The Second to Seventh Sermon to His Majesty, Sermon 6
The seuenth Sermon of Mayster Hughe Latymer, whych he preached before the Kinges Maiestie within his graces Palayce at Westminster the xix.. daye of Apryll.
QVecunque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt. Al thinges that be writen, thei be writē to be our doctrine. By occasiō of this text (most honorable audiēce) I hauehave walked thys Lente in the brode filde of scripture and vsed my libertye, & intreated of suche matters as I thoughte, mete for this auditory. I hauehave had a do wyth many estates euen wyth the hyghest of all▪ I hauehave entreated of the dutye of Kynges, of the dutye of magestrates, and Iudges, of the dutye of prelates, alowyng that yt is good & disalowyng the contrary. I hauehave taught that we are all synners,Al are sinners & hauehave offēdid he that is best may wel be amendyd. I thinke there is none of vsus al, neither preacher, nor hearer but we maye be amended, and redresse oure lyues, We maye all saye, yea all the packe of vsus, peccauimus cum patribus nostris. We hauehave offēded & sinned wt our forefathers. In multis offendimus omnes. There is none of vsus all, but we hauehave in sondry thinges greuously offended almyghtye God. I here intreated of manye fautes and rebuked manye kyndes of synnes. I intende to daye by Goddes grace, to shew you the remedy of synne. We be in the place of repentaunce, nowe is the tyme to cal for mercy, whyles we be in this worlde.The remedye of synne. We be all synners, euen the best of vsus all. Therefore it is good to here the remedy of synne. This day is comonlye called good Fryday, although eueri daye ought to be wyth vsus good fryday, Yet thys day we ar accustomed specially to hauehave a commemoratiō and remembraunce of the passion of our sauiour Iesu Christ. This daye we hauehave in memory hys bytter Passion and death, whych is the remedy of our syn. Therefore, I intend to intreate of a pece of a story of hys passion. I am not able to intreate of all. That I maye do, that the better, and that it maye bee to the honour of God & ye edification of youre soules and myne both, I shal desyre you to praye &c. In thys prayer, I wyll desyre you to remember the soules departed, wyth laudes and prayse to almightie God, that he woulde vouchsafe to assyste them at the hour of their death In so doynge, you shalbe putte in remembraunce to praye for youre selues, that it maye please GOD to assyste and comforte you in the agonies and paynes of death.
The place that I wyll intreate of is in the .xxvi. Chapiter,xx.vi. of Mat Luke. xxii. Marke. xilii. of Saynct Mathewe, Howe be it, as I intreate of it I wyll borrowe parte of Sayncte Marke and saynct Luke, for they hauehave somwhat, that saynct Mathew hath not, and especiallye Luke. The texte is, Tunc cū uenisset Iesus in uillam que dicitur gethsemani. then whē Iesus cāe, some hauehave in nillō some in agrum, some in prediū, But it is allone, whē Chryst came in to a Graūg, into a peace of lād, into a felde, it makes no matter, call it what he wyll: at what tyme he had come into an honeste mans house, and there eaten hys pascall lambe, and instituted and celebrated the lordes supper, and sette furth the blessed communion, then when thys was done, he toke his way to the place, where he knewe Iudas woulde come. It was a solitarye place and thyther he wente wt hys leauen Apostles. For Iudas the twelfte was aboute his busines,Iudas did not slepe nor forslowth his busines. he was occupied aboute his marchaundyse, and was prouydyng amōg the byshoppes and preistes, to come with an imbushement of Iewes to take our sauiour Iesu christ.
And when he was come into this feeld, or graunge, this village, or ferme place, whych was called Gethsemani,Christ left .viii of his Disciples wythout the garden appoyntynge them what to do the whiles he went to praye. there was a Garden sayth Luke, into the whych he goeth, & leues .viii. of hys disciples wtout, howbeit he appoynted thē what they shold do. He saith. Sedete hic, donec nadā il luc, et orē. Sit you here whiles I go yonder and pray. He told thē that he went to pray, to monysh thē what they should do, to fall to praier as he dyd. He lefte thē there, & toke no more with hym but .iii. Peter, Iames, and Ihō,A solitarye …lace is mete for prayer. to teach vsus that a solitari place is mete for prayer. Then when He was come into thys garden, cepit expauescere. He begā to trimble, in so much he sayed, Tristis est anima mea vsque ad mortē. Mi soule is heauye and pensyue, euen vntounto death.A notable place to remē bre christes doynges for vsus. Thys is a notable place, and one of the moste especiall and chefest of al that be in the story of the passiō of Christ. Here is oure remedye. Here we muste hauehave in consideracion, all hys doynges, and sayinges, for oure learnynge, for our edificacion, for oure comforth, and consolation.
Christ dyd appoynt his thre Disciples to an order.Fyrst of al he set hys thre Disciples that he toke wyth him in an order, and toulde them what they shoulde do, sayinge. Sedete hic et uigilate mecum et orate.
Syt here, & praye that ye enter not into tēptaciō, but of that I wil entreate afterward. Now when he was in ye garden, cepit ex pauescere He began to be heauye, pensiue, heauye herted. I lyke not Oregenes plaing with this word cepit, it was a perfect heauines it was suche a one as was neuer sene the greater,Howe doctours are to be estemed. it was not only ye beginninge of a sorow. These doctours, we hauehave greate cause to thanke God for thē, but yet I wold not hauehave thē alwayes to be allowed. They hauehave handled many pointes of our fayth very godly, & we may hauehave a greate staie in thē in manye thinges, we mighte not wel lacke thē, but yet I woulde not hauehave mē to be sworne to thē, and so adicte as to take hande ouer hed whatsoeuer they say, it were a great inconuenience so to do Well, let vsus go forwarde. He toke Peter, Iames and Iohn into this garden. And why dyd he take them wyth hym, rather then other? marye those that he had taken before, to whom he had reueled in the hil, the transfiguracyon and declaracyon of hys deytye, to se the reuelacyon of the maiestie of hys Godhede: nowe in the garden he reueled to the same the infirmitye of his manhode, because they had tasted of the swete, he would they shoulde tast also of the sower. He toke these wyth hym at both tymes, for two or three is ynoughe to beare witnes. And he began to be heauy in hys mind. He was greatlye vexed wythin hym selfe, he was sore aflycted, it was a great heauines, he had bene heauye manye tymes before, and he had suffered greate afflictions in hys soule, as for the blyndenes of the Iewes, and he was lyke to suffer mo panges of payne in hys bodye. But thys pange was greater then anye he euer suffered, yea, it was a greater tormente vntounto hym, I thynke a greater payne then when he was hanged on the crosse, then when the stower nayles were knocked and dryuen throughe hys handes and fete, then when the sharpe crowne of thornes was thruste on hys head. Thys was the heauines and pensiuenes of hys hearte, the agony of the spirite. And as the soule is more precious then the bodye: euen so is the paine of ye soule is more greuous then the paynes of the body. Therfore ther is another whiche writeth. horror mortis graui or ipsa morte. The horrour & vgsomnes of death is sorer then death it self. This is ye most greuous payne, that euer christ suffered, euen this pange, that he suffered in the gardē. It is the most notable place one of thē in the whole storie of ye passiō, whē he sayed. Anima me a tristis est vsque ad mortem. My soule is heauy to death. And cum cepisset expauescere and when he began to quyuer, to shake. The greuousnes of it is declared by hys prayer that he made.
Pater sipossibile est etc. Father if it be possible, a waye wt thys cup, rid me of it. He vnderstode by this cup, his paynes of death. For he knewe wel inough yt his passion was at hand, that Iudas was come vponupon hym wyth the Iewes to take him. There was offered vntounto hym nowe the Image of death, the Image, the sence the, ye felynge of hell, for death and hell go both to gether. I wyll entreate of thys Image of hell, whyche is death. Truelye no manne can shewe it perfectlye yet, I wyl do the best I can to make you vnderstād the greuouse panges that oure Sauyoure Chryste was in, whē he was in the garden, as mans power is not able to beare it, so no mās tonge is able to expresse it. Paynters painte death lyke a man wtout skin, & a body hauyng nothyng but bones, And hel they painte wt, horible flames brēning fier, they bungell some what at it they come nothinge nere it But thys is no true payntynge. No paynter can paynte hel vnlesse he coulde paynte the torment and condemnatyon both of body and soule, ye possession & hauyng of all in feliticie. Thys is hel, this is ye Image of death, this is hell, such an euyl fauoured face, such an vgsome countenaunce, suche an horrible vysage our sauiour Christ sawe of death and hell in the garden. There is no pleasure in beholdynge of it, but more payne thē any tounge can tell. Death and hell toke vntounto them thys euyll fauoured face of synne, and thorough synne. Thys synne is so hyghlye hated of Gode, that he doth pronounce it worthy to be punished wyth lacke of alfelycitie, wyth the fealyng of infelicitie. Death and hell be not only the wages, the reward, ye stipēd of sin, but they are brought into ye world by sinne, per peccatū mors sayth S. Paule, throughe synne deathe entered into the world. Moses sheweth the fyrst cōminge in of it into the world: Where as our fyrst father Adā was set at libertie to lyue for euer, yet God inhibytynge hym from eatynge of the Apple, told hym, If thou meddle wyth this fruite, thou & all thy posteritye shall fal into necessitie of death from euer lyuynge, morte morieris. thou and all thy posteritye shal be subiecte to deathe, here came in death and hell. Synne was their mother. Therefore they must hauehave suche an Image as their mother sinne woulde geue them. An vgsome thinge and an horrible Image muste it nedes be that is broughte in by such a thing so hated of God, yea, this face of death and hell is so terryble, that suche as hath bene wycked men hade rather be hā ged than abyde it.The example of Achitophel whych hāged hym selfe. As Achytophell that trayroure to Dauid lyke an ambycyouse wretche thought to hauehave come to hygher promocyon, and therefore cōspired with Absolon agaynst hys master Dauid. He, when he sawe hys counsayle toke no place, goes and hanges hym selfe, in contemplacion of thys euil fauoured face of death. Iudas also when he came wyth pushementes to take hys maister Chryst in beholdynge thys horrible face, hanged hym selfe.
Yea the electe people of God, the faythfull hauinge the beholdynge of thys face, (though God hath alwayes preserued them, suche a good God he is to them that beleue in hym, that he wyll not suffer them to be tempted aboue that, that they hauehave bene able to beare) yet for all that, there is nothynge that they complaine more sore then of thys horrour of death. Go to Iob. What sayeth he?Iob cursed ye day of hys death whē he did inwardly behold ye horrour of death Pereat dies in quo natus sum, suspendiū elegit anima mea. Wo worth ye day that I was borne in, my soule wolde be hanged, saying in his panges almooste he wyste not what. Thys was when wyth the eye of hys conscience, and the inwarde man he be helde the horrour of death and hel, not for any bodylye payne that he suffered, for when he hadde byles, botches, blaynes, and scabbes, he suffered them pacientlye, he coulde saye then: Si bona suscepi de manu Domini. &c.
If we hauehave receyued good thynges of God, why shoulde we not suffer likewyse euyll?Why Iob was vexed. It was not for any suche thynge, that he was so vexed, but the syght of thys face of death and hel, was offered to hym so lyuely that he wolde hauehave bene oute of thys worlde. It was thys euyl fauored face of death that so troubled hym. Kynge Dauid also sayed, in contemplaciō of thys vgsome face. Laboraui in gemitu meo. I hauehave bene sore vexed with sighyng & mourning. Turbatus est a furore oculus meus. Myne eye hath bene greatlye troubled in my rage. A straun… thynge, when he had to fyghte wyth Goliath that monstrous giante,Dauid feared not Goliath the monstrous gyant but he feareth death. who was able to hauehave eaten hym, he coulde a byde hym, & was nothynge a frayed and now what a worcke? what exclamacions makes he at the syghte of death?Ionas feared not ye sea but he feared death. Ionas lykewyse was bold inoughe, to byd the shypmen cast hym into the sea, he had not yet sene that face and vysage, but when he was in the Whales belly, and had there the beholdynge of it, what terror and distresse abode he? Ezechias whē he sawe Senacherib beseigynge hys citye on euerye syde most violentlye,Ezechias feared not the mighty Army of Senacherib but he feared death. was nothynge a frayde of the greate hoste and myghtye army that was lyke to destroye hym oute of hande, yet he was a frayed of deathe. When the Prophet came vntounto hym, and sayed:iiij. of the kynges the .xx. Dispone domini tue, morte morieris, et non vines.
It stroke him so to the harte that he fel a wepynge. O Lord what an horror was this? Ther be some writers that sayes that Peter, Iames and Ihon, were in thys felynge at the same tyme and that Peter when he sayed: Exi a me domine quia homo peccator sū. Did tast some part of it he was so astonyshed, he wist not what to saye. It was not longe that they were in thys anguyshe, some sayes longer, some shorter but Chryst was readye to comforte them, and sayed to Peter.
Ne timeas, Be not afraied. A frēd of myne tolde me of a certayne woman, that was .xviii. yeares to gether in it.Ly…le … the … had wo…full cō … in his … ▪ I knewe a man my self Bilney, litle Bilnei, that blessed martyr of GOD, what tyme he had borne hys fagott, and was come agayne to Cambrydge hadde suche conflyctes, wythin hym selfe, beholdynge thys Image of death, that hys frendes were a frayed to lette hym be alone, they were fayne to be wyth hym daye and nyght, and comforted hym as they coulde, but no comfortes woulde serue. As for the comfortable places of scripture to brynge theym vntounto hym, it was as though a man woulde runne hym throughe the herte wyth a sweard. Yet afterwarde all thys he was reuiued, & toke his death pacientlye,Byluey toke hys death paciently. and dyed wel against the Tirannical sea of Rome. Wo, wil be to that byshoppe that had the examynacyon of hym, if he repented not. Here is a good lesson for you my fryendes. If euer ye come indaunger, induraunce, in pryson for godes quarrell. and hys sake, (as he dyd for purgatorye matters,A god leasson for suche as are in pryson for ye wordes sake. and put to beare a fagot for preachynge the true worde of God agaynste pilgremage and suche lyke matters) I wyl aduyse you fyrst & aboue al thing to abiure al your fryendes, all your frindeshipe, leaue not one vnabiured, it is they that shall vndo you, and not your ennemyes. It was his very friendes, that brought Bylnye to it. By this it maye somewhat appere what oure sauyour Christe suffered, he doeth not dissemble it hym selfe,Chryst was in Agonye. when he sayth, my soule is heauye to death, he was in sosore an Agony, that there issued out of hym as I shal entreate anone, droppes of bloud, and vgsome thing suerly, whiche his fact and dede sheweth vsus, what horrible paynes he was in for oure sakes. But you wyll saye, howe can thys be? It were possible that I and suche other,An answer to an obiectyon concernyng Chrystes affliction & tormentyng. as be greate synners shoulde suffer suche afflictiō. The sonne of God, what oure Sauioure Christe? neuer synned, howe can thys stande that he shoulde be thys handeled? he neuer deserued it. Mary I wyl tell you how we must consider oure Sauiour Christe two wayes, one way in hys mā hode, a nother in his Godhed. Some places of scripture must be referred to hys deitie, and some to his humanitie.Christ suffred nothyng in hys godhed. In hys godhed he suffered nothynge, but nowe he made hym selfe voide of hys deity, as scripture sayth.
Cū esset in forma dei exinaniuit seipsum.
Where as he was in the forme of God, he emptyed hym selfe of it, he dyd hyde it, and vsed him selfe as though he had not had it, he woulde not helpe hym selfe wyth hys godhede, he humbled him selfe with al obedience vntounto death, euen to the death of the crosse thys was in y• he was mā,How Chryst toke vpō him our synnes. he toke vponupon hym our synnes, our synnes, not the worcke of synnes. I meane not so, not to do it, not to commyt it, but to purge it, to cleanse it, to beare the stypende of it,Whych way Chryst was ye greate synner of the whole world. and that waye he was the great synner of the worlde, he bare all the synne of the worlde on hys backe, he woulde become detter for it.
Nowe to sustayne and suffer the doloures of death, is not to synne, but he came into thys worlde, wyth hys passyon to purge our synnes. Nowe thys that he suffered in the Gardaine is on,Chrystes sufferyng in the garden was one of the bytterest peces of al his passion of the bittrest peces of al hys passyon, thys feare of death was the byttereste payne that euer he a bode, dewe to syn which he neuer did, but became detter for vsus. Al this he suffer for vsus, thys he dyd to satissefye for our synnes. It is much like as if I oughte another mā .xx. M. poūdes,He declares what Chryst dyd for vsus by a similitude. and shulde paye it out of hande, or elles go to the dungen of ludgate, and whē I am goynge to pryson, one of my friēdes should come, & aske, whether goeth thys mā? And after he had harde the matter, shulde saye, let me aunswere for hym, I wylbe come suertye for hym. Yea, I wyll paye all for hym Suche a parte played our sauiour Christe wyth vsus. If he had not suffered thys, I for my part shoulde hauehave suffered, accordynge to the grauitie and quā titie of my synnes, damnacion. For the greater the synne is,The greatter the synne is, the greater is the payne. the greater is the punyshement in hell. He suffered for you and me in suche a degre, as is dewe to al ye sīnes of the whole world. It was as if you woulde immagin that one man had commytted al the synnes since Adā, you maye be sure he shoulde be punished wyth the same horrour of death in suche a sorte as al men in the worlde shoulde hauehave suffered. Feyne & put case our sauyour Christe, had cōmitted al the sinnes of the world, al that I for my parte hauehave done, al that you for youre parte hauehave done, and that anye manne elles hath done, if he hade done all thys him self, his agony that he suffered shoulde hauehave bene no greater nor greuouser, then it was. This that he suffered in the garden was a portion I say of hys passiō & one of the bitterest partes of it.His suffering in the garden was bytter & paynfull. And this he suffered for oure synnes and not for anye synnes that he had commytted hym selfe, for al we should hauehave suffered eueryevery man accordynge to his owne desertes.
This he dydde of his goodnes,Why Chryst suffred suche paynes in the garden. partelye to purge and cleanse our synnes, partlye, because he would tast, & fele our myseries, Quo posset succurrere nobis. that he should the rather helpe and relieue vsus, and partly he suffered to geue vsus example, to be hauehave our selues as he dyd. He dyd not suffer, to discharge vsus clene frō death, to kepe vsus cleane, frō it,All men shall behold the vgsome face of death. not to tast of it. Nay nay, you muste not take it so. We shall hauehave the beholding of this vgsome face eueryevery one of vsus, we shal fele it our selues. Yet oure sauiour Christ dyd suffer, to the entente, to sygnifye to vsus, that death is ouercomable.How we shal ouercome death. We shal in dede ouercome it, yf we repente, and acknowledge that our sauiour Iesu Christe pacifyed with his panges and paynes the wrath of the father, hauynge a louelove to walke in the wayes of God, yf we beleue in Iesus Christ, we shal ouercome death, I say, it shal not preuaile agaynst vsus. Wherfor wherso? euer it chaunseth the my frende, to hauehave the tastynge of thys death,What is to be done when the horrour of death comes. that thou shalte be temted wyth thys horror of deathe, what is to be done then? when soeuer thou felest thy soule heauy to death, make haste, and resorte to this gardaine, and with thys faith thou shalt ouercome thys terrour when it commeth. Oh it was a greuous thynge, that Chryste suffered here. Oh the greatnes of his dolour that he suffered in the gardē,Why Chryst suffred suche payn in the garden. partlye to make amēdes for our sinnes, and partly to delyuer vsus from deathe, not so, that we shoulde not dye bodylye, but that thys death should be away to a better lyfe, and to destroye and ouercome hell. Oure Sauyoure Chryst had a gardayne, but he had littel pleasure in it. You hauehave many goodly gardaynes, I wold you would in the myddes of theym cōsyder what agonye our sauyoure Chryst suffred in hys gardayne.A meditation for vsus in oure gardaynes. A goodly meditacion to hauehave in youre gardaines. It shal occasyon you to delight no farther in vanities but to remēbre what he suffr… for you. It maye drawe you from synne? It is a good monumente, a good sygne, a good monycyon to consyder howe he be haued him selfe in this garden.
Well he sayeth to hys Discyples. Sytte here and praye wyth me. He wente a lytle way of, as it were a stones cast from them, and falles to hys prayer, and saieth: Pater si possible est transe at a me calix iste.
Father if it be possyble. Awaye wyth thys bytter cuppe thys outragious payne. Yet after he correctes him selfe, and sayes: Veruntamen u…u sicut ego volo sed sicut tu vis.
Not my wyll but thy wyll be done O father. Here is a good medytacyon for Chrysten menne, at all tymes, and not onelye vponupon good fryday,EueryEvery daye should be good fryday to a Chrysten man. lette good fryday be euerye day to a Christian manne to knowe, to vse hys passyon to that ende and purpose, not to reade the storye, but to take the fruyte of it.
Some menne if they hadde bene in thys agonye, woulde hauehave rūne them selues through with theyr sweardes as Saule dyd,i. Samu. xxxi some woulde hauehave hangged theym selues,ij. Samu. xvij as Achitophell dyd.
Lette vsus not folowe these menne, they be no examples for vsus, but lette vsus folowe Christe, whyche in hys agonye resorted to hys father wyth hys praier. This must be our patrone to worck by. Here I might dilate the matter as touchynge prayinge to Saynctes,We muste pray to God & not to saynctes. here we maye learne not to praye to Saynctes. Christe byddes vsus, Ora patrem qui est in celis.
Praye to thy father that is in heauen, to the creator, and not to any creature. And therfore awaye wyth these auowryes. Let god alone be oure auowry, what hauehave we to do to runne hither or thither, but onelye to the father of heauen? I wyl not tarye to speake of thys matter. Our Sauiour Chryste set hys disciples in an ordre and commaunded theym to watch, and praye, sayinge: Vigilate et orate.
Whatch and praye. Wherto shoulde they watche and pray? he sayeth by and by:Why the discyples were commanded to pray. Ne intretis in tentationem That ye enter not into temptacion. He byddes them not, praye that they be not tempted, for that is as muche to say, as to prai that we should be out of thys world. Ther is no man in thys worlde wythout temptacion. In the tyme of prosperyte we are tempted to wantonnes, pleasures, and all lyghtnes, in tyme of aduersyte to dispayre in goddes goodnes. Tēptacion neuer ceasses.
Ther is a difference betwene beynge tempted and entrynge into temptacion.A dyfference betwene being tempted & entryng into temptacion. He byddes therfore not to praye that they be not tempted, but that they enter not into temptacion. To be tempted is no euyll thynge.
For what is it? no more then when the fleshe, the diuell and the worlde doeth solycyte and moue vsus agaynst God.
To geue place to these suggestions, and to yelde oure selues, and suffer vsus to be ouer comme of theym,To entre into temptacion thys is to enter into temptacyon. Our sauyoure Christe knewe that they shoulde be greuously tempted and therfore he gaue them warnynge,The apostles were warned of theyr temptacion. that they shoulde not geue place to temptacyon, nor dyspayre at hys death. And yf they chaunched to forsake hym, or to runne awaye, in case they tripped or swarued, yet to come agayne.
But oure Sauiour Chryste dyd not onelyonly commaunde hys dyscyples to praye, but fell downe vponupon hys knees flat vppon the grounde & prayed hym selfe,Chryste dyd praye in hys agonye. sayinge: Pater si fieri potest transeat a me calix iste Father, delyuer me of this pange and paine that I am in, thys outragyous payne▪ This word, father, came euen from the bowels of hys harte, when he made hys mone, as who shoulde saye, father ryd me, I am in suche payne that I can be in no greater? Thou art my father, I am thy sonne Can the father, forsake hys sōne in suche anguishe? Thus he made hys mone. Father take a waye this horrour of death frō me, ryd me of thys payne, suffer me not to be takē whan Iudas comes, suffer me not to be hanged on the crosse, suffer not my hādes to be perced wyth nayles nor my harte wyth the sharpe speare. A wonderfull thynge, that he shoulde so oft tel his discyples of it before, and nowe when he commeth to the poynte, to desyre to be rydde of it, as thoughe he woulde hauehave bene disobedient to the wyl of his father. Afore he sayede, he came to suffer, and nowe he sayes, a way wyth thys cuppe. Who woulde hauehave thoughte that euer thys geare should hauehave come oute of Chrystes mouthe? What a case is this? What shuld a man say? You muste vnderstande, that Christe tooke vponupon hym our infyrmities,Chryst toke vponupon hym all our infirmyties, except syn. of the whyche thys was one, to be sorye at deathe. Amonge the styppendes of synne, thys was one, to trymble at the crosse, thys is a punyshement for oure synne.
It goeth otherwayes wyth vsus, thē wyth Christe, yf we were in lyke case, and in like agony. almost we woulde curse God, or rather wyshe that there were no God. Thys that he sayed, was not of that sorte, it was referrynge the matter to the wyll of hys father, but we seke by al meanes be it righte, be it wrong of oure owne nature to be ryd out of payne, he desyred it condicionally, as it myghte stande, wyth hys fathers wyll, addyng a Veruntamen to it.
So his request was to shewe the infyrmytye of man, here is now an example what we shal do, when we are in lyke case.
An example for vsus when we arr tēptedHe neuer deserued it, we hauehave. He had a Veruntamen, a notwythstandynge, let vsus hauehave so to, we muste hauehave a neuertheles, thy wyll be done and not myne.
Geue me grace to be contente to submitte my wyl vntounto thyne. Hys facte teacheth vsus what to do. Thys is our surgerye, oure physyke,Whē we are in Agonye what phisyck we shuld vse. when we be in Agonye, And reken vponupon it frendes, we shal come to it, we shal feele it, at one tyme or an other.
What does he nowe? what came to passe nowe, when he had harde no voyce? hys father was domme.
He resortes to hys frēdes, seking some cōfort at theyr hādes seynge he hade none at hys fathers hande, he comes to hys disciples. and fyndes them a slepe, he spake vntounto Peter & saied. Ah Peter arte thou a slepe, Peter before had bragged stoutly as thoughe he woulde hauehave kylled, God hauehave mercye vponupon hys soule. And nowe when he shoulde hauehave comforted Christ, he was a slepe, not once buffe, nor baffe to him, not a worde, he was fayne to saye to hys dyscyples: Vigilate et orate, Watche & pray, the spirit is ready, but the fleshe is weake, he had neuer a worde of them agayne. They myght at the leste hauehave sayed. Oh Syr remember your selfe, are you not Chryst? came not you into thys world, to redeme synne? be a good cheare, be a good comforth, this sorowe wyl not healpe you, comforte youre selfe by your owne preachynge you hauehave sayed: Oportet filium hominis pati, You hauehave not deserued any thing, it is not your faulte. In dede yf they had done thys wyth hym, they had played a frendlye parte wyth hym, but they gaue hym not so muche as one comfortable worde. We ronne to our frendes in our dystresses & Agonyes, as though we had al our truste and confydence in theym, he dyd not so, he resorted to theim, but trusted not in theym, we wyll ronne to our frendes and come no more to God, he returned agayn.
What? shall we not resorte to oure frendes in tyme of nede? and trowe ye we shall not fynde them a slepe? yes I warrante you, and when we nede theyr helpe moste, we shal not hauehave it. But what shal we do, when we shall fynde lacke in theym? we wyll crye out vponupon theym, vpbrayde them, chyde, braule, fume, chaufe & backebite them. But Chryst dyd not so, he excused hys fryendes, sayinge: Vigilate et orate spiritus quidē prōptus est, caro autem infirma. Oh (quouth he) watch and pray, I se wel the spirite is ready, but the fleshe is weake. What meaneth this? suerelye it is a comfortable place. For as longe as we lyue in thys worlde, when we be at the best, we hauehave no more but. Promptitudinem spiritus cum infirmitate carnis, The redynesse of the spirite with the infirmite of the flesh. The verye Saynctes of God sayed: Velle adest mihi, My wyl is good,Roma. vij. but I am not able to performe it, I hauehave benewith some, and fayne they woulde, fayne they woulde, there was redines of spirite, but it woulde not be. It greued thē that they coulde not take thynges, as they should do.
The fleshe resysteth the worcke of the holy Gost in oure hertes, and lettes it, lettes it.How ye fleshe resistis. m.C. wisheth prayer to be vsed. We hauehave to praye euer to God O prayer, praier, that it myght be vsed in thys Realme as it oughte to be of all menne, and specyallye of Magystrates, of Counsaylers, of greate Rulers, to praye, to praye, that it woulde please God to putte Godly policies in their hertes. Call for asystaunce. I hauehave heard say, whē that good quene that is gon had ordeined in her house, dayly prayer both before none,The admiral was a contempner of cōm… praier and after none, the admyral gettes hym out of the waye, lyke a moule diggynge in the earth, He shalbe Lottes wyfe to me as long as I lyue. He was a couetous man an horrible couetous manne, I woulde there were no mo in Englād. He was an ambicious man. I woulde there were no mo in Englande. He was a sedicious man, a contemnar of commune prayer, I would there were no mo in Englād, he is gone, I wolde he had lefte none behind him, Remēber you my lordes, that you pray in your houses to the better mortification of your fleshe. Remember god must be honored,He wylleth thē to praye. I wyl you to praye that God wyl continew his spirit in you. I do not put you in comfort, that yf ye hauehave once the spirite, ye cannot lose it,New spirites lately start vp. Ther be new spirits start vp now of late, that saye after we hauehave receyued the spyryt, we cannot synne. I wyll make but one argument. Saynct Paule had broughte the Galathyans to the professyon of the fayth, & lefte theym in that state, they had receiued the spirit once but they synned agayne, as he testifyed of theym hym selfe. He saieth: …urrebatis bene. Ye were once in a ryght state, and agayne. Recepistis spiritū ex operibus legis, an ex iusticia fidei? Once they had the spirit by faith, but false Prophetes came (when he was gone frō thē) & they plucked them cleane away frō al that Paul had plā ted thē in, & thē said Paul vntounto thē: O stulti Galathe quis vos fascinauit? yf this be true, we may lose ye spryte, ye we hauehave once possessed. It is a fond thyng, I wyll not tarry in it. But now to the passyon again. Christ had ben with hys father, & felt no healpe, he had bene wt hys frendes, & had no cōfort, he had prayed twyse, and was not herd, what dyd he now?Chryst contynued in praier dyd he geue prayer ouer? no, he goeth agayne to hys father, & sayeth thesame agayne, father if it be possyble awaye wt this cup, here is an example for vsus although we be not herd at the first time, shal we geue ouer our praier? nay we must to it agayne, we must be importune vponupon god, we must be instant in prayer. He prayed thryse & was not herd, let vsus sīners pray thre store tymes, folkes are very dul now adaies in praier, to come to sermōs, to resorte to cōmō praier. You houskepers,Housekepers & great men must geue example of prayer. and especially great men geue example of prayer in your houses. Well dyd hys father looke vponupon him thys secōd tyme? no, he went to hys frendes agayne thynkyng to finde some cōfort ther, but he findes thē a slepe again more deper a slepe thē euer they were. Their eyes were heauy wt slepe Ther was no cōfort at all, they wyst not what to say to hym. A wonderfull thing, how he was tost frō post to piller, one whyle to hys father, & was destytute at hys hand, another whyle to hys frendes, & founde no cōfort at thē, hys father gaue him lokīg on, & suffred him to bite vpō the brydle a whyle. Almyghtye God behelde thys battayle that he myghte enioye that honoure and glory, that in hys name all knees shuld bow, Celestium, Terrestrium, et infernorū, in heauē, earth, and hel.God punyshes syn in not hearynge of our praiers Thys that the father wolde not here hys owne sonne, was an other punyshemente due to our synne. Whē we crye vntounto hym, he wyll not here vsus. The Prophet Ieremy sayeth: Clamabūt ad me, et ego nō exaudiā eos. These be Ieremyes wordes, here he threateneth to punyshe sin, with not hearing their prayyers, The Prophet saith: They hauehave not had the feare of God before theyr eyes, nor hauehave not regarded disciplyne and correction. I neuer sawe surely so lyttel discipline as is nowe a daies Men wilbe maysters, they wyll be maysters, and no Disciples. Alas where is thys disciplyne nowe in England.People are wythout ordre or honesti. The people regarde no disciplyne, they be without all order. Where they should geue place, they will not stur on inch, yea, wher magistrates should determyne matteres, they wyll breake into the place before they come, and at theyr commynge not moue a whytte for them. Is this discipline? Is thys good order? Yf a man say anye thynge vntounto them, they regarde it not. They that be called to aunswere wyll not aunswere dirertlye, but skoffe the matter out. Men the more they knowe, the worsse they be,The more we know the worsse we be. it is truely sayed.
Sciencia inflat, knoweledg maketh vsus proude and ranseth vsus to forget all, and set a waye discipline, Suerlye, in Poperye they had a reuerence,In tyme of popery their was sum reuerence but now none at all. but nowe we hauehave none at all, I neuer sawe the lyke. Thys same lacke of the feare of God, and discipline in vsus, was one of the causes that the father woulde not heare hys sonne. Thys payne suffered our sauioure Christ for vsus, who neuer deserued it. Oh what it was, that he suffered in thys gardeyn, till Iudas came. The doloures, the terroures, the sorrowes that he suffered, be vnspeakeble. He suffered, partelye,Why Christ suffered so sore in the gardaine. to make amendes for oure synnes, and partelye, to geue vsus example, what wee should do in lyke case.
What comes of thys geare in the ende Well, nowe he prayeth agayne, he resorteth to hys father agayne. Angore correptus prolixius orabat. He was in sorer paines, in more anguishe, then euer he was, and therefore he prayeth longer, more ardente lye, more feruentelye, more vehementli, then euer he did before.
Oh Lorde,Christ prayed the third time and swettes bloude▪ what a wonderfull thynge is thys, thys horroure of death is worsse then death it selfe, more vgsome, more bytter then anye bodylye death. He prayeth nowe the thirde tyme. He dyd it so instantlye, so feruentlye, that it brought out a bloudy sweate, & suche plentye that it dropped downe euen to the ground. There issued out of hys precious body droppes of bloude. What a payne was he in, when these bloudy droppes fel so abū dantlye from hym?Our ingrattitude & vnthākfulnes to God whiche died for vsus. Yet for all that, howe vnthankefull do we shewe oure selues towarde hym that dyed onelyonly for oure sakes, and for the remedy of oure synnes. Oh what blasphemye do we commit daye by daye, what litle regarde hauehave we to hys blessed passion thus to sweare by goddes bloude,blasphemy & swering in al our pastimes by Christes passion. We hauehave nothynge in no pastime, but gods bloude gods woūdes. We continually blaspheme hys passion in haukyng huntyng, dising, and cardynge Who would thynke he shoulde hauehave suche enemyes amonge those that professe hys name. What became of hys blud that fell downe trowe ye?The bloud of Hales was taken once for a religious relique. was the bloud of Hales of it, wo worth it. What a do was it to brynge thys oute of the kynges heade. Thys great abhomynacyon of the bloud of hales could not be taken a great whyle out of hys mynde. You that be of the courte,M. L. lesson yt was taught him at hys first cōmyng to the courte. and especially ye sworne chaplaynes beware of a lesson that a greate man taught me at my fyrst commynge to the court he tolde me for good wyll, he thoughte it well. He sayed vntounto me. You must beware howe so euer ye do that ye contrary not the Kynge, lette hym hauehave hys sayinges, folowe hym, go wyth hym. Mary out vponupon thys coū sayle, shall I saye, as he sayes.
Say youre conscience, or elce what a worme shal ye fele gnawynge, what a remorse of conscience shall ye hauehave, when ye remembre howe ye hauehave slacked your duty. It is as a good wise verse. Gutta cauat lapidē, non ui sed sepe cadendo. The drop of raine maketh a hole in the stone, not by violence, but by ofte fallynge. Lyke wyse a Prynce muste be turned not violentelye,A princes mind must be perswaded but not violētly forced. but he must be wonne by a lytel & a lytle. He muste hauehave hys dutye tolde hym, but it muste be done wyth humblenes, wyth requeste of pardon, or els it were a daungerous thyng.
Unpreachynge Prelates hauehave bene the cause, that the bloud of Hales did so lōg blind the Kynge. Wo worthe that suche an abhomynable thynge, should be in a Christen realme, but thankes be to God it was partly redressed in the Kynges dayes that dead is, and muche more nowe. God graunte good wyl, and power to go forwarde, yf ther be any such abhomynacion behynd,Amen. that it may vtterlye be rooted vp.
O how happy are we, that it hath pleased almyghty God to vouchsafe, that hys sonne shuld sweate bloude for the redemyng of oure synnes, and agayne howe vnhappye are we, yf we wyll not take it thanckefullye, that was redemed so paynefullye. Alas what harde hartes hauehave we. Oure Sauioure Christe neuer synned, and yet sweat he bloud for oure sinnes, we wyll not once watter oure eyes wyth a fewe teares. What an horrible thyng is sinne?Synne is horrible & why? that no other thynge would remedy and paye the ransome for it, but only the bloud of our Sauioure Christe. There was nothynge to pacify the fathers wrath agaynste man, but suche an Agony as he suffered, All the passion of all the martyrs that euer were, all the sacrifyces of Patriarkes that euer were, al the good workes that euer were done, were not able to remedye our synne, to make satisfaction for oure synnes,What was thou remedy for our syn? nor anye thynge besydes, but thys extreme passion and bloud sheddyng of our most merciful Sauiour Christ.
But to drawe towarde an ende, what became of thys thre fold prayer, at the lēgth, it pleased God to here his sonnes prayer, and sent hym an aungell to corroborate, to strengthen, to comforth him.
Christ nede no aungels helpe if he had lysted to ease him selfe wyth hys deitye. He was the sonne of God, what then? for so muche as he was man he receyued comforth at the Aungels hande,Whi Christe receiued comfort of the angell. as it accordes to oure infirmitie. Hys obedyence, hys contynaunce, and sufferynge, so pleased the father of heauen, that for hys sonnes sake, be he neuer so greate a synner,Note a cōforttable promise & a ioyful saiynge. leauynge hys synne, and repente, ynge for the same, he wyll owe hym suche fauoure, as though he had neuer commyted anye synne.
The father of heauen wyll not suffer him to be tēpted with thys greate horroure of death and hell to the vttermoste, and aboue that he is able to beare. Loke for it my friendes, by him and through him he shalbe able to ouercome it,A lesson for vsus in tyme of temptacion. let vsus do as our Sauioure Christe dyd, and we shal hauehave helpe from a boue, we shall hauehave angels helpe, yf we trust in hym, heauen and earth shall geue vp, rather then we shal lacke helpe, He sayth he is. Adiutor in necessitatibus an helper in tyme of nede. When the angell had comforted hym, and when thys horroure of deathe was gone, he was so stronge, that he offered himselfe to Iudas, and sayed. I am he. To make an ende, I praye you take paynes. it is a daye of penaunce (as we vse to say) geue me leue to make you werye thys daye. The Iewes had hym to Cayphas and Annas, and there, they whypte hym, and bethym,The harrer of death & the agony whyche Christ sustened in the gardaine excedeth the other paynes. they sette a crowne of sharpe thorne vponupon hys head, and nayled hym to a tree, yet al thys was not so bytter, as thys horroure of death, and thys Agony, that he suffered in the gradayne, in suche a degree as is dewe to all the synnes of the world, and not to one mannes synne.
Wel, thys passion is our remedye, it is the satisfaction for oure synnes. Hys soule descended to hell for a tyme. Here is muche a do, these newe vpstartynge spirites, say Christ neuer descended into hell, neyther body nor soule.Against such as denye that Christ descendid into hell. Inscorne they will aske, was he ther, what dyd he there? what if we cannot telle what he dyd there? The crede goeth no further, but fayeth, he descended thyther, what is, that to vsus if we cannot tell seynge we were taughte no further. Paule was taken vp into the third heauen, aske lykewyse what he sawe when we was caryed thyther, you shall not fynde in scripture what he sawe or what he dyd there, shall we not therfore beleue that he was ther.
Arrogant spirites of vaine glorye.¶These arrogant spirites, spirites of vayne glorye, bycause they knowe not by any expresse scripture, the order of his doynges in hell, they wyll not beleue that euer he descended into hel. In dede thys article hathe not so full scripture, so many places and testimonies of scriptures as other hauehave, yet it hathe ynoughe, it hath .ii. or .iii. textes, & if it had but one, one texte of scripture,One texte of scripture, is sufficiēt authorite as a thousande. is of as good and lawfull authoritye as a .M. and of as certayne trueth. It is not to be wayed by the multitude of textes. I beleue as certaynelye and verelye that thys Realme of Englande hath as good authoritye to heare Goddes word as any nacion in al the worlde, it maye be gathered by .ii. textes one of them is thys.
Ite in vniuersum mundum, et predicate euangelium omni creature.
Go into the whole world, and preache the Gospell to all creatures. And agayn. deus …ult omnes homines saluos fieri. God wyl hauehave all men to be saued, he exceptes not the Englishemen here, nor yet expresselye nameth theym, and yet I am as sure, that thys Realme of England, by thys gatheryng, is allowed to here Goddes word, as though Christ hadde sayed a thousand tymes, Go preach to Englysh men. I wyl that Englyshemen be saued. Because thys Article of hys descendyng into hell, can not be gathered so directlye, so necessarylye, so formallye they do vtterlye deny it.Curiouse braynes are neuer cōtent, Thys article hath Scriptures two or thre ynoughe for quiete mynde, as for curyouse braynes nothynge can content theym.
Thys the diuils sterryng vp of such spirites of sedicion, is an euidente argumente,An argumente that goddes word is a broode that the light is come forth, for his word is a brode, when the deuyll russheth, when he roreth, when he styrreth vp suche busy spirites, to sclaunder it. My entente is not to entreate of thys matter at thys tyme. I trust the people wyll not be caryed awaye wyth these newe arrogant spirites, I dout not, but good preachers wyllabour agaynst them. But now I wyll say a worde, and herein I prottest fyrst of al not arrogantlye to determyne, and defyne it, I wyll contende wyth no man for it, I wyll not hauehave it be preiudice to anye body, but I offer it vntounto you to consyder and weay it.
There be some greate clarkes that take my parte, and I perceyue not what euyll can come of it, in sayeng, yt our Sauiour Christe dyd not onelyonly, in soule descende into hell but also that he suffered in hell suche paynes as the damned spirites dyd suffer there. Suerly. I beleue verelye for my parte, that he suffered the paynes of hell proporcionably, as it correspondes and aunsweres to the whole synne of the worlde. He would not suffer onelye bodelye in the gardayne and vponupon the crosse, but also in hys soule, when it was from the bodye, whyche was a payne dew for our syn.
Some wryte so, and I canne beleue it that he suffered in the very place, I cannot tell what it is, call it what ye wyll, euen in the skaldinge howse, in the vgsomnes of the place, in the presence of the place, suche payne as our capacitie can not attayne vntounto, it is somewhat declared vntounto vsus, when we vtter it by these effectes, by fyre,Fyre, gnasshing of teth, the worme of cōscience, are termes vtteryng to vsus ye paynes of hel by gnashynge of teth, by the worme that gnaweth on the conscience, What so euer the payne is, it is a greate payne that he suffered for vsus. I se no inconuenyence to saye, that Chryste suffered in soule in hell.
I singularly commende the excedynge greate charytye of Christe, that for our sakes wold suffer in hel in hys soule. It settes oute the vnspeakable hatred that God hath to synne. I perceyue not that it doth derogate any thing frō the dignitie of Chrystes death, as in the gardayne, when he suffered, it derogates nothing frō yt he suffred on the crosse. Scripture speaketh on this fashiō: Qui credit in me, The peculiar phrase & maner of speakyng of the scrypture ys to be noted.habet vitam eternam. He that beleueth in me, hath lyfe euerlasting. Here he settes furth faith, as the cause of our iustifycatiō, in other places as high commē dacion is geuen to workes, and yet are the worckes anye derogation from that dignitye of fayth? No. And agayn scripture sayeth: Traditus est propter peccata nostra et exuscitatus propter iustificationem &c. It attributeth here oure iustyfycation, to his resurrectiō, and doeth thys derogate anye thynge from hys death? not a whit. It is whole Christ. What wyth his natiuytye, what wyth hys circumcysyon, what wyth hys incarnation,christ wrogth our saluation in al his doinges. and the whole processe of hys lyfe, wyth hys preachyng, what wyth hys ascendynge, descendynge, what wyth hys death, it is all Chryst that worketh oure saluacyon. He sytteth on the ryghthande of the father, and all for vsus. All this is the worke of oure saluation. I woulde be as lothe, to derogate any thyng from Christes death, as the best of you al. How vnestymably are we boūd to hym? what thankes oughte we to geue him for it? We must hauehave thys contynuallye in remembraunce. Propter te morti tradimur tota die. For the, we are in dieyng continually.
The life of a Chrsten man is nothynge but a readines to dye, and a remembrauce of death. If thys that I hauehave spoken of Christes sufferynge in the gardayne, and in hell, derogate any thinge from Christes death and passyon, awaye wyth it, beleue me not in thys, if it do not, it commendes and settes furth very wel vntounto vsus, the perfection of the satisfacion that Christ made for vsus, and the woorck of a redemption, not onelye before wytnes in thys worlde, but in hel in that vgsome place, where, whether he suffered, or wrastled wt the spitites, or cōforted Abrahā, Isaac, & Iacob I wyl not desier to knowe. Yf ye lyke not that which I hauehave spoken of hys sufferynge, let it go, I wyl not striue in it, I wil be preiudice to no body, weye it as ye list, I do but offer it you to consider. It is like his soul did somwhat the thredayes that hys body lay in the graue. To saye he suffered in hell for vsus derogats nothing frō his death, For al thīges that Christ did before his suffering on the crosse,Chryst was beneficiall to vsus in all hys doynges. and after, do worcke our saluacion▪ Yf he had not bene incarnat, he had not dyed, he was beneficial to vsus with althinges he did. Chrystē people should hauehave his sufferynge for them in remembrance. Let your gardaynes monishe you, your pleasaunte gardaynes, what Chryst suffred for you in the Gardayne, and what commodyete you hauehave by hys sufferynge.
It is hys wyl ye shoulde so do, he woulde be hadde in remembraunce. Myxt youre pleasures with the remembraunce of hys bitter passion. The whole passion is satisfaction for our synnes, and not the bare death, consideryng it so nakedly by it self. The maner of spekyng of scripture is to be considered. It attributeth oure saluation, nowe to one thynge, nowe to a nothere that Christe dyd, where in dede it partayned to all.The blessed communiō is a remēbrance of Chrystes passyon. Oure Sauioure Chryste hath lefte behynd hym, a remembraunce of hys passyon, the blessed communion, the celebration of the Lordes supper, a lacke it hath bene long abused, as the sacryfices were before, in the olde law. The Patriarkes vsed sacrifice, in the fayeth of the seade of the woman, whyche shoulde breake the serpentes head. The Patriarkes sacrificed on hope, and afterwarde the worcke was estemed.
There comes other after, and they cōsider not the fayeth of Abraham▪ and the patriarkes, but do theyr sacrifice accordynge to theyr owne imaginacion, euen so came it to passe wyth oure blessed communion.
In the prymatyue churche in places,The vsage of the primatiue church in the receyuyng of the cōmunion at the buryal of the death. when theyr fryendes were deade, they vsed to come together to the holy communion. What? to remedye them that were dead? No, no. A strawe, it was not instituted for no suche purpose.
But then they woulde call to remembrance goddes goodnes, and his passion that he suffered for vsus, wherein they comforted much theyr fayth. Other came after warde and settes vp all these kyndes of massynge, all these kyndes of iniquite.Massyng was the foulest abhomination that euer was. What an abhominacion is it? the foulest that euer was, to atribute to mans worke oure saluatyon. God be thanked that we hauehave thys blessed cōmunion set forth so nowe, that we maye comfort, encrease, and fortify oure fayth at that blessed celebracyon. Yf he be gyltye of the bodye of Christ, that takes it vnworthely, he fetcheth greate comforte at it, that eates it worthely, He doothe eate it worthelye, that doeth eate it in fayth. In fayth? in what fayth? Not longe a go a greate man, sayed in an audyence. They bable much of faith,The great man that neuer knowe other them the whore mongers fayth. I wyll go lye wyth my whore al nyghte, and hauehave as good a fayth, as the best of them al. I thynke he neuer knewe other, but the whoremongers fayth. It is no suche fayth that wyll serue. It is no brybynge Iudges, or iustices fayth, no retreasers fayth, no whoremongers fayth, no lease mongers fayeth, no seller of benefices fayeth, but the fayth in the passyon of oure Sauioure Christ.What fayth wyll serue. We must beleue that our Sauioure Christ hath taken vsus agayne to hys fauoure, that he hath delyuered vsus hys owne bodye and bloude to plead wyth the dyuel and by merite of hys oune passyon, of his owne mere liberalitie. This is the fayth I tell you, that we must come to the cōmuniō with, & not the whoremongers faith? Loke where remission of syn is, ther is acknowledging of sin also.Fayth ys a noble womā she is at her gentleman vsher goyng before her, & her traine after her. Fayth is a noble dutches, she hath euer her gentleman vsher going before her, the confessyng of synnes, she hath a trayne after her, the frutes of good workes, the walking in the cōmaundementes of God. He that beleueth, wil not be idle, he wil walk he wil do his busines, hauehave euer the gentelman vsher wyth you. So yf ye wyl trye fayth,The true tryal of faith remember thys rule, consyder whether the trayne be waytynge vponupon her. Yf you hauehave another fayth then thys, a whoremongers fayth, you are lyke to go to the Scalding house, & ther you shal hauehave two dishes, weping & gnasshyng of teeth, much good do it you, you se your fare. If ye wyl beleue and acknowledge youre synnes, you shal come to the blessed cōmunion of the bytter passyon of Chryst, worthlye, and so attayne to euerlasting life, to the whych the father of heauen bring you and me AMEN.
¶Finis.
Imprinted at London by Ihon Day, dwellynge at Aldersgate, and Wylliam Seres, dwellyng in Peter Colledge. These bokes are to be sold at the new shop by the ly…le Conduyte in Chepesyde.
¶Cum gratia et Priuilegio a… imprimendum solum.
End of the text · Hugh Latimer, The Second to Seventh Sermon to His Majesty (1549)