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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49701	The preaching bishop reproving unpreaching prelates Being a brief, but faithful collection of observeable passages, in several sermons preached by the reverend father in God, Mr Hugh Latimer, Bish. of Worcester, (one of our first reformers, and a glorious martyr of Jesus Christ) before K. Edw. the sixth; before the convocation of the clergy, and before the citizens of London, at Pauls. Wherein, many things, relating to the honour and happiness of the king (our most gracious soveraign) the honourable lords, the reverend judges, the citizens of London, and commons of all sorts, but especially, the bishops and clergy are most plainly, piously and pithily represented.	Latimer, Hugh, 1485?-1555.	1661 (1661)	Wing L576; ESTC R217646	45,387	134

Mischief by Gods Word Therefore let the Preacher teach reprove amend and instruct in Righteousness vvith the Spiritual Svvord fearing no man though death should ensue Thus Moses did reprove Pharaoh Thus Micheas did not spare to blame King Ahab for his vvickednes and to prophesie of his destruction contrary unto many False Prophets These foresaid Kings being admonished by the Ministers of Gods Word because they vvould not follovv their godly Doctrine and correct their lives came unto utter destruction Let the Preacher therefore never fear to declare the Message of God unto all men And if the King vvill not hear them then the Preachers may admonish and charge them vvith their duties and so leave them to God and pray for them But if the Preachers digress out of Christs Chair and shall speak their ovvn phantasies then in stead of vvhatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do Change into these vvords follovving Beware of False Prophets change quaecunque jusserint into Cavete à Fermento Pharisaeorum All things written in Gods Book are most true and profitable for all men for in it is contained meet matter for Kings Princes Rulers Bishops and for all Estates Wherefore it behoveth every Preacher somwhat to accomodate himself and his matter to the Comfort and Amendment of the Audience to which he declareth the Message of God If he preach before a King let his matter be concerning the Office of a King if before a Bishop I have thought it good to intreat upon these words following which are written in the seventeenth Chapter of Deuteronomy from Verse 14. downwards As the Text doth rise I will touch and go a little in every place To have a King the Israelites did with much importunity call unto God and God long before promised them a King and they were fully certified thereof that God had promised that thing For unto Abraham he said Gen. 17. 6. Kings shall come out of thee These words were spoken long before the Children of Israel had any King notwithstanding here yet God prescribed unto them an Order how they should chuse their King and what manner of man he should be where he saith When thou shalt come c. As who should say O ye Children of Israel I know your nature right well I know that thou wilt chuse a King to reign over thee and to appear glorious in the face of the world after the manner of the Gentiles But because thou art stiffe-necked wild and art given to walk without a Bridle or Line therefore now I will prevent thy evil and beastly Manners I will hedge strongly thy way I will make a durable Law which shall compell thee to walk ordinately and in a plain way that is thou shalt not chuse thee a King after thy Will and phantasie but after me thy Lord and God Thus God conditioned with the Jews that their King should be such a one as He himself would choose them This was not much unlike a bargain that I heard of late should be betwixt two friends for a Horse the Owner promised the other should have the Horse if he would the other asked the price he said 20. Nobles The other would give him but four pounds the Owner said he should not have it then the other claimed the Horse because he said he should have him if he would Thus this bargain became a Westminster matter the Lawyers got twice the value of the Horse and when all came to all two fools made an end of the matter Howbeit the Israelites could not go to Law with God for choosing their King for will they nill they their King should be of his choosing lest they should walk inordinately for as they say commonly Qui vadit planè vadit sanè that is He that walketh plainly walketh safely And the Jews were stiff-necked and were ever ready to walk inordinately No less are vve Englishmen given to untovvardness and inordinate vvalking There is a great error risen novv dayes among many of us vvhich are vain and nevv fangled men climbing beyond the limits of our capacity and vvit in vvrenching this Text of Scripture hereafter follovving after their ovvn Phansie and Brain their errour is upon this Text 1 Sam. 8. 7. They wrench these words after their own fantasies and make much doubt as touching a King and his Godly name They that so do walk inordinately they walk not directly and plainly but delight in balks and stubble way It maketh no matter by what name the Rulers be named if so be they shall walk ordinately with God and direct their steps with God for both Patriarches Judges and Kings had and have their authority from God and therefore Godly But this is to be considered which God saith thou maist not set a stranger over thee It hath pleased God to grant us a natural liege King and Lord of our own Nation an Englishman one of our own Religion God hath given him to us and he is a most pretious Treasure and yet many of us do desire a stranger to be King over us Let us follow Daniel let us not seek the death of our most Noble and rightful King our own Brother both by nativity and Godly Religion Let us pray for his good estate that he live long among us Oh what a plague were it that a strange King of a strange Land and of a strange Religion should raign over us where now we be governed in the true Religion he should extirpe and pluck away all together aud then plant again all Abomination and Popery God keep such a King from us Well the Kings grace hath two Sisters my Lady Mary and my Lady Elizabeth which by Succession and Course are Inheritors to the Crown who if they should marry with strangers what should ensue God knoweth But God grant if they so do whereby strange Religion cometh in that they never come to coursing not succeeding Therefore to avoid this Plague let us amend our Lives and put away all pride which doth drown men in this Realm at these daies all Covetousness wherein the Magistrates and rich men are overwhelmed all lechery and other excessive vices provoking Gods wrath were he not merciful even to take from us our natural King and Liege Lord yea to plague us with a strange King for our unrepentant hearts Wherefore if as ye say ye love the King amend your lives Now I hear all things shall be ended after a Godly manner shortly Make hast make hast and let us learn to convert to repent and mend our lives if we do not I fear I fear lest for our sins and unthankfulness an hypocrite shall reign over us Let us pray that God maintain and continue our Most Excellent King here present He doth Rectifie us in the liberty of the Gospel in that therefore let us stand He shall not prepare unto himself many Horses c. In speaking of

unto them none be so foolish to do it to the Stock or Stone or to the Image it self but it is done to God and his Honour before the Image And though they should abuse it these Blanchers whould be ready to whisper the King in the ear and to tell him that this Abuse is but a small matter and that the same with all other Abuses in the Church may be reformed easily it is but a little Abuse say they and it may be easily amended But it should not be taken in hand at the first for fear of trouble or further Inconveniences the People will not bear sudden Alterations and Insurrection may be made after sudden Mutations which may be to the great Harm and Lofs of the Realm Therefore all shall be well but not out of hand for fear of further business These be the Blanchers that have hitherto stopped the Word of God and hindred the true setting forth of the same There be so many put offs so many put by 's so many respects and considerations of worldly wisdom And I doubt not but there were Blanchers in the old time to whisper in the ear of good King Hezekiah for the maintenance of Idolatry done to the Brazen Serpent as well as there has been now of late and be now that can blanch the abuse of Images as other like things But good King Hezekiah would not be so blinded he was like to Apollo fervent in Spirit he would give no ear to these Blanchers he was not moved with these worldly respects with these prudent Considerations with these Policies he feared not Insurrections of the people He feared not lest his people would not bear the Glory of God but he without any of these respects or Policies or Considerations like a good King for Gods sake and for Conscience sake by and by plucked down the Brazen Serpent and destroyed it utterly and beat it to powder He out of hand did cast out all Images he destroyed all Idolatry and clearly did extirpate all Superstition He would not hear these Blanchers and worldly wise men but without delay followeth Gods Cause and destroyeth all Idolatry out of hand This did good King Hezekiah for he was like Apollo fervent in spirit and diligent to promote Gods Glory And good hope there is that it shall be likewise here in England for the Kings Majesty is so brought up in knowledge vertue and godliness that it is not to be mistrusted but that we shall have all things well and that the Glory of God shall be spread abroad through all parts of the Realm if the Prelates will diligently apply their Plow and be Preachers rather than Lords But our Blanchers which will be Lords and no Labourers when they are commanded to go and be resident upon their Cures and preach in their Benefices they will say What! I have set a Deputy there I have a Deputy that looketh well to my Flock who shall discharge my duty A Deputy quoth he I looked for that word all this while And what a Deputy must he be trow ye Even one like himself he must be a Canonist that is to say one that is brought up in the study of Popes Laws and Decrees one that will set forth Papistry as well as himself and one that will maintain all Idolatry and Superstition and one that will nothing at all or else very weakly resist the Devils Plow yea happy it is if he take no part with the Devil and where he should be an enemy to him it is well if he take not the Devils part against Christ. But in the mean time the Prelates take their pleasures they are Lords and no Labourers but the Devil is diligent at his Plow he is no unpreaching Prelate he is no Lordly Loyterer from his Cure but a busie Plow-man so that amongst all the Prelates and among all the pack of them that have Cure the Devil shall go for my money for he still applieth his Business Therefore ye Unpreaching Prelates learn of the Devil to be diligent in doing your Office Learn of the Devil And if ye will not learn of God and good men for shame learn of the Devil ad erubescentiam vestram dico I speak it for your shame if you will not learn of God nor good men to be diligent in your Office learn of the Devil Howbeit there is now very good hope that the Kings Majesty being by the help of good governance of his most Honourable Counsellors trained and brought up in Learning and Knowledge of Gods Word will shortly provide a remedy and set an order herein which thing that it may so be let us pray for him pray for him good people pray for him ye have great cause and need to pray for him Amen Part of the First Sermon Preached by the Reverend Father Master Hugh Latimer before our Late Soveraign Lord of Famous memory King Edward the Sixth within the Preaching place in the Palace at Westminster 1549. the Eight of March Rom. 15. Quaecunque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt IN Taking this Part of Scripture most Noble Audience I played as a Truant which when he is at School will chuse a Lesson wherein he is perfect because he is loath to take pain in studying a new Lesson or else feareth stripes for his sloathfulness In like manner I might seem now in my old age to some men to take this part of Scripture because I would wade easily away therewith and drive my matter at my pleasure and not to be bound to a certain Theam But ye shall consider that the foresaid words of Paul are not to be understood of all Scriptures but only of those which are of God written in Gods Book and all things which are therein are written for our Learning The Excellency of this word is so great and of so high dignity that there is no earthly thing to be compared do it The Author thereof is great that is God himself Eternal Almighty everlasting The Scripture because of him is also Great Eternal most Mighty and Holy There is no King Emperor Magistrate and Ruler of what state soever they be but are bound to obey this God and to give credence unto his Holy Word in directing their steps ordinately according to the same Word Yea truly they are not only bound to obey Gods Book but also the Ministry of the same so far as he speaketh sitting in Moses Chair For in this world God hath two Svvords the one is a Temporal Svvord the other a Spiritual The King correcteth Transgresson vvith the Temporal Svvord yea the Preacher if he be an Offender But the Preacher cannot correct the King if he be a Transgressor of Gods Word vvith the Temporal Svvord But he must correct and reprove him vvith the Spiritual Svvord fearing no man setting God only before his eyes under vvhom he is a Minister to supplant and root up all Vice and

maketh it clean So the Prelate the Preacher hath many divers Offices to do He hath a busie work to bring Parishioners to a right Faith as Paul calleth it and not a swerving Faith but to a Faith that embraceth Christ and trusteth to his Merits a lively Faith a justifying Faith a Faith that maketh a man righteous without respect of works as ye have it very well declared in the Homily He hath then a busie work I say to bring his Flock to a right Faith and then to confirm them in the same Faith now casting them down with the Law and threatnings of God for sin now ridging them up again with the Gospel and the Promises of Gods Favour now weeding them by telling them their Faults and making them forsake sin now clotting them by breaking their stony hearts and by making them supple-hearted and making them to have hearts of flesh that is soft hearts and apt for Doctrine to enter in now teaching to know God rightly and to know their duty to God and to their Neighbours now exhorting them when they know their duty that they do it and be diligent in it so that they have a continual work to do Great is their Business and therefore great should be their Hire They have great Labours and therefore they ought to have good Livings that they may commodiously feed their Flock For the Preaching of the Word of God unto the People is called Meat Scripture calleth it Meat not Strawberries that come but once a year and tarry not long but are soon gone but it is Meat it is no Dainties The people must have meat that must be familiar and continual and daily given unto them to feed upon Many make a Strawberrie of it ministring it but once a year but such do not the Office of good Prelates For Christ saith Quis putas est Servus prudeus fidelis Qui dat cibum in tempore Who think you is a wise man a faithful servant He that giveth meat in due time So that he must at all times convenient preach diligently Therefore saith he Who trow you is a Faithful Servant He speaketh it as though it were a rare thing to find such a one and as though he should say there be but a few of them to find in the world And how few of them there be throughout this Realm that give meat to their Flocks as they should do the Visitors can best tell Too few too few the more is the pity and never so few as now By this it appeareth that a Prelate or any that hath cure of souls must diligently and substantially work and labour Therefore saith Paul to Timothy Qui Episcopatum de siderat hic bonum opus de siderut He that desireth to have the Office of a Bishop or Prelate that man desireth a good work Then if it be a good work it is work ye can make but a work of it It is Gods work Gods Plow and that Plow God would have still going Such then as loyter and live idly are not good Prelates or Ministers And of such as do not preach and teach God saith by his Prophet Jeremy maledictus qui facit opus Dei fraudulenter guilfully or deceitfully some Books have negligenter negligently or slackly How many such Bishops how many such Prelates Lord for thy mercy are there now in England And what shall we in this case do Shall we company with them O Lord for thy mercy shall we not company with them O Lord whither shall we flee rfom them But cursed be he that doth the work of God negligently or guilfully A sore word for them that are negligent in discharging their Office or have done it fraudulently for that is the thing that maketh the people ill But true it must be that Christ saith Multi sunt vocati pauci vero Electi many are called but few chosen Here I have an occasion by the way somewhat to say unto you yea for the place that I alleadged unto you before out of Jeremy And it was spoken of a spiritual work of God a work that was commanded to be done and it was of shedding-blood and destroying the Cities of Moab For saith he cursed be he that keepeth back his Sword from shedding of blood As Saul when he kept back his Sword from shedding of blood at what time he was sent against Amalek was refused of God for being disobedient to Gods Commandments in that he spared Agag the King so that that place of the Prophet was spoken of them that went to the destruction of the Cities of Moab among the which there was one called Nebo which was much reproved for Idolatry Superstition Pride avarice Cruelty Tyranny and for hardness of Heart and for these sins was plagued of God and destroyed Now what shall I say of these rich Citizens of London what shall we say of them shall I call them proud men of London malicious men of London merciless men of London No no I may not say so they will be offended with me then yet must I speak for is there not reigning in London as much pride as much covetousness as much cruelty as much oppression as much superstition as was in Nebo Yes I think and much more too Therefore I say repent O London repent repent Thou hearest thy faults told thee amend them amend them I think if Nebo had the preaching that thou hast they would have converted And you Rulers and Officers be wise and circumspect look to your charge and see you do your duties and rather be glad to amend your ill living then to be angry when you are warned and told of your fault what a doe there was made in London at a certain man because he said and indeed at that time on a just occasion Burgesses quoth he nay Butter-flies Lord what a doe there was for that word And yet would God they were no worse then Butterflies Butterflies do but their nature the Butterflie is not covetous is not greedy of other mens goods is not full of envy and hatred is not malicious is not cruel is not merciless The Butterflie glorieth not in her own deeds nor preferreth the traditions of men before Gods Word it committeth not Idolatry nor worshippeth false Gods but London cannot abide to be rebuked such is the nature of men if they be pricked they will kick if they be rubbed on the gall they will winch but yet they will not amend their faults they will not be ill spoken of But how shall I speak well of them if you could be content to follow the Word of God and favour good Preachers if you could bear to be told of your faults if ye could amend them when ye hear of them if ye would be glad to reform what is amiss If I might see any such inclination in you that you would leave to be merciless and begin to be charitable I would then hope