ill 

But true it must be that Christ saith, MuUi 
sunt vocati, pauci vero electi: "Many are called, 
but few are chosen." Here have I an occasion by 
the way somewhat to say unto you ; yea, for the 
place I alleged unto you before out of Jeremy, the 
forty- eighth chapter. And it was spoken of a 
spiritual work of God, a work that was com- 
manded to be done ; and it was of shedding 
blood, and of destroying the cities of Moab. 
For, saith he, " Cursed be he that keepeth back 
his sword from shedding of blood." As Saul, 
when he kept back the sword from shedding of 
blood at what time he was sent against Amaleck, 



/: ;.-:;;- lv >': ~ rX^VS /. *V ^ ' - i ' ^ K ^S -^^^^-^cSr?^:^^ 1 ) 3 : 

SEBMON OF THE PLOUGH. 123 

was refused of God for being disobedient to God's, 
commandment, in that lie spared Agag the king. 
So that that place of the prophet was spoken of 
them that went to the destruction of the cities of 
Moab, among the which there was one called 
Nebo, which was much reproved for idolatry, 
superstition, pride, avarice, cruelty, tyranny, and 
for hardness of heart ; and for these sins was 
plagued of God and destroyed. 

Now what shall we say of these rich citizens of 
London? "What shall I say of them? Shall I 
call them proud men of London, malicious men of " 
London, merciless men of London? Kb, no, I 
may not say so ; they will be offended with me 
then. Yet must I speak. For is there not reigning 
in London as much pride, as much covetousness, 
as much cruelty, as much oppression, and as much 
superstition, as was in Nebo ? Yes, I think, and 
much more too. Therefore I say, repent, O Lon- 
don ; repent, repent. Thou hearest thy faults told 
thee, amend them, amend them. I think, if Nebo 
had had the preaching that thou hast, they would 



124 ' SEBMON Or -THE PLOTOH. " v 

have converted. And, you rulers and officers, be 
wise and circumspect, look to your charge, and see 
you do your duties; and rather be glad to amend 
your ill living than to be angry when you are 
warned or told of your fault. What ado was there 
made in London at a certain man, because he said, 
(and indeed at that time on a just cause,) "Bur- 
gesses !" quoth he, "nay, Butterflies." Lord, what 
ado there was for that word ! And yet would God ' 
they were no worse than butterflies ! Butterflies . 
do but their nature : the butterfly is not covetous, - 
is not greedy, of other men's goods ; is not full 
of envy and hatred, is not malicious, is not cruel, 
is not merciless. The butterfly glorieth not in her 
own deeds, nor preferreth the traditions of men 
before God's word ; it committeth not idolatry, 
nor worshippeth false gods. But London cannot 
abide to be rebuked ; such is the nature of man. 
If they be pricked, they will kick ; if they be 
rubbed on the gall, they will wince ; but yet they 
will not amend their faults, they x will not be .ill 
spoken of. But how shall I speak well of them ? 



SBBMON OF THE 

If you could be content to receive and follow the 
word of v God, and favour good preachers, if you 
could bear to be told of your faults, if you could 
amend when you hear of them, if you would be 
glad to reform that is amiss ; if I might see any 
such inclination in you, that you would leave to be 
merciless, and begin to be charitable, I would then 
hope well of you, I would then speak well of you. 
But London was never so ill as it is now. In 
times past men were full of pity and compassion, 
but now there is no pity ; for in London their 
brother shall die in the streets for cold, he shall 
lie sick at the door between stock and stock, I 
cannot tell what to call it, and perish there for 
hunger : was there ever more unmercifulness in 
Nebo? I think not. In times past, when any 
rich man died in London, they were wont to help 
the poor scholars of the Universities with ex- 
hibition. When any man died, they would be- 
queath great sums of money toward the relief of 
the poor. When I was a scholar in Cambridge 
myself, I heard very good report of London, and 



SERMON OF THE FEOTJGH. , ^ 

knew many that had relief of the rich men of Lon- 
don : but now I can hear no such good report, and 
yet I inquire of it, and hearken for it; but now 
charity is waxen cold, none helpeth the scholar, 
nor yet the poor. And in those days, what did 
they when they helped the scholars ? Marry, they 
maintained and gave them livings that were very 
papists, and professed the pope's doctrine: and now 
that the knowledge of God's word is brought to 
light, and many earnestly study and labour to set it 
forth, now almost no man helpeth to maintain them. 
Oh London, London ! repent, repent ; for I 
think God is more displeased with London than 
ever he was with the city of Nebo. Repent 
therefore, repent, London, and remember that the 
same God liveth now that punished Nebo, even 
the same God, and none other j and he will punish 
sin as well now as he did then : and he will 
punish the iniquity of London, as well as he did 
then of Nebo. Amend therefore. And ye that - 
be prelates, look well to your office, for right prel- 
ating is busy labouring, and not lording. There- 



' //' SERMON pF- 7 THE_PLOtTGH. - 127 

fore preach and teach, and let your plough be 
doing.-. Ye lords, I say, that live like loiterers, 
look well to your office ; the plough is your office 
and charge. If you live idle and loiter, you do 
not your duty, you follow not your vocation : let 
your plough therefore be going, and not cease, that 
the ground may bring forth fruit. 

But now methinketh I hear one say unto me : 
"Wot ye what you say 1 Is it a work ? Is it a 
labour 1 How then hath it happened that we have 
had so many hundred years so many unpreaching 
prelates, lording loiterers, and idle ministers ? Ye 
would have me here to make answer, and to show 
cause thereof. Nay, this land is not for me to 
plough ; it is too stony, too thorny, too hard for 
me to plough. They have so many things that 
make for them, so many things to lay for 
themselves, that it is not for my weak team to 
plough them. They have to lay for themselves 
long customs, ceremonies and authority, placing 
in parliament, .and many things more/ And 
I fear me this land is not yet ripe to be 



128 SERMON OP THE PLOUGH. , ;*t 

ploughed : for, as the saying . is, it lacketh 
weathering : this gear lacketh weathering ; at least 
way it is not for me to plough. For what shall I 
look for among thorns, but pricking and scratch- 
ing 1 What among stones, but stumbling ? "What 
(I had almost said) among serpents, but stinging 1 
But this much I dare say, that since lording and 
loitering hath come up, preaching hath come 
down, contrary to the apostles' times : for they . 
preached and lorded not, and now they lord and 
preach not. For they that be lords will ill go to 
plough : it is no meet office for them ; it is 
not seeming for their estate. Thus came up 
lording loiterers : thus crept in unpreaching prel- 
ates ; and so have they long continued. For how 
many unlearned prelates have we now at this 
day ! And no marvel : for if the ploughmen that 
now be were made lords, they would clean give 
over ploughing ; they would leave off their labour, 
and fall to lording outright, and let the plough 
stand: and then both ploughs not walking, no- 
thing should be in the commonweal but hunger. 



f^^ 

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' : "" ; ^ SEBMON 6* THE PiOTTOH. - . 129 C 

For ever since the prelates were made lords and 
nobles, the plough standeth; there is no work '. 
done, the people starve. They hawk, they Lunty 
they card, they dice j they pastime in their prel- 
acies with gallant gentlemen, with their dancing 
minions, and with their fresh companions, so that 
ploughing is set aside : and by their lording and 
loiteringj preaching and ploughing is clean gone. 
And thus if the ploughmen of the country were as 
negligent in their office as prelates be, we should 
not long live, for lack of sustenance. And as 
it is necessary for to have this ploughing for the . 
sustentation of the body, so must we have also the . v 
other for the satisfaction of the soul, or else we 
cannot live long ghostly. JPor as the body wasteth 
and consumeth away for lack ~of bodily meat, so 
doth the soul pine away for default of ghostly 
meat. But there be two kinds of inclosing, to let 
or hinder both these kinds of ploughing: the .. 
one is an inclosing to let or hinder the bodily 
ploughing, and the other to let or hinder the 
holiday-ploughing, the church-ploughing. 



SEBMON OF TH35 PLOUGH. , 

.. x ' 

The bodily ploughing is taken in and inclosed 
through singular commodity. For what man will 
let go, or diminish his private commodity for a 
commonwealth 1 And who will sustain any damage 
for the respect of a public commodity ] The other 
plough also no man is diligent to set forward, nor 
no man will hearken to it. But to hinder and let 
it all men's ears are open ; yea, and a great many of 
"this kind of ploughmen, which are very busy, and 
-would seem to be very good workmen. I fear me 
some be rather mock-gospellers, than faithful plough- 
men. I know many myself that profess the gospel, 
and live nothing thereafter. I know them, and have 
been conversant with some of them. I know them, 
and (T speak it with a heavy heart) there is as little 
charity and good living in them as in any other ; 
according to that which Christ said in the gospel 
to the great number of people that followed him, as 
though they had had any earnest zeal to his doc- 
trine, whereas indeed they had it not ; Non quia 
vidistis signa, sed qwia comedistis de panibus. "Ye 
follow me," saith he, " not because ye have seen 



^^V^^ 

'; SEBMON OF THE FLOTTGH. 131 ? 

the signs and miracles that I have done ; but 
because ye have eaten the bread, and refreshed your : 
bodies, therefore you follow me." So that I 
think many one now-a-days professeth the gospel 
for the living's sake, not for the love they bear to 
God's "word. But they that will be true ploughmen 
must -work faithfully for God's sake, for the edify- 
ing of their brethren. And as diligently as the 
husbandman plougheth for the sustentation of the 
body, so diligently must the prelates and ministers 
labour for the feeding of the soul : both the ploughs . _ 
must still be going, as most necessary for man. 
And wherefore are magistrates ordained, but that 
the tranquillity of the commonweal may be con- 
firmed, limiting both ploughs 1 , , 

But now for the fault of unpreaching prelates, 
methink I could guess what might be said for ex- 
cusing of them. They are so troubled with lordly 
living, they be so placed in palaces, crouched in 
courts, ruffling in their rents, dancing in their 
dominions, burdened with ambassages, pampering 
of their paunches, like a monk that maketh his 



^r^..^:^.r.f:-^"f^~--~^ 
132 SERMON OF THE PLOUGH^ V 

jubilee ; munching in their mangers, and moiling 
in their gay manors and mansions, and so troubled 

x 

with loitering in their lordships, that they cannot 
attend it. They are otherwise occupied, some in 
king's matters, some are ambassadors, some of the 
privy council, some to furnish the court, some are 
lords of the parliament, some are presidents, and 
comptrollers of mints. 

Well, well, is this their duty! Is this their office 1 
Is this their calling '{ Should we have ministers 
of the church to be comptrollers of the mints 1 Is 
this a meet office for a priest that hath cure of souls? 
Is this his charge] I would here ask one question : 
I would fain know who controlleth the devil at 
home in his parish, while he controlleth the mint 1 
If the apostles might not leave the office of preach- 
ing to the deacons, shall one leave it for minting? ; 
I cannot tell you ; but the saying is, that since 
priests have been minters, money hath been worse 
than it was before. And they say that the evilness 
of money hath made all things dearer. And in 
this behalf I must speak to England. " Hear, my 



SEBMON OF THE PLOUGH. 133 ; 

": . <v- 

country, England,"- as Paul said in his first epistle 
to the Corinthians, the sixth chapter; for Paul -was 
no sitting bishop, but a walking and a preaching ; 
bishop. But when he went from them, he left there . v 
behind him the plough going still; for he wrote 
unto them, and rebuked them for going to law, "."__ 
and pleading their causes before heathen judges : 
"Is there," said he, utterly among you no wise 
man, to be an arbitrator in matters of judgment ? 
What, not one of all that can judge between . 
brother and brother ; but one brother goeth to law 
with another, and that under heathen judges ? , 
Gonstituite contemptos qui sunt in ecclesia, &c. Ap- x * 
point them judgesthatare most abject and vile in the 
congregation." Which he speaketh in rebuking 
them; "For," saith he, ad erubescentiam vestram 
dicp" I speak it to your shame." So, England, I "- 

speak it to thy shame, : is there never a nobleman 

. 
to be a lord president, but it must be a prelate 1 c 

Is there never a wise man in the realm to be a 
comptroller of the mint ? I speak it to your shama 
I speak it to your shame. If there be never a 



134 SERMON OP 'THE 'PLOUGH. 

wise man, make a -water-bearer, a tinker, a cobbler, 
a slave, a page, comptroller of the mint : make a 
mean gentleman, a groom, a yeoman, or a poor 
beggar, lord president. 

Thus I speak, not that I would have it so ; but 
"to your shame," if there be never a gentleman 
meet nor able to be lord president. For why are 
not the noblemen and young gentlemen of England 
so brought up in knowledge of God, and in learn- 
ing, that they may be able to execute offices in 
the commonweal ? The king hath a great many of 
wards, and I trow there is a Court of Wards : 
why is there not a school for the wards, as well as 
there is a Court for their lands? Why are they 
not set in schools where they may learn 1 Or why 
are they not sent to the universities, that they 
may be able to serve the king when they come to 

age? If the wards and young gentlemen were 



well brought up in learning, and in the knowledge 
of God, they would not when they come to age so 
much give themselves to other vanities. And if 
the nobility be well trained in godly learning, the 



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\ SEEMON.OF THE 'PLOUGH.'..' .'" 13& -'~ 

V - ' * ' ' 

people would follow the same train. For truly, 
such as the noblemen be, such will the people .be. 
And now, the only cause why noblemen be not 
made lord presidents, is because they have not 
been brought up in learning. 

Therefore for the love of God appoint teachers ... 
'and schoolmasters, you that have charge of youth :. 
and give the teachers stipends worthy their pains.: 
that they may bring them up in grammar, in 
logic, in rhetoric, in philosophy, in the civil law, 
and in that which I cannot leave unspoken of, the 
word of God. Thanks be unto God, the nobility- 
otherwise is very well brought up in learning and. 
godliness, to the great joy and comfort of England ;. " 
so that there is now good hope in the youth, that, 
we shall another day have a flourishing common- 
weal, considering their godly education. Yea, andi 
there be already noblemen enough, though not so* 
many as I could wish, able to be lord presidents,, 
and wise men enough for the mint. And as. 
unmeet a thing it is for bishops to be lord presi- 
dents, or priests to be minters, as it was for the- 



3.36 - SEEMON OF THE PLOUGH. 

Oorinthians to plead matters of variance before 
ieathen judges. It is also a slander to the noble- 
'jnen, as though they lacked wisdom and learning 
Tto be able for such offices, or else were no men of 
conscience, or else were not meet to be trusted, and 
able for such offices. And a prelate hath a charge 
and cure otherwise; and therefore he cannot 
.discharge his duty and be a lord president too. 
For a presidentship requireth a whole man ; and a 
bishop cannot be two men, A bishop hath his 
office, a flock to teach, to look unto ; and therefore 
lie cannot meddle with another office, which alone 
requireth a whole man : he should therefore give 
it over to whom it is meet, and labour in his own 
business; as Paul writeth to the Thessalonians, 
" Let every man do his own business, and follow 
Ms calling." Let the priest preach, and the noble- 
men handle the temporal matters. Moses was a 
marvellous man, a good man : Moses was a 
wonderful fellow, and did his duty, being a 
married man : we lack such as Moses was. Well, 
I would all men would look to their duty, as God 



."'"'-: ".'.-=- "SERMOlToi 1 THE PIiOUGH. 137" 

hath called them, and then we should have a 
flourishing Christian commonweal 

And now I would ask a strange question: who 
is the most diligentest bishop and prelate in all 
England, that passeth all the rest in doing his 
office 1 I can tell, for I know him who it is ; I 
know him well But now I think I see you 
listening and hearkening that I should name him. 
There is one that passeth all the other, and is the 
most diligent prelate and preacher in all England- 
And will ye know who it is 1 1 will tell you : it 
is the devil. He is the most diligent preacher of' 
all other ; he is never out of his diocess ; he is 
never from his cure ; ye shall never find hint 
unoccupied ; he is ever in his parish ; he keepetk 
residence at all times ; ye shall never find him out 
of the way, call for him when you will he is ever 
t home ; the diligentest preacher in all the realm - r 
he is ever at his plough : no lording nor loitering 
. can hinder him ; he is ever applying his business, 
ye shall never find him idle, I warrant you. And 
.-his office is to hinder religion, to maintain 



138 SEBMON OF THE PLOUGH. 

superstition, to set up idolatry, to teach, all kind of 
popery. He is ready as he can be wished for to > 
set forth, his plough. ; to devise as many ways as 
can be to deface and obscure God's glory. Where 
the devil is resident, and hath his plough going, 
there away with books, and up ,with candles; 
.away with bibles, and up with beads ; away with , 
>the light of the gospel, and up with the light of 
candles, yea, at noon-days. Where the devil is 
-resident, that he may prevail, up with all super- 
stition and idolatry ; censing, painting of images, 
candles, palms, ashes, holy water, and new service 
-of men's inventing ; as though man could invent a 
foetter way to honour God with than God himself 
iiath appointed. Down with Christ's cross, up 
with purgatory pickpurse, up with him, the popish 
purgatory, I mean. Away with clothing the 

naked, the poor and impotent ; up with decking of 

r 
-images, and gay garnishing of stocks and stones : 

sip 'with man's traditions and his laws, down with 
God's traditions and his most holy word. Down 
with the old honour due to God, and up with the 



ir^iVjw^)*^.^^ 

SEBMOST OF THE PLOTTGH. 



new* god's honour. Let all things be done in ' 
Latin: there must be nothing but Latin, not so 
much as Memento, homo, quod cinis es, et in 
cinerem reverteris: "Remember, man, that thou 
art ashes, and into ashes thou shalt return : :> 
which be the words that the minister speaketh 
unto the ignorant people, when he giveth thetn 
ashes upon Ash-Wednesday ; but it must be , 
spoken in Latin : God's word may in no wise be 
translated into English. 

Oh that our prelates would be as diligent to sow 
the corn of good doctrine, as Satan, is to sow 
cockle and darnel ! And this is the devilish 
ploughing, the which worketh to have things in 
Latin, and letteth the fruitful edification. But 
h'ere some man will say to me, What, sir, are ye so 
privy of the devil's counsel, that ye know all this 
to be true? Truly I know him too well, and have 
obeyed him a little too much in condescending to 
i some follies ; and I know him as other men do, 
yea, that he is ever occupied, and ever busy in. 
following his plough. I know by St. Peter, which 



14/0 " SERMON OF THE PLOUGH. j 

saith of him, Sicut leo rugiens circuit quayrens 
quern devoret : " He goeth about like a roaring 
lion, seeking whom he may devour." I would 
have this text well viewed and examined, every 
word of it : " Circuit," he goeth about in every 
corner of his diocess ; he goeth on visitation daily, 
he leaveth no place of his cure unvisited : he 
walketh round about from place to place, and, 
ceaseth not. "Sicut leo," as a lion, that is, 
strongly, boldly, and proudly; stately and fiercely 
with haughty looks, with his proud countenances, 
with his stately braggings. "Rugiens" roaring; 
for he letteth not slip any occasion to speak or to 
roar out when he seeth his time. " Qucerens" he 
goeth about seeking, and not sleeping, as our 
bishops do ; but he seeketh diligently, he searcheth 
diligently all corners, where as he may have his 
prey. He roveth abroad in every place of his 
diocess ; he standeth not still, he is never at rest, 
but ever in hand with his.plougb, that it may go 
forward. But there was never such a preacher in 
England as he is. Who is able to tell his diligent 



, : SEBMQN OF .THE PLOUGH. 141 

preaching, which every day, and every hour, 
laboureth to sow cockle and darnel, that he may 
bring out of form, and out of estimation and room, . 
the institution of the Lord's supper, and Christ's 
cross? For there he lost his right; for Christ 
said, Nunc judicitim est mundi, princeps seculi 
hujus ejicietur foras. Et sicut exaltavit Moses 
serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet Filium, 
hominis. Et cum exaltatus fuero a terra, omriia 
traJiam ad meipsum. "Now is the judgment of 
this world, and the prince of this world shall be 
cast out. And as Moses did lift up the serpent in. 
the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lift up. 
And when I shall be lift up from the earth, I will 
draw all things unto myself." For the devil was 
disappointed of his purpose : for he thought all to 
be his own; and when he had once brought Christ 
to the cross, he thought all cocksure. But there 
lost he all reigning: for Christ said, Omnia 
traham ad meipsum: "I will draw all things to 
myself," He meaneth, drawing of man's soul to 
salvation. And that he said he would do per 



142 SEBMON OF THE PLOUGH. 

, ' ' . 

- ' /'"''. 

aemetipsum, by his own self; not by any other 
body's sacrifice. He meant by his own sacrifice 
on the cross, where he offered himself for the 
redemption of mankind ; and not the sacrifice of 
the mass to be offered by another. For who can 
offer him but himself ? He was both the offerer 
and the offering. And this is the prick, this is 
the mark at the which the devil shooteth, to 
evacuate the cross of Christ, and to mingle the 
institution of the Lord's supper; the which 
although he cannot bring to pass, yet he goeth 
about by his sleights and subtil means to frustrate 
the same ; and these fifteen hundred years he hath 
been a doer, only purposing to evacuate' Christ's 
death, and to make it of small efficacy and virtue. 
For whereas Christ, according as the serpent was 
lifted up in the wilderness, so would he himself be 
exalted, that thereby as many as trusted in him 
should have salvation ; but the devil would none 
of that : they would have us saved by a daily 
oblation propitiatory, by a sacrifice expiatory, or 
remissory. 



;;:-:>-^:^ 

- SEBMON OF THE PLPTTGH. ''lip? '1 ~V 

Now if I should preach in the country, among 
the unlearned, I would tell what propitiatory,, 
expiatory, and remissory is ; but here is a learned 
auditory : yet for them that be unlearned I will 
expound it. Propitiatory, expiatory, remissory, or : 
satisfactory, for they signify all one thing in effect- ' 
and is nothing else but a thing whereby to obtain 
remission of sins, and to have salvation. And 
this way the devil used to evacuate the death of 
Christ, that we might have affiance in other things, 
as in the sacrifice of the priest;, whereas Christ 
would have us to trust in his only sacrifice. So he? 
was, Ag nus ocoisus ab origine mundi ; "The Lamb 
that hath been slain from the beginning of the. 
world " and therefore he is called juge sacrificium r 
" a continual sacrifice ; " and not for the con- 
tinuance of the mass, as the blanchers have- 
blanched it, and wrested it ; and as I myself didi 
once betake it. But Paul saith, per semetipsurm 
purgatio facta : " By himself," and by none other, 
Christ " made purgation " and satisfaction for the 
whole world. ; 



: 144 - SEBMON "6lV THE PLOUGH 

Would Christ this word, " by himself," had 
fceen better weighed and looked upon, and' in 
ganctificationem,. to make them holy ; for he is 
. juge sacrificium, " a continual sacrifice," in effect, 
fruit, and operation; that like as they, which 
seeing the serpent hang up in the desert, were put 
in remembrance of Christ's death, in whom a 
. many as believed were saved; so all men that 
trusted in the death of Christ shall be saved, as 
well they that were before, as they that came 
after. For he was a continual sacrifice, as I said, 
in effect, fruifc, operation, and virtue ; as thougk 
lie had from the beginning of the world, and con-* 
tinually should to the world's end, hang still oa 
the cross ; and he is as fresh hanging on the cross 
snow, to them that believe and trust in him, as 
Ae was fifteen hundred years ago, when he was 
crucified. 

Then let us trust upon his only death, and look 
for none other sacrifice propitiatory, than the same 
Ibloody sacrifice, the lively sacrifice ; and not the 
dry sacrifice, but a bloody sacrifice. For Christ 



,. ... . . .~-- 

SEEMOBT OS 1 THE PLOUGH. 145 

. / - - - 

himself said, cowswmraafa*m est: "It is perfectly 
finished: I have taken at my Father's hand the 
dispensation of redeeming mankind, I have wrought 
man's redemption, and have despatched the matter." 
Why then mingle ye him ? Why do ye divide 
him? Why make you of him more sacrifices 
than one? Paul saith, Pascha nostrum immolatus '. 
est Christies ; " Christ our passover is offered ; " ' ; 
so that the thing is done, and Christ hath 
done it semel, once for all ; and it was a bloody 
sacrifice, not a dry sacrifice. Why then, it 
is not the mass that availeth or profiteth for the v 
quick and the dead. 

Wo worth thee, O devil, wo worth thee, that 
"hast prevailed so far and so long ; that hast made - 
England to worship false gods, forsaking Christ 
their Lord. Wo worth thee, devil, wo worth thee, : 
devil, and all thy angels. If Christ by his death 
draweth all things to himself, and draweth all 
men to salvation, and to heavenly bliss, that trust 
in him; then the priests at the mass, at the 
popish mass, I say, whaj; can they draw, when V 

/ / . s 

.-'-.-.' i . " ~ -, 



,146 ' SERMON OF THE ELOTTGH. 

Christ draweth all, but lands and goods from the ". 
right heirs? The priests draw goods and j-iches, 
benefices and promotions to themselves ; and such 
as believed in their sacrifices they draw to the- 
devil. But Christ is he that draweth souls unto 
him by his bloody sacrifice. What have we to do 
then but epulari in Domino, to eat in the Lord at 
his supper ? What other service have we to do 
to him, and what other sacrifice have we to offer, 
biit the mortification of our flesh ? What other 
oblation have we to make, but of obedience, of 
good living, of good works, and of helping our 
neighbours? But as for our redemption, it is 
done already, it cannot be better : Christ hath 
done that thing so well, that it cannot be amended. 
It cannot be devised how to make that any better 
than he hath done it. But the devil, by the help 

; of that Italian bishop yonder, his chaplain, hath 
laboured by all means that he might to frustrate 
the death of Christ and the merits of his passion. 

And they have devised for that purpose to make 
us believe in other vain things by his pardons j as. 



SERMON OJ THE -PLOUGH. 147 

to have remission of sins for praying on hallowed 
beads ; for drinking of the bakehouse bowl ; as a 
'canon of Waltham Abbey once told me, that when- 
soever they put their loaves of bread into the oven, 
as many as drank of the pardon-bowl should have 
pardon for drinking of it. A mad thing, to give 
pardon to a bowl ! Then to pope Alexander's 
holy water, to hallowed bells, palms, candles, 
ashes, and what not 1 ? And of these things, every 
one hath taken away some part of Christ's sanctifi- 
cation ; every one hath robbed some part of 
. Uhrist's passion ,and cross, and hath mingled 
Christ's death, and hath been made to be propitia- 
tory and satisfactory, and to put away sin. Yea, 
and Alexander's holy water yet at this day 
remaineth in England, and is used for a remedy 
against spirits and to chase away devils ; yea, and 
I would this had been the worst. I would this 
were the worsb. But wo worth thee, O devil, 
that has prevailed to evacuate Christ's cross, and 
to mingle the Lord's supper. These be the 
Italian bishop's devices, and the devil hath pricked 



,,- -, M ^ ^ , Jfc- r,^.. ,, , v , C ^ --C--^'x.'.. " 

148 SERMON OP THE PLOUGH. 

at this mark to frustrate the cross of' Christ : he 
shot at this mark long before Christ came, he 
shot at it four thousand years before Christ 
hanged on the cross, or suffered his passion. 

For the brasen serpent was set up in the wilder- 
ness, to put men in remembrance of Christ's 
coming ; that like as they which beheld the brasen 
serpent were healed of their bodily diseases, so 
they that looked spiritually upon Christ that was to 
come, in him should be saved spiritually from the 
devil. The serpent was set up in memory of 
Christ to come ; but the devil found means to 
steal away the memory of Christ's coming, and 
brought the people to worship the serpent itself, 
and to cense him, to honour him, and to offer to 
him, to worship him, and to make an idol of him. 
And this was done by the market-men that I told 
you of. And the clerk of the market did it for 
the lucre and advantage of his master, that thereby 
his honour might increase ; for by Christ's death 
he could have but small worldly advantage. And 
so even now so hath he certain blanchers belonging " 



"//~' .SEBMON OF THE PLOITGH. 149 

to the market, to let and stop the light of the 
gospel, and to hinder the king's proceedings in 
setting forth the word and glory of God. And 
when the king's majesty, with the advice of his 
honourable council, goeth about to promote God's 
word, and to set an order in matters of religion, 
there shall not lack blanchers that will say, "As 
for images, whereas they have used fco be censed, 
and to have candles offered unto Mr them, none be 
so foolish to do it to the stock or stone, or to the 
image itself; but it is done to God and his honour 
before the image." And though they should abuse 
it, these blanchers will be ready to whisper the 
king in the ear, and to tell him, that this abuse is 
but a small matter ; and that the same, with all 
x other like abuses in the church, may be reformed 
easily. " It is but a little abuse," say they, " and 
it may be easily amended. But it should not be 
taken in hand at the first, for fear of trouble or 
further inconveniences. The people will not bear 
sudden alterations ; an insurrection may be made 
after sudden mutation, which may be to the great 



_ _ 

150 SEBMON OF THE PLOUGH. 

harm and loss of tlie realm. Therefore all things 
shall be well, but not out -of hand, for fear of 
further business." These be the blanchers, that 
hitherto have stopped the word of God, and 
hindered the true setting forth of the same. There - 
be so many put-offs, so many put-byes, so many 
respects and considerations of worldly wisdom : 
and I doubt not but there were blanchers in the 
old time to whisper in the ear of good king 
Hezekiah, for the maintenance of idolatry done to 
the brasen serpent, as well as there hath been now 
of late, and be now, that can blanch the abuse of 
images, and other like things. But good king 
Hezekiah would not be so blinded; he was like to 
Apollos, "fervent in spirit." He would give no 
ear to the blanchers ; he was not moved with the 
worldly respects, with these prudent considerations, 
with these policies : he feared not insurrections of 
the people : he feared not lest his people would 
bear not the glory of God ; but he, without any of 
these respects, or policies, or considerations, like a 
good king, for God's sake and for conscience sake, 



8EKMON OF THE PLOUGH. "151 

- - . . ."< 

, by arid by plucked down the braseir serpent, and 
destroyed it utterly, and beat it to powder. He 

. out of hand did cast out all images, lie destroyed 
all idolatry, and clearly did extirpate all super- 
stition. He, would not hear these blanchers and 
worldly-wise men, but without delay followeth 
God's cause, and destroy eth all idolatry out of 
hand. Thus did good king Hezekiah ; for he was 
like Apollos, fervent in spirit, and diligent .to 
promote God's glory. . 

And good hope there is, that it shall be likewise 
here in England ; for the king's majesty is so , 
brought up in knowledge, virtue, and godliness, 
that it is not to be mistrusted but that we shall 
have all things well, and that the glory of God 
shall be spread abroad throughout all parts of the 
realm, if the prelates will diligently apply their 
plough, and be preachers rather than lords. But 
our blanchers, which will be lords, and no labourers, 
when they are commanded to go and be resident 
upon their cures, and preach in their benefices, they 
would say, "What? I have set a deputy there ; I 



152 SEBMON OF THE PLOUGH. 

have a deputy that looketh well to my . flock, 
and the which shall discharge my duty." " A 
deputy," quoth he ! I looked for that word all 
this while. And what a deputy must he be, trow 
ye ? Even one like himself : he must be a canonist ; 
that is to say, one that is brought up in the study 
of the pope's laws and decrees ; one that will set 
forth papistry as well as himself will do ; and one 
that will maintain all superstition and idolatry ; and 
one that will nothing at all, or else very weakly, 
resist the devil's plough : yea, happy it is if he take 
no part with the devil ; and where he should be an 
enemy to him, it is well if he take not the devil's 
part against Christ. 

But in the meantime the prelates take their 
pleasures. They are lords, and no labourers : but 
the devil is diligent at his plough. He is no un- 
preaching prelate : he is no lordly loiterer from his 
cure, but a busy ploughman ; so that among all the 
prelates, and among all the pack of them that have 
cure, the devil shall go for my money, for .he still 
applieth his business. Therefore, ye unpreaching 



/ : "^W:,:^^^ 

V SEBMON OP THE PLOUGH. 153 V 

' ' '. '' ' . - " . '.'. ' -"" " " ' -.'^ 

prelates, team of the devil : to be diligent in doing 
of your office, learn of the devil : and if you will' 
not learn of God, nor good men, for shame learn of 
the devil ; ad erubescentiam vestrum dico, " I speak ^ 
it for your shame : " if you will not learn of God, 
nor good men, to be diligent in your office, learn of 
the deviL Howbeit there is now very good hope . 
that the king's majesty, being of the help of good - 
governance of his most honourable counsellors 
trained and brought tip in learning, and knowledge 
of God's word, will shortly provide a remedy, and 
set an order herein ; which thing that it may so be, 
let us pray for him. Pray for him, good people ; , - 
pray for him. Ye have great cause and need to 
pray for him. 



^-^f??/;v.^'" 1 ) ,.:./,-'"'' :: ';X-':';.*'"\ii'..'^-'.'c : ' ;-; ::;/ i '. ;rT' > ^ ; * '.''-' ,' V -"^ X ''' ':''-. - -;' ' r ' ; Y vl '' 
154 PABABtE OS 1 A KINO ' 

A SERMON OJS THE PARABLE OF A KING 
THAT MARRIED HIS SON, MADE BY MASTER 
LATTMER. 

MATTHEW XXII. [2, 3.] , 
Simile factum est regnum ccelorum hominl regi qui fecit nuptias 

filio suo. 

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which 
married his son, and sent forth his servants to call 
them that, &c. 

THIS is a gospel that containeth very much matter ; 
a~id there is another like unto this in the fourteenth 
of Luke : but they be both one in effect, for they 
.teach both one thing ; and thei'efore I will take 
them both in hand together, because they tend to ' 
one purpose. Matthew saith, " The kingdom of 
heaven is like unto a certain king, which married 
his son ; " Luke saith, " A certain man ordained a 
great supper : " but there is no difference in the 
very substance of the matter, for "they pertain to 
one purpose. Here is made mention of a feast- 
maker : therefore we must consider who was the 
feast-maker : secondarily, who was his son : thirdly, 



-- THAT MARBIED HIS SON. 155 

we must consider to whom he was married : fourthly, 
whoi were they that .called the guests : fifthly, who 
were the guests. And then we must know how 
the guest-callers behaved themselves : and then, 
how the guests behaved themselves towards them 
that called them. When all these circumstances 
be considered, we shall find much good matters 
covered and hid in this gospel. 

Now that I may so handle these matters, that it 
may turn to the edification of your souls, and to 
the discharge of my ofiice, I will most instantly 
desire you to lift up your hearts unto God, and 
desire his divine Majesty, in the name "of his only- 
begotten Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, that he 
will give unto us his Holy Ghost : unto me, that 
I may speak the word of God, and teach you to 
understand the same ; unto you, that you may hear 
it fruitfully, to the edification of your souls ; so 
that you may be edified through it, and your lives 
reformed and amended; and that his honour and 
glory may increase daily amongst us. Wherefore 
I shall desire you to say with me, " Our Father," &c. 



156 PAYABLE OF A KING V: ; ' 

Dearly beloved in the Lord, the gospel that ig 
read this day is a parable, a similitude or com- 
parison. For our Saviour compared the kingdom 
of God unto a man that made a marriage for his 
son. And here was a marriage. At a marriage, 
you know, there is commonly great feastings. Novr 
you must know who was this feast-maker, and who 
was his son, and to whom he was married; and 
who were those that should be called, and who 
were the callers ; how they behaved themselves, and. 
how the guests behaved themselves towards them 
that called them. 

Now this marriage-maker, or feast-maker, is 
Almighty God. Luke the Evangelist calleth him 
a man, saying, "A certain man ordained a great 
supper." He calleth him a man, not that he was 
incarnate, or hath taken our flesh upon him : no, 
not so ; for you must understand that there be 
three Persons in the Deity, God the Father, God 
the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. And these 
three Persons decked the Son with manhood; so 
that neither the Father, neither the Holy Ghost, 



$;-;?V$^'W^^ 

THAT itAEEIED 'BOS SON. / / 157 /^ 

took flesh upon them, but only the Son ; he took \ . 
our flesh upon him, taking it of the Virgin Mary. 
But Luke called God the Father a man, not 
because he took flesh upon him, but only compared 

him unto a man ; not that he will affirm him to be 

/ ' '*'"' 

a man. -Who was he now that was married 7 Who 

was the bridegroom 1 Marry, that was our Saviour 
Jesus Christ, the second person in the Deity ; . the - : 
eternal Son of God.. Who should be his spouse? 
To -whom was he married 1 To his church and 
congregation : for he would have all the world to . -' 
come unto himj and to be married unto him : but 
we see by daily experience that the most part - 
refuse his offer. But here is shewed the state of ' 
the church of God : for this marriage^ this feast, : 

was begun at the beginning of the world, and 
shall endure to the end of the same : yet for all ' 
that, the most part refused it : for at the very 

beginning of the world, ever the most part refused 
to come. And so it appeareth at this time, how 
little a number cometh to this wedding and feast : " 
though we have callers, yet there be but few of ~ 

> --.':.. : ,.; '-A ''--.'A 



158 PASABtE OI-?A 

those that come. So ye hear that God is the feast- 
maker; the bridegroom is Christ, his Son, our 
Saviour ; the bride is the congregation. 

Now what manner of meat was prepared at this 
great feast 1 For ye know it is commonly seen, 
that at a marriage the finest meat is prepared that 
can be gotten. What was the chiefest dish at this 
great banquet 1 What was the feast-dish 1 Marry, 
it was the bridegroom himself : for the Father, the 
feast-maker, prepared none other manner of meat 
for the guests, but the body and blood of his own 
natural Son. And this is the chiefest dish, at this 
banquet ; which truly is a marvellous thing, that 
the Father offereth his Son to be eaten. "Verily, 
I think that no man hath heard the like. And 
truly there was never such kind of feasting as 
this is, where the Father will have his Son to 
be eaten, and his blood to be drunk. 

We read in a story, that a certain man had 
eaten his son j but it was done unawares : he 
knew not that it was his son, else no doubt he 
would not have eaten him. The story is this : 



*w?*^$' -->' ^ 

-159 v 



There' was a king named Astyages, which had 
heard by a prophecy, that one Cyrus should have 
the rule and dominion over his realm after -his de- 
parture ; which thing troubled the said king very 
sore, and therefore [he] sought all the ways and 
means how to get the said Cyrus out of the way ; 
how to kill him, so that he should not be king 
after him. Now he had a nobleman in his house, 
named Harpagus, whom he appointed to destroy 
the said Cyrus : but howsoever the matter went, 
Cyrus was preserved and kept alive, contrary to 
the king's mind. Which thing when Astyages 
heard, - what doth he ? This he did : Harpagus, 
that nobleman which was put in trust to kill 
Cyrus, had a son in the court, whom the king com- 
manded to be taken ; his head, hands, and feet to 
be cut off ; and his body to be prepared, roasted, or 
sodden, of the best manner as could be devised. 
After that, he biddeth Harpagus to come and eat 
with him, where there was Jolly cheer ; one dish 
^coming after another. At length the king asked 
him^ " Sir, how liketh you your fare ? " Harpagus 



160 _ PABABLE OF A, knro/ " . - , 

thanketh the king, with much praising the kingV 
banquet. Now the king perceiving him to be 
. merrily disposed, commanded one of his servants to 
bring in the head, hands, and feet of Harpagus's 
son. When it was done, the king showed him 
what manner of meat he had eaten, asking, him 
how it liketh him. Harpagus made answer, though 
with an heavy heart, Quod regi placet, id mihi 
quoque placet; "Whatsoever pleaseth. the king, 
that also pleaseth me." And here we have an en- 
sample of a flatterer, or dissembler : for this Harp- 
agus spake against his own heart and conscience. 
Surely, I fear me, there be a great many of flat- 
terers in our time also, which will not be ashamed 
to speak against their own heart and consciences, 
like as this Harpagus did ; which had, no doubt, a 
heavy heart, and in his conscience the act of the 
king misliked him, yet for all that, with his tongue 
he praised the same. So I say, we read not in any 
story, that at any time any father had eaten his 
son willingly and wittingly ; and this Harpagus, 
of whom I rehearsed- the story, did it unawares. 



yS^,T#S?.~^.^ 
" - iHAT MAEEDBD HIS SON. ' , 



But the Almighty God, which prepared this feast' 
for all the world, for all those that will come 
unt it, he offerefch his only Son to be eaten, and his 
Jolood to be drunken. Belike he loved his guests 
well, because he did feed them with so costly a dish. 
Again, our Saviour, the bridegroom, ofifereth 
himself at his last supper, which he had with his 
disciples, his body to be eaten, and his blood to be 
drunk. And to the intent that it should be done 
to our great comfort ; and then again to take away 
all cruelty, irksomeness, and horribleness, he 
sheweth unto us how we shall eat him, in what 
manner and form ; namely, spiritually, to our great 
comfort : so that whosoever eateth the mystical 
bread, and drinketh the mystical wine worthily, 
according to the ordinance of Christ, he receiveth 
surely the very body and blood of Christ spiritu- 
ally, as it shall be most comfortable unto his soul. 
JEEe eateth with the mouth of his soul, and digesteth 
with the stomach of his soul, the body of Christ. 
And to be short : whosoever believeth in Christ, 
putteth his hope, trust, and confidence in him, he 



'" '"'' ''' '" ' ' JL ''' ; 



eateth and drinketh him : for the spiritual eating 
is the right eating to everlasting life ; not the cor- 
' poral eating, as the Capernaites understood it. For 
that same corporal eating, on which they set their 
minds, hath no commodities at all ; it is a spiritual 
meat that feedeth our souls. 

But I pray you, how much is this supper of 
Christ regarded amongst us, where he himself ex- 
hiHteth unto us his body and blood ? How much, 

! 

I say, is it regarded 1 How many receive it with 
the curate or minister ? Lord, how blind and 
dull are we to such things, which pertain to our 
salvation \ But I .pray you, wherefore was it or- 
dained principally 1 Answer : it was ordained for 
our help, to help our memory withal ; to put us in 
mind of the great goodness of God, in redeeming 
us from everlasting death by the blood of our 
Saviour Christ ; yea, and to signify unto us, that 
his body and blood is our meat and drink for our 
souls, to feed them to everlasting life. If we were 
now so perfect as we ought to be, we should nob 
have need of it : but to help our imperfectness it 



?f'f,*!i^$'#C*S^i^ 

.'-' J , THAT MAEKIED Hffi SOHv -' '"; 



vras ordained _of Christ ; for we be so forgetful, 
when/we be not pricked forward, we have soon for- 
gotten all his benefits. Therefore to the intent 
that we might better keep it in memory, and to 

'remedy this our slothfulness, our Saviour hath 
ordained this his supper for us, whereby we should 
remember his great goodness, his bitter passion and 

. death, and so strengthen our faith : so, that he in- 
stituted this supper for our sake, to make us to 
keep in fresh memory his inestimable benefits. 
But, as I said before, it is in a manner nothing 
regarded amongst us : we care not for it ; we will 
not come unto it. How many be there, think ye, 
which regard this supper of the Lord as much as a 
testoon ? But very few, no doubt of it : and I will 
prove that they regard it not so much. If there 
were a proclamation made in this town, that who- 
soever would come unto the church at such an hour, 
and there go to the communion with the curate, 
should have a testoon; when such a proclamation 
were made, I think, truly, all the town would come 
.and celebrate the communion to get a testoon : but 



PABABLE OF V A. KING V '- 



they will not come to receive the body and blood of 
Christ, the food and nourishment of their- souls, to 
the augmentation and strength of their faith ! Do 
they not more regard now a testoon than Christ? 
But the cause which letteth us from celebrating of 
the Lord's Supper, is this : we have no mind nor 
purpose to leave sin and wickedness, which maketh , 
us not to come to this supper, because we be not 
ready nor meet to receive it. But I require you in 
God's behalf, leave your wickedness, that ye may 
receive it worthily, according to his institution. 
iPor this supper is ordained, as I told you before, 
for our sake, to our profits and commodities : for if -/ '- 
we" were perfect, we should not need this outward 
sacrament ; but our Saviour, knowing our weakness 
and forgetfulness, ordained this supper to the 
augmentation of our faith, and to put us in remem- 
brance of his benefits. But we will not come : 
there come no more at once, but such as give the 
holy loaves from house to house ; which follow 
rather the custom than any thing else. Our 
Saviour Christ saith in the gospel of St. John, 



S V THAT MABRIED HIS SON. 165 v 

-.-'-: ,t - -^ - . . . 

Ego sum panis vivus, qui de coslo descend* ; "I am 
the living bread which came down from heaven." 
Therefore whosoever feedeth of our Saviour Christ, 
he shall not perish ; death shall not prevail against 
him : his soul shall depart out of his body, yet -_ 
death shall not get the victory over him ; he shall 
not be damned. He that cometh to that marriage, 
to that banquet, death shall be unto him but an en- 
trance or a door to everlasting life. Panis quern 
ego dabo caro meet est ; " The bread that I will give 
is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the 
world." As many as will feed upon him, shall . 
attain to everlasting life : they shall never die ; they' 
shall prevail against death; death shall not hurt 
them, because he hath lost his strength. If we 
would consider this, no doubt we would be more 
desirous to come to the communion than we be ; we 
would not be so cold ; we would be content to leave 
our naughty living, and come to the Lord's table. 

Now ye have heard what shall be the chiefesfc 
dish at this marriage, namely, the body and blood 
of Christ. But now there be other dishes, which. 



166 FABATBLE OF A KHTO , 

be sequels or hangings-en, wherewith the chief dish 
is powdered: that is, remission of sins; also the 
Holy Ghost, which ruleth and governeth our hearts; 
also the merits of Christ, which are made ours. 
For when we feed upon this dish worthily, then we 
shall have remission of our sins ', we shall receive 
the Holy Ghost. Moreover, all the merits of 
Christ are ours ; his fulfilling of the law is ours ; and 
so we be justified before God, and finally attain to 
everlasting life. As many, therefore, as feed 
worthily of this dish, shall have all these things 
with it, and in the end everlasting life. St. Paul 
saith, Qui proprio Filio suo non pepercit, sed pro 
ndbis omnibus tradidit ilium, quomodo non etiam 
cum illo omnia nobis donabit ? " He which spared 
not his own Son, but gave him for us all, how shall 
he not with him give us all things also ? "- There 
fore they that be in Christ are partakers of all hi 
merits and benefits ; of everlasting life, and of ali 
felicity. He that hath Christ hath all things that 
are Christ's. He is our preservation from dam- 
nation ; he is our comfort ; he is our help, our 



:;^i%-?f;^?r^F^ 

." ; .--: ".;;''''. ' ::.""": '-. '.->.'.'.". :-' ^;t- V '''"- "''' ^'"'~- O'^' 

; THAT MABRIED HIS SON. - 167 ^ 

remedy. When we feed upon him, then we shall 
have remission of our sins : the same remission of . 
sins is the greatest aiid most comfortable thing that 
. can be in the world. O what a comfortable thing ' 
is this, when Christ saith, llemittuntur tibi peccata, 
" Thy sins are forgiven unto thee ! " And this is a 
standing sentence ; it was not spoken only to the 
same one man, but it is a general proclamation unto 
all us : all and every one that believeth. id him 
shall have forgiveness of their sins. And this 
proclamation is cried out daily by his ministers and x 
preachers ; which proclamation is the word of grace, 
the word of comfort and consolation. For like as 
sin is the most fearful and the most horriblest thing 
in heaven and in earth, so the most comfortablest 
thing is the remedy against sin; which remedy is 
declared and offered unto us in this word of grace : 
and the power to distribute this remedy against 
sins he hath given unto his ministers, which be 
God's treasurers, distributers of the word of God. 
For now he speaketh by me, he calleth you to this 
wedding by me, being but a poor man j yet he hath 



168 PARABLE OP A KOTO 

sent me to call you. And though he be the author. ' 
of the word, yet he will have men to be called, 
through his ministers to that word. Therefore let 
us give credit unto the minister, when he speaketh 
God's word : yea, rather let us credit God when he 
speaketh by his ministers, and offereth us remission 
of our sins by his word. For there is no sin so 
great in this world, but it is pardonable as long as 
we be in this world, and call for mercy : for here is 
the time of mercy ; here we may come to forgive- 
ness of our sins. But if we once die in our sins and 
wickedness, so that we be damned, let us not look 
for remission afterwards : for the state after this 
life is unchangeable. But as long as we be here, we 
may cry for mercy. Therefore let us not despair : 
let us amend our lives, and cry unto God for forgive- 
ness of our sins ; and then no doubt we shall obtain 
remission, if we call with a faithful heart upon him, 
for so he hath promised unto us in his most holy word. 
The holy scripture maketh mention of a sin 
against the Holy Ghost, which sin cannot be . 
. forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the world to : 



i 

come. And this maketh many men unquiet in 

their hearts and consciences : for some there be 

which ever be afraid, lest they have committed 

that same sin against the Holy Ghost, which i 

irremissible. Therefore some say, " I cannot tell 

whether I have sinned against the Holy Ghost or 

.not : if I have committed that sin, I know I shall 

be damned." But I tell you what ye shall do r 

- despair not of the mercy of God. for it is im- 

." measurable. I cannot deny but that there is a 

sin against the Holy Ghost, which is irremissible : 

-but we cannot judge of it afprehand, we cannot 

tell which man hath committed that sin or not, as 

long as he is alive ; but when he is once gone, 

"then I can judge whether he sinned against the 

Holy Ghost or not. As now I can judge that 

Nero, Saul, and Judas, and such like, that died in 

sins and wickedness, did commit this sin against 

.the Holy Ghost : for they were wicked, and 

continued in their wickedness still to the very 

end; they made an end in their wickedness. 

But we cannot judge whether one of us sin 



. 
PAB'ABLE OF A KING" 



this sin against the Holy Ghost, or not; for\ 
though a man be wicked at this time, yet , 
he may repent, and leave his wickedness to- 
morrow, and so not commit that sin against 
the Holy Ghost. Our Saviour Christ pro- 
nounced against the scribes and Pharisees, that ; 
they had committed that sin against the Holy 
Ghost ; because he knew their hearts, he knew 
they would stilj. abide in their wickedness to the 
very end of their lives. But we cannot pronounce 
this sentence against any man,' for we know not 
the hearts of men : he that sinneth now, perad- 
venture shall be turned to-morrow, and leave his 
sins, and so be saved. Further, the promises of 
our Saviour Christ are general ; they pertain to all 
1 mankind : he made a general proclamation, saying, 
Qui credit in me, habet vitam ceternam ; " Whoso- 
ever believeth in me hath everlasting life." Like- 
wise St. Paul saith, Gratia exsuperat supra pecca- 
tum ; "The grace and mercies of God exceedeth 
far our sins." Therefore let us ever think and 
believe that the grace of God, his mercy and good- - 



- 
;i' : ;':"'':- : ' ."" '. ; ';.' T^T MAEEIEB HIS 

-' ness, e&ceedeth our sins. Also consider what Christ 
saith with his own mouth : Venite ad me, omnes quZ 
' laboratis, &c. " Coine unto me, all ye that labour 

and are laden, and I will ease you." Mark, here 

i / 

he saith, "Come all ye:" wherefore then should 

any body despair, or shut out himself from these 
promises of Christ, which be general, and pertain 
to the whole world? For he saith, "Come all 
unto me." And then again he saith, Refocilldbo 
vos, " I will refresh you : " you shall be eased 
from the burdens of your sins. Therefore, as 1 1 
said before, he that is blasphemous, and obstinately 
wicked, and abideth in his wickedness still to the 
very end, he sinneth f,?ainst the Holy Ghost ; as 
St. Augustine, and all other godly writers .do 
Affirm. But he that leaveth his wickedness and 
sins, is content to amend his life, and then believing , 
in Christ, seeketh salvation and everlasting life by 
him, no doubt that man or woman, whosoever he 
or they be,' shall be saved: for they feed upon - 
Christ, upon that meat that God the Father, this 
feast-maker, hath prepared for all his guests. 



ftf?^-;*:>^ "^r;^ 

-172 PAItABIJE OP A KING J - . . - -. '' 7 

You have heard now who is the maker of this 
feast or banquet : and again, you have heard what - 
meat is prepared for the guests; what a costly 
dish the house-father hath ordained at the wedding - 
.of his son. But now ye know, that where there be 
. great dishes and delicate fare, there be commonly "<. 
prepared certain sauces, which shall give men a- 
great lust and appetite to their meats ; as mustard, 
vinegar, and such like sauces. So this feast, this 
costly dish, hath its sauces ; but what be they ? 
Marry, the cross, affliction, tribulation, persecution, 
and all manner of miseries : for, like as sauces 
make lusty the stomach to receive meat, so 
affliction stirreth up in us a desire to Christ. 
For when we be in quietness, we are not 
hungry, we care not for Christ: but when we . 
be in tribulation, and cast in prison; then we 
have a desire to him ; then we learn to call , 

! 

upon him ; then we hunger and thirst after him ; 
then we are desirous to feed upon him. As long 
as we be in health and prosperity, we care not for 
be slothful, we have no stomach at all ; 



and therefore these sauces are very necessary, for ; 
/us. "We have a common .saying amongst us, "1, 
when we see a fellow sturdy, lofty, and proud, 
men say, " This is a saucy fellow ; " signifying him "." 
to be a high-minded fellow, which taketh more 
upon him than he ought to do, or his estate 
requireth : which thing, no doubt, is naught and ^ : 
ill ; for every one ought to behave himself accord- 
ing unto his calling and estate. But he that will - 
be a Christian man, that intendeth to come to v' 
heaven, must be a saucy fellow ; he must be well 

~f 

powdered with the sauce of affliction, and tribula- 
tion ; not with proudness and stoutness, but with 
.miseries and calamities: for so it is written, : 
Omnes qui pie vohmt vivere in Christo persecu- - 
tionem patientur ; " Whosoever will live godly in 
Christ, he shall have persecution and miseries : " >% 
he shall have sauce enough to his meat. Again, : 
pur Saviour saith, Qui vult meus esse disripulits, ; 
pbneget semetipsum et tollat crucem suam. et sequatur v 
me; " He that will be my disciple must deny him- {- 
self and take his cross upon him, and follow, me." 



8?#V):*:iW#a^ 

174 PABABLE OF A KING , "' ' 

" '. _ ' ' - " ' ' ' i 

Is there any man that will feed upon me, that will . . 
eat my flesh and drink my blood? Let him for- 
sake himself. O this is a great matter ; this is a . 
biting thing, the denying of my own will ! As for 
an ensample : I see a fair woman, and conceive in ; 
my heart an ill appetite to commit lechery with 
her j I desire to fulfil my wanton lust with her. 

Here is my appetite, my lust, my will : but what 

j 
must I do ? Marry, I must deny myself, and 

follow Christ. . What is that? I must not 
follow my own desire, but the will and pleasure of . , 
Christ. Now what saith he? Non fornicaberis, 
non adulteraberis ; " Thou shalt not be a whore- , 
monger, thou shalt not be a wedlock-breaker."' 
Here I must deny myself, and my will, and give- 
place unto his will ; abhor and hate my own wilL 
Yea, and furthermore I must earnestly call upon 
him, that he will give me grace to withstand my. 
own lust and appetite, in all manner of things 
which may be against his will : as when a mail 
doth me wrong, taketh my living from me, or 
hurteth me in my good name and fame^ my will i& 



W^j?$^^ 

V 'X'-- ; '; 1; ;.^'.'. '."' . THAT TVT JTtBIED HIS SOST. "/" ' _'.'. 175 \ 

~ to avenge myself upon Mm, to do Mm a foul 
- turn again; but what saith God 1 Mihi mndicta, 
ego retribitam ; " Unto me belongeth vengeance, I 
will recompense the same." Nowhere I must give 

1 

over my own will and pleasure, and obey Ms will : 
tMs I must do, if I will feed upon Mm, if I will 
come to heaven. But this is a bitter thing, a sour 
sauce, a sharp sauce ; this sauce maketh a stomach : 
for when I am injured or wronged, or am in" 

-. 

other tribulation, then I have a great desire for 

\ 

Mm, to feed upon him, to be delivered from trouble, -- 
and to attain to quietness and joy. 

There is a learned man which hath a saying" 
which is most true: he saith, Plus crux quant 
tranquillitas invitat ad Christum; "The cross 
and persecution bring us sooner to Christ than 
prosperity and wealth." Therefore St. Peter saith, 
Humiliamini sub potenti manu Dei; " Humble 
yourselves under the mighty hand of God." Look, ~ 
what God layeth upon you, bear it willingly and 
humbly. But you will say, "I pray you, tell : me 
what is my cross?" Answer: TMs that God-/' 



^r^-ffiW-^^^P^^ 

j?.'\i'* v, ;;,-> :;.; V- t . ;_,.-. .',"'- y "-- ' /" ,-. '-.\ '-, " r '/,."' " J .- "i- ; -- .-.' -'^^v^.'^y/.^-V^-K-fV 

176 ; PABABLB OP ASKING ^ ' ;" 

s . . '. *' f 

- layeth upon you, that same is your cross; not that ; 
which you of your own wilf ulness lay upon your- '"_ ^ 
selves: as there was a certain sect which were '--''., 
called Flagellarii, which scourged. themselves with ; - 
whips till the blood ran from their bodies ; this " 
was a cross, but it was not the cross of God. No, 
no : he laid not that upon them, they did it of :- 
their own head. Therefore look, what God layeth 
upon me, that same is my cross, which I ought to 
take in good part ; as when I fall in poverty, or in . ' .' 
miseries, I ought to be content withal ; when my ' 
neighbour doth me wrong, taketh away my goods, 
robbeth me of my good name and fame, I shall . 
bear it willingly, considering that it is God's cross, 
and that nothing can be done against me without 
his permission. There falleth never a sparrow to 
the ground without his permission; yea, not a hair 
falleth from our head without his will Seeing 
then that there is nothing done without his will, 
I ought to bear this cross which he layeth upon 
me willingly, without any murmuring or grudging. 
But I pray you, consider these words of St. Peter 



well:: Humiliamini sub potenti -manu. Dei; 

~* e Humble yourselves tinder the mighty hand of 
God." Here St. Peter signifieth unto us that God 
>is a mighty God, which can take away the cross', 
from us when it seemeth him good ; yea, and he 
-can send patience in the midst of all trouble and 

:-miseries. St. Paul, that elect instrument of God, 
-shewed, a reason wherefore God layeth afflictions - 
sipon us, saying : Gorripimur a Domino, ne cum 
mundo condemnemur ; " We are chastened of the 
JLord, lest we should be condemned with the world." 
3?or you see by daily experience, that the most part 
of wicked men are lucky in this world ; they bear 
the swing, all things goeth after their minds ; for 
God letteth them have their pleasures here. Ajid 
therefore this is a common saying, "The more 
wicked, the more lucky : " but they that pertain to 
God, that shall inherit everlasting life, they must go 
to the pot; they must suffer here, according to that 
scripture, Judiciwm, a, domo Dei incipit; "The 
Judgment of God^ beginneth at the house of God." 
Therefore it cometh p,f the goodness of God, when 



^T-^jsy^vs&.r^ 

'1*78 ' .' ' PARABLE OF A KING o"' : ' ' : .' '"'''^H 

j . ' ' ' ' - ; . . ; 

i * -. - ' V ' V . ' 

we be put to taste the sauce of tribulation : for Iai6 .-'' ; 
doth it to a good end, namely, that we should not . : 
be condemned with this wicked world. For theses '"', 
sauces' are very good for us ; for they make us more 
hungry and lusty to come to Christ and feed upon ' 
him. And truly, when it goeth well with us, we 
forget Christ, . our hearts and minds are not upon 
him : therefore it is better to have affliction than 
to be in prosperity. For there is a common saying,, 
V.exatio dat intellectum ; " Yexation giveth under- 
standing." David, that excellent king and prophet,, 
saith, Bonum est mihi quod humiliasti me, Domine / 
" Lord," saith he, " it is good for me that thou hast 
pulled down my stomach, that thou hast humbled 
me." But I pray you, what sauce had David, how 
was he humbled ? Truly thus : his own son defiled 
his daughter. After that, Absalom, one other of 
his sons, killed his own brother. And this was not 
enough, but his own son rose up against him, and 
traitorously cast him out of his kingdom, and denied 
his wives in the sight of all the people. Was not 
he vexed 1 ? had he not sauces ? Yes, yes: yet for 



- - . -. . 

all that he cried not out against God; he -mur- 
mured not, but.saith, Bonum est mihi quod humi- 

/ . . 

liasti me; " Lord, it is good for me that thou hast 
-humbled me, that thou hast brought me low." 
Therefore when we be in trouble, let us be of good 
comfort, knowing that God doth it. for the best. 
But for all that, the devil, that old serpent, the 
enemy of mankind, doth what he can day and night 
to bring us this sauce, to cast us into persecution, 
or other miseries : as it appeareth in the gospel of 
Matthew, where our Saviour casting him out of a 
man, seeing that he could do no more harm, he 
desired Christ to give him leave to go into the 

'swine : and so he cast them all into the ' sea. 
- 

Where it appeareth, that the devil studieth and 
seeketh all manner of ways to hurt us, either in soul, . 
or else in body. But for all that, let us not despair, 
but rather lift up our hearts unto God, desiring his 
help and comfort ; and no doubt, when we do so, he 
will help : he will either take away the calamities, 
or else mitigate them, or at the leastwise send pa-- 
tience into our hearts, that we may bear it willingly . 



;,' ..-. .- 

180 '- -''. 

, ^ *^- "V 

. Now you know, at a great feast, when theref is ,^ 

made a delicate dinner, and the guests fare well, at ;' 

the end of the dinner they'have bettaria, certain ':'. 

subtleties, custards, sweet and delicate things: so '; 
when we come to this dinner, to this wedding, arid - "- 

feed upon Christ, and take his sauces which he 

hath prepared for us, at the end cometh the sweet- ;;: 

meat. What is that? Marry, remission of sins, Jv 

and everlasting life; such joy, that no tongue can - 
express, nor heart can think, which God hath pre- 
pared for all them that come to this dinner, and 

feed upon his Son, and taste of his sauces. And ; 
this is the end of this banquet. This banquet, or" 

marriage-dinner, was made at the very beginning 

i - 
of the world. God made this marriage" in paradise, ; .. 

and called the whole world unto it, saying, Semen 
mulieris conteret caput serpentis ; "The Seed of--.'. 
the woman shall vanquish the head of the serpent." - 
This was the first calling; and this calling stood - 
Unto the faithful in as good stead as it doth unto 
us, which have a more manifest calling. After- 
ward Almighty God called again with these words. 



speaking tb^ Abraham ; Ego ero Deus tuus et seminis 
' tui post fey, "I will be thy God, and thy seed's 
- after thee." Now what is it to be our. God? For- 
sooth to be our defender, our comforter, our 
deliverer, and helper. Who was Abraham's seed 1 
Even Christ the Son of God, he was Abraham's 
seed : in him, and through him, all the world shall 
be blessed ; all that believe in him, all that come 
- to this dinner, and feed upon him. After that, all 
the prophets, their only intent was to call the 
people to this wedding. Now after the time was 
expired which God had appointed, he said, Venite, 
parata sunt omnia ; "Come, all things are ready." 
But who are these callers 1 The first was John 
Baptist, which not only called with his mouth, but 
also shewed with his finger that meat which God 
-'_ had prepared for the whole world. He saith, Ecce 
Agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mundi; "Lo, the 
" Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the 
/ world." Also Christ himself called, saying, Venite 
' ad me, omnes_ qui laboratis ; " Come to me, all ye- 
x that travail and labour, and I will refresh you." 



likewise the apostles cried, and called all the .. ^ 
whole world; as it is written, Eximt sonus eorum, ', ^ 
per universam terram ; "Their sound is gone / 
throughout all the world." But, I pray you, what ~> 
thanks had they for their calling, for their labour ? ' " ' 
Verily this : John Baptist was beheaded ; Christ 
was crucified ; the apostles were killed : this was , ; 
their reward for their labours. So all the preachers 
shall look for none other reward : for no , doubt - 
they must be sufferers, they must taste of these 
sauces : their office is, arguere mundum de peccato, 

x 

" to rebuke the world of sin ; " which no doubt is a 
thankless occupation. Ut audiant monies judicia ^ 
Doming "That the high hills," that is, great 
princes and lords, "may hear the judgments of 
the Lord : " they must spai*e no body ; they must 
rebuke high and low, when they do amiss ; they 
must strike them with the sword of God's word :'-, 
which no doubt is a thankless occupation; yet it 
must be done, for God will have it so. 

There be many men, which be not so cruel as to 
persecute or to kill the preachers of God's word; 



^;but when they > be called to feed upon Christ, to 

7; come to this banquet, to leave their wicked livings, 

: ; ; then they begin to make their excuses; as it. 

; appeared here in this gospel, where " the first said, 

r I have bought a farm, and I must needs go and 

see it; I pray thee have me excused. Another 

-said, I have bought five yoke of- oxen, and I go to 

prove them ; I pray thee have me excused. The 

third said, I have married a wife, and therefore I 

cannot come." And these were their excuses. 

You must take heed that you mistake not this 

, text : for after the outward letter it seemeth as 

, though no husbandman, no buyer or seller, nor 

married man shall enter the kingdom of God. 

Therefore ye must take heed that ye understand . 

it aright. For to be a husbandman, to be a buyer" 

or seller, to be a married man, is a good thing, 

and allowed of God : but the abuse of such things 

is reproved. Husbandman, and married man, 

every one in his calling, may use and do the works 

'' of. his calling. The husbandman may go to 

plough; .they may buy and sell; also, men may 



marry.; but they may not set their hearts upoiv if^/S*5 

" ' - ' :* '. .".''.''W 

The husbandman may not so apply his husbandry" fe 
to set aside the hearing of the word of God ;;..&r ^5 
when he doth so, he sinneth damnably : for/lie- ; ,^ 
more regardeth his husbandry than God and hi. 'H 
word ; he hath all lust and pleasure in his hus- _ ; ; ; 
bandry, which pleasure is naught. As there be- '-, '/ : 
many husbandmen which will not come to service J '^1 
they make their excuses that they have other - 
business: but this excusing is naught; for com- V; 
inonly they go about wicked matters, and yet J.I 
they would excuse themselves, to make themselves- \ ; ~ 
faultless ; or, at the least way, they will diminish' r 
their faults, which thing itself is a great wicked- 1> - 
ness ; to do wickedly, and then to defend that same ' 
wickedness, to neglect and despise God's word, and 
then to excuse such doings, like as these men dp 
here in this gospel. The husbandman saith, "I ".- 
have bought a farm ; therefore have me excused : .the '-. 
other saith, I have bought five yoke of oxen ; I 
- pray thee have me excused : " Now when h& : 
cometh to the married man, that same fellow saith \-, 



y '*' Have me excused/' as the others say; i>fit"->~> 
'"fee only saith, "I cannot come." Where it is to be 

noted, that the affections of carnal lusts and con- 
s v ;<eupiscence are the strongest above all the other : for_ ;-.". 
,."_ there be some men which set all their hearts uponvo- " \ :' 
\ " luptudusness ; they regard nothing else, neither God " : 
-: nor his word ; and therefore this married man saith, ; 
-^ "I cannot come ; " because his affections are more ~' 

strong and more vehement than the othermen's were. ; ~ 
H . But what shall be their reward which refuse to 
; : -'' : -come? The house-father saith, "I say unto you,- '>! 

that none of those men which were bidden shall 

taste of my supper." With these words Christ .'. ;f 

"our Saviour teacheth us, that all those that love" . 

; ;| better worldly things than God and his word shall V- 

be shut out from his supper ; that is to say, from 

' s. 

everlasting joy and felicity : for it is a great matter f 

to despise God's word, or the minister of the same ; ; : 
for the office of preaching is the office of salvation ; 

. it hath warrants in scripture, it is grounded upon . : 

-God's word. St. Paul to the Romans maketh a ; 

.gradation of such-wise : Omms quicunque invo- ~1 



caverit nomen Domini salvdbitur : 

invocabunt in quern non crediderunt, aut quomodo ' . 

* 

credent ei quern non audierunt ? that is to say," Who-^" >~ 

> * 

soever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be-'<; 
saved : but how shall they call upon him, in whom'' s 
they believe not ? How shall they believe on him 
of whom they have not heard ? How shall they 
hear without a preacher ? And how shall they ' 
preach, except they be sent ? " At the length he 
concludeth, saying, fides ex auditu ; " Faith ; - 
cometh by hearing." Where ye may perceive, 
how necessary a thing it is to hear God's word, 
and how needful a thing it is to have preachers, 
which may teach us the word of God : for by 
hearing we must come to faith ; through faith we 
must be justified. And therefore Christ saith 
himself, Qui credit, in me, hdbet vitam cetemam , 
" He that believeth in me hath everlasting life." 
When we hear God's word by the preacher, . and .".. 
believe that same, then we shall be saved : for 
St. Paid saith, Evangelium est potentia Dei ad ; 
salutem omni credenti ; " The gospel is the power 



Of s God unto salvation to all' that believe ; the. ' ,70 
gospel preached is God's power to salvation of all ! 

- believers." This is a great commendation of this ,i 
office of preaching : therefore we ought not to '> 

- despise it, or little regard it for it is God's instru- 
ment, whereby he worketh faith in our hearts. 
Our Saviour saith to Nicodeme, Nisi quis renatus 
fuerit, " Except a man be born anew, he cannot " : - 
see the kingdom of God." But how cometh this : . ; 
regeneration? By hearing and believing of" the ' 
word of God : for so saith St. Peter, Renati non . -" 
ex semine mortali corruptibili ; "We are born u 

. anew, not of mortal seed, but of immortal, by the . < 
word of God." . Likewise Paul saith in another ! 
place, Visum est Deo per stultitiam prcedicationis - ?' 
salvos facere credentes ; "It pleased God to save :, 
the believers through the foolishness of preaching.'* y 
But, peradventure, you will say, "What, shall a\ "; 
preacher teach foolishness ?" No, not so : the ; ]^ 
preacher, when he is a right preacher, he preacheth - 
not -foolishness,' but he preacheth the word of God;' < 
but it is taken for foolishness, the world esteemeth : > 



... _.-;,"> . T^VfWTi; 

it for a trifle : but howsoever the world .' 



'.- " -.'" 

it, St. Paul saith that God will save his through itiK^tl 

- . ' '' ..-- 'Vv';;-i ; :* 

Here I might take occasion to inveigh again^tv^ 
those which little regard the office of preaching j!-t|/ 
which are wont to say, "What need we such ^ 
- preachings every day? Have I not five wits i'/-Ivv< 

'"/*'" '';.'"*''."> 

~know as well what is good or ill, as he doth that !% 
preacheth." But I tell thee, my friend, be not too;"- ';';' 
hasty ; for when thou hast nothing to follow but r ^ 
thy five wits, thou shalt go to the devil with them. ? 
David, that holy prophet, said not so : he trusted ' .> ' 
not his five wits, but he said, Lucerna pedibus meia ^ 
v&rbum tuum, Domine; "Lord, thy word- is a : ; 
lantern unto my feet." Here we learn not toC-': 
despise the word of God, but highly to esteem it, ^.3 
and reverently to hear it; for the holy day is-; ; 
ordained and appointed to none other thing, "but 
that we should at that day hear the word of God,' - 
and exercise ourselves in all godliness. But there, < 
be some which think that this day is ordained only , 
for feasting, drinking, or gaming, or such foolish- 
ness ; but they be much deceived : this day was 



of God that we should hear Iris word/: 
his laws, and so serve him. But I dare 

' ~ ' - ' 

the devil hath no days so much service as upon 
or holy days; which Sundays are ap- 
j ^pointed to preaching, and to hear God's most holy, 
K -word. Therefore God saith not only in his com- 

! v'inandments, that we shall abstain from working ; 

v; "... 

-but he saith, Sanctificabis, " Thou shalt hallow : " 

:.;'; so that holy day keeping is nothing else but to ab- 

'stain from good works, and to do better works; 

- f , that is, to come together, and celebrate the Oom- 

v : munion together, and visit the sick bodies. These 

-are' holy-day works ; and for that end God com- - 

J; manded us to abstain from bodily works, that we 

.might be more meet and apt to do those works 

which he hath appointed unto us, namely, to feed 

: eur souls with his word, to remember his benefits, 

: and to give him thanks, and to call upon him. So 

\. that the holy-day may be called a marriage-day, 

.- .wherein we are married unto God ; which day is 

;.-.. very needful to be kept. The foolish common 

-people think it to be a belly-cheer day, and so they - 

'' ' ' ''"-'-- " ' - 



:', no rebellion, no lechery, but she hath most com- 

. '','' 

monly her beginning upon the holy-day. . 

" We read a story in the fifteenth chapter of the 
book of Numbers, that there was a fellow which ^ 
gathered sticks upon the sabbath-day ; he was a 
despiser of God's ordinances and laws, like as they _ 
-that now-a-days go about other business, when they 
should hear the word of God, and come to the 

' Common Prayer : which fellows truly have need of 
sauce, to be made more lustier to come and feed 
upon Christ than they be. Now Moses and the " 
people consulted with the Lord, what they should 
do, how they should punish that fellow which had 
so transgressed the sabbath-day. " He shall die," 
saith God : which thing is an ensample for us to 
take heed, that we transgress not the law of the 
sabbath-day. For though God punish us not by 
and by, as this man was punished ; yet he is the 

. very self -same God that he was before, and will 
punish one day, either here, or else in the other 

, world, where the punishment shall be everlasting. 



^ M\! 



. seventeenth chapter 

.yr >v . - - . -v ' - ; .','-."- : ' ' . 
/propheVJeremy God threateneth his fearful wrath' 

^ and anger unto those which do profane his sabbath- 

\ ' ' . - . 

( day. . Again, he promiseth his favour and all 

" prosperity to them that will keep the holy-days ; 
saying, "Princes and kings shall go through 
thy gates," that is to say, Thou shalt be in pros- 
p'erity, in wealth, and great estimation amongst 
thy neighbours. Again : " If ye will not keep my 

^sabbath-day, I will kindle a fire in your gates;" 
that is to say, I will destroy you, I will bring 
you to nought, and burn your cities with fire. 
, These words pertain as well unto us at this time, 
as they pertained to them at their time : for God 
hateth the disallowing of the sabbath as well now 
as then ; for he is and remaineth still the old God : 
he will have us to keep his sabbath, as well now as 
then : for upon the sabbath-day God's seed-plough 

. goeth j that is to say, the ministry of his word is 
executed; for the ministering of God's word is 
God's plough. Now upon the Sundays God sendeth 
his husbandmen to come and till ; he sendeth his 



iSV.fjS 
,-.-: ..-.-,,.,-..,-. | .^k 

callers 1 ' come and call to the-weddihf ta bicKtBeif^ 

'- " . "- ' ".- ' ' -"-', ""-'$' 'V ^ - ' ' ' ' \ -'?>**>' *$ 

guests; ;tliat is, all the -world to . come to ^.tfi^g|^ 
supper. Therefore, for the reverence of Gd<l^cjdn|3;?f 
sider these things : consider who calleth, namely^ ^ 
God ; consider again who be the guests ; all 
Therefore I call you in God's name, come 
supper; hallow the sabbath-day; that is, do ; 
holy-day -work, come to this supper; for this 
was appointed of God to that end, that his 
should be taught and heard. Prefer not your 
business therefore before the hearing of the word\>;; 
of God. Rertiernber the story of that man whicbvv-iv 
gathered sticks upon the holy day, and was put tO: ; 3:V- 
death by the; consent of God : where God shewed^;:' 
himself not a cruel God, but he would give > ^ 
warning unto the whole world by that man, that/ ,"> 
all the world should keep holy his sabbath-day. . ' ^ 
The almighty ever-living God give us grace \ to : ;:B-, 
, live so in this miserable world, that we may at the ^ 
end come to the great sabbath-day, where ther<&v 1 
shall be everlasting joy and gladness ! Anien, / , ; 



192 PARABLE OF A KING. 

callers to come and call to the wedding, to bid the 
guests ; that is, all the world to come to that 
supper. Therefore, for the reverence of God, con- 
sider these tilings : consider who c.-illeth, namely, 
God ; consider again who be the guests ; all ye. 
Therefore I call you in God's name, come to this 
supper; hallow the sabbath-day ; that is, do your 
holy-clay work, come to this supper ; for this day 
was appointed of God to that end, that his word 
should ho taught and heard. Prefer not your own 
business therefore before the hearing of the word 
of God. Ixeinembor the .-tory of that man which 
gathered sticks upon the holy day. and was put to 
death by the consent of God : where Gocl shewed 
himself not a cruel God. but he would cilve 

' O 

warning unto the whole 'woi-ld bv that man, that 

O */ ' 

all the world should keep holy his sabbath-clay. 

The almighty ever-living God give us grace to 
live so in this miserable world, that we may at the 
end come to the great sabbath-day, where there 
shall be everlasting joy and gladness ! Amen. 




31 Somerset St. 

Boston, Mass. 
| A. P. W. PAPER Co. 
, Gentlemen : Your 
J" Medicated Toilet 
I Paper "is useful in the 
I treatment of Anal dis- 
eases, allaying- the iu- 
I tense itching', is a 
remedy easily applied, 
[ and a trialis. convinc-- 
ing- of its merits. 
\F. M.JOHNSON, M.D. 
July i, 1885; 



RINTED PAPER, or that con- 
taining 1 chemicals incident to 
3 ordinary process of manufac- 
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The " STAND AED" Brand is not 
medicated, but is free from delete- 
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Two l,OOO-Sliect Bolls 

andNICKLE FIXTURE delivered 
FREE anywhere in the United 
States on receipt of 

<5$-ONE DOLLAR 



_ B-with Express Companies enable us 

\ to deliver to any Express office in the TJ. S., One Doz. Stand- 
lard l.OOO Sheet Rolls and Nickel Fixture, or Eig-ht Stand- 
Bard l.OOO Sheet BoUs, Two rolls Medicated and Nickel 
Fixture on receipt of S3.OO. 



Our speciaUy prepared paper for the use of sufferers from 
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endorsement of physicians, in that the " regular application of 
recognized remedies" is accomplished through ''absence of 
the annoyance" attending 1 the use of ointment in the usual 
manner. . 

Pocket Packet, lOcts. Ten Packets and Neat Pocket Case, - $1.00 
Price per Roll of 1,000 Sheets securely wrapped in Tin Foil, .30 
Two 1,000 Sheet Rolls, and Nicklo Fixture, - - - - $i.a) 
Delivered. Free, anywhere in the United States, on receipt of 
price. Address. 



ALBANY PERFORATED WRAPPING PAPER Co. 



ALBANY. N.Y. 



[RAVELING REDUCED TO A FINE ART 



The Chicago and Northwestern Railway 

Relieves travelers by its lines of the discomforts usually incident to 
journeys by rail by adding to its track, train and depot equipment all 
known conveniences and comforts, and by arranging its train service 
so as to secure to passengers -. 

QUICK TIME and CLOSE CONNECTIONS 

in UNION DEPOTS with branch and connecting lines. It is the 

Great Through and Short Line 

between CHICAGO and MILWAUKEE, MADISON, WINONA, 

ST. PAUL, MINNEAPOLIS, CEDAR RAPIDS, COUNCIL 

BLUFFS, OMAHA, DENVER, SALT LAKE CITY, 

SAN FRANCISCO, PORTLAND, Oregon, 

And All Points in the West and Northwest. 

It runs 

Palatial Dining Cars, 

Palace Sleeping Cars, 

Superb Parlor Cars, and 

Elegant Day Coaches 

On its through trains. If destined for any point West, North or 
Northwest of Chicago, ask your nearest ticket agent for rates and 
tickets via the 

NORTHWESTERN. 



All information not obtainable from your local ticket agent will be 
cheerfully furnished on application to 

s. HAIR, 

General ; Passenger Agent, 

Chicago, III. 



3779 



UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 



44 889 072 



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UNIVERSITY OF CHIfl 



44 889 07 







ITY OF CHICAGO 



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