abyde to be rebuked suche is the nature of man. If they be prycked, they will kycke. If they be rubbed on the gale; they wil wynce. But yet they wyll not amende theyr faultes, they wyl not be yl spoken of. But howe shal I speake well of them. If they could be contente to receyue and folowe the worde of god and fauoure good preachers, if you coulde beare to be toulde of your faultes, if you coulde amende when you heare of them : if you woulde be gladde to reforme that is a misse: if I mighte se anie suche inclinacion in you, that leaue to be mercilesse and begynne to be charytable I would then hope wel of you, I woulde then speake well of you. But London was neuer so yll as it is now. In tymes past men were full of pytie and compassion but nowe there is no pitie, for in London their brother shal die in the streetes for colde, he shall lye sycke at theyr door betwene stocke and stocke. I can not tel what to call it, and peryshe there for hunger, was there any more vnmercifulnes in Nebo? I thynke not. In tymes paste when any ryche man dyed in London, they were wonte to healp the pore scholers of the vniuersitye wyth exhibition. When any man dyed, they woulde bequeth greate summes of money towarde the releue of the pore. When I was a scholer in Cambrydge my selfe, I harde verye good reporte of London and knewe manie that had releue of the rytche men of London, but nowe I can heare no such good reporte, and yet I inquyre of it, and herken for it, but nowe charitie is waxed colde, none helpeth the scholer nor yet the pore. And in those dayes what dyd they whan they helped the scholers? Mary they maynteyned and gaue them liuynges that were verye papists and professed the popes doctrine and nowe that the knowledge of Gods word is brought to lyght, and many earnestelye studye and laboure to set it forth now almost no man healpeth to maynteyne them. Oh London London, repente repente, for I thynke God is more displeased wyth London then euer he was with the citie of Nebo. Repente therfore repent London and remembre that the same God liueth nowe yat punyshed Nebo, euen the same god and none other, and he will punyshe synne as well nowe as he dyd then, and he wyl punishe the iniquitie of London as well as he did then of Nebo. Amende therfore and ye that be prelates loke well to your office, for right prelatynge is busye labourynge and not lordyng. Therfore preache and teach and let your ploughe be doynge, ye lordes I saye that liue lyke loyterers, loke wel to your office, the ploughe is your office and charge. If you lyue idle and loyter, you do not your duetie, you folowe not youre vocation, let your plough therfore be

1

going and not cease, that the ground maye brynge foorth fruite..

For they that be lordes wyll yll go to plough. It is no mete office for them. It is not semyng for their state. Thus came vp lordyng loyterers. Thus crept in vnprechinge prelates, and so haue they longe continued.

For howe many vnlearned prelates haue we now at this day? And no meruel. For if ye plough men yat now be, were made lordes they woulde cleane gyu ouer plouginge, they woulde leaue of theyr labour and fall to lordyng outright, and let the plough stand. And then bothe ploughes not walkyng nothyng shoulde be in the common weale but honger. For euer sence the Prelates were made Loordes and nobles, the ploughe standeth, there is no worke done, the people sterue.

They hauke, thei hunt, thei card, they dyce, they pastyme in theyr prelacies with galaunte gentlemen, with theyr daunsinge minyons, and with theyr freshe companions, so that ploughinge is set a syde. And by the lording and loytryng, preachynge and ploughinge is cleane gone. And thus if the ploughemen of the countrey, were as negligente in theyr office, as prelates be, we should not longe lyue for lacke of sustinaunce.

And nowe I would aske a straung question. Who is the most diligent bishoppe and prelate in al England, that passeth al the reste in doinge his office I can tel, for I knowe him, who it is I knowe hym well. But nowe I thynke I se you lysting and hearkening, that I shoulde name him. There is one that passeth al the other, and is the most diligent prelate and preacher in al England. And w[y]l ye knowe who it is? I wyl tel you. It is the Deuyl. He is the moste dyligent preacher of al other, he is neuer out of his dioces, he is neuer from his cure, ye shal neuer fynde him vnoccupyed, he is euer in his parishe, he keepeth residence at al tymes, ye shall never fynde hym out of the waye, cal for him when you wyl, he is ever at home, the diligenteste preacher in all the Realme, he is euer at his ploughe, no lordyng nor loytringe can hynder hym, he is euer appliynge his busynes, ye shal never fynde hym idle I warraunte you. And his office is to hinder religion, to mayntayne supersticion, to set vp Idolatrie, to teach al kynde of popetrie, he is readye as can be wished, for to sette forthe his ploughe, to deuise as manye wayes as can be to deface and obscure Godes glory. Where the Deuyl is residente and hath his ploughe goinge: there away with bokes, and vp with candelles, awaye wyth Bibles and vp with beades, awaye with the lygte of the Gospel, and vp with the lyghte of candlles, yea at

noone dayes. Where the Deuyll is residente, that he maye preuaile, vp wyth al superstition and Idolatrie, sensing, peintynge of ymages, candles, palmes, asshes, holye water, and newe seruice of menes inuenting, as though man could inuent a better waye to honoure God wyth then God him selfe hath apointed. Downe with Christes crosse, vp with purgatory picke purse vp wyth hym, the popish pourgatorie I mean. Awaye wyth clothinge the naked, the pore and impotent, vp wyth deckynge of ymages and gaye garnishinge of stockes and stones, vp wyth mannes traditions and his lawes, Downe wyth Gods traditions and hys most holy worde, Downe wyth the olde honoure dewe to God, and vp wyth the new gods honour, let al things be done in latine. There muste be nothynge but latine, not as much as Memento homo quod cinis es, et in cinerem reuerteris. Remembre man that thou arte asshes, and into asshes thou shalte returne. Whiche be the wordes that the minister speaketh to the ignoraunte people, when he gyueth them asshes vpon asshe wensdaye, but it muste be spoken in latine. Goddes worde may in no wyse be translated into englyshe. Oh that our prelates woulde be as diligente to sowe the corne of good doctrine as Sathan is, to sowe cockel and darnel. And this is the deuilyshe ploughinge, the which worcketh to haue things in latine, and letteth the fruteful edification. But here some man will saie to me, what sir are ye to priuie of the deuils counsell that ye know al this to be true? Truli I know I know him to wel, and haue obeyed him a little to much in condesce[n]tinge to some follies. And I knowe him as other men do, yea, that he is euer occupied and euer busie in folowinge his plough. I know bi saint Peter which saieth of him. Sicut leo rugiens cir

cuit querens quem deuoret. He goeth aboute lyke a roaringe lyon seekinge whom he maye deuoure. I woulde haue this texte wel vewed and examined euerye worde of it. Circuit, he goeth aboute in euerye corner of his dioces. He goeth on visitacion daylye. He leaueth no place of hys cure care vnuisited. He walketh round aboute from place to place and ceaseth not, Sicut leo, as a Lyon that is strongly, boldly, and proudlye straytelye and fiercelye with haute lookes, wyth hys proude countenuances wyth hys stately braggynges. Rugiens, roaringe, for he letteth not slippe any occasion to speake or to roare out when he seeth his tyme. Querens, he goeth about seekyng and not sleepyng, as oure bishoppes do, but he seketh diligently, he searcheth diligently al corners, wheras he may haue his pray, he roueth abrode in eueri place of his dioces, he standeth not styl, he is neuer at reste, but euer in hande wyth his

plough that it may go forwarde. But there was neuer shuch a preacher in England as he is. Who is able to tel his diligente preaching? whiche euery daye and euery houre laboreth to sowe cockel and darnel, that he may bryng oute of forme and out of estimation and roume, th[e] institution of the Lordes supper and Christes crosse, for there he lost his ryghte, for Christe saied. Nunc iudicium est mundi, princeps seculi hujus eiicietur foras, et sicut exaltauit Moises serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet filium hominis, et cum exaltatus fuero, a terra, omnia traham ad meipsum. Nowe is the iudgemente of thys worlde and the Prynce of thys worlde shall be caste oute. And as Moyses dyd lyfte vp the serpente in the wyldernesse, so muste the sonne of manne be lyfte vp. And when I shall be lyfte vp from the earthe, I wyl drawe all thynges vnto my selfe. For the Deuyll was dysapoynted of hys purpose, for he thoughte all to be hys owne.

And when he had once broughte Christe to the crosse, he thoughte all cocke sure.

FIRST SERMON BEFORE EDWARD VI.

The fyrste Sermon of Mayster Hughe Latimer, whiche he preached before the Kynges Maiest. wythin his graces palayce at Westmynster MDXLIX. the viii. of Marche.

My father was a Yoman, and had no landes of his owne, onlye he had a farme of .iii. or iiii. pound by yere at the vttermost, and here vpon he tilled so much as kept halfe a dosen men. He had walke for a hundred shepe, and my mother mylked .xxx. kyne, He was able and did find the king a harnesse, wyth hym selfe, and hys horsse, whyle he came to ye place that he should receyue the kynges wages. I can remembre, yat I buckled hys harnes, when he went vnto Blacke heeath felde. He kept me to schole, or elles I had not bene able to haue preached before the kinges maiestie nowe. He maryed my systers with v. pounde or .xx. nobles a pece, so that he brought them vp in godlines, and feare of God.

And sum

He kept hospitalitie for his pore neighbours. almess he gaue to the poore, and all thys did he of the sayd farme. Wher he that now hath it, paieth .xvi. pounde by yere or more, and is not able to do any thing for his Prynce, for himselfe, nor for his children, or geue a cup of drincke to the

pore. Thus al the enhansinge and rearing goth to your priuate commoditie and wealth. So that where ye had a single to much, you haue that: and syns the same, ye haue enhansed the rente, and so haue encreased an other to much. So now ye haue doble to muche, whyche is to to muche. But let the preacher preach til his tong be worne to the stompes, nothing is amended. We haue good statutes made for the commen welth as touching comeners, enclosers, many metings and Sessions, but in the end of the matter there cometh nothing forth. Wel, well, thys is one thynge I will saye from whens it commeth I knowe, euen, from the deuill. I know his intent in it. For if ye bryng it to passe, that the yo manry be not able to put their sonnes to schole (as in dede vniuersities do wonderously decaye all redy) and that they be not able to mary their daughters to the auoidyng of whoredom, I say ye plucke saluation from the people and vtterly distroy the realme. For by yomans sonnes, the fayth of Christ is, and hath bene mayntained chefely. Is this realme taught by rich mens sonnes. No, no, reade the Cronicles ye shall fynde sumtime noble mennes sonnes, which haue bene vnpreaching byshoppes and prelates, but ye, shall finde none of them learned men. But verilye, they that should loke to the redresse of these things, be the greatest against them. In thys realme are a great meany of folkes, and amongest many, I knowe but one of tender zeale. at the mocion of his poore tennauntes, hath let downe his landes to the olde rentes for their reliefe. For goddes loue, let not him be a Phenix, let him not be alone, Let hym not be an Hermite closed in a wall, sum good man follow him and do as he geueth example. Suruciers there be, yat gredyly gorge vp their couetous, guttes hande makers, I meane (honest men I touch not) but al suche as suruei thei make vp their mouthes but the commens be vtterlye vndone by them. Whose bitter cry ascendyng vp to the eares of the god of Sabaoth, the gredy pyt of hel burning fire (without great repentaunce) do tary and loke for them. A redresse God graunt. For suerly, suerly, but yat ii. thynges do comfort me I wold despaire of the redresse in these maters. One is, that the kinges maiestie whan he commeth to age: wyll se a redresse of these thinges so out of frame. Geuing example by letting doune his owne landes first and then enioyne hys subiects to folowe him. The second hope I haue is, I beleue that the general accomptyng daye is at hande, the dreadfull daye of iudgement I meane, whiche shall make an end of al these calamities and miscries.