Twenty-Seven Sermons, Sermon 4
¶ The resydue of the Gospell. declared at after none by maister Latimer.
Reddite caesari quae sunt Caesaris, & quae sunt, dei, Deo.
YElde to Ceasar, that belongeth to Ceasar and to God, that belongeth to God, ye may perceiue by that we hauehave sayde, who spake these wordes, and vponupon what occa syon they were spoken. Oure sauyoure Christ spake them to the tempting Pharises, to the craftye and subtile holowe harted Pharises, willinge them to knowe their duetye by their own confession, and to geue to Ceasar his dutye, and to God his dutye. Our sauioure Christe spake them. If he spake them, we oughte to regarde them. Regarde them I say and make muche of them, for thoughe they were then spoken to them, yet in them they were spoken to all the world, I vse to make a rehearsall of that I spake before, but because the time is shorte, I will omit it. The seruyce must be dòne, and the daye goeth faste awaye. Therfore I wil to my matter, and leaue the rehersall. These words be wordes of great importaunce, and would wel be considered: for he that doth this, receiueth greate benefites by it, but he that doth it not incurreth great dammage and dan ger. The occasyon was a counsel taken amonge these holy fathers to snarle Christ, a good and charitable dede, yet wer they holy men, holye fathers, full of … vp to the harde eares. This they learned in their councell, and thys now they set on broche. But Christ nowe causeth them toThey … theyr own questyon. make answer to their own question, as he also did a lyttle before. When he was come vp into Ierusalē, and had driuen out the biers and sellers in the temple. The Archpharises, prouincials and Abbots phariseis, came stoutlye to him as he was preaching in the Temple, and said to him: Qua authoritate ista facis? aut quis dedit tibi istam aut horitatem? By what authority dost thou these things? who hath geuē thee this authority? We hauehave the rule of the people of god we hauehave geuen thee no such authority. A wōderous thing, Christ had testimonye of his father. This is my beloued sonne hear him. Ihon had born him witnesse, sayinge. … the Lambe of God, that taketh awaye the sinnes of yt world, his workes and miracles wer testimonies that hys doctrine was of God, well, al this wil not serue. He muste hauehave licence of these holye fathers, or els all is nothynge worth, Christ answered not directlye to their questyon, but asked them a nother question, & made them geue answer a … them selues, & as it were with one wedge dryued out a nother. The baptisme of Ihon, was it of God: or of man? Was Ihon sent of God, had he his authority of god or of man? Here he driueth them to confesse his doctrin to be of God. For Ihon whome they could not denye to hauehave ben sent from god, bare witnes that his doctrin was …. If they had confessed thys, he wold hauehave inferred; why beleue ye him not? If they shoulde hauehave sayde Ihon was not of god: thē wold al yt people hauehave ben against them, yea in a horlye burlye hauehave stoned them. This they consydered wythin them selues, and yet theyr malitious hartes wolde not bear it to confes the truth, nay rather like wise gentleThe … confesse ignorancy. men they answered. We know not, we cannot tel.
These Arch Pharises thought nothing might be done, or taughte withoute their license, nor otherwise, but as they pleased to interpreat. They were like our religion & clergy, that thought nothing mought be taughte, but as they pleased. They wold pay no tribute, taxe nor tribute. They had their Immunities, priueledges and graunts from the Romain bishop. And to maintain this, they alledged many scriptures as thus, Nolite tarigere Christos meos, whiche is touch not mine annoynted or consecrated people, whyche wordes the Lord spake by the Israelites in Egipte, warning king Pharao to leaue and cease from persecutyng yt Israelites, & it maketh as much for our cleargyes immunity,A good profe. and proueth it as wel, as if a man alledged, Quem ter ra pontus to proue that an Ape hath a tail. Well, they answered. Cesaris, Lesars, they confessed it was Lesars mony, and Lesars image and wrytinge vponupon it: heare Christe compelled them to make āswer vntounto their owne question. And if enuy should arise, to take it them self. For they con fessed it to be Ceasars. Then saide he. Geue to Lesar that which is Ceasars, and to God that is due to God. Thys answer of Christ I woulde hauehave you all to learne: geue to your Ceaser to your king, to our most noble king EdwardGeue to our Ceasar. our Ceasar, our king and magistrate appoynted, and geuen to vsus of God, geue to him that whiche is due to hym. Thys is a commaundemente of God, as are these: Thou shalt not murther, thou shalt not steal, nor beare fals witnesse against thy neighbors. And as thou art bound vponupon pearil of thy soule to obey the other, so vponupon pearill of thy soule thou art bound to obey and kepe this. Loke wel vponuponGeue, is an he uy worde to some. it, for it is vppon pearill of thy soule. date, geue, geue, a heauy word to a couetous hart, to a rebellious harte, they would not hear Reddite or date, pay or geue, but take, catch kepe fast. We are al bound to liue in obedyence vntounto oure king, vnderunder his iust and rightwise lawes and commaundementes. Christe came in dede to deliuer vsus from burthens and bondage, but that was not from ciuill and polityke lawes and obedience. He came to deliuer vsus from the greatest bondage that can be, from sinne and damnation. The heauiest burthen thatSinne is the …. can be, is synne, and in comparison of it, al other burthens are but light and easy matters to beare. Therfore Christe came to deliuer vsus from that, and gaue his body to be torn vponupon the crosse for that. Neither could any work or lawe, or sacrifice redeme vsus from that, but Christ onlye. I neuer preached in Lincolne shire afore, nor came here a fore, saue once when I went to take orders at Lincoln, which was a good while a go, therfore I can not say much of Lyncolne shire, for I know it not, but I dare saye, if Lincoln shire beLincoln shire. as other places that I know, this text condemneth a great many of Lincolne shyre, and driueth them down to hel for breakinge of this commaundement: Geue to Ceasar that whiche is due to Ceaser, and to God that whiche is due to god. The office of a magistrate is grounded vponupon Goddes word, and is plainly described of S. Paule, wrytinge vntounto the Romaines, where he sheweth that all soules, that is to say, all men ought to obey the magistrates, for they are or dained of God, and to resist them, is to resist agaynst God. For he is Gods minister ordained to punishe the wycked and to maintaine the good. Wherfore we ought to pay to him tribute, custome, Taxes and other thinges that he requireth vponupon vsus, as Christ sayeth here, Reddite geue to Cesar. How much we shuld geue, he defineth not, but leaueth it to Ceasars offycers to determine, and to his counsell to appoynt. Christ was not the Emperoures treasurer, therforeChriste was not Lord treasurer. he medled not wyth that poynt, but left it the treasurer to define and determine. He went about another vocation, to preache vntounto the people their duetye, and to obey theyr Princes, Kinges, Emperoures and magistrates, and to bid them geue that the kynge requireth of them, not to appoynt a kyng what he shal require of them. It is meete for eueryevery man to kepe hys owne vocation, and diligentlye walke in it, and with faithfulnesse to study to be occupyed in that God hathe called him vntounto, and not to be busye in that God hathe not called hym vntounto. Therefore sayeth Christe: geue to Ceasar, but he appoynteth not howe muche, for that shoulde his treasurer knowe, and shoulde warne him of it, when he hath enough, that the people be not oppressed wyth vnnecessarye burthens, nor that the kynges treasures be to seke, when they shoulde be occupyed. The kynge muste hauehave his treasures afore hande, what chaunce so euer come soddenly. It is no reason when theThe treasurers duety. kynge should occupy his treasure in maintenaunce of a cō mon wealthe, in defence of a countrye, in maintaininge of his warres, that then his monye should be in thy purse to seke and vngathered. Nay he must hauehave it in a redinesse, at hand, that it be not to seke. And he must hauehave as muche as is necessary for him. For so much is due to a king as is necessary, and so much may he require by the law of God, and take of his commons is as necessarye. And that muste not… muche a … may take. thou nor I that are subiectes appoynt, but the kynge hym self must appoynt it, his counsel must appoynt it, we must geue it, we must pay it, for it is due to the king, & vponupon peril of thy soule thou must pay it. And as he that taketh my tippet or my cloke doth me wrong and is a thefe: so he that doth not pay to the king that is his due, without fraude or guil, doth the king wrong, and is in peril of his soul for so doing. Wel, marke it wel now, and se whether thys texte be a nipping text for couetous mē or no: Geue to Ceaser, yt is due to Ceasar. When the parliament, the high courte of this realme is gathered together, & there it is determyned that eueryevery man shal … a rv. part of his goods to ye Kyng: Then commissiōs come forth, & he that in sighte of men in his cattell, corne, shepe, and other goods is worth an. C.Twenty poūd menne to the …. marke or an. C. pound, will set him selfe at x. pounde. he wil be worth no more to the king but after x. pounde. Tell me now whether this be theft or no? His cattel, corne, shepe in eueryevery mannes eyes shalbe worth. ii. C. pound besides other thinges, as mony and plate, and he wil mary his daughter and giuegive with her. iiii. or v. C. markes, and yet at the valua tion he wil be a xx. pound man. doth he giuegive to Cesar that which is due to Cesar? Doth he not rather rob the kinge of his bound duety and … that he ought to the king? yes it is very thefte, and thou mightest with as good conscience take my cloke or my tippet from me, as so vniustly take or withhold frō the king that which the parliamēt hath geuē vntounto the king, it is thy bounde duety to pay him truly that which is granuted for it is due debt, and vponupon peril of thy soule thou art boud to obey it. … I will say more. If the king should require of the an vniuste request, yet arte thou bound to pay it, and not resist nor rebell against the kinge. The king in dede is in pearil of his soule, for askinge of anThe king map … vniust, vniust request, and God will in his due time recken wyth him for it: but thou must obey thy king, and not take vponupon thee to iudge him, God is the kynges iudge, and doutlesse wil greuously punish him, if he do any thing vnrighteously. Therfore pray thou for thy king, and pay him his duety, and disobey him not. And know this, that when so euer there is anye iniust exaction laid vppon thee, it is a plage and punishmente for thy sinne, as all other plages are, as are hunger, dearth, pestilence and such other. We meruel, we are plaged as we be, and I thinke berely this vniust & vnfaithful dealing with our princes, is one great cause of our plage: loke therfore euerye man vponupon his ….One cause …. Ye shal not be iudged by worldly policy at the latter daye, but by Gods word. Sermo quem locutus sum vobis, ipse iudicabit vos in nouissimo die. The woord that I hauehave spoken to you, that shal iudge you at the latter day. Loke wel no we, eueryevery man vponupon his conscience, and see whether he hauehave done this commaundemente of God: geue to your kinge, that which is due to him, and he that findeth him selfe gilty, let him amend in time to come. This is harde geare and sore gear thou wylt saye, geue, geue, I hauehave wife and children and greate charge: well I shall tell thee, it minisheth not thy stocke one farthinge at the yeares ende. Harken what God saythe. Si audieritis verba mea. If you will heare myTo geue … not … the stocke. woordes sayth God, and kepe that I commaunde thee, I wyll blesse thee, and Si non audieritis. If ye wyl not hear my woordes, and do my commaundements, thou shalt be cursed &c. What is blessing, not wagginge of the syngers, as oure byshoppes were wonte, but it is. I wyl fauoure thee and encrease thy goodes, thy corne, thy cattel, thy Oxe, thy shepe, and in al thy busynesse thou shalte prosper and goo, forward. And what is the cursse, but to be oute of GoddesBlessinge and cursyng. fauoure, I wyll empouerishe thee, thy corne, thy cattle, thy Oxe, thy shepe shal not prosper, what thou takest in hand, it shall not goo forwarde. Thys was not taughte in tymes past, men had pilgrimages, Images, Masses, Trentals &c. but I woulde hauehave you muse of these two poynts, cursed, if thou hear not Gods word, commaunding thee to pay thy duty to the kinge, and blessed if thou heare it and kepe it, I woulde hauehave you to muse of these two thinges.Causes of …. That it shall not minish thy stocke. Shew me one man in all England that is the porer for paying the king his duty, for being a true dealing man, a good almes man &c. Many hauehave come to pouerty by dising, carding, riot, whore dome and such like. But neuer no man by truthe, mercye, almes, right dealing with the king. In the cardinals time mē wer put to their othes to swear what they wer worth. It was a fore thing, and a thing I wold wish not to be folowed. O Lorde what periurye was in Englande by that swearinge, I thincke this realme fareth the worsse yet for that periury. For doutlesse many one willingly and wittingly forsware them selues at that time. It is a dear time thou wilt say, and men hauehave much a do to liue, therfore it is a good pollicy to set my self much lesse then I am, well, that is thy worldly pollicye, and with it thou runnest into the curse of God for breaking his worde and commaundement: Geue to Ceasar, that which is due to Ceasar. I wyl tel thee a good pollicy to kepe thy stocke, and to maintain thine estate, not a pollicy of the world, but of Gods word, and it is this. Quaerite primum regnum dei, & institiam eius, & baec omnia a diicienturvobis, seke fyrst the kingdome of God, & … to maintayne the stocke.the rightuousnesse of it, and al these thinges shalbe plenteously geuē to you. Dost thou not beleue this to be true? is Christ an holowe man, an vntrue man, a dissembler? The Pharises make him a true man, and we make him a false harlot. He is a true man, and his wordes and promise are true. Nay we be false holow harted, and therfore iustly pu nished. For if we would credite his wordes, it shuld without dout be geuen vsus a boundantly vponupon heapes, yea more then we could desyre. When we pray for thinges vntounto almyghty God, what aske we, do we aske forth with at yt first chop our necessaries? NayThe ryght order of prayer. Christ taught vsus fyrst to pray: Our father which art in heauen, halowed by thy name, thy kingdom come, thy wyll be don in earth as it is in heauen. &c. Fyrst we praye these peticions, for fayth, hope, and charity, that Gods honour may in al thinges be set out among vsus, and then we praye after for bodely thinges. But we now leaue these peticions, and wold be in panem nostrum at the first dash, wee would hauehave our day ly bread at the fyrst chop, & so we hauehave that, we force litle of the other. We wyl not say in wordes that wee thinke God false, but in dedes we playnly affirme it, for wee trust hym …, neyther beleue his promise when he byddeth vsus, … geue, I wyl blesse ye, I wyl make good my woord. Nay nay, we wyl scrape and scraule, and catch and pul to vsus al that we may get. Alii diuidunt sua, & ditiores fiunt, alii rapiunt non suae et semper in egestate sunt. Some men (saith Salamon) deuides their owne goods, they pay the kyng his duty, eueryevery man hisNote thys well. own, giuegive almes, & yet are more richer, they hauehave inough and enough. Other, rob other men, cratch and scrape al that they may come by, neuer content, neuer inough, heape to heape, & yet ar they al way beggars. Qui … impignabitur, he that blesseth shal bee fat and wealthy. He that blesseth (not wyth waggyng hys fingers) but helping the poore people, he shall be blessed and euer hauehave inough, god wyll blesse hym, God wyl encrease him. And in dede so … men to consider their giftes and goods to be geuen. vtillorum copia, aliorum succurrat inopie. That their aboundaunce might succour the necessity, pouerty, and mysery of theyr pore neyghbours, and not to wast it, consume it in ryot and excesse, but in dedes of mercy,Learne … spend thy goods. in dedes of charity and pity vponupon the poore. Qui miseretur pauperis, feneratur domino. He that hath mercy vpō the poore, he lendeth vponupon vsury vntounto the Lord. Thys is a good vsury, to make God thy debter. Many lendeth vponupon worldly vsery,Good vsurye. which surely is a very wicked thing, and God forbyddeth it. But this vsury God commaundeth and promyseth to supply the lacke of it in thy cofers. He wyl be debter, he wyl be pay …. Thou shalt not find thy stok deminished at yt yeares end by keeping Gods commaundement, but rather blessed & encreased. Gyue therfore vntounto the king, that is due vntounto the king, Et que sunt dei deo, and giuegive to God that which is Gods. What is Gods? That I giuegive at Gods bidding. The tythes,Things du to God. oblacions, first borne of beastes, and sacrifice cattel, which all God appointed vntounto the Jewes to the mayntenaūce of theyr church ministers of the clergy, poore widowes, fatherles children, mayntenance of poore scholers. This was the cause that God assigned the Iewes to paye theyr tythes, and vntyl the comming of Christ, they were due by Gods law, and might by the lawe geuen to Moyses be claymed. But now that law is at an end, neither can they be claymed any more by that law. Notwithstanding now in the tyme of the new Testament, the Princes be bound to prouide a sufficient liuing for the ministers, as Saint Paule sayth: Qui … predicant de … uiuant: They that preach the Gospell, this is theThe Minister must be prouided for ministery of saluation, preaching of the Gospel, and vntounto such ministers, ye be bound to geue a sufficient lyuing. Comunicate Catechizanti in omnibus bonis, giuegive parte to hym that teacheth you in al good thinges, geue hym part of al your goods, se he hauehave sufficient lyuing. But who shal appoynt hym a sufficient liuing? hym selfe? nay, who then? you? nay nother. The King must apoynt hym sufficiently to lyue vponupon. For I think verely there are a great many, which if the ministers should hauehave no liuing, but at their appoyntment: he should not hauehave clouttinglether to pece his shoes with, no not clouting lether to his shoes. The King therfore must appoynt the ministersThe Kyng muste appoint yt ministers …. their liuinges by hys lawe, and that liuing that the King appoynteth, they must clayme, and you must paye it to them truly, for it is theyr duty & it is thefte to withdraw it or … it from them. For God commaundeth you to obey your kings lawes, and by the same lawes the King geueth the minister hys tithes and other dutyes, therfore vponupon peril of thy … thou art bound to obey thy King and to pay to thy Curate yt tithe that thou art commaunded. But some wyl say, our CurateHaueHave no re spect to the person. is naught, an Assehead, a dodipoll, a lackelatin and can do nothing: Shal I pay hym my tithes that doth vsus no good, nor none wyll do: Yea I saye thou muste paye hym hys duty, and if he be such a one, complaine to the Byshop. We hauehave complained to the ordinary, & he is as negligent as he. Complaine to the councel, syr so hauehave we done, but no remedy can be had. Wel I can tel where thou shalte complayne. Complain to god, he wyl surely heare the, he wyl cemedy it. Christ sawe the people lying, tanquam oues non habentes pastores. As shepe hauing no shepehard. They had Byshops, scryhes and Pharises, curates in name a great many, yet were they tanquam oues non habentes postorem, as sheepe hauing no shepeheard, what is that to saye? they had no true teachers, they had no preachers of the lawe of God to them. What remedye taught Christ for it, withdrawe theyr liuinges? Nay. Make …? nay, but, … dominum messis, pray yt Lord of haruest Pray, pray. Prayer is the remedy that neuer fayleth, when alA meane to reforme ne hligent Cu rates. other faileth thys neuer fayleth. Therfore pray vntounto God, and he wyl eyther turne his hart and make him better, or remoue him from thee and send a better in hys place, orels take hym away all to gether. So wyl the Lord do wyth any other oppressour of then poore, eyther he wyl turne theyr hartes, and make them better, orels remoue them and take them quite a way. Therfore let men … pacient and suffer, and praye vntounto God for … from their troubles, and not thincke to remedy it them selues, but praye to God, and he wyl remedy it. Pray I say, and take pecience, and you shal se the Lord wil in due tyme remedy it. There be many that turne thys texteMany turn thys text. clene contrary. For they yeld to Ceasar that which is Gods, and to God that which is Ceasars. They had money inough to build Monastaries, Chauntries, Masses, yere daies, Trentals, to gild images. &c. And all thys they dyd (saye they) to honour God with.
They would worship God with copes, torches, tapers, candels, & an hundred things mo that god neuer required at their hands. God requireth the hartes to feare him, & louelove him, and stoudiously to walk before him: But this inward seruice … wil not giuegive him. Nay, … giuegive Ceasar our heart, & God our outward seruice, as al such do as hauehave receiued the Interim. God should posses our whole heartes, and wée should most studyously walke eueryevery man in hys vocation, according to the word of God, according to his commaundementes, obey ing our king, and succouring the pore aud needy, as he hathThe true Gods seruice. commaunded vsus. And thys is true Gods seruyce, and the thing that belongeth to God Ifthys be true, what is be come of our forefathers? I answer, it is a vayne and vnprofitable questiō, other it nedes not, or it botes not. What so euer they dyd, let vsus do wel. Let vsus kepe Gods bidding. Gods …, and then are we safe. When one dieth, we must hauehave belles ryngyng, singing and much a do. But to what purpose. Those that dye in the fauour of God are well, those that dye out of the fauour of God, thys can do them no good, vbiceciderit lignum ibi erat. Where the tree falleth, there it shall remaine. Study therfore to lyue in the fauour and grace of God, in repentaunce, in amendement of lyfe, and then dyest thou well. Further to the question of our forefathers. GodLeaue the Fathers to God. knoweth hys elect, and diligently watcheth and kepeth them, so that all thinges serue to theyr saluacyon. The nature of fyre is to bren al that is laid in it, yet God kept the. …. yong men in Babilon, that they … not. And Moyses sawe a bush on fyre, but'it burnt not. So false doctrine, as fyre burneth, it corrupteth. But God kept his elect that they were not corupte with it, but alwayes put their trust in one euer lyuing God, thorowe the death of Iesus Christe our Lorde. In Elias time Idolatry and superstition raigned, so that Elias sayd, domine altaria tua subuerterunt. Lord they hauehave destroyed thyne altars, and staine thy prophetes & preachers, and I am left alone. But the Lord answered hym, I hauehave reserued to my selfe. vii. M. men that hauehave not bowed their knee to Baall. So God (I trust) reserued our forefathers, in so perilous times, more graciously then we can think. Let vsus thank God then for the gra cious lighte of hys word sent vntounto vsus, and pray for our gracious king and hys councel, that set it foorth vntounto vsus. And as for our forefathers, seing we hauehave no charge giuen vsus of God, leaue them, and cōmend them vntounto gods mercy, who disposed better for them then we can wyshe. But some … saye now, what neede we preachers then, God can saue hys elect without preachers. A goodly reason. God can saue my lyfe … meat and drinke, nede I none therefore? God can saue … … place … place round aboute the City, and sayd nothing …, but ther is yet. xl. daies (quod he) & … shalbe destrayed. There is no great ods nor difference at the lest wyse, in yt … of words, no nor yet in the sence or meaning betwen these two …: There is yet forty daies, & Niniue shalbe destroied, & these wordes yt I hauehave taken to speake of this day: Take heede & beware of …. For Niniue should … destroyed for syn, & of theyr … was one, and one of the greatest, so yt it is all one in effect. And as they be like conserning the shortnes, the paucity of words, yt breuity of words, & also the mening & purpose: So I wold they might be lyke in frut & profit. For what cam of Ionas sermon: what was the fruit of it? Ad predicacionem Ionae erediderunt …. AtThe … of Ionas sermon. the preaching of … they beleved God. Here was a great frut, a great effect wrought. What is yt same they beleued god They beleued Gods Preacher, Gods Officer, Gods Minister Ionas, & were conuerted from theyr syn. They … that (as the preacher said) if they did not repent & amend theyr life the Cytye shoulde be destroyed within fourty dayes. Thys was a great fruite, for Ionas was but one man, & he preached but one sermon, & it was but a short sermon, neyther as touching the number of words, & yet he turned … the whole City great and …, rich & poore, king & al. We be many prea … here in England, & we preach many long sermons, and yet the people wil not repet nor conuert. This was yt frut, theIonas sermon was not curious. … & the good that his sermon did, yt all the whole City at … preaching conuerted and amended theyr euill lyuing and dyd … in sakcloth. And yet here in thys Sermon of Ionas is no great curiousnes, no great clerklines, no great … of …, … of painted eloquence, it was none other bat Ad huc quadraginta dies, & … subuertitur. Yet fortye dayes et Niniue subuertitur, and Niniue shall be destroyed, it was no more. This was no great curious Sermon, but thys was a nypping Sermon, a pinching Sermon, a biting … it had a ful byte, it was a … Sermon, a rough Sermō, and a sharpe biting Sermon. Doo you not here maruayle … these Niniuites cast not Ionas in pryson, that they did not … hym, and rebuke hym? They did not … him nor rebuke him, but God gaue them grace to heare him, and to conuert & amend at this preaching A straunge matter, so noble a Citye to gyue place to one … Sermon. Nowe England cannot a byde thys geare, they cā Niniue and Englande compared.not be content to heare Gods Minister and hys threatnyng for theyr sinne: Though yt Sermon be neuer so good, though it be neuer so true. It is a naughty fellowe, a sedicious fellow, he maketh trouble and rebellion in yt …, he lacketh discression, but the Niniuites rebuked not Ionas that he lacked dyscression, or that he spake out of tyme, that his Sermon was out of season made: But in England, if Gods Preacher, Gods minister be anyething quicke, or doo speake sharpelye, then he is a foolysh fellow, he is rash, he lacketh discression, Now adaies if they can not reproue the doctrin yt is preached, then they wyll reproue the preacher that he lacketh dew consideration of the tymes, and that he is of learnyng sufficient, but he wanteth discression. What a tyme is this picked out to … such thinges, he should hauehave a respect and a … to the tyme, and to the state of thinges, and of the Common weale. It rewyceth me som times when my frende … and telleth me that they fynde faute wyth my dyscression, forA signe of true … by lykelyhood (thinke I) the doctrine is true, for if they could finde faut wyth the doctrine, they would not charge me with the lacke of discression, but they woulde charge me wyth my doctrine, and not with the lacke of discression, or with yt incō ueniency of the tyme, I wyll now aske you a question: I pray you when shoulde Ionas hauehave preached agaynst yt Couetousues of Niniue, if yt couetous men should hauehave appoynted him his tyme? I know that preachers ought to hauehave a discressionPreachers must consider tyme & place. in theyr preaching, & that they ought to hauehave a consideracion and respecte to the place & to the tyme that he preacheth in, as I my selfe wyl say here that I wold not say in the country for no good. But what then? syn must be rebuked, sinne must be playnly spoken agaynst. And when should Ionas hauehave preached agaynst Niniue, if he shoulde hauehave forborne for the respectes of the tymes, or the place or the state of thinges there? For what was Niniue, a noble, a rytche and a welthy Citye. What is London to …? lyke a village as … or … burning, if I wer in the fire, shal I run into it therfore?Ordinary meanes must be … sed. no no, I must kepe yt way that God hath ordayned, & vse the ordinary meanes yt God hath assigned, & not seke new waies. This office of preaching is the onelyonly ordinary waies that god hath appoynted to saue vsus al …. Let vsus maintayne thys, for I know none other, neither thinke I God wyll appoynt or deuise any other. Pay therefore to Ceasar that which is dewe to Ceasar. And thys sayd Christ by an heathen king, a painym,Cesar was … how much more ought we to paye to our Ceasar, our leige Lord and king a Christen King, aud so Godly and vertuous a learned King. And pay to God that is due to God, tithes and al duties longing to the ministers and preachers of thys office of saluacion, geue it them without …, without withdrawing or abridging of theyr dutyes. Take hede of lying, and setting thy selfe at les then thou art. Marke the example of Ananias and … hys wyfe. They dyed sodenlyBeware of lying. for theyr lying and dissimulaciō in the like matter, well this was Christes doctrine. This was his aunswer: giuegive to Cesar that which is Cesars, and to God that which is Gods. Et non potuerunt reprehendere uerbū eius coram populo, and they could not finde faulte in hys word before the people, it was so …, so consonaunt wyth scriptures and with reason. Yet afterward they falsyfied his woord before Pilate accusing him: Hune deprehendimus euertentem gentem, et uetantem tributa dari Cesari. We fonnd this felow turning a way the peoples harts & … the tribute to be geuen to Cesar. These be … … people.people to meddle withal, malicious ond vncharitable, yt … not what slaunder they accuse a man of, deny? they are ready to accuse, affirme? they wyll yet falsify hys word. Then it is best to say nothing at al, nay not so. Let vsus speake Gods truth and lyue according to hys commaundement, he shal delyuer vsus from the handes of our aduersaries, and make vsusTo do frulye, diminisheth not our stocke. safe in hys heauenly kingdom. Let vsus I say do Gods bidding and commaundement, gyue to our Kinge our dutyes, truly we shal hauehave neuer the lesse, it shal not … our stock, we shall rather hauehave the more. For God is true of his promyse, let vsus mayntayne the necessary office of saluacion, pay to the ministers, the thinges appoynted them, mayntayne scholers and …, helpe the poore widowes and fatherles children, study to do good whyle we hauehave tyme in thys present lyfe, so shal the Lord in thys lyfe blesse vsus, and after thys lyfe geue vsus eternal life, through Iesu Christ. To whom wyth the Father and the holy Ghost be al laude, and honour. Amen.
Meruel not that I vse at the sermons end to make praier, for I do it not of syngularyty, but when I am at home, and in the country where I go, sometime when the poore people come and aske at me, I appose them my selfe, or cause my seruaunt to appose them of the Lordes prayer, and they answer som, I can my latin pater noster: some, I can the old pater noster but not the newe. Therefore al that canne it not may learne. I vse before the Sermon and after to say it. Wherfore now I besech you let vsus say it together. Our Father which art. &c.