Twenty-Seven Sermons, Sermon 1
The Sermon that the Reuerende Father in Christ Hugh Latimer Bishop of worcester, made to the Clergye, in the …, before the Parliament began, the. 9. day of Iune, the. 18. yeare of the raygne of our … Lord King … the. viii. Now translated out of latin into English, to … that thinges wel sayd to a … maye be vnderstand of many, and do good to al them that … to … the truth.
Filii huius seculi. &c.
Luc. 16.
…, ye be come together … day (as far as I perceiue) to heare of great … waightye matters: Ye be come together to intreate of thinges that … appertayne to the common wealth. This beyng thus, ye looke (I am assured) to heare of me, which am commaun ded to make as a preface, this exhortacion (albeit I am vnlearned and vnworthy) such thynges as shalbe muche meete for thys your assemble. I therfore not onelyonly very desirous to … the commaundement of our primate, but also right greatlye coueting to serus & … all your expectacion: lo, briefely and as … as I can, wyl speake of matters, both woorthy to be heard in your Congregation, and also of such as best shall become myne office in this place. That I maye doo thys the more …, I hauehave taken, that notable sentence, inLuke. …. which our Lord was not afrayd to pronounce: The children of this world to be muche more prudent and politicke, than the chyldren of lyght in theyr generacion. Neyther I wyl be afrayde, trustinge that he wil ayde and guyde … to vse thys sentence, as a ground and foundation of al such thinges, as hereafter I shall speake of.
Now I suppose that you see ryght wel, beyng men of such learning, for what purpose the Lord sayde thys, and that ye … no … to be holpē with any part of my labour in thys hauehave no neede to be holpē with any part of my labour in this thing. But yet, if ye wyl pardon me, I wyll wade somewhat deeper in this matter, and as nigh as I can, fetch it from the fyrst original beginning. For vndoutedly ye may much maruayl at this saying, if ye wel ponder both what is sayde; and who sayth it. Define me … these three thynges, what prudence is, what the world, what lyght, and who be the Chyldren of the world, who of the lyght, see what they signifye in scripture. I maruail if by & by ye al agree, that the children of the world should be wiser then the Children of the lyght. To com somwhat nighec the matter, thus the Lord …:
¶ There was a certayne ryche man, that had a Stewarde, whych was accused vntounto hym that he had … and wasted his goodes. This ryche man called his Steward to hym and sayde: What is this that I heare of thee: Come, make me an accompt of thy steward shyp: Thou mayest no longer beare thys office.
Brethren, because these woordes are so spoken in parable, … are so wrapped in wrynkels, that yet they … to hauehave a face and … of a thing done in dede, and lyke an hystory, I thinke it much profitable to tary somwhat in them. And though we may perchaunce synde in our hartes to beleue al that is there spoken to be true: yet I doubt whether we may abyde …, that … woordes of Christ do pertain vntounto vsus, and … vsus of our duty, whych doo and lyue after suche sort, as though Christ when he spake any thing, had as the tyme serued hym, serued his turne, and not regarded the tyme that came after hym, neyther prouided for vsus, or anye matters of ours, as some of the Philosophers thought, whichGod is no … said, that God walked vp and downe in heauen, and thinketh neuer a … of our affaires. But my good …, erre not you so, stycke not you to such your imaginacions. For if ye in wardly beheld these woordes, if ye diligētly role them in your myndes, and after explicate and open them, ye shall see our … muche touched in these misteries. Ye shall … that god, by this example shaketh vsus by the noses, and pulteth vsus by the eares. Ye shall perceyue very playne, that God setteth before our eies in this similitude, what we ought most to flee, and what we ought sonest to folow. For Luke sayth, the Lorde spake these wordes to his disciples. Wherefore let it be out of al doubt, that he spake them to vsus, which euen as we wyll be compted the successours and … of Christes disciples, so we be, if we be good dispensers, and do our duitie. He said these thinges, partly to vsus, whych spake them partly of hym selfe. For he is that riche man, which not onelye bad, but hath, and shal hauehave euermore, I saye not one, but manye Stewardes, euen to thend of the world.
He is man, seing that he is god & man. He is rich, not onelyonlyChrist is rytch. in mercy, but in all kinde of ryches. For it is he, that giueth vsus al thinges abundantly. It is he, of whose hand, we receyued both our lyues, & other thinges necessary for the conseruation of the same. What man hath any thing I praye you, but he hath receiued it of his plentyfulnes? To be short, it is he, that openeth his hand, and filleth al … with his blessyng, and not onelyonly gyueth vntounto vsus, in most ample wyse his bendiction. Neyther his treasure can be spent, how much soChristes treasure cā not be spet euer he … but, how much so euer we take of him, his treasure tarieth still, euer taken, neuer spent.
He is also the good man of the house, the church is his housholde, which ought with al dilygēce, to be fed with his woord and his sacramentes. These be his goodes, most precious, the dispensation and administration wherof, he wold Byshops & Curates shuld hauehave. Which things. Paule affirmeth, saying:The office of Ministers. Let men esteeme vsus, as the ministers of Christ, and dispensours of Gods misteries. But I pray you what is to be looked for in a dispensour? This surely, that he be found faythful and that he truely dispense & laye out the goodes of the Lord, that he gyue meate in tyme, giuegive it I saye, & not sel it: meate I saye, & not poyson. For the one doth intoricate and slea theMark maister person eater, the other feedeth and nourysheth him. Finally, let hym not … and differre the doing of his office, but let hym do his dutie whan tyme is, and neede requireth it. This is also to be looked for, that he be one, whom God hath called, and put in office, and not one that cōmeth vncald, vnsent for, not one that of hym selfe presumeth to take honour vponupon hym. What is to be looked for? Surely, if al this that I saye, be required in a good Minister, it is much lyghter to require them all in eueryevery one, then to finde one any where, that hath them al. Who is a true and a faithfull Stewarde? He is true, he is faythful, that coyneth no newe mony, but taketh it redy coynedA faythfull Steward. of the good man of the house, and neither changeth it, ne … it, after it is taken to hym to spend, but spendeth euen the selfe same, that he had of his Lord, and spendeth it as his Lordes commaundement is, neyther to his owne auauntage vtteryng it, nor as the lewde seruaunt dyd, hyding it in the grounde. Brethren, if a faythfull steward oughte to do, as I hauehave sayd, I praye you ponder and examyne this well, whether our … and Abbotes, Prelates and Curates hauehave bene hitherto faythfull stewardes or no? Ponder, whether yet many of thē be, as they should be or no. … ye to, … me now, as your conscience leadeth you (I wyll let passe to speake of many other) was there not some, that despising theCounter fai ters of gods coyne. mony of the Lord, as copper, and not curraunt, eyther coined newe them selues, or els vttred abrode newely coyned of other, some tyme eyther adulterating the word of God, or els mingling it (as taucrners do, which brewe and vtter the euil and good both in a potte) somtime in the … of Gods woord blowing out the dreames of men? While they thus preached to the people, the redemptiō that cometh by Christes death to serue onelyonly them that died before his comming, that were in the time of the olde testament, and that now since redemptiō, and forgyuenesse of synnes purchased by money, and deuysed of men, is of efficacy, and not redemption purchased by Christ. They hauehave a wonderful prety …, to perswadeA proofe of …. this thinge, of a certayne maried woman, which whan her husband was in purgatory, in that … sornace, that hath bur ned away so many of our pens, paid her husbandes ransom, and so of duety claimed hym to be sette at lyberty: … they thus preached to the people, that dead images (which at theDead yma. ges. first, as I thinke, were set vp onelyonly to, represent thinges absent) not onelyonly ought to be couered with golde, but also ought of al faythfull and christen people, yea in this scarsenes and penury of al thinges, to be cladde with sylke garmentes, and those also laden with precious gemmes and …. And that besyde all this, they are to be lighted with ware candelles, both within the church and without the church, yea at none dayes, as who should say, here no cost can be to great, where as in the meane time, wese Christes faithful & liuely ymages, bought with no lesse price, thā with his most precious bloud, alas alas, to be an hūgred, a thurst, a cold, and to lye in darkenes, wrapped in al wretchednesse, yea to lye there, vntil death take away … miseries: While they preached, these wylworkes,… that come but of our own denotion, although they be not so necessarye, as the woorkes of mercye, and the preceptes of God, yet they sayd, & in the pulpit, that wylworkes were more principall, more excellent, & (playnly to vtter what they meane) more acceptable to God, then workes of mercy: as thoughe now mans inuentions & fansies, could please God better then gods preceptes, or straunge thinges better thē his owne: while they thus preached, that more fruite, more deuotion cōmeth of the beholding of an image, though it be but a Pater noster whyle, then is gottē by reding & contemplation in scripture, though ye rede and contemplate therin … yeares space. Finally, while they preached thus, soules … in purgatory, to hauehave most nede of our helpe, & that they can hauehave no ayd, but of vsus in this world, of the which two, if the one be not false, yet at the least it is ambiguous, vncertayne, doubteful, & therfore rashly & arrogantly with suche boldnes affirmed in the … of people, thother by al mens opiniōs is manifestly false. I lette passe to speake of much other such lyke countrefayte doctrine, which hath ben blasted & blowen out by some for the space of. iii. houres together. Be these the christian and diuine misteries, and not rather the dreames of men? Be these the faithful dispensers of Gods misteries, and not rather false dissipatours of thē? whom god neuer put in of fice, but rather the Diuel set them ouer a miserable family,More … if thei preached neuer. … an house myserably … and intreated. Happy were yt people, if such preached sildom. And yet it is a wonder to se these, in their generation, to be moch more prudent and polytike, then the faythful ministers are in their generatiō, while they go about more prudently to … mens …, thē these do, to hold vp Gods …. Thus it contmeth to passe, that workes lucratiue, wil workes, mēs fancies reign & christian works, necessary works, fruitful workes, be trodē vnderunder the foote. Thus the euil, is much better set out by euill men, then is the good, by good men: because the euyl be more wyse, then be the good in theyr generatiō. These be the false Stewardes, whom al good & faithful men eueryevery day accuse vntounto the rich maister of the houshold, not without great heauines, yt they … his goodes, whom he also one day wyl cal to him, & say to them as he did to his steward, whē he said: what is this that I heare of thee? Here God partly wondreth at our ingratitude & persidie, partly chydeth vsus for them, and being both ful of wonder, & redy to chide, asketh vsus, what isGod is redy to chide. this, yt I hear of you? As though he shuld say vntounto vsus, all good mē in al places, complain of you, accuse your auarice, your ex actions, your tirany. Thei hauehave required in you a lōg season, & yet require diligence & sincerity, I cōmaunded you yt withal industry & labour, ye should fede my sheepe: ye earnestly feede your selues, from day to day, wallowing in delites & ydlenes. I cōmaunded you, to teach my cōmaundementes, & not your fansies, & that ye should seeke my glorye & my vauntage: you teache your owne traditions, & seke your owne glory & profit. You preach very seldom, & whan ye do preach, ye do nothing but cumber them that preach truly, as much as lieth in you, that it were much better, such not to preach at al, thā so perni … to preach. Oh, what I hear of you? You that ought to be my preachers. What other thyng do you, thā aply al your study hyther, to bring al my preachers to …, shame, contempt, yea more thā this, ye pul them into perils, into prisōs, & as muche as in you lyeth, to cruel deathes. To be shorte, I would, that Christen people should heare my doctrine, and at their cōuenient leasure, rede it also, as many as would: your care is not, that al men may heare it, but al your care is, that no lay man do rede it. Surely being afrayd, least they, by the reding, shuld vnderstand it, & vnderstanding, learn to rebuke our slouthfulnes. This is your generation, this is your dispē sation this is your wisdom. In this generation, in this dispē sation, you be most politike, most witty. These be the thyngs that I heare of your …, I wished to heare better report of you. HaueHave ye thus deceiued me? or hauehave ye rather deceiued your selues? Wher I had but one house, that is to say, the church, & this so derely beloued of me, that for the louelove of her, I put my selfe forth to be slayne, & to shed my bloude: this Church at my departure, I cōmitted vntounto your charge, to be fed, to be nourished, & to be made much of. My pleasure was, ye shuld occupy my place, my desyre was, ye shuld hauehave … lyke louelove to thys Church, lyke fatherly affection, as I dyd. I made you my Uicars, yea in matters of moste importaunce. For thus I taught openly: He that shoulde heare you, shouldeLuke. x. heare me: He yt should despise you, shoulde despise me. I gaue you also keyes, not earthlye keyes, but heauenlye, I lefte my goodes, yt I hauehave euermore most hyghly estemed, that is, myMath. xvi. word & sacraments, to be dispensed of you. These …, I gaue you, & do you giuegive me these thanks? Can ye find in your hartes, thus to abuse my goodnes, my benignity, my …? HaueHave … thus deceiued me? No no, ye hauehave not deceyued me, but your selues. My giftes & benefites toward you shall be to your greater dampnation. Because ye hauehave contempned the lenity & clemēcy of the master of the house, ye hauehave right wel desexued to abide the rigour & seuerity of yt iudge. Come forth thē, let vsus se accompt of your stewardship. An horible & fearful sentence. Ye may hauehave no lōger my goodes in your hands. A voice to wepe at, and to make men tremble. You se brethrē you se, to what euyl, the euel stewardes must come to. Your labour is payd for if ye can so take hede, that no such sentence be spoken to you, Nay, we must all take hede, lest these … one day take place in vsus. But lest the lēgth of my sermon offend you to sore, I wyl leaue the rest of the Parable, and take me to the handling of the end of it, that is, I wyl declare you, how the children of this world be more witty, craf ty and subtile, then are the children of the light in their generation.Luke. …. Which sentence, would God it lay in my poore tonge, to explicate with such light of wordes, that I might seme rather to hauehave painted it before your eyes, then to hauehave spoken it: and that you might rather seme, to se the thing, thē to here it. But I confesse plainely, this thing to be far aboue my power. Therfore this being only left to me, I wish for yt I hauehave not, & am sory, that yt is not in me which I wold so gladly hauehave That is, power so to handle the thing that I hauehave in hande, that al yt I say, may turn to the glory of god, … helth, & the … of … body: wherfore I pray …, to … with me vntounto God, & that in your peticiō you desire, that … two things, he vouchsafe to graūt vsus, first a … for me to speake ryghtly, next, eares for you, yt in hearing me, ye maye take profit at my hand: & that this may com to effect, you shalTwo thyn. ges to bee … for. desire him, vntounto whō our Maister Christ bad we should pray, saying euen the same prayer, yt he him … institute, Pater noster. Wherin ye shal pray for our most gracious soueraigne Lord yt king, chiefe & supreme head of the church of England, vnderunder Christ, & for the most excellent, gracious, & vertuous Lady Queene Iane, his most lawful wyfe, & for all his, whether they be of the clergy or …, whether they be of the nobi lity, or els other his graces subiects: not forgetting those, that being departed out of this … life, now sleve in yt slepe, of peace, & rest from their labours, in quietnes, & in peaceable …, faithfully, louingly, & paciently lookyng for that, yt they clerely shal se, when God shalbe so pleased. For all these, & … grace necessary, ye shal say vntounto god, gods praier Pater noster.
Filii huius seculi. &c.
Luc. 16.
CHrist in this saying, touched the slouth and … of hys, and dyd not allowe the fraud and subtility of other: neyther was glad, that it was in dede … he had sayd, but complained rather, that it should be so: as many men speake many thinges, not that they ought to be so, but yt they are wont to be so. Nay, this greued Christ that the children of this world, should be of more policy, then the children of lyght, which thing was true in Christes time, and now in our tyme is most true. Who is so blynd, but he seeth this clerely, except perchance there be any, that can not discerne the children of the world, from the children of lyghtThe children of the world, conceyue & bring forth more prudently, and thinges conceyued and brought forth, they … and conserue with much more polycy, then do the childrē of lyght. Which thing is as sorowfull to be sayd, as it semeth absurde to be herd. Whan ye heare the children of the world, you vnderstād the world, as a father. For the world is father of many children, not by first creation and worke, but by imitation and louelove. He is not only a father, but also the sonne of an other father. If ye know once his father, by and by ye shal know his children. For he that hath the Dyuel to his father,Prince of the worlde, the dyuel. must nedes hauehave diuellysh children. The dyuell is not onelyonly taken for father, but also for prince of the world, that is, of worldly folke. It is eyther all one thing, or els not much different, to say, children of the world, and children of the …, according to that, yt Christ sayd to the Iewes, ye are of yourIohn. 10. father the dyuel: where as vndoubtedly he spake to children of this world. Now seing the Diuel is both author and ruler of the darkenes, in the which the childrē of this world walke, or to say better, wāder, they mortally hate both the light, & also the childrē of light. And hereof it cōmeth, that the childrē of light neuer, … very seldome, lacke persecution in this world, vntounto which the chyldren of the world, that is of the deuil bringeth thē. And ther is no man but he seeth that these vse much more policy in procuring the hurt & damage of the good, than those in defending them selues. Therefore brethren, gather you the disposicion & study of the children, by the disposition & study of the fathers. Ye know this is a prouerb much vsed: an euil crow, an euil egge. Thē the childrē of this world that are knowē to hauehave so euil a father, yt world so euil a grandfather,A … petigree. the diuel cānot chuse but be euyl. Surely the first head of their auncestie, was yt deceitful serpent the dyuell, a monster monstrous aboue al monsters. I cānot wholy expresse hym, I wot not what to cal him, but a certaine thing al together made of the hatred of God, of mistrust in God, of lyings, deceites, persuries,A description of the diuel. discordes, manslaughters, & to say at one word, a thing concrete, heaped vp, & made of al kinde of mischief. But what the diuel meane I, to go about to descriue particularly the diuels nature, when no reason, no power of mans mynde can comprehend it. This alonly I can say groslye & as in a sum, of the which all we (our hurt is the more) hauehave experience, the dyuel to be a stinking sentine of al vices, a foule filthye chanel of al mischiefes, & that this world his sonne, euen a child … to hauehave such a parent, is not much vnlike his father.
Then this dyuell beyng suche one as can neuer be vnlyke hymselfe: Lo of Enuye, his welbeloued Lēman he begat the world, & after left it with Discord at nours. Which world, af ter that it came to mans state, had of many Concubines, maThe Mothers of the … chil dren. ny Sonnes. He was so fecund a father, & had gotten so many children of lady Pride, dame Glottony, maistres Auarice, lady Lechery, & of dame Subtilty: that now hard and scant, ye may fynde any corner, any kinde of lyfe, where manye of … chyldren be not. In court, in coules, in cloysters, in rotchets, be they neuer so whyte, yea, where shall ye not fynde them. How be it, they that be secular & laye men, are not by and by chyldren of the world, ne they chyldren of lyght that are called spiritual, and of the Clergy. No no, as ye maye fynde among the Laity many chyldren of lyght, so among the Clergy (how much so euer we arrogate these holy titles vntounto vsus, and thinke them onelyonly attributed to vsus: Vos estis lux mundi, pe Math. v.culium Christi. &c. Ye are the lyght of the worlde, the chosen people of Christ, a kingly priesthode, an holy nacion, & sucheI. Peter. ij. other:) Ye shal finde many chyldren of the world, because in al places the world getteth many chyldren. Among the Laye people, the world ceaseth not to bring to passe, that as they be called worldly, so they are worldly in dede, driuen hedlong by worldly desyres, in so much that they may right wel seme to hauehave take as wel the maners, as the name of their father. In the Clergye, the worlde also hath learned away, to make of men spiritual, world lynges, yea & there also to forme worldly children, wher with great pretence of holynes, & crasty cou lour of religion, they vtterly desire to hyde & cloke the nameWorldligs ashamed of their father of the worlde, as thoughe they were ashamed of their father, which do execrate & detest the world (being neuertheles their father) in wordes & outward signes, but in hart & worke they col & kisse him, & in al their liues declare them selues to be his babes, insomuch that in al worldly poyntes, they far passe & surmount those, that they cal Seculars, lay men, men of the …. The chylde so diligently foloweth the steps of hys father, neuer destitute of the ayde of his grandfather. These be our holy holy men, that say they are dead to the world, whan no mē be more liuely in worldly thyngs, then some of thē be. But let them be in profession & name, most farthest from the world, most alienate from it, yea so far, that they may seeme to … no occupying, no kinred, no affinity, nothyng to doo with it: yet in their lyfe & dedes, they shew them selues no …, but right begotten children of the world, asyt whych the world long sithens had by hys deare wife dan Hipocrisy, & since hath brought them vp & multiplied them to more then a good many, … them to much, to much, al be it they sweare by al he Saintes & the Saints to, that they know not their father, nor mother, neyther the world, nor Hipocrisye, as in dede they can semble & dissemble al things, which thing they might learne wonderful wel of their parentes. I speake not of al religious men, but of those that the world hath fast knit at his gyrdel, euen in the mydst of theyr religion, that is, of many, & mo then many. For I fear, least in al orders of mē, the better, I must saye, the greater part of them be out of order, & childrē of the world. Many of these myght seme ingrate and vnkinde children, that wil no better aknowledge and rccognise theyr parentes in wordes & outward …, but abrenounce & cast them of, as though they hated them as dogs, and serpents. Howbeit they, in this wyse, are moste gratefull to theyr parentes, because they be most lyke them, so lyuelye representing them in countenaunce & conditions, that theyrThe lyuely ymages of the world. parcntes seme in them to be yong again, for as much as they euer say one, & thinke an other. They shew them selues to be as sober, as temperate, as Curius the Romain was, & lyue eueryevery day, as though al their lyfe were a shrouing time. They be lyke their parents I say, in as muche as they in folowyng them, seme & make men beleue they hate thē. Thus Grandfather deuil, father world, & mother Hipocrisy, hauehave brought, them vp. Thus good obedient sonnes hauehave borne away their parents cōmaundements, neither these be solitary, how religious, how mocking, how munking, I wold say; … they be. O ye … lay this to my charge, that Monachus & Solitarius signifieth al one. I graunt this to be so, yet these be so solitary that they he not alone, but accompanied with great flocks … Fraternities. And I maruel if ther be not a great sort of Bishops & …, that are brethren germain vntounto these, & as a great sort, so euen as right borne, & worldes childrē by as god title as they. But because I cānot speake of al, whē I say pre …, I vnderstād bishops, Abbots, Priors, …, deanes, and other, of such sort, that are now called to thys …, as I soe, to intreate hereof nothing, but of such matters as both appertayne to the glory of Christ, and to the wealth of the people of England. Which thyng I pray God they do as carnestly as they ought to do. But it is to be feared, least as Lyght hath many her Chyldren here, so the worlde hath sent some of hys whelps hither. Amonges the which I know… of … opinions agrce … they be togcther. ther can be no concord nor vnity, albeit they be in one place, in one congregation, I know there can be no agreement … these two, as long as they hauehave mindes so vnlyke, and so contrary affcctions, iudgementes so vtterlye diuers in all poyntēs. But if the chyldren of thys worlde be eyther mo in nombre, or more prudent then the Chyldren of Lyght, what then auayleth vsus to hauc this Conuocation? Had it not bene better we had not bene called together at al? For as the children of this worlde be euyll, so they breede and bryng foorthe thynges euyl, and yet there be mo of them in all places, or at the least they be more politike, than the chyldren oflyght in theyr generation. And here I speake of the generation, wher by they do engender, and not of that wherby they are engendred, because it shuld be to long to intceate, how the … oflyght are ingendred, and howe they come in at the … and how the children of the worlde be engendred, and come in an other …. How be it, I thinke al you that be here wer not ingendred after one generacion, neyther that ye al came by your promocions after one maner. God graunt that ye,Worldlye engendred, must ingen der worldli engendred worldly, do not ingender worldly: And as nowe I much passe not how ye were engendred, or by what meanes ye were promoted to those dignitics, that ye now occupy: so it be honest, good, and profitable, that ye in thys your Consultation shal … and ingender. The ende of your Conuocation shall shew what ye hauehave done, the fruite that shall come of your consultacion, shall shewe what generation ye be of. For what hauehave ye done hytherto I pray you, these. …. yeares and mo? What hauehave ye engendred? what hauehave ye brought forth? what fruite is come of your long and great assemble. What one thyng, that the people of England hath … better of an heare? or you your selues, eyther more accepted. before God, or better discharged toward the people, committed vntounto your cure? For that the people is better learned and taught now, then they were in time past, to whether of these ought we to attribute it, to your industrie, or to the prouidēce of God, and the foreseing of the kings grace? Dughte we to thanke you, or the kynges highnes? Whether … other …, you the king, that ye myght preache, or he you, by his letters, that ye should preach ofter? Is it vnknowen thinke you, howe both ye and your Curates were in maner by violence inforced to let bookes to be made by you, but by prophane and lay persons, to let them, I say, be solde abrode, and redde for the instruction of the people? I am bolde with you, but I speake latyn, and not englysh, to the clergie, not to the …, I speake to you being present, & not behynd your backes.… spcaketh la tine. God is my wytnes, I speake, what so euer is spoken, of the good wyll that I beare you, God is my wytnes, which knoweth my hart, and compelleth me to saye, that I saye.
Now I pray you, a God his name, what dyd you so great fathers, so many, so long a season, so oft assembled together? What went you about? what would ye hauehave brought to pasTwoo noble actes. two thynges taken away? The one, that ye (which I heard) burned a dead man: the other, that ye (which I felt) went about to burne one beyng alyue. Hym, bccause he dyd, I can not tel how, in hys testament withstand your profit: in other poyntes, as I hauehave heard, a very good man, reported to be of an honest lyfe, whyle he lyued, ful of good workes, good both to the Clergy, and also to the Laity, this other, which truly neuer hurt any of you, ye would hauehave raked in the coales, be cauc he would not subscribe to certayne Articles, that tooks away the supremacy of the Kyng. Take away these two no ble actes, and there is nothyng els left, that ye went about, that I know, sauyng that I now remember, that somewhat ye attcmpted against Erasmus, all be it as yet nothyng is com to light. Ye hauehave oft … in consultaciō, but what hauehave ye done? Ye hauehave had many thynges in deliberation, but what one is put forth, wherby eyther Christe is more glorificd, or els Christes people made more holyer? I appele to your own conscience. How chaunced this? how came this thus? because there were no children of light, no children of God amonges you, which setting the world at nought, would study to illustrate the glory of God, and therby shewe them selfes … oflyght? I thynke not so, certainely I thinke not so. God …, that all you: which were gathered together, vnderunder the pretence oflyght would be children of the worlde. Then why happened this? Why I pray you: Perchaunce eyther bycause, the chyldren of the worlde, were mo in nombre, in thys your congregation, as it oft happeneth, or at the lest of more policy than the children of lyght in their generation. Wherby it might very sonne be brought to passe, that those were much more stronger, in gendryng the euil, than these in producing yt good. The children of light hauehave policy, but it is like the policy of the serpent, & is ioyned with … symplicitie. TheyChildren of lyghts policye. ingendre nothing but simply, faythfully, and playnly, euen … doing al that they do. And therfore they may with more facility be combred in theyr ingendring, and be the more ready to take iniuries. But the children of this world, hauehave worldly policy, forely crafte, lyonlyke cruelty, power to do hurt, more then eyther … or Basiliscus, ingendring & doing al things fradulently, deceytfully, gylefully. Which as Nembrothes & such sturdy and stout hunters, being full of simulation and dissimulation, before the Lord, deceiue the children of lyght, and combre them easely. Hunters go not forth in eueryevery mās syght, but do theyr affaires closely, and with vse of gyle and deceite, ware eueryevery day more craftier then other. The childrē of this worlde by lyke crafty hunters, they be misnamed children oflyghte, for as much as they so hate lyghte, & so study to do the workes of darknes. If they were the children of lyght, they would not louelove darknes. It is no meruayle, that they go aboute to keepe other in darknes, seeing they bee in darkenes, from top to toe ouerwhelmed with darknes, darker than is the darknes of hell. Wherfore it is well done, in all orders of men, but in especiall in the order of prelates, to put a difference betwene children of light, and children of the world, because great deceyte ariseth, in taking the one for the other. Great imposture commeth, when they that the common people take for the light, go about to take the sunne and, the light out of the world. But these be easily knowen, both by the diuersitye of myndes, and also their armours. For where as the children of lyght are thus minded, that they seke theyr …, welth, and profite, with losse of their owne commodities, & ofte tymes with ieoperdy of their life: The children of the world, cōtrary wise, hauehave such stomakes, that they wylisoner se them dead, that doth them good, then susteyne any losse of temporal thinges. The armour of theArmour of the childre of lyght. children of lyght, are first the word of God, which they … set forth, and with … diligence put it abrod, that as much as in them lyeth, it may bring forth fruite: after this, pacience & prayer, with the which in al aduersities the Lord comforteth them. Other thinges they … to God, vntounto whom they leaue al reuengemēt. The armour of the childrē of the world,Armour of worlds chil dren. … somtyme fraudes and deceytes, somtyme lyes and …: By the fyrst, they make theyr dreames, theyr traditions: by the second, they … and confirme their dreames, be they neuer so absurde, neuer so against scripture, …, reason. And if any man resyst them, euen with these weapons they procure to … hym. Thus they bought Christes death, the very lyghtit selfe: & obscured him after his death. Thust hey hye eueryevery daye the children of lyght, and obscure them, and shal so do, vntil the world be at an end. So that it maye be euer true, yt Christ said, The children of the world be wiser, &c.
These worldlynges pul downe the lyuely fayth, and full confidence that mē hauehave in Christe, and set vp an other faith, another confidence, of theyr owne making: the children of … contrary. These worldlynges set lyttel by such workes as God hath prepared for our saluation, but they extol traditions & workes of theyr owne inuention: the children oflight contrary. The worldlynges, if they spie profite, gaynes, lucre in any thing, be it neuer such a tryfle, be it neuer so pernicious, they preach it to the people, (if they preach at any time), & these thinges they defend with toth & nayle. They can scarse … the abuses of these, al be it they be intolerable, least in disalowyng the abuse, they lose part of theyr profite. The chyldren of the light, contrarye put al thinges in their degre, best highest, next, next, the … lowest. They extol thinges necessarie, christiā, and cōmaunded of God. They pul downe wylworkes feyned by men, and put them in theyr place. The buses of al thing they ernestly rebuke. But yet these thinges be so done on both parties, and so they both do gendre, that children of the world shew them selfe wyser then the children of lyght, and that fraudes and deceites, …, and mony, … euermore to hauehave the vpper hand. I hold my peace, I wyl not saye, how fat feastes and ioly bankettes be ioly instrumentes to set foorth worldly matters withal. Neyther the children ofFat feastes & banquets the world, be onelyonly wyser, than the children of lyght, but are also some of them, among them selfe, much wiser then the other in theyr generation. For al be it, as touching the end, the generation of them all, is one: yet in this same generation, some of them hauehave more craftily ingendred, then the other of their felowes. For what a thing was that, that once eueryevery hū dred yere, was brought forth in Rome, of the children of this world, and with how much policy it was made, ye heard at Paules crosse, in the beginning of the last parliament. How some brought forth Canonizations, some Expectations, some pluralities, and vnions, some … quots, and dispensations,Thynges engendred at Rome. some pardons, and these of wonderful varitie, some Stationaries, some …, some Pocularies for Drinkers, some manuaries for handlers of reliques, some pedaries for pilgrimes, some oscularies, for kissers: some of them ingendred one, some other such fetures, and eueryevery one in that he was delyuered of, was excellent, politike, wise, yea so wise, that with their wisedome they had almost made all the world fooles. But yet they that begot and brought forth, that our old ancient purgatory picke pourse, that that was swaged and couled with a franciscans cowle, put vponupon a dead mans back, to theThe coule cōmeth to late, yt syns be gone before wyth the soule. fourth part of his synnes, that that was vtterly to be spoyled, and of none other, but of our most prudent Lord Pope, and of hym as oste as hym lysted: that satisfactory, that myssal, that scalary: they, I say, that were the wise fathers and genitours of this purgatory, were in my mind, the wysest of al theyr generation: and so far passe both the children of light, and also the rest of their company, that they both are but fooles, … compare them with these. It was a pleasaunt fiction, and frō the beginning so profitable to the feyners of it, that almost, I dare boldly say, there hath bene no emperour, that hath gottē more by taxes and tallages of them that were alyue; thē these the very and right begotten sonnes of the world got by dead… the … worldlynges. mens tributes and gyftes. If there be some in England, that wold this sweting of the world to be with no lesse policy kept styl, than it was borne and brought forth in Rome, who thē can accuse Christ of lieng? No no, as it hath ben euer true, so it shal be, that the children of the world, be much wyser, not only in making their thinges, but also in conseruing them. I … not what it is, but somewhat it is, I wot, that som men be so loth to se the abuse of this monster, purgatorie, which abuse is more then abhominable. As who should say, ther is none abuse in it, or els as though ther can be none in it. They may … hartily to louelove the old thing, that thus earnestly en deuour them to restore hym his olde …. They would not set an heare by the name but for the thing They be not so ignorant (no they be crafty) but yt they know, if the name come agayne, the thing will come after. Therby it aryseth, that some men make theyr crakes, that they (maugre of al mens heades) hauehave found purgatory. I can not tel, what is found.Fynders of thinges not lost. This, to pray for dead folkes, this is not found, for it was neuer lost. How can that be found, that was not lost? … subtyl finders, that can find thinges (and God wyl) ere they be lost. For that coulysh delyuerance, their scalarie losinges, their popal spoliations, and other such their figmentes, they can not fynd, they can not find. No these be so lost, as they them selfes graunt, that though they seke them neuer so diligently yet they shal not find them, except perchance, they hope to se them come in agayn with their names. And that then money gathering may returne agayne, and deceite walke a boute yt country, and so stablysh theyr kingdom in al kingdoms. But to what end this chiding betwene the children of the world, & the children of lyght, wyl come: onelyonly he knoweth, that once shal iudge them both.
Now to make hast, and to come som what nygher the end, go ye to good brethren and fathers, for the louelove of God go ye to, and seyng we are here assembled, let vsus doo some thyng, … we may be knowen to be the children of lyght. Let vsus do somwhat, lest we, which hitherto hauehave ben iudged children of the world, seme euen styl to be so. All men cal vsus … lates, then seing we be in counsel, let vsus so order our selfes, yt as we be prelates in honour and dignity, so we maye be prelatcs: in holynes, beneuolence, diligence, & sincerity. All men knowe, that we be here gathered, and with most feruent desyre they anheale, breath, and gape for the fruit of our conuocation, as our actes shal be, so they shal name vsus, so that now it lyeth in vsus, whether we wil be called children of the world, or children of light. Wherfore lyfte vp your heades, brethren, and loke about with your eyes, spye what thinges are to be reformed in the church of England. Is it so hard, is itso great a matter for you, to se many abuses in the clergy, many in the laity? What is done in the arches? Nothing to be amendedWhatThe Arches. do they there? Do they euermore ryd the peoples busy nes and matters, or combre and ruffle them? Do they euermore correct vice, or elles defend it, somtime being well corrected in other places? How many sentences be gyuen there in time, as they ought to be? If mensay truth, how many withBishops …. out brybes? Dr if all thinges be wel done there, what do men in byshops Consistories? Shal you ofter se the punishmentes assigned by the lawes executed, or els mony redemptiōs vsed in their stede? How thinke you by the Ceremonies, that are in England, ofte times with no litle offence of weake consciences,Ceremonies. contempned: more oftener with superstition so desyled, and so depraued, that you maye doubte, whether it were better, some of them to tary styll, or vtterly to take them away? HaueHave not our forefathers complayned of the nombre of ceremonies, of the superstition, and estimation of them?
Do ye se nothing in our holy dayes? of the which very fewHolydaies. were made at the fyrst, and they to set forth goodnes, vertue & honestie: But sithens, in some places, there is neyther meane nor measure in making newe holy dayes: as who should say, this one thing is seruing of God, to make this lawe, that no man may woorke. But what doth the people on these holyThe day is holye yf we be holy. dayes? Doo they gyue them selfe to godiynes, or els vngodlynes? See ye nothing brethren? If you se not, yet God seeth. God seeth all the whole holye dayes, to be spent miserablye in dronkennes, in glossing, in strife, in enuye, in daunsing, dicing, ydelnes and glottonye. He seeth al this, and threateneth punishment for it. He seeth it, which neither is deceyued in seeing, nor deceyueth when he threateneth. Thus men serue the Diuel, for God is not thus serued, al be it ye say, ye serue god. No the diuel hath more seruice done vntounto hym on one holy day, then on many working daies. Let al these abuses be compted as nothing, who is he, that is not sory, to se in so many holy dayes, rytch and welthy persons to flowe in delicates, and men that lyue by theyr trauayl, poore men, to lacke necessary meate and drink for theyr wyues, and theyr children, and that they can not labour upon the holy dayes, except they wyl be cited & brought before our officials? Were it not the office of good prelates, to consult vponupon these matters, and to seke some remedy for them? Ye shall se my brethren, ye shal se once, what wyl come of this our wynking.
What thinke ye of these images that are had more thē theyrImages. felowes in reputation? that are gone vntounto, with such labour and werines of the body, frequēted with such our cost, sought out and visited with such confidence? What say ye by these images, that are so famous, so noble, so noted, being of them so many and so dyuers in England? Do you thynke, that this preferring of picture to picture, image to image, is the righte vse, and not rather the abuse of ymages? But you wyll saye to me, why make ye al these interrogatiōs? And why in these your demaundes do you let and withdraw the good deuotiō of the people? Be not al thinges weldon, that are done with good intent, whan they be profitable to vsus? So surely couetousnes both thinketh and speaketh. Wer it not better for vsus more for estemation, more meeter for men in our places, to cut away a … of this our profyt, if we wyl not cut awaye al, then to wynke at such vngodlynes, and so long to winke for alyttel lucre, specially if it be vngodlynesse and also … vntounto you vngodlynes? These be two thinges, so oft to seke… of Sayntes. mere images, and sometyme to visite the relikes of saintes. And yet as in those, there maye be much vngodlynes committed, so there may here som superstiti ōbe hyd, if that sometime we chaunce to visit pygges bones, in steede of sayntesPigges bones honoured, relyques, as in tyme past it hath chaunced (I had almost sayd) in England. Then this is to great a blindnes, a darkenesse to sensible, that these should be so cōmended in sermons, of some men, & preached, to be don after such maner, as though they could not be euil done, which not withstanding are such, that neyther God nor man commaundeth them to be don. No, rather, men commaunded them either not to be done at all, or els more slowlyer & seldomer to be don: for as much as our aūcetours made this constitution. We commaunde the Priestes that they oft admonish the people, and in especial women, that they make no vowes, but after long deliberation, conse nt of their husbandes, and counsell of the Priest. The church of Englād in time past made this constitution. What sawe they, that made this decre? They sawe the intollerable abuses of Images. They sawe the peryls, that might ensue, of going on pilgremage. They sawe, the superstitious difference that men made betwene image and image. Surely somwhat they sawe. The constitution is so made, that in maner it taketh away al such pilgrimages. For it so plucketh away the abuse of them, that it leaueth eyther none, or els seldome vse of them. For they that restreine making vowes, for going of pilgrimage, restreine also pilgrimage. Seing that for the most parte, it is sene, that few go on pilgremage, but vowe makers, and such as by promise bynde them selfe to go. And when, I pray you should a mans wife go on pilgremage, if she went not, before she had wel debated the matter with her selfe, and obteined the consent of her husband, being a wyse man, and were also counselled by a learned Priest so to do? When should she go … of, to these famous Images? For this the common people of England thinke to be going on pilgremage, to go to som dead and notable image out of towne, that is to say far from theyr house. Now if your forefathers made this constitution, and yet thereby dyd nothing, the abuses eueryevery daye more & more encreased, what is left for you to do? Bretherne and fathers, if ye purpose to do any thing, what should ye soner…. do, then to take vtterly away, these deceytful and iugling Images? or els if ye know any other meane, to put away abuses, to shewe it, if ye intend to remoue abuses. Me thinke if should be grateful and pleasant to you to marke the ernest mynd of your forefathers, and to loke vponupon their desire, wher they saye in theyr constitution, We commaund you, and not, we counsel you. How hauehave we ben so long a cold, so long slacke in setting forth so holsom a precepte of the church of Englād, where we be so hot in all thinges, that hauehave any gaynes in them, all be it they be neyther commaunded vsus, nor yet gyuen vsus by counsell: as though we had leauer, the abuse of thinges should tary styll, then it taken away, lose our profit. To let passe the solemyne and … bacchanals, the prescript myracles, that are done vponupon certayne dayes in theTligils and nyght wat chynges. Weste parte of England, who hath not hard? I thinke, ye hauehave heard, of sainte Blesis hart, which is at Maluerne, and of saynt Algars bones, how long they deluded the people? I am afrayd, to the losse of many soules. Wherby men maye wel coniecture, that al aboute in this realme, there is plenty of such iuglinge deceites. And yet hytherto ye hauehave sought no remedy. But euen styll the myserable people is suffered, to take the false myracles for the true, and to lye styll a sleepe in al kynde of superstition. God hauehave mercy vponupon vsus.
Last of al, how thinke you of matrimony? Is al well here?Matrimoni What of baptisme? Shall we euermore in ministring of it, speake latine, and not englyshe rather, that the people maye knowe what is sayd and done?
What thinke ye of these masse priestes, and of the Masses them selues? What say ye? Be al things here so without abuses, that nothing ought to be amended? Your forefathers sawe somwhat, which made this constitution, against the venality, and sale of Masses, that vnderunder paine of suspending, no priest shuld sel his saying of tricennals, or annals. What saw they, that made this constitution? What Priestes saw they? what maner of masses sawe they, trow ye? But at the last, what becā of so good a constitution? God hauehave mercy vpō vsus. If there be nothing to be amended abrod, cōcerning yt whole, let eueryevery one of vsus make one better. If ther be neither abrod nor at home any thing to be amended, & redressed: My lordes be ye of good chere, be mery: & at the least because we hauehave nothing els to do, let vsus reasō the matter how we may be richer. Let vsus fal to some pleasaunt communication, after let vsus go home, euen as good as we came hyther, that is right begotten thildren of the world, & vtterly worldlynges. And while we lyue here, let vsus al make bone chere. For after this life, there is small pleasure, lyttel myrthe for vsus to hope for, if now there be nothing to be chaunged in our facions. Let vsus say, not as Saint. Peter dyd? Our end approcheth nigh, this…. Peter. 4. is an heauy hearing: but let vsus say, as the euil seruaunt said: It wyl be long ere my maistere come. This is pleasant. LetMath. 24. vsus beate our felowes. … vsus eate & drynke with dronkerds.…. 12. … as oft as we do not take away the abuse of thinges, so ofte, we beate our felows. As oft as we gyue not the people their true fode, so oft we beate our felowes. As oft as we let them … in superstition, so oft we beate thē. To he short, as oft as we blind, lead them blinde, so oft we beate and greuously strike our felowes. When we walter in plesures and idelnes, then we eate and drinke with drunkards. But God wyl come, God wyl com, he wyll not tary longe away. He wyl come vponupon such a day, as we nothing loke for hym: and at such houre, as we know not. He wyl come, and cut vsus in peeces. He wyl reward vsus, as he doth the hipocrites. He wil set vsus, where wayling shalbe my brethren, where gnashing of teeth shal be my brethren. And let here be the ende of our tragidie, if ye wyl. These be the delycate dishes, prepared for worldes wel beloued children. These be the wafers and ionketes, prouided for worldly prelates, wayling and gnashing of teth. Can there be any mirth, where these two courses, last al the feast? Here we laugh, there we shal weepe. Our teeth make mery here, euer dashing in delicates, there we shal be torne with teeth, and do nothing but gnash & grind our own. To what ende hauehave we now excelled other in policy? What hauehave we brought forth at the last? Ye se brethren what sorow, what punishment is prouided for you, yf ye be worldlynges. If ye wyl not thus be vered, be not ye the children of the world. If ye wyl not be the children of the world be not stryken wyth the louelove of wordly thynges, leane not vponupon them. If ye wyll not dye eternallye, liue not worldlye. Come go to my brothers go to, I say againe, & once agayne, go to, leaue the louelove of your profit, study for the glory & profite of Christ, seke in your consultations, such thinges as pertayne to Christ, and bring forth at the last, sōwhat, that may please Christ. Feede ye tenderly with all diligence, the flock of Christ. … truely the word of God. LoueLove the lyght, walke in the lyght: and so be ye the children of lyght, whyle ye are in this world, … ye may shine in the world, that is to come, bright as the sonne, with the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost, to whom be all honour, praise and glory.
Amen.