Twenty-Seven Sermons, Dedication 2
¶ To the righte vertuous and gratious Lady Katherine Douches of Suffolk, Thomas Some, her humble and faithful Oratour, wisheth godly fauour & euer lasting saluation from God the father through Iesus Christ our mereifull Lorde.
WHan man is borne for man, that one to another should be a God, and not a deuyll, an helper, no hynderer, vntounto whom also the vse of the tonge is only geuen, whereby they doo both expresse and shew the affections of their mindes, there is no man which can say, I hauehave no nede of any man. But amonges infinite mischiefes and euilles of mans pouertie and anguish, by whiche he hath nede of other mens helpe, is the instruction of prudence or vertue and of science. For mankinde in this do precel chiefly brute beastes, because they helpe one another by mutuall communication. In learnyng good and vertuous maners, the vse of commoning is required chiefly, that men erryng, and ignoraunte shoulde be taught, for there is none which shall euer lerne of himselfe, al though he be neuer so happily borne.
Therfore, it shall become eueryevery man, which do intende to liue godly, to here and learne godly bokes, to print heauenly documēts in their harts. For as euill doctrine, deuelish bokes, & filthie talke do corrupt good maners: so faithful precepts, godly bokes, chast cōmoning & honest shal edifie, & cōfirm. wherfore, intending to do good vntounto al men and namely vn to suche, as erre and be ignorante, I hauehave gathered, writ, and brought into lighte, the famous fryday … of M. Hugh Latimer, which he preached in Lēt last past, before our most noble king Edwad the sixt, at the new palaice of westminster the third yere of his reigne. which Sermōs (most vertuous La dy) I dedicate vntounto your honorable grace, nothing doubting but that you will gladly imbrace them, not only because of their excellencie, but chiefly for the profit which shal ensue thorough them vntounto the ignorant. For in them are fruteful & godly documents, directing ordinatly not only the steps, cō uersation, and liuing of kings: but also of other ministers and subiectes vnderunder him. And let no man begreued though it be not so exactly done as he did speake it, for in very dede I am not able so to doo, to wryte word for word as he did speake, that passeth my capacitie, though I had xx. mens wittes, and no fewer handes to write with all. As it is vnpossible that a little ryuer should receiue the recourse of the mayne sea with in his brimmes, so that no water should ouer whelm the sides therof, In lyke manner is it more vnlyke my simple witte to comprehende absolutly the aboundante eloquence and learning whiche floweth most aboundantly out of godly Latimers mouth. Notwithstanding, yet had I rather with shamefastnes declare charitably, this parte of his godly documents, and counsell, then with slouthfulnes forget or kepe close folishly, that thing which may profete many.
who is that will not be glad to heare and beleue the doctrine of godly Latymer? whom God hathe appoynted a prophet, vntounto our most noble Kynge, and vntounto our Realme of England, to declare the message of the lyuing god, to … and … oute all sinnes and vice, to plant and graffe in mens hartes the plenteousnes of all spirituall blessynges in Iesus Chryste oure Lorde?
Moyses, Ieremias, Helias, did neuer declare the true message of God vntounto theyr rulers and people, with a more sincere spirite, faythfull minde aud godly zeale, then godly Latimer dothe now in our dayes vntounto our moste noble Kynge and … the whole realme. Furthermore, also Iosia receyued neuer the boke of Gods will at the handes of Helkia the hye priest, or the admonicion of Hulda that prophetesse, with a more perfect and godly feare, then oure most noble Kynge doth most faithfully, geue credite vntounto the wordes of good fa ther Latimer. And I hauehave no doubt but all godly men will lykewise receyue gladly his godly Sermons and geue credit vntounto the same. Therfore this my rude laboure of another mans swete (most vertuous ladye) I offer most humbly vntounto your, grace, moued there vntounto of godly zeale, thorough the godly fame, that is disperst vniuersally of youre most Godly disposicion, and vnfained louelove towardes the lyuyng, almightye, eternall God and his holy worde, practysed dayly bothe in your graces most vertuous behauour, and also godly charitie towards the edificatiō of eueryevery mēbre graffed in Chryst Iesu, most humbly desyring your grace to accept fauourably thys my temerous enterpryse. And I your most humble and faythfull Oratour, shall praye vntounto Iehouah, the God whiche is of hymself, by whom, and in whom, all thynges lyue, moue, and be, that that good work which he hath begonne in you, he may perform it vntounto your last endyng, through our Lord Iesu Chiste, who preserue and kepe your grace now & euer, So be it.