The Preaching Bishop Reproving, Part 6
Part of the fourth Sermon preached by Mr. Hugh Latimer before King Edward.
I Remember well what St. Paul saith to a Bishop, and though he spake it to Timothy being a Bishop, yet I may say it now to the Magistrates,1 Tim. 5. for all is one case, all is one matter; Thou shalt not be partaker of other mens faults, be not hasty in making of Curates, in receiving men to have Cure of Souls, that either cannot, or will not do their duty; do it not. Now me thinks it needs not to be partakers of other mens sins, we shall find enough of our own. And what is it to be partaker of other mens sins, if this be not, to make unpreaching Prelacy, and to suffer them in their unpreaching Prelacy?
If the King and his Council should suffer evil Judges to take Bribes, and suffer the great to overgo the poor, and should look through his fingers, to wink at it, should not the King be partaker of their naughtiness? And Why, is be not Supreme Head of the Church? What ! Is the Supreme a Dignity, and nothing else? Is it not countable? I think it will be a chargeable Dignity, when account shall be askt of it.
Oh! what advantage hath the Devil? VVhat entry hath the VVolf, when the Shepherd tendeth not his Flock? St. Paul doth say, Qui bene praesunt Presbyteri, honore digni sunt. VVhat is this praeesse? It is as much as to say, is to take charge and cure of Souls, We say, ille praeest, he is set over the Flock, he hath taken charge upon him; And what is benè praeesse? to discharge the Cure well, to rule well, to feed the Flock with pure food, and good example of living.—
There was a merry Monk in Cambride, in the Colledge that I was in, and it chanced, a great company of us to be together, intending to make good cheer, and to be merry, (as Schollers will be merry when they are disposed) one of the Company brought this Sentence, Nil melius quam laetari & facere bene. There is nothing better than to be merry and to do well: A vengeance of bene, quoth the Monk, I would that bene had been banished beyond the Sea; and that bene were out, it were well; for I could be merry, and I could do, but I love not to do well, that bene marres all, I would bene were out, quoth the merry Monk, for it importeth many things to live well, to discharge the Cure.
Indeed it were better for them if it were out; and it were as good to be out, as to be ordered as it is: it will be a heavy bene for some of them, when they shall come to their Account.
But peradventure you will say,Note. what and they preach not at all? yet praesunt. Are not they worthy double honour? Is it not an honourable Order they be in?
Nay an horrible misorder, it is an horrour, rather than an honour, and horrible, rather than honourable, if the Preacher be naught, and do not his duty. And thus go these Prelates about to wrestle for honour, that the Devil may take his Pleasure.—
Are they not worthy double honour? Nay rather, double dishonour, not to be regarded, not to be esteemed among the people, and to have no Living at their hands?
For … good Preachers be worthy double honour, so unpreaching Prelates be worthy double dishonour, they must be at their Doublets.
But now these two dishonours what be they? our Saviour Christ doth shew; Si Sal,—
If the salt be unsavoury, it is good for nothing, but to be cast our, and troden of men.
By this S…lt is understood Preachers, and such as have Cure of Souls, What be they worthy then? Wherefore serve they? For nothing else but to be cast out.
Make them Quondams, out with them, cast them out of their Office: VVhat should they do with Cure, that will not look to it?
Another dishonour is, to be troden under mens Feet, not to be esteemed or regarded.
St. Paul in his Epistle qualifieth a Bishop,1 Tim. 3. and saith, he must be apt to teach? VVhat shall a man do with Aptness,Note. if he do not use it; It were as good to be without it.
A Bishop came to me the last day, and was angry with me for a Sermon that I made in this place. His Chaplain, he complained against me, because I had spoken against unpreaching Prelates. Nay, quoth the Bishop, he made so indifferent a Sermon the first day, that I thought he would marre all the second day; he will have every man a Quondam, as he is.
As for my Quondamship, I thank God, that he gave me the Grace to come by it by so honest means as I did, I thank him for mine own Quondamship; and as for them, I will not have them made Quondams, if they discharge their Office; I would have them do their duty,Note. I would have no more quondams as God help me. I owe them no more malice than this, and that is none at all.
This Bishop answered his Chaplain, VVell saies he, well, did I wisely to day, for as I was going to the Sermon, I remembred that I had neither said Mass nor Mattins, and homeward I gat as fast as I could, and I thank God, I have said both, and let his unfruitful Sermon alone.
Unfruitful, saith one, another saith seditious: VVell, Unfruitful is the best, and whether it be unfruitful or no, I cannot tell, it lieth not in me to make it fruitful; and God work not in your hearts,Note. my preaching can do you but little good.
I am Gods instrument but for a time, it is he must give increase, and yet preaching is necessary: For, take away Preaching, and take away Salvation.—
Christ is the Preacher of all Preachers.—
As wisely, as circumspectly, as he preached, yet the Fourth Ground only was fruitful; and if he had no better Luck, that was Preacher of all Preachers; what shall we look for? yet there was no lack in him, but the Ground. And so now there is no fault in Preaching, the lack is in the People, who have stony and thorny hearts. I beseech God to amend them.
And as for these Folk that speak against me, I never look to have their good word so long as I live: yet I will speak of their wickedness as long as I shall be permitted to speak,Note. as long as I live, I will be an enemy to it, no Preachers can pass it over with silence. It is the Original root of all mischief.
As for me, I owe them no other ill will, but I pray God amend when it pleaseth him.—
Oh that a man might have the contemplation of Hell, that the Devil would allow a man to look into Hell, to see the estate of it, as he shewed all the world, when he tempted Christ.—
If one were admitted to view Hell, and behold it throughly, the Devil would say,
On yonder side are punished Unpreaching Prelates, I think a man should see as far as a Kenning, and see nothing but Unpreaching Prelates, he might look as far as Calice, I warrant you.
And then if he would go on the other side, and shew where Bribing Judges are, I think he should see so many, that there were scant room for any other: Our Lord God amend it.