Twenty-Seven Sermons, Sermons 3 · Sermon 4
¶ The fourth Sermon of Master Hugh Latimer whiche he preached before Kyng Edwarde, the. xxix. day of Marche.
QVaecunque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt. All thinges that are written, ar written to be our …. The parable that I toke to begin with (most honorable audience) is writtē in the. xviii. chapter of Saint Luke, and there is a certaine remnaunt of it behind yet. … parable is this: There was a certain iudge in a citie, that feared neyther God nor mā. And in the same citye there was a widow, that required iustice at his hands: but he would not heare her, but put her of, and delayed the matter: In processe the Iudge seing her importunitie, said, though I feare neither God nor man, yet for the importunitie of the woman, I wil heare her, least she raile vpō me, & molest me with exclamations, & oute cries I will heare her matter. I will make an end of it. Our Sauiour … added more vntounto this and sayde. Audite quid iudex dicat, &c. Hear you said Christ, what the wicked iudge sayd. And shal not God reuenge his elect, that crye vponupon him day & night? Although he tary & differre them, I say vntounto you, he wil reuenge them, & that shortly. But when the son of man shall come, shall he finde faith in the earth?
That I may hauehave grace so to open the remnaunte of this parable, that it may be to the glory of God, and edifying of youre soules, I shal desier you to praye. In the which praier &c. I shewed you the last daye (most honourable Audience) the cause why our Sauiour Christ, rather vsed the example of a wicked Judge thē of a good. And the cause wasWhy Christe vsed the example of a wicked Judge. for that in those daies there was greate plentye of … Judges, so that he might borow an example among them well inough. For there was much scarcitie of good iudges. I did excuse the widdowe also, for comming to the Judge against her aduersarye, because she did it not of malice: she did it not for appetite of vengeance.A … of … touched and spo ken of, in hys third sermon.
And I told you that it was good and lawfull, for honest vertuons …, for goddes people, to vse the lawes of the realme, as an ordinary help against their aduersaries, and ought to take them as Goddes holy ordinaunces, for the remedies of their iniuryes and wronges, when they are distressed. So that they doo it charitably, louingly, not of malice, not vengeablie, not couetously.He meaneth that A …. for thys … one of theyr … and ….
I should hauehave tolde you here of a certaine secte of heritikes that speake against this order and doctrine, they will hauehave no magistrates nor Judges on the earth.
Here I hauehave to tell you, what I hard of … by the relation of a credible person, and a worshipfull manne, of a towne in this … of England, that hathe aboue. v. … Heritykes of this erronious opinion in it, as he sayde.Howe busy the … to … the worde and sclaunder the Gospell.
Oh so busy the Deuyll is now to hynder the woorde commyng oute, and to sclaunder the Gospell.
… sure argumente and an euident demonstration, that the lyghte of Goddes worde is abrode, and that thys is a true doctrine that we are taughte nowe: else he woulde not rore and stirre aboute as he dothe when he hath the vpperThe … busy …, … an … argument that this doctryne is true. hande. He will kepe his possession quietly as he did in the popish dayes, when he bare a rule of supremacye in peaceable possession. If he reigned now in open religion, in opē doctrine as he did then, he woulde not stirre vp erronious opinions, he would hauehave kept vsus without contentiō, without dissention. There is no suche diuersitie of opinions among the Turkes, nor among the Jewes. And why: For there he raygneth peaceably in the hole religion. Christe sayth. Cum fortis armatus custodierit atrium, &c. When the strong armed man kepeth his house, those thinges that he hath in possession, are in a quyetnes, he dooth enioye them peaceably. Sed cum fortior eo …. But when a stronger then he … vponupon him, when the light of Goddes word is once reueled, then he is busy, then he rores then he … abrode, and … vp erronious opiniōs, to sclaū der Goddes word. And this is an argument that we hauehave the true doctrine. I beseche God continew vsus and … vsus in it. The deuil deciareth the same, & therfore he rores thus and goeth about to stir vp these wanton headdes and busy braynes. And will you knowe where this towne is? I will not tell you directly. I will put you to muse a little. I will vtter the matter by circumloqution. Where is it? Where the bishop of the dioces is an vnpreaching prelate. Who is that? If there be but one suche in all England, it is easy to gesse. And if there wer no mo but one, yet it were to many by one. And if there be moe, they hauehave the more to aūswer for, that they suffer in this realme an vnpreachyng prealate vnreformed. I remember wel what .S. Paule sayeth to a bishop. And though he … it to Timothe beyng a bishop, yet I may say it now to the magistrates, for all is one case,… Timoth. … al is one matter. Non cōmunicabis … alienis. Thou shalt not be … of other mens faults. Lay not thy handes rashely vpō any, be not hastye in makyng of Curates, in re ceyuing men to hauehave cure of Soules, that are not worthye of the office, that eyther can not or will not do theyr dutie. Doo it not. Whye: Quia communicabis peccatis alienis.
Thou shalt be partaker of other mennes synnes. Now me thynke it nedes not to be partaker of other mennes synnes we shall find inough of oure owne. And what is Communicare peccatis alienis. To be partaker of other mennes euils, if this be not, to make vnpreaching prealats, and to suffer them to continue still in their vnpreaching prelacye:
If the kyng and his councell should suffer … JudgesKinges and ru lars must wake and not winke, and leaue … thorow their …. of this Realme to take brybes, to defeate iustice and suffer the great to ouergoo the poore, and should loke throughe his fyngers, and winke at it, should not the king be partaker of their noughtines: And why: Is he not supreme hed of the churche? what: is the supremacie a dignitie and nothing els? is it not comptable? I thinke it wil be a chargeableA dignitie with a charge. dignitie when accompte shal be asked of it. Oh what a vauntage hathe the Deuill? what entrye hathe the wolfe when the sheparde tendeth not his flocke, and …; … not to good pasture? S. Paule dothe saye. Qui bene … …. Timoth. vpraesoyteri duplici honore digni …. What is this praesse? It is as much to say as to take charge & cure of soules. we say ille prae est, he is set ouer the flock. He hath taken charge vpponTo rule well what that is. him. And what is. Bene prae esse? To discharge the cure. To rule well, to feede the flocke with pure food, and good eram ple of lyfe. Wel then, Qui bene praesunt duplici honore digni sūt What is … honour.They that discharge theyr cure well, are worthy double ho nour. What is this double honour? The first is to be reuerensed, to be had in estimation and reputaciō with the people, and to be regarded as good …. Another honour is, to hauehave all things necessary for their state, ministred vn to them. This is the double honour that they ought to hauehave Qui praesunt Bene, that discharge the cure, if they do it, Bene.
There was a mery monk in Cambridge in the ColledgeThe mery monke of Cam bridge. that I was in, and it chaunced a greate company of vsus to be together, entending to make good cheare, and to be me rye (as scholers will be mery when they are disposed) One of the company brought out this sentence. Nil melius quam … et facere bene. There is nothing better then to be mery and to doo wel. A vengeaunce of that … (quod ye Monk) I would that Bene had ben banished beyond the sea: & that Bene were out, it were well. For I coulde be merye, and I could doo, but I louelove not to doo well. That, Bene … al together. I woulde Bene were oute, quod the mery Monke, for it importeth many thinges, to lyue well, to discharge the cure. In … it were better for them if it were oute. And it were as good to be out as to be ordered as it is. It will be a heuy Bene, to some of them, when they shall come to their accompt. But perauenture you will saye. What and they preache not at al? Yet praesunt. Are they not worthy double honour? is it not an honorable order they be in?Where the … cher doth not his duty, there the order is not honorable, but horrible. Nay an horrible misorder, it is an horror rather then an ho nour, and horrible rather, then honourable, if the preacher be nought, and doo not hys dutie. And thus goo these prelates aboute to wrestle for honour that the Deuyll may take hys pleasure in sclaunderyng the realme, and that it maye be reported abrode that we brede … our …. It is to be thought that some of them woulde hauehave it so, to bring in popery agayne.
This I feare me is theyr entent, and it shalbe blowē The entente of vnpreaching ….abrode to our holy father of Romes eares, and he shall … forth hys thonderboltes vppon these brutes, and all thys dothe come to passe thorow theyr vnpreachyng prelacye.
Are they not worthy double honour? Nay rather double disshonour, not to be regarded, not to be estemed amonge the people, and to hauehave no lyuing at their handes? For as good preachers be worthy double honour: so vnpreaching prelats be worthy double dishonour. They must be at theirIn arguments of congruence Marh. v. doublets. But now these. ii. dishonours what be they?
Our Sauiour Christe doth shew. Si sal infatuatus fuerit ad nihil vltra valet nisi vt proijciatur foras. If the salt be vnsaue, rye, it is good for no thing, but to be cast out and troden of men. By this salte, is vnderstande Preachers, and such as hauehave cure of soules. What be they worthy then? Wherefore serue they: For nothing els but to be cast oute.
Make them quondams, out with them, cast thē out of theyr office, what should they doo with cure that wil not loke to them: An other dishonour is this Vt conculcentur ab …. To be troden vnderunder mennes feete, not to be regarded, not to be estemed: They … at their doublets still. S. Paule in his epistle, qualifieth a Bishop, and sayth that he muste be. Aptus ad docendum, ad refellendum apte. To teache and to confute all maner of false doctrine. But what shall a man doo with …, if he doo not vse it? It were as good for vsus to be with out it. … bishop came to… bishop angrie with M. Latimer. me the last day, and was angry with me for a certayn Sermon that I made in this place. His chaplayn had complained against me, because I had spoken against vnpreachyng prelates. Naye quod the bishop, he made so indifferente a Sermon the first day, that I thought he woulde marre all the second day. He wil hauehave eueryevery man a quōdam as he is. As for my quondamship I thank God that he gaue me the grace to come by it, by so honest a meanes as I did. I thāk him for myne owne quondamship, and as for them, I wyll not hauehave them made quondams, if they discharge their office, I would hauehave them doo their dutie. I would hauehave no more … as God healpe me. I owe them no other malice then this, and that is none at all.
This bishop answered his chaplayne: wel (sayes he) wel… bishops answere to his chaplayn. I did wisely to day, for as I was going to his Sermon, I remembred me that I had neither said masse, nor mattēs. And homeward I … as fast as I could, and I thank god I hauehave said both, and let his vnfrutefull Sermon alone. Unfruitefull sayeth one, an other sayeth sediciouse. Well, vnfruitfull is the best, and whether it be vnfruitfull or no, I can not tell, it lyeth not in me to make it fruitefull. And God worke not in your hartes, my preaching can doo you but little good. I am Goddes instrument but for a tyme.Preachers are Gods instruments. It is he that must geue the encrease, and yet preaching is necessarye. For take away preaching, and take a way saluation. I tould you of Scala coeli and I made it a preaching matter, not a massyng matter. Christ is the preacher of all preachers, the patrone and the exemplar, that al preachers ought to folow. For it was he by whom the father of heauen sayd, Hic est filius … dilectus, ipsum audite. This is my welbeloued sonne, heare him, Euen he when he was here… of Christes doc … fell in vnfruitful …. on the earthe, as wysely, as learnedly, as circumspectly as he preached, yet his sede fel in thre parts, so that the fourth part onelyonly was fruitefull. And if he had no better luck that was preacher of all preachers, what shall we looke for? Yet was there no lacke in hym, but in the ground: And so now there is no fault in preachyng: the lacke is in the people that hauehave stony hartes, and thorny hartes. A … God to amend thē. And as for these folke that speake agaynst me I neuer … to hauehave … good word as long as I …. Yet wyl I speake of their wickednes, as long as I shalbe permitted to … as long as I lyue, I … be an enemy to it. No preachers can passe it ouer wyth silence. It is the originall roote of al myschife. As for me I owe them no other yl wyl, but I pray God amend them, when it pleaseth hym. Now to the parable. What dyd the wycked Judge … ende of the …? The louelove of God moued hym not, the lawe of God was thys, and it is writ in the fyrst of Deuteronomy: audite eos heare them. These two wordes wil be heauy words to wycked iudges another day. But some of them … wyl say: I wyl heare such as wyll geue bribes, and those that wyl do me good tournes. Nay, ye be hedged out of that liberty.Justice must be mi … delaies. He sayth it a paruum vt magnum. The small as well as great. Ye must do iustum, deale iustlye, minister iustice, and that to al men, and you must do it iuste, in tyme conuenient, wythout any delayes, or driuing of, wyth expedition. Wel, I say, neyther this law, nor the woord and commaundement ofWhat mo ued the wic ked Judge, to hear the complainte of … widow God moued thys wycked Judge, nor the misery of thys wyddow, nor the vpryghtnes of her cause, nor the wronge whych she tooke, moued hym: but to auoyde importunity, & clamour, and …, he gaue her the hearyng, he gaue her finall sentence, and so she had her request.
Thys place of iudgement it hath beene euer vnperfect, it was neuer sene that al Judges did their duty, that they wouldAll Judges hauehave not … dutye at al tymes. heare the small as well as the great. I wyll not proue this by the wytnes of any priuate maiestrate, but by yt wisest kinges sayinge that euer was: … sub sole (sayth Salomon) in loco iusticie, impietatem, et in … equitatis iniquitatem. I hauehave sene vnderunder the sunne, that is to saye, ouer all, in eueryevery place wherWhat Salomon dyd … in hys tyme in … ges. right iudgement should hauehave bene, wickednes, as who would say bribes taking, defeating of iustice, oppressing of the poore. Men sent awaye with weepyng teares, wythout … hearing of their causes, and in yt place of equitye sayth he, I hauehave sene iniquitie. No equitie, No iustice, asore word for … to pronounce … sallye, …. And if Salomon said it, ther is a matter in it. I wene he sayde it not onelyonly for hys owne time, but he saw it both in those that … before him, and also that were to come after him. Now comes Esay and he affirmeth the same, speaking of the … done in hys tyme in the cōmon place, as it might be Westminster Hall, the Gylde Hall, the Judges Hall, the Pretor house. Call it what you wyl. In the open place. For Judges at that tymeJudges sat in … gates of the … in the hye … (accordyng to the maner) sat in the gates of the Citye in the hye way. A goodly and godly order for to syt, so that the poore people may … come to them. But what sayth Esay that seditious fellow? He sayth of hys Country this: … faceret iudicium, & fecit iniquitatem. I looked the Judges should doo theyr duty, and I saw them woorke iniquity. Ther was bribes walkyng, money makyng, makyng of handesBribes and bribers. (quod the Prophet, or rather almighty God by the Prophet) such is their partiality, affection, and bribes. They be suche money makers, inhauncers, and promoters of them selues. Esay knew this by the crying of the people, ecce clamor populi sayth he. And thoughe some among them be vnreasonable people (as many be now adayes) yet no doubt of it, some cryedThe teares of the oppre ssed, cry for … to God. not without a cause. And why? Their matters are not heard, they are fayne to go home with weepyng teares, that fall downe by their cheekes, and ascende vp to heauen, and cry for vengeaunce. Let Judges looke about them, for surely God wyl reuenge hys elect one day.
And surely me think, if a Judge would follow but a world ly reason, and wey the matter politikly, without these examAnd aduertisment to our Judges ples of scripture, he should feare more the hurt that maye be done … by a poore widdow, or a miserable man, then by the greatest Gentleman of them al. God hath pulled the Judges skyns ouer their heads, for the poore mans sake. Yea the poore widdow may do hym more hurt wyth her poore … noster in her mouth, then any other weapon. And with two or … The wyddowes wea ….wordes shal bring him downe to the ground, and destroy his …, and cause him to loose more in one day, then he gat in seuen yeares. For God wyll reuenge these miserable folkes that can not helpe them selues. He sayth: ego in die … nis. &c. In the day of visitation I wyll reuenge them. An non ulciscetur anima mea: Shall not my soule be …: As who should say: I must needes take their part: Veniens …, et non tardabo. Yes, though I tary, and though I … to lynger neuer so long, yet I wyl come at the length, and that …. And if God spake this, he wyll perfourme hys promise. He hath for their sakes (as I told you) pulled the … ouer the Judges eares ere this. Kyng Dauid trusted some in… in … trust in his Judges, … he … olde hym selfe. his old age, that did him no very good seruice. Now, if in the people of God, there were some folkes that fel to …, then what was there among the Heathen? Absolon … sonne was a bywalker, and made disturbaunce among the people in hys fathers tyme. And though he were a wycked man, and a bywalker, yet some there were in that time that were good, and walked vprightly. I speake not this agaynst… was a by walker. the Judges seate. I speake not as thoughe all Judges were nought, and as thoughe I dyd not hold with the Judges, maiestrates, and officers, as the Anabaptistes these false hererikes do. But I iudge them honourable, necessary, and GodsJudges are honorable, necessary, & Gods ordinaunces … their offices ordinaunce. I speake it as scripture speaketh, to geue a …, and a warning to al …, to cause them to looke to their offices. For the deuyl the great magistrate, is verye busy now, he is euer doing, he neuer ceaseth to go aboute to make them like him selfe. The prouerb is Simile gaudet simili Lyke would hauehave like. If the Judge be good and vpright, he wyll assaye to deceaue hym, eyther by the … suggestion of craftye Lawyers, or els by false wytnesse, and subtyle vtteryngThe craft of the … of a wrong matter. He goeth about as muche as he can to corrupt the men of law, to make them fal to …, to lay burdens on poore mens backes, and to make them fal to periury, and to bryng into the place of iudgement all corruption, iniquitie, and impietye,
I hauehave spoken thus much, to occasion at Judges and Magistrates to looke to their offices. They had neede to looke about them. Thys geare moued Saint … to speake thys sententence: Miror si aliquis rectorum potest saluari. IA notable and bold … ing of …. maruayle (sayd thys Doctour) if any of these Rulers or great Magistrates can be saued. He spake it not for the impossibilitye of the thyng (God forbyd that all the Magistrates and Judges should be condempned) but for the difficultye.
Oh that a man myght hauehave the contemplacion of hel, that the Deuyl would alow a man to looke into hel, to see the state of it, as he shewed al the worlde when he tempted Christe in the wyldernes. Common strat illi omnia regna mundi, he shewedMath. 4. hym al the kyngdomes of the world, and al theyr iollity, and told hym that he would geue hym al, if he would knele down and worshyp hym. He lyed lyke a faulse harlot, he coulde not gyue them, he was not able to giuegive so much as a Goose wing, for they were none of hys to giuegive. The other that he promised them vntounto: had more ryght to them then he. But I saye if one were admitted to view hell thus, and beholde it thorowelye,Unpreaching prelats are … the diuel … hel & brybynge Iudges are wyth them for cōpany. He turneth to hys former mater the deuil wold say: On yonder side are punished vnpreaching prelates. I thinke a man should se as far as a kenning and se nothing but vnpreaching Prelates. He myght looke as farre as Calice I warrant you. And than if he would go one yt other side, and shew where that bribyng Iudges were, I thinke he should se so many, that ther were scant roume for any other. Our Lord amend it. Wel to our matter. This Iudge I speak of, sayd: Though I feare neyther God, nor man …. And dyd he thinke thus: Is it the maner of wicked Iudges to confesse, theyr faultes, nay he thought not so. And a man had come to hym, and called hym wycked, he woulde forth wyth hauehave comaunded hym to warde, he woulde hauehave defended hym selfeWhy the Iudge was forced then to confesse hys fautes. stoutly. It was God that spake in his conscience. God puteth hym to vtter suche thynges as he sawe in his harte. and were hyd to hym selfe. And ther be lyke thinges in the scripture, as Dixit insipiens in corde … est deus. The vnwyse man sayd in hys hart, there is no God. And yet if he shoulde hauehave beene asked the question, he would hauehave denyed it.
Esay the Prophet sayth also: Mendatio protecti sumus, we ar defended with lyes. We hauehave put our trust in lyes. And in an other place he saith: ambulabo in prauitate cordis mei, I wyl walke in the wyckednes of my hart. He vttereth what lyeth in hys hart, not knowen to hym selfe, but to God. It was not for nought that Ieremy describeth mās hart in his coulours.Ieremy de scribed the hart of mā. Ieremi. 17. Paruum cor hominis et inscrutabile. The hart of man is noughty, a crooked & froward peece of worke. Let eueryevery man humble himselfe, & acknowledge his fault, & do as S. Paule dyd. When the people to whom he had preached, had sayde manyPaule durst not iustifye him selfe. thinges in his commendation, yet he durst not iustify hym selfe. Paul would not prayse hym selfe, to hys owne iustification, and therfore when they had spoken those thinges by hym: I passe not at al sayth he, what ye say by me, I wyl not stand to your reporte, and yet he was not froward that when he herd the truth reported of hym, he would say it to be false, but he sayd, I wyl neyther stand to your report, though it be good and iust, neither yet I wyl saye that it is vntrue. He was Bonus Pastor. A good shepeheard. He was one of them, qui bene presunt that discharged his cure, and yet he thought that ther might be a farther thing in hym selfe, then he sawe in hym selfe. And therfore he sayd: The Lorde shal iudge me. I wyll stand onelyonly to the Iudgement of the Lord. For loke whom he iudges to be good, he is sure he is safe, he is cocke sure. I spake of thys geare the last daye, and of some I had litle thanke for my labour. I smelled some folkes that were greeued wyth meThe truth gets hatred for it, because I speake agaynst temerarious iudgement. What hath he to do wyth iudgement (saye they?) I went about to kepe you from arrogant iudgement. This is no good argument my frendes. A man semeth not to feare death, ther fore hys cause is good. This is a deceauable argument. He went to his death boldly, Ergo he standeth in a iust quarell.
The Anabaptistes that were brent here in dyuers townesThe Anabaptistes howe they tooke theyr death. in England (as I heard of credible men, I saw them not my selfe) went to theyr death, euen Intrepide: as ye wyl say without any fear in the world cherefully. Wel, let them go. Ther was in the olde doctours tymes an other kind of poisoned heretikes, that were called Donatistes. And these heretikesThe Dona tistes & how they dyed. went to their execution as though they should hauehave gon to some iollye recreacionor banket, to some beally chere, or to a play. And wyl ye argu then: He goeth to hys death boldely, or cherefully, ergo he dyeth in a iust cause. Nay that sequel foloweth no more then this. A man semes to be afraid of death, ergo he dyeth euyl. And yet our Sauiour Christ was afraydeIudge not them in authority …. of death him selfe. I warne you therefore, & charge you not to iudge thē that be in authority, but to pray for thē. It becōmeth as not to iudge great maiestrates, nor to condemne theyr doinges, vnlesse theyr dedes be openly and apparantly wycked. Charity requireth the same, for charity iudgeth no manCharyty is the cognysaunce & badge of a Christen man. but wel of eueryevery body. And thus we maye trye whether wee hauehave charity or no, & if we hauehave not charity wée are not gods disciples, for they are knowen by that badge. He that is his disciple, hath the worke of charity in his breast. It is a worthy saying of a clarke, Charitas si est operatur, si non operatur, non est, If there be charity it worketh omnia credere, omnia …. To beleue al thinges, to hope all, to saye the best of the maiestrates, and not to stande to the defending of a wicked matter. I wil go farder with you now. I was trauailed in yt Tower my selfe (with the kinges commaundement, and the counsayle) and there was syr Robert Cunstable, the … Hussy, the Lord Darsy. And the Lord Darsy, was tellyng meWhat the Lord Darsy sayd to maister La timer in yt Tower. of the faythfull seruice that he had don the Kinges maiesty that dead is. And I had sene my Soueraign Lord in the fyeld (sayd he) and I had sene his grace com agaynst vsus, I would hauehave lyghted from my horsse & taken my sword by the point and yelded it into hys graces handes. Mary (quod I) but in the meane season ye played not the parte of a faythfull subiecte in holding with the people in a commotion & a disturbaūce.The commune cast of al traytours. It hath ben the cast of al traitours to pretend nothing agaynst the Kinges person, they neuer pretend the matter to the king, but to other. Subiects may not resist any magistrates, nor ought to do nothing contrary to the Kinges lawes.The office and duty of subiectes. A thing yt hapned at Oxford. And therefore these wordes, the King and so fourth, are of small effect. I heard once a tale of a thing that was done at Oxford. xx. yeares a go, & the like hath ben since in this realme as I was enformed of credible persons, & some of them that saw it be a lyue yet. There was a priest that was robbed of a great sum of money, and there were. ii. or. iii. attached for theA Priest robbed of a greate sum of mony. same robbery and to be briefe were condemned & brought to the place of execution. The fyrst man, when he was vponupon the ladder denied yt matter vtterly, & toke hys death vponupon it yt he neuer cōsented to the robbery of the prest, nor neuer knew of it. When he was dead, the second felow cōmeth & maketh his protestation & acknoweledged the faut, saying: that among other greuous offences yt he dad done he was accessary to this robbery, and sayth he, I had my part of it, I cry God mercy, so had thys felow that dyed before me hys parte. Now who can iudge whether this felow dyed wel or no? Who can iudge a mans heart? The one denied the matter, and the tother confessedIt is hard to Iudge a mans hart it, there is no iudging of such matters. I hauehave heard much wickednes of thys man, and I thought oft, Iesu, what wil worth, what wyl be the end of thys man. When I was wyth the Byshop of Chichestre in ward (I was not so wyththe bishops besturred them so thē that som of thē wer neuer diligēt, synce. hym, but my frends might come to me, and talke wyth me) I was desirous to heare of execution done (as there was eueryevery weke, some in one place of the City or other) for there was thre wekes sessions at Newgate, and fourthnight Sessions at the Marshalsey, and so fourth. I was desirous I say to heare of execution, by cause I looked that my part should hauehave bene therein, I looked eueryevery day to be called to it my selfe. AmongThe whore yt cōmitted robbery. al other I heard of a wanton woman, a naughty lyuer. A whore, a vayne body, was led from Newgate to the place of execution for a certayne robbery that she had committed, andM. Latimer exhorteth yt kinges grace, yt learned mē might be apointed to such as shal suffer & are conuict persons. she had a wycked communication by the way. Here I wyll take occasion to moue your grace that such men as shall be put to death may hauehave learned men to geue them instruction and exhortacion.
For the reuerence of God when they be put to execution, let them hauehave instructours, for many of them are cast away for lack of instruction, & die miserably for lack of good preaching Thys woman (I say) as she went by the waye, had wanton and folysh talke, as thys, that yf good felowes had kept touch wyth her she had not bene at thys tyme in that case. Christ sayth: Memores estote vxoris Loth. Remember Lothes wyfe. She was a woman that would not be content with her goodLots wyfe is our exam ple to content our sel ues wyth our state. state, but wrestled with Gods calling, & she was for that cause turned into a salt stone, & therefore the scripture doth name her as an example for vsus to take hede by. Ye shal se also in the second Chapter, how yt God almighty spared not a nomber of his Aungels, which had synned agaynst him to make them examples to vsus to beware by. He drowned the whole worldThe … drowned, … & Go morbrent. in the time of Noe and destroyed for sinne yt Cities of Sodom & Gomor. And why? fecit cos exemplum its qui impi forent acturi He made them an example to them that would do wyckedly in tyme to come. If God would not spare them, thinke ye he wyll fauour vsus? I will go on a worde or two, in the applicatiō of the parable and then I wyl make an ende. To what end, and to what purpose, brought Christ this parable of yt wicked Judge? The ende is, that we shoulde be continually in praier. Prayer is neuer interrupte but by wyckednes. Wee musteTo what end the pacable of the … Judge tendeth. therfore walke orderly, vpryghtly, calling vponupon God in all our troubles, and aduersityes, and for thys purpose there is not a more comfortable lesson in al yt scripture, thē here now in the lappynge vp of the matter. Therefore I wyll open it vntounto you. You myserable people, if ther be any here a … you, that are oppressed wyth great men and can get no …, I speake for your comfort, I wyll open vntounto you, whytherTo whom in distresse & oppression we shal resorte. ye shall resorte, when ye be in any distres. Hys good wyl is redy, alwayes at hande, when so euer we shall call for it. And therfore he calles vsus to hym selfe. We shall not doubt if we come to him. Marke what he sayeth to cause vsus beleue that our prayers shalbe heard: Et deus non faciet vindictam, he reasons after thys fashion: Wyl not GOD (sayth he) reuenge hys electe, and heare them? seyng the wycked Judge hearde the wydowe? He semeth to go plainely to worcke, he willeth vsus to pray to God, and to none but to god. We hauehave a maner of reasonynge in the scooles, and it is called A minore ad maius from the lesse to the more, and that maye be vsed here. The indge was a tirant, a wycked man, God is a patron, a defēderAn argument from the lesse to the more. father vntounto vsus. If the iudge then, being a tirant would heare the poore widow, much more god wil heare vsus in al distresses He being a father vntounto vsus, he wyll heare vsus sooner, then the other beynge no father hauyng no fatherly affection. Moreouer, God is naturally merciful. The Judge was cruel, and yet he healped the wyddowe, much more then wil God helpe vsus at our neede. He sayth by the oppressed: Cum ipso sum in tribulatione. I am with him in his trouble. His tribulation is myne. I am touched with this trouble. If yt Judge thē being a cruell manne hearde the wyddow, muche more GOD wil healpe vsus, beyng touched wyth our affliction. Furthermore, thys Judge gaue the wyddowe no commandement to come to him, we hauehave a commaundement to resorte to God, for heWe hauehave a cōmaundement to resort to God sayth: Inuoca me in die tribulationis, call vponupon me in the day of thy tribulacions, which is as well a cōmaundement, as Non furaberis, thou shalt not steale. He that spake the one, spake the other, and what soeuer he be that is in trouble, and calleth not vponupon God, breaketh hys commaundement. Take heede therfore, the Judge dyd not promise the wyddow helpe, God promised vsus helpe, & wyl he not perfourme it? He wyl, he wil. The Judge (J say) did not promise the widdow help, God wil geue vsus both hearyng & helpyng. He hath promised it vsus with a double othe, Amen, amen, sayth he, verely, verely, he doubles it. Quecunque pecieritis. &c. what so euer ye shall aske in my name, ye shal hauehave it. And thoughe he put of some synner for …, and suffer him to byte on the bridle, to proue him (for there be many begynners, but few continuers in prayer) yet we may not thinke that he hath forgotten vsus, & wyl not helpe vsus. Veniens veniet, non tardabit. When the helpe is most nedeful, then he wyl come and not tary. He knoweth when it shal be best for vsus to hauehave helpe, though he tarye, he wyl come at the last. I wyl trouble you but halfe a quarter of an houre, in the application of the parable, and so commit you to God.
What should it meane that God would hauehave vsus so diligentWhy God would … vsus to be … gent & earnest in praier. and earnest in prayer? Hath he such pleasure in our woorkes? Many talke of prayer, and make it a lyp labouryng. Praying is not bablyng, nor praying is not monkery. It is to miserable folke that are oppressed, a comfort, solace, and a remedye. But what maketh our prayer to be acceptable to God? It lieth not in our power, wee muste hauehave it by an other meane. Remember what God sayd of his sonne: … est filius meus dilectus, in quo mibi bene complacui. Thys is my deare sonne, in whom I delyte. He hath pleasure in nothyng but in hym.Why … prayer is … ceptable to God. How commeth it to passe that our prayer pleaseth God? Our prayer pleaseth God, because Christ pleaseth God. When we praye, wee come vntounto hym, in the confidence of Christes merites, and thus offeryng vp our prayers, they shall be hearde for Christes sake. Yea, Christ wyl offer them vp for vsus, that offered vp once hys Sacrifice to God, whyche was acceptable, and he that commeth wyth any other meane then thys, God knoweth hym not. Thys is not the …, the Popyshe Sacrifice to stande at the aultar, and offer vp Christ agayne. Dute vponupon it that euer it was vsed. I wyl not saye naye, but that ye shal … in the olde Doctours thys worde Sacrificium, but there is one generall solution for all the doctours that Saint Augustin sheweth vsus. The signe of a thing hath often times the name of the thing that it signifieth. AsOne solucion for al. the Supper of the Lord is the Sacrament of an other thyng, it is a commemoration of hys death which suffered once for vsus, and because it is a signe of Christes offering vp, therefore he beares the name therof. And thys Sacrifice a woman cā offer as wel as a man. Yea, a poore woman in the belfry hath as good authoritie to offer vp this sacrifice, as hath the bishop in hys pontificalibus, with hys myter on hys heade, his … on hys …, and Sandales on hys feete. And whosoeuer cōmeth asking the father remedy in hys necessity for Christes sake, he offereth vp as acceptable a sacrisice as any by shoppe can do. And so to make an ende. Thys must be done wyth a constaunt faythe, and a sure confidence in Christe. Faythe fayeth, fayeth, We are vndone for lacke of fayeth. Christ namethFayth is altogether. Fayth here, Faythe is altogether. When the sonne of man shall come, shall he synde Fayth on the earthe? Why speaketh he so muche of Fayth? because it is harde to fynde a true faythe. He speaketh not of a politicall faythe, a faythe set vp for a time, but a constant a permanent, a durable faith as durable as Gods word. He came many times. Fyrst in the tyme of Noe, when he preached, but he found lytle fayth. He came also when Let preached, when he destroyed Sodoms Gomora, but he found no fayth. And to be short he shal come at the later day, but he shal … a lytle fayth. And I wene the day be not farre of. When he was here carnallye, dyd he synde any fayth? Many speake of fayth, but few there be that hath it. Christe mourneth the lacke of it. He complayneth that when he came, he founde no fayth.
Thys Fayth is a great State, a Lady, a Dutches, a greatFayth is a … state … a dutches woman, and she hath euer a great companye and trayne about her (as a noble Estate ought to hauehave.) Fyrste she hath a Gentleman … that goeth before her, and where he is not, there is not Lady Fayth. This Gentleman Usher isKnowlege of syn is gē tlemā vsher to Ladye Fayth. called Agnitio peccatorum, knowledge of synne, when we enter … our hart, and acknowledge our faultes, and stande not about to defend them. He is none of these wynckers, he kyckes not when he heares hys faulte. Now as the Gentleman Usher goeth before her, so she hath a trayne that commeth behinde her, and yet thoughe they come behinde, they be al of Faythes companye, they are all with her, as Christe when he counter faited a State goyng to Hierusalem, some went before him, and some after, yet all were of hys company. So al these wayte vponupon Fayth, she hath a great traine after her, besides her Gentleman Usher, her whole housholde, and those be the woorkes of our vocation, when euerye man … what vocation he is in, what callyng he is in, and doth the wóorkes of the same, as to be good to his neighbour, to obey God. &c.
Thys is the trayne that foloweth Ladye Fayth, as for an example: A faythful Judge hath fyrste an heauye reckonyng of hys fault, repenting him selfe of hys wyckednes, and then for saketh his iniquitie, his impietye, feareth no man, walkes vpryght, and he that doth not thus, hath not Ladye Faythe, but rather a boldnes of synne, & abusing of Christes passion.Lady Faith is no …. Ladye Fayth is neuer wythout her Gentleman Usher, nor wythout her trayne, she is no Anckres, she dwels not alone, she is neuer a priuate woman, she is neuer alone. And yet many there be that boast them selues that they hauehave Fayth, and that when Christ shall come, they shall do well inough. Nay, nay, these that be faythful shal be so fewe, that Christs shal scarce see them. Manye there bee that runneth (saythe Saynt Paule,) but there is but one that receyueth the rewarde. It shall be wyth the multitude when Christe shall come, as it was in the tyme of Noe, and as it was in the tyme of Lot.
In the tyme of Noe, they were eatyng and drynkyng, buyldyng and plantyng, and sodaynely the water came vppon them, and drowned them. In the tyme of Lot also, they were eatyng and drynckyng. &c. And sodaynlye the … camme vppon theym, and denoured theym. And now we are eating and drinking. There was neuer such buylding then, as is now, plantyng, nor marying. And thus it shalbe euen whē Christ shal come, at iudgement. Is eating and drincking and mariyng, reproued in scripture? Is it not? … he reproueth not al kind of eating & drinking, he must be other wyse vnderunder standed. If the scripture be not truely expounded, what is more erronious? And though there be cō playWhat eatyng & drinking is alowed, & what is discommended. … of some eating or drinking in the scripture, yet he speaketh not as though al were nought. They maye be well ordered, they are Gods allowaunce, but to eate and dryncke as they dyd in Noes …, and as they dyd in Lothes …: Thys eating and drinking, and marying is spoken agaynst. To eate and drinke in the forgetfulnes of Gods commaundement, voluptuously, in excesse and glotonnie, thys … ofWhat kind of marying is reproued worthely. Stealing of wards, nay rather of landes. eating and drinking is nought, when it is not done moderatly, soberly, and with al circumspection. And like wise to marry, for fleshly lust, and for their owne fantasy. There … neuer such marriyng in England, as is now. I heare telof stealyng of wardes to mary theyr children to. This is a straunge kind of stealing, but it is not the wardes, it is the landes that they steale. And some there be that knyt vp maryages to gether not for any louelove or Godlines in the partyes, but to getteAn other kinde of ma riage. frendshyp, and make them strong in the realme, to encrease their possessions and to … land to land. And other … be that enuegle mennes daughters, in the contempt of theyrThe inueglers of mēs daughters are noted. The parēts which forese their children to mar ry whō thei louelove not. Fathers, and go about to marry them wythout theyr consent. Thys marriyng is vngodly. And many parentes constrayne theyr sonnes and daughters to marry where they louelove not, and some are beaten and compulsed. And they that marry thus, marry in a forgetfulnes and … of Gods commaundementes. But as in the tyme of Noo, sodenly a clap fell in theyr bosomes: so shall it be with vsus at the latter daye when Christ shall come. We hauehave as … conscience as maye be, and when he shall come, he shall lacke Ladye Fayth, well is them that shalbe of that lytleA daye wyl … shal … for al. flocke, that shalbe set on the right hand. &c.
I hauehave troubled you long, partely being out of my matter, partelye beinge in. But … I … make an ende. I began with thys text Quecunque scripta sunt. et c. So wyll I ende now for … owne ease, as an old truant with thys sentence. Beati qui audiunt verbum dei. et c. Blessed are they that heare the word of God, and kepeth it. I told you in the… blessednes com meth of … kepyng. beginning of this parable of Bene. Nil melius quam letari et fatere. If I had ceased there, all had ben well (quod the merye Monke) so blessed are they that heare the word of God. But what foloweth? and kepe it. Our blessednes commeth of the keping. It hanges all on the ende of the tale, in crediting and assenting to the woord, and followyng of it. And thus we shal begyn our bessednes here, and at the length we shall come to the blessyng that neuer shal hauehave ende, which God graunt both you and me.
Amen.