in Preaching and Studying and not be interrupted from their Charge Also it is the Kings Honour Part of the Second Sermon preached by Mr. Latymer before King Edward And when the King is set in the Seat of his Kingdom he shall write him out a Book Deut. 17. I Told you in my last Sermon of Ministers of the Kings people had occasion to shew you how few Noblemen were good Preachers I left out an History then which now I will tell you There was a Bishop of Winchester in King Henry the Sixth's daies This Bishop was a Great man born and did bear such a stroak he was able to shoulder the Lord Protector it chanced the Lord Protector and he fell out and the Bishop would bear nothing at all with him but played me the Satrapa so Was not this a good Prelate He should have been at home preaching in his Diocess with a Wanniaunt This Protector was so Noble a Godly man that he was called of every man the good Duke Humphrey He kept such a House And the Bishop for standing so stiffly by the matter and bearing up the Order of our Mother the Holy Church was made a Cardinal at Calice and thither the Bishop of Rome sent him a Cardinals Hat He should have had a Tyburne-Tippet a half peny Halter and all such proud Prelates When he sitteth upon the Throne what shall he do Shall he dance and dally banquet havvk and hunt No forsooth Sir What must he do then He must be a Student not thinking because he is a King he hath License to do vvhat he vvill as these vvorldly Flatterers are vvont to say ye trouble not your self Sir ye may havvk and hunt and take your pleasure as for the guiding of your Kingdom and People let us alone vvith it These flattering Clavv-backs are Original Roots of all Mischief and yet a King may take his Pastime in Havvking and Hunting or such like Pleasures but he must It follovveth in the Text Deut. 17. 19. He shall have it with him in his Progresse He shall read in it not once a year but all the daies of his life Where are these Worldlings novv these Bladder-puft-up vvily men Wo vvorth them that ever they vvere about any King But hovv shall he read this Book As the Homilies are read Some call them Homilies and indeed so they may be vvell called for they are homely handled For though the Priest read them never so vvell yet if the Parish like them not there is such talking and babling that nothing can be heard And if the Parish be good and the Priest naught he vvill so hack and chop it that it vvere as good to be vvithout it for any vvord that shall be understood And yet the more pity it is suffered of your Graces Bishops in their Diocess unpunished But I vvill be a Suitor to your Grace that you vvill give your Bishops charge ere they go home upon their Allegiance to look better to their Flock and to see your Majesties Injunctions better kept and send your Visitors in their Tayls and if they be found negligent in their duties out vvith them I require it in Gods behalf make them Quondams all the Pack of them But ye vvill say Where shall vve have any to put in their rooms Your Majesty hath divers of your Chaplains well learned men and of good knowlede and yet ye have some bad enough hangers on the Court I mean not these What an Enormity is this in a Christian Realm to serve in a Civility having the profit of a Provostship and a Deanry and a Parsonage But I will tell you what is like to come of it It will bring the Clergy shortly into a very Slavery I may not forget here my Scala Caeli that I spake of in my last Sermon I will repeat it now again desiring your Grace in Gods behalf that you will remember it The Bishop of Rome had a Scala coeli but his was a Masse-matter But this Scala Coeli that I now speak of is the true Ladder that bringeth a man to heaven The top of the Ladder or first Greese is this Whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved The second step How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed The Third Stair is this How shall they believe in him of whom they never heard The Fourth Step How shall they hear without a Preacher Now the nether end of the Ladder is How shall they preach except they be sent This is the Foot of the Ladder So that we may go backward now and use the School-Argument a primo ad ultimum Take away Preaching take away Salvation But I fear one thing Ever since the Bishop of Rome was first in authority they have gone about to destroy the Gospel but God worketh wonderfully he hath preserved it maugre all their hearts and yet we are unthankful that we cannot consider it I will tell you what a Bishop of this Realm said once to me he sent for me and marvelled that I would not consent to such Traditions as were then set out And I answered him that I would be ruled by Gods Book and rather than I would dissent one jot from it I would be torn with wild horses And I chanced in our Communication to name the Lords Supper Tush saith the Bishop What do you call the Lords Supper What new Term is that There stood by him a Dubber one Doctor Dubber he dubbed him by and by and said that this Term was seldom read in the Doctors And I made Answer that I would rather follow Paul in using his Terms than them though they had all the Doctors on their side Why said the Bishop cannot we without the Scriptures order the people How did they before the Scripture was first written But God knoweth full ill yet would they have ordered them For seeing that having it they have deceived us in what case should we have been novv vvithout it But thanks be unto God that by so vvonderful a Miracle he hath preserved the Book still It is in the Text that a King ought to fear God he shall have the dread of God before his eyes Work not by vvorldly Policy for vvorldly Policy feareth not God Take heed of these Clavv-backs these venomous people that vvill come to you that vvill follovv you like Gnato's Parasites if you follovv them you are out of your Book if it be not according to Gods Word that they counsel you do it not foâ— any vvorldly Policy for then you fear not God But vvherefore shall a King fear God It follovveth in the Text that he may prolong his daies in his Kingdom Remember this I beseech your Grace and when these Flatterers and Flebergibs another day shall come and claw you by the back and say Sir trouble not your self What shall you study Why should you do this or that Your Grace
Page Comptroller of the Mint Make a mean Gentleman a Groom a Yeoman make a poor begger Lord President Thus I speak not that I would have it so but to your shame if there be never a Gentleman meet nor able to be Lord President For why are not the Noblemen and Young Gentlemen of England so brought up in knowledge of God and in learning that they may be able to execute Offices in the Common-weal The King hath a great many of Wards and I trow there is a Court of Wards why is not there a School of Wards as well as there is a Court for their Lands why are they not set in Schools where they may learn or why are not they sent to the Universities that they may be able to serve the King when they come to age If the Wards and Young Gentlemen were well brought up in learning and in the knowledge of God they would not when they come to age so much give themselves to other vanities And if the Nobility were well trained in Godly learning the people would follow the same train For truly such as the Noblemen be such will the people be and now the only cause why Noblemen be not made Lord Presidents is because they have not been brought up in learning Therefore for the love of God appoint Teachers and School-masters you that have charge of Youth and give the Teachers Stipends worthy their pains that they may bring them up in Grammer in Logick in Rhetorick in Philosophy in the civil Law and in that which I cannot leave unspoken of the Word of God It is as unmeet a thing for Bishops to be Lord Presidents or Priests to be Minters as it was for the Corinthians to plead Matters of Variance before Heathen Judges It is also a slander to the Noblemen as though they lacked wisdome and learning to be able for such Offices or else were no men of conscience and not meet to be trusted A Prelate hath a charge and cure otherwise and therefore he cannot discharge his duty and be a Lord President too for a Presidentship requireth a whole man and a Bishop cannot be two men A Bishop hath his Office a flock to teach to look unto and therefore he cannot meddle with another Office which alone requireth a whole man He should therefore give it over to whom it is meet and labour in his own business as Paul writeth to the Thessalonians Let every man do his own business and follow his calling Let the Priest preach and the Nobleman handle the temporal matters Moses a marvellous man a good man Moses was a wonderful fellow and did his duty being a married man we lack such as Moses was VVell I would all men would look to their duty as God hath called them and then we should have a flourishing Christian Common-weal And now I would ask a strange question who is the most diligent Bishop and Prelate in all England that passeth all the rest in doing his Office I can tell for I know him who it is I know him well But now I think I see you listning hearkning that I should name him There is one that passeth all the other and is the most diligent Prelate and Preacher in all England And will ye know who it is I will tell you it is the Devil He is the most diligent Preacher of all other he 's never out of his Diocess he is never from his Cure you shall never find him unoccupied he is ever in his Parish he keepeth residence at all times ye shall never find him out of the way call for him when you will he is ever at home the diligentest Preacher in all the Realm he is ever at his Plow no Lording nor Loytering can hinder him he is ever applying his business you shall never find him idle I warrant you And his Office is to hinder Religion to maintain Superstition to set up Idolatry to teach all kind of Popery He is ready as can be wished for to set forth his Plow to devise as many ways as can be to deface and obscure Gods Glory Where the Devil is resident and hath his Plow going there away with Books and up with Candles away with Bibles and up with Beads away with the Light of the Gospel and up with the Light of Candles yea at Noon-daies Where the Devil is resident that he may prevail up with all Superstition and Idolatry Censing Painting of Images Candles Palms Ashes Holy water and new Service of mens devising as though men could invent a better way to honour God with than God himself hath appointed Down with Christ's Cross up with Purgatory Pick-Purse up with him the Popish Purgatory I mean Away with Cloathing the Naked the Poor and Impotent up with decking of Images and gay garnishing of stocks and stones Up with mans Traditions and his Laws down with Gods Traditions and his most holy Word Down with the old Honour due to God and up with the new gods honour But here some men will say to me What Sir are ye so privy of the Devils Counsel that ye know all this to be true Truly I know him too well and have obeyed him a little too much in condescending to some Follies And I know that he is ever occupied and ever busie in following his Plow I know by St Peter which saith of him Sicut Leo rugiens circuit quaerens quâ—m devoret He goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour I would have this Text well viewed There was never such a Preacher in England as he is Who is able to tell his diligent Preaching who every day and every hour laboureth to sow Cockle and Darnel that he may bring out of form and out of estimation and room the Institution of the Lords Supper and Christ's Cross. The Devil by the help of that Italian Bishop yonder his Chaplain hath laboured by all means that he might to frustrate the Death of Christ and the Merits of his Passion And they have devised for that purpose to make us believe in other vain things as to have Remission of sins for praying on Hallowed Beads for drinking of the Backhouse Bole as a Canon of Walton Abbey once told me that whensoever they put their Loave of Bread into the Oven as many as drank of the Pardon-Bole should have pardon for drinking of it A mad thing to give pardon to a Bole Wo worth thee O Devil wo worth thee that hast prevail'd so far and so long that hast made England to worship false gods forsaking Christ their Lord wo worth thee Devil wo worth thee Devil and all thy Angels When the Kings Majesty with the Advice of His Honourable Council goeth about to promote Gods Word and to set an Order in matters of Religion there shall not lack Blanchers that will say as for Images whereas they have been used to be Censed and to have Candles offered
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
these Words ye shall understand that I do not intend to speak against the strength policy and provision of a King but against excess and vain trust that Kings have in themselves more then in the living God the Author of all goodness and Giver of all Victory Many Horses are requisite for a King but he may not exceed in them nor triumph in them more then is needful for the necessary affairs and defence of the Realm What meaneth it that God hath to do with the Kings Stable but only he would be Master of his Horses The Scripture saith In altis habitat he dwelleth on high it followeth Humilia respicit he looketh on the low things yea upon the Kings Stables and upon all the Offices in his House God is a great Grand Master of the Kings house and will take account of every one that beareth rule therein for the executing of their Offices whether they have justly and truly served the King in their Offices or no. Yea God looketh upon the King Himself if he work well or not Every King is subject unto God and all other men are subjects unto the King In a King God requireth faith not excess of Horses Horses for a King be good and necessary if they be well used but Neither shall he multiply wives c. Let us not think that because we read that Kings among the Jews had liberty to take more wives than one that we may therefore attempt to walk inordinately For Christ hath forbidden this unto us Christians and limiteth unto us one wife only And it is a great thing for a man to rule one wife rightly and ordinately for a Woman is frail and proclive unto all evils a Woman is a very weak Vessel and may soon deceive a man and bring him into evil Many Examples we have in Scripture Adam by Eve How did wicked Jezebel Therefore let our King what time his Grace shall be so minded to take a wife chuse him one which is of God that is which is of the Houshould of faith And that shee be such a one as the King can find in his Heart to love and lead his life in pure and chast Espousage and then shall he be the more prone and ready to advance Gods Glory and to punish and extirpe the great lechery used in this Realm Therefore we ought to make a continual Prayer unto God for to grant our Kings Grace such a Mate as may knit his heart and hers according to Gods Ordinance and Law and not to consider and cleave only to a politique matter or conjunction for the enlargeing of Dominions for surety and defence of Countries We have now a pretty little shilling indeed a very pretty one I have but one I think in my Purse and the last day I had put it away almost for an old Groat and so I trust some will take them the fineness of the Silver I cannot see but therein is printed a fine sentence that is Timor Domini fons sapientiae The fear of the Lord is the Fountain of wisdom I would to God this Sentence were printed in the heart of the King in choosing his Wife and all his Officers For as the fear of God is fons sapientiae so the forgetting of God is 〈◊〉 stultitiae the fountain of foolishness though it be never so politique Let the King therefore chuse unto him a Godly wife whereby he shall the better live chast and in so living all Godliness shall increase and righteousness be maintained Notwithstanding I know hereafter some will come and move your Grace toward wantonness and to the inclination of the flesh and vain Affections But I would your Grace would bear in memory and History of a good King called Lewis that travelled towards the Holy Land which was a great matter in those dayes and by the way sickned being long absent from his Wife and upon this matter the Physitians did agree that it was for lack of a Woman and did consult with the Bishops therein who did conclude that because of the Distance from his Wife being in another Country he should take a Wench This good King hearing their Conclusion would not assent thereunto but said he had rather be sick even unto death than he would break his Espousals Wo worth such Counsellors Bishops nay rather Buzzards Nevertheless if the King should have consented to their Conclusion and accomplished the same if he had chanced well they would have excused the matter as I have heard one being reproacht for such Counsel given he excused the matter saying that he gave him none other Counsel but if it had been his case he would have done likewise so I think the Bishops would have excused the matter if the King should have reproved them for their Counsel I do not read the King did so but if he had I know what would have been their Answer they would have said We give you no worse counsel than we would have followed our selves if we had been in like case Well Sir this King did well and had the fear of God before his eyes Let the King therefore chuse a Wife which feareth God let him not seek a proud Wanton one full of rich Treasures and worldy Pomp. Neither shall he multiply to himself too much silver and Gold c. He shall not multiply unto himself too much Gold and Silver Is there too much think you for a King God doth allow much unto a King and it is expedient that he should have much for he hath great expences Necessary it is that the King have a Treasure alwaies in readiness for such affairs as be daily in his hands The which Treasure if it be not sufficient he may lawfully and with a safe Conscience take Taxes of his Subjects for it were not meet But who shall see this too much or tell the King of this too much Think you any of the Kings Privy Chamber No. For fear of loss of Favour Shall any of his Sworn Chaplains No. They be of his Closet and keep close such matters But the King himself must see this too much and that he shall do by no means with Corporal eyes Wherefore he must have a pair of Spectacles which shall have two clear Sights in them that is the one is Faith the other is Charity By them two must the King ever see when he hath too much I will tell you my Lords and Masters this is not for the Kings Honour Yet some will say Knowest thou what is for the Kings Honour better than we I answer the Kings Honour is most perfectly painted forth in Scripture of which if ye be ignorant for lack of time that ye cannot read it though your Counsel be never so politick yet it is not for the Kings Honour What his Honour meaneth ye cantot tell It is the Kings Honour that his Subjects be led in the true Religion That all his Prelates and Clergy be set about their work
may answer them thus and say What Sirra I perceive you are a weary of Us and our Posterity Doth not God say in such a place that a King shall write out a Book of Gods Law and read it Learn to fear God And why That he and his might reign long I perceive now thou art a Traytor Tell him this Tale once and I warrant you he will come no more to you neither he nor any after such a sort And thus shall your Grace drive such Flatterers and Claw-backs away You have heard how a King ought to pass the time He may learn at Solomon What was Solomons Petition Lord said he Da mihi cor docile he asked a docible heart a wise heart and wisdom to go in and to go out So your Grace must learn how to do of Solomon You must make your Petition now study now pray Now when God had given Solomon wisdom he sent him by and by occasion to occupy his Wit For God never gave a Gift but he sent occasion at one time or other to shew it to Gods Glory As if he send Riches he sendeth poor men to be helped with them One Word note here for Gods sake and I will trouble you no longer Would Solomon being so Noble a King hear two poor women They were poor for as the Scripture saith they were together alone in a House they had not so much as one servant betwixt them both Would King Solomon I say hear them in his own person Yea forsooth And yet I hear of many matters before my Lord Protector and my Lord Chancellor that cannot be heard I must desire my Lord Protectors Grace to hear me in this matter That your Grace would hear poor mens Suites your self Put them to none other to hear let them not be delayed The Saying is now that Money is heard every where if he be rich he shall soon have an end of his Matter Hear mens Suites your self I require you in Gods behalf put it not to the hearing of these Velvet-Coats these Up-skips I cannot go to my Book for poor Folkes come to me desiring me I walk somtimes in my Lord of Canterburies Garden looking in my Book as I can do but little good at it but somthing I must do to satisfie this place I am no sooner in the Garden anon my man cometh and saith Sir there is one at the Gate would speak with you When I come there then it is some one or other that desireth me that I would speak his matter may be heard that he hath lien thus long A Gentlewoman came to me There is a poor VVoman that lyeth in the Fleet. I beseech your Grace that you will look to these Matters hear them your self view your Judges and hear poor mens Causes And you proud Iudges hearken what God saith in his Holy Book Audite illos ita parvum ut magnum Hear them saith He the small aswell as the great the poor aswell as the rich Regard no person fear no man why Quia Domini judicium est the judgment is Gods Mark this saying thou proud Iudge The Devil will bring this Sentence at the day of doom Hell will be full of these Iudges If they repent not and amend They are worse then the wicked Iudge that Christ speaketh of that neither feared God nor the world Our Iudges are worse then this Iudge was for they will neither hear Men for Gods sake nor fear of the world nor importunateness nor any thing else Yea some of them will command them to ward if they be importunate I heard say that when a Suitour came to one of them he said what fellow is this that giveth these folk counsel to be so importunate he would be punished and committed to ward Marry Sir punish me then it is even I that gave them counsel I would gladly be punisht in such a cause And if ye amend not I will cause them to cry out upon you still even as long as I live I will do it indeed But I have troubled you long Beati qui audiunt c. Part of the Third Sermon of Mr. Hugh Latimer preached before King Edward A Preacher hath two Offices 1 To Teach true Doctrine 2 To confute Gainsayers VVhy you will say will any body gainsay true Doctrine VVas there ever yet Preachers but there were Gainsayers Ieremy was the Minister of the true VVord of God Elias had Baals Priests supported by Iezebel to speak against him Iohn Baptist and our Saviour Christ. The Apostles had Gainsayers Acts 28. 22. This Sect is every where spoken against In the Popish Masse time there was no gainsaying So long as we had in adoration the Popish Masse we were then without gainsaying VVhen Sathan the Devil hath the guiding of the House he keepeth all in peace VVhen he hath the Religion in possession he stirreth up no sedition I warrant you How many dissentions have we heard of in Turky look whether ye hear of any Heresies among the Jews And if ever concord should have been in Religion when should it have been but when Christ was here Ye find fault with Preachers and say they cause sedition VVe are noted to be rash and indiscreet in our preaching yet as discreet as Christ was there was diversity There was never Prophet to be compared to him and yet there was never more dissention then when he was and preached himself This day I must do somewhat in the second Office But first I will make a short rehearsall to put you in memory The peevish people in this Realm have nothing but the King the King in their mouths when it maketh for their purpose As there was a Doctor that preached the Kings Majesty hath his Holy water he creepeth to the Cross and then they have nothing but the King the King in their mouths These be they my good people that must have their mouths stopt but if a man tell them of the Kings proceedings now they have their shifts and their put ofts saying we may not go before a Law we may break no order These be the wicked Preachers their mouths must be stopt these be the gainsayers Now to my confutation There is a certain man that shortly after my first Sermon being ask't if he had been at the Sermon that day Answered yea I pray you said he how liked you him Marry said he as I liked him alwayes a seditious Fellow Oh Lord he pinched me there indeed nay he rather had a full bit at me Yet I comfort my self with that that Christ was noted to be a Stirrer up of the People It becometh me to take it in good part I am not better then He was In the Kings dayes that dead is a many of us were called together before him to say our minds in certain matters In the end one kneeled me down and accused me of sedition that I had preached seditious Doctrine A heavy salutation and a hard
THE Preaching BISHOP Reproving Unpreaching PRELATES Being A Brief but Faithful Collection or 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 the Clergy are most Plainly Piously and Pithily represented He that hateth Reproof is brutish Pro. 12. 1. LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Book-Sellers 1661. QUem dabis mihi de numero Praelatorum qui non plus invigilat Subditorum vacuandis Marsupiis quam Vitiis exterpandis O Utinam tam vigiles reperirentur ad curam quam alacres currunt ad Cathedram Barn Serm. 77. in Cant. To the Reverend FATHERS the BISHOPS OF ENGLAND My Lords THe Name of Bishop Latimer is of all good men had in great Veneration and therefore it is not to be doubted but your Lordships will afford him a Favourable Reception Where should the Labours of a Reformed Bishop and Martyr find a safer Patronage then under the wings of the Bishops of the Reformed Churches You succeed him in Place and Dignity tread also in the steps of his Zeal and Diligence The Tongues and Pens of men are very busie with you but be confident if you be clad with the Zeal of your Quondam Brother they will be as loath to part with you as they are now willing to be rid of you For who is he that will harm you if ye be Followers of that which is good Your Reverend Brother tels you in these Following Pages that though in the time of King Edward the Sixth much was done in the work of Reformation yet all was not done that was necessary The greater rubbish of Popery was thrown out but saith he the House is not clean swept yet The Broom is once more in your Lordships hands sweep clean we beseech you out with the dust of Ceremonies and Superstition as well as with the Garbidge and Filth of Idolatry Take not from a Thred to a Shoe-latchet lest Rome should say I have made England rich If Ornaments and Ceremonies though judged indifferent be so necessary can no other be pitcht upon then such as are found in the Idols Temple Why should the Spouse of Christ be arrayed in the Attire of an Harlot Your pious Brother pleads very heartily for the Ordinance of Preaching lifting it up above all other parts of Worship and tels you more then once Take away Preaching take away Salvation a Sentence most worthy the mouth of a Bishop and fit to be engraven on the doors of your Palaces and Porches of your Churches And your Lordships know what that Jewel of Bishops said Oportet Episcopum concionātem mori Oh imitate the zeal and Forwardness of your Famous Predecessors both in your Persons and Clergical Charge My Lords by a Series of merciful Providences we are brought under the Government of the best King in the world whom one of your Brethren not undeservedly stileth A Prince of the greatest suavity His Majesties Gracious Declaration for the ease of tender Consciences like a silken Thread hath tied a faster and closer knot of Love and Loyalty upon the hearts of his Subjects then all the Cords and Cables of your severest Canons had your Lordships seconded his Majesties Clemeney with a Profession of your future Moderation and Gentleness towards Ministers and People how well had it savoured My Lords Barnard gives you good Counsel in Serm. 23. super Cantica Audiant hoc Prelati qui sibi commissis semper volunt esse formidini utilitati raro Discite subditorum vos esse matres debere non dominos studete magis amari quam metui si severitate interdum opus sit paterna sit non tyrannica Matres fovendo Patres vos corripiendo exhibeatis Mansuescite ponite feritatem suspendite verbera producite Ubera pectora lacte pinguescant non Typho turgeant Quid jugum vestrum super eos aggravatis quorum potius onera portare debeatis You live my Lords in a discerning and jealous age you are like to find the good old Asse more skittish now then in former times Your Fathers made our yoke grievous let it be your Glory to make the heavy yoke they put upon us lighter and we will serve you Let not all the trouble seem little before your eyes that hath come upon us on our Kings on our Princes on our Parliaments on our Ministers on this Famous City and on all this People We cannot be deaf to those sad Complaints His Late Majesty our dear Sovereign hath left behind him of the Vulgars violence and tumults in the dawning of our late unhappy Differences Whence blew the wind that raised the noise and madness of those raging waves Came it not out of your Quarter Remember and forget not your caetera Oath Innovations in Worship corruption of your Courts Discipline the decay of the Soul-saving Ordinance of Preaching the swarming of scandalous and idle Clergy the steighting and silencing of pious and painful Ministers These my Lords with much more were those Vapours which being not purged out but by your countenance pent up in the Bowels of the Kingdom caused that hate overturning Earthquake After this Earthquake through the working of our good God a still small voice is heard a voice of peace from his Majesty speaking peace to all his people A Voice of Praise from his People rejoycing and blessing God for such a King Beware my Lords you step not back into your old Circle and conjure up again the dangerous spirit of this mobile Vulgus My Lords His Majesty hath bin twice crowned since his Happy Arrival once by the Commons of England with a Crown of Hearts and lately by the Nobles of England with a Crown of Gold It is much in your hands to continue and encrease the Glory of the first and best Crown The Management of that Indulgence His Majesty in His pious Declaration offers to His Subjects is like to be committed to your Care Be tender of His Majesties Honour before the People of which His Majesty is very tender Clip not His Royal Bounty Let Ministers and People under your Charge tast the Fruit of it in its greatest Latitude What if you decrease in some irregular excesse If His Majesty encrease His Dominion over the best part of His Subjects Possessions their hearts let it be no Grief of heart to you This you may observe in that which is here dedicated to your Honours was the genuine Temper and Bent of the Spirit and Labours of Your Reverend Brother Hugh Worcester Postscript LEst this Reverend Bishop should
well of you I would then speak well of you But London was never so ill as it is now In times past men were full of pity and compassion but now there is no pitty for in London their Brother shall die in the streets for cold he shall lie sick at the door between stock and stock I cannot tell what to call it and perish there for hunger was there any more unmercifulness in Nebo I think not In times past when any rich men died in London they were wont to help the poor Scholers of the Universities with exhibition When any man died they would bequeath great sums of money toward the relief of the poor When I was a Scholer in Cambridge my self I heard very good report of London and knew many that had relief of the rich men of London but now I can hear no such good report and yet inquire of it and hearken for it but now charity is waxen cold none helpeth the Scholer nor yet the poor And in those dayes what did they when they helped the Scholers Marry they maintained and gave them livings that were very Papists and professed the Popes Doctrine and now that the knowledge of Gods Word is brought to light and many earnestly study and labour to set it forth now almost no man helpeth to maintain them O London London repent repent for I think God is more displeased with London then ever he was with the City of Nebo Repent therefore repent London and remember that the same God liveth now that punished Nebo even the same God and none other and he will punish sin as well now as he did then and he will punish the iniquity of London as well as he did them of Nebo Amend therefore And ye that be Prelates look well to your Office for right prelating is buisy labouring and not lording Therefore preach and teach and let your Plough be going Ye Lords I say that live like Loiterers look well to your Office the Plough is your Office and Charge if you live idle and loiter you do not your duty you follow not your vocation let your Plough therefore be going and not cease that the ground may bring forth fruit But now me thinketh I hear one say unto me wot you what you say is it a work is it a labour how then hath it hapned that we have had so many hundred years so many unpreaching Prelates lording Loiterers and idle Ministers Ye would have me here to make answer and to shew the cause hereof Nay this Land is not for me to plough it is too stony too thorny too hard for me to plow They have so many things that make for them so many things to say for themselves that it is not for my weak team to plough them They have to say for themselves long customes ceremonies authority placing in Parliament and many things more And I fear me this Land is not yet ripe to be plowed For as the saying is it lacketh withering this Geare lacketh withering at leastwise it is not for me to plow For what shall I look for among Thorns but pricking and scratching what among Stones but stumbling what I had almost said among Serpents but stinging But thus much I dare say that since lording and loitering hath come up preaching hath come down contrary to the Apostles times for they preached and lorded not and now they lord and preach not For they that be Lords will not go to plough it is no meet office for them it is not seeming for their Estate Thus came up lording loiterers thus crept in un-preaching Prelates and so have they long continued for how many unlearned Prelates have we now at this day And no marvel for if the Ploughmen that now be were made Lords they would clean give over ploughing they would leave off their labour and fall to lording too outright and the Ploughstand And then both Ploughs not walking nothing should be in the common-weal but hunger For ever since the Prelates were made Lords and Nobles the Plough standeth there is no work done the people starve They hawk they hunt they card they dice they pastime in their Prelacies with gallant Gentlemen with their dancing minions and with their fresh Companions So that ploughing is set aside And by their lording and loitering preaching and ploughing is clean gone And thus if the Ploughmen in the Country were as negligent in their Office as Prelates be we should not long live for lack of sustenance But they that will be true Ploughmen must work faithfully for Gods-sake for the edifying of their Brethren And as diligently as the Husbandman ploweth for the sustentation of the body so diligently must the Prelates and Ministers labour for the feeding of the Soul Both the Ploughs must be still going as most necessary for man And wherefore are Magistrates ordain'd but that the tranquility of the Common-weal may be confirm'd limiting both Ploughs But now for the fault of unpreaching Prelates me-think I could guess what might be said for excusing of them They are so troubled with Lordly living they be so placed in Palaces couched in Courts ruffling in their rents dancing in their Dominions burdened with Ambassages pampring of their panches like a Monk that maketh his Jubilee mounching in their mangers and moiling in their gay Mannors and mansions and so troubled with loitering in their Lordships that they cannot attend it They are otherwise occupied some in Kings matters some are Ambassadours some of the privy Counsel some to furnish the Court some are Lords of the Parliament some are Presidents and Comptrollers of Mintes Well well Is this their duty Is this their Office Is this their calling should we have Ministers of the Church to be Comptrollers of the Mintes Is this a meet Office for a Priest that hath cure of Souls is this his charge I would here ask one question I would fain know who controlleth the Devil at home at his Parish while he comptrolleth the Mint If the Apostles might not leave the Office of preaching to be Deacons shall one leave it for minting In this behalf I must speak to England Hear my Country England as Paul said in his first Epistle to the Corinthians chapt 6. For Paul was no sitting Bishop but a walking and a preaching Bishop But when he went from them he left there behind him the Plough going still for he wrote unto them and rebuked them for going to Law and pleading their causes before Heathen Judges I speak saith he to your shame is there not a Wiseman c. So England I speak it to thy shame is there never a Noble man to be a Lord President but it must be a Prelate is there never a Wiseman in the Realm to be a Comptroller of the Mint I speak it to your shame I speak to your shame if there be never a Wiseman make a Water-bearer a Tinker a Cobler a Slave a
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
point of such a mans doing as if I should name him ye would not think it The King turned to me and said what say you to that Sir Then I kneeled down and turned me first to mine accuser and required him Sir what form of preaching would you appoint me to preach before a King would you have me to preach nothing as concerning a King in the Kings Sermon have you any Commission to appoint me what I shall preach Besides this I asked him divers other questions and he would make no answer Then I turned me to the King and submitted my self to his Grace and said I never thought my self worthy nor ever sued to be a Preacher before your Grace but I was called to it and would be willing if you mislike me to give place to my betters For I grant there be a great many more worthy of the Room then I am and if it be your Graces pleasure so to allow them for Preachers I could be content to bear their books after them But if your Grace allow me for a Preacher I would desire your Grace to give me leave to discharge my conscience Give me leave to frame my Doctrine according to my Audience I had been a very dolt to have preached so at the borders of your Realm as I preached before your Grace And I thank Almighty God which hath alwayes been my Remedy that my sayings were well accepted of the King for like a gracious Lord he turned into another communication it is even as the Scripture saith Cor Regis in manu Domini the Lord directeth the Kings 〈◊〉 Certain of my Friends came to me with tears in their Eyes and told me they looked I should have been in the Tower the same night Thus I have been ever more burdened with the word of sedition I have offended God grievously transgressing his Law and but for this remedy and his mercy I would not look to be saved As for sedition for ought that I know methinks I should not need Christ if I might say so But if I be clear in any thing I am clear in this so far as I know mine own heart there is no man farther from sedition then I which I have declared in all my doings and yet it hath been ever laid to me Another when I gave over mine Office I should have received a pentecostal it came to the summe of fifty and five pound I set my Commissary to gather it but he could not be suffer'd for it was said a sedition would rise upon it Thus they burdened me ever with sedition So this Gentleman cometh up now with sedition and wot ye what I chanced in my last Sermon to speak a merry word of the new shilling to refresh my Auditory how I was like to put away my new shilling for an old groat I was herein noted to speak seditiously When I was in trouble it was objected to me that I was singular that I took a way contrary to all Marry Sir this was sore thunderbolts I thought it was possible it might not be true he told me I have gotten one Fellow a Companion of sedition and wot you who is my Fellow Esai the Prophet I spake but of a little pretty shilling but he speaketh to Ierusalem after another sort Esai 1. 21 22 23. and was so bold to meddle with their coin Ah seditious wretch what had he to do with the mint Was not this a seditious Harlot to tell them this to their beards to their face I am content to bear the title of sedition with Esai Thanks be to God I am not alone In the latter end of my Sermon I rehearsed a parable of a wicked Judge Belike good Judges were rare at that time and trow ye the Devil hath been asleep ever since No no The common manner of wicked Judge is neither to fear God or Man He considereth what a man he is and therefore careth not for man He seemeth to be in a protection t well shall he escape Ho ho Est Deus in coelo There is a God in Heaven He accepteth no persons He will punish them Cambises was a great Emperour such another as our Master is It chanced he had under him in one of his Dominions a Briber a Gift-taker a Gratifier of rich men a Handmaker in his Office to make his Son a great man as the old saying is Happy is the Child whose Father goeth to the Devil the cry of the poor Widdow came to the Emperours ear which caused him to slay the Iudge quick and laid his skin in the Chair of judgment that all Iudges that should give judgment afterwards should sit in the same skin Surely it was a goodly Sign a goodly Monument the Sign of the Judges Skin I pray God we may once see the Sign of the Skin in England I do it charitably for the love I bear to my Country God saith Ego visitabo I will visit God hath two Visitations the first is when he revealed his Word by Preachers and where the first is accepted the second cometh not the second Visitation is Vengeance He went to Visitation when he brought the Judges skin over his ears Germany was visited twenty years with Gods Word but they did not earnestly embrace it and in life follow it but made a mingle mangle and a hotch potch of it I cannot tell what partly Popery partly true Religion mingled together They say in my Country when they call their Hogs to the Swine-trough come to thy mingle mangle compyr compyr even so they made mingle mangle of it they could clatter and prate of the Gospel but when all cometh to all they joyned Popery so with it that they marred all together We have now a first Visitation in England let us beware of a second We have the Ministration of his word we are yet well but the House is not clean swept yet God hath sent us a Noble King in this his Visitation let us beware let us not be unthankful and unkind let us beware of by-walking and contemning of Gods Word 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 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 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 Sâ—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 and saith he must be apt to teach VVhat shall a man do with Aptness 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 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 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 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 Part of the Fifth Sermon of Master Latimer Preached before King Edward 1 Sam. 8. 1. c. It came to passe when Samuel was old c. FAther Samuel a good man a singular Example and a singular pattern a man alone few such men as Father Samuel was He thought his Sons would have proved well But Samuels Sons walked not in his wayes VVhy is the Son alwayes bound to walk in the Fathers way no ye must not take it for a general rule all Sons are not to blamed for not walking in their Fathers wayes Hezekiah did not follow the steps of Ahaz and was well allowed Samuel would never have thought his
School to be Divines What an unreasonable devil is this he provides a great while before hand for the time that is to come He hath brought up now a most monstrous kind of covetousness that ever was heard of he hath invented a Fee-farming of Benefices and all to decay this Office of Preaching insomuch that when a man shall hereafter have a Benefice he may go where he will for any house he shall have to dwell upon or any Glebe-land to keep hospitality withall but he must take up a chamber in an Ale-house and there sit and play at Tables all day A goodly Curate He hath caused also Patrons to sell their Benefices Yea what doth he more He gets him to the University and causeth great men to send their sons thither and put out poor Schollers that should be Divines for their parents intend not they shall be Preachers but that they may have a shew of learning But it were too long to declare unto you what deceit and means the Devil hath found to decay the office of salvation It is in the Text he taught sitting Preachers be-like were sitters in those dayes as it is in another place they sit in Moses Chair I would our Preachers would Preach sitting or standing one way or other It was a goodly Pulpit that our Saviour Christ had gotten him here an old rotten Boat And yet he preached his Fathers will his Fathers message out of this Pulpit He cared not for the Pulpit so he might do the people good Indeed it is to be commended for the Preacher to stand or sit as the place is but I would not have it so superstitiously esteemed but that a good Preacher may declare the VVord of God sitting on a Horse or preaching in a Tree And yet and this should be done the unpreaching Prelates would laugh it to scorn And though it be good to have a Pulpit set up in the Churches that the people may resort thither yet I would not have it so superstitiously used but that in a prophane place the VVord of God may be preached sometimes To have Pulpits in Churches it is very well done to have them but they would be occupied for it is a vain thing to have them as they stand in many Churches I heard of a Bishop of England that went on visitation and as it was the custome when the Bishop should come and be rung into the Town the great Bells clapper was faln down the ty-all was broken so that the Bishop could not be rung into the Town There was a great matter made of this and the chief of the Parrish were much blamed for it in the visitation The Bishop was somewhat quick with them and signified that he was much offended They made their answers and excused themselves as well as they could it was a chance said they that the clapper brake and we could not get it mended by and by we must tarry till we can have it done it shall be mended as shortly as may be Among the other there was one wiser then the rest and he comes to the Bishop Why my Lord saith he doth your Lordship make so great a matter of the Bell that lacketh his clapper here is a Bell saith he pointing to the Pulpit that hath lacked a clapper this twenty years We have a Parson that fetcheth out of this benefice fifty pound every year but we never see him I warrant you the Bishop was an unpreaching Prelate he could find fault with a Bell that wanted a clapper to ring him into the Town but he could not find any fault with the Parson that preached not at his Benefice Ever this Office of preaching hath been least regarded it hath scant had the name of Gods service They must sing Salve festa dies about the Church that no man was the better for it but to shew their gay coats and garments I came once my self to a place riding on a journey homeward from London and I sent word overnight into the Town that I would preach there in the morning because it was Holy-day and me thought it was a Holy-dayes worke the Church stood in my way And I took my Horse and my Company and went thither I thought I should have found a great Company in the Church and when I came there the Church door was fast locked I tarried there half an hour and more at the last the Key was found and one of the Parish comes to me and sayes Sir this is a busie day with us we cannot hear you it is Robin-hoods day The Parish are gone abroad to gather for Robin-hood I pray you let them not I was fain there to give place to Robin-hood I thought my Rochet should have been regarded though I were not but it would not serve it was fain to give place to Robin-hoods men It is no laughing matter my friends it is a weeping matter a heavy matter a heavy matter under pretence of gathering for Robin Hood a Traytor and a Thief to put out a Preacher to have his Office less esteemed to prefer Robin Hood before the Ministration of Gods Word and all this hath come of Unpreaching Prelates This Realm hath been ill provided for rhat it hath had such corrupt Judgments in it to prefer Robin Hood to Gods Word If the Bishops had been Preachers there should never have been any such thing but we have a good hope of better We have had a good beginning I beseech God to continue it But I tell you it is far wide that the people have such judgments The Bishops they could laugh at it what was that to them they would have them to continue in ignorance still and themselves in unpreaching Prelacy Part of the Seventh Sermon preached by Mr. Latimer before King Edward MAny speak of Faith but few there be that have it This Faith is a great State a Lady a Duchess a great woman and she hath ever a great Company and Train about her as a Noble State ought to have First She hath a Gentleman Usher that goeth before her and where he is not there is not Lady Faith This Gentleman-Usher is called Agnitio Peccatorum knowledge of sin when we enter into our hearts knowledge our faults and stand not about to defend them He is none of these Winkers he kicks not when he hears his Fault Now as the Gentleman-Usher goeth before her so she hath a great Train behind her following after her the Fruits of good works the walking in the Commandments of God He that believeth will not be idle he will walk he will do his business Have ever the Gentleman-Usher with you So if you will try your Faith remember this Rule Consider whether the Train be waiting upon her If you have another Faith than this you are like to go to the scalding House and there you shall have two Dishes weeping and gnashing of teeth much good do it you you see your Fare Not long ago a great man said in an Audience they babble much of Faith I will go and lie with my Whore all night and have as good a Faith as the best of them all I think he never knew other but the Whoremongers Faith it is no such Faith that will serve It is no Bribing Judges nor Justices Faith no Whoremongers Faith nor no Sellers of Benefices Faith If you will believe and acknowledge your sins so you shall attain to everlasting Life to which the Father of Heaven bring you and me AMEN FINIS See his sweet memorial in the Book of Martyrs ◠Pe. 3. 13. Rev. 17. 5 Bish Reinolds England so called formerly by the Pope Then sadly complained of 1 Kings 19. 12. Sir Harbottle Grimston's first Speech in the Banquetting house at Whitehal See His Majesties Speech to the Lords House The Kings Declaration mentions some that censure His Majesty for want of Zeal to the Church because he presseth not a general Conformity to Lyturgies c. Stabitque Here Latimer leaves him Nota. Nota. Nota. Idle Clergy guilty of Sacriledge Nota. Note Fas est ab hoste doceri Brevis esse laboro obscurus fio Mat. 5. 1 Pet. 2. Note Doth not the King in his Declaration do so Note Note O Glorious zeal Excellent Counsel fit to be taken by this Convocation Note Note Was it not so of late This winking caused God to open his eyes and so sorely to visit us as of late 1. Pet. 4 Let the Bishops learn their duty from this blessed Saint Math. 13. 3. Prelates have a busie work to do Strawberry Preachers once or twice a year 1 Tim. 3.1 Idle Ministers make evil people Math. 11. Ier. c. 48. O London see thy self in this glass What would he have said if he had seen so many eminent Ministers as are now in London Note Look to it Citizens Is this amended at this day Iniquity aboundeth and love waxeth cold Oh shame Hearken London Hear ye Bishops Note Prelacy hath lain a withering this 20 years It is hoped it will not be so churlish as formerly Note Note Note Note Note this ye Nobles The Devil a busie Preacher Satan the great hinderer of Religion Note Note 1 Pet. 5. Pope the Devils Chaplain Note Why our reformation is so imperfect Note this wel Note Note Note Who hindred a more perfect reformation Little hope of good by Curates Excellency of Gods Word Hear ye Preachers Ex. 5. 6 7. 1 Kin. 22. Note Mat. 23. 3. Luk. 12. 1 Let court preachers note this Let our wild Phanatiques observe this Deut. 17. 15. This is our mercy Note this ye King-killers Latimer proved a true Prophet Note The true Roaylist 〈◊〉 mercy at this day Let Courtiers observe this Our present duty A good wish Note Note A good motion Note It is now upon the matter a common Prayer matter Rom. 10 Note Note Latimer desired Gods Word to be the Rule of reformation Note Note Latimer a faithful Bishop Note this court Preachers Note Luke 18. O zeal Note Note Note Note Note Confession of sin Note Note Note 1 Tim. 5. Note 1 Tim. 3. Note Note Note Note Ver. 2. Ver. 3. Note Note Note Note Note Note Math. 23. Note Note Note Note