Twenty-Seven Sermons, Sermons 3 · Sermon 2
¶ The second Sermon of Maister Hughe Latimer, which be preached before king Edward.
QVecunque scripta sunt: ad nostram doctrinam. &c. Al thynges that are wrytten in Gods boke, in the holy Bible, they were wrytten before our time, but yet to cōtynue from age to age as long as the world doth stand.
In this boke is contained doctryne for all estates, euen for kinges. A king herein may learne howe toIn gods booke is … tryne for al estates. guid himself, I told you in my last sermon, much of the duty of a king. And there is one place behind yet, and it folow eth in the text. Postquam autem sederit in solio regni sui. &c.
And when the kinge is set in the seate of his kingdome, he shal wryte him out a boke, and take a copye of the priestes orDeut. xvii Leuites. He shall hauehave the boke with him, and why? to reade in it al the daies of his life, to learn to fear god, and learne hys lawes, and other things, as it foloweth in the text with the appurtenances and hangings on, that he turn not from God, ne ther to the right hand, nor to the left. And wherfore shall he do this? that he may liue long, he and his children. Hitherto goeth the text. That I may declare this the better to the edifying of your souls & the glory of God, I shal desyre you to pray &c. Et postquā. &c. Before I enter into thys place (right honorable audiēce) to furnish it accordingly, whiche by ye grace of god I shal do at lesure, I wold repete yt place I was in last, & furnish it wt an history or two, which I left out in my last sermō. I was in a matter cōcerning ye … of the Iewes, a … and … kind of people, like our English men now a dayes, that in the minorityeThe … Iewes & oure Englysh men compared together. of a king, take vponupon them to break lawes, & to go by wals. For when God had promised them a king, when it came to the poynt they refused him. These men walked by …, and the saying is, many by walkes, many balkes, many balkes much stumbling, and wher much stumbling is,… Englyshe …, … called an old said saw. there is sometime a fal, how be it ther wer some good wal … among them, that walked in the kynges highe waye ordinarily, vprightly, plain Dunstable waye, and for thys purpose, I would shew you an history whiche is wrytten in the third of the kinges.
King Dauid being in hys chyldhode, an old man, in hysiii. of the kings the fyrst chap. second childhode, for al olde men are twise children, as the Prouerbe is. Senex bis puer. … old man, twise a child, it hap pened wyth him, as it doth oftentimes, when wicked men of a … childhode take occasyon of euyll.
This king Dauid being weak of nature and impotent, in so much that whē he was couered with clothes, he could take no heate, was counsailed of hys seruauntes to take a fair young maid to nourishe him, and to kepe him warme in hys body, I suppose she was his wyfe. How be it he had no bodilye companye with her, and wel she myghte be hys wife. For though the scripture do the say. Non cognouit eam. He knewe her not, he had no carnall copulation with her, yet it sayth not: Non duxit eam vxorem. He maryed her not. Aud I cannot thinke that kyng Dauid would hauehave her to warme hys bosome in bed, except she had bene hys wyfe, hauing a dispensation of God to hauehave as manye wyues as he would. For god had dispensed with them to hauehave many… iii. of kyngs the first wiues. Well: what happened to kinge Dauid in his childhode, by the childe of the deuil? Ye shal hear. Kinge Dauid had a proud sonne, whose name was Adonias, a man full of ambition, desyrous of honoure, alwayes climynge, clymyng. Now, whiles the time was of hys fathers childhod, he woulde depose hys father, not … of his fathers mynde, saying. Ego regnabo. I wil raign, I wil be kynge, he was a stout stomacked childe; a bywalker, of an ambitious mynde, he woulde not consent to hys fathers frendes, but gat hym a charret, and menne to run before it, and dyuers other adherentes to help him forward, worldly wise men, suche as had ben before of his fathers counsaile, great men in the worlde, and some no dout of it, came of good wyll thinking no harme, for they would not thinke, that he did it without his fathers will, hauing such greate men to set him forthe, for eueryevery man can not hauehave accesse at all times to the king, to know his pleasure: well, algates he would be king. He makes a great feast, and thether he called Ioab the ringleader of his fathers armie, a worldly wise man, aIoab captain generall of … army. by walker, that would not walke the kinges hye way, and one … the high priest. For it is maruayle if any michief be in hand, if a Priest be not at some ende of it, they toke him as king, and cried, Viuat Rex Adonias. God saue king …, Dauid suffred al thys, and let him alone, for he was in his childhod a bedred man. But see how God or dered the matter. Nathan the Prophet and Sadoc a Priest: and …, and Crethytes, and … the Kinges garde, they were not called to the feast.
These were good men, and would not walke by wayes, therfore it was folly to breake the matter to them, they were not called to counsell. Therfore Nathan whē he hard of this, he commeth to Bethsabe, Salomons mother, and sayth. Heare ye not how Adonias the sone of Ageth, raigneth king, Dauid not knowing? And he bad her put the king in mind of his oth that he sware that her sonne Salomon should be king after him, this was wise counsayle according to the prouerbe. Qui vadit plane, vadit sane.
He that walketh in the hye plainway, walketh safely.Bethsabesueth to Dauid for Salomon. Upon this she wente and brake the matter to Dauid, and desired him to shew who should raygne after him in Hierusalem, adding that if Adonias were king, she and her son after his death should be destroyed, saying: Nos erimus peccatores. We shalbe sinners, we shalbe taken for traytors, for thoughe we ment no harme, but walked vprightly, yet because we went not the by way with hym, he beyng in authoritie wyll destroy vsus. And by and by commeth in Nathā, and taketh her tale by the ende, and sheweth hym how Adonias was saluted kyng, and that he had bid to dinner the kynges seruantes, all sauyng hym and Sadoc, and Banaiah and all his brethren the Kyngs sonnes saue Salomon. Kinge Dauid remembryng hymselfe, swore, as sure as God lyueth, Salomon my sonne shal raygne after me and by and by commaunded Nathan and Sadoc and hys garde the Cerites and Phelites, to take Salomon hys sonne and set hym vppon his mule, and anoynte hym Kyng. And so they did crying. Viuat Salomon Rex. Thus was Salomon throned, by the aduise and will of his father, and though he were a childe, yet was his will to be obeyed and fulfylled, and they ought to hauehave knowen his pleasure.
Whylse this was a doing there was suche a ioye and outcryThe ioie of the people for their new king. of the people, for theyr new kyng, and blowing of trom pettes, that Ioab and the other company beyng in theyr io lytie, and kepyng good cheare: Hearde it, and sodaynly asked what is this ado? And when they perceyued, that Salomon, by the aduise of his father was annoynted kyng, by and by there was all whisht, all theyr good chere was don, and all that were with Adonias, went away, and let hym raygne alone: if he would, and why? He walked a by way and God would not prosper it.
God will not worke with priuate authoritie, nor with any thing done inordinatly. When Adonias saw this thatGod is against … authoritie and in ordinate doings. he was left alone, he toke sanctuary, and held by the horns of the aultar, and sware that he would not departe thence, till Salomon would sweare that he should not lease hys lyfe. Here is to be noted the notable sentence, and greate mercy of kyng Salomon.
Let him (saith he) order him selfe lyke a quyet man, andSalamon is mercyfull. there shall not one hear fall from hys head. Sed si inuentum fuerit, malum in …. But if there shall be any euyll found in hym, if he hathe gone about any mischyef, he shall dye for it. Upon this he was brought into Salomon, and as the boke sayth, he did homage vntounto him, and Salomon sayde to him. Vade in domum tuam.
Get thee into thy house, by lyke he meant to warde, and there to see his wearing, as if he should say, shew thy selfe without gall of ambicion, to be a quyet subiect, and I wil… tryeth traitours from the trusty. pardō thee for this time. But I wil see the wearing of the. Here we may see the wonderfull great mercy of Salomon for this notoryous treason, that Adonias had committed, it was a playne matter, for he suffred him selfe to be called kyng, it hung not of vehement suspition or coniecture nor sequell or consequent, yet notwithstanding Salomon for that present, forgaue him, saying I wil not forget it vtterly, but I will kepe it in suspece, I will take no aduauntage of thee at this time. This Adonias and Absolon were brethren, and came both of a straung mother, and Absolō likewise was a traytour and made an insurrection against his father. Beware therfore these mothers, and let kings take hede howe they mary, in what houses, in what …. ForNote of what force education is. straunge bringing vp bringeth straunge maners. No we geueth Dauid an exhortation to Salomon, and teacheth hym the dutie of a king, and geueth him a lesson, as it foloweth at large in the boke, and he that list to reade it, may se it there at full. But what doth Adonias all this whyle? He must yet clime again, the gall of ambition was not outAdonias schrinks in the wetyng & proueth nought in the wearing. of his hart. He will now mary Abisaak the yong Queene that warmed king Dauides bosome, as I told you, & commeth me to Bethsabe, desiering her to be a meane to Salomon her sonne that he might obtayne his purpose. And bryngeth me out a couple of lyes at a clappe, and committeth me two vnlawfull actes. For fyrst he would hauehave ben king without his fathers consente, and now he will marye his fathers wyfe, and the. ii. lies are these. Fyrst, sayd … to Bethsabe, thou knowest that the kyngdom belongeth to me, for I am the elder. The kingdom was mine, he lyedAdoniasa liar. falsely, it was none of his. Then sayd he all the eyes of Israell were cast vponupon me, that is to say: all Israll consented to it, and there he lyed falslye. For Nathan, Sadoc, and other wyse men, neuer agreed to it. Here was a great enterprise of Adonias: he will be climbing still. Well Bethsabe went at his request to her sonne Salomon, and asked aboune, and be graunted her what soeuer she did aske. Notwithstanding he brake his promis afterward & that rightwell,When promises may not be performed. for all promisses are not to be kept, specially if they be againste the worde of God. Or not standyng with a commune profyt, and therfore, as sone as Salomon hard that Adonias woulde hauehave … the yonge Queene …, nay then let him be king to, sayde he. I perceyue now that he is a naughty man, a proud harted fellow, the gall of ambition is not yet out of his hart, and so cōmaunded him to be put to death. Thus was Adonias put to execution,Adonias put to death. where as if he had kept his house and not brokē his…. King. ii. iniunction, he mighte hauehave liued still. Abiathar, what becameAbiathar deposed and made … quondam. of him? The king (because he had serued his father be fore him) would not put him to death, but made him as it were a quondam. Because thou hast ben with my fatheriii. King. ii (sayd he) and diddest cary the ark before him, I will not kill thee. But I wil promise thee, thou shalt neuer minister any more. Vade in agrum tuum. Bet thee to thy land, and liue there. A great matter of pitie & compassion, so God graūt vsus all suche mercy. And here was the ende of Elies stocke, according to the promise and threatning of God. As for the Phelethites we doo not read that they were punished. Mary, Semey transgressed his Iniunction: for he kept not his house, but went out, of Hierusalē to seke two seruaūts of his, that had run from him: and when it came to Salomons eare, it cost him his lyfe. I hauehave ript the matter now to the pill, and hauehave tolde you of playne walkers, and of by walkers, and how a kyng in his childhod is a kinge, as well, as in any other age. We reade in scripture of such as… was but vii. yeares old when he was made kyng. were but xii. or viii. yeares olde, and yet the word of the ho ly Ghost called them kings, saying: Cepit regnare He began to raygne, or he began to be king. Here is of bywalkers.iiii. King. xii. This history woulde be remembred, the prouerbe is: Faelix Iosias was viii.quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum. Happy is he that can beware by an other mans ieoperdy. For if we offend not asiiii. king. xxii. other doo, it is not oure owne desertes. If we fall not, it is Gods preseruation. We are all offenders. For ether we may do, or hauehave don, or shall doo (except God preserue vsus) as euill as the worst of them. I praye God we may all amend and repent. But we will all amend now I trust. We muste nedes a mende our lyues eueryevery man.
The holy Communion is at hand, and we may not receyuekings, though they be children yet they are, kinges. it vnworthely. Well, to returne to my historye. Kyng Dauid (I say) was a king in his second childhod. And so, yong kinges thoughe they bee Children, yet are they kings notwithstanding, and though it be written in scripture: Ve tibi O terra … puer est Rex. Wo to thee, O Lande, where the king is a childe: it foloweth in an other place. Beata terra vbi rex nobilis Blessed is the land, where there is a noble kyng. Where kinges be no banketers, no players, and where they spend not their time in hauking, and hunting: And when had the kynges maiestie a Councell thatThe kinges honourable … cell … commended. toke more payne bothe night and day for the setting forth of gods word, and profit of the commune wealth? And yet there be some wicked people that will say. Tush, this gearThe comune saying of the Popish hope dayes. will not tary, it is but my Lord Protectours, and my lord of Canterburies doing: The king is a child, he knoweth not of it. Iesu mercy, how lyke ar we English men to ye Iewes euer stubburn, stifnecked, and walking in bye wayes. Yea,English men worse then the Iewes. I thinke no Iewe woulde at at any tyme saye: this geare will not tary. I neuer heard nor red at any time that they sayd. These lawes were made in such a kinges dayes, whē he was but a child. Let vsus alter them. O Lorde what pytie is this, that we should be worse then the Iewes?
Blessed be the lande saith the worde of God, where the king is noble. What people are they that say, the kyng is but a childe? hauehave not we a noble kynge? Was there euer kynge so noble? so Godly? brought vp with so noble counsellours? so excellent, & well learned Scholemaisters? I wil tell you this, and I speake it euen as I thinke. His … A trewe and and harty report of M. La … by the kinges ….hathe more Godly wit and vnderstanding, more learning and knowledge at this age, then xx. of his progenitors, that I could name, had at any tyme of their lyfe.
I tolde you in my last sermon of ministers, of the kings people, and had occasion to shew you, how few noble men were good preachers, and I left oute an history then which I will now tell you.
There was a Bishop of Wynchester in king Henry theThe history of a bishop of Winchester in king Henrythe vi. tyme. vi. dayes, whiche king was but a chylde, and yet were there many good Actes made in hys childehod, and I do not read that they were broken. This Byshop was a greate man borne, & did beare suche a stroke, that he was able to shoulder the Lorde Protectour. Well, it chaunced that the lord Protectour and he fell oute, and the Byshop would beare nothing at all with him, but played me the Satrapa, so that the Regent of Fraunce was fayne to be sent for, from beyond the seas, to set them at one, and to go betwene them. For the Bishop was as able and readye to buccle with the Lorde Protectoure, as he was with hym.
Was not this a good prelate? he should hauehave ben at home a preaching in hys Dioces in a waniant. This Protector was so noble and Godly a man, that he was called of eueryeveryThe good duke Humfrey. man the good Duke Humfrey. He kept such a house, as ne uer was kept since in England, without any enhaunsyng of rentes. I warrant you, or any suche matter. And the bishop for standing so stifly by the matter, and bearyng vp the order of our mother the holy churche, was made CardinallAtyburne tippet would a becom him better. at Calice, and thyther the byshop of Rome sent him a cardinals hat. He should hauehave had a tiburne tippet, a halpeny halter, and all suche proud prelates. These Romishe hattes neuer brought good into England.
Uppon this the bishop goeth me to the queene Katherin the kinges wyfe, a proud woman and a stout, and perswaded her, that if the duke were in suche authoritie styll, and lyued, the people would honor him, more thē they did the king. And the king should not be set by, and so betwene them, I can not tell how it came to pas, but at Sente Edmundsbury… Humfrey smothered. in a parliamēt, the good Duke Humfrey was smothered.
But now to returne to my text, and to make further re hearsall of the same, the matter beginneth thus. Et post quā sederit Rex. And when the king is set in the seat of his kingdom,The office of a king newly chosen. what shall he do? shall he daunce, and dally? banket? hauke and hunte? No forsoth syr. For as God set an order in the kinges stable as I tolde you in my laste Sermon, so will he appoint what pastime a king shal hauehave.
What must he doo then? He must be a student. He muste write Gods booke him selfe. Not thinking because he is a kyng, he hath licence to doo what he will, as these worldly flatterers are wont to say. Yea, trouble not your self sir, ye may hauke and hunt, & take youre pleasure. As for the guidingFlattering clawbackers. of your kingdom and people, let vsus alone with it.
These flattering clawbacks ar original rotes of all mischief, and yet a Kinge may take his pastime in hauking orA kings pastime hunting or suche lyke pleasures But he must vse them for recreation when he is wery of waightye affayres, that he may returne to them the more lustye: and this is called pastime with good company. He must write out a boke hym selfe. He speaketh of wryting because printing was not vsedThe king must write the booke of Deutero. him selfe. at that time. And shall the king write it out him selfe? He meaneth he shall see it written, & rather then he shoulde be without it, wryte it him self. Iesus mercy is God so cha ry with a king to hauehave him well brought vp & instructed?Deut. xviii. yea forsoth. For if the king be well ordered, the realme is well ordered. Where shall he hauehave a copie of this boke? of the Leuites. And why? Because it shall be a true copie, not falsifyed. Moyses left the boke in an olde chest, and the … had it in kepyng. And because there should be no errour, no addition, nor taking away from it, he biddeth him fetche the copy of the Leuites. And was not here a greate miracle of God, how this boke was preserued? It had lain hid many yeares and the Iewes knew not of it. Therfore at length when they had found it and knew it: they lamented for theyr ignoraunce, that had so long bene withoute it, and rent their clothes, repenting theyr vnfaythfulnesse. And the holy bible Gods boke, that we hauehave among vsus, itGods booke hath, ben preser ued hitherto by a wonderful mi racle. hath ben preserued hytherto by wonderfull miracle of god though the kepers of it were neuer so malitious. Firste euer syth the bishop of Rome was firste in authoritie, they hauehave gone aboute to destroye it, but God worketh wonder fully, he hath preserued it mauger theyr beartes, and yet ar we vnthankfull that we can not consider it. I wil tell you, what a bishop of this realme sayde once to me, he sent for me and meruayled that I would not consent to such traditions, as were then set out. And I aunswered him, that I woulde be ruled by Gods boke, and rather then I woulde dissent one iote frō it, I would be torne with wild horsses. And I chaunced in our cōmunication, to name the Lordes supper. … saith the bishop. What do ye call the LordesMark a … Prelate. supper? What new terme is that? There stode by him a dubber, one doctour Dubber he dubbed him by and by and sayd that this terme was seldome red in the doctours. And I made answer, that I would rather folow Paule inS. Paules termes oughte to be folowed. vsyng his termes, then them, though they had all the doctours on theyr syde. Why, sayd the bishop, cā not we with out scriptures order the people? howe did they before the scripture was fist wryttē and copied out? But God knoweth,A bishop that asked whether the people might not be ordred withoutè scriptures. full ill yet would they hauehave ordered them. For seyng that hauing it, they hauehave deceyued vsus, in what case should we hauehave ben now without it? But thankes be to God, that by so wonderfull a myracle hath preserued the boke still. It foloweth in the text. Habebit secum. &c. He shall hauehave it with him in his progresse, he must hauehave a man to carye it,The byblemust not be forgottē in tyme of progresse and …. that when he is haukyng and hunting or in any pastime, maye alwaies commune with them of it. He shall reade in it not once a yeare. for a time, or for his recreation, whē he is weary of haukyng or hunting, but cunctis diebus vita suae All the daies of his life. Where ar those worldlyngs now? These bledder puffed vp wyly men? Wo worth them that euer they were about any king. But how shal he read this boke, as the Homilies are read? Some call them homlies,How homely they handle the the godlye Homylies. and in dede so they may be well called, for they are homely handled. For though the priest reade them neuer so well, yet if the parish like them not, there is suche talking and babling in the churche, that nothing can be heard: Aud yf the parysh be good, and the priest nought, he will so hacke it, and chop it, that it were as good for them to be without it, for any word that shalbe vnderstand. And yet (the morepitie) this is suffred of your graces bishops in their dioces vnpunished. But I wil be a suter to your grace, that ye wil geue your Bishops charge ere they goo home, vponupon theyrA request to the kinges grace. allegiaunce, to loke better to theyr flocke, and to see youre maiesties iniunctions better kept, & send your visitours in theirtailes. And if they be found negligēt, or fautye in theirNegligent bishops. deutyes, oute with thē. I require it in Gods behalfe, make them quondams all the packe of them. But peraduenture ye will say. Where shall we hauehave any to put in theyr rowmes? In dede I were a presumptuous fellow to moue your grace to put them oute, if there wer not other to put in theyr places. But youre maiestie hathe diuers of youre chaplaynes, well learned men, and of good knowledge, and yet ye hauehave some that be badde inoughe, hangers on of the court, I meane not those. But if your maiesties chaplainsHangers of the courte. and my Lord Protectors be not able to furnishe their places, there is in this realm, thankes be to God, a great sight of lay men, wel learned in the scriptures, and of vertuous and godly conuersation, better learned then a great syghte of vsus, of the cleargy.
I can name a numbre of them that are able, and would be glad (I dare say) to minyster the function if they be called to it. I moue it of conscience to youre grace, let them be called to it orderly, let them hauehave institution, and geue thē Learned laymen to furnish the … of bishops.the names of the clergy. I meane not the name onlye, but let them do the function of a bishop, and liue of the same. Not as it is in many places, that one shuld hauehave the name, and viii. other the profyt. For what an enormity is this in a christian realme to serue in a ciuility, hauinge the profyt of a Prouostship and a Deanrye, and a Personage? But IThe clargy is lyke to bee brought into slauery. wil tel you what is lyke to come of it. It wil bring the cler gy shortly into a very slauery. I may not forgette here my Scala celi that I spoke of in my last sermon. I will repeat it now again, desyring your grace in gods behalf that ye … remembre it. The byshop of Rome had a Scala celi, but hys was a Masse matter. This Scala celi, is the true ladder that bryngeth a man to heauen, the toppe of the ladder or fyrste greese, is this.
Who so euer calleth vponupon the name of the Lord, shalbeThe … ly and his. … steppes. saued. The second step. Howe shal they call vppon hym, in whome they hauehave no beleue? The third stayr is this. How shal they beleue in him, of whome they neuer hearde? The fourth step. How shal they hear without a preacher? Now the nether end of the ladder is. How shall they preache, excepte they be sente? Thys is the foote of the ladder, so that we may goo backward now, and vse the … argument. A primo ad vltimum. Take away preaching, … away saluation. But I feare one thiug, and it is, … for a safety ofThe feare is … for it is … all …. a litle mony, you wil put in … priestes … saue …. But I wil tel you, Christe boughte … with hys bloud, and wil ye sel them for gold or siluer? I woulde not that ye shoulde doo with chauntrye Priestes, as ye did wyth the Abbottes, when abbeyes were putte downe. For when their enormities were fyrst redde in the parliament house, they were so great and abhominable, that ther wasNow bishops of old a bbots. nothinge but downe wyth them. But wythin a whyle after, the same Abbottes were made Bishoppes, as there be some of them yet a liue to saue and redeme their pensions. O Lorde: thinke ye that God is a fole? and seeth it not? and if he se it, wil he not punish it? And so now for safety of mo nye, I would not that ye should put in chauntrye priestes, I speake not now against such chauntry priestes as are able to preache, but those that are not able, I will not hauehave them put in, for if ye doo this, ye shal answer for it.
It is in the text, that a king ought to feare God, he shall hauehave the dread of God before his eies, worke not by world ly policy, for worldly policy feareth not God. Take hede ofWordly poliey feareth not god these claubackes, these venemous people that wil come to you, that will folowe like Gnatoes aud Parasites, if you folowe them, you are oute of your boke. If it be not according to Gods worde that they counsaile you, doo it not for any worldly policy, for then ye feare not God. It folowethSmel feastes or flatterers. in the text. Vt non eleuetur cor eius. That he be not proude aboue his brethren. A kynge muste not be proude, for God myght hauehave made hym a shephearde, when he made hym a kynge, and done hym no wronge. There be many exam ples of proude kynges in scripture. As Pharao that would not heare the message of God. Herode also, that put IhonMharao Exod vii. viii. Baptiste to deathe, and woulde not heare hym, he tolde him, that it was not lawfull for him to mary his brothers wyfe. Ieroboam also was a proude kynge. An other kyng…. iii. king. xii. there was that worshipped straunge Gods and Idols, of those men whome he had ouercome before in battail: And when a Prophet told him of it: What sayd he. Who made you one of my councel? These were proud kinges, their examples are not to be folowed.
But wherefore shall a kynge feare God, and tourn neither to the ryght hande, nor to the lefte.
Wherefore shall he do all this? vt longo tempore regnet ipse, & filij eius. That he may raigne long, he and his children. Re member this I besech your grace. And when these flatterers, and flibbergibbes another day shall come and clawe you by the back and say.
Sir trouble not youre selfe. What shoulde you study?Such an aunswere woulde cut his combe. Why should you do this or that? Your grace may answer them thus, and say. What sirra? I perceiue you are wery of vsus, and our posterity. Doth not God say in such a place. That a kinge should write out a boke of gods lawe, and reade it? Lerne to feare God. And why? That he and hys, might reign long, I perceyue now thou art a traytor.
Tel him this tale once, and I warrant you he wil comeA charme to chase away claubackes. no more to you, neither he, nor any other after such a sort.
And thus shall youre grace driue these flatterers and claubackes away. And I am afrayed I hauehave troubled you to long.
Therfore I will furnish the text now with an history or two, and then I will leaue you to God. Ye hauehave hearde how a king ought to passe the time. He must read the boke of God, and it is not inongh for him to reade, but he must be acquanted with all scripture, he must study, and he must pray: And how shall he do both these.
He maye learne at Salomon, God spake vntounto Salomon,iii. of king. iii. when he was made a kyng, and badde hym aske ofii. of Chronicles. i. b hym what he woulde, and he shoulde hauehave it. Make thy petition, sayde God, and thou shalte obtayne. Nowe marke Salomons prayer: Domine, o Domine deus, sayde he: O LordSalomon is a president of pra yer for kinges. God, it is thou that hast caused me to raygne, and haste set me in my fathers seate, for thou God onlye doest make kynges. Thus shoulde kyngs prayse God, and thanke god as Salomon dyd. But what was his petition? Lorde, sayd he: Da mihi cor docile. He asked a docyble heart, a wise hart,Salomon asketh wisdome. and wysedome to goo in, and to goo oute, that is to begyn all myne affayres well, and to bring them to good effect & purpose, that I may learne to guide and gouerne my people. When he hadde made hys petition, it pleased god wel that Salomon asked wisdom, & neither rytchesse nor long life, & therfore god made him this answer. Because yu haste chosen wisdō aboue al things. I wil geue thee it, and thou the wysest kinge that euer was before thee, and so he was, and the wisest in all kindes of knowledge that euer was… sythe. And thoughe he dyd not aske ritchesse, yet God gaue hym both richesse and honour, more then euer anye of hys auncetors had. So your grace must learn how to do, of Sa lomon, Ye must make your petition, now study, now pray. They muste be yoked together, and thys is called pastyme with good company.
Now when God had geuen Salomon wisdome, he sent him by and by occasyon to occupye his wit. For God gaue neuer a gifte, but he sent occasyon at one time or an other to shew it to Gods glory. As if he sente richesse, he sendethGod … occasyon to vse hys gyftes. poore men to be healped wyth it. But no we must men occupy theyr goodes otherwise. They will not looke on the poore, they muste healpe their children, and purchase them more land then euer theyr gran̄dfathers had before them. But I shall tell you what Christe sayd. He that loueth his chylde better then me, is not worthye to be my disciple. I cannot see how ye shal stand before God at the later daye, when thys sentence shal be layd against you.
But to returne to my purpose, there wer two pore women came before Salomon to complaine. They were two harlottes, and dwelled together in one house, and it chauncediii. of kynge iii. wythin two dayes they childed bothe. The one of these women by chaunce in the nyghte, had killed her childe, andThe complaint of two … to …. rose priuelye and went to the other woman, and tooke her liue childe awaye, and lefte her dead chylde in hys place. Upon that they came bothe before Salomon to hauehave the matter iudged, whose the childe was. And the one sayd: it is my chylde. Naye sayeth the other, it is mine. So there was yea and naye betwene them, and they healde vp the matter with skoldynge after a womanlike fashion. At the lengthe Salomon repeated theyr tale as a good iudge ought to do, and said to the one woman. Thou sayest ye child is thyne, yea sayde she. And thou sayest, it is thine to the other. Well, fetche me a swearde, sayde he. For there was no waye nowe to trye, whyche was the true mother, but by naturall inclination. And so he sayde to one of hys seruaunts. Fetch me a sweard and deuyde the childe betwene them. When the mother of the childe that accused thother hearde him saye so. Naye for Goddes sake sayde she, lette her hauehave the whole childe, and kyll it not. Naye, quod the other, neyther thine nor mine, bet let it be deuided. Then sayde Salomon. Geue this woman the childe, this is the mother of the childe. What come of this? Audiuit omnes Israel. When all Israell heard of thys iudgement, they feared the king. It is wisdome and godly knowledge that cauWisdome causeth a kynge to be fcared. seth a king to be feared. One word note here for gods sake and I wil trouble you no longer. Would Salomon being so noble a king hear two poore women? They were pore, for as the scripture saithe. They were together alone in a house, they had not so much as one seruant betwene them bothe. Woulde kynge Salomon, I saye, hear them in hys owne person? Yea forsothe. And yet I heare of many matters before my Lord Protectour, and my Lorde ChaunceloureA … to the Lord Protectoure. that can not be heard. I must desyre my Lord protectoures grace to heare me in thys matter, that your grace woulde heare poore mennes sutes your selfe. Put them to none other to heare, let them not be delayed. The sayinge is now, that money is heard eueryevery where, if he be ryche, he shall so one hauehave an ende of his matter. Other are faine to goo home wyth weping teares, for any helpe they can obtaine at anye iudges hand. Hear mennes sutes your selfe, I require you in Goddes behalf, and put it not to the hearing of these veluet cotes, these vpskippes. Now a manneU ellet cotes and … Maister Latimer troubled wyth pore mens sutes. can skarse know them from an auncient knight of the coū fry. I can not go to my boke for pore folks come vntounto me, desiring me that I will speake that their matters maye be hard. I trouble my Lord of Caunterbury, and being at hys house now and then I walke in the garden lokinge in my booke, as I can doo but litle good at it. But some thinge I must neades doo to satisfy this place. I am no soner in the garden and hauehave red a while, but … and by commeth ther some one or other knocking at the gate. … cometh my man and saith Sir, there is one at the gate woulde speake wyth you. When I come ther, then is it some one or other that desyreth me that I wil speake that his matter myght be hard, and that he hath lain this long at great costes and charges, and canne not once hauehave hys matter come to the hearynge, but amonge all other, one speciallye … at thys time to speake. This it is syr.
A gentle woman came to me and tolde me, that a greatThe gentle wo mans cōplaint. man kepeth certayne landes of hers from her, and wyll be her tenaunte in the spite of her tethe. And that in a whole twelue monthe. she coulde not gette but one daye for the hearynge of her matter, and the same daye when the matter… are like Switcheners that serue wher they hauehave most mony. shoulde be hearde, the greate manne broughte on hys syde a greate syghte of lawyers for hys counsaile, the gentle woman hadde but one man of law: and the greate man shakes him so, that he can not tel what to do, so that when the matter came to the poynte, the iudge was a meane to the gentle woman, that she woulde let the greate manne hauehave a quietnesse in her lande. I beseeche your grace that ye will looke to these matters. Heare them your selfe. Uewe your iudges? And heare poore mennes causes. And you proude iudges harken what God sayeth in hys holye booke: Audite illos, ita paruum vt magnum. Hear them sayeth he, the small as well as the greate, the poore as wel as the ryche. Regarde no person, feare no manne. Whye? … domini iudicium est. The iudgement is Goddes. Marke thys sayinge, thou proude iudge. The Deuill will brynge thys sentence at the daye of Dome. Hell wyll be full of theese iudges, if they repente not and amende. They are worse then the wicked iudge that Christe speaketh of, that neyther…, xviii. feared God, nor the worlde.
There was a certaine wyddowe that was a suter to a iudge, and she mette hym in euerye corner of the streate, cryinge: I praye you heare me, I beseeche you heare me, I aske nothing but right.
When the iudge sawe her so importunate, thoughe I feare neyther God, sayeth he, nor the world, yet because of her importunatnesse I wyll graunt her request. But oure iudges are worse then thys iudge was. For they will neytherExcept before, except that is to say excepte it befor monye. heare men for Goddes sake, nor feare of the worlde, nor importunatnesse, nor any thing elsse. … some of thē wyll commaund them to warde, if they be importunate. I hearde saye, that when a suter came to one of them, he sayde: What felowe is it that geueth these folke counsaile to be so importunate? he woulde be punished and committed to warde. Marye syr, punyshe me then, it is euen I that gaue them counsell, I would gladly be punished in suche a cause. And if … amend not, I will cause them to crye oute vponupon you still: euen as longe as I liue. I will do it in dede, but I hauehave troubled you longe. As I began with this sentence. Quecunque scripta sunt. &c. So will I end no we wyth thys texte. Beati qui audiunt verbum Dei, & custodiunt illud: Blessed are they that heare the woorde of God and kepeth it. There was an other sute, and I had almooste forgotten it.
There is a poore woman that lyeth in the …, andThe poore woman lyinge in the Flete. can not come by anye meanes that she can make to her answer, and woulde saine be bailled, offeringe to put in suretyes worth a thousand …, and yet she cannot be hard. Me thynke this is a reasonable cause, it is great pitye that suche thynges shoulde so be. I beseeche God, that he wyll graunte that all that is amisse maye be amended, that we may heare his woorde and keepe it, that we maye come to the eternal blisse, to the whiche bliss I … God to bring both you and me.
Amen.