Sermon 9 October 1550, Sermon 2
The residue of the Gospel declared at after none by Master Latimer.
Reddite Cesari que sunte Cesaris & que sunt, dei, deo.
YElde to Ceser, that belongeth to Cesar & too God that belō geth to god, ye may perceiue by that we hauehave said who spake theese wordes, and vppon what occasyon they were spoken. Our Sauyour Christe spake theym, too the temptynge Pharises, too the crafty & subtle holowe harted Pharises, wyllynge theym to knowe theyr dutye by theyr owne confessyon, and to gyue to Ceaser hys dutye, and too God hys dutye. Oure sauyoure Christ spake them, If he spake them, we oughte to regarde them. Regarde them I saye and make much of them, for thoughe they wer then spoken too them, yet in them they were spoken to al the worlde, I vse too make a rehearsall of that I spake before, but because the time is shorte I wyl omyt it. The seruice muste be donne, and the daye gooeth faste awaye. Therefore I wil to my matter, and leaue the rehearsall.
Thys woordes be woordes of great impertaunce, & wold wel be considered: for he that doth this, receiueth great benefites by it, but he that dothe it not incurreth greate dāmage and daunger, The occasyon was a counsell taken amonge these holye fathers to snarle Christe▪ A good and charitable deade, yet were they holye men, holye fathers, full of charitye vp to the hearde eares. This they lerned in theyr coū cell, and thys nowe they set on broche. But Christ nowe causeth them to make answere to theyr owne questyon, as he also dyd a little before, Whē he was come vp into Ierusalē, & had dryuē out ye biers & sellers in the tēple. The Arch Pharises, prouincials & Abbots pharises, came stoutli to him as he was preachīg in ye tēple, & said to him: Qua authoritate ista facis? aut quis dedit tibi istam authoritatem? By what authoritie dooest yu these things? who hath geuen ye this authoryty? We hauehave the rule of the people of God, we hauehave geuē the no such authoryty. A wonderous thing, Christ had testimoni of his father. This is my beloued son hare him, Ihō had born hym witnes, saying: Behold the lambe of god, that taketh away the sinnes of the world, his works and miracles wer testimonies yt his doctrine was of god, wel, al this wil not serue. He must hauehave lycence of these holi fathers, or els al is no thing worth, Christe answered not directly to their questyon, but asked thē a nother questiō & made thē giuegive answer agaīst thē selues, and as it were wyth one wedge driued out a nother The baptysme of Ihon was it of God: or of manne? Was Ihon sente of God, hadde he his authority of god or of mā? Here he dryueth them to confes his doctrine to be of God. For Ihon whome they coulde not denye to hauehave beene sente from God, bare wytnes that hys doctryn was true. If they hadde confessed thys, he wold hauehave inferred, whye beleue ye hym not? If they shoulde hauehave sayd Ihon was not sent of God: then wolde al the people hauehave bene against them, yea in a whorlye burlye hauehave stoned them. This they considered wtin thēselfes, and yet their malicious hertes wolde not beare it to cōfes ye truthe, nay rather like wise gentlemē they answered. We know not, we cannot tell. Theese Arche Pharises thoughte nothinge moughte be done, or taughte withoute theyr lycense, nor otherwyse but as thei plesed to interpreate. They were lyke our religion and cleargy, that thought nothinge mought be taughte, but as they pleased. They wolde paye no trybute, taxe nor trbut. They had their Inuminities priuyledge and grauntes from the Romayne Bishop. And to maintain this thei alledged maniscriptures as thus Noliti tangere Chrstios meos which is touch not mine anointed or cōsecrated people, whiche words ye lord spake by the Israelits in Egipt, warninge kinge Pharao to leue & cease from persecutinge the Israelites, and maketh as much for oure cleargies innumitie and proueth it as wel as if a man aledged Que terra pōthus to proue that an ape hathe a tayl. Wel they aunswered. Cesaris, Cesers, they confessed it was Cesers mony and Cesers image and writynge vppon it: heare Christ compelled thē to make answere vntounto theyr own question. And if enuye shoulde arise, to take it thē self. For they confessed it to bee Ceasers. Then sayde he. Gyue to Ceser that whyche is Ceasers, & to God that is due to God. Thys aunswere of Christe I woulde hauehave you al to learn: gyue to your Ceaser to youre kynge, to oure mooste noble kinge Edwarde oure Ceaser, oure kinge and Magystrate appointed, and geuen to vsus of God, geue to hym that whych is due to hym.
Thys is a commaundemente of God, as are these: Thou shalt not murther, thou shalt not steal, nor beare false wytnesse agaynste thy neyghboures. And as thou art boūd vponupon peryll of thy soule to obey the other, so vppon peryll of thy soule thou arte bounde to obeye and kepe thys. Loke well vppon it, for it is vppon peryll of thy soule. date, gyue, gyue, a heuye woorde to a couetouse hearte, to a rebellyouse hearte, they woulde not heare Reddite or date, paye or giuegive, but take, catch, kepe fast.
We are al bound to liue in obedyence vntounto our kyng, vnderunder hys iust & rightwise lawes and commaundemēts. Christe came in deede too delyuer vsus from burthens and bondage, but that was not from Cyuyll and politik lawes and obedience. Hee came to delyuer vsus from the greatest bōdage that can be, from synne and damnacion. The heuiest burthen that can be, is synne, and in comparison of it, al other burthens ar but lyght and easy matters to beare. Therfore Christe came too delyuer vsus frome that, and gaue hys body to be torne vponupon the crosse for that. Neyther could any worke, or law, or sacrifice, redeme vsus frō that, but Christ only▪ I neuer preached in Lyncolne shyre afore, nor came here afore, saue once whē I went to take orders at Lyncolne, which was a good while ago, therfore I canne not saye much of Lyncolne shyre, for I know it not, but I dare saye, if Lincoln shire be as other places that I know, thys text condemneth a great many of Lyncolne shyre, and dryueth theim downe to hel for breakynge of thys commaundemente: Geue to Ceaser that whyche is dewe to Ceasar, & to God that which is dewe to God.
The offyce of a Magistrate is groūded vponupon Gods word, and is playnelye descrybed of Saynt Paule, wrytynge vntounto the Romaynes, wher he sheweth that al soules, that is to say al men ought to obey the magystrates, for they ar ordeined of God, & to resist them is to resyst agaynste God. For he is gods minister ordeined to punysh the wycked, and to mayntayne the good. Wherfore we ought to paye to hym trybute, custome, taxes and other thinges that he requireth vpō vsus, as Christe sayeth here, Reddite geue to Ceasar. How much we shuld geue, he defineth not, but leueth it to Cesars offycers to determine, & to his counsell to apoint. Christ was not the Emperours treasurer, therfore he medled not with yt poynte, but left it ye tresurer to define & determine. He went a boute anothe vocaciō, to preache vntounto ye people theyr deutye, & to obey their Princes, Kings, Emperours and magistrates, and to bid thē geue that the kyng requyreth of thē, not to apointe a king what he shall requyre of thē. It is mete for eueryevery mā to kepe his owne vocacion, & dylygently walke in it, and with faithfulnes to study to be occupyed in that God hathe called him vntounto, & not to be busye in that God hath not called hym vntounto. Therfore sayeth Christ: geue to Ceasar, but apointeth not how much, for that should his treasurar know, & shoulde warne him of it when he hathe enough, that the people be not oppressed wyth vnnecessarye burthens, nor that the kynges treasures bee to seeke when they shoulde be occupyed. The kyng must hauehave hys treasures afore hand, what chance so euer come sodenly. It is no reason when the kyng shoulde occupy hys treasure in mayntenaūce of a common wealth, in defence of a coūtry, in maintayning of hys wars, that then hys mony shuld be in thy purs to s…ake and vngathered. Nay he must hauehave it in a redynes, at hād that it be not to seeke. And he must hauehave as much as is necessary for hym. For so much is dewe to a kynge as is necessary, and so much may he require by the law of God, and take of hys commons as is necessary. And that muste not thou nor I that are subiectes appoint, but the kynge hym selfe muste appointe it, hys couysel must appoynte it, we must gyue it, we muste pay it, for it is due to the kinge, and vponupon peryll of thy soule thou muste paye it. And as he that taketh my typpet or my cloke doth me wronge and is a thefe: so he that dothe not pay to the king that is his due withoute fraude or gyle, doth the king wrong, and is in perell of hys soule for so doing.
Well, marke it well nowe and se whyther thys texte bee a nypping texte for couetouse menne or no: GiueGive to Ceaser, that is due to Ceaser. When the Parlyamente the hyghe court of thys realme is gathered together, and there it is determined that euerye manne shall paye a fyfteth parte of hys goodes to the kynge. Thē commissiōs comes furth, and he that in sight of men in his cattel, corne, shepe, and other goodes is worthe an. C. marke or an. C. pounde, wyl set him self at .x. pound, he wyl be worth no more to the kinge but after .x. pounde. Tell me nowe whether thys be theft or no? His cattel, corne, shepe in euerye mannes eyes shall bee worthe .ii.C. pounde besydes other thynges as monye and plate, and he will marye hys daughter & giuegive with her .iiii. or .v.C. marks, & yet at the valuaciō he wil be a .xx. poūd mā Doth he giuegive to Ceser yt which is due to Ceaser? dothe he not rather rob ye king of his boūd duty & debt that he ought to ye king? yes it is very theft, and thou mighteste wyth as good consciēce take my cloke or my tippet from me, as so vniustlye take or withhold from the king that which the parliamēt hathe geuen vntounto the kynge, it is thy bonde dutye to paye him truly that which is graunted, for it is due debte and vponupon peril of thy soule thou arte bounde to obey it. Yea I wyll saye more. If the kinge shulde requyre of the an vniuste request, yet arte thou bounde to paye it, and not resyste nor rebel against the king. The kīg in deede is in perel of his soul for askīg of an vniust request, and God wyll in his due tyme reken with him for it, but thou must obey thy king & not take vponupon yu to iudge him, god is ye kynges iudge, and doutlesse wyll greuouslye punishe hym if he do anye thynge vnrightuouslye. Therfore pray thou for thy kyng and pay him hys dutye, and dysobeye hym not, And knowe this, that when so euer ther is anye iniust exaccyon layde vppon the, it is a plage and punyshmente for thy synne, as all other plages are, as are hunger, dearthe, pestylence and suche other. We meruell, we are plaged as we be, and I thyncke verely thys vniuste and vnfaythfull dealynge wyth oure Prynces is one great cause of our plage, looke therfore euerie man vp on his conscience. Ye shal not be iudged by worldlye pollycye at the latter daye, but by goddes woorde, Sermo quem Locutus sum uobis ipse iudicabit uos in no uissimo die. The woorde that I hauehave spoken to you, that shall iudge you at the latter daye. Loke well nowe euerye man vponupon hys conscyence and see whether hee hauehave doone thys commandemēt of God, Gyue to your kynge that whyche is due to hym, & he that fynedeth hym selfe gilti, let him amend in tyme to come. Thys is hard gere & sore gere yu wilt sai, giuegive giuegive, I hauehave wife and chyldrē and great charge, wel I shal tell the, it mynysheth not thy stocke one farthing at ye yeres end. Hearken what God saith Si audieritis uerba mea. If you wyl heare my words sayth God & kepe that I cōmaūd the, I wil blesse the and, Si non audicritis. If ye wil not heare my words and do my commandements, thou shalt be cursed. &c. What is blessinge, not wagginge of ye fingers as our bishops wer wont, but it is, I will fauoure the and encrease thy goods, thi corne, thy cattel, thy Oxe, thy shepe & in al thy busines thou shalt prosper and go forward. And what is the cursse, but to be oute of goddes fauoure, I wyl empouerishe the, thy corn thy cattell▪ thy Oxe, thy shepe shall not prospere, what thou takest in hande it, shal not go forwarde. Thys was not taught in times past, men had pilgrimage, Images, masses Tretals. &c. but I wold hauehave you muse of theese .ii. pointes cursed, if thou heare not gods word, commaūding the to pay thy duty to the king, and blessed if thou hear it and kepe it, I would hauehave you to muse o… these .ii. thynges.
That it shall not minish thy stocke. Shew me one man in al England that is the poorer for paying the kyng his duty, for beyng a true dealyng ma, a good almes man. &c. Mani hauehave come to pouertye by dysyng, cardyng, ryot, horedome and suche lyke▪ But neuer no man by truth, mercye, Almes, ryght dealyng with the kyng. In the Cardynalles tyme mē wer put to their othes to swer what they wer worth. It was a sore thing, & a thyng I wold wish not to be folowed. O lord what periury was in Englād by that swearynge, I thyncke thys Realme fareth the worsse yet for that periury. For doutles many one wyllynglye and wyttyngly for swere thē selues at that time. It is a deare time thou wylt saye, and men hauehave muche a dooe too lyue, therefore it is a good pollycye to set my selfe much les then I am, wel that is thy worldly pollici, and wyth it thou rennest into the cursse of God for breaking hys word and commandemēt: Geue to Ceasar that whych is deue to Ceasar. I wyl tel the a good pollicy to kepe the stocke and to mayntayn thyne estate, not a pollicie of ye world, but of Gods word, and it is this. Queri te primum regnum deo, & iustiam eius, & hec omnia adiicientur uobis, seke fyrst the kingdom of God and the ryghtuousenesse of it, and al these thyngs shalbe plenteously geuen to you.
Doest thou not beleue thys to be true? is Christ an holowe man, an vntrue man, a dyssembler? The pharises make him a true man, and we make hym a false harlot. He is a true mā, and hys woordes and promyse are true. Naye we be false holow harted, and therfore iustly punished. For if we would credite hys wordes, it shuld without dout be geuen vsus aboundantly vponupon heapes, yea more then we could desyre.
When we pray for thinges vntounto almyghtye God, what aske we, do we aske forth wyth at ye first chop our necessaries? Nay Christ taught vsus fyrst to pray, Our father which art in heauē, halowed be thy name, thy kyngdome come, thy wil be don in earth as it is in heuē. &c Fyrst we pray these peticions, for faith, hope and charity, that gods honour may in al things beset out among vsus, and then wee praye after for bodelye thynges.
But we nowe leaue theese peticions, and wold be in panem nostrum at the firste dashe, wee wold hauehave our dayly bread at the first chop, & so we hauehave that we forse litle of the other. We wyl not say in wordes that wee think God false, but in deedes we plainlye affirme it, for wee truste hym not, neyther beleue his promise whē he biddeth vsus gyue gyue, I wyl blesse ye, I wyl make good my word, Nay nay, we wyl scrape and scraule and cratche and pull to vsus all that we may get, Alii diuidunt sua, & ditiores fiunt, alii rapiunt non sua et semper in egestate sunt, Some men (sayth Salomō) deuides their own goods, they pay the king his deuty, eueryevery man his own, giuegive almes, and yet are more richer, they hauehave enoughe and enough. Other rob other men cratch and scrape all that they maye come by, neuer contente, neuer enough, heape to heape, and yet are they al waye beggars. Qui benedicit impignabitur.
He that blesseth shall bee fatte and wealthye. He that blessethe not wyth waggynge hys fingers, but helpynge the poore people, he shall be blessed and euer hauehave inough, god wyll blesse hym, God wyll encrease hym, And in deede so oughte men to consyder theyr gyftes and goods to be geuen Vt illorum copia, aliorum succurrat in opi…, That their aboundaunce might succour the necessity, pouerty, and mysery of theyr pore neyghbours, and not to waste it, cōsume it in ryot and excesse, but in dedes of mercy, in deds of charity and pitye vppon the poore. Qui miseretur pauperis, fenera tur domino. He that hath mercye vponupon the poore, he lendeth vp vsurye vntounto the Lorde. Thys is a good vsurye, to make god thy debter. Many lendeth vponupon worldly vsury, whyche surelye is a very wicked thing, and God forbyddeth it. But thys vsury God commaundeth and promyseth to supply the lacke of it in thy cofers. He wyll bee debter, he wyl be pay mayster. Thou shalt not fynde thy stok deminished at the yeares ende by kepyng Gods commaundement, but rather blessed and encreased. Gyue therefore vntounto the kynge, that is due vntounto the king, Et que sunt dei deo, and giuegive to God that whyche is Gods. What is Gods? That I giuegive at Gods bidding. The tythes, oblaciōs, fyrst borne of beasts, and sacrifice cattel, whyche all God appointed vntounto ye Iewes to the mayntenaunce of theyr church ministers of the clergy, poore widowes, fatherles children, mayntenaunce of poore scolers. This was the cause that god assigned the Iewes to pay theyr tythes, and vntyl the comming of Christe, they were due by goddes law, and myghte by the lawe geuen to Moses be claymed. But now that law is at an ende, nether can they be claimed any more by that law. Notwithstādinge now in the tyme of the newe Testamente, the Princes be bound to prouyde a sufficient liuynge for the ministers, as Saynt Paul sayth, Qui euangelium predicant, de euangelio uiuant: They that preach the gospel, this is the ministery of saluation, preaching of the gospel, and vntounto such ministers, ye be bound to geue a sufficient lyuynge▪ Comunicate Catechizanti in omnibus bonis, GiueGive parte to him that teacheth you in all good thinges, geue him part of all your goods, se he hauehave sufficient liuing. But who shall appoynt him a sufficient liuing? him self? nay, who then, you? nay nother. The kynge must apoynt him sufficiently to liue vppon. For I thinke verelye there are a great many which yf ye ministers shuld hauehave no liuing, but at their apointmēt: he shuld not hauehave cloutyng lether to pece his shoes with, no not clouting lether to his shoes. The king therfore must apoynt ye ministers their liuīgs by his law, & that liuinge that the kinge appoynteth, they muste clayme, and you muste paye it to them trulye, for it is there dutye and it is thefte to withdrawe it or holde it from them. For God commaundeth you to obei your kings lawes, & by the same lawes the kyng geueth the minister his tithes and other duties, therefore vponupon perill of thy soule thou art bounde to obey thy king and to pay to thy curate that tythe that thou arte commaunded.
But some wyll saye, our curate is naughte, an Assehead, a dodipoll, a lacke latine and canne do nothynge. Shall I paye hym my tithes that doth vsus no good nor none wyl do? Yea I saye thou muste paye hym his duti, and if he be such a one cōplaine to the Byshop. We hauehave complayned to the ordinarye, and he is as negligent as he. Complayne to the councell, syr so hauehave we done but no remedy canne be had. Well I canne tel where thou shalte complayne. Complain to God, he wyll surelye heare the, he wyll remedye it. Christ sawe the people lyinge, Tanquam oues non habentes pastores. As shepe hauing no shepeheard. They had Bishops, scrybes & Pharyses, curates in name a greate manye, yet were they Tanquam oues non habentes pastorem, as sheepe hauynge no sheapheard, what is that to say? they hadde no true teachers, they had no preachers of the law of God to them. What remedye taughte Christe for it, wythdrawe theyr liuynges? Naye. Make tumults? nay, but Rogate dominum messis, pray the Lorde of the haruest. Prai, pray. Praier is the remedy that neuer faileth, when al other fayleth this neuer faileth. Therfore praye vntounto God and he wyll eyther turne hys hert and make hym better, or remoue him from the and send a better in his place, or els take him away all to gether. So will the lord do with any other oppressour of ye pore, eyther he wyll turne their hartes, and make them better, or els remoue them and take thē quyte away. Therfore let men be pacient and suffre, and prai vntounto god for deliueraunce frō their troubles, and not thincke to remedye it them selues, but pray to god, and he wyl remedye it. Praye I saye, and …ake pacience, and you shall see the lorde wyll in due tyme remedy it. There be manye that turne this text clene cōtrary. For thei yelde to Ceaser that whiche is goddes, and to God that which is Ceasers. They had mony inough to builde monystaryes chauntries, Masses, yere daies Trentals, to gilde images. &c. And al thys they did (say they) to honor God with. Thei wold worship god wt copes, torches, tapers, candels, & an hundred thyngs mo yt God neuer required at thetr hands. God requyreth the hertes to feare hym, & louelove him, & studiously to walke before hym: But thys inward seruice we wyll not gyue hym. Naye, wee gyue Ceasar oure hearte, and God oure outewarde seruyce, as all suche do as hauehave receiued the Interim. God shoulde possesse our hole heartes, and we shoulde moste studyouslye walke eueryevery man in hys vocation, according to the word of God, according to his commaundementes, obeyinge oure kynge, and succouringe the poore and neadye, as he hathe commaunded vsus. And thys is true goddes seruyce, and the thynge that belongeth to God.
If thys be true, what is become of our forefathers? I answer it is a vaine and vnprofitable questiō ▪ other it nedes not, or it botes not. What so euer they did, let vsus do wel. Let vsus kepe gods biddinge, gods commaundemente, and then are we safe. Whē one dieth we muste hauehave belles ryngynge, synginge and much a do. But to what purpose. Those that dye in the fauoure of God are wel, those that dye oute of the fauoure of God, this canne do them no good. Vbi ceciderit lignū ibi erit, Wher ye tre falleth, ther it shal remain. Studi therfore to lyue in the fauor and grace of God, in repentaunce, in amendemente of lyfe, and then dyeste thou well. Further to the question of our forfathers. God knoweth hys electe, and diligentlye watcheth and kepeth them, so that all thynges serue to theyr saluacyon. The nature of fyre is to brē all that is laid in it, yet God kept ye .iii. yong menne in Babilon, that they burnte not. And Moyses saw a bush on fyre, but it burnt not. So false doctrine, as fyre burnethe, it corrupteth. But god kepte his electe that they were not corrupt with it, but al ways put their trust ī one euer liuing god, thorowe the death of Iesus Christ our lorde. In Elias tyme Idolatry and superstition raigned, so that Elias sayde, domine altaria tua subuer terunt, Lorde they hauehave destroyed thyne altares, and slain thy prophetes and preachers, and I am left alone. But the lorde aunswered him, I hauehave reserued to my selfe .vii.M. menne that hauehave not bowed the knee to Baal, So god I trust reserued our forefathers, in so perlouse times, more graciouslye then we can think. Let vsus thāk god then for ye gracious lighte of his worde sent vntounto vsus, and pray for our graciouse kyng & his councel, that set it furth vntounto vsus. And as for oure forefathers, seing we hauehave no charge geuen vsus of god, leue them. & comend them vntounto gods mercy, who disposeth better for thē then we can wysshe. But some wyl saye nowe, what neade we preachers then, God can saue his elect without preachers. A goodly reason. God can saue my life without meat & drink, nede I none therfore? God cā saue me frome burninge, if I were in the fire, shall I runne into it therfore? no no, I muste kepe ye way yt god hath ordeyned, & vse the ordinary means that God hath assygned, & not seke newe waies. Thys offyce of preaching is the only ordynary waies that God hath appoynted to saue vsus all by. Let vsus maintayn thys, for I know none other, neither thyncke I God wyl apoint or deuise any other. Pay therfore to Ceasar that whych is dewe to Ceasar. And thys said Christ by an hei thē kyng, a painim, how much more oughte we to pay to our C…aser, our leige Lord & kyng a Christen king, and so godly and vertuouse a lerned kyng. And pay to God that is due to God, tithes & al duties lōging to the ministers and preachers of this office of saluacion, geue it them withoute dissimulyng, withoute wyth drawinge or abridgynge of theyr dutyes. Take hede of lyinge, and settinge thy self at lesse then thou art. Marke the example of Ananias and zaphira hys wyfe▪ They dyed sodenlye for theyre lying and dissimulacion in the like matter, wel this was Christes doctrine. This was his answer: giuegive to Ceser that which is Ceasers, and to God that whych is Gods.
Et non potuerunt reprehendere uerbum eius coram populo. And they coulde not fynde faulte in hys woorde before the people, it was so iuste, so consonaunte wyth scriptures and with reason, Yet after ward they falsyfyed hys woord before Pylate accusing him. Hunc deprehendimus euertentem gentem, et uetantem tributadari page missing
End of the text · Hugh Latimer, Sermon 9 October 1550 (1550)