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 shal be 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 vpon theyr 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 their 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 haue 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 haue some that be badde inoughe hangers on of the court I meane not those But if your maiesties chaplains 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 vs 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 haue institution and geue thē 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 haue 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 I 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 vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued The second step Howe shal they call vppon hym in whome they haue 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 of 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 was 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 haue 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 haue the dread of God before his eies worke not by world ly policy for worldly policy feareth not God Take hede of 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 foloweth 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 haue 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 Ihon 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 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 Why should you do this or that Your grace may answer them thus and say What sirra I perceiue you are wery of vs 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 come 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 haue 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 haue 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
vnto Moses he burned in the fyre and yet he was not consumed 〈◊〉 was the cause Mary gods power We rede also in the 3. Chap. of Daniell how that Nabuchadonozcr the king caused a golden image to be made And so called all his lordes and his people to come and worship his Idole which he had set vp threatning further that whosoeuer wold not fall doune and worship the said ydole should be caste in a hote ouen Now there were three young men Sydrach Mesach and Abdenago which refused to worship the said ydole saienge O Nabuchadonozer we ought not to consente vnto thee in this matter for why our god whom we serue is able to kepe vs from the hote burnyng ouen and can righte well delyuer vs oute of thy handes and thoughe he will not yet shalte thou know that we will not serue thy gods nor doe any reuerēce to that ymage which thou hast set vp Then was Nabuchadonozer exceding full of indignation against them and commaunded by and by that the ouen should be made se uen tymes hoter than it was wonte to bee and spake vnto the strongest men that were in his hoste to bynde Sydrach Mesach and Abdenago and cast them in the burnyng ouen So these menne were bounde in theire coates hosen shoes with theirother garments and cast in to an hote burning ouen for the kinges commaundement was so strayght and the ouen was exceding hote and these three men Sydrach Mesach and Abdenago fell doune in the hote burning ouen beyng fast bound Then Nabuchadonozer the king merueyled and stode vp in all hast and spake vnto his councell saying did ye not cast these three men into the fyer they answered 〈◊〉 yea O king he answered and sayd lo for al that I do see fowre men goyng lose in the myddest of the fyre and nothyng corrupte and the fourth is like the sonne of GOD to looke 〈◊〉 Here in this storie you se that though the nature of the fire is to consume yet these three men were not consumed wyth the same for not a heare of their heade perished but rather the fyre brake oute and consunied them that put them in the ouen so the fyre of his nature woulde haue consumed them yet thorow the power of god the strength of the fyre was 〈◊〉 quished and the menne were preserued from it Euen so is it with the 〈◊〉 with the false doctryne the nature of itis to consume to corrupt and bryng to euerlastyng sorow yet let vs hope that our forefathers were not damned for god hath many ways to preserue them from perishing ye a in thelast houre of death god can worke with his holy ghost and teach them to know Christ his sonne for theyr sauior though they were taught other wayes before yet god can preserue theym from the poyson of the false doctryne I wyl shewe you a notable story done in kyng Achabs ryme written in the 〈◊〉 boke of the kynges 18. Chap. At the tyme when Achab that wycked kyng and his wife Iezabel more wickeder then her husbande when they had the rule they abolished the worde of god cleane and set vp false doctryne killed the true prophets of god in so much that Elias saith vnto god with cryeng and great lamentations sayeng Lord the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenaunte broken doune thyne altars and 〈◊〉 thy prophetes with the sworde And I only am lefte and they seke my life to take it away Here it appereth that the pulpets at that tyme were occupied with false teachers with false religion lyke as it was in the tyme of our forefathers in so much that Elias crieth out and faith plainly that there were left no more but he oncly But what saith god I haue lefte me seuen thousande which haue not bowed their knees vnto Baal when Elias thought that there was lefte more but he only then god shewed hym a great many which were left and not infected with the poyson of the false doctryne Therfore lyke as god could preserue a greate number of the Israelites at the same tyme so he could preserue oure forefathers from the poyson of poperye which was taught at that tyme for the Lorde knoweth whyche arc hys Item Christe hymselfe sayeth Quos mihi dedit Pater No man shall take these from me whiche my father hath geuen vnto me that is to say which are ordeyned to euerlasting lyfe Non repellet dominus 〈◊〉 suam haereditatem suam non relinquet the Lorde wyll not caste away hys people and hys inheritaunce he wyll not forsake therfore lette vs hope that thoughe the doctryne at that tyme was 〈◊〉 and poysoned yet for all that God hathe had his he hathe 〈◊〉 seuen thousand that is to say a great number amongest theim whyche 〈◊〉 no harms by the false 〈◊〉 for he wonderfully preserued them lyke as he dydde in the greate dearthe when all thynges were so dere whenne the ryche frankelinges would not sell theyr corne in the markets then at that time the poore was wonderfullye preserued of god for after mans reason they could not lyue yet god preserued them in so muche that theyr chylden were as fat and as wel lykyng as yf they had ben gentilmens children So lyke as god could preserue the poore with his chyldren in that great derthe so he could preserue our forcfathers from euerlasting perdition thoughe they lacked the foode of theyr soules yet he could fede them inwardly with the holy ghost But now ye will say seeyng then that God can saue 〈◊〉 and bryng them to euerlasting lyfe withoute the outwarde hearyng of the woorde of God then wee haue no neede to heare the word of GOD we nede not to haue preachers amongest vs. For lyke as he hath preserued them so he will pre serue vs to with out the hearinge of gods worde This is a folishe reason I will aunswere you this I wyll make you thys argument God can and is able to preserue thyngs from fyre so that they shal not burne or consume and therfore I wyll go set my house a fyre and it shal bee preserued Or this god prescrued these three men from fyre so that thei toke no harme ergo I wyll goe and caste my 〈◊〉 into the fyre and I shall take no harme Is this nowe a good reason No no for these thrce men had their vocation to goe in the fyrc they were caste in by violence so if god wyll haue thee to goe into the fyre by violence for hys wordes sake 〈◊〉 go with a good wyll and no doute either he wil prescrue thee as he dyd them or els he will take thee oute of thys myserable lyse to euerlastyng felicitie but to caste my selfe into the fyere with oute anye 〈◊〉 I mase not for it is written Non tentabis dominum 〈◊〉 tuum Thou 〈◊〉 not tempte the Lord thy God So lykewyse in oure tyme GOD hath 〈◊〉 light
dedes but I tell you we be farre otherwise our acts and dedes disagree farre from our profession For we are wicked we care not for gods laws nor his words we professe with our mouth that we be the haters of synnes but 〈◊〉 conuersation sheweth that we loue sinne that we folow the same that we haue a delite in it So it appeareth that our wordes and 〈◊〉 agree not we haue gods holy worde in our mouthe but we folow that wil pleasure of the diuel in our outward 〈◊〉 satiō liuing But Christ he did not so for he shewed himself by his outward works conuersation that he was very 〈◊〉 that sauior of that world So we shold do to we should liue so vprightly so godly that euery one might know vs by our outward cōuersatiō to be very christiās We shold so hate 〈◊〉 sins that no mā iustly might or could disalow our doings But what maner of works doth Christ wherby he sheweth himself to be that very Messias sauior of that world Answer he healeth al maner of diseased folks that blind that lame that 〈◊〉 al other which wold come vnto him desire help at hys han des And finally he preched the gospel this ioyful tidings vn to the poore vnto thē Christ preched the gospel But I pray you howe chaunced it that he sayth Pauperes Euāgelizātur The poore receiue the gospel answer because the most part of the rych men in this world despise contemn the gospell 〈◊〉 esteme it for 〈◊〉 why wherfore despise 〈◊〉 that gospel Because they put theyr hope truste and confidence in theyr ryches For the moste parte of the 〈◊〉 in this worlde I will not say all do eyther put theyr hope in theyr ryches or els they come naughtely by their riches or els they keepe it yll they heape them up together or els they spende them 〈◊〉 So that it is a very rare thyng to 〈◊〉 a godly rich man for commonly they are geuen to gather and to make 〈◊〉 and so forget the poore in the meane season whō they ought to reliefe or 〈◊〉 when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them they spende 〈◊〉 naughtely not as god hath appointed vnto them namelye to helpe their poore and needy neighbour but rather do vse them to excesse wantonnes and pleasure Therfore Christe saith The poore receyue the gospell 〈◊〉 they are most 〈◊〉 therunto they are all comfortlesse in this world and so most meete to 〈◊〉 the gospell The prophetes long aforehand hadde 〈◊〉 of these workes whiche Christ when he shoulde come shoulde 〈◊〉 For so it is written God commeth his owne selfe and wyll delyuer you then shall the 〈◊〉 of the blynde be lightened and the eares of the 〈◊〉 opened then shall the lame man leape as an harte and the domme mannes tongue shal geue thankes In the wyldernes also there shal be welspringes This texte of the Prophet wytnesseth that Christe is verye god for he hath done such 〈◊〉 and myracles of which the prophet speaketh Now in the same prophet it is further 〈◊〉 ten how that Christ shold preache the gospell vnto the poore 〈◊〉 people for so he saith The spirite of the lord god is vpon me for the lorde hath annointed me to preache good thynges vnto the poore that I might bynd vp the wounded 〈◊〉 that I myght preache deliueraunce to the captyue and open the prison to them that are bounde that I myghte declare the acceptable yere of the lorde Here the prophet 〈◊〉 that whēn Christ shold come he should be a worker of such actes and a preacher whyche should preache the gospell vnto the poore and therfore now when the disciples of 〈◊〉 came vnto hym demandyng of hym whether he were Christe or not he aunswered by hys workes Lyke as he sayeth in an other place in the gospel to the Phariseis The works which I do beare witnes of me As who say I prove my selfe what I am by my workes Again he saith if I 〈◊〉 do the works of my father beleue me not So that moste manifestly he proueth himselfe to be that prophet whiche was spoken of before by the prophetes and other holy men of god Iohn the Euangelist in his gospel sai eth and many other signes truly did Iesus in the presence of his disciples whiche are not written in this booke these are written that ye might beleue that Iesus is Christ the 〈◊〉 of GOD and that in beleuing ye mighte haue life thorough his name This is a very notable saying and moste comfortable to all troubled consciences Iesus hath done ma ny thinges which ar not written but these are written that we shoulde 〈◊〉 him to be Christ that that Iesus Maries sonne that was 〈◊〉 at Bethleem and nourished at Nazareth that he is the sauiour of 〈◊〉 and so in beleuing in hym we shal haue life 〈◊〉 So that there was neuer none that beleued in Christ which was lost but all bele uers were saued therfore it is not to be douted but that yf 〈◊〉 wil beleue we shal be saued to We 〈◊〉 in a booke which is intituled Vitae patrum the lyfes of the fathers in that same booke we rede that there was ones a great holy man as he 〈◊〉 to all the world worthy to be taken vp into heauen Now that mā had many disciples and at a tyme he 〈◊〉 syck And in his sicknes he fel in great agony of his conscience in so much that he could not tel in the worlde what to do Now his disciples standyng about him and 〈◊〉 him in this case they said vnto him how chaunceth it that ye are so troubled father for certainly there was no body so good a liuer so 〈◊〉 ly as ye haue 〈◊〉 therfore you haue not nede to feare for no dout but you shal come to heauen The old father made them answer again saying though I haue liued vprightly yet for al that it 〈◊〉 not help me I lack some thing yet and so he did in dede for 〈◊〉 if he had folowed the counsel of his disciples had put his trust in his godly conuersation no dout 〈◊〉 should haue bene gone to the deuil For though we ar cōmaunded to do good workes we ought to do thē yet for al that we must beware how we do them when we do them 〈◊〉 that end to be saued by them then we do them not as we ought to do then we thrust Christ out of his seate and 〈◊〉 For in dede the kingdom of god is merited but not by vs. Christ he merited the kingdom of heuen for vs through his most pain ful death 〈◊〉 passion There hath bene many perfect 〈◊〉 amōg the heathen which liued very well and vprightly as concerning their outward 〈◊〉 but for al that they wente to the diuel in the end because they knew not Christ for so saith scripture whosoeuer beleueth not in the son he is iudged alredy Therfore
it is sene that few go on pilgremage but vowe makers and such as by promise bynde them selfe to go And when I pray you should a mans wife go on pilgremage if she went not before she had wel debated the matter with her selfe and obteined the consent of her husband being a wyse man and were also counselled by a learned Priest so to do When should she go 〈◊〉 of to these famous Images For this the common people of England thinke to be going on pilgremage to go to som dead and notable image out of towne that is to say far from theyr house Now if your forefathers made this constitution and yet thereby dyd nothing the abuses euery daye more more encreased what is left for you to do Bretherne and fathers if ye purpose to do any thing what should ye soner do then to take vtterly away these deceytful and iugling Images or els if ye know any other meane to put away abuses to shewe it if ye intend to remoue abuses Me thinke if should be grateful and pleasant to you to marke the ernest mynd of your forefathers and to loke vpon their desire wher they saye in theyr constitution We commaund you and not we counsel you How haue we ben so long a cold so long slacke in setting forth so holsom a precepte of the church of Englād where we be so hot in all thinges that haue any gaynes in them all be it they be neyther commaunded vs nor yet gyuen vs by counsell as though we had leauer the abuse of thinges should tary styll then it taken away lose our profit To let passe the solemyne and 〈◊〉 bacchanals the prescript myracles that are done vpon certayne dayes in the Weste parte of England who hath not hard I thinke ye haue heard of sainte Blesis hart which is at Maluerne and of saynt Algars bones how long they deluded the people I am afrayd to the losse of many soules Wherby men maye wel coniecture that al aboute in this realme there is plenty of such iuglinge deceites And yet hytherto ye haue sought no remedy But euen styll the myserable people is suffered to take the false myracles for the true and to lye styll a sleepe in al kynde of superstition God haue mercy vpon vs. Last of al how thinke you of matrimony Is al well here What of baptisme Shall we euermore in ministring of it speake latine and not englyshe rather that the people maye knowe what is sayd and done What thinke ye of these masse priestes and of the Masses them selues What say ye Be al things here so without abuses that nothing ought to be amended Your forefathers sawe somwhat which made this constitution against the venality and sale of Masses that vnder paine of suspending no priest shuld sel his saying of tricennals or annals What saw they that made this constitution What Priestes saw they what maner of masses sawe they trow ye But at the last what becā of so good a constitution God haue mercy vpō vs. If there be nothing to be amended abrod cōcerning that whole let euery one of vs make one better If ther be neither abrod nor at home any thing to be amended redressed My lordes be ye of good chere be mery at the least because we haue nothing els to do let vs reasō the matter how we may be richer Let vs fal to some pleasaunt communication after let vs go home euen as good as we came hyther that is right begotten thildren of the world vtterly worldlynges And while we lyue here let vs al make bone chere For after this life there is small pleasure lyttel myrthe for vs to hope for if now there be nothing to be chaunged in our facions Let vs say not as Saint Peter dyd Our end approcheth nigh this is an heauy hearing but let vs say as the euil seruaunt said It wyl be long ere my maistere come This is pleasant Let vs beate our felowes 〈◊〉 vs eate drynke with dronkerds 〈◊〉 as oft as we do not take away the abuse of thinges so ofte we beate our felows As oft as we gyue not the people their true fode so oft we beate our felowes As oft as we let them 〈◊〉 in superstition so oft we beate thē To he short as oft as we blind lead them blinde so oft we beate and greuously strike our felowes When we walter in plesures and idelnes then we eate and drinke with drunkards But God wyl come God wyl com he wyll not tary longe away He wyl come vpon such a day as we nothing loke for hym and at such houre as we know not He wyl come and cut vs in peeces He wyl reward vs as he doth the hipocrites He wil set vs where wayling shal be my brethren where gnashing of teeth shal be my brethren And let here be the ende of our tragidie if ye wyl These be the delycate dishes prepared for worldes wel beloued children These be the wafers and ionketes prouided for worldly prelates wayling and gnashing of teth Can there be any mirth where these two courses last al the feast Here we laugh there we shal weepe Our teeth make mery here euer dashing in delicates there we shal be torne with teeth and do nothing but gnash grind our own To what ende haue we now excelled other in policy What haue we brought forth at the last Ye se brethren what sorow what punishment is prouided for you yf ye be worldlynges If ye wyl not thus be vered be not ye the children of the world If ye wyl not be the children of the world be not stryken wyth the loue of wordly thynges leane not vpon them If ye wyll not dye eternallye liue not worldlye Come go to my brothers go to I say againe once agayne go to leaue the loue of your profit study for the glory profite of Christ seke in your consultations such thinges as pertayne to Christ and bring forth at the last sōwhat that may please Christ. Feede ye tenderly with all diligence the flock of Christ. 〈◊〉 truely the word of God Loue the lyght walke in the lyght and so be ye the children of lyght whyle ye are in this world 〈◊〉 ye may shine in the world that is to come bright as the sonne with the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whom be all honour praise and glory Amen ¶ A notable sermon of the reuerend father Maister Hugh Latimer preached in the Shroudes at Poules churche in London on the xviii day of January Anno. 1548. * Quecunque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt Roma xiiii AL things which are written are writtē for our erudition and knowledge Al thinges that are written in gods boke in the Byble boke in the boke of the holy scripture are writtē to be our doctrine I told you in my fyrst sermon honorable audiēce that I purposed to declare vnto
supersticion and Idolatrye And one that wyll nothing at all 〈◊〉 els very weakely resist the Deuils plough yea happy it is if he take not part wyth the Deuyl where he should be an enemy to hym it is wel if he take not the Deuiles part agaynst Christ. But in the meane time the Prelates take theyr pleasures They are Lords and no labou rers but the Deuil is diligent at his plough He is no vnpreaching prelate He is no Lordly loyterer from his cure but a busy plough man so that among al the prelates and among al the packe of them that haue cure the 〈◊〉 shal go for my mony For he styl applyeth his busynes Therfore ye vnpreaching prelates learne of the Deuil to be diligent in doing of your office Learne of the Deuil And if you wyl not learne of God nor good men for shame learne of the Deuyl ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dico I speake it for your shame If you wil not learne of God nor good man to be diligent in your office learne of the Deuil 〈◊〉 there is now very good hope that the Kinges maiesty being by the helpe of good gouernaunce of his moost honourable counsailours he is trained brought vp in learning and knowledge of gods word wil shortly prouide a remedy and set an order herein which thing that it may so be let vs praye for hym Praye for hym good people praye for hym ye haue great cause and neede to praye for hym FINIS THE SEVEN SERmons of the reuerend father M. Hughe Latimer whiche he preached before our late souerayne Lorde of famous memory king Edward the .vi. within the Preaching place in the Palace at Westminster in the yeare of our Lorde 1549. the first Sermon the .viii. of Marche wherunto are added other two Sermons aswel that he preached at Stamford as also the last that he made before the late kyng Edward whiche he called hys vltimum vale ¶ Imprinted at Lōdon by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate ¶ Cumgratia priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per septennium An. 1562. ¶ To the righte vertuous and gratious Lady Katherine Douches of Suffolk Thomas Some her humble and faithful Oratour wisheth godly fauour euer lasting saluation from God the father through Iesus Christ our mereifull Lorde WHan man is borne for man that one to another should be a God and not a deuyll an helper no hynderer vnto whom also the vse of the tonge is only geuen whereby they doo both expresse and shew the affections of their mindes there is no man which can say I haue no nede of any man But amonges infinite mischiefes and euilles of mans pouertie and anguish by whiche he hath nede of other mens helpe is the instruction of prudence or vertue and of science For mankinde in this do precel chiefly brute beastes because they helpe one another by mutuall communication In learnyng good and vertuous maners the vse of commoning is required chiefly that men erryng and ignoraunte shoulde be taught for there is none which shall euer lerne of himselfe al though he be neuer so happily borne Therfore it shall become euery man which do intende to liue godly to here and learne godly bokes to print heauenly documēts in their harts For as euill doctrine deuelish bokes filthie talke do corrupt good maners so faithful precepts godly bokes chast cōmoning honest shal edifie cōfirm wherfore intending to do good vnto al men and namely vn to suche as erre and be ignorante I haue gathered writ and brought into lighte the famous fryday 〈◊〉 of M. Hugh Latimer which he preached in Lēt last past before our most noble king Edwad the sixt at the new palaice of westminster the third yere of his reigne which Sermōs most vertuous La dy I dedicate vnto your honorable grace nothing doubting but that you will gladly imbrace them not only because of their excellencie but chiefly for the profit which shal ensue thorough them vnto the ignorant For in them are fruteful godly documents directing ordinatly not only the steps cōuersation and liuing of kings but also of other ministers and subiectes vnder him And let no man begreued though it be not so exactly done as he did speake it for in very dede I am not able so to doo to wryte word for word as he did speake that passeth my capacitie though I had xx mens wittes and no fewer handes to write with all As it is vnpossible that a little ryuer should receiue the recourse of the mayne sea with in his brimmes so that no water should ouer whelm the sides therof In lyke manner is it more vnlyke my simple witte to comprehende absolutly the aboundante eloquence and learning whiche floweth most aboundantly out of godly Latimers mouth Notwithstanding yet had I rather with shamefastnes declare charitably this parte of his godly documents and counsell then with slouthfulnes forget or kepe close folishly that thing which may profete many who is that will not be glad to heare and beleue the doctrine of godly Latymer whom God hathe appoynted a prophet vnto our most noble Kynge and vnto our Realme of England to declare the message of the lyuing god to 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 oute all sinnes and vice to plant and graffe in mens hartes the plenteousnes of all spirituall blessynges in Iesus Chryste oure Lorde Moyses Ieremias Helias did neuer declare the true message of God vnto theyr rulers and people with a more sincere spirite faythfull minde aud godly zeale then godly Latimer dothe now in our dayes vnto our moste noble Kynge and 〈◊〉 the whole realme Furthermore also Iosia receyued neuer the boke of Gods will at the handes of Helkia the hye priest or the admonicion of Hulda that prophetesse with a more perfect and godly feare then oure most noble Kynge doth most faithfully geue credite vnto the wordes of good fa ther Latimer And I haue no doubt but all godly men will lykewise receyue gladly his godly Sermons and geue credit vnto the same Therfore this my rude laboure of another mans swete most vertuous ladye I offer most humbly vnto your grace moued there vnto of godly zeale thorough the godly fame that is disperst vniuersally of youre most Godly disposicion and vnfained loue towardes the lyuyng almightye eternall God and his holy worde practysed dayly bothe in your graces most vertuous behauour and also godly charitie towards the edificatiō of euery mēbre graffed in Chryst Iesu most humbly desyring your grace to accept fauourably thys my temerous enterpryse And I your most humble and faythfull Oratour shall praye vnto Iehouah the God whiche is of hymself by whom and in whom all thynges lyue moue and be that that good work which he hath begonne in you he may perform it vnto your last endyng through our Lord Iesu Chiste who preserue and kepe your grace now euer So be it The argument of the fyrst Sermon IN this first Sermon is declared taught the godly
election of a king and a rule of godly liuing as touching his owne person 〈◊〉 here 〈◊〉 proueth our most excelēt king Edward to be our most lawfull king both by natiuitie and contrey yea now appointed in these our daies to deliuer vs from the daunger and captiuitie of Egipt and wicked Pharao that is from 〈◊〉 and ignorance and the deuelish antichrist the Pope of Rome The forme of his godlye rule also he deuided here in this Sermon in three partes Fyrst that he should not trust to muche vnto his owne strength and policye but only to walke 〈◊〉 with God and to make him his 〈◊〉 man chief guide Secondarily that he liue not lassiuiously and wantonly folowing veneriall affections but to lyue chastly And whē time shall require to lead a pure lyfe vnder the yoke of matrimony admonishing both his grace and al other Maiestrates to be circumspect in chosyng a wyfe eyther for themselues or for their children hauing this alwaies in mind that she be of a faithful house godly brought vp and of a pure lyfe Thirdly he admonished the kinges grace that he should not desyre gold syluer to muche prouing by many argumentes that that kinde of vice with the other forsaid to be destruction not only vnto the kinges grace but also vnto the whole realme people In these thinges consisteth the whole sum of this sermon QVecunque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scrip ta sunt What so euer thinges are written a fore time are written for our learning that we through pacience and comforte of scripture might haue hope In taking this parte of scripture most noble audience I play as a trowant which when he is at schole will chose a lesson wherein he is perfight because he is loth to take payne in studieng a new lesson or els feareth stripes for his slothful nes In like maner I mighte seme nowe in my olde age to some men to take this part of scripture because I woulde wade easily away therwith and driue mi matter at my ple sure and to be bound vnto a certayne theame But ye shall consider that the foresayd words of Paul are not to be vnderstand of al scripturs but only of those which are of god written in gods boke and all thinges which are therin are written for our learning The excellency of this worde is so great of so hye dignity that ther is no earthly thinge to be compared vnto it The author therof is great that is God himself eternal almighty euerlasting The scripture because of him is also great eternall most mighty and ho ly There is no king Emperour Maiestrate and ruler of what state so euer they be but are bound to obey this God and to geue credence vnto his holy word in directing their steppes ordinatly accordinge vnto the same word yea tru ly they are not only bound to obey gods boke but also the minister of the same for the wordes sake so farre as he spe keth sitting in Moses chayre that is if his doctrine be takē out of Moses law For in this world god hath 〈◊〉 swerdes the one is a temporall swerde the other a spirituall The temporall swerd resteth in the hands of kings maiestrats and rulers vnder him whereunto all subiects as well the clergy as the layty be subiect and punisheable for any offence contrary to the same booke The spirituall swerd is in the hands of the ministers preachers whervnto all kinges maiestrates rulers ought to be obedient that is to heare and folowe so longe as the ministers sit in christes chayre that is speaking out of chri stes boke The king correcteth transgressors with the temporall 〈◊〉 yea and the preacher also if he be an offender But the preacher can not correct the king if he be a transgressor of gods word with the temporall swerde But he must cor rect and reproue him with the spirituall swerd fearing no man setting god only before his eyes vnder whome he is a minister to supplant and roote vp all vice and mischief by gods word whervnto all men ought to be obedient as is mencioned in many places of scripture and amonges many this is one Quoecunque iusserint 〈◊〉 seruare seruate et 〈◊〉 te What so euer they bid you obserue that obserue do Ther fore let that preacher teach improue amēd instruct in right wisenes with the spirituall sword fering no man though death should insue Thus Moyses fering no man with this swerddid reproue king 〈◊〉 at gods commaundemēt Micheas the prophet also did not spare to blame kinge Achab for his wickednes according to Gods will and to prophery of his distruction contrary vnto many false prophets These foresaid kinges being admonished by the ministers of gods worde because they would not folow their godly doctrine and correct theyr liues came vnto btter des truction Pharao geuing no credit vnto Moyses the prophet of God but appliant vnto the lustes of his own hert what time he hard of the passage of gods people hauinge no feare or 〈◊〉 of gods worke he did prosecute after entending to destroy them and was drowned in the red sea king Ahab also because he would not herken vnto Micheas was kild with an arrow Likewise also the house of Ieroboan with other many came vnto destruction because he would not heare the ministers of gods worde and correct hys life according vnto his wyll and pleasure Let the precher therfore neuer feare to declare the 〈◊〉 of god vnto all men And if the 〈◊〉 wil not hear 〈◊〉 then the preachers may admonish and 〈◊〉 them wyth their dewties and so leaue them vnto god and praye for them But if the preachers digresse out of Christes chaire and shall speake their owne phantasies then in steade of Quoe eúnqúe iusserint vos facere facite seruate What soeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do Change it into these wordes folowing Cauete vero vobis a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venunt ad vos c. Beware of false Prophets which come vnto you in shepes clothing but in wardly they are raue ning woulfes ye shal know them by their fruts yea chang Quoecunque iusserint if theire doctrine be euill into Cauete a fermento pharisoeorum c. That is Take heede and beware of the leauen of the Phariseis and of the Saduces In tea ching euil doctrine all preachers are to be eschewed and in no wise to be harkned vnto In speaking truth they are to be hard Al thinges written in gods booke are most certayne true and profitable for all men For in it is contayned mete matter for kinges princes Rulers bishops and for all states Wherfore it behoueth euery preacher some what to appoynt and accomodate him selfe and hys matter a greable vnto the comfort and amendment of the audience vnto the
now but a shepheard and his dog so they hinder the kynges honour most of all My Lordes and maysters I say also that al such procedings which are against the kinges honor as I haue a part declared before and as far as I can perceyue doo intend plainly to make the yomanry slauery and the clergy shauery For such workes are al singular priuate wealthe and commodity 〈◊〉 of the cleargye had to much but that is taken awaye and nowe we haue to litle But for myne owne part I haue no cause to complain for I thanke God and the kynge I haue suffycient and God is my iudge I came not to craue of any mā any thing but I know them that haue to litle There lieth a great matter by these appropriations great reformation is to be hadde in them I know wheris a great market town with diuers hamelets inhabitants wher do rise yerely of their labours to the va lue of l. pound and the vicar that serueth being so great a cure hathe but xii or xiiii markes by yeare so that of thys pensyon he is not able to bie him bokes nor geue his neigh bor drinke al the great gain goeth another way My father was a 〈◊〉 and had no landes of hys own only he had a farme of iii. or iiii pound by yere at the vttermooste and here vpon he tilled so much as kept halfe a dosen men He had walke for a hundred shepe and my mother milked xxx kyne He was able and did finde the kyng a harnesse with himselfe and his horse whyle he came to the place that he shoulde receiue the kynges wages I can remembre that I buckled hys harnesse when he wente vnto Blacke heathe felde He kept me to schole or els I hadde not bene able to haue preached before the kinges maiesty now He maryed my systers wyth v. pounde or xx nobles a piece so that he brought them vp in god linesse and fear of God He kepte hospitality for his pore neighboures And some almesse he gaue to the pore and al thys dyd he of the said farm Where he that now hath it payeth xvi pound by yere or more and is not able to do any thing for his prince for him selfe nor for his children or geue a cup of drink to the pore Thus al then hansyng rearing goth to your priuate commodity welth So that where ye had a single to much you haue that sins the same ye haue enhansed the rent so haue encresed an other to muche So nowe ye haue double to muche which is to to much But let the precher preach til his tōg be worn to that stomps nothing is amended We haue good statutes made for the common wealth as touching comme ners enclosers many metings and 〈◊〉 but in the 〈◊〉 of the matter there commeth nothing forthe Well well thys is one thing I wil say vnto you from whence it commeth I know euen from the deuil I know his 〈◊〉 in it For if ye bring it to passe that the yomanry be not able to put their sonnes to schole as in dede vniuersities do wonderously decay al redy and that they be not able to marrye theyr daughters to the auoidynge of whoredome I say ye plucke saluation from the people and vtterly destroye the realme For by yemans sonnes the faith of Christe is and hath bene maintayned 〈◊〉 Is this realme taughte 〈◊〉 rich mens sonnes No no read the chronicles ye shall finde somtime noble menues sonnes whych haue beue vnpreaching bishops and prelates but ye shal fynde none of them learned men But verily they that shoulde looke to the redresse of these thinges be the greatest againste them In thys realme are a great many of folkes and amongest many I knowe but one of tender zeale at the motyon of his pore tenauntes hath let down his landes to the old rentes for their relief For gods loue let not him be a Phenix let him not be alone let him not be an hermite closed in a wal some good man folow him and do as he geueth example Surueyers there be that gredely gorge vp their couetous goodes handmakers I meane honest men I touche not but al such as suruey they make vp their mouthes but the commens be vtterlye vndone by them Whose bitter crye ascending vp to the eares of the God of Sabaoth the gredy pit of hel burning fire without great repentance do ta ry and loke for them A redresse God graunt For furelye surely but that two thinges do comforte me I would despair of the redresse in these matters One is that the kings maiesty when he commeth to age wil se a redresse of these things so out of frame 〈◊〉 example by 〈◊〉 down his own lands first and then enioyn his fubiects to folow him The second hope I haue is I beleue that the generall accompting day is at hand the dreadful day of 〈◊〉 I mean which shal make an end of all these 〈◊〉 and miseries For as the scriptures be Cū dixerint pax pax whē they shal say peace peace Omnia tura all thynges are sure Then is the day at hand a mery day I say for al such as do in this world study to serue please God and continue in his faith fear loue and a dreadful horrible daye for them that decline from God walkinge in their owne wayes to whome as it is wrytten in the xxv of Mathew is said Ite maledicti in ignem eternum Go ye cursed into eueriasting pu nyshment Wher shal be wailinge and gnashing of teethe But vnto thother he shal say Venite benedicti Come ye bles sed children of my Father possesse ye the kingdome prepared for you from the beginnyng of the world of the which God make vs al partakers Amen ¶ 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 to 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 or Leuites He shall haue 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
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 the 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 haue 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 euery 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 Cardinall at Calice and thyther the byshop of Rome sent him a cardinals hat He should haue 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 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 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 haue 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 guiding of your kingdom and people let vs alone with it These flattering clawbacks ar original rotes of all mischief and yet a Kinge may take his pastime in hauking or 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 vsed 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 haue him well brought vp instructed yea forsoth For if the king be well ordered the realme is well ordered Where shall he haue 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 haue among vs it 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 haue 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 Lordes 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 in 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 full ill yet would they haue ordered them For seyng that hauing it they haue deceyued vs in what case should we haue 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 haue it with him in his progresse he must haue a man to carye it 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 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
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 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 neyther 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 vpon you still euen as longe as I liue I will do it in dede but I haue 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 〈◊〉 and 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 ¶ The thyrde Sermon of Maister Hughe Latymer whyche he preached before the kynge wythin hys graces Palayce at Westminster the xxii daye of Marche QVecunque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt All thynges that are wrytten are wrytten to be our doctrine All thynges that be wrytten in goddes 〈◊〉 booke the byble were wrytten to be oure doctrin long before our time to serue from tyme to time and so forth to the worldes end Ye shall haue in remembraunce most benigne and gracious audience that a preacher hathe two offices and the one to be used orderly after an other The 〈◊〉 is Exhortari 〈◊〉 sanam doctrinam To teache true doctryne He shall haue also occasyon oftentymes to vse an other and that is Contradicentes conuincere To reprehend to conuince to confute gainsayers and spur ners against the truth Why you wil saye wil anye bodye gaine say true doctrine and sound doctrine Wel let a pre cher be sure that his doctrine be true and it is not to be thought that any body wil gain say it If S. Paul had not forsene that there shuld be gainsayers he had not neade to haue appoynted the confutation of gaine sayinge Was ther euer yet prechers but ther wer gainsayers that spur ned that winst that whimpered against him that blasphemed that gaynesayed it When Moses came to Egipte with sound doctrin he had Pharao to gaine saye him Ieremye was the minyster of the true word of God he had gainsayers the priestes and the false Prophets Ely had al 〈◊〉 priestes supported by Iesabel to speake against him Ihon Baptist and our sauiour Iesus Christe had the Phariseis the Scribes and the priestes gain sayers to them The Apostles had gain sayers also for it was said to S. Paul at Rome Notum est nobis quod vbique 〈◊〉 huic contradicitur We know that euery man doth gaine say this learnynge After the Apostles time the truthe was gaine sayed wyth tyrauntes as Nero. Maxentius Domicianus and suche like and also by the doctrine of wicked heretikes In the po pyshe masse tyme there was no gayn sayinge all thynges seemed to be in peace in a concorde in a quyet agremente So longe as we had in adoration in admiratyon the Popyshe masse we were then wythoute gaynsayinge What was that The same that Christe speaketh of Cum fortis armatus custodieritatrium c. When Sathan the Deuyll hathe the guidinge of the house he kepeth al in peace that is in hys possessyon whan Sathan ruleth and beareth dominion in open religyon as he did wyth vs when we prea ched pardon matters purgatory matters and pilgrimage matters all was quiet He is ware inough he is wilye and circumspect for stirring vp any sedition When he keepeth his territory all is in peace If there were any man that preached in England in times past in the popes times as peraduenture there was ii or iii strayght waies he was takē and niped in the head with the title of an heretique When he hath the religion in pos session he sturreth vp no sedicyon I warrant you How many discentions haue we hard of in Turky But a few I warrant you He busyeth hym selfe there with no discention For he hath there dominion in the open Relygion and neadeth not to trouble him selfe any further The Jewes lyke ronnagates where so euer they dwell for they be disperst and be tributaryes in all contreyes where they enhabite loke wheather ye heare of any heresyes among them But when fortis superuenerit when one stronger then the Deuill cometh in place which is oure Sauyour Iesus Chryst and reueleth his word then the deuil roa reth then he bestirreth him then he rayseth diuersitie of opinions to sclaunder gods word And if euer cōcord should haue ben in religion When should it haue ben but when 〈◊〉 was here ye find fault with preachers say they cause sedition We are noted to be rash vndiscret in oure preaching Yet as discrete as Christ was there was diuersitie yea what he was himself For when he asked what men called him His Apostles answered him Some saye you are John Baptist som say you are Helias and some saye you are one of the prophets and these were they that spake best of him For some sayde he was a Samaritane that he had a deuyll within him a glosser a drincker a 〈◊〉 companion There was neuer Prophet to be compared to him and yet was there neuer more dissention then when he was and preached him self If it were contraryed then
good hope of better We haue had a good beginning I beseche God to continue it But I tell you it is farre wyde that the people haue suche iudgementes the Byshoppes they coulde laughe at it What was that to them they would haue them continue in theyr ignoraunce styll and themselues in vnpreaching prelacy Well sytting sytting He sate doune and taught The texte dothe tell vs that he taught but it doth not tel vs what he taught If I were a Papist I coulde tell what he sayde I woulde in the Popes iudgemente shewe what he taughte For the Bishoppe of Rome hathe in serinio pectoris sui the true vnderstandyng of scriptures yf he call a counsayle the colledge of Cardinals he hath authority to determine the Supper of the Lorde as he dyd at the counsaile of Florence And Pope Nicolas and Bishoppe Lanfranke shall come and exponud this place and say that our Sauiour Christ said thus Peter I do meane this by sytting in thy boate that thou shalt go to Rome and be Byshoppe there syue and twenty yeres after myne ascension And all thy successours shal be rulers of the vniuersal churche after thee Here woulde 〈◊〉 also holye water and holy breade and all vnwritten verities if I were a papist and that Scripture is not to be expounded by anye priuate interpretation but by our holy father and hys Colledge of Cardinalles This is a great deale better place then duc in alcum But what was Christes sermon it may soone be gathered what it was He is alwayes lyke hymselfe Hys fyrst sermon was poenitentiam agite Do penaunce your lyuyng is naughte repente Agayne at Nazareth when he red in the temple and preached remission of synnes and healyng of wounded consciences and in the longe Sermon in the mounte he was alwayes lyke himselfe he neuer dissented from himselfe O there is a writer hath a iolie texte here and his name is Dyonisius I chaunced to meete wyth hys booke in my Lorde of Caunterburies librarye he was a Monke of the Charterhouse I meruayle to fynd such a sentence in that authour What taughte Christ in this sermon Mary sayeth he it is not written And he addeth more vnto it EuaÌ„gelistae tantum scripserunt de sermonibus miraculis Christi quantum cognouerunt inspirante deo sufficere ad aedificationem 〈◊〉 ad confirmationem fidei ad salutem animarum It is true it is not written All his miracles wer not written so neither were al his sermons writen yet for al that the Euangelistes dyd wryte so much as was necessary They wrote so much of the myracles and Sermons of Christ as they knewe by gods inspiration to be sufficient for the edifying of the churche the confirmation of oure faithe and the health of our soules If this be true as it is in dede wher 〈◊〉 vnwritten verities I meruayle not at the sentence but to fynde it in such an authour Iesus what authoritye he gyues to goddes woorde But God woulde that suche menne should be wytnesse with the auctority of his booke wyl they nyll they Now to draw towardes an ende It foloweth in the texte duc in altum Here commeth in the supremacye of the Bishop of Rome When our Sauiour Christ had made an ende of his Sermon and had fed their soules he prouided for theyr bodies Fyrst he beganne with the soule Christes worde is the foode of it Now he goeth to the bodye he hathe charge of them both we must commit the fedyng of the bodye and of the soule to him Wel he saith to Peter duc in al tum Launche into the depth put forth thy boate farther into the depe of the water Lose your nettes nowe fyshe As who should say your soules are now fedde I haue taughte you my doctrine now I wyl confirme it with a myracle Lo sir here is 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 here Peter was made a great man say the Papystes and all his successours after hym And thys is deriued of these few wordes Launche into the depe And their argumente is this he spake to Peter only and he spake to hym in the synguler number ergo he gaue him such a pre eminence aboue the rest A goodly argument I wene it be a sillogismus in queÌ„ terra pontus I wil make a like argumeÌ„t Our Sauiour Christ said to Iudas when he was about to betray him quod facis fac citiê° Now wheÌ„ he spake to Peter there were none of his disciples by 〈◊〉 James Iohn but when he spake to Iudas they were all present Wel he said vnto him quodfacis sac citius Spede thy busines that thou hast in thy head do it He gaue him here a secret monition that he knew what he inteÌ„ded if Iudas had had grace to haue ta ken it and repented He spake in the singuler number to him ergo he gaue him som preeminence Belike he made him a Cardinal and it mighte full well be for they haue followed Iudas euer 〈◊〉 Here is as good a ground for the Colledge of Cardinals as the other is for that supremicie of that Bishop of Rome Our Sauiour Christ say they spake onely to Peter for preeminence because he was chief of the Apostelles and you can shew none other cause ergo this is the cause why he spake to him in the synguler number I dare saye there is 〈◊〉 uer a 〈◊〉 at Westminster brydge but he can answer to this geue a naturall reason of it He knoweth that one man is able to shoue the boate but one man was not able to cast out the nets and therefore he said in the plural number laxate retia Lose your nettes and he saide in the synguler number to Peter launch out the bote why because he was able to do it But he spake the other in the plurall number because he was not able to conuey the boate and cast out the nettes to One man could not do it This would the whirry man say and that with better reason then to make such a mi stery of it as no man can spie but they And the cause why he spake to al was to shew that he wil haue al christeÌ„ meÌ„ to work for their liuing It is he that sendes soodeboth for the body and soule but he wyll not sende it without labour He wil haue all christen people to labour for it he wyll vse our labour as a meane wherby he sendeth 〈◊〉 foode This was a wonderous myracle of our Sauior Christ and did it not only to al lure them to his 〈◊〉 but also for our commoditie It was a seale a seale to seale his doctryne wythall 〈◊〉 we ye knowe that suche as be kepers of seales as my Lorde Chan cellour and suche other what so euer they hee they do not always seale they haue a sealinge time For I haue hearde poore men complayne that they haue bens put of from tyme to tyme of