The Second to Seventh Sermon to His Majesty, Title page – To the reader
The seconde Sermon of Maister Hughe Latimer, whych he preached before the Kynges maiestie, wtin his graces Palayce at Westminster ye .xv. day of Marche. M.ccccc.xlix.
Cum gratia et Priuilegio ad Imprimendum solum.
To the Reader.
EVen as intimes past, al mē, which were honestly bente to the promoting of vertue and learnyng, foūd meanes, that the workes of worthy oratours, of famous and renoumed Philosophers, shuld be by ye, benefit of publishing, redemed from the tyrannye of obliuion, to the great and hygh profette of countryes, of commen wealthes, of empyres, and of assemblies of men: lykewyse ought we to fetche our presydente from those men, and suffer no worthi mōument to perysh, wherby any good may grow, either to the more godly admynystracyon of politik… and ciuyl affayres, or elles to the better establyshing of christian iudgment. Numa Pōpilius (who was inagured & created king of the Romaynes next after Romulus) was far more careful & busier in grounding of Idolatrus religion (as vponupon rytes, ceremonies, sacrifices and supersticions) then we are in promoting of christian religyon to the aduauncement of the glorye due to the omnipotent maiesty of God him selfe, who hath reuealed and vttered hys worde vntounto vsus by hys Prophetes, and laste of all by hys onelyonly begotten sonne Iesus Christ whereby he hath confyrmed our consciēce in a more perfect certenty of the truth, thē euer they were before. This Numa instituted an Archbyshop for the perseruyng of the Commentaries, contaynyng the solēpnities of their religion wyth manye other appendixes, vnited to the office of the high bishoppe. What do we? We hauehave suppressed. We hauehave wrastled wt fyre, and sworde not only to deface the wrytynges of suche learned mē as hauehave paynefully trauailled to publysh Gods word: but also we hauehave sturred eueryevery stone, & sought al deuelish deuises, to deteine yt same word of god itselfe frō his people. May not we (& not vnwortheli) be accōpted far vnderunder ye Ethenickes who wrought only by naturall mocyon & antipacyons, wythout breathinge and inspiring of the holy gost, if we woulde not (I meane not be equall wyth them) but be farre more zelous in promotyng good learning and religiō thē euer thei were. They, when thei had suche noble and worthy clerkes (as Socrates. Plato, and Aristotle) wt al diligence; caused ye frutes of those most rare and profound wittes, to be preserued for their posteritie, that the eyes of all generations myght enioye the fruicion and vse of them, thinking that such wōderfull vertues, shuld not be buried in ye same graue that theyr bodyes were. After so manifold and daungerous shyp wrackes of religiō, as in our tymes we may well remember, whereas the ambitious and blynde prelates (some of wily wilfulnes, some of grose ignorance) ruleth the sterne and euermore blemished the true knowledge of Goddes worde, and dyd theyr indeuour to obscure the same wyth their polytyke and decente ceremosies & trampery of supersticions. How oft hath religion bene tost on the stormy sourgis and daungerous rockes of the Romyshe seas? Howe oft hath it bene in such a desperate state, that the true mynysters hauehave bene inforsed (as you woulde say) to waye vp ancker (the tackling of the shyp beyng broken (and destytute of all other helpe and succoures to geue ouer the rulynge of the shyppe to God hym selfe, who is only able to saue, whē al ye world by mānes reasō iudgeth it past cure. Such (O Lord) is thy merciemercy and ineffable power: what cristē hert that fauoureth ye glory of God, did not euen lamente and bewaile the state of religiō, and thought verely the vtter ruine of Christes church to be at hād seing the late martirdome of those that suffered? Yet didest thou lord sturre vp thousandes out of their ashes, and what was done of a popysh polycye to suppresse and kepe vnderunder thy truth, that of al other, dyd most set forth the same. Thou hast deliuered Danyel out of the denne of the lyons, and he hath set fourth thy worde abroade, But now coūtremen, whō God hath blessed by deliuerynge you from the tirranny of the lions and her whelpes, (which wēt thorow the whole realme sucekyng the innocent bloude) how vnthanckfull are you vntounto God so greatlye neglectynge so specyall a benefyt, fallyng into suche a lousenes of lauicioouse liuing as the lyke hath neuer bene heard of hereto fore. Euē as ye are growne to a perfeccyō in knowlege so are ye come to a perfeccyō in al mychiefe. The Heathen, whych had no other guyde but the law of nature, grauen in the tables of their hart, were neuer so poysoned with the contagion of most horyble heresies, as some of vsus Christians which are not ashamed to brag and boste of the spirite. But it is a phanaticke spirite, a brainsicke spitite a sedicious & a malignante spirite. Christe breath his spirite vpō you yt ye may rede ye scripture wtih al humblenes and reuerēce, to fetch from thence comforte for youre wounded consciences, not to make that lyuely fountayne of lyfe to serue for the fedynge of your idle braines, to dyspute more subtellye thereby, or else by mysunderstandynge of the same to conceiue pernitious and annabaptistical opinions, Remember yt the seruaunte whiche knoweth hys maysters wyll and doeth it not shalbe beaten wyth many strypes. God is a good God, a mercyful God, a father whych beareth muche wyth our croked nature and vnchristyan behauiour, and very slote to reuenge hys blasphemie thys maitenaunce of so manye unscripturlye opinions, these brablynges and scismatyke cōtencions wherin a great packe of vsus delite and repose our glory, all though as fōdly, as eroniously, to ye great sclaunder of the godly learned, and also to the hynderaunce of the good successe & fre passage of the word of God. But as truly as god is God if we repēt not shortly, hys plages and vengaunce are not far of, hys indignacyon and wrathe shall be poured from heauen vponupon our vngodlynes. He is long a comming but when he coms be wil pay whome and (as Lacta…cius sayeth recompence hys long sufferance wyth greuouser punishmentes. The world and the deuil hath so bewitched vsus, yt we in our dedes (I feare we to manye of vsus) deny God to be God whatsoeuer we pittle pattle wt our tōges. Goddes word must not be talcked of only, for that is not inough) it muste be expressed. Then must we as welliue the worde as talke the worde, or else, if good lyfe do not ensue and folow vponupon our readynge to the example of other, we wyghte as wel spende that tyme in redyng of prophane hystories, of cantorburye tales, or a fit of Robyn Hode Let vsus ioyne good life wyth our readyng, and yet al wylbe to lyttle. Remember that the world and al that is in it, is mere vanitye, and shall hauehave an ende. Thou I say, yt thus abusest the gifte of Gods holy word, and the gratyousnes of the Kinges maiesty, whiche hath lycensed the to rede the same, for the comfort of thyne owne soule, for the instruction of thi famyly, the educacyon of thy childrē, and edifiyng of thy neyghbour. Thou that art so gorgiously apparelled, and feadeth thy corruptible carkasse so dayntely, thou that purchasest so fast, to the vtter vndoynge of the poore, consoider wherof thou camest, & wherunto thou shal returne. Wher is thē all thy pompe? where is al thy ruffe of thy gloriousnes become? What wyl thou saye for thy selfe in that horryble daye of iudgment, wher thou shalt stand naked before God, wher the tables of thyne owne conscyence shalbe opened and layed before thyne eyes to accuse the? Thou which reysest the rentes so gredely as thoughe thou shouldest neuer hauehave inough. Thy iudgemente is, throw miserable māmon, so captyuate & blind. that yu canst not tel when yu hast inough, or what is inough? Truly, alitle is to much for him yt knoweth not how to vse much well. Therfore learne first the vse of monie and riches, & some other honester means to attayne them, that thys thyne insaciable couetousnes and vnlawful desyryng of other mens goodes, maye be reduced to some reasonable measure, & that it do not excede the lymyttes or compasse of honesti, and the bōdes of brotherly louelove: lest God (before whom thou shalt appere one day, to render a straight accōptes, for the dedes done in thy flesh) burden and charge the wyth thy vnmerciful hand lyng of thy Tennant (but yet notwythstandyng thy brother (whom, wyth newe Incomes, fynes, inhauncyng of rentes, and suche lyke vnreasonable exactyons, thou pilles polles, & miserably oppresses. Whē that terrible day shall once come, a litle of Gods mercye wyll be worth a masse or a whole hepe of thy monei. Ther thi wicked Māmon, whom thou serueste like a slaue, can purchase the no mercy. There thy money so gleaned and gathered of the & thine (to the impouerishment of manye to make the only rych) can not preuaile the, nor yet redeme thy cause before that iuste & seuere iudge, which thē, & ther wil rēder to ye, the selfe same measure yt yu measureste to other men. What dyd we speke of preuaylynge, or redeming of thy cause wtth mony? Nay thē thy monei, & the roust of thy gold shall be a wytnes against ye & shal eate thy flesh as the fyre. Howe frantycke and folyshe myght al wyse men, wel iudge and deme him too be (which againste the daie of hys araignement when he should stād vpō the tryal of death and lyfe) woulde busy hym self, his folkes, and his frendes to prepare and get many witnesses agaynste hym to cast him awaye by theyr euidēce & witnes and to prouyde suche menne as shoulde be the onlye cause of hys deathe. Euen. So franctycke, so folysh art thou, whych doth toyle, trauayle, and turmoyle so ernestly and busylye aboute the gettynge of goodes and ryches, before thou haste wel learned & taken forth of the lesson, of well vsyng the same. Howbeit, trulye I doute much of the wel vsyng of that, which was neuer well nor truly gotten. Learne therfore first,Prouerb. xix. to know what is inough. For the wyse man sayth, it is better to hauehave a lytle wyth the fear of the Lorde, then great and insaciable ryches.Sophoni. i Sophonye sayth their golde shal not be able to delyuer thē in the day of the Lords wrath. Let your conuersacion be without couetousnes, & be cōtent wt that ye hauehave alredy,i. Hebre. iii. Godlines is a gret ryches, if a man be content wyth suche as God sendes. For we brought nothyng into thys world,i. Timoth. vii neither shal we carry anye thyng out. When we hauehave foode and raymente, let vsus therwith be content. Behold thy Scholemaster Paul teaches the heare a good lesson. Here thou mayst learne wel inough, to know what is inough. But lest thou shouldest feare at any time, the want or lacke of thys inoughe. Here father the rest of thy lessō. For god verely saith. The Lorde is myne helpper, I wyll not feare what man doeth to me. If the reuenues and yerely Rentes of thy patrymonye and landes, be not inough, nor sufffcient for thi finddyng, and wil not suffice thy charges, then moderate thyne expences, borrow of thy two next neighboures, that is to say of thy backe and thi belly. Learne to eat with in thy teather. Pul downe thy sayle. Saye downe proud hert. Mayntayn no greater port, then thou art able to bear out and support of thyne owne prouision, Put thy hād no further then thy sleue will reache. Lut thy cloth after thi measure. Kepe thi house after the spending. Thou must not pil and polle thy Tenante, that thou mayest hauehave (as thei sai) Vnde, & that thy neuer inough to ruffull it out in a riotus ruffe, and a prodigal, disolute, and licenciouse liuing. We reade in the scripture geue to eueryevery man his dutye, tribute, to whom tribute belongeth, custome, to whome Custome, is due feare to whom feare belongeth honoure to whome honoure partayneth. But we finde not there, nor elles where, fynes to whom fines, incomes to whom incomes. Paulle was not acquainted with none of those termes. Belike they were not vsed and come vp in his time, or else he would hauehave made menciō of them. Yeat not with standyng, we deny not but these reasonably required & vpō honest couenātes & cō tractes, are ye more tolleraable, & so vsed, so maye be permitted. But the couenaūtes & ye cōtractes we remit to the godly wisdom of the hie magistrates,Esay. …. who (we pray god) may take such order and direction in thys, and al other, yt the cōmō people may be releaued & eased of manye importable charges and iniures, whych many of them, cō trary to al equitie and ryght, sustaine. But wo worth this couetousnesse, not without skyll called the root of all euyll. If couetousnes were not, we thinke many things amisse should shortelye be redressed. She is a mighty Matrō a Lady of great power. She hath reteyned moo seruaūtes thē any Lady hath in Englande, But marke howe well in fyne she hath rewarded her seruantes: and lerne to be wyse by another mās harme. Acham by the commaundemente of God, was stoned to death, because he toke of the excōmunicate goodes.Deutro. xvii. Saul moued wyth couetousnes dissobeied goddes worde, reseruinge the Kyng, Agag and a parsell of the fatteste of the cattle, & lost his kyngdome therby. Gehize was strycken wyth leaprosy and all hys posteritie, because he toke money and raymente of Naaman. The rich and vnmerciful gloton, which fared well and deyntely euerie day, was buried in hel, and ther he taketh nowe such fare as the deuil him selfe doth Woo be to you, that ioyne house to house, and feelde to feeld: shal ye alone inhabyte the pearth? Let these terrible exāples suffyce at thys presente, to teach, and admonysh, the inhaunser of Rentes, the vnresonable exactour and gredye requirer of fienes and incomes, the couetouse lease monger, the douourer of townes and contries as. M. Latimer tearmeth them rightly. If these scriptures (whyche they maye rede in these godly sermons do not pearse their stony hertes (we feare) more wyl not serue The Lord be mercyful to them. But nowe the wycked Iudge, whiche corrupteth iustyce for Brybes heer he maye learne also the lesson that Moses taughte long before this tyme,Iosue. vii. ye magistrates & Iudges in the common wealth of Israell be no accepters of personnes neyther be desyreous of giftes, for they make wyse men blind, and chaunge the mynde of the ryghtuouse.i. To the kinges. xv. In iudgement be mercyfull to the faitheles,Ecclesiastical xilti. Prouer▪ xvii. as a father, & be in stead of an husband vntounto theyr mother. The vngodly taketh gifts out of the bosom, to wrast the waies of iudgment, Let him that rules be deligēt sayth Paul. What meaneth he by thys terme, diligēt? He requyres no such diligence, as the most part of our lucratiue lawyers do vse, in dyfferryng and prolōging of matters, and accyons from. Terme to Terme and in the tractynge, of tyme in the same. Whear perchaūce the tytle or the ryght of the matter myght hauehave come to lyght, and bene tryed longe before if the Lawyers & the Iudges would hauehave vsed such diligēce as Paule would hauehave them to do, But what care ye lawyers for Paul? Paul was but a mad man of lawe to controlle thē for their diligence. Paull, yea & Peter to, coulde better skil of mending of an olde net, of clouting of an old tent, thē to teach lawiers what diligence they should vse in the expediciō of matters. Whi? but be not lawiers diligent say ye? Yea truly are thei about their own profit ther are no more diligēter mē nor busier persōs in al Englād They trudg in ye tearme time to & fro. Thei applye the world hard. They forslow no tyme. They folow Assises and Sessiōs, Letes. Lawdaies and Hūdredes. They shuld serue the kyng but they serue them selues. And how thei vse (nay rather abuse) their office in the same, some good manne wyll tell theym thereof. We lacke a fewe moo Latymers, a fewe moo suche Preachers. Such playne Pasquyls, we pray God prouide for vsus, yt will kepe nothing backe. Of the whych sort and numbre, we may most worthely recken thys faythful minister of …od, and constant Preacher of hys word Master Hugh Latymer, which by his perseueraunce, & stedfastnes in the truth, hath stablished this waueryng worlde. He hath bene tost for the truthes saked, and tried wt the stormes of persecutyon, as golde in the fornace. He is one, whom, as well for hys learned, sounde, and chatholyke iudgment, in the knoledge of Goddes worde, as for hys integrety and example of christian cōuersacyon, all we & (specially ministers and prelates) ought to set before oure eyes, as a principall patrone to imytate & follow, desyrynge God, who hath styrred vp in hym the bold spirite of Helias, may dayly more and more augment the same in him, & may also prouide manye such preaching prelates, which both so wel could, & so willyngly wold frākely vtter the truth to the extollinge of vertue, to the rewarde of well doers, the suppressyng of vyce, the abolyshmente of all papestrie. It is oure parte therefore to praye diligently for hys cōtinuall health and that he may liue long among vsus in a florishing old age, and not (as some in grate & inhumayne persons) to maligne & depraue him for yt he so frākly & liberally taxed, perstringed, & opēly rebuked before the Kinges Mayestie ye peculiar faults of certaine of hys auditours, but it is our part, rather thākefully to accepte in good parte take his godly aduertisemēt onles we be mynded to prefer our mucky monye & false felicitie before ye ioyse of heauē, or els beleue (as yt Epecures do) that after this life ther is neither hel nor heauē. Receiue thākfully (gē tlereader) these sermonnes faith fully colected wt out al sinistre suspicion of any thyng in the same added or adēpt
FINIS
☞ The ▪xxi. day of Iune☜