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EXTRACTS

FROM CERTAIN OTHER SERMONS OF BISHOP LATIMER, CONTAINED IN THE EDITION OF 1572.

From the Convocation Sermon, Page 2, Vol. I.

HE (Christ) is man, seeing that he is God and man. He is rich not only in mercy, but in all kinds of riches. For it is be, that giveth us all things abundantly it is he, of whose hand we receive both our lives, and other things necessary for the conservation of the same. What man hath any thing, I pray you, but he hath received it of his plentifulness? To be short, it is he, that openeth his hand, and filleth all living things with his blessing, and giveth unto us, in most ample wise, his benediction. Neither his treasure can be spent, how much soever he lash out how much soever we take of him, his treasure tarrieth still, ever taken, never spent.

From the Sermon of the Plough, Page 13, Vol. I.

FOR as the ploughman first setteth forth his plough, and then tilleth his land, and breaketh it in furrows, and sometimes ridgeth it up again; and at another time harroweth it, and clotteth it, and sometimes dungeth and hedgeth it, diggeth it, and weedeth it, purgeth and maketh it clean: so the prelate, the preacher, hath many divers offices to do. He hath first a busy work to bring his parishioners to a right faith, as Paul calleth it, and not a swerving faith, but to a faith that embraceth Christ, and trusteth to his merits; a lively faith, a justifying faith, a faith, that maketh a man righteous without respect of works, as ye have it very

well declared and set forth in the Homily *. He hath a busy work, I say; to bring his flock to a right faith, and to confirm them in the same faith.

Now casting them down with the law, and with threatenings of God for sin. Now ridging them up again with the Gospel and the promises of God's favour. Now weeding them, by telling them their faults, and making them forsake sin. Now clotting them, by breaking their stony hearts, and by making them supple-hearted, and making them to have hearts of flesh, that is, soft hearts, and apt for doctrine to enter in. Now teaching to know God rightly, and to know their duty to God and to their neighbour. Now exhorting them, when they know their duty, that they may do it, and be diligent in it: so that they have a continual work to do.

From the same Sermon, Page 17, Vol. I.

He

A BISHOP hath his office, a flock to teach, to look unto, and therefore he cannot meddle with any other office, which alone requireth a whole man. 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 was a marvellous man, a good man. Moses was a wonderful fellow, and did his duty, being Well, a married man: we lack such as Moses was. I would all men would look to their duty, as God hath called them, and then we should have a flourishing Christian common-wealth.

And now I would ask a strange question. Who is the most diligent bishop and prelate in all Eng

*The Homily on salvation,

land, 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 listening and hearkening, that I should name him. There is one that passeth all the others, 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 others, he is never out of his diocese; he is never from his cure, ye 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 plough, no lording or loitering can hinder him: he is ever applying to his business, ye 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 as ready, as can be wished, for to set forth his plough, to devise as many ways, as can be, to deface and obscure God's glory.

Where the devil is resident and hath his plough 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-day. Where the devil is resident, that he may prevail, up with all superstition and idolatry, painting of images, candles, palms, ashes, holy water, and new services of men's inventing, as though man could invent a better way to honour God with, than God himself hath appointed. Down with Christ's cross, up with purgatory pickpurse; up with him, the popish purgatory, I mean. Away with clothing the naked, the poor, and impotent; up with decking of images, and gay garnishing of stocks and stones. Up with man's traditions and his laws, down with God's traditions and his

most holy word. Down with the old honour due to God, and up with the new god's honour: let all things be done in Latin. There must be nothing but Latin, not as much as, " Remember, man, that thou art ashes, and into ashes thou shalt return." Which be the words, that the minister speaketh to the ignorant people, when he giveth them ashes upon Ash Wednesday, but it must be spoken in Latin. God's word may in no wise be translated into English. Oh that our prelates would be as diligent to sow the corn of good doctrine, as Satan is to sow cockle and darnel! And this is the devilish ploughing, the which worketh to have things in Latin, and letteth * the faithful edification.

But here some men will say to me: "What, Sir, are ye so privy of the devil's 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 him, as other men do, yea, that he is ever occupied and ever busy in following his plough.

I know by St. Peter, which saith of him: "He goeth about, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." I would have this text well viewed and examined every word of it: "He goeth about" in every corner of his diocese: he goeth on visitation daily. He leaveth no place of his cure unvisited. He walketh round about from place to place, and ceaseth not, " as a lion," that is, strongly, boldly, and proudly, stately and fiercely with haughty looks, with his proud countenances, with his stately braggings: "roaring," for he letteth not slip any occasion to speak, or to roar out, when he secth his time. "He goeth about seeking" and not sleeping, as our bishops do, but he seeketh diligently. He

* Hindereth.

destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, but he found no faith. And to be short, he shall come at the latter day, but he shall find a little faith. And I ween the day be not far off. When he was here carnally, did he find any faith? Many speak of faith, but few there be that have it. Christ mourneth the lack of it. He complaineth, that when he came, he found no faith.

This faith is a great estate, a lady, a duchess, a great woman, and she hath ever a great company and train about her (as a noble estate 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, knowledge of sin; when we enter into our hearts, and stand not about to defend them. He is none of these winkers, he kicks not when he hears his faults. Now as the gentleman-usher goeth before her, so she hath a train, that cometh behind her, and yet, though they come behind, they be all of faith's company, they are all with her: as Christ, when he counterfeited a state, going to Jerusalem, some went before him, and some after, yet all were of his company. So all these wait upon faith, she hath a great train after her, besides her gentleman-usher, her whole household; and those be the works of our vocation, when every man considereth what vocation he is in, what calling he is in, and doth the works of the same, as to be good to his neighbour, to obey God, &c.

This is the train that followeth Lady faith, as for an example: a faithful judge hath first an heavy reckoning of his fault, repenting himself of his wickedness, and then forsaking his iniquity, his impiety, feareth no man, walks uprightly; and he that doth not thus, hath not Lady faith, but rather a boldness of sin, and abusing of Christ's passion. Lady faith is never without her gentleman-usher, nor without her