,transcribed from the #ahhc ,cassell    
,co4 edition by ,david ,price1 email    
ccx#jgd;coventry4ac4uk4                 
,,sermons ,,on ,,the ,,card ,,and       
,,other ,,discourses  by ,hugh ,latimer 
,,introduction4      ,hugh ,latimer1 a  
farmer's son1 was born about the year   
#adia1 at  ,thurcaston1 in              
,leicestershire4  ,he was an only son1  
with six sisters1 who  were all well    
cared for at home4  ,he was a boy of    
fourteen when sent to  ,clare ,college1 
,cambridge4  ,when about twenty-four    
years old1 he had  obtained a college   
fellowship1 had taken the degree of     
,master of ,arts1  and was ordained     
,priest of the ,roman ,church at        
,lincoln4  ,in #aebd1 at the  age of    
about thirty1 he proceeded to the degree
 of ,b4,d41 and on the  occasion of his 
doing so he argued publicly for the     
,pope's authority  against opinions of  
,melancthon4  ,thomas ,bilney went      
afterwards to  ,latimer's rooms1 gave   
him his own reasons for good-will to the

 teaching  of ,melancthon1 and explained
 to him his faith as a ,reformer in a   
way that  secured ,latimer's attention4 
,latimer's free1 vigorous mind1 admitted
 the  new reasonings1 and in his        
after-life he looked always upon little 
,bilney as the man who had first opened 
his eyes4    ,with homely earnestness   
,latimer began soon to express his new  
convictions4  ,his zeal and purity of   
life had caused him to be trusted by    
the ,university as a maintainer of old  
ways2 he had been appointed cross-      
bearer to the ,university1 and elected  
one of the twelve preachers  annually   
appointed in obedience to a bull of     
,pope ,alexander ,,vi4  ,now  ,latimer  
walked and worked with ,bilney1 visiting
 the sick and the  prisoners1 and       
reasoning together of the needs of      
,christendom4  ,the  ,bishop of the     
diocese presently forbade ,latimer's    
preaching in any of the  pulpits of the 
,university4  ,robert ,barnes1 prior of 
the ,augustinian  ,friars at ,cambridge1

 a man stirred to the depths by the new 
movement of  thought1 then invited      
,latimer to preach in the church of the 
,augustinians4  ,latimer was next       
summoned before ,wolsey1 whom he        
satisfied  so well that ,wolsey         
overruled the ,bishop's inhibition1 and 
,latimer again  became a free preacher  
in ,cambridge4    ,the influence of     
,latimer's preaching became every year  
greater2 and in  ,december1 #aebi1 he   
gave occasion to new controversy in the 
,university by  his two ,sermons on the 
,card1 delivered in ,st4 ,edward's      
,church1 on the  ,sunday before         
,christmas1 #aebi4  ,card-playing was in
 those days an  amusement especially    
favoured at ,christmas time4  ,latimer  
does not  express disapproval1 though   
the ,reformers generally were opposed to
 it4  ,the early statutes of ,st4       
,john's ,college1 ,cambridge1 forbade   
playing with  dice or cards by members  
of the college at any time except       
,christmas1 but  excluded undergraduates

 even from the ,christmas privilege4    
,in these  sermons ,latimer used the    
card-playing of the season for          
illustrations of  spiritual truth drawn 
from the trump card in triumph1 and the 
rules of  the game of primero4  ,his    
homely parables enforced views of       
religious  duty more in accordance with 
the mind of the ,reformers than of those
 who  held by the old ways4  ,the ,prior
 of the ,dominicans at ,cambridge tried 
to  answer ,latimer's sermon on the     
cards with an antagonistic sermon on the
  dice3 the orthodox ,christian was to  
win by a throw of cinque and            
quatre--the cinque1 five texts to be    
quoted against ,luther2 and the  quatre 
the four great doctors of the ,church4  
,latimer replied with  vigour2 others   
ranged themselves on one side or the    
other1 and there was  general battle in 
the ,university2 but the ,king's        
,almoner soon intervened  with a letter 
commanding silence on both sides till   
the ,king's pleasure  was further       

declared4  ,the ,king's good-will to    
,latimer was due1 as the  letter        
indicated1 to the understanding that    
,latimer favoured the ,king's  cause in 
the question of divorce from ,katherine 
of ,arragon4    ,in ,march1 #aecj1      
,latimer was called to preach before    
,henry ,,viii41 at  ,windsor4  ,the     
,king then made ,latimer his chaplain1  
and in the following  year gave him the 
rectory of ,west ,kington1 in           
,wiltshire4  ,the new rector1  soon     
accused of heresy1 was summoned before  
the ,bishop of ,london and  before      
,convocation2 was excommunicated and    
imprisoned1 and absolved by  special    
request of the ,king4  ,when ,cranmer   
became ,archbishop of  ,canterbury1     
,latimer returned into royal favour1 and
 preached before the  ,king on          
,wednesdays in ,lent4  ,in #aece1 when  
an ,italian nominee of the  ,pope's was 
deprived of the ,bishopric of           
,worcester1 ,latimer was made his       
successor2 but resigned in #aeci1 when  

the ,king1 having virtually made        
himself ,pope1 dictated to a tractable  
parliament enforcement of old  doctrines
 by an ,act for ,abolishing ,diversity  
of ,opinion4  ,from that time  until the
 death of ,henry ,,viii4 ,latimer was in
 disgrace4    ,the accession of ,edward 
,,vi4 brought him again to the front1   
and the  ,sermon on the ,plough1 in this
 volume1 is a famous example of his use 
of  his power under ,edward ,,vi41 as   
the greatest preacher of his time1 in   
forwarding the ,reformation of the      
,church1 and of the lives of those who  
professed and called themselves         
,christians4  ,the rest of his story    
will  be associated in another volume of
 this ,library with a collection of his 
later sermons4    ,h4 ,m4               
,,sermons ,,on ,,the ,,card4      ,,the 
,,tenor ,,and ,,effect ,,of ,,certain   
,,sermons ,,made ,,by ,,master ,,latimer
 ,,in  ,,cambridge1 ,,about ,,the ,,year
 ,,of ,,our ,,lord #aebi4      ,tu quis 
es8  ,which words are as much to say in 

,english1 ,who art thou8  ,these be the 
words of the ,pharisees1 which were sent
 by the ,jews unto ,st4  ,john ,baptist 
in the wilderness1 to have knowledge of 
him who he was3  which words they spake 
unto him of an evil intent1 thinking    
that he would  have taken on him to be  
,christ1 and so they would have had him 
done with  their good wills1 because    
they knew that he was more carnal1 and  
given to  their laws1 than ,christ      
indeed should be1 as they perceived by  
their old  prophecies2 and also1 because
 they marvelled much of his great       
doctrine1  preaching1 and baptizing1    
they were in doubt whether he was       
,christ or  not3 wherefore they said    
unto him1 ,who art thou8  ,then answered
 ,st4  ,john1 and confessed that he was 
not ,christ4    ,now here is to be noted
 the great and prudent answer of ,st4   
,john ,baptist  unto the ,pharisees1    
that when they required of him who he   
was1 he would  not directly answer of   
himself what he was himself1 but he said

 he was  not ,christ3 by the which      
saying he thought to put the ,jews and  
,pharisees  out of their false opinion  
and belief towards him1 in that they    
would  have had him to exercise the     
office of ,christ2 and so declared      
further  unto them of ,christ1 saying1  
,he is in the midst of you and amongst  
you1  whom ye know not1 whose latchet of
 his shoe ,i am not worthy to unloose1  
or undo4  ,by this you may perceive that
 ,st4 ,john spake much in the laud  and 
praise of ,christ his ,master1          
professing himself to be in no wise like
  unto him4  ,so likewise it shall be   
necessary unto all men and women of     
this world1 not to ascribe unto         
themselves any goodness of themselves1  
but all unto our ,lord ,god1 as shall   
appear hereafter1 when this question    
aforesaid1 ,who art thou8 shall be moved
 unto them3 not as the ,pharisees  did  
unto ,st4 ,john1 of an evil purpose1 but
 of a good and simple mind1 as  may     
appear hereafter4    ,now then1         

according to the preacher's mind1 let   
every man and woman1 of a  good and     
simple mind1 contrary to the ,pharisees'
 intent1 ask this  question1 ,who art   
thou8  ,this question must be moved to  
themselves1  what they be of themselves1
 on this fashion3 ,what art thou of thy 
only  and natural generation between    
father and mother1 when thou camest into
  this world8  ,what substance1 what    
virtue1 what goodness art thou of1 by   
thyself8  ,which question if thou       
rehearse oftentimes unto thyself1 thou  
shalt well perceive and understand how  
thou shalt make answer unto it2  which  
must be made on this wise3 ,i am of     
myself1 and by myself1 coming  from my  
natural father and mother1 the child of 
the ire and indignation  of ,god1 the   
true inheritor of hell1 a lump of sin1  
and working nothing of  myself but all  
towards hell1 except ,i have better help
 of another than ,i  have of myself4    
,now we may see in what state we enter  
into this world1  that we be of         

ourselves the true and just inheritors  
of hell1 the  children of the ire and   
indignation of ,christ1 working all     
towards hell1  whereby we deserve of    
ourselves perpetual damnation1 by the   
right  judgment of ,god1 and the true   
claim of ourselves2 which unthrifty     
state  that we be born unto is come unto
 us for our own deserts1 as proveth well
  this example following3    ,let it be 
admitted for the probation of this1 that
 it might please the  king's grace now  
being to accept into his favour a mean  
man1 of a simple  degree and birth1 not 
born to any possession2 whom the king's 
grace  favoureth1 not because this      
person hath of himself deserved any such
  favour1 but that the king casteth this
 favour unto him of his own mere  motion
 and fantasy3 and for because the king's
 grace will more declare  his favour    
unto him1 he giveth unto this said man a
 thousand pounds in  lands1 to him and  
his heirs1 on this condition1 that he   
shall take upon  him to be the chief    

captain and defender of his town of     
,calais1 and to be  true and faithful to
 him in the custody of the same1 against
 the  ,frenchmen especially1 above all  
other enemies4    ,this man taketh on   
him this charge1 promising his fidelity 
thereunto4  ,it  chanceth in process of 
time1 that by the singular acquaintance 
and  frequent familiarity of this       
captain with the ,frenchmen1 these      
,frenchmen  give unto the said captain  
of ,calais a great sum of money1 so that
 he  will but be content and agreeable  
that they may enter into the said town  
of ,calais by force of arms2 and so     
thereby possess the same unto the  crown
 of ,france4  ,upon this agreement the  
,frenchmen do invade the said  town of  
,calais1 alonely by the negligence of   
this captain4    ,now the king's grace1 
hearing of this invasion1 cometh with a 
great  puissance to defend this his said
 town1 and so by good policy of war     
overcometh the said ,frenchmen1 and     
entereth again into his said town of    

,calais4  ,then he1 being desirous to   
know how these enemies of his came      
thither1 maketh profound search and     
inquiry by whom this treason was        
conspired4  ,by this search it was known
 and found his own captain to be  the   
very author and the beginner of the     
betraying of it4  ,the king1  seeing the
 great infidelity of this person1       
dischargeth this man of his  office1 and
 taketh from him and from his heirs this
 thousand pounds of  possessions4       
,think you not that the king doth use   
justice unto him1 and  all his posterity
 and heirs8  ,yes1 truly3 the said      
captain cannot deny  himself but that he
 had true justice1 considering how      
unfaithfully he  behaved him to his     
prince1 contrary to his own fidelity and
 promise4  ,so  likewise it was of our  
first father ,adam4  ,he had given unto 
him the  spirit of science and          
knowledge1 to work all goodness         
therewith3 this  said spirit was not    
given alonely unto him1 but unto all his

 heirs and  posterity4  ,he had also    
delivered him the town of ,calais2 that 
is to say1  paradise in earth1 the most 
strong and fairest town in the world1 to
 be  in his custody4  ,he nevertheless1 
by the instigation of these ,frenchmen1 
that is to say1 the temptation of the   
fiend1 did obey unto their desire2  and 
so he brake his promise and fidelity1   
the commandment of the  everlasting     
,king his master1 in eating of the apple
 by him inhibited4    ,now then the     
,king1 seeing this great treason in his 
captain1 deposed him  of the thousand   
pounds of possessions1 that is to say1  
from everlasting  life in glory1 and all
 his heirs and posterity3 for likewise  
as he had  the spirit of science and    
knowledge1 for him and his heirs2 so in 
like  manner1 when he lost the same1 his
 heirs also lost it by him and in him4  
,so now this example proveth1 that by   
our father ,adam we had once in him  the
 very inheritance of everlasting joy2   
and by him1 and in him1 again we  lost  

the same4    ,the heirs of the captain  
of ,calais could not by any manner of   
claim ask  of the king the right and    
title of their father in the thousand   
pounds of  possessions1 by reason the   
king might answer and say unto them1    
that  although their father deserved not
 of himself to enjoy so great           
possessions1 yet he deserved by himself 
to lose them1 and greater1  committing  
so high treason1 as he did1 against his 
prince's commandments2  whereby he had  
no wrong to lose his title1 but was     
unworthy to have the  same1 and had     
therein true justice4  ,let not you     
think1 which be his  heirs1 that if he  
had justice to lose his possessions1 you
 have wrong to  lose the same4  ,in the 
same manner it may be answered unto all 
men and  women now being1 that if our   
father ,adam had true justice to be     
excluded  from his possession of        
everlasting glory in paradise1 let us   
not think  the contrary that be his     
heirs1 but that we have no wrong in     

losing also  the same2 yea1 we have true
 justice and right4  ,then in what      
miserable  estate we be1 that of the    
right and just title of our own deserts 
have  lost the everlasting joy1 and     
claim of ourselves to be true inheritors
 of  hell6  ,for he that committeth     
deadly sin willingly1 bindeth himself to
 be  inheritor of everlasting pain3 and 
so did our forefather ,adam willingly   
eat of the apple forbidden4  ,wherefore 
he was cast out of the everlasting  joy 
in paradise into this corrupt world1    
amongst all vileness1 whereby of        
himself he was not worthy to do any     
thing laudable or pleasant to ,god1     
evermore bound to corrupt affections and
 beastly appetites1 transformed  into   
the most uncleanest and variablest      
nature that was made under  heaven2 of  
whose seed and disposition all the world
 is lineally  descended1 insomuch that  
this evil nature is so fused and shed   
from one  into another1 that at this day
 there is no man nor woman living that  

can  of themselves wash away this       
abominable vileness3 and so we must     
needs  grant of ourselves to be in like 
displeasure unto ,god1 as our forefather
  ,adam was4  ,by reason hereof as ,i   
said1 we be of ourselves the very       
children of the indignation and         
vengeance of ,god1 the true inheritors  
of  hell1 and working all towards hell3 
which is the answer to this question1   
made to every man and woman1 by         
themselves1 ,who art thou8    ,and now1 
the world standing in this damnable     
state1 cometh in the  occasion of the   
incarnation of ,christ4  ,the ,father in
 heaven1 perceiving  the frail nature of
 man1 that he1 by himself and of        
himself1 could do  nothing for himself1 
by his prudent wisdom sent down the     
second person in  ,trinity1 his ,son    
,jesus ,christ1 to declare unto man his 
pleasure and  commandment3 and so1 at   
the ,father's will1 ,christ took on him 
human  nature1 being willing to deliver 
man out of this miserable way1 and was  

content to suffer cruel passion in      
shedding his blood for all mankind2  and
 so left behind for our safeguard laws  
and ordinances1 to keep us  always in   
the right path unto everlasting life1 as
 the evangelists1 the  sacraments1 the  
commandments1 and so forth3 which1 if we
 do keep and  observe according to our  
profession1 we shall answer better unto 
this  question1 ,who art thou8 than we  
did before4  ,for before thou didst     
enter into the sacrament of baptism1    
thou wert but a natural man1 a  natural 
woman2 as ,i might say1 a man1 a woman3 
but after thou takest on  thee ,christ's
 religion1 thou hast a longer name2 for 
then thou art a  christian man1 a       
christian woman4  ,now then1 seeing thou
 art a christian  man1 what shall be thy
 answer of this question1 ,who art thou8
    ,the answer of this question is1    
when ,i ask it unto myself1 ,i must say 
that ,i am a christian man1 a christian 
woman1 the child of everlasting  joy1   
through the merits of the bitter passion

 of ,christ4  ,this is a  joyful answer4
  ,here we may see how much we be bound 
and in danger unto  ,god1 that hath     
revived us from death to life1 and saved
 us that were  damned3 which great      
benefit we cannot well consider1 unless 
we do  remember what we were of         
ourselves before we meddled with him or 
his  laws2 and the more we know our     
feeble nature1 and set less by it1 the  
more we shall conceive and know in our  
hearts what ,god hath done for us2  and 
the more we know what ,god hath done for
 us1 the less we shall set by           
ourselves1 and the more we shall love   
and please ,god3 so that in no          
condition we shall either know ourselves
 or ,god1 except we do utterly  confess 
ourselves to be mere vileness and       
corruption4  ,well1 now it is  come unto
 this point1 that we be christian men1  
christian women1 ,i pray  you what doth 
,christ require of a christian man1 or  
of a christian woman8  ,christ requireth
 nothing else of a christian man or     

woman1 but that they  will observe his  
rule3 for likewise as he is a good      
,augustine friar that  keepeth well ,st4
 ,augustine's rule1 so is he a good     
christian man that  keepeth well        
,christ's rule4    ,now then1 what is   
,christ's rule8  ,christ's rule         
consisteth in many  things1 as in the   
commandments1 and the works of mercy1   
and so forth4  ,and  for because ,i     
cannot declare ,christ's rule unto you  
at one time1 as it  ought to be done1 ,i
 will apply myself according to your    
custom at this  time of ,christmas3 ,i  
will1 as ,i said1 declare unto you      
,christ's rule1 but  that shall be in   
,christ's cards4  ,and whereas you are  
wont to celebrate  ,christmas in playing
 at cards1 ,i intend1 by ,god's grace1  
to deal unto you  ,christ's cards1      
wherein you shall perceive ,christ's    
rule4  ,the game that  we will play at  
shall be called the triumph1 which1 if  
it be well played  at1 he that dealeth  
shall win2 the players shall likewise   

win2 and the  standers and lookers upon 
shall do the same2 insomuch that there  
is no  man that is willing to play at   
this triumph with these cards1 but they 
shall be all winners1 and no losers4    
,let therefore every christian man and  
woman play at these cards1 that  they   
may have and obtain the triumph3 you    
must mark also that the triumph  must   
apply to fetch home unto him all the    
other cards1 whatsoever suit  they be   
of4  ,now then1 take ye this first card1
 which must appear and be  shewed unto  
you as followeth3 you have heard what   
was spoken to men of  the old law1 ,thou
 shalt not kill2 whosoever shall kill   
shall be in  danger of judgment3 but ,i 
say unto you of the new law1 saith      
,christ1  that whosoever is angry with  
his neighbour1 shall be in danger of    
judgment2 and whosoever shall say unto  
his neighbour1 ',raca1' that is to  say1
 brainless1 or any other like word of   
rebuking1 shall be in danger  of        
council2 and whosoever shall say unto   

his neighbour1 ',fool1' shall be  in    
danger of hell-fire4  ,this card was    
made and spoken by ,christ1 as          
appeareth in the fifth chapter of ,st4  
,matthew4    ,now it must be noted1 that
 whosoever shall play with this card1   
must  first1 before they play with it1  
know the strength and virtue of the     
same3 wherefore you must well note and  
mark terms1 how they be spoken1  and to 
what purpose4  ,let us therefore read it
 once or twice1 that we may  be the     
better acquainted with it4    ,now      
behold and see1 this card is divided    
into four parts3 the first part  is one 
of the commandments that was given unto 
,moses in the old law1  before the      
coming of ,christ2 which commandment we 
of the new law be bound  to observe and 
keep1 and it is one of our commandments4
  ,the other three  parts spoken by     
,christ be nothing else but expositions 
unto the first  part of this            
commandment3 for in very effect all     
these four parts be but  one            

commandment1 that is to say1 ,thou shalt
 not kill4  ,yet  nevertheless1 the last
 three parts do shew unto thee how many 
ways thou  mayest kill thy neighbour    
contrary to this commandment3 yet1 for  
all  ,christ's exposition in the three  
last parts of this card1 the terms be   
not open enough to thee that dost read  
and hear them spoken4  ,no doubt1  the  
,jews understood ,christ well enough1   
when he spake to them these three  last 
sentences2 for he spake unto them in    
their own natural terms and  tongue4    
,wherefore1 seeing that these terms were
 natural terms of the  ,jews1 it shall  
be necessary to expound them1 and       
compare them unto some  like terms of   
our natural speech1 that we1 in like    
manner1 may understand  ,christ as well 
as the ,jews did4  ,we will begin first 
with the first part  of this card1 and  
then after1 with the other three parts4 
,you must  therefore understand that the
 ,jews and the ,pharisees of the old    
law1 to  whom this first part1 this     

commandment1 ,thou shalt not kill1 was  
spoken1 thought it sufficient and enough
 for their discharge1 not to kill  with 
any manner of material weapon1 as sword1
 dagger1 or with any such  weapon2 and  
they thought it no great fault          
whatsoever they said or did by  their   
neighbours1 so that they did not harm or
 meddle with their corporal  bodies3    
which was a false opinion in them1 as   
prove well the three last  other        
sentences following the first part of   
this card4    ,now1 as touching the     
three other sentences1 you must note and
 take heed1  what difference is between 
these three manner of offences3 to be   
angry  with your neighbour2 to call your
 neighbour brainless1 or any such word  
of disdain2 or to call your neighbour   
fool4  ,whether these three manner  of  
offences be of themselves more grievous 
one than the other1 it is to  be opened 
unto you4  ,truly1 as they be of        
themselves divers offences1 so  they    
kill diversly1 one more than the other2 

as you shall perceive by the  first of  
these three1 and so forth4  ,a man which
 conceiveth against his  neighbour or   
brother ire or wrath in his mind1 by    
some manner of occasion  given unto him1
 although he be angry in his mind       
against his said  neighbour1 he will    
peradventure express his ire by no      
manner of sign1  either in word or deed3
 yet1 nevertheless1 he offendeth against
 ,god1 and  breaketh this commandment in
 killing his own soul2 and is therefore 
in  danger of judgment4    ,now1 to the 
second part of these three3 ,that man   
that is moved with ire  against his     
neighbour1 and in his ire calleth his   
neighbour brainless1  or some other like
 word of displeasure2 as a man might say
 in a fury1 ,i  shall handle thee well  
enough2 which words and countenances do 
more  represent and declare ire to be in
 this man1 than in him that was but     
angry1 and spake no manner of word nor  
shewed any countenance to declare  his  
ire4  ,wherefore as he that so declareth

 his ire either by word or  countenance 
offendeth more against ,god1 so he both 
killeth his own soul1  and doth that in 
him is to kill his neighbour's soul in  
moving him unto  ire1 wherein he is     
faulty himself2 and so this man is in   
danger of  council4    ,now to the third
 offence1 and last of these three3 ,that
 man that calleth  his neighbour fool1  
doth more declare his angry mind toward 
him1 than  he that called his neighbour 
but brainless1 or any such words moving 
ire3 for to call a man fool1 that word  
representeth more envy in a man  than   
brainless doth4  ,wherefore he doth most
 offend1 because he doth  most earnestly
 with such words express his ire1 and so
 he is in danger  of hell-fire4         
,wherefore you may understand now1 these
 three parts of this card be three      
offences1 and that one is more grievous 
to ,god than the other1 and that  one   
killeth more the soul of man than the   
other4    ,now peradventure there be    
some that will marvel1 that ,christ did 

not  declare this commandment by some   
greater faults of ire1 than by these    
which seem but small faults1 as to be   
angry and speak nothing of it1 to       
declare it and to call a man brainless1 
and to call his neighbour  fool3 truly  
these be the smallest and the least     
faults that belong to  ire1 or to       
killing in ire4  ,therefore beware how  
you offend in any kind  of ire3 seeing  
that the smallest be damnable to offend 
in1 see that you  offend not in the     
greatest4  ,for ,christ thought1 if he  
might bring you  from the smallest      
manner of faults1 and give you warning  
to avoid the  least1 he reckoned you    
would not offend in the greatest and    
worst1 as to  call your neighbour thief1
 whoreson1 whore1 drab1 and so forth1   
into more  blasphemous names2 which     
offences must needs have punishment in  
hell1  considering how that ,christ hath
 appointed these three small faults to  
have three degrees of punishment in     
hell1 as appeareth by these three       

terms1 judgment1 council1 and hell-fire4
  ,these three terms do signify  nothing
 else but three divers punishments in   
hell1 according to the  offences4       
,judgment is less in degree than        
council1 therefore it  signifieth a     
lesser pain in hell1 and it is ordained 
for him that is  angry in his mind with 
his neighbour1 and doth express his     
malice neither  by word nor countenance3
 council is a less degree in hell than  
hell-fire1  and is a greater degree in  
hell than judgment2 and it is ordained  
for him  that calleth his neighbour     
brainless1 or any such word1 that       
declareth  his ire and malice3 wherefore
 it is more pain than judgment4         
,hell-fire  is more pain in hell than   
council or judgment1 and it is ordained 
for him  that calleth his neighbour     
fool1 by reason that in calling his     
neighbour fool1 he declareth more his   
malice1 in that it is an earnest  word  
of ire3 wherefore hell-fire is appointed
 for it2 that is1 the most  pain of the 

three punishments4    ,now you have     
heard1 that to these divers offences of 
ire and killing be  appointed           
punishments according to their degrees3 
for look as the offence  is1 so shall   
the pain be3 if the offence be great1   
the pain shall be  according2 if it be  
less1 there shall be less pain for it4  
,i would not  now that you should think1
 because that here are but three degrees
 of  punishment spoken of1 that there be
 no more in hell4  ,no doubt ,christ    
spake of no more here but of these three
 degrees of punishment1 thinking  they  
were sufficient1 enough for example1    
whereby we might understand  that there 
be as divers and many pains as there be 
offences3 and so by  these three        
offences1 and these three punishments1  
all other offences and  punishments may 
be compared with another4  ,yet ,i would
 satisfy your minds  further in these   
three terms1 of judgment1 council1 and  
hell-fire4  ,whereas you might say1     
,what was the cause that ,christ        

declared more the  pains of hell by     
these terms than by any other terms8  ,i
 told you afore  that he knew well to   
whom he spake them4  ,these terms were  
natural and  well known amongst the     
,jews and the ,pharisees3 wherefore     
,christ taught  them with their own     
terms1 to the intent they might         
understand the better  his doctrine4    
,and these terms may be likened unto    
three terms which we  have common and   
usual amongst us1 that is to say1 the   
sessions of  inquirance1 the sessions of
 deliverance1 and the execution-day4    
,sessions  of inquirance is like unto   
judgment2 for when sessions of inquiry  
is1  then the judges cause twelve men to
 give verdict of the felon's crime1     
whereby he shall be judged to be        
indicted3 sessions of deliverance is    
much like council2 for at sessions of   
deliverance the judges go among         
themselves to council1 to determine     
sentence against the felon3 execution-  
day is to be compared unto hell-fire2   

for the ,jews had amongst themselves  a 
place of execution1 named hell-fire3 and
 surely when a man goeth to  his death1 
it is the greatest pain in this world4  
,wherefore you may see  that there are  
degrees in these our terms1 as there be 
in those terms4    ,these evil-disposed 
affections and sensualities in us are   
always contrary  to the rule of our     
salvation4  ,what shall we do now or    
imagine to thrust  down these ,turks and
 to subdue them8  ,it is a great        
ignominy and shame  for a christian man 
to be bond and subject unto a ,turk3    
nay1 it shall not  be so2 we will first 
cast a trump in their way1 and play with
 them at  cards1 who shall have the     
better4  ,let us play therefore on this 
fashion  with this card4  ,whensoever it
 shall happen the foul passions and     
,turks  to rise in our stomachs against 
our brother or neighbour1 either for    
unkind words1 injuries1 or wrongs1 which
 they have done unto us1 contrary  unto 
our mind2 straightways let us call unto 

our remembrance1 and speak  this        
question unto ourselves1 ,who art thou8 
,the answer is1 ,i am a  christian man4 
,then further we must say to ourselves1 
,what requireth  ,christ of a christian 
man8  ,now turn up your trump1 your     
heart 7hearts  is trump1 as ,i said     
before71 and cast your trump1 your      
heart1 on this  card2 and upon this card
 you shall learn what ,christ requireth 
of a  christian man--not to be angry1   
nor moved to ire against his neighbour1 
in mind1 countenance1 nor other ways1 by
 word or deed4  ,then take up this  card
 with your heart1 and lay them together3
 that done1 you have won the  game of   
the ,turk1 whereby you have defaced and 
overcome him by true and  lawful play4  
,but1 alas for pity6 the ,rhodes are won
 and overcome by  these false ,turks2   
the strong castle ,faith is decayed1 so 
that ,i fear it  is almost impossible to
 win it again4    ,the great occasion of
 the loss of this ,rhodes is by reason  
that christian  men do so daily kill    

their own nation1 that the very true    
number of  ,christianity is decayed2    
which murder and killing one of another 
is  increased specially two ways1 to the
 utter undoing of ,christendom1 that  is
 to say1 by example and silence4  ,by   
example1 as thus3 when the father1  the 
mother1 the lord1 the lady1 the master1 
the dame1 be themselves  overcome by    
these ,turks1 they be continual         
swearers1 avouterers1  disposers to     
malice1 never in patience1 and so forth 
in all other vices3  think you not1 when
 the father1 the mother1 the master1 the
 dame1 be  disposed unto vice or        
impatience1 but that their children and 
servants  shall incline and be disposed 
to the same8  ,no doubt1 as the child   
shall  take disposition natural of the  
father and mother1 so shall the servants
  apply unto the vices of their masters 
and dames3 if the heads be false in     
their faculties and crafts1 it is no    
marvel if the children1 servants1  and  
apprentices do joy therein4  ,this is a 

great and shameful manner of  killing   
christian men1 that the fathers1 the    
mothers1 the masters1 and  the dames    
shall not alonely kill themselves1 but  
all theirs1 and all that  belongeth unto
 them3 and so this way is a great number
 of christian  lineage murdered and     
spoiled4    ,the second manner of       
killing is silence4  ,by silence also is
 a great  number of christian men slain2
 which is on this fashion3 although that
  the father and mother1 master and     
dame1 of themselves be well disposed to 
live according to the law of ,god1 yet  
they may kill their children and        
servants in suffering them to do evil   
before their own faces1 and do not  use 
due correction according unto their     
offences4  ,the master seeth his        
servant or apprentice take more of his  
neighbour than the king's laws1 or  the 
order of his faculty1 doth admit him2 or
 that he suffereth him to  take more of 
his neighbour than he himself would be  
content to pay1 if he  were in like     

condition3 thus doing1 ,i say1 such men 
kill willingly their  children and      
servants1 and shall go to hell for so   
doing2 but also their  fathers and      
mothers1 masters and dames1 shall bear  
them company for so  suffering them4    
,wherefore ,i exhort all true christian 
men and women to give good example  unto
 your children and servants1 and suffer 
not them by silence to  offend4  ,every 
man must be in his own house1 according 
to ,st4 ,augustine's  mind1 a bishop1   
not alonely giving good ensample1 but   
teaching according  to it1 rebuking and 
punishing vice2 not suffering your      
children and  servants to forget the    
laws of ,god4  ,you ought to see them   
have their  belief1 to know the         
commandments of ,god1 to keep their     
holy-days1 not to  lose their time in   
idleness3 if they do so1 you shall all  
suffer pain for  it1 if ,god be true of 
his saying1 as there is no doubt        
thereof4  ,and so  you may perceive that
 there be many a one that breaketh this 

card1 ,thou  shalt not kill1 and playeth
 therewith oftentime at the blind trump1
  whereby they be no winners1 but great 
losers4  ,but who be those now-a-  days 
that can clear themselves of these      
manifest murders used to their  children
 and servants8  ,i think not the        
contrary1 but that many have  these two 
ways slain their own children unto their
 damnation2 unless the  great mercy of  
,god were ready to help them when they  
repent there-for4    ,wherefore1        
considering that we be so prone and     
ready to continue in sin1  let us cast  
down ourselves with ,mary ,magdalene2   
and the more we bow down  with her      
toward ,christ's feet1 the more we shall
 be afraid to rise again  in sin2 and   
the more we know and submit ourselves1  
the more we shall be  forgiven2 and the 
less we know and submit ourselves1 the  
less we shall be  forgiven2 as appeareth
 by this example following3    ,christ1 
when he was in this world1 amongst the  
,jews and ,pharisees1 there  was a great

 ,pharisee whose name was ,simon3 this  
,pharisee desired ,christ  on a time to 
dine with him1 thinking in himself that 
he was able and  worthy to give ,christ 
a dinner4  ,christ refused not his      
dinner1 but came  unto him4  ,in time of
 their dinner it chanced there came into
 the house a  great and a common sinner 
named ,mary ,magdalene4  ,as soon as she
 perceived  ,christ1 she cast herself   
down1 and called unto her remembrance   
what she  was of herself1 and how       
greatly she had offended ,god2 whereby  
she  conceived in ,christ great love1   
and so came near unto him1 and washed   
his  feet with bitter tears1 and shed   
upon his head precious ointment1        
thinking that by him she should be      
delivered from her sins4  ,this great   
and proud ,pharisee1 seeing that ,christ
 did accept her oblation in the  best   
part1 had great indignation against this
 woman1 and said to himself1  ,if this  
man ,christ were a holy prophet1 as he  
is taken for1 he would not  suffer this 

sinner to come so nigh him4  ,christ1   
understanding the  naughty mind of this 
,pharisee1 said unto him1 ,simon1 ,i    
have somewhat to  say unto thee4  ,say  
what you please1 quod the ,pharisee4    
,then said  ,christ1 ,i pray thee1 tell 
me this3 ,if there be a man to whom is  
owing  twenty pound by one1 and forty by
 another1 this man to whom this money is
  owing1 perceiving these two men be not
 able to pay him1 he forgiveth them     
both3 which of these two debtors ought  
to love this man most8  ,the  ,pharisee 
said1 ,that man ought to love him best1 
that had most forgiven  him4  ,likewise1
 said ,christ1 it is by this woman3 she 
hath loved me  most1 therefore most is  
forgiven her2 she hath known her sins   
most1  whereby she hath most loved me4  
,and thou hast least loved me1 because  
thou hast least known thy sins3         
therefore1 because thou hast least known
  thine offences1 thou art least        
forgiven4  ,so this proud ,pharisee had 
an  answer to delay his pride4  ,and    

think you not1 but that there be amongst
  us a great number of these proud      
,pharisees1 which think themselves      
worthy  to bid ,christ to dinner2 which 
will perk1 and presume to sit by ,christ
 in  the church1 and have a disdain of  
this poor woman ,magdalene1 their poor  
neighbour1 with a high1 disdainous1 and 
solemn countenance8  ,and being  always 
desirous to climb highest in the church1
 reckoning themselves more  worthy to   
sit there than another1 ,i fear me poor 
,magdalene under the  board1 and in the 
belfry1 hath more forgiven of ,christ   
than they have3  for it is like that    
those ,pharisees do less know themselves
 and their  offences1 whereby they less 
love ,god1 and so they be less forgiven4
    ,i would to ,god we would follow    
this example1 and be like unto          
,magdalene4  ,i doubt not but we be all 
,magdalenes in falling into sin and in  
offending3 but we be not again          
,magdalenes in knowing ourselves1 and in
  rising from sin4  ,if we be the true  

,magdalenes1 we should be as willing  to
 forsake our sin and rise from sin1 as  
we were willing to commit sin  and to   
continue in it2 and we then should know 
ourselves best1 and make  more perfect  
answer than ever we did unto this       
question1 ,who art thou8  to the which  
we might answer1 that we be true        
christian men and women3  and then1 ,i  
say1 you should understand1 and know how
 you ought to play at  this card1 ,thou 
shalt not kill1 without any interruption
 of your deadly  enemies the ,turks2 and
 so triumph at the last1 by winning     
everlasting  life in glory4  ,amen4     
,,another ,,sermon ,,of ,m4 ,,latimer1  
,,concerning ,,the ,,same ,,matter4     
,now you have heard what is meant by    
this first card1 and how you ought to   
play with it1 ,i purpose again to deal  
unto you another card1 almost of  the   
same suit2 for they be of so nigh       
affinity1 that one cannot be well       
played without the other4  ,the first   
card declared1 that you should not      

kill1 which might be done divers ways2  
as being angry with your  neighbour1 in 
mind1 in countenance1 in word1 or deed3 
it declared also1  how you should subdue
 the passions of ire1 and so clear      
evermore  yourselves from them4  ,and   
whereas this first card doth kill in you
 these  stubborn ,turks of ire2 this    
second card will not only they should be
  mortified in you1 but that you        
yourselves shall cause them to be       
likewise  mortified in your neighbour1  
if that your said neighbour hath been   
through your occasion moved unto ire1   
either in countenance1 word1 or  deed4  
,now let us hear therefore the tenor of 
this card3 ,when thou  makest thine     
oblation at mine altar1 and there dost  
remember that thy  neighbour hath any   
thing against thee1 lay down there thy  
oblation1 and  go first and reconcile   
thy neighbour1 and then come and offer  
thy  oblation4    ,this card was spoken 
by ,christ1 as testifieth ,st4 ,matthew 
in his fifth  chapter1 against all such 

as do presume to come unto the church to
 make  oblation unto ,god either by     
prayer1 or any other deed of charity1   
not  having their neighbours reconciled4
  ,reconciling is as much to say as to  
restore thy neighbour unto charity1     
which by thy words or deeds is moved    
against thee3 then1 if so be it that    
thou hast spoken to or by thy           
neighbour1 whereby he is moved to ire or
 wrath1 thou must lay down thy          
oblation4  ,oblations be prayers1       
alms-deeds1 or any work of charity3     
these be all called oblations to ,god4  
,lay down therefore thine oblation2     
begin to do none of these foresaid works
 before thou goest unto thy  neighbour1 
and confess thy fault unto him2         
declaring thy mind1 that if  thou hast  
offended him1 thou art glad and willing 
to make him amends1 as  far forth as thy
 words and substance will extend1       
requiring him not to  take it at the    
worst3 thou art sorry in thy mind1 that 
thou shouldest be  occasion of his      

offending4    ,what manner of card is   
this8 will some say3 ,why1 what have ,i 
to do  with my neighbour's or brother's 
malice8  ,as ,cain said1 ,have ,i the   
keeping of my brother8 or shall ,i      
answer for him and for his faults8      
,this  were no reason--,as for myself1  
,i thank ,god ,i owe no man malice nor  
displeasure3 if others owe me any1 at   
their own peril be it4  ,let every  man 
answer for himself6  ,nay1 sir1 not so1 
as you may understand by this  card2 for
 it saith1 ,if thy neighbour hath       
anything1 any malice against  thee1     
through thine occasion1 lay even down   
7saith ,christ7 thine  oblation3 pray   
not to me2 do no good deeds for me2 but 
go first unto thy  neighbour1 and bring 
him again unto my flock1 which hath     
forsaken the  same through thy naughty  
words1 mocks1 scorns1 or disdainous     
countenance1  and so forth2 and then    
come and offer thine oblation2 then do  
thy  devotion2 then do thy alms-deeds2  
then pray1 if thou wilt have me hear    

thee4    ,o good ,lord6 this is a hard  
reckoning1 that ,i must go and seek him 
out  that is offended with me1 before ,i
 pray or do any good deed4  ,i cannot go
  unto him4  ,peradventure he is a      
hundred miles from me1 beyond the seas2 
or else ,i cannot tell where3 if he were
 here nigh1 ,i would with all my  heart 
go unto him4  ,this is a lawful excuse  
before ,god on this fashion1  that thou 
wouldest in thy heart be glad to        
reconcile thy neighbour1 if he  were    
present2 and that thou thinkest in thy  
heart1 whensoever thou shalt  meet with 
him1 to go unto him1 and require him    
charitably to forgive  thee2 and so     
never intend to come from him1 until the
 time that you both  depart one from the
 other true brethren in ,christ4        
,yet1 peradventure1 there be some in the
 world that be so devilish1 and so      
hard-hearted1 that they will not apply  
in any condition unto charity4  ,for    
all that1 do what lieth in thee1 by all 
charitable means1 to bring him to       

unity4  ,if he will in no wise apply    
thereunto1 thou mayest be sorrowful  in 
thy heart1 that by thine occasion that  
man or woman continueth in such  a      
damnable state4  ,this notwithstanding1 
if thou do the best that lieth  in thee 
to reconcile him1 according to some     
doctors' mind1 thou art  discharged     
towards ,god4  ,nevertheless ,st4       
,augustine doubteth in this  case1      
whether thy oblations1 prayers1 or good 
deeds1 shall avail thee  before ,god1 or
 no1 until thy neighbour come again to  
good state1 whom  thou hast brought out 
of the way4  ,doth this noble doctor    
doubt therein8  ,what aileth us to be so
 bold1 and count it but a small fault1  
or none1 to  bring our neighbour out of 
patience for every trifle that standeth 
not  with our mind8  ,you may see what a
 grievous thing this is1 to bring       
another man out of patience1 that       
peradventure you cannot bring in again  
with all the goods that you have3 for   
surely1 after the opinion of great  wise

 men1 friendship once broken will be    
never well made whole again4  ,wherefore
 you shall hear what ,christ saith unto 
such persons4  ,saith  ,christ1 ,i came 
down into this world1 and so took on me 
bitter passion  for man's sake1 by the  
merits whereof ,i intended to make unity
 and peace  in mankind1 to make man     
brother unto me1 and so to expel the    
dominion of  ,satan1 the devil1 which   
worketh nothing else but dissension3 and
 yet now  there be a great number of    
you1 that have professed my name1 and   
say you  be christian men1 which do     
rebel against my purpose and mind4  ,i  
go about  to make my fold3 you go about 
to break the same1 and kill my flock4   
,how  darest thou1 saith ,christ1       
presume to come unto my altar1 unto my  
church1 or into my presence1 to make    
oblation unto me1 that takest on  thee  
to spoil my lambs8  ,i go about like a  
good shepherd to gather them  together2 
and thou dost the contrary1 evermore    
ready to divide and lose  them4  ,who   

made thee so bold to meddle with my     
silly beasts1 which ,i  bought so dearly
 with my precious blood8  ,i warn thee  
out of my sight1  come not in my        
presence3 ,i refuse thee and all thy    
works1 except thou go  and bring home   
again my lambs which thou hast lost4    
,wherefore1 if thou  thyself intend to  
be one of mine1 lay even down by and by 
thine oblation1  and come no further    
toward mine altar2 but go and seek them 
without any  questions1 as it becometh a
 true and faithful servant4    ,a true  
and faithful servant1 whensoever his    
master commandeth him to do  any thing1 
he maketh no stops nor questions1 but   
goeth forth with a good  mind3 and it is
 not unlike he1 continuing in such a    
good mind and will1  shall well overcome
 all dangers and stops1 whatsoever      
betide him in his  journey1 and bring to
 pass effectually his master's will and 
pleasure8  ,on  the contrary1 a slothful
 servant1 when his master commandeth him
 to do  any thing1 by and by he will ask

 questions1 ,where8  ,when8  ,which     
way8 and so forth2 and so be putteth    
every thing in doubt1 that although     
both his errand and way be never so     
plain1 yet by his untoward and  slothful
 behaviour his master's commandment is  
either undone quite1 or  else so done   
that it shall stand to no good purpose4 
,go now forth with  the good servant1   
and ask no such questions1 and put no   
doubts4  ,be not  ashamed to do thy     
,master's and ,lord's will and          
commandment4  ,go1 as ,i  said1 unto thy
 neighbour that is offended by thee1 and
 reconcile him 7as  is afore said7 whom 
thou hast lost by thy unkind words1 by  
thy scorns1  mocks1 and other disdainous
 words and behaviours2 and be not nice  
to ask  of him the cause why he is      
displeased with thee3 require of him    
charitably to remit2 and cease not till 
you both depart1 one from the  other1   
true brethren in ,christ4    ,do not1   
like the slothful servant1 thy master's 
message with cautels and  doubts3 come  

not to thy neighbour whom thou hast     
offended1 and give him a  pennyworth of 
ale1 or a banquet1 and so make him a    
fair countenance1  thinking that by thy 
drink or dinner he will shew thee like  
countenance4  ,i grant you may both     
laugh and make good cheer1 and yet there
 may remain  a bag of rusty malice1     
twenty years old1 in thy neighbour's    
bosom4  ,when  he departeth from thee   
with a good countenance1 thou thinkest  
all is well  then4  ,but now1 ,i tell   
thee1 it is worse than it was1 for by   
such cloaked  charity1 where thou dost  
offend before ,christ but once1 thou    
hast  offended twice herein3 for now    
thou goest about to give ,christ a mock1
 if  be would take it of thee4  ,thou   
thinkest to blind thy master ,christ's  
commandment4  ,beware1 do not so1 for at
 length he will overmatch thee1  and    
take thee tardy whatsoever thou be2 and 
so1 as ,i said1 it should be  better for
 thee not to do his message on this     
fashion1 for it will stand  thee in no  

purpose4  ,what8 some will say1 ,i am   
sure he loveth me well  enough3 he      
speaketh fair to my face4  ,yet for all 
that thou mayest be  deceived4  ,it     
proveth not true love in a man1 to speak
 fair4  ,if he love  thee with his mind 
and heart1 he loveth thee with his eyes1
 with his  tongue1 with his feet1 with  
his hands and his body2 for all these   
parts  of a man's body be obedient to   
the will and mind4  ,he loveth thee with
  his eves1 that looketh cheerfully on  
thee1 when thou meetest with him1  and  
is glad to see thee prosper and do well4
  ,he loveth thee with his  tongue1 that
 speaketh well by thee behind thy back1 
or giveth thee good  counsel4  ,he      
loveth thee with his feet1 that is      
willing to go to help  thee out of      
trouble and business4  ,he loveth thee  
with his hands1 that  will help thee in 
time of necessity1 by giving some       
alms-deeds1 or with  any other          
occupation of the hand4  ,he loveth thee
 with his body1 that  will labour with  

his body1 or put his body in danger to  
do good for thee1  or to deliver thee   
from adversity3 and so forth1 with the  
other members  of his body4  ,and if thy
 neighbour will do according to these   
sayings1  then thou mayest think that he
 loveth thee well2 and thou1 in like    
wise1  oughtest to declare and open thy 
love unto thy neighbour in like fashion1
  or else you be bound one to reconcile 
the other1 till this perfect love  be   
engendered amongst you4    ,it may      
fortune thou wilt say1 ,i am content to 
do the best for my  neighbour that ,i   
can1 saving myself harmless4  ,i promise
 thee1 ,christ  will not hear this      
excuse2 for he himself suffered harm for
 our sakes1  and for our salvation was  
put to extreme death4  ,i wis1 if it had
 pleased  him1 he might have saved us   
and never felt pain2 but in suffering   
pains  and death he did give us example1
 and teach us how we should do one for  
another1 as he did for us all2 for1 as  
he saith himself1 he that will be  mine1

 let him deny himself1 and follow me1 in
 bearing my cross and  suffering my     
pains4  ,wherefore we must needs suffer 
pain with ,christ to  do our neighbour  
good1 as well with the body and all his 
members1 as with  heart and mind4       
,now ,i trust you wot what your card    
meaneth3 let us see how that we can     
play with the same4  ,whensoever it     
shall happen you to go and make your    
oblation unto ,god1 ask of yourselves   
this question1 ,who art thou8  ,the     
answer1 as you know1 is1 ,i am a        
christian man4  ,then you must again ask
  unto yourself1 ,what ,christ requireth
 of a christian man8  ,by and by cast   
down your trump1 your heart1 and look   
first of one card1 then of another4     
,the first card telleth thee1 thou shalt
 not kill1 thou shalt not be  angry1    
thou shalt not be out of patience4      
,this done1 thou shalt look if  there be
 any more cards to take up2 and if thou 
look well1 thou shalt see  another card 
of the same suit1 wherein thou shalt    

know that thou art  bound to reconcile  
thy neighbour4  ,then cast thy trump    
upon them both1  and gather them all    
three together1 and do according to the 
virtue of thy  cards2 and surely thou   
shalt not lose4  ,thou shalt first kill 
the great  ,turks1 and discomfort and   
thrust them down4  ,thou shalt again    
fetch home  ,christ's sheep that thou   
hast lost2 whereby thou mayest go both  
patiently  and with a quiet mind unto   
the church1 and make thy oblation unto  
,god2  and then1 without doubt1 he will 
hear thee4    ,but yet ,christ will not 
accept our oblation 7although we be in  
patience1  and have reconciled our      
neighbour71 if that our oblation be made
 of  another man's substance2 but it    
must be our own4  ,see therefore that   
thou  hast gotten thy goods according to
 the laws of ,god and of thy prince4    
,for  if thou gettest thy goods by      
polling and extortion1 or by any other  
unlawful ways1 then1 if thou offer a    
thousand pound of it1 it will stand     

thee in no good effect2 for it is not   
thine4  ,in this point a great  number  
of executors do offend2 for when they be
 made rich by other men's  goods1 then  
they will take upon them to build       
churches1 to give ornaments  to ,god and
 his altar1 to gild saints1 and to do   
many good works  therewith2 but it shall
 be all in their own name1 and for their
 own  glory4  ,wherefore1 saith ,christ1
 they have in this world their reward2  
and so their oblations be not their own1
 nor be they acceptable before  ,god4   
,another way ,god will refuse thy       
voluntary oblation1 as thus3 if so be it
  that thou hast gotten never so truly  
thy goods1 according both to the  laws  
of ,god and man1 and hast with the same 
goods not relieved thy poor  neighbour1 
when thou hast seen him hungry1 thirsty1
 and naked1 he will  not take thy       
oblation when thou shalt offer the same1
 because he will say  unto thee1 ,when  
,i was hungry1 thou gavest me no meat2  
when ,i was  thirsty1 thou gavest me no 

drink2 and when ,i was naked1 thou didst
 not  clothe me4  ,wherefore ,i will not
 take thy oblation1 because it is none  
of  thine4  ,i left it thee to relieve  
thy poor neighbours1 and thou hast not  
therein done according unto this my     
commandment1 ,misericordiam volo1 et    
non sacrificium2 ,i had rather have     
mercy done1 than sacrifice or  oblation4
  ,wherefore until thou dost the one    
more than the other1 ,i will  not accept
 thine oblation4    ,evermore bestow the
 greatest part of thy goods in works of 
mercy1 and the  less part in voluntary  
works4  ,voluntary works be called all  
manner of  offering in the church1      
except your four offering-days1 and your
 tithes3  setting up candles1 gilding   
and painting1 building of churches1     
giving of  ornaments1 going on          
pilgrimages1 making of highways1 and    
such other1 be  called voluntary works2 
which works be of themselves marvellous 
good1 and  convenient to be done4       
,necessary works1 and works of mercy1   

are called  the commandments1 the four  
offering-days1 your tithes1 and such    
other  that belong to the commandments2 
and works of mercy consist in relieving 
and visiting thy poor neighbours4  ,now 
then1 if men be so foolish of           
themselves1 that they will bestow the   
most part of their goods in  voluntary  
works1 which they be not bound to keep1 
but willingly and by  their devotion2   
and leave the necessary works undone1   
which they are  bound to do2 they and   
all their voluntary works are like to go
 unto  everlasting damnation4  ,and ,i  
promise you1 if you build a hundred     
churches1 give as much as you can make  
to gilding of saints1 and  honouring of 
the church2 and if thou go as many      
pilgrimages as thy body  can well       
suffer1 and offer as great candles as   
oaks2 if thou leave the  works of mercy 
and the commandments undone1 these works
 shall nothing  avail thee4  ,no doubt  
the voluntary works be good and ought to
 be done2  but yet they must be so done1

 that by their occasion the necessary   
works  and the works of mercy be not    
decayed and forgotten4  ,if you will    
build a  glorious church unto ,god1 see 
first yourself to be in charity with    
your  neighbours1 and suffer not them to
 be offended by your works4  ,then1 when
  ye come into your parish-church2 you  
bring with you the holy temple of  ,god2
 as ,st4 ,paul saith1 ,you yourselves be
 the very holy temples of ,god3  and    
,christ saith by his prophet1 ,in you   
will ,i rest1 and intend to make  my    
mansion and abiding-place4  ,again1 if  
you list to gild and paint  ,christ in  
your churches1 and honour him in        
vestments1 see that before  your eyes   
the poor people die not for lack of     
meat1 drink1 and clothing4  ,then do you
 deck the very true temple of ,god1 and 
honour him in rich  vestures that will  
never be worn1 and so forth use         
yourselves according  unto the          
commandments3 and then1 finally1 set up 
your candles1 and they  will report what

 a glorious light remaineth in your     
hearts2 for it is not  fitting to see a 
dead man light candles4  ,then1 ,i say1 
go your  pilgrimages1 build your        
material churches1 do all your voluntary
 works2  and they will then represent   
you unto ,god1 and testify with you1    
that you  have provided him a glorious  
place in your hearts4  ,but beware1 ,i  
say  again1 that you do not run so far  
in your voluntary works1 that ye do     
quite forget your necessary works of    
mercy1 which you are bound to keep3  you
 must have ever a good respect unto the 
best and worthiest works  toward ,god to
 be done first and with more efficacy1  
and the other to be  done secondarily4  
,thus if you do1 with the other that ,i 
have spoken of  before1 ye may come     
according to the tenor of your cards1   
and offer your  oblations and prayers to
 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who will both
 hear and  accept them to your          
everlasting joy and glory3 to the which 
he bring us1  and all those whom he     

suffered death for4  ,amen4          ,a 
,,sermon ,,made ,,by ,m4 ,,hugh         
,,latimer1 ,,at ,,the ,,time ,,of ,,the 
,,insurrection ,,in ,,the  ,,north1     
,,which ,,was ,,in ,,the                
,,twenty-,,seventh ,,year ,,of ,,the    
,,reign ,,of ,,king ,,henry  ,,the      
,,eighth1 ,,ann4 ,,dom4 #aece4  ,,upon  
,,the ,,epistle ,,read ,,in ,,the       
,,church ,,the  ,,twenty-,,first        
,,sunday ,,after ,,trinity ,,sunday1    
,,taken ,,out ,,of ,,the ,,sixth        
,,chapter  ,,of ,,the ,,epistle ,,of    
,,st4  ,,paul ,,to ,,the ,,ephesians4   
,put on all the armour of ,god1 that ye 
may stand1 c4  ,ephes4 vi4     #aj1 et  
seq4    ,saint ,paul1 the holy apostle1 
writeth this epistle unto the           
,ephesians1  that is1 to the people of  
the city of ,ephesus4  ,he writeth      
generally1 to  them all2 and in the     
former chapters he teacheth them        
severally how they  should behave       
themselves1 in every estate1 one to     
another2 how they  should obey their    

rulers2 how wives should behave         
themselves towards  their husbands2     
children towards their parents2 and     
servants towards  their masters2 and    
husbands1 parents and masters should    
behave them1 and  love their wives1     
children1 and servants2 and generally   
each to love  other4    ,now cometh he  
forth and comforteth them1 and teacheth 
them to be bold1  and to play the men1  
and fight manfully4  ,for they must     
fight with  valiant warriors1 as        
appeareth afterward in the text4  ,and  
against they  come to fight he          
comforteth them1 saying1 ,my brethren4  
,he calleth them  brethren2 for though  
he taught them before to be subject to  
kings and  rulers1 and to be obedient to
 their superiors1 yet he teacheth them  
that  in ,christ we be all brethren1    
according to the saying in this same    
chapter1 ,god is no accepter of persons4
  ,my brethren1 saith he1 be  ye        
comforted1 be ye strong2 not trusting to
 yourselves2 no1 but be bold1  and      

comforted by our ,lord1 and by the power
 of his virtue3 not by your  own virtue1
 for it is not of power to resist such  
assaults as he speaketh  of hereafter4  
,put on1 or apparel you with1 the armour
 of ,god4  ,armour  is an apparel to    
clothe a man1 and maketh him seemly and 
comely2 setteth  forth his body1 and    
maketh him strong and bold in battle4   
,and therefore  ,saint ,paul exhorteth  
generally his brethren to be armed2 and 
as the  assaults be strong1 and not     
small1 so he giveth strong armour1 and  
not  small3 ,put on1 saith he1 the      
armour of ,god4  ,he speaketh generally 
of  armour1 but afterwards he speaketh  
particularly of the parts of armour1    
where he saith1 be armed complete1      
whole2 be armed on every part with the  
armour of ,god2 not borrowed1 nor       
patched1 but all godly4  ,and as armour 
setteth forth a man's body1 so this     
godly armour maketh us seemly in the    
sight of ,god1 and acceptable in his    
wars4    ,be ye therefore armed at all  

points with the armour of ,god1 that ye 
may  stand strongly against the assaults
 of the devil4  ,that ye may stand1     
saith he4  ,ye must stand in this       
battle1 and not sit1 nor lie along2 for 
he that lieth is trodden under foot of  
his enemy4  ,we may not sit1 that  is1  
not rest in sin1 or lie along in        
sluggishness of sin2 but continually    
fight against our enemy1 and under our  
great ,captain and ,sovereign ,lord     
,jesus ,christ1 and in his quarrel1     
armed with the armour of ,god1 that we  
may be strong4  ,we cannot be strong    
unless we be armed of ,god4  ,we have   
no power of ourselves to stand against  
the assaults of the devil4  ,there  ,st4
 ,paul teacheth what our battle is1 and 
wherefore we must be thus  armed4       
,for1 saith he1 we have not wrestling or
 strife against flesh and blood3  which 
may be understood1 against certain sins1
 which come of the flesh  only2 but let 
us take it as it standeth1 against flesh
 and blood1 that  is1 against any       

corporal man1 which is but a weak thing 
in comparison1  and with one stroke     
destroyed or slain3 but we have to do   
with strong1  mighty princes and        
potentates2 that mighty prince1 that    
great conqueror  of this world1 the     
devil1 yea a conqueror3 for though our  
,saviour ,jesus  ,christ conquered him  
and all his1 by suffering his blessed   
passion1 yet  is he a great conqueror in
 this world1 and reigneth over a great  
multitude of his own1 and maketh        
continual conflicts and assaults against
  the rest1 to subdue them also under   
his power2 which1 if they be armed      
after ,st4 ,paul's teaching1 shall stand
 strongly against his assaults4  ,our   
battle1 saith ,st4 ,paul1 is against    
princes1 potestates1 that is1  against  
devils3 for1 after the common opinion1  
there fell from heaven of  every order  
of angels1 as of potentates4  ,he saith 
also1 against worldly  rulers of these  
darknesses3 for1 as doctors do write1   
the spirits that  fell with ,lucifer    

have their being in aere caliginoso1 the
 air1 in  darkness1 and the rulers of   
this world1 by ,god's sufferance1 to    
hurt1 vex  and assault them that live   
upon the earth4  ,for their nature is1  
as they  be damned1 to desire to draw   
all mankind unto like damnation2 such is
  their malice4  ,and though they hang  
in the air1 or fall in a garden or      
other pleasant place1 yet have they     
continually their pain upon their       
backs4  ,against these we wrestle1 and  
against spiritual wickedness in         
coelestibus1 that is1 in the air2 or we 
fight against spiritual  wickedness in  
heavenly things4    ,think you not that 
this our enemy1 this prince with all his
 potentates1  hath great and sore       
assaults to lay against our armour8     
,yea1 he is a  crafty warrior1 and also 
of great power in this world2 he hath   
great  ordnance and artillery2 he hath  
great pieces of ordnance1 as mighty     
kings  and emperors1 to shoot against   
,god's people1 to persecute or kill     

them2  ,nero1 the great tyrant1 who slew
 ,paul1 and divers other4  ,yea1 what   
great  pieces hath he had of bishops of 
,rome1 which have destroyed whole cities
  and countries1 and have slain and     
burnt many6  ,what great guns were      
those6    ,yea1 he hath also less       
ordnance evil enough1 7they may be      
called  serpentines27 some bishops in   
divers countries1 and here in ,england1 
which he hath shot at some good         
christian men1 that they have been blown
  to ashes4  ,so can this great captain1
 the devil1 shoot his ordnance4  ,he    
hath yet less ordnance1 for he hath of  
all sorts to shoot at good  christian   
men2 he hath hand-guns and bows1 which  
do much hurt1 but not so  much as the   
great ordnance4  ,these be accusers1    
promoters1 and  slanderers2 they be evil
 ordnance1 shrewd hand-guns1 and bows2  
they put a  man to great displeasure2   
oftentimes death cometh upon that shot4 
,for  these things1 saith the text1 take
 the armour of ,god4  ,against the      

great captains1 the devils1 and against 
their artillery1 their ministers1  there
 can nothing defend us but the armour of
 ,god4    ,take therefore this armour1  
saith the text1 that ye may resist in   
the  evil day1 and in all things stand  
perfectly1 or be perfectly strong4      
,this evil day is not so called here1   
because any day or time is evil2 for    
,god made every day good1 and all days  
be good3 but ,st4 ,paul calleth it  the 
evil day1 because of the misfortune that
 chanceth or cometh in that  day4  ,as  
we have a common saying1 ,i have had an 
evil day1 and an evil  night1 because of
 the heaviness or evil that hath        
happened2 so saith  ,paul1 that ye may  
resist in the evil day3 that is1 when   
your great  adversary hath compassed you
 round about with his potestates and    
rulers1  and with his artillery1 so that
 you be almost overcome1 then1 if you   
have  the armour of ,god1 you shall be  
strong1 and need not to fear his        
assaults4    ,st4 ,paul hath spoken of  

this armour of ,god generally1 and now  
declareth  the parts and pieces of      
armour2 and teacheth them how to apparel
 every  part of the body with this      
armour4  ,he beginneth yet again1       
saying1 ,be  strong1 having your reins1 
or your loins girded about4  ,some men  
of war  use to have about their loins an
 apron or girdle of mail1 gird fast for 
the safeguard of the nether part of     
their body4  ,so ,st4 ,paul would we    
should gird our loins1 which betokeneth 
lechery or other sinfulness1 with  a    
girdle1 which is to be taken for a      
restraint or continence from such       
vices4  ,in truth1 or truly gird3 it may
 not be feigned1 or falsely  girt1 but  
in verity and truth4  ,there be many    
bachelors1 as yet men  unmarried1 which 
seem to be girt with the girdle of      
continence1 and yet  it is not in truth1
 it is but feignedly4  ,and some        
religious persons make  a profession of 
continence or chastity1 and yet not in  
truth1 their  hearts be not truly       

chaste4  ,such feigned girding of the   
loins cannot  make a man strong to      
resist the assaults of the great captain
 or enemy in  the evil day4  ,yet some  
get them girdles with great knots1 as   
though they  would be surely girt1 and  
as though they would break the devil's  
head  with their knotted girdles4  ,nay1
 he will not be so overcome3 it is no   
knot of an hempton girdle that he       
feareth2 that is no piece of harness of 
the armour of ,god1 which may resist the
 assault in the evil day2 it is  but    
feigned gear2 it must be in the heart1  
c4    ,and be ye apparelled or clothed1 
saith ,paul1 with the habergeon or      
coat-armour of justice1 that is1        
righteousness4  ,let your body be       
clothed in the armour of righteousness3 
ye may do no wrong to any man1  but live
 in righteousness2 not clothed with any 
false quarrel or privy  grudge4  ,ye    
must live rightly in ,god's law1        
following his commandments  and         
doctrine1 clothed righteously in his    

armour1 and not in any feigned  armour1 
as in a friar's coat or cowl4  ,for the 
assaults of the devil be  crafty to make
 us put our trust in such armour1 he    
will feign himself to  fly2 but then we 
be most in jeopardy3 for he can give us 
an after-clap  when we least ween2 that 
is1 suddenly return unawares to us1 and 
then he  giveth us an after-clap that   
overthroweth us3 this armour deceiveth  
us4    ,in like manner these men in the 
,north country1 they make pretence as   
though they were armed in ,god's armour1
 gird in truth1 and clothed in          
righteousness4  ,i hear say they wear   
the cross and the wounds before and     
behind1 and they pretend much truth to  
the king's grace and to the             
commonwealth1 when they intend nothing  
less2 and deceive the poor  ignorant    
people1 and bring them to fight against 
both the king1 the  church1 and the     
commonwealth4    ,they arm them with the
 sign of the cross and of the wounds1   
and go clean  contrary to him that bare 

the cross1 and suffered those wounds4   
,they  rise with the king1 and fight    
against the king in his ministers and   
officers2 they rise with the church1 and
 fight against the church1 which  is the
 congregation of faithful men2 they rise
 for the commonwealth1 and  fight       
against it1 and go about to make the    
commons each to kill other1  and to     
destroy the commonwealth4  ,lo1 what    
false pretence can the devil  send      
amongst us8  ,it is one of his most     
crafty and subtle assaults1 to  send his
 warriors forth under the badge of ,god1
 as though they were armed  in          
righteousness and justice4    ,but if we
 will resist strongly indeed1 we must he
 clothed or armed with  the habergeon of
 very justice or righteousness2 in true 
obedience to our  prince1 and faithful  
love to our neighbours2 and take no     
false quarrels  in hand1 nor any feigned
 armour2 but in justice1 having your    
feet shod  for the preparation of the   
gospel of peace4    ,lo1 what manner of 

battle this warrior ,st4 ,paul teacheth 
us1 to be shod  on our feet1 that we may
 go readily and prepare way for the     
gospel2 yea1  the gospel of peace1 not  
of rebellion1 not of insurrection3 no1  
it  teacheth obedience1 humility1 and   
quietness2 it maketh peace in the       
conscience1 and teacheth true faith in  
,jesus ,christ1 and to walk in ,god's   
laws armed with ,god's armour1 as ,paul 
teacheth here4  ,yea1 if bishops in     
,england had been shod for the          
preparation of this gospel1 and had     
endeavoured themselves to teach and set 
it forth1 as our most noble  prince hath
 devised2 and if certain gentlemen1     
being justices1 had  executed his       
grace's commandment1 in setting forth   
this gospel of peace1  this disturbance 
among the people had not happened4      
,but ye say1 it is new learning4  ,now  
,i tell you it is the old learning4     
,yea1 ye say1 it is old heresy new      
scoured4  ,nay1 ,i tell you it is old   
truth1 long rusted with your canker1 and

 now new made bright and scoured4  ,what
 a rusty truth is this1 ,quodcumque     
ligaveris1 ,whatsoever thou  bindest1 c4
  ,this is a truth spoken to the        
apostles1 and all true  preachers their 
successors1 that with the law of ,god   
they should bind and  condemn all that  
sinned2 and whosoever did repent1 they  
should declare  him loosed and forgiven1
 by believing in the blood of ,christ4  
,but how  hath this truth over-rusted   
with the pope's rust8  ,for he1 by this 
text1  ,whatsoever thou bindeth1 hath   
taken upon him to make what laws him    
listed1 clean contrary unto ,god's word1
 which willeth that every man  should   
obey the prince's law3 and by this text1
 ,whatsoever thou  loosest1 he hath made
 all people believe that1 for money1 he 
might  forgive what and whom he lusted2 
so that if any man had robbed his       
master1 or taken anything wrongfully1   
the pope would loose him1 by this       
pardon or that pardon1 given to these   
friars or those friars1 put in this  box

 or that box4  ,and1 as it were1 by     
these means a dividend of the spoil  was
 made1 so that it was not restored1 nor 
the person rightly discharged2  and yet 
most part of the spoil came to the hands
 of him and his  ministers4  ,what is   
this but a new learning2 a new canker to
 rust and  corrupt the old truth8  ,ye  
call your learning old3 it may indeed be
  called old1 for it cometh of that     
serpent which did pervert ,god's        
commandment and beguiled ,eve2 so it is 
an old custom to pervert ,god's  word1  
and to rust it1 and corrupt it4    ,we  
be a great many that profess to be true 
ministers of the gospel2 but  at the    
trial ,i think it will come to pass as  
it did with ,gideon1 a duke1  which ,god
 raised up to deliver the children of   
,israel from the  ,midianites1 in whose 
hands they were fallen1 because they had
 broken  ,god's commandment1 and        
displeased ,god3 yet at the length he   
had  compassion on them1 and raised up  
,gideon to deliver them4  ,when they    

heard that they had a captain1 or a     
duke1 that should deliver them1 they    
assembled a great number1 about thirty  
thousand3 but when it came to pass  that
 they should fight1 they departed all   
save five hundred4  ,so1 ,i fear  me1   
that at the trial we shall be found but 
a few ministers of the true  gospel of  
peace1 and armed in the true armour of  
,god4    ,it followeth1 ,and in all     
things take the shield or buckler of    
faith4  ,the buckler is a thing         
wherewith a man most chiefly defendeth  
himself3  and that must be perfect faith
 in ,jesus ,christ1 in our ,captain1 and
 in  his word4  ,it must also be a true 
faith1 it is else no part of the armour 
of ,god3 it may not be feigned1 but a   
buckler1 which may stop or quench  the  
violence of the flaming darts of the    
most wicked4    ,take also the helmet or
 head-piece of health1 or true health in
 ,jesus  ,christ2 for there is no health
 in any other name3 not the health of a 
grey friar's coat1 or the health of this

 pardon or that pardon2 that were  a    
false helmet1 and should not defend the 
violence of the wicked4    ,and the     
sword of the ,spirit1 which is the word 
of ,god4  ,lo1 ,st4 ,paul  teacheth you 
battle2 to take in your left hand the   
shield of faith1 to  defend and bear off
 the darts of the devil1 and in the     
other hand a sword  to strike with      
against the enemy3 for a good man of war
 may not stand  against1 and defend     
only1 but also strike against his enemy4
  ,so ,st4 ,paul  giveth us here a      
sword1 ,the word of ,god4  ,for this    
sword is it that  beateth this great    
captain1 our enemy4  ,christ himself    
gave us ensample  to fight with this    
sword2 for he answered the devil with   
the scripture1  and said1 ,it is        
written4  ,with this sword he drave away
 the devil3 and  so let us break his    
head with this sword1 the true word of  
,god1 and not  with any word of the     
bishop of ,rome's making2 not with his  
old learning1  nor his new learning1 but

 with the pure word of ,god4    ,the    
time passeth3 ,i will therefore make an 
end4  ,let us fight manfully1  and not  
cease2 for no man is crowned or rewarded
 but in the end4  ,we must  therefore   
fight continually1 and with this sword2 
and thus armed1 and we  shall receive   
the reward of victory4  ,and thus the   
grace of our ,lord  ,jesus ,christ be   
with all your spirits4  ,amen4          
,,the ,,sermon ,,that ,,the ,,reverend  
,,father ,,in ,,christ1 ,m4 ,,hugh      
,,latimer1 ,,bishop ,,of  ,,worcester1  
,,made ,,to ,,the ,,convocation ,,of    
,,the ,,clergy1 ,,before ,,the          
,,parliament  ,,began1 ,,the #i ,,day   
,,of ,,june1 ,,the #bh ,,year ,,of ,,the
 ,,reign ,,of ,,our ,,late ,,king       
,,henry  ,,the #h4  ,,translated ,,out  
,,of ,,latin ,,into ,,english1 ,,to     
,,the ,,intent ,,that ,,things  ,,well  
,,said ,,to ,a ,,few ,,may ,,be         
,,understood ,,of ,,many1 ,,and ,,do    
,,good ,,to ,,all ,,them  ,,that        
,,desire ,,to ,,understand ,,the        

,,truth4         ,filii hujus seculi1   
c4--,luc4 xvi4    ,brethren1 ye be come 
together this day1 as far as ,i         
perceive1 to hear of  great and weighty 
matters4  ,ye be come together to       
entreat of things that  most appertain  
to the commonwealth4  ,this being thus1 
ye look1 ,i am  assured1 to hear of me1 
which am commanded to make as a preface 
this  exhortation1 7albeit ,i am        
unlearned and far unworthy17 such things
 as  shall be much meet for this your   
assembly4  ,i therefore1 not only very  
desirous to obey the commandment of our 
,primate1 but also right greatly        
coveting to serve and satisfy all your  
expectation2 lo1 briefly1 and as        
plainly as ,i can1 will speak of matters
 both worthy to be heard in your        
congregation1 and also of such as best  
shall become mine office in this  place4
  ,that ,i may do this the more         
commodiously1 ,i have taken that        
notable sentence in which our ,lord was 
not afraid to pronounce the  children of

 this world to be much more prudent and 
politic than the  children of light in  
their generation4  ,neither will ,i be  
afraid1  trusting that he will aid and  
guide me to use this sentence1 as a good
  ground and foundation of all such     
things1 as hereafter ,i shall speak of4 
,now1 ,i suppose that you see right     
well1 being men of such learning1 for   
what purpose the ,lord said this1 and   
that ye have no need to be holpen  with 
any part of my labour in this thing4    
,but yet1 if ye will pardon me1  ,i will
 wade somewhat deeper in this matter1   
and as nigh as ,i can1 fetch  it from   
the first original beginning4  ,for     
undoubtedly1 ye may much  marvel at this
 saying1 if ye well ponder both what is 
said1 and who saith  it4  ,define me    
first these three things3 what prudence 
is2 what the  world2 what light2 and who
 be the children of the world2 who of   
the  light3 see what they signify in    
scripture4  ,i marvel if by and by ye   
all  agree1 that the children of the    

world should be wiser than the children 
of the light4  ,to come somewhat nigher 
the matter1 thus the ,lord  beginneth3  
,there was a certain rich man that had a
 steward1 which was accused     unto him
 that he had dissipated and wasted his  
goods4  ,this rich man     called his   
steward to him and said1 ,what is this  
that ,i hear of thee8     ,come1 make me
 an account of thy stewardship2 thou    
mayest no longer     bear this office4  
,brethren1 because these words are so   
spoken in a parable1 and are so  wrapped
 in wrinkles1 that yet they seem to have
 a face and a similitude  of a thing    
done indeed1 and like an history1 ,i    
think it much profitable  to tarry      
somewhat in them4  ,and though we may   
perchance find in our  hearts to believe
 all that is there spoken to be true2   
yet ,i doubt  whether we may abide it1  
that these words of ,christ do pertain  
unto us1  and admonish us of our duty1  
which do and live after such sort1 as   
though  ,christ1 when he spake any      

thing1 had1 as the time served him1     
served his  turn1 and not regarded the  
time that came after him1 neither       
provided for  us1 or any matters of     
ours2 as some of the philosophers       
thought1 which  said1 that ,god walked  
up and down in heaven1 and thinketh     
never a deal of  our affairs4  ,but1 my 
good brethren1 err not you so2 stick not
 you to  such your imaginations4  ,for  
if ye inwardly behold these words1 if ye
  diligently roll them in your minds1   
and after explicate and open them1 ye   
shall see our time much touched in these
 mysteries4  ,ye shall perceive  that   
,god by this example shaketh us by the  
noses and pulleth us by the  ears4  ,ye 
shall perceive very plain1 that ,god    
setteth before our eyes in  this        
similitude what we ought most to flee1  
and what we ought soonest to  follow4   
,for ,luke saith1 ,the ,lord spake these
 words to his disciples4  ,wherefore let
 it be out of all doubt that he spake   
them to us1 which even  as we will be   

counted the successors and vicars of    
,christ's disciples1 so  we be1 if we be
 good dispensers and do our duty4  ,he  
said these things  partly to us1 which  
spake them partly of himself4  ,for he  
is that rich  man1 which not only had1  
but hath1 and shall have evermore1 ,i   
say not  one1 but many stewards1 even to
 the end of the world4    ,he is man1   
seeing that he is ,god and man4  ,he is 
rich1 not only in mercy  but in all kind
 of riches2 for it is he that giveth to 
us all things  abundantly4  ,it is he of
 whose hand we received both our lives1 
and other  things necessary for the     
conservation of the same4  ,what man    
hath any  thing1 ,i pray you1 but he    
hath received it of his plentifulness8  
,to be  short1 it is he that openeth his
 hand1 and filleth all beasts with his  
blessing1 and giveth unto us in most    
ample wise his benediction4  ,neither   
his treasure can be spent1 how much     
soever he lash out2 how much soever  we 
take of him1 his treasure tarrieth      

still1 ever taken1 never spent4    ,he  
is also the good man of the house3 the  
church is his household which  ought    
with all diligence to be fed with his   
word and his sacraments4  ,these be his 
goods most precious1 the dispensation   
and administration  whereof he would    
bishops and curates should have4  ,which
 thing ,st4 ,paul  affirmeth1 saying1   
,let men esteem us as the ministers of  
,christ1 and  dispensers of ,god's      
mysteries4  ,but1 ,i pray you1 what is  
to be looked  for in a dispenser8  ,this
 surely1 ,that he be found faithful1 and
 that  he truly dispense1 and lay out   
the goods of the ,lord2 that he give    
meat  in time2 give it1 ,i say1 and not 
sell it2 meat1 ,i say1 and not poison4  
,for the one doth intoxicate and slay   
the eater1 the other feedeth and        
nourisheth him4  ,finally1 let him not  
slack and defer the doing of his        
office1 but let him do his duty when    
time is1 and need requireth it4  ,this  
is also to be looked for1 that he be one

 whom ,god hath called and put in       
office1 and not one that cometh         
uncalled1 unsent for2 not one that of   
himself presumeth to take honour upon   
him4  ,and surely1 if all this that  ,i 
say be required in a good minister1 it  
is much lighter to require them  all in 
every one1 than to find one any where   
that hath them all4  ,who is  a true and
 faithful steward8  ,he is true1 he is  
faithful1 that cometh no  new money1 but
 taketh it ready coined of the good man 
of the house2 and  neither changeth it1 
nor clippeth it1 after it is taken to   
him to spend1  but spendeth even the    
self-same that he had of his ,lord1 and 
spendeth it  as his ,lord's commandment 
is2 neither to his own vantage uttering 
it1 nor  as the lewd servant did1 hiding
 it in the ground4  ,brethren1 if a     
faithful steward ought to do as ,i have 
said1 ,i pray you1 ponder and  examine  
this well1 whether our bishops and      
abbots1 prelates and curates1  have been
 hitherto faithful stewards or no8      

,ponder1 whether yet many of  them be as
 they should be or no8  ,go ye to1 tell 
me now as your  conscience leadeth you  
7,i will let pass to speak of many      
other71 was  there not some1 that       
despising the money of the ,lord1 as    
copper and not  current1 either coined  
new themselves1 or else uttered abroad  
newly  coined of other2 sometime either 
adulterating the word of ,god or else   
mingling it 7as taverners do1 which brew
 and utter the evil and good both  in   
one pot71 sometime in the stead of      
,god's word blowing out the dreams  of  
men8 while they thus preached to the    
people the redemption that cometh  by   
,christ's death to serve only them that 
died before his coming1 that  were in   
the time of the old testament2 and that 
now since redemption and  forgiveness of
 sins purchased by money1 and devised by
 men is of  efficacy1 and not redemption
 purchased by ,christ 7they have a      
wonderful  pretty example to persuade   
this thing1 of a certain married woman1 

which1  when her husband was in         
purgatory1 in that fiery furnace that   
hath burned  away so many of our pence1 
paid her husband's ransom1 and so of    
duty  claimed him to be set at liberty73
 while they thus preached to the        
people1 that dead images 7which at the  
first1 as ,i think1 were set up1  only  
to represent things absent7 not only    
ought to be covered with gold1  but also
 ought of all faithful and christian    
people 7yea1 in this  scarceness and    
penury of all things71 to be clad with  
silk garments1 and  those also laden    
with precious gems and jewels2 and that 
beside all this1  they are to be lighted
 with wax candles1 both within the      
church and  without the church1 yea1 and
 at noon days2 as who should say1 here  
no  cost can be too great2 whereas in   
the mean time we see ,christ's faithful 
and lively images1 bought with no less  
price than with his most precious  blood
 7alas1 alas67 to be an hungred1        
a-thirst1 a-cold1 and to lie in         

darkness1 wrapped in all wretchedness1  
yea1 to lie there till death take  away 
their miseries3 while they preached     
these will-works1 that come but  of our 
own devotion1 although they be not so   
necessary as the works of  mercy1 and   
the precepts of ,god1 yet they said1 and
 in the pulpit1 that  will-works were   
more principal1 more excellent1 and     
7plainly to utter  what they mean7 more 
acceptable to ,god than works of mercy2 
as though now  man's inventions and     
fancies could please ,god better than   
,god's precepts1  or strange things     
better than his own3 while they thus    
preached that more  fruit1 more devotion
 cometh of the beholding of an image1   
though it be  but a ,pater-noster while1
 than is gotten by reading and          
contemplation in  scripture1 though ye  
read and contemplate therein seven      
years' space3  finally1 while they      
preached thus1 souls tormented in       
purgatory to have  most need of our     
help1 and that they can have no aid1 but

 of us in this  world3 of the which two1
 if the one be not false1 yet at the    
least it is  ambiguous1 uncertain1      
doubtful1 and therefore rashly and      
arrogantly with  such boldness affirmed 
in the audience of the people2 the      
other1 by all  men's opinions1 is       
manifestly false3 ,i let pass to speak  
of much other  such like counterfeit    
doctrine1 which hath been blasted and   
blown out by  some for the space of     
three hours together4  ,be these the    
,christian and  divine mysteries1 and   
not rather the dreams of men8  ,be these
 the  faithful dispensers of ,god's     
mysteries1 and not rather false         
dissipators  of them8 whom ,god never   
put in office1 but rather the devil set 
them over  a miserable family1 over an  
house miserably ordered and entreated4  
,happy  were the people if such preached
 seldom4    ,and yet it is a wonder to  
see these1 in their generation1 to be   
much more  prudent and politic than the 
faithful ministers are in their         

generation2  while they go about more   
prudently to stablish men's dreams1 than
 these  do to hold up ,god's            
commandments4    ,thus it cometh to pass
 that works lucrative1 will-works1 men's
 fancies  reign2 but christian works1   
necessary works1 fruitful works1 be     
trodden  under the foot4  ,thus the evil
 is much better set out by evil men1    
than  the good by good men2 because the 
evil be more wise than be the good in   
their generation4  ,these be the false  
stewards1 whom all good and  faithful   
men every day accuse unto the rich      
master of the household1 not  without   
great heaviness1 that they waste his    
goods2 whom he also one day  will call  
to him1 and say to them as he did to his
 steward1 when he said1  ,what is this  
that ,i hear of thee8  ,here ,god partly
 wondereth at our  ingratitude and      
perfidy1 partly chideth us for them2 and
 being both full  of wonder and ready to
 chide1 asketh us1 ,what is this that ,i
 hear of  you8  ,as though he should say

 unto us1 ,all good men in all places   
complain of you1 accuse your avarice1   
your exactions1 your tyranny4  ,they    
have required in you a long season1 and 
yet require1 diligence and  sincerity4  
,i commanded you1 that with all industry
 and labour ye should  feed my sheep3 ye
 earnestly feed yourselves from day to  
day1 wallowing in  delights and         
idleness4  ,i commanded you to teach my 
commandments1 and not  your fancies2 and
 that ye should seek my glory and my    
vantage3 you teach  your own traditions1
 and seek your own glory and profit4    
,you preach very  seldom2 and when ye do
 preach1 do nothing but cumber them that
 preach  truly1 as much as lieth in you3
 that it were much better such were not 
to  preach at all1 than so perniciously 
to preach4  ,oh1 what hear ,i of you8   
,you1 that ought to be my preachers1    
what other thing do you1 than apply  all
 your study hither1 to bring all my     
preachers to envy1 shame1  contempt8    
,yea1 more than this1 ye pull them into 

perils1 into prisons1  and1 as much as  
in you lieth1 to cruel deaths4  ,to be  
short1 ,i would that  christian people  
should hear my doctrine1 and at their   
convenient leisure  read it also1 as    
many as would3 your care is not that all
 men may hear  it1 but all your care is1
 that no lay man do read it3 surely1    
being  afraid lest they by the reading  
should understand it1 and understanding1
  learn to rebuke our slothfulness4     
,this is your generation1 this is your  
dispensation1 this is your wisdom4  ,in 
this generation1 in this  dispensation1 
you be most politic1 most witty4  ,these
 be the things that  ,i hear of your    
demeanour4  ,i wished to hear better    
report of you4  ,have  ye thus deceived 
me8 or have ye rather deceived          
yourselves8  ,where ,i had  but one     
house1 that is to say1 the church1 and  
this so dearly beloved of  me1 that for 
the love of her ,i put myself forth to  
be slain1 and to shed  my blood2 this   
church at my departure ,i committed unto

 your charge1 to be  fed1 to be         
nourished1 and to be made much of4  ,my 
pleasure was ye should  occupy my place2
 my desire was ye should have borne like
 love to this  church1 like fatherly    
affection1 as ,i did3 ,i made you my    
vicars1 yea1 in  matters of most        
importance4    ,for thus ,i taught      
openly3 ',he that should hear you1      
should hear me2 he  that should despise 
you1 should despise me4'  ,i gave you   
also keys1 not  earthly keys1 but       
heavenly4  ,i left my goods that ,i have
 evermore most  highly esteemed1 that   
is1 my word and sacraments1 to be       
dispensed of you4  ,these benefits ,i   
gave you1 and do you give me these      
thanks8  ,can you find  in your hearts  
thus to abuse my goodness1 my benignity1
 my gentleness8  ,have you thus deceived
 me8  ,no1 no1 ye have not deceived me1 
but  yourselves4  ,my gifts and benefits
 towards you shall be to your greater   
damnation4  ,because you have contemned 
the lenity and clemency of the  master  

of the house1 ye have right well        
deserved to abide the rigour and        
severity of the judge4  ,come forth     
then1 let us see an account of your     
stewardship4  ,an horrible and fearful  
sentence3 ,ye may have no longer my     
goods in your hands4  ,a voice to weep  
at1 and to make men tremble6    ,you    
see1 brethren1 you see1 what evil the   
evil stewards must come to4  ,your      
labour is paid for1 if ye can so take   
heed1 that no such sentence be  spoken  
to you2 nay1 we must all take heed lest 
these threatenings one day  take place  
in us4  ,but lest the length of my      
sermon offend you too sore1  ,i will    
leave the rest of the parable and take  
me to the handling of the  end of it2   
that is1 ,i will declare unto you how   
the children of this  world be more     
witty1 crafty1 and subtle1 than are the 
children of the  light in their         
generation4  ,which sentence would ,god 
it lay in my poor  tongue to explicate  
with such light of words1 that ,i might 

seem rather to  have painted it before  
your eyes1 than to have spoken it2 and  
that you  might rather seem to see the  
thing1 than to hear it6  ,but ,i confess
  plainly this thing to be far above my 
power4  ,therefore this being only  left
 to me1 ,i wish for that ,i have not1   
and am sorry that that is not in  me    
which ,i would so gladly have1 that is1 
power so to handle the thing  that ,i   
have in hand1 that all that ,i say may  
turn to the glory of ,god1  your souls' 
health1 and the edifying of ,christ's   
body4  ,wherefore ,i pray  you all to   
pray with me unto ,god1 and that in your
 petition you desire1  that these two   
things he vouchsafe to grant us1 first1 
a mouth for me to  speak rightly2 next1 
ears for you1 that in hearing me ye may 
take profit  at my hand3 and that this  
may come to effect1 you shall desire    
him1 unto  whom our master ,christ bad  
we should pray1 saying even the same    
prayer  that he himself did institute4  
,wherein ye shall pray for our most     

gracious sovereign lord the king1 chief 
and supreme head of the church of       
,england under ,christ1 and for the most
 excellent1 gracious1 and virtuous  lady
 queen ,jane1 his most lawful wife1 and 
for all his1 whether they be  of the    
clergy or laity1 whether they be of the 
nobility1 or else other  his grace's    
subjects1 not forgetting those that     
being departed out of  this transitory  
life1 and now sleep in the sleep of     
peace1 and rest from  their labours in  
quietness and peaceable sleep1          
faithfully1 lovingly1 and  patiently    
looking for that that they clearly shall
 see when ,god shall be  so pleased4    
,for all these1 and for grace necessary1
 ye shall say unto  ,god ,god's prayer1 
,pater-noster4        ,,the ,,second    
,,sermon1 ,,in ,,the ,,afternoon4       
,filii hujus seculi1 c4--,luc4 xvi4 #h4 
,christ in this saying touched the sloth
 and sluggishness of his1 and did  not  
allow the fraud and subtlety of others2 
neither was glad that it was  indeed as 

he had said1 but complained rather that 
it should be so3 as  many men speak many
 things1 not that they ought to be so1  
but that they  are wont to be so4  ,nay1
 this grieved ,christ1 that the children
 of this  world should be of more policy
 than the children of light2 which thing
  was true in ,christ's time1 and now in
 our time is most true4  ,who is so     
blind but he seeth this clearly2 except 
perchance there be any that  cannot     
discern the children of the world from  
the children of light8  ,the  children  
of the world conceive and bring forth   
more prudently2 and things  conceived   
and brought forth they nourish and      
conserve with much more  policy than do 
the children of light4  ,which thing is 
as sorrowful to be  said1 as it seemeth 
absurd to be heard4  ,when ye hear the  
children of the  world1 you understand  
the world as a father4  ,for the world  
is father of  many children1 not by the 
first creation and work1 but by         
imitation of  love4  ,he is not only a  

father1 but also the son of another     
father4  ,if  ye know once his father1  
by and by ye shall know his children4   
,for he  that hath the devil to his     
father1 must needs have devilish        
children4  ,the  devil is not only taken
 for father1 but also for prince of the 
world1  that is1 of worldly folk4  ,it  
is either all one thing1 or else not    
much  different1 to say1 children of the
 world1 and children of the devil2      
according to that that ,christ said to  
the ,jews1 ,ye are of your father  the  
devil3 where as undoubtedly he spake to 
children of this world4  ,now  seeing   
the devil is both author and ruler of   
the darkness1 in the which  the children
 of this world walk1 or1 to say better1 
wander2 they mortally  hate both the    
light1 and also the children of light4  
,and hereof it  cometh1 that the        
children of light never1 or very seldom1
 lack  persecution in this world1 unto  
which the children of the world1 that   
is1  of the devil1 bringeth them4  ,and 

there is no man but he seeth1 that      
these use much more policy in procuring 
the hurt and damage of the good1  than  
those in defending themselves4          
,therefore1 brethren1 gather you the    
disposition and study of the children by
 the disposition and study of the       
fathers4  ,ye know this is a proverb    
much used3 ,an evil crow1 an evil  egg4 
,then the children of this world that   
are known to have so evil a  father1 the
 world1 so evil a grandfather1 the      
devil1 cannot choose but be  evil4      
,surely the first head of their ancestry
 was the deceitful serpent  the devil1 a
 monster monstrous above all monsters4  
,i cannot wholly  express him1 ,i wot   
not what to call him1 but a certain     
thing altogether  made of the hatred of 
,god1 of mistrust in ,god1 of lyings1   
deceits1  perjuries1 discords1          
manslaughters2 and1 to say at one word1 
a thing  concrete1 heaped up and made of
 all kind of mischief4  ,but what the   
devil  mean ,i to go about to describe  

particularly the devil's nature1 when no
  reason1 no power of man's mind can    
comprehend it8  ,this alonely ,i can say
  grossly1 and as in a sum1 of the which
 all we 7our hurt is the more7 have     
experience1 the devil to be a stinking  
sentine of all vices2 a foul  filthy    
channel of all mischiefs2 and that this 
world1 his son1 even a  child meet to   
have such a parent1 is not much unlike  
his father4    ,then1 this devil being  
such one as can never be unlike himself2
 lo1 of  ,envy1 his well-beloved ,leman1
 he begat the ,world1 and after left it 
with  ,discord at nurse2 which ,world1  
after that it came to man's state1 had  
of  many concubines many sons4  ,he was 
so fecund a father1 and had gotten so   
many children of ,lady ,pride1 ,dame    
,gluttony1 ,mistress ,avarice1 ,lady    
,lechery1 and of ,dame ,subtlety1 that  
now hard and scant ye may find any      
corner1 any kind of life1 where many of 
his children be not4  ,in court1  in    
cowls1 in cloisters1 in rochets1 be they

 never so white2 yea1 where  shall ye   
not find them8  ,howbeit1 they that be  
secular and laymen1 are  not by and by  
children of the world2 nor they children
 of light1 that are  called spiritual1  
and of the clergy4  ,no1 no2 as ye may  
find among the  laity many children of  
light1 so among the clergy1 7how much   
soever we  arrogate these holy titles   
unto us1 and think them only attributed 
to us1  ,vos estis lux mundi1 peculium  
,christi1 c4  ,ye are the light of the  
world1 the chosen people of ,christ1 a  
kingly priesthood1 an holy nation1  and 
such other17 ye shall find many children
 of the world2 because in  all places   
the world getteth many children4  ,among
 the lay people the  world ceaseth not  
to bring to pass1 that as they be called
 wordly1 so  they are wordly indeed2    
driven headlong by worldly desires3     
insomuch that  they may right well seem 
to have taken as well the manners as the
 name of  their father4  ,in the clergy1
 the world also hath learned a way to   

make  of men spiritual1 worldlings2 yea1
 and there also to form worldly         
children1 where with great pretence of  
holiness1 and crafty colour of          
religion1 they utterly desire to hide   
and cloak the name of the world1 as     
though they were ashamed of their       
father2 which do execrate and detest    
the world 7being nevertheless their     
father7 in words and outward signs1  but
 in heart and work they coll and kiss   
him1 and in all their lives  declare    
themselves to be his babes2 insomuch    
that in all worldly points  they far    
pass and surmount those that they call  
seculars1 laymen1 men of  the world4    
,the child so diligently followeth the  
steps of his father1 is  never destitute
 of the aid of his grandfather4  ,these 
be our holy holy  men1 that say they are
 dead to the world1 when no men be more 
lively in  worldly things than some of  
them be4  ,but let them be in profession
 and  name most farthest from the world1
 most alienate from it2 yea1 so far1    

that they may seem to have no occupying1
 no kindred1 no affinity1 nothing  to do
 with it3 yet in their life and deeds   
they shew themselves no  bastards1 but  
right begotten children of the world2 as
 that which the  world long sithens had 
by his dear wife ,dame ,hypocrisy1 and  
since hath  brought them up and         
multiplied to more than a good many2    
increased them  too much1 albeit they   
swear by all he-saints and she-saints   
too1 that  they know not their father1  
nor mother1 neither the world1 nor      
hypocrisy2  as indeed they can semble   
and dissemble all things2 which thing   
they  might learn wonderful well of     
their parents4  ,i speak not of all     
religious men1 but of those that the    
world hath fast knit at his girdle1     
even in the midst of their religion1    
that is1 of many and more than many4    
,for ,i fear1 lest in all orders of men 
the better1 ,i must say the greater     
part of them be out of order1 and       
children of the world4  ,many of these  

might seem ingrate and unkind children1 
that will no better acknowledge  and    
recognise their parents in words and    
outward pretence1 but abrenounce  and   
cast them off1 as though they hated them
 as dogs and serpents4  ,howbeit they1  
in this wise1 are most grateful to their
 parents1 because  they be most like    
them1 so lively representing them in    
countenance and  conditions1 that their 
parents seem in them to be young again1 
forasmuch  as they ever say one thing   
and think another4  ,they shew          
themselves to be  as sober1 as          
temperate1 as ,curius the ,roman was1   
and live every day as  though all their 
life were a shroving time4  ,they be    
like their parents1  ,i say1 inasmuch as
 they1 in following them1 seem and make 
men believe  they hate them4  ,thus     
grandfather ,devil1 father ,world1 and  
mother  ,hypocrisy1 have brought them   
up4  ,thus good obedient sons have borne
 away  their parents' commandments2     
neither these be solitary1 how          

religious1  how mocking1 how monking1 ,i
 would say1 soever they be4    ,o ye    
will lay this to my charge1 that        
monachus and solitarius  signifieth all 
one4  ,i grant this to be so1 yet these 
be so solitary that  they be not alone1 
but accompanied with great flocks of    
fraternities4  ,and  ,i marvel if there 
be not a great sort of bishops and      
prelates1 that are  brethren germain    
unto these2 and as a great sort1 so even
 as right born1  and world's children by
 as good title as they4  ,but because ,i
 cannot  speak of all1 when ,i say      
prelates1 ,i understand bishops1 abbots1
 priors1  archdeacons1 deans1 and other 
of such sort1 that are now called to    
this  convocation1 as ,i see1 to entreat
 here of nothing but of such matters as 
both appertain to the glory of ,christ1 
and to the wealth of the people of      
,england4  ,which thing ,i pray ,god    
they do as earnestly as they ought to   
do4  ,but it is to be feared lest1 as   
light hath many her children here1  so  

the world hath sent some of his whelps  
hither2 amongst the which ,i  know there
 can be no concord nor unity1 albeit    
they be in one place1 in  one           
congregation4  ,i know there can be no  
agreement between these two1 as  long as
 they have minds so unlike1 and so      
contrary affections1 judgments  so      
utterly diverse in all points4  ,but if 
the children of this world be  either   
more in number1 or more prudent than the
 children of light1 what  then availeth 
us to have this convocation8  ,had it   
not been better we had  not been called 
together at all8  ,for as the children  
of this world be  evil1 so they breed   
and bring forth things evil2 and yet    
there be more of  them in all places1 or
 at the least they be more politic than 
the  children of light in their         
generation4  ,and here ,i speak of the  
generation whereby they do engender1 and
 not of that whereby they are           
engendered1 because it should be too    
long to entreat how the children of     

light are engendered1 and how they come 
in at the door2 and how the  children of
 the world be engendered1 and come in   
another way4  ,howbeit1 ,i  think all   
you that be here were not engendered    
after one generation1  neither that ye  
all came by your promotions after one   
manner3 ,god grant  that ye1 engendered 
worldly1 do not engender worldly3 and as
 now ,i much  pass not how ye were      
engendered1 or by what means ye were    
promoted to  those dignities that ye now
 occupy1 so it be honest1 good and      
profitable1  that ye in this your       
consultation shall do and engender4     
,the end of your convocation shall shew 
what ye have done2 the fruit that  shall
 come of your consultation shall shew   
what generation ye be of4  ,for  what   
have ye done hitherto1 ,i pray you1     
these seven years and more8  ,what  have
 ye engendered8  ,what have ye brought  
forth8  ,what fruit is come of  your    
long and great assembly8  ,what one     
thing that the people of ,england  hath 

been the better of a hair2 or you       
yourselves1 either more accepted  before
 ,god1 or better discharged toward the  
people committed unto your  cure8  ,for 
that the people is better learned and   
taught now1 than they  were in time     
past1 to whether of these ought we to   
attribute it1 to your  industry1 or to  
the providence of ,god1 and the         
foreseeing of the king's  grace6  ,ought
 we to thank you1 or the king's         
highness8  ,whether stirred  other      
first1 you the king1 that he might      
preach1 or he you by his  letters1 that 
ye should preach oftener8  ,is it       
unknown1 think you1 how  both ye and    
your curates were1 in a manner1 by      
violence enforced to let  books to be   
made1 not by you1 but by profane and lay
 persons2 to let  them1 ,i say1 be sold 
abroad1 and read for the instruction of 
the people8  ,i am bold with you1 but ,i
 speak ,latin and not ,english1 to the  
clergy1 not  to the laity2 ,i speak to  
you being present1 and not behind your  

backs4  ,god is my witness1 ,i speak    
whatsoever is spoken of the good-will   
that ,i  bear you2 ,god is my witness1  
which knoweth my heart1 and compelleth  
me to  say that ,i say4    ,now1 ,i pray
 you in ,god's name1 what did you1 so   
great fathers1 so many1  so long a      
season1 so oft assembled together8      
,what went you about8  ,what  would ye  
have brought to pass8  ,two things taken
 away--the one1 that ye  7which ,i      
heard7 burned a dead man2 the other1    
that ye 7which ,i felt7 went  about to  
burn one being alive3 him1 because he   
did1 ,i cannot tell how1 in  his        
testament withstand your profit2 in     
other points1 as ,i have heard1 a  very 
good man2 reported to be of an honest   
life while he lived1 full of  good      
works1 good both to the clergy1 and also
 to the laity3 this other1  which truly 
never hurt any of you1 ye would have    
raked in the coals1  because he would   
not subscribe to certain articles that  
took away the  supremacy of the         

king3--take away these two noble acts1  
and there is  nothing else left that ye 
went about1 that ,i know1 saving that ,i
 now  remember1 that somewhat ye        
attempted against ,erasmus1 albeit as   
yet  nothing is come to light4  ,ye have
 oft sat in consultation1 but what have 
ye done8  ,ye have had many things in   
deliberation1 but what one is put       
forth1 whereby either ,christ is more   
glorified1 or else ,christ's people     
made more holy ,i appeal to your own    
conscience4  ,how chanced this8  ,how   
came it thus8  ,because there were no   
children of light1 no children of  ,god 
amongst you1 which1 setting the world at
 nought1 would study to  illustrate the 
glory of ,god1 and thereby shew         
themselves children of  light8  ,i think
 not so1 certainly ,i think not so4     
,god forbid1 that all  you1 which were  
gathered together under the pretence of 
light1 should be  children of the world6
  ,then why happened this8  ,why1 ,i    
pray you8  ,perchance1 either because   

the children of the world were more in  
number  in this your congregation1 as it
 oft happeneth1 or at the least of more 
policy than the children of light in    
their generation3 whereby it might  very
 soon be brought to pass1 that these    
were much more stronger in  gendering   
the evil than these in producing the    
good4  ,the children of  light have     
policy1 but it is like the policy of the
 serpent1 and is  joined with doveish   
simplicity4  ,they engender nothing but 
simply1  faithfully1 and plainly1 even  
so doing all that they do4  ,and        
therefore  they may with more facility  
be cumbered in their engendering1 and be
 the  more ready to take injuries4  ,but
 the children of this world have worldly
  policy1 foxly craft1 lion-like        
cruelty1 power to do hurt1 more than    
either aspis or basiliscus1 engendering 
and doing all things  fraudulently1     
deceitfully1 guilefully3 which as       
,nimrods and such sturdy  and stout     
hunters1 being full of simulation and   

dissimulation before the  ,lord1 deceive
 the children of light1 and cumber them 
easily4  ,hunters go  not forth in every
 man's sight1 but do their affairs      
closely1 and with  use of guile and     
deceit wax every day more craftier than 
other4    ,the children of this world be
 like crafty hunters2 they be misnamed  
children of light1 forasmuch as they so 
hate light1 and so study to do  the     
works of darkness4  ,if they were the   
children of light1 they would  not love 
darkness4  ,it is no marvel that they go
 about to keep other in  darkness1      
seeing they be in darkness1 from top to 
toe overwhelmed with  darkness1 darker  
than is the darkness of hell4           
,wherefore it is well done  in all      
orders of men1 but especial in the order
 of prelates1 to put a  difference      
between children of light and children  
of the world1 because  great deceit     
ariseth in taking the one for the other4
  ,great imposture  cometh1 when they   
that the common people take for the     

light1 go about to  take the sun and the
 light out of the world4  ,but these be 
easily known1  both by the diversity of 
minds1 and also their armours4  ,for    
whereas the  children of light are thus 
minded1 that they seek their            
adversaries'  health1 wealth1 and       
profit1 with loss of their own          
commodities1 and  ofttimes with jeopardy
 of their life2 the children of the     
world1  contrariwise1 have such         
stomachs1 that they will sooner see them
 dead  that doth them good1 than sustain
 any loss of temporal things4  ,the     
armour of the children of light are1    
first1 the word of ,god1 which they     
ever set forth1 and with all diligence  
put it abroad1 that1 as much as in  them
 lieth1 it may bring forth fruit3 after 
this1 patience and prayer1  with the    
which in all adversities the ,lord      
comforteth them4  ,other things  they   
commit to ,god1 unto whom they leave all
 revengement4  ,the armour of  the      
children of the world are1 sometime     

frauds and deceits1 sometime lies  and  
money3 by the first they make their     
dreams1 their traditions2 by the  second
 they stablish and confirm their dreams1
 be they never so absurd1  never so     
against scripture1 honesty1 or reason4  
,and if any man resist  them1 even with 
these weapons they procure to slay him4 
,thus they bought  ,christ's death1 the 
very light itself1 and obscured him     
after his death3  thus they buy every   
day the children of light1 and obscure  
them1 and  shall so do1 until the world 
be at an end4  ,so that it may be ever  
true1  that ,christ said3 ,the children 
of the world be wiser1 c4    ,these     
worldlings pull down the lively faith1  
and full confidence that men  have in   
,christ1 and set up another faith1      
another confidence1 of their  own       
making3 the children of light contrary4 
,these worldlings set little  by such   
works as ,god hath prepared for our     
salvation1 but they extol  traditions   
and works of their own invention3 the   

children of light  contrary4  ,the      
worldlings1 if they spy profit1 gains1  
or lucre in any  thing1 be it never such
 a trifle1 be it never so pernicious1   
they preach  it to the people 7if they  
preach at any time71 and these things   
they  defend with tooth and nail4  ,they
 can scarce disallow the abuses of      
these1 albeit they be intolerable1 lest 
in disallowing the abuse they  lose part
 of their profit4  ,the children of the 
light contrary1 put all  things in their
 degree1 best highest1 next next1 the   
worst lowest4  ,they  extol things      
necessary1 ,christian1 and commanded of 
,god4  ,they pull down  will-works      
feigned by men1 and put them in their   
place4  ,the abuses of  all things they 
earnestly rebuke4  ,but yet these things
 be so done on  both parties1 and so    
they both do gender1 that the children  
of the world  shew themselves wiser than
 the children of light1 and that frauds 
and  deceits1 lies and money1 seem      
evermore to have the upper hand4  ,i    

hold my  peace2 ,i will not say how fat 
feasts1 and jolly banquets1 be jolly    
instruments to set forth worldly matters
 withal4  ,neither the children of  the 
world be only wiser than the children of
 light1 but are also some of  them among
 themselves much wiser than the other in
 their generation4  ,for  albeit1 as    
touching the end1 the generation of them
 all is one2 yet in  this same          
generation some of them have more       
craftily engendered than the  other of  
their fellows4    ,for what a thing was 
that1 that once every hundred year was  
brought forth  in ,rome of the children 
of this world1 and with how much policy 
it was  made1 ye heard at ,paul's ,cross
 in the beginning of the last           
parliament3  how some brought forth     
canonizations1 some expectations1 some  
pluralities  and unions1 some tot-quots 
and dispensations1 some pardons1 and    
these of  wonderful variety1 some       
stationaries1 some jubilaries1 some     
pocularies  for drinkers1 some manuaries

 for handlers of relicks1 some pedaries 
for  pilgrims1 some oscularies for      
kissers2 some of them engendered one1   
some  other such fetures1 and every one 
in that he was delivered of1 was        
excellent politic1 wise2 yea1 so wise1  
that with their wisdom they had  almost 
made all the world fools4    ,but yet   
they that begot and brought forth that  
our old ancient purgatory  pick-purse2  
that that was swaged and cooled with a  
,franciscan's cowl1 put  upon a dead    
man's back1 to the fourth part of his   
sins2 that that was  utterly to be      
spoiled1 and of none other but of our   
most prudent lord  ,pope1 and of him as 
oft as him listed2 that satisfactory1   
that missal1  that scalary3 they1 ,i    
say1 that were the wise fathers and     
genitors of  this purgatory1 were in my 
mind the wisest of all their generation1
 and  so far pass the children of light1
 and also the rest of their company1    
that they both are but fools1 if ye     
compare them with these4  ,it was a     

pleasant fiction1 and from the beginning
 so profitable to the feigners of  it1  
that almost1 ,i dare boldly say1 there  
hath been no emperor that hath  gotten  
more by taxes and tallages of them that 
were alive1 than these1  the very and   
right-begotten sons of the world1 got by
 dead men's tributes  and gifts4  ,if   
there be some in ,england1 that would   
this sweeting of the  world to be with  
no less policy kept still than it was   
born and brought  forth in ,rome1 who   
then can accuse ,christ of lying8  ,no1 
no2 as it hath  been ever true1 so it   
shall be1 that the children of the world
 be much  wiser1 not only in making     
their things1 but also in conserving    
them4  ,i  wot not what it is1 but      
somewhat it is ,i wot1 that some men be 
so loth to  see the abuse of this       
monster1 purgatory1 which abuse is more 
than  abominable3 as who should say1    
there is none abuse in it1 or else as   
though there can be none in it4  ,they  
may seem heartily to love the old       

thing1 that thus earnestly endeavour    
them to restore him his old name4  ,they
 would not set an hair by the name1 but 
for the thing4  ,they be not  so        
ignorant 7no1 they be crafty71 but that 
they know if the name come  again1 the  
thing will come after4  ,thereby it     
ariseth1 that some men make  their      
cracks1 that they1 maugre all men's     
heads1 have found purgatory4  ,i  cannot
 tell what is found4  ,this1 to pray for
 dead folks1 this is not  found1 for it 
was never lost4  ,how can that be found 
that was not lost8  ,o  subtle finders1 
that can find things1 if ,god will1 ere 
they be lost6  ,for  that cowlish       
deliverance1 their scalary losings1     
their papal spoliations1  and other such
 their figments1 they cannot find4  ,no1
 these be so lost1  as they themselves  
grant1 that though they seek them never 
so diligently1  yet they shall not find 
them1 except perchance they hope to see 
them come  in again with their names2   
and that then money-gathering may return

  again1 and deceit walk about the      
country1 and so stablish their kingdom  
in all kingdoms4  ,but to what end this 
chiding between the children of  the    
world and the children of light will    
come1 only he knoweth that once  shall  
judge them both4    ,now1 to make haste 
and to come somewhat nigher the end4    
,go ye to1 good  brethren and fathers1  
for the love of ,god1 go ye to2 and     
seeing we are  here assembled1 let us do
 something whereby we may be known to be
 the  children of light4  ,let us do    
somewhat1 lest we1 which hitherto have  
been  judged children of the world1 seem
 even still to be so4  ,all men call us 
prelates3 then1 seeing we be in council1
 let us so order ourselves1 that  we be 
prelates in honour and dignity2 so we   
may be prelates in holiness1            
benevolence1 diligence1 and sincerity4  
,all men know that we be here  gathered1
 and with most fervent desire they      
anheale1 breathe1 and gape  for the     
fruit of our convocation3 as our acts   

shall be1 so they shall  name us3 so    
that now it lieth in us1 whether we will
 be called children  of the world1 or   
children of light4    ,wherefore lift up
 your heads1 brethren1 and look about   
with your eyes1  spy what things are to 
be reformed in the church of ,england4  
,is it so  hard1 is it so great a matter
 for you to see many abuses in the      
clergy1  many in the laity8  ,what is   
done in the ,arches8  ,nothing to be    
amended8  ,what do they there8  ,do they
 evermore rid the people's business and 
matters1 or cumber and ruffle them8  ,do
 they evermore correct vice1 or  else   
defend it1 sometime being well corrected
 in other places8  ,how many  sentences 
be given there in time1 as they ought to
 be8  ,if men say truth1  how many      
without bribes8  ,or if all things be   
well done there1 what do  men in        
bishops' ,consistories8  ,shall you     
often see the punishments  assigned by  
the laws executed1 or else              
money-redemptions used in their  stead8 

,how think you by the ceremonies that   
are in ,england1 oft times1  with no    
little offence of weak consciences1     
contemned2 more oftener with            
superstition so defiled1 and so         
depraved1 that you may doubt whether it 
were better some of them to tarry still1
 or utterly to take them away8  ,have   
not our forefathers complained of the   
ceremonies1 of the  superstition1 and   
estimation of them8    ,do ye see       
nothing in our holidays8 of the which   
very few were made at the  first1 and   
they to set forth goodness1 virtue1 and 
honesty3 but sithens1  in some places1  
there is neither mean nor measure in    
making new holidays1  as who should say1
 this one thing is serving of ,god1 to  
make this law1  that no man may work4   
,but what doth the people on these      
holidays8  ,do  they give themselves to 
godliness1 or else ungodliness8  ,see ye
 nothing1  brethren8  ,if you see not1  
yet ,god seeth4  ,god seeth all the     
whole  holidays to be spent miserably in

 drunkenness1 in glossing1 in strife1 in
  envy1 in dancing1 dicing1 idleness1   
and gluttony4  ,he seeth all this1 and  
threateneth punishment for it4  ,he     
seeth it1 which neither is deceived in  
seeing1 nor deceiveth when he           
threateneth4    ,thus men serve the     
devil2 for ,god is not thus served1     
albeit ye say ye  serve ,god4  ,no1 the 
devil hath more service done unto him on
 one holiday1  than on many working     
days4  ,let all these abuses be counted 
as nothing1  who is he that is not      
sorry1 to see in so many holidays rich  
and wealthy  persons to flow in         
delicates1 and men that live by their   
travail1 poor  men1 to lack necessary   
meat and drink for their wives and their
 children1  and that they cannot labour 
upon the holidays1 except they will be  
cited1  and brought before our          
,officials8  ,were it not the office of 
good  prelates to consult upon these    
matters1 and to seek some remedy for    
them8  ,ye shall see1 my brethren1 ye   

shall see once1 what will come of this  
our  winking4    ,what think ye of these
 images that are had more than their    
fellows in  reputation2 that are gone   
unto with such labour and weariness of  
the  body1 frequented with such our     
cost1 sought out and visited with such  
confidence8  ,what say ye by these      
images1 that are so famous1 so noble1   
so noted1 being of them so many and so  
divers in ,england8  ,do you think  that
 this preferring of picture to picture1 
image to image1 is the right  use1 and  
not rather the abuse1 of images8  ,but  
you will say to me1 ,why  make ye all   
these interrogations8 and why1 in these 
your demands1 do you  let and withdraw  
the good devotion of the people8  ,be   
not all things well  done1 that are done
 with good intent1 when they be         
profitable to us8  ,so1  surely1        
covetousness both thinketh and speaketh4
  ,were it not better for  us1 more for 
estimation1 more meeter for men in our  
places1 to cut away a  piece of this our

 profit1 if we will not cut away all1   
than to wink at  such ungodliness1 and  
so long to wink for a little lucre2     
specially if it  be ungodliness1 and    
also seem unto you ungodliness8  ,these 
be two things1  so oft to seek mere     
images1 and sometime to visit the       
relicks of saints4  ,and yet1 as in     
those there may be much ungodliness     
committed1 so there  may here some      
superstition be hid1 if that sometime we
 chance to visit  pigs' bones instead of
 saints' relicks1 as in time past it    
hath chanced1  ,i had almost said1 in   
,england4  ,then this is too great a    
blindness1 a  darkness too sensible1    
that these should be so commended in    
sermons of  some men1 and preached to be
 done after such manner1 as though they 
could  not be evil done2 which1         
notwithstanding1 are such1 that neither 
,god nor  man commandeth them to be     
done4  ,no1 rather1 men commanded them  
either  not to be done at all1 or else  
more slowlier and seldomer to be done1  

forasmuch as our ancestors made this    
constitution3 ,we command the  priests  
that they oft admonish the people1 and  
in especial women1 that  they make no   
vows but after long deliberation1       
consent of their husbands  and counsel  
of the priest4  ,the church of ,england 
in time past made this  constitution4   
,what saw they that made this decree8   
,they saw the  intolerable abuses of    
images4  ,they saw the perils that might
 ensue of  going on pilgrimage4  ,they  
saw the superstitious difference that   
men made  between image and image4      
,surely1 somewhat they saw4  ,the       
constitution is  so made1 that in manner
 it taketh away all such pilgrimages4   
,for it so  plucketh away the abuse of  
them1 that it leaveth either none or    
else  seldom use of them4  ,for they    
that restrain making vows for going of  
pilgrimage1 restrain also pilgrimage2   
seeing that for the most part it is     
seen that few go on pilgrimage but      
vow-makers1 and such as by promise  bind

 themselves to go4  ,and when1 ,i pray  
you1 should a man's wife go on          
pilgrimage1 if she went not before she  
had well debated the matter with        
herself1 and obtained the consent of her
 husband1 being a wise man1 and  were   
also counselled by a learned priest so  
to do8  ,when should she go  far off to 
these famous images8  ,for this the     
common people of ,england  think to be  
going on pilgrimage2 to go to some dead 
and notable image out  of town1 that is 
to say1 far from their house4  ,now if  
your forefathers  made this             
constitution1 and yet thereby did       
nothing1 the abuses every day  more and 
more increased1 what is left for you to 
do8  ,brethren and  fathers1 if ye      
purpose to do any thing1 what should ye 
sooner do1 than to  take utterly away   
these deceitful and juggling images2 or 
else1 if ye  know any other mean to put 
away abuses1 to shew it1 if ye intend to
  remove abuses8  ,methink it should be 
grateful and pleasant to you to mark    

the earnest mind of your forefathers1   
and to look upon their desire where     
they say in their constitution1 ,we     
command you1 and not1 ,we  counsel you4 
,how have we been so long a-cold1 so    
long slack in  setting forth so         
wholesome a precept of the church of    
,england1 where we  be so hot in all    
things that have any gains in them1     
albeit they be  neither commanded us1   
nor yet given us by counsel2 as though  
we had lever  the abuse of things should
 tarry still than1 it taken away1 lose  
our  profit8  ,to let pass the solemn   
and nocturnal bacchanals1 the prescript 
miracles1 that are done upon certain    
days in the west part of ,england1  who 
hath not heard8  ,i think ye have heard 
of ,st4 ,blesis's heart which is  at    
,malverne1 and of ,st4 ,algar's bones1  
how long they deluded the people3  ,i am
 afraid1 to the loss of many souls4     
,whereby men may well conjecture1  that 
all about in this realm there is plenty 
of such juggling deceits4  ,and yet     

hitherto ye have sought no remedy4  ,but
 even still the miserable  people are   
suffered to take the false miracles for 
the true1 and to lie  still asleep in   
all kind of superstition4  ,god have    
mercy upon us6    ,last of all1 how     
think you of matrimony8  ,is all well   
here8  ,what of  baptism8  ,shall we    
evermore in ministering of it speak     
,latin1 and not in  ,english rather1    
that the people may know what is said   
and done8    ,what think ye of these    
mass-priests1 and of the masses         
themselves8  ,what  say ye8  ,be all    
things here so without abuses1 that     
nothing ought to be  amended8  ,your    
forefathers saw somewhat1 which made    
this constitution  against the venality 
and sale of masses1 that1 under pain of 
suspending1  no priest should sell his  
saying of tricennals or annals4  ,what  
saw they1  that made this constitution8 
,what priests saw they8  ,what manner of
  masses saw they1 trow ye8  ,but at the
 last1 what became of so good a         

constitution8  ,god have mercy upon us6 
,if there be nothing to be amended      
abroad1 concerning the whole1 let every 
one of us make one better3 if  there be 
neither abroad nor at home any thing to 
be amended and  redressed1 my lords1 be 
ye of good cheer1 be merry2 and at the  
least1  because we have nothing else to 
do1 let us reason the matter how we may 
be richer4  ,let us fall to some        
pleasant communication2 after let us go 
home1 even as good as we came hither1   
that is1 right-begotten children of  the
 world1 and utterly worldlings4  ,and   
while we live here1 let us all  make    
bone cheer4  ,for after this life there 
is small pleasure1 little  mirth for us 
to hope for2 if now there be nothing to 
be changed in our  fashions4  ,let us   
say1 not as ,st4 ,peter did1 ,our end   
approacheth nigh1  this is an heavy     
hearing2 but let us say as the evil     
servant said1 ,it  will be long ere my  
master come4  ,this is pleasant4  ,let  
us beat our  fellows3 let us eat and    

drink with drunkards4  ,surely1 as oft  
as we do  not take away the abuse of    
things1 so oft we beat our fellows4  ,as
 oft as  we give not the people their   
true food1 so oft we beat our fellows4  
,as  oft as we let them die in          
superstition1 so oft we beat them4  ,to 
be  short1 as oft as we blind lead them 
blind1 so oft we beat1 and grievously   
beat our fellows4  ,when we welter in   
pleasures and idleness1 then we eat  and
 drink with drunkards4  ,but ,god will  
come1 ,god will come1 he will not  tarry
 long away4  ,he will come upon such a  
day as we nothing look for  him1 and at 
such hour as we know not4  ,he will come
 and cut us in pieces4  ,he will reward 
us as he doth the hypocrites4  ,he will 
set us where  wailing shall be1 my      
brethren2 where gnashing of teeth shall 
be1 my  brethren4  ,and let here be the 
end of our tragedy1 if ye will4  ,these 
be  the delicate dishes prepared for the
 world's well-beloved children4  ,these 
be the wafers and junkets provided for  

worldly prelates--wailing and  gnashing 
of teeth4  ,can there be any mirth1     
where these two courses last  all the   
feast8  ,here we laugh1 there we shall  
weep4  ,our teeth make merry  here1 ever
 dashing in delicates2 there we shall be
 torn with teeth1 and  do nothing but   
gnash and grind our own4  ,to what end  
have we now excelled  other in policy8  
,what have we brought forth at the last8
  ,ye see1  brethren1 what sorrow1 what 
punishment is provided for you1 if ye be
  worldlings4  ,if ye will not thus be  
vexed1 be ye not the children of the    
world4  ,if ye will not be the children 
of the world1 be not stricken with  the 
love of worldly things2 lean not upon   
them4  ,if ye will not die  eternally1  
live not worldly4  ,come1 go to2 leave  
the love of your profit2  study for the 
glory and profit of ,christ2 seek in    
your consultations such  things as      
pertain to ,christ1 and bring forth at  
the last somewhat that  may please      
,christ4  ,feed ye tenderly1 with all   

diligence1 the flock of  ,christ4       
,preach truly the word of ,god4  ,love  
the light1 walk in the  light1 and so be
 ye the children of light while ye are  
in this world1  that ye may shine in the
 world that is to come bright as the    
sun1 with  the ,father1 the ,son1 and   
the ,holy ,ghost2 to whom be all honour1
 praise1  and glory4  ,amen4          ,a
 ,,sermon ,,of ,,the ,,reverend ,,father
 ,,master ,,hugh ,,latimer1 ,,preached  
,,in ,,the  ,,shrouds ,,at ,,st4        
,,paul',s ,,church ,,in ,,london1 ,,on  
,,the ,,eighteenth ,,day ,,of ,,january1
  ,,anno #aedh4         ,quaeunque      
scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam       
scripta sunt4--,rom4 xv4     #d4        
,all things which are written1 are      
written for our erudition and           
knowledge4  ,all things that are written
 in ,god's book1 in the ,bible     book1
 in the book of the holy scripture1 are 
written to be our     doctrine4    ,i   
told you in my first sermon1 honourable 
audience1 that ,i purposed to  declare  

unto you two things4  ,the one1 what    
seed should be sown in ,god's  field1 in
 ,god's plough land2 and the other1 who 
should be the sowers3  that is to say1  
what doctrine is to be taught in        
,christ's church and  congregation1 and 
what men should be the teachers and     
preachers of it4  ,the first part ,i    
have told you in the three sermons past1
 in which ,i have  assayed to set forth 
my plough1 to prove what ,i could do4   
,and now ,i  shall tell you who be the  
ploughers3 for ,god's word is a seed to 
be sown  in ,god's field1 that is1 the  
faithful congregation1 and the preacher 
is  the sower4  ,and it is in the       
gospel3 ,exivit qui seminat seminare    
semen  suum2 ,he that soweth1 the       
husbandman1 the ploughman1 went forth to
 sow  his seed4  ,so that a preacher is 
resembled to a ploughman1 as it is in   
another place3 ,nemo admota aratro manu1
 et a tergo respiciens1 aptus est  regno
 ,dei4  ,no man that putteth his hand to
 the plough1 and looketh  back1 is apt  

for the kingdom of ,god4  ,that is to   
say1 let no preacher be  negligent in   
doing his office4  ,albeit this is one  
of the places that  hath been racked1 as
 ,i told you of racking scriptures4     
,and ,i have been  one of them myself   
that hath racked it1 ,i cry ,god mercy  
for it2 and have  been one of them that 
have believed and expounded it against  
religious  persons that would forsake   
their order which they had professed1   
and  would go out of their cloister3    
whereas indeed it toucheth not monkery1 
nor maketh any thing at all for any such
 matter2 but it is directly  spoken of  
diligent preaching of the word of ,god4 
,for preaching of the gospel is one of  
,god's plough-works1 and the  preacher  
is one of ,god's ploughmen4  ,ye may not
 be offended with my  similitude1 in    
that ,i compare preaching to the labour 
and work of  ploughing1 and the preacher
 to a ploughman3 ye may not be offended 
with  this my similitude2 for ,i have   
been slandered of some persons for such 

things4  ,it hath been said of me1 ,oh1 
,latimer6 nay1 as for him1 ,i will      
never believe him while ,i live1 nor    
never trust him2 for he likened our     
blessed lady to a saffron-bag3 where    
indeed ,i never used that  similitude4  
,but it was1 as ,i have said unto you   
before now1 according to  that which    
,peter saw before in the spirit of      
prophecy1 and said1 that  there should  
come after men per quos via veritatis   
maledictis  afficeretur2 there should   
come fellows by whom the way of truth   
should  be evil spoken of1 and          
slandered4  ,but in case ,i had used    
this  similitude1 it had not been to be 
reproved1 but might have been without   
reproach4  ,for ,i might have said thus3
 as the saffron-bag that hath been  full
 of saffron1 or hath had saffron in it1 
doth ever after savour and  smell of the
 sweet saffron that it contained2 so our
 blessed lady1 which  conceived and bare
 ,christ in her womb1 did ever after    
resemble the  manners and virtues of    

that precious babe that she bare4  ,and 
what had  our blessed lady been the     
worse for this8 or what dishonour was   
this to  our blessed lady8  ,but as     
preachers must be wary and circumspect1 
that  they give not any just occasion to
 be slandered and ill spoken of by the  
hearers1 so must not the auditors be    
offended without cause4  ,for heaven  is
 in the gospel likened to a             
mustard-seed3 it is compared also to a  
piece of leaven2 and as ,christ saith1  
that at the last day he will come  like 
a thief3 and what dishonour is this to  
,god8 or what derogation is  this to    
heaven8  ,ye may not then1 ,i say1 be   
offended with my similitude1  for       
because ,i liken preaching to a         
ploughman's labour1 and a prelate to a  
ploughman4  ,but now you will ask me1   
whom ,i call a prelate8  ,a prelate is  
that man1 whatsoever he be1 that hath a 
flock to be taught of him2  whosoever   
hath any spiritual charge in the        
faithful congregation1 and  whosoever he

 be that hath cure of souls4  ,and well 
may the preacher and  the ploughman be  
likened together3 first1 for their      
labour of all seasons  of the year2 for 
there is no time of the year in which   
the ploughman hath  not some special    
work to do3 as in my country in         
,leicestershire1 the  ploughman hath a  
time to set forth1 and to assay his     
plough1 and other  times for other      
necessary works to be done4  ,and then  
they also maybe  likened together for   
the diversity of works and variety of   
offices that  they have to do4  ,for as 
the ploughman first setteth forth his   
plough1  and then tilleth his land1 and 
breaketh it in furrows1 and sometime    
ridgeth it up again2 and at another time
 harroweth it and clotteth it1  and     
sometime dungeth it and hedgeth it1     
diggeth it and weedeth it1  purgeth and 
maketh it clean3 so the prelate1 the    
preacher1 hath many  diverse offices to 
do4  ,he hath first a busy work to bring
 his  parishioners to a right faith1 as 

,paul calleth it1 and not a swerving    
faith2 but to a faith that embraceth    
,christ1 and trusteth to his merits2  a 
lively faith1 a justifying faith2 a     
faith that maketh a man righteous1      
without respect of works3 as ye have it 
very well declared and set forth  in the
 ,homily4  ,he hath then a busy work1 ,i
 say1 to bring his flock to a  right    
faith1 and then to confirm them in the  
same faith3 now casting them  down with 
the law1 and with threatenings of ,god  
for sin2 now ridging them  up again with
 the gospel1 and with the promises of   
,god's favour3 now  weeding them1 by    
telling them their faults1 and making   
them forsake sin2  now clotting them1 by
 breaking their stony hearts1 and by    
making them  supplehearted1 and making  
them to have hearts of flesh2 that is1  
soft  hearts1 and apt for doctrine to   
enter in3 now teaching to know ,god     
rightly1 and to know their duty to ,god 
and their neighbours3 now  exhorting    
them1 when they know their duty1 that   

they do it1 and be  diligent in it2 so  
that they have a continual work to do4  
,great is their  business1 and therefore
 great should be their hire4  ,they have
 great  labours1 and therefore they     
ought to have good livings1 that they   
may  commodiously feed their flock2 for 
the preaching of the word of ,god unto  
the people is called meat3 scripture    
calleth it meat2 not strawberries1  that
 come but once a year1 and tarry not    
long1 but are soon gone3 but it  is     
meat1 it is no dainties4  ,the people   
must have meat that must be  familiar   
and continual1 and daily given unto them
 to feed upon4  ,many  make a strawberry
 of it1 ministering it but once a year2 
but such do not  the office of good     
prelates4  ,for ,christ saith1 ,quis    
putas est servus  prudens et fidelis8   
,qui dat cibum in tempore4  ,who think  
you is a  wise and faithful servant8    
,he that giveth meat in due time4  ,so  
that he  must at all times convenient   
preach diligently3 therefore saith he1  

,who  trow ye is a faithful servant8    
,he speaketh it as though it were a rare
  thing to find such a one1 and as      
though he should say1 there be but a few
  of them to find in the world4  ,and   
how few of them there be throughout     
this realm that give meat to their flock
 as they should do1 the ,visitors  can  
best tell4  ,too few1 too few2 the more 
is the pity1 and never so few  as now4  
,by this1 then1 it appeareth that a     
prelate1 or any that hath cure of  soul1
 must diligently and substantially work 
and labour4  ,therefore saith  ,paul to 
,timothy1 ,qui episcopatum desiderat1   
hic bonum opus desiderat3  ,he that     
desireth to have the office of a bishop1
 or a prelate1 that man  desireth a good
 work4  ,then if it be a good work1 it  
is work2 ye can  make but a work of it4 
,it is ,god's work1 ,god's plough1 and  
that plough  ,god would have still      
going4  ,such then as loiter and live   
idly1 are not  good prelates1 or        
ministers4  ,and of such as do not      

preach and teach1 nor  do their duties1 
,god saith by his prophet ,jeremy1      
,maledictus qui facit  opus ,dei        
fraudulenter2 ,cursed be the man that   
doth the work of ,god  fraudulently1    
guilefully or deceitfully3 some books   
have it  negligenter1 negligently or    
slackly4  ,how many such prelates1 how  
many such bishops1 ,lord1 for thy mercy1
 are there now in ,england6  ,and  what 
shall we in this case do8 shall we      
company with them8  ,o ,lord1 for  thy  
mercy6 shall we not company with them8  
,o ,lord1 whither shall we flee  from   
them8  ,but cursed be he that doth the  
work of ,god negligently or  guilefully4
  ,a sore word for them that are        
negligent in discharging  their office1 
or have done it fraudulently2 for that  
is the thing that  maketh the people    
ill4    ,but true it must be that       
,christ saith1 ,multi sunt vocati1 pauci
 vero  electi3 ,many are called1 but few
 are chosen4  ,here have ,i an occasion 
by the way somewhat to say unto you2    

yea1 for the place ,i alleged unto  you 
before out of ,jeremy1 the forty-eighth 
chapter4  ,and it was spoken of  a      
spiritual work of ,god1 a work that was 
commanded to be done2 and it was  of    
shedding blood1 and of destroying the   
cities of ,moab4  ,for1 saith he1       
,cursed be he that keepeth back his     
sword from shedding of blood4  ,as      
,saul1 when he kept back the sword from 
shedding of blood at what time he  was  
sent against ,amaleck1 was refused of   
,god for being disobedient to  ,god's   
commandment1 in that he spared ,agag the
 king4  ,so that that place  of the     
prophet was spoken of them that went to 
the destruction of the  cities of ,moab1
 among the which there was one called   
,nebo1 which was much  reproved for     
idolatry1 superstition1 pride1 avarice1 
cruelty1 tyranny1  and for hardness of  
heart2 and for these sins was plagued of
 ,god and  destroyed4    ,now what shall
 we say of these rich citizens of       
,london8  ,what shall ,i say  of them8  

,shall ,i call them proud men of        
,london1 malicious men of ,london1      
merciless men of ,london8  ,no1 no1 ,i  
may not say so2 they will be offended   
with me then4  ,yet must ,i speak4  ,for
 is there not reigning in ,london as    
much pride1 as much covetousness1 as    
much cruelty1 as much oppression1  and  
as much superstition1 as was in ,nebo8  
,yes1 ,i think1 and much more  too4     
,therefore ,i say1 repent1 ,o ,london2  
repent1 repent4  ,thou hearest  thy     
faults told thee1 amend them1 amend     
them4  ,i think1 if ,nebo had had  the  
preaching that thou hast1 they would    
have converted4  ,and1 you rulers  and  
officers1 be wise and circumspect1 look 
to your charge1 and see you  do your    
duties2 and rather be glad to amend your
 ill living than to be  angry when you  
are warned or told of your fault4  ,what
 ado was there made  in ,london at a    
certain man1 because he said1 7and      
indeed at that time on  a just cause17  
,burgesses6 quoth he1 nay1 ,butterflies4

  ,lord1 what ado  there was for that   
word6  ,and yet would ,god they were no 
worse than  butterflies6  ,butterflies  
do but their nature3 the butterfly is   
not  covetous1 is not greedy1 of other  
men's goods2 is not full of envy and    
hatred1 is not malicious1 is not cruel1 
is not merciless4  ,the butterfly       
glorieth not in her own deeds1 nor      
preferreth the traditions of men  before
 ,god's word2 it committeth not         
idolatry1 nor worshippeth false  gods4  
,but ,london cannot abide to be rebuked2
 such is the nature of man4  ,if they be
 pricked1 they will kick2 if they be    
rubbed on the gall1 they  will wince2   
but yet they will not amend their       
faults1 they will not be  ill spoken of4
  ,but how shall ,i speak well of them8 
,if you could be  content to receive and
 follow the word of ,god1 and favour    
good preachers1  if you could bear to be
 told of your faults1 if you could amend
 when you  hear of them1 if you would be
 glad to reform that is amiss2 if ,i    

might  see any such inclination in you1 
that you would leave to be merciless1   
and begin to be charitable1 ,i would    
then hope well of you1 ,i would then    
speak well of you4  ,but ,london was    
never so ill as it is now4  ,in times   
past men were full of pity and          
compassion1 but now there is no pity2   
for  in ,london their brother shall die 
in the streets for cold1 he shall lie   
sick at the door between stock and      
stock1 ,i cannot tell what to call it1  
and perish there for hunger3 was there  
ever more unmercifulness in ,nebo8  ,i  
think not4  ,in times past1 when any    
rich man died in ,london1 they were     
wont to help the poor scholars of the   
,universities with exhibition4  ,when   
any man died1 they would bequeath great 
sums of money toward the relief  of the 
poor4  ,when ,i was a scholar in        
,cambridge myself2 ,i heard very good   
report of ,london1 and knew many that   
had relief of the rich men of  ,london3 
but now ,i can hear no such good report1

 and yet ,i inquire of it1  and hearken 
for it2 but now charity is waxen cold1  
none helpeth the  scholar1 nor yet the  
poor4  ,and in those days1 what did they
 when they  helped the scholars8        
,marry1 they maintained and gave them   
livings that  were very papists1 and    
professed the pope's doctrine3 and now  
that the  knowledge of ,god's word is   
brought to light1 and many earnestly    
study and  labour to set it forth1 now  
almost no man helpeth to maintain them4 
,oh ,london1 ,london6 repent1 repent2   
for ,i think ,god is more displeased    
with ,london than ever he was with the  
city of ,nebo4  ,repent therefore1      
repent1 ,london1 and remember that the  
same ,god liveth now that punished      
,nebo1 even the same ,god1 and none     
other2 and he will punish sin as well   
now as he did then3 and he will punish  
the iniquity of ,london1 as well as  he 
did then of ,nebo4  ,amend therefore4   
,and ye that be prelates1 look  well to 
your office1 for right prelating is busy

 labouring1 and not  lording4           
,therefore preach and teach1 and let    
your plough be doing4  ,ye  lords1 ,i   
say1 that live like loiterers1 look well
 to your office2 the  plough is your    
office and charge4  ,if you live idle   
and loiter1 you do  not your duty1 you  
follow not your vocation3 let your      
plough therefore be  going1 and not     
cease1 that the ground may bring forth  
fruit4    ,but now methinketh ,i hear   
one say unto me3 ,wot ye what you say8  
,is it a  work8  ,is it a labour8  ,how 
then hath it happened that we have had  
so  many hundred years so many          
unpreaching prelates1 lording loiterers1
 and  idle ministers8  ,ye would have me
 here to make answer1 and to show cause 
thereof4  ,nay1 this land is not for me 
to plough2 it is too stony1 too  thorny1
 too hard for me to plough4  ,they have 
so many things that make  for them1 so  
many things to lay for themselves1 that 
it is not for my  weak team to plough   
them4  ,they have to lay for themselves 

long customs1  ceremonies and authority1
 placing in parliament1 and many things 
more4  ,and ,i fear me this land is not 
yet ripe to be ploughed3 for1 as the    
saying is1 it lacketh weathering3 this  
gear lacketh weathering2 at least  way  
it is not for me to plough4  ,for what  
shall ,i look for among thorns1  but    
pricking and scratching8  ,what among   
stones1 but stumbling8  ,what 7,i  had  
almost said7 among serpents1 but        
stinging8  ,but this much ,i dare say1  
that since lording and loitering hath   
come up1 preaching hath come down1      
contrary to the apostles' times3 for    
they preached and lorded not1 and  now  
they lord and preach not4  ,for they    
that be lords will ill go to  plough3 it
 is no meet office for them2 it is not  
seeming for their  estate4  ,thus came  
up lording loiterers3 thus crept in     
unpreaching  prelates2 and so have they 
long continued4  ,for how many unlearned
  prelates have we now at this day6     
,and no marvel3 for if the ploughmen    

that now be were made lords1 they would 
clean give over ploughing2 they  would  
leave off their labour1 and fall to     
lording outright1 and let the  plough   
stand3 and then both ploughs not        
walking1 nothing should be in the       
commonweal but hunger4  ,for ever since 
the prelates were made lords and        
nobles1 the plough standeth2 there is no
 work done1 the people starve4  ,they   
hawk1 they hunt1 they card1 they dice2  
they pastime in their  prelacies with   
gallant gentlemen1 with their dancing   
minions1 and with  their fresh          
companions1 so that ploughing is set    
aside3 and by their  lording and        
loitering1 preaching and ploughing is   
clean gone4  ,and thus  if the ploughmen
 of the country were as negligent in    
their office as  prelates be1 we should 
not long live1 for lack of sustenance4  
,and as it  is necessary for to have    
this ploughing for the sustentation of  
the body1  so must we have also the     
other for the satisfaction of the soul1 

or else  we cannot live long ghostly4   
,for as the body wasteth and consumeth  
away  for lack of bodily meat1 so doth  
the soul pine away for default of       
ghostly meat4  ,but there be two kinds  
of inclosing1 to let or hinder both     
these kinds of ploughing3 the one is an 
inclosing to let or hinder the  bodily  
ploughing1 and the other to let or      
hinder the holiday-ploughing1  the      
church-ploughing4    ,the bodily        
ploughing is taken in and inclosed      
through singular commodity4  ,for what  
man will let go1 or diminish his private
 commodity for a  commonwealth8  ,and   
who will sustain any damage for the     
respect of a  public commodity8  ,the   
other plough also no man is diligent to 
set  forward1 nor no man will hearken to
 it4  ,but to hinder and let it all     
men's ears are open2 yea1 and a great   
many of this kind of ploughmen1  which  
are very busy1 and would seem to be very
 good workmen4  ,i fear me  some be     
rather mock-gospellers1 than faithful   

ploughmen4  ,i know many  myself that   
profess the gospel1 and live nothing    
thereafter4  ,i know  them1 and have    
been conversant with some of them4  ,i  
know them1 and 7,i  speak it with a     
heavy heart7 there is as little charity 
and good living  in them as in any      
other2 according to that which ,christ  
said in the  gospel to the great number 
of people that followed him1 as though  
they  had had any earnest zeal to his   
doctrine1 whereas indeed they had it    
not2  ,non quia vidistis signa1 sed quia
 comedistis de panibus4  ,ye follow  me1
 saith he1 not because ye have seen the 
signs and miracles that ,i  have done2  
but because ye have eaten the bread1 and
 refreshed your  bodies1 therefore you  
follow me4  ,so that ,i think many one  
now-a-days  professeth the gospel for   
the living's sake1 not for the love they
 bear  to ,god's word4  ,but they that  
will be true ploughmen must work        
faithfully  for ,god's sake1 for the    
edifying of their brethren4  ,and as    

diligently as  the husbandman plougheth 
for the sustentation of the body1 so    
diligently  must the prelates and       
ministers labour for the feeding of the 
soul3 both  the ploughs must still be   
going1 as most necessary for man4  ,and 
wherefore are magistrates ordained1 but 
that the tranquillity of the  commonweal
 may be confirmed1 limiting both        
ploughs8    ,but now for the fault of   
unpreaching prelates1 methink ,i could  
guess what  might be said for excusing  
of them4  ,they are so troubled with    
lordly  living1 they be so placed in    
palaces1 crouched in courts1 ruffling in
  their rents1 dancing in their         
dominions1 burdened with ambassages1    
pampering of their paunches1 like a monk
 that maketh his jubilee2  munching in  
their mangers1 and moiling in their gay 
manors and mansions1  and so troubled   
with loitering in their lordships1 that 
they cannot  attend it4  ,they are      
otherwise occupied1 some in king's      
matters1 some are  ambassadors1 some of 

the privy council1 some to furnish the  
court1 some  are lords of the           
parliament1 some are presidents1 and    
comptrollers of  mints4    ,well1 well1 
is this their duty8  ,is this their     
office8  ,is this their  calling8       
,should we have ministers of the church 
to be comptrollers of  the mints8  ,is  
this a meet office for a priest that    
hath cure of souls8  ,is this his       
charge8  ,i would here ask one question3
 ,i would fain know who  controlleth the
 devil at home in his parish1 while he  
controlleth the  mint8  ,if the apostles
 might not leave the office of preaching
 to the  deacons1 shall one leave it for
 minting8  ,i cannot tell you2 but the  
saying is1 that since priests have been 
minters1 money hath been worse  than it 
was before4  ,and they say that the     
evilness of money hath made  all things 
dearer4  ,and in this behalf ,i must    
speak to ,england4  ,hear1  my country1 
,england1 as ,paul said in his first    
epistle to the  ,corinthians1 the sixth 

chapter2 for ,paul was no sitting       
bishop1 but a  walking and a preaching  
bishop4  ,but when he went from them1 he
 left  there behind him the plough going
 still2 for he wrote unto them1 and     
rebuked them for going to law1 and      
pleading their causes before heathen    
judges3 ,is there1 said he1 utterly     
among you no wise man1 to be an         
arbitrator in matters of judgment8      
,what1 not one of all that can judge    
between brother and brother2 but one    
brother goeth to law with another1  and 
that under heathen judges8  ,constituite
 contemptos qui sunt in  ecclesia1 c4   
,appoint them judges that are most      
abject and vile in the  congregation4   
,which he speaketh in rebuking them2    
,for1 saith he1 ad  erubescentiam       
vestram dico--,i speak it to your shame4
  ,so1 ,england1 ,i  speak it to thy    
shame3 is there never a nobleman to be a
 lord president1  but it must be a      
prelate8  ,is there never a wise man in 
the realm to be a  comptroller of the   

mint8  ,i speak it to your shame4  ,i   
speak it to your  shame4  ,if there be  
never a wise man1 make a water-bearer1 a
 tinker1 a  cobbler1 a slave1 a page1   
comptroller of the mint3 make a mean    
gentleman1  a groom1 a yeoman1 or a poor
 beggar1 lord president4    ,thus ,i    
speak1 not that ,i would have it so2 but
 to your shame1 if there  be never a    
gentleman meet nor able to be lord      
president4  ,for why are not  the       
noblemen and young gentlemen of ,england
 so brought up in knowledge of  ,god1   
and in learning1 that they may be able  
to execute offices in the  commonweal8  
,the king hath a great many of wards1   
and ,i trow there is a  ,court of       
,wards3 why is there not a school for   
the wards1 as well as there  is a ,court
 for their lands8  ,why are they not set
 in schools where they  may learn8  ,or 
why are they not sent to the            
universities1 that they may  be able to 
serve the king when they come to age8   
,if the wards and young  gentlemen were 

well brought up in learning1 and in the 
knowledge of ,god1  they would not when 
they come to age so much give themselves
 to other  vanities4  ,and if the       
nobility be well trained in godly       
learning1 the  people would follow the  
same train4  ,for truly1 such as the    
noblemen be1  such will the people be4  
,and now1 the only cause why noblemen be
 not  made lord presidents1 is because  
they have not been brought up in        
learning4    ,therefore for the love of 
,god appoint teachers and schoolmasters1
 you  that have charge of youth2 and    
give the teachers stipends worthy their 
pains1 that they may bring them up in   
grammar1 in logic1 in rhetoric1 in      
philosophy1 in the civil law1 and in    
that which ,i cannot leave unspoken  of1
 the word of ,god4  ,thanks be unto     
,god1 the nobility otherwise is very    
well brought up in learning and         
godliness1 to the great joy and comfort 
of ,england2 so that there is now good  
hope in the youth1 that we shall        

another day have a flourishing          
commonweal1 considering their godly     
education4  ,yea1 and there be already  
noblemen enough1 though not so many  as 
,i could wish1 able to be lord          
presidents1 and wise men enough for the 
mint4  ,and as unmeet a thing it is for 
bishops to be lord presidents1 or       
priests to be minters1 as it was for the
 ,corinthians to plead matters of       
variance before heathen judges4  ,it is 
also a slander to the noblemen1 as      
though they lacked wisdom and learning  
to be able for such offices1 or  else   
were no men of conscience1 or else were 
not meet to be trusted1 and  able for   
such offices4  ,and a prelate hath a    
charge and cure otherwise2  and         
therefore he cannot discharge his duty  
and be a lord president too4  ,for a    
presidentship requireth a whole man2 and
 a bishop cannot be two  men4  ,a bishop
 hath his office1 a flock to teach1 to  
look unto2 and  therefore he cannot     
meddle with another office1 which alone 

requireth a  whole man3 he should       
therefore give it over to whom it is    
meet1 and  labour in his own business2  
as ,paul writeth to the ,thessalonians1 
,let  every man do his own business1 and
 follow his calling4  ,let the priest   
preach1 and the noblemen handle the     
temporal matters4  ,moses was a         
marvellous man1 a good man3 ,moses was a
 wonderful fellow1 and did his  duty1   
being a married man3 we lack such as    
,moses was4  ,well1 ,i would all  men   
would look to their duty1 as ,god hath  
called them1 and then we should  have a 
flourishing christian commonweal4       
,and now ,i would ask a strange         
question3 who is the most diligentest   
bishop and prelate in all ,england1 that
 passeth all the rest in doing his      
office8  ,i can tell1 for ,i know him   
who it is2 ,i know him well4  ,but now  
,i think ,i see you listening and       
hearkening that ,i should name him4     
,there  is one that passeth all the     
other1 and is the most diligent prelate 

and  preacher in all ,england4  ,and    
will ye know who it is8  ,i will tell   
you3  it is the devil4  ,he is the most 
diligent preacher of all other2 he is   
never out of his diocess2 he is never   
from his cure2 ye shall never find  him 
unoccupied2 he is ever in his parish2 he
 keepeth residence at all  times2 ye    
shall never find him out of the way1    
call for him when you will  he is ever  
at home2 the diligentest preacher in all
 the realm2 he is ever  at his plough3  
no lording nor loitering can hinder him2
 he is ever  applying his business1 ye  
shall never find him idle1 ,i warrant   
you4  ,and  his office is to hinder     
religion1 to maintain superstition1 to  
set up  idolatry1 to teach all kind of  
popery4  ,he is ready as he can be      
wished  for to set forth his plough2 to 
devise as many ways as can be to deface 
and obscure ,god's glory4  ,where the   
devil is resident1 and hath his  plough 
going1 there away with books1 and up    
with candles2 away with  bibles1 and up 

with beads2 away with the light of the  
gospel1 and up with  the light of       
candles1 yea1 at noon-days4  ,where the 
devil is resident1  that he may prevail1
 up with all superstition and idolatry2 
censing1  painting of images1 candles1  
palms1 ashes1 holy water1 and new       
service of  men's inventing2 as though  
man could invent a better way to honour 
,god  with than ,god himself hath       
appointed4  ,down with ,christ's cross1 
up with  purgatory pick-purse1 up with  
him1 the popish purgatory1 ,i mean4     
,away  with clothing the naked1 the poor
 and impotent2 up with decking of       
images1 and gay garnishing of stocks and
 stones3 up with man's traditions  and  
his laws1 down with ,god's traditions   
and his most holy word4  ,down  with the
 old honour due to ,god1 and up with the
 new god's honour4  ,let  all things be 
done in ,latin3 there must be nothing   
but ,latin1 not so much  as ,memento1   
homo1 quod cinis es1 et in cinerem      
reverteris3 ,remember1  man1 that thou  

art ashes1 and into ashes thou shalt    
return3 which be the  words that the    
minister speaketh unto the ignorant     
people1 when he giveth  them ashes upon 
,ash-,wednesday2 but it must be spoken  
in ,latin3 ,god's word  may in no wise  
be translated into ,english4    ,oh that
 our prelates would be as diligent to   
sow the corn of good  doctrine1 as      
,satan is to sow cockle and darnel6     
,and this is the devilish  ploughing1   
the which worketh to have things in     
,latin1 and letteth the  fruitful       
edification4  ,but here some man will   
say to me1 ,what1 sir1 are  ye so privy 
of the devil's counsel1 that ye know all
 this to be true8  ,truly ,i know him   
too well1 and have obeyed him a little  
too much in  condescending to some      
follies2 and ,i know him as other men   
do1 yea1 that  he is ever occupied1 and 
ever busy in following his plough4  ,i  
know by  ,st4 ,peter1 which saith of    
him1 ,sicut leo rugiens circuit quaerens
 quem  devoret3 ,he goeth about like a  

roaring lion1 seeking whom he may       
devour4  ,i would have this text well   
viewed and examined1 every word of  it3 
,circuit1 he goeth about in every corner
 of his diocess2 he goeth  on visitation
 daily1 he leaveth no place of his cure 
unvisited3 he  walketh round about from 
place to place1 and ceaseth not4  ,sicut
 leo1  as a lion1 that is1 strongly1    
boldly1 and proudly2 stately and        
fiercely  with haughty looks1 with his  
proud countenances1 with his stately    
braggings4  ,rugiens1 roaring2 for he   
letteth not slip any occasion to  speak 
or to roar out when he seeth his time4  
,quaerens1 he goeth  about seeking1 and 
not sleeping1 as our bishops do2 but he 
seeketh  diligently1 he searcheth       
diligently all corners1 where as he may 
have his  prey4  ,he roveth abroad in   
every place of his diocess2 he standeth 
not  still1 he is never at rest1 but    
ever in hand with his plough1 that it   
may  go forward4  ,but there was never  
such a preacher in ,england as he is4   

,who  is able to tell his diligent      
preaching1 which every day1 and every   
hour1  laboureth to sow cockle and      
darnel1 that he may bring out of form1  
and  out of estimation and room1 the    
institution of the ,lord's supper1 and  
,christ's cross8  ,for there he lost his
 right2 for ,christ said1 ,nunc         
judicium est mundi1 princeps seculi     
hujus ejicietur foras4  ,et sicut       
exaltarit ,moses serpentem in deserto1  
ita exaltari oportet ,filium  hominis4  
,et cum exaltatus fuero a terra1 omnia  
traham ad meipsum4  ,now  is the        
judgment of this world1 and the prince  
of this world shall be cast  out4  ,and 
as ,moses did lift up the serpent in the
 wilderness1 so must the  ,son of man be
 lift up4  ,and when ,i shall be lift up
 from the earth1 ,i  will draw all      
things unto myself4  ,for the devil was 
disappointed of his  purpose3 for he    
thought all to be his own2 and when he  
had once brought  ,christ to the cross1 
he thought all cocksure4  ,but there    

lost he all  reigning3 for ,christ said1
 ,omnia traham ad meipsum3 ,i will draw 
all  things to myself4  ,he meaneth1    
drawing of man's soul to salvation4     
,and  that he said he would do per      
semetipsum1 by his own self2 not by any 
other body's sacrifice4  ,he meant by   
his own sacrifice on the cross1  where  
he offered himself for the redemption of
 mankind2 and not the  sacrifice of the 
mass to be offered by another4  ,for who
 can offer him  but himself8  ,he was   
both the offerer and the offering4  ,and
 this is the  prick1 this is the mark at
 the which the devil shooteth1 to       
evacuate the  cross of ,christ1 and to  
mingle the institution of the ,lord's   
supper2 the  which although he cannot   
bring to pass1 yet he goeth about by his
  sleights and subtil means to frustrate
 the same2 and these fifteen  hundred   
years he hath been a doer1 only         
purposing to evacuate ,christ's  death1 
and to make it of small efficacy and    
virtue4  ,for whereas ,christ1          

according as the serpent was lifted up  
in the wilderness1 so would he  himself 
be exalted1 that thereby as many as     
trusted in him should have  salvation2  
but the devil would none of that3 they  
would have us saved by  a daily oblation
 propitiatory1 by a sacrifice expiatory1
 or remissory4    ,now if ,i should     
preach in the country1 among the        
unlearned1 ,i would tell  what          
propitiatory1 expiatory1 and remissory  
is2 but here is a learned  auditory3 yet
 for them that be unlearned ,i will     
expound it4  ,propitiatory1  expiatory1 
remissory1 or satisfactory1 for they    
signify all one thing in  effect1 and is
 nothing else but a thing whereby to    
obtain remission of  sins1 and to have  
salvation4  ,and this way the devil used
 to evacuate the  death of ,christ1 that
 we might have affiance in other things1
 as in the  sacrifice of the priest2    
whereas ,christ would have us to trust  
in his  only sacrifice4  ,so he was1    
,agnus occisus ab origine mundi2 ,the   

,lamb  that hath been slain from the    
beginning of the world2 and therefore he
  is called juge sacrificium1 a         
continual sacrifice2 and not for the    
continuance of the mass1 as the         
blanchers have blanched it1 and wrested 
it2 and as ,i myself did once betake it4
  ,but ,paul saith1 per semetipsum      
purgatio facta3 ,by himself1 and by none
 other1 ,christ made purgation  and     
satisfaction for the whole world4       
,would ,christ this word1 by himself1   
had been better weighed and looked      
upon1 and in sanctificationem1 to make  
them holy2 for he is juge  sacrificium1 
a continual sacrifice1 in effect1 fruit1
 and operation2  that like as they1     
which seeing the serpent hang up in the 
desert1 were  put in remembrance of     
,christ's death1 in whom as many as     
believed were  saved2 so all men that   
trusted in the death of ,christ shall be
 saved1 as  well they that were before1 
as they that came after4  ,for he was a 
continual sacrifice1 as ,i said1 in     

effect1 fruit1 operation1 and virtue2   
as though he had from the beginning of  
the world1 and continually should  to   
the world's end1 hang still on the      
cross2 and he is as fresh hanging  on   
the cross now1 to them that believe and 
trust in him1 as he was  fifteen hundred
 years ago1 when he was crucified4      
,then let us trust upon his only death1 
and look for none other sacrifice       
propitiatory1 than the same bloody      
sacrifice1 the lively sacrifice2 and    
not the dry sacrifice1 but a bloody     
sacrifice4  ,for ,christ himself said1  
consummatum est3 ,it is perfectly       
finished3 ,i have taken at my ,father's 
hand the dispensation of redeeming      
mankind1 ,i have wrought man's          
redemption1 and have despatched the     
matter4  ,why then mingle ye him8  ,why 
do ye divide him8  ,why make you of him 
more sacrifices than one8  ,paul  saith1
 ,pascha nostrum immolatus est          
,christus3 ,christ our passover is      
offered2 so that the thing is done1 and 

,christ hath done it semel1  once for   
all2 and it was a bloody sacrifice1 not 
a dry sacrifice4  ,why  then1 it is not 
the mass that availeth or profiteth for 
the quick and the  dead4    ,wo worth   
thee1 ,o devil1 wo worth thee1 that hast
 prevailed so far and so  long2 that    
hast made ,england to worship false     
gods1 forsaking ,christ  their ,lord4   
,wo worth thee1 devil1 wo worth thee1   
devil1 and all thy  angels4  ,if ,christ
 by his death draweth all things to     
himself1 and  draweth all men to        
salvation1 and to heavenly bliss1 that  
trust in him2  then the priests at the  
mass1 at the popish mass1 ,i say1 what  
can they  draw1 when ,christ draweth    
all1 but lands and goods from the right 
heirs8  ,the priests draw goods and     
riches1 benefices and promotions to     
themselves2 and such as believed in     
their sacrifices they draw to the       
devil4  ,but ,christ is he that draweth 
souls unto him by his bloody  sacrifice4
  ,what have we to do then but epulari  

in ,domino1 to eat in  the ,lord at his 
supper8  ,what other service have we to 
do to him1 and  what other sacrifice    
have we to offer1 but the mortification 
of our  flesh8  ,what other oblation    
have we to make1 but of obedience1 of   
good  living1 of good works1 and of     
helping our neighbours8  ,but as for our
  redemption1 it is done already1 it    
cannot be better3 ,christ hath done     
that thing so well1 that it cannot be   
amended4  ,it cannot be devised how  to 
make that any better than he hath done  
it4  ,but the devil1 by the help  of    
that ,italian bishop yonder1 his        
chaplain1 hath laboured by all means    
that he might to frustrate the death of 
,christ and the merits of his  passion4 
,and they have devised for that purpose 
to make us believe in  other vain things
 by his pardons2 as to have remission of
 sins for  praying on hallowed beads2   
for drinking of the bakehouse bowl2 as a
 canon  of ,waltham ,abbey once told me1
 that whensoever they put their loaves  

of  bread into the oven1 as many as     
drank of the pardon-bowl should have    
pardon for drinking of it4  ,a mad      
thing1 to give pardon to a bowl6  ,then 
to pope ,alexander's holy water1 to     
hallowed bells1 palms1 candles1 ashes1  
and what not8  ,and of these things1    
every one hath taken away some part  of 
,christ's sanctification2 every one hath
 robbed some part of ,christ's  passion 
and cross1 and hath mingled ,christ's   
death1 and hath been made to  be        
propitiatory and satisfactory1 and to   
put away sin4  ,yea1 and  ,alexander's  
holy water yet at this day remaineth in 
,england1 and is used  for a remedy     
against spirits and to chase away       
devils2 yea1 and ,i would  this had been
 the worst4  ,i would this were the     
worst4  ,but wo worth  thee1 ,o devil1  
that has prevailed to evacuate ,christ's
 cross1 and to  mingle the ,lord's      
supper4  ,these be the ,italian bishop's
 devices1 and the  devil hath pricked at
 this mark to frustrate the cross of    

,christ3 he shot  at this mark long     
before ,christ came1 he shot at it four 
thousand years  before ,christ hanged on
 the cross1 or suffered his passion4    
,for the brasen serpent was set up in   
the wilderness1 to put men in           
remembrance of ,christ's coming2 that   
like as they which beheld the brasen    
serpent were healed of their bodily     
diseases1 so they that looked           
spiritually upon ,christ that was to    
come1 in him should be saved            
spiritually from the devil4  ,the       
serpent was set up in memory of ,christ 
to come2 but the devil found means to   
steal away the memory of ,christ's      
coining1 and brought the people to      
worship the serpent itself1 and to      
cense him1 to honour him1 and to offer  
to him1 to worship him1 and to  make an 
idol of him4  ,and this was done by the 
market-men that ,i told you  of4  ,and  
the clerk of the market did it for the  
lucre and advantage of  his master1 that
 thereby his honour might increase2 for 

by ,christ's death  he could have but   
small worldly advantage4  ,and so even  
now so hath he  certain blanchers       
belonging to the market1 to let and stop
 the light of  the gospel1 and to hinder
 the king's proceedings in setting forth
 the  word and glory of ,god4  ,and when
 the king's majesty1 with the advice of 
his honourable council1 goeth about to  
promote ,god's word1 and to set an      
order in matters of religion1 there     
shall not lack blanchers that will  say1
 ,as for images1 whereas they have used 
to be censed1 and to have  candles      
offered unto to them1 none be so foolish
 to do it to the stock or  stone1 or to 
the image itself2 but it is done to ,god
 and his honour  before the image4  ,and
 though they should abuse it1 these     
blanchers will  be ready to whisper the 
king in the ear1 and to tell him1 that  
this abuse  is but a small matter2 and  
that the same1 with all other like      
abuses in  the church1 may be reformed  
easily4  ,it is but a little abuse1 say 

they1 and it may be easily amended4     
,but it should not be taken in hand  at 
the first1 for fear of trouble or       
further inconveniences4  ,the people    
will not bear sudden alterations2 an    
insurrection may be made after  sudden  
mutation1 which may be to the great harm
 and loss of the realm4  ,therefore all 
things shall be well1 but not out of    
hand1 for fear of  further business4    
,these be the blanchers1 that hitherto  
have stopped  the word of ,god1 and     
hindered the true setting forth of the  
same4  ,there  be so many put-offs1 so  
many put-byes1 so many respects and     
considerations of worldly wisdom3 and ,i
 doubt not but there were  blanchers in 
the old time to whisper in the ear of   
good king ,hezekiah1  for the           
maintenance of idolatry done to the     
brasen serpent1 as well as  there hath  
been now of late1 and be now1 that can  
blanch the abuse of  images1 and other  
like things4  ,but good king ,hezekiah  
would not be so  blinded2 he was like to

 ,apollos1 fervent in spirit4  ,he would
 give no  ear to the blanchers2 he was  
not moved with the worldly respects1    
with  these prudent considerations1 with
 these policies3 he feared not          
insurrections of the people3 he feared  
not lest his people would bear not  the 
glory of ,god2 but he1 without any of   
these respects1 or policies1 or         
considerations1 like a good king1 for   
,god's sake and for conscience sake1  by
 and by plucked down the brasen serpent1
 and destroyed it utterly1 and  beat it 
to powder4  ,he out of hand did cast out
 all images1 he destroyed  all idolatry1
 and clearly did extirpate all          
superstition4  ,he would not  hear these
 blanchers and worldly-wise men1 but    
without delay followeth  ,god's cause1  
and destroyeth all idolatry out of hand4
  ,thus did good king  ,hezekiah2 for he
 was like ,apollos1 fervent in spirit1  
and diligent1 to  promote ,god's glory4 
,and good hope there is1 that it shall  
be likewise here in ,england2 for  the  

king's majesty is so brought up in      
knowledge1 virtue1 and godliness1  that 
it is not to be mistrusted but that we  
shall have all things well1  and that   
the glory of ,god shall be spread abroad
 throughout all parts of  the realm1 if 
the prelates will diligently apply their
 plough1 and be  preachers rather than  
lords4  ,but our blanchers1 which will  
be lords1 and  no labourers1 when they  
are commanded to go and be resident upon
 their  cures1 and preach in their      
benefices1 they would say1 ,what8  ,i   
have set  a deputy there2 ,i have a     
deputy that looketh well to my flock1   
and the  which shall discharge my duty4 
,a deputy1 quoth he6  ,i looked for that
  word all this while4  ,and what a     
deputy must he be1 trow ye8  ,even one  
like himself3 he must be a canonist2    
that is to say1 one that is brought  up 
in the study of the pope's laws and     
decrees2 one that will set forth        
papistry as well as himself will do2 and
 one that will maintain all             

superstition and idolatry2 and one that 
will nothing at all1 or else very       
weakly1 resist the devil's plough3 yea1 
happy it is if he take no part  with the
 devil2 and where he should be an enemy 
to him1 it is well if he  take not the  
devil's part against ,christ4    ,but in
 the meantime the prelates take their   
pleasures4  ,they are lords1  and no    
labourers3 but the devil is diligent at 
his plough4  ,he is no  unpreaching     
prelate3 he is no lordly loiterer from  
his cure1 but a busy  ploughman2 so that
 among all the prelates1 and among all  
the pack of them  that have cure1 the   
devil shall go for my money1 for he     
still applieth  his business4           
,therefore1 ye unpreaching prelates1    
learn of the devil3 to  be diligent in  
doing of your office1 learn of the      
devil3 and if you will  not learn of    
,god1 nor good men1 for shame learn of  
the devil2 ad  erubescentiam vestrum    
dico1 ,i speak it for your shame3 if you
 will not  learn of ,god1 nor good men1 

to be diligent in your office1 learn of 
the  devil4  ,howbeit there is now very 
good hope that the king's majesty1      
being of the help of good governance of 
his most honourable counsellors  trained
 and brought up in learning1 and        
knowledge of ,god's word1 will  shortly 
provide a remedy1 and set an order      
herein2 which thing that it  may so be1 
let us pray for him4  ,pray for him1    
good people2 pray for him4  ,ye have    
great cause and need to pray for him4   
,a ,,sermon ,,on ,,the ,,parable ,,of ,a
 ,,king ,,that ,,married ,,his ,,son1   
,,made ,,by ,,master  ,,latimer4        
,,matthew ,,xxii4 #b1c4       ,simile   
factum est regnum coelorum homini regi  
qui fecit nuptias filio     suo4        
,the kingdom of heaven is like unto a   
certain king1 which married his     son1
 and sent forth his servants to call    
them that1 c4    ,this is a gospel that 
containeth very much matter2 and there  
is another  like unto this in the       
fourteenth of ,luke3 but they be both   

one in effect1  for they teach both one 
thing2 and therefore ,i will take them  
both in  hand together1 because they    
tend to one purpose4  ,matthew saith1   
,the  kingdom of heaven is like unto a  
certain king1 which married his son2    
,luke saith1 ,a certain man ordained a  
great supper3 but there is no           
difference in the very substance of the 
matter1 for they pertain to one         
purpose4  ,here is made mention of a    
feast-maker3 therefore we must  consider
 who was the feast-maker3 secondarily1  
who was his son3 thirdly1  we must      
consider to whom he was married3        
fourthly1 who were they that  called the
 guests3 fifthly1 who were the guests4  
,and then we must know  how the         
guest-callers behaved themselves3 and   
then1 how the guests  behaved themselves
 towards them that called them4  ,when  
all these  circumstances be considered1 
we shall find much good matters covered 
and  hid in this gospel4    ,now that ,i
 may so handle these matters1 that it   

may turn to the  edification of your    
souls1 and to the discharge of my       
office1 ,i will most  instantly desire  
you to lift up your hearts unto ,god1   
and desire his  divine ,majesty1 in the 
name of his only-begotten ,son1 our     
,saviour ,jesus  ,christ1 that he will  
give unto us his ,holy ,ghost3--unto me1
 that ,i may  speak the word of ,god1   
and teach you to understand the same2   
unto you1  that you may hear it         
fruitfully1 to the edification of your  
souls2 so  that you may be edified      
through it1 and your lives reformed and 
amended2  and that his honour and glory 
may increase daily amongst us4          
,wherefore ,i  shall desire you to say  
with me1 ,our ,father1 c4    ,dearly    
beloved in the ,lord1 the gospel that is
 read this day is a  parable1 a         
similitude or comparison4  ,for our     
,saviour compared the  kingdom of ,god  
unto a man that made a marriage for his 
son4  ,and here was  a marriage4  ,at a 
marriage1 you know1 there is commonly   

great feastings4  ,now you must know who
 was this feast-maker1 and who was his  
son1 and to  whom he was married2 and   
who were those that should be called1   
and who  were the callers2 how they     
behaved themselves1 and how the guests  
behaved  themselves towards them that   
called them4    ,now this               
marriage-maker1 or feast-maker1 is      
,almighty ,god4  ,luke the  ,evangelist 
calleth him a man1 saying1 ,a certain   
man ordained a great  supper4  ,he      
calleth him a man1 not that he was      
incarnate1 or hath taken  our flesh upon
 him3 no1 not so2 for you must          
understand that there be  three ,persons
 in the ,deity1 ,god the ,father1 ,god  
the ,son1 and ,god the ,holy  ,ghost4   
,and these three ,persons decked the    
,son with manhood2 so that  neither the 
,father1 neither the ,holy ,ghost1 took 
flesh upon them1 but  only the ,son2 he 
took our flesh upon him1 taking it of   
the ,virgin ,mary4  ,but ,luke called   
,god the ,father a man1 not because he  

took flesh upon him1  but only compared 
him unto a man2 not that he will affirm 
him to be a  man4  ,who was he now that 
was married8  ,who was the bridegroom8  
,marry1  that was our ,saviour ,jesus   
,christ1 the second person in the       
,deity2 the  eternal ,son of ,god4  ,who
 should be his spouse8  ,to whom was he 
married8  ,to his church and            
congregation3 for he would have all the 
world to come  unto him1 and to be      
married unto him3 but we see by daily   
experience that  the most part refuse   
his offer4  ,but here is shewed the     
state of the  church of ,god3 for this  
marriage1 this feast1 was begun at the  
beginning  of the world1 and shall      
endure to the end of the same3 yet for  
all that1  the most part refused it3 for
 at the very beginning of the world1    
ever  the most part refused to come4    
,and so it appeareth at this time1 how  
little a number cometh to this wedding  
and feast3 though we have callers1  yet 
there be but few of those that come4    

,so ye hear that ,god is the            
feast-maker2 the bridegroom is ,christ1 
his ,son1 our ,saviour2 the bride is    
the congregation4    ,now what manner of
 meat was prepared at this great feast8 
,for ye know it  is commonly seen1 that 
at a marriage the finest meat is        
prepared that can  be gotten4  ,what was
 the chiefest dish at this great        
banquet8  ,what was  the feast-dish8    
,marry1 it was the bridegroom himself3  
for the ,father1  the feast-maker1      
prepared none other manner of meat for  
the guests1 but  the body and blood of  
his own natural ,son4  ,and this is the 
chiefest dish  at this banquet2 which   
truly is a marvellous thing1 that the   
,father  offereth his ,son to be eaten4 
,verily1 ,i think that no man hath heard
 the  like4  ,and truly there was never 
such kind of feasting as this is1 where 
the ,father will have his ,son to be    
eaten1 and his blood to be drunk4    ,we
 read in a story1 that a certain man had
 eaten his son2 but it was done         

unawares3 he knew not that it was his   
son1 else no doubt he would not  have   
eaten him4  ,the story is this3 ,there  
was a king named ,astyages1  which had  
heard by a prophecy1 that one ,cyrus    
should have the rule and  dominion over 
his realm after his departure2 which    
thing troubled the  said king very sore1
 and therefore he sought all the ways   
and means how  to get the said ,cyrus   
out of the way2 how to kill him1 so that
 he should  not be king after him4  ,now
 he had a nobleman in his house1 named  
,harpagus1 whom he appointed to destroy 
the said ,cyrus3 but howsoever the      
matter went1 ,cyrus was preserved and   
kept alive1 contrary to the king's      
mind4  ,which thing when ,astyages      
heard1 what doth he8  ,this he did3     
,harpagus1 that nobleman which was put  
in trust to kill ,cyrus1 had a son  in  
the court1 whom the king commanded to be
 taken2 his head1 hands1 and  feet to be
 cut off2 and his body to be prepared1  
roasted1 or sodden1 of  the best manner 

as could be devised4  ,after that1 he   
biddeth ,harpagus to  come and eat with 
him1 where there was jolly cheer2 one   
dish coming after  another4  ,at length 
the king asked him1 ,sir1 how liketh you
 your fare8  ,harpagus thanketh the     
king1 with much praising the king's     
banquet4  ,now  the king perceiving him 
to be merrily disposed1 commanded one of
 his  servants to bring in the head1    
hands1 and feet of ,harpagus's son4     
,when  it was done1 the king showed him 
what manner of meat he had eaten1 asking
  him how it liketh him4  ,harpagus made
 answer1 though with an heavy heart1    
,quod regi placet1 id mihi quoque       
placet2 ,whatsoever pleaseth the king1  
that also pleaseth me4  ,and here we    
have an ensample of a flatterer1 or     
dissembler3 for this ,harpagus spake    
against his own heart and conscience4   
,surely1 ,i fear me1 there be a great   
many of flatterers in our time also1    
which will not be ashamed to speak      
against their own heart and             

consciences1 like as this ,harpagus did2
 which had1 no doubt1 a heavy  heart1   
and in his conscience the act of the    
king misliked him1 yet for  all that1   
with his tongue he praised the same4    
,so ,i say1 we read not in  any story1  
that at any time any father had eaten   
his son willingly and  wittingly2 and   
this ,harpagus1 of whom ,i rehearsed the
 story1 did it  unawares4  ,but the     
,almighty ,god1 which prepared this     
feast for all the  world1 for all those 
that will come unto it1 he offereth his 
only ,son to  be eaten1 and his blood to
 be drunken4  ,belike he loved his      
guests well1  because he did feed them  
with so costly a dish4    ,again1 our   
,saviour1 the bridegroom1 offereth      
himself at his last supper1  which he   
had with his disciples1 his body to be  
eaten1 and his blood to  be drunk4  ,and
 to the intent that it should be done to
 our great comfort2  and then again to  
take away all cruelty1 irksomeness1 and 
horribleness1  he sheweth unto us how we

 shall eat him1 in what manner and form2
 namely1  spiritually1 to our great     
comfort3 so that whosoever eateth the   
mystical  bread1 and drinketh the       
mystical wine worthily1 according to the
  ordinance of ,christ1 he receiveth    
surely the very body and blood of       
,christ spiritually1 as it shall be most
 comfortable unto his soul4  ,he  eateth
 with the mouth of his soul1 and        
digesteth with the stomach of his  soul1
 the body of ,christ4  ,and to be short3
 whosoever believeth in  ,christ1       
putteth his hope1 trust1 and confidence 
in him1 he eateth and  drinketh him3 for
 the spiritual eating is the right      
eating to everlasting  life2 not the    
corporal eating1 as the ,capernaites    
understood it4  ,for  that same corporal
 eating1 on which they set their minds1 
hath no  commodities at all2 it is a    
spiritual meat that feedeth our souls4  
,but ,i pray you1 how much is this      
supper of ,christ regarded amongst us1  
where he himself exhibiteth unto us his 

body and blood8  ,how much1 ,i say1  is 
it regarded8  ,how many receive it with 
the curate or minister8  ,o  ,lord1 how 
blind and dull are we to such things1   
which pertain to our  salvation6  ,but  
,i pray you1 wherefore was it ordained  
principally8  ,answer3 it was ordained  
for our help1 to help our memory withal2
 to put  us in mind of the great        
goodness of ,god1 in redeeming us from  
everlasting  death by the blood of our  
,saviour ,christ2 yea1 and to signify   
unto us1  that his body and blood is our
 meat and drink for our souls1 to feed  
them  to everlasting life4  ,if we were 
now so perfect as we ought to be1 we    
should not have need of it3 but to help 
our imperfectness it was ordained  of   
,christ2 for we be so forgetful1 when we
 be not pricked forward1 we  have soon  
forgotten all his benefits4  ,therefore 
to the intent that we  might better keep
 it in memory1 and to remedy this our   
slothfulness1 our  ,saviour hath        
ordained this his supper for us1 whereby

 we should remember  his great goodness1
 his bitter passion and death1 and so   
strengthen our  faith3 so that he       
instituted this supper for our sake1 to 
make us to keep  in fresh memory his    
inestimable benefits4  ,but1 as ,i said 
before1 it is  in a manner nothing      
regarded amongst us3 we care not for it2
 we will not  come unto it4  ,how many  
be there1 think ye1 which regard this   
supper of  the ,lord as much as a       
testoon8  ,but very few1 no doubt of it3
 and ,i will  prove that they regard it 
not so much4  ,if there were a          
proclamation made  in this town1 that   
whosoever would come unto the church at 
such an hour1  and there go to the      
communion with the curate1 should have a
 testoon2  when such a proclamation were
 made1 ,i think1 truly1 all the town    
would  come and celebrate the communion 
to get a testoon3 but they will not come
  to receive the body and blood of      
,christ1 the food and nourishment of    
their souls1 to the augmentation and    

strength of their faith6  ,do they  not 
more regard now a testoon than ,christ8 
,but the cause which letteth  us from   
celebrating of the ,lord's ,supper1 is  
this3 we have no mind nor  purpose to   
leave sin and wickedness1 which maketh  
us not to come to this  supper1 because 
we be not ready nor meet to receive it4 
,but ,i require  you in ,god's behalf2  
leave your wickedness1 that ye may      
receive it  worthily1 according to his  
institution4  ,for this supper is       
ordained1 as  ,i told you before1 for   
our sake1 to our profits and            
commodities3 for if  we were perfect1 we
 should not need this outward sacrament2
 but our  ,saviour1 knowing our weakness
 and forgetfulness1 ordained this supper
 to  the augmentation of our faith1 and 
to put us in remembrance of his         
benefits4  ,but we will not come3 there 
come no more at once1 but such as  give 
the holy loaves from house to house2    
which follow rather the custom  than any
 thing else4  ,our ,saviour ,christ     

saith in the gospel of ,st4 ,john1  ,ego
 sum panis virus1 qui de coelo descendi2
 ,i am the living bread  which came down
 from heaven4  ,therefore whosoever     
feedeth of our ,saviour  ,christ1 he    
shall not perish2 death shall not       
prevail against him3 his  soul shall    
depart out of his body1 yet death shall 
not get the victory  over him2 he shall 
not be damned4  ,he that cometh to that 
marriage1 to  that banquet1 death shall 
be unto him but an entrance or a door to
  everlasting life4  ,panis quem ego    
dabo caro mea est2 ,the bread that ,i   
will give is my flesh1 which ,i will    
give for the life of the world4  ,as    
many as will feed upon him1 shall attain
 to everlasting life3 they shall  never 
die2 they shall prevail against death2  
death shall not hurt them1  because he  
hath lost his strength4  ,if we would   
consider this1 no doubt  we would be    
more desirous to come to the communion  
than we be2 we would  not be so cold2 we
 would be content to leave our naughty  

living1 and come  to the ,lord's table4 
,now ye have heard what shall be the    
chiefest dish at this marriage1  namely1
 the body and blood of ,christ4  ,but   
now there be other dishes1  which be    
sequels or hangings-on1 wherewith the   
chief dish is powdered3  that is1       
remission of sins2 also the ,holy       
,ghost1 which ruleth and  governeth our 
hearts2 also the merits of ,christ1     
which are made ours4  ,for  when we feed
 upon this dish worthily1 then we shall 
have remission of our  sins2 we shall   
receive the ,holy ,ghost4  ,moreover1   
all the merits of  ,christ are ours2 his
 fulfilling of the law is ours2 and so  
we be  justified before ,god1 and       
finally attain to everlasting life4  ,as
 many1  therefore1 as feed worthily of  
this dish1 shall have all these things  
with it1 and in the end everlasting     
life4  ,st4 ,paul saith1 ,qui proprio   
,filio suo non pepercit1 sed pro nobis  
omnibus tradidit illum1 quomodo non     
etiam cum illo omnia nobis donabit8  ,he

 which spared not his own ,son1  but    
gave him for us all1 how shall he not   
with him give us all things  also8      
,therefore they that be in ,christ are  
partakers of all his merits  and        
benefits2 of everlasting life1 and of   
all felicity4  ,he that hath  ,christ   
hath all things that are ,christ's4  ,he
 is our preservation from  damnation2 he
 is our comfort2 he is our help1 our    
remedy4  ,when we feed  upon him1 then  
we shall have remission of our sins3 the
 same remission of  sins is the greatest
 and most comfortable thing that can be 
in the world4  ,o what a comfortable    
thing is this1 when ,christ saith1      
,remittuntur tibi  peccata1 ,thy sins   
are forgiven unto thee6  ,and this is a 
standing  sentence2 it was not spoken   
only to the same one man1 but it is a   
general  proclamation unto all us3 all  
and every one that believeth in him     
shall  have forgiveness of their sins4  
,and this proclamation is cried out     
daily  by his ministers and preachers2  

which proclamation is the word of grace1
  the word of comfort and consolation4  
,for like as sin is the most fearful    
and the most horriblest thing in heaven 
and in earth1 so the most  comfortablest
 thing is the remedy against sin2 which 
remedy is declared  and offered unto us 
in this word of grace and the power to  
distribute  this remedy against sins he 
hath given unto his ministers1 which be 
,god's  treasurers1 distributers of the 
word of ,god4  ,for now he speaketh by  
me1  he calleth you to this wedding by  
me1 being but a poor man2 yet he hath   
sent me to call you4  ,and though he be 
the author of the word1 yet he  will    
have men to be called through his       
ministers to that word4  ,therefore  let
 us give credit unto the minister1 when 
he speaketh ,god's word3 yea1  rather   
let us credit ,god when he speaketh by  
his ministers1 and offereth  us         
remission of our sins by his word4  ,for
 there is no sin so great in  this      
world1 but it is pardonable as long as  

we be in this world1 and call  for      
mercy3 for here is the time of mercy2   
here we may come to forgiveness  of our 
sins4  ,but if we once die in our sins  
and wickedness1 so that we  be damned1  
let us not look for remission           
afterwards3 for the state after  this   
life is unchangeable4  ,but as long as  
we be here1 we may cry for  mercy4      
,therefore let us not despair3 let us   
amend our lives1 and cry  unto ,god for 
forgiveness of our sins2 and then no    
doubt we shall obtain  remission1 if we 
call with a faithful heart upon him1 for
 so he hath  promised unto us in his    
most holy word4    ,the holy scripture  
maketh mention of a sin against the     
,holy ,ghost1 which  sin cannot be      
forgiven1 neither in this world1 nor in 
the world to come4  ,and this maketh    
many men unquiet in their hearts and    
consciences3 for  some there be which   
ever be afraid1 lest they have committed
 that same  sin against the ,holy       
,ghost1 which is irremissible4          

,therefore some say1  ,i cannot tell    
whether ,i have sinned against the ,holy
 ,ghost or not3 if ,i  have committed   
that sin1 ,i know ,i shall be damned4   
,but ,i tell you what  ye shall do3     
despair not of the mercy of ,god1 for it
 is immeasurable4  ,i  cannot deny but  
that there is a sin against the ,holy   
,ghost1 which is  irremissible3 but we  
cannot judge of it aforehand1 we cannot 
tell which  man hath committed that sin 
or not1 as long as he is alive2 but when
 he  is once gone1 then ,i can judge    
whether he sinned against the ,holy     
,ghost  or not4  ,as now ,i can judge   
that ,nero1 ,saul1 and ,judas1 and such 
like1  that died in sins and wickedness1
 did commit this sin against the ,holy  
,ghost3 for they were wicked1 and       
continued in their wickedness still to  
the very end2 they made an end in their 
wickedness4  ,but we cannot judge       
whether one of us sin this sin against  
the ,holy ,ghost1 or not2 for though  a 
man be wicked at this time1 yet he may  

repent1 and leave his wickedness        
tomorrow1 and so not commit that sin    
against the ,holy ,ghost4  ,our ,saviour
  ,christ pronounced against the scribes
 and ,pharisees1 that they had          
committed that sin against the ,holy    
,ghost2 because he knew their hearts1   
he knew they would still abide in their 
wickedness to the very end of  their    
lives4  ,but we cannot pronounce this   
sentence against any man1 for  we know  
not the hearts of men3 he that sinneth  
now1 peradventure shall be  turned      
tomorrow1 and leave his sins1 and so be 
saved4  ,further1 the  promises of our  
,saviour ,christ are general2 they      
pertain to all mankind3  he made a      
general proclamation1 saying1 ,qui      
credit in me1 habet vitam  aeternam2    
,whosoever believeth in me hath         
everlasting life4  ,likewise  ,st4 ,paul
 saith1 ,gratia exsuperat supra         
peccatum2 ,the grace and mercies  of    
,god exceedeth far our sins4  ,therefore
 let us ever think and believe  that the

 grace of ,god1 his mercy and goodness1 
exceedeth our sins4  ,also  consider    
what ,christ saith with his own mouth3  
,venite ad me1 omnes qui  laboratis1 c4 
,come unto me1 all ye that labour and   
are laden1 and ,i  will ease you4       
,mark1 here he saith1 ,come all ye3     
wherefore then  should any body despair1
 or shut out himself from these promises
 of  ,christ1 which be general1 and     
pertain to the whole world8  ,for he    
saith1  ,come all unto me4  ,and then   
again he saith1 ,refocillabo vos1 ,i    
will  refresh you3 you shall be eased   
from the burdens of your sins4          
,therefore1 as ,i said before1 he that  
is blasphemous1 and obstinately  wicked1
 and abideth in his wickedness still to 
the very end1 he sinneth  against the   
,holy ,ghost2 as ,st4 ,augustine1 and   
all other godly writers do  affirm4     
,but he that leaveth his wickedness and 
sins1 is content to amend  his life1 and
 then believing in ,christ1 seeketh     
salvation and everlasting  life by him1 

no doubt that man or woman1 whosoever he
 or they be1 shall  be saved3 for they  
feed upon ,christ1 upon that meat that  
,god the ,father1  this feast-maker1    
hath prepared for all his guests4       
,you have heard now who is the maker of 
this feast or banquet3 and again1  you  
have heard what meat is prepared for the
 guests2 what a costly dish  the        
house-father hath ordained at the       
wedding of his son4  ,but now ye  know1 
that where there be great dishes and    
delicate fare1 there be  commonly       
prepared certain sauces1 which shall    
give men a great lust and  appetite to  
their meats2 as mustard1 vinegar1 and   
such like sauces4  ,so  this feast1 this
 costly dish1 hath its sauces2 but what 
be they8  ,marry1  the cross1           
affliction1 tribulation1 persecution1   
and all manner of  miseries3 for1 like  
as sauces make lusty the stomach to     
receive meat1 so  affliction stirreth up
 in us a desire to ,christ4  ,for when  
we be in  quietness1 we are not hungry1 

we care not for ,christ3 but when we be 
in  tribulation1 and cast in prison1    
then we have a desire to him2 then we   
learn to call upon him2 then we hunger  
and thirst after him2 then we are       
desirous to feed upon him4  ,as long as 
we be in health and prosperity1 we  care
 not for him2 we be slothful1 we have no
 stomach at all2 and  therefore these   
sauces are very necessary for us4  ,we  
have a common  saying amongst us1 when  
we see a fellow sturdy1 lofty1 and      
proud1 men  say1 ,this is a saucy       
fellow2 signifying him to be a          
high-minded fellow1  which taketh more  
upon him than he ought to do1 or his    
estate requireth3  which thing1 no      
doubt1 is naught and ill2 for every one 
ought to behave  himself according unto 
his calling and estate4  ,but he that   
will be a  christian man1 that intendeth
 to come to heaven1 must be a saucy     
fellow2  he must be well powdered with  
the sauce of affliction1 and            
tribulation2  not with proudness and    

stoutness1 but with miseries and        
calamities3 for  so it is written1      
,omnes qui pie volunt vivere in ,christo
 persecutionem  patientur2 ,whosoever   
will live godly in ,christ1 he shall    
have  persecution and miseries3 he shall
 have sauce enough to his meat4  ,again1
  our ,saviour saith1 ,qui vult meus    
esse discipulus1 abneget semetipsum et  
tollat crucem suam et sequatur me2 ,he  
that will be my disciple must  deny     
himself and take his cross upon him1 and
 follow me4  ,is there any  man that    
will feed upon me1 that will eat my     
flesh and drink my blood8  ,let him     
forsake himself4  ,o this is a great    
matter2 this is a biting  thing1 the    
denying of my own will6' ,as for an     
ensample3 ,i see a fair  woman1 and     
conceive in my heart an ill appetite to 
commit lechery with  her2 ,i desire to  
fulfil my wanton lust with her4  ,here  
is my appetite1 my  lust1 my will3 but  
what must ,i do8  ,marry1 ,i must deny  
myself1 and follow  ,christ4  ,what is  

that8  ,i must not follow my own desire1
 but the will and  pleasure of ,christ4 
,now what saith he8  ,non fornicaberis1 
non  adulteraberis2 ,thou shalt not be a
 whoremonger1 thou shalt not be a       
wedlock-breaker4  ,here ,i must deny    
myself1 and my will1 and give place     
unto his will2 abhor and hate my own    
will4  ,yea1 and furthermore ,i must    
earnestly call upon him1 that he will   
give me grace to withstand my own  lust 
and appetite1 in all manner of things   
which may be against his will3  as when 
a man doth me wrong1 taketh my living   
from me1 or hurteth me in  my good name 
and fame1 my will is to avenge myself   
upon him1 to do him a  foul turn again2 
but what saith ,god8  ,mihi vindicta1   
ego retribuam2  ,unto me belongeth      
vengeance1 ,i will recompense the same4 
,now here ,i  must give over my own will
 and pleasure1 and obey his will3 this  
,i must  do1 if ,i will feed upon him1  
if ,i will come to heaven4  ,but this is
 a  bitter thing1 a sour sauce1 a sharp 

sauce2 this sauce maketh a stomach3  for
 when ,i am injured or wronged1 or am in
 other tribulation1 then ,i have  a     
great desire for him1 to feed upon him1 
to be delivered from trouble1  and to   
attain to quietness and joy4    ,there  
is a learned man which hath a saying    
which is most true3 he saith1  ,plus    
crux quam tranquillitas invitat ad      
,christum2 ,the cross and  persecution  
bring us sooner to ,christ than         
prosperity and wealth4  ,therefore ,st4 
,peter saith1 ,humiliamini sub potenti  
manu ,dei2 ,humble  yourselves under the
 mighty hand of ,god4  ,look1 what ,god 
layeth upon  you1 bear it willingly and 
humbly4  ,but you will say1 ,i pray you1
 tell  me what is my cross8  ,answer3   
,this that ,god layeth upon you1 that   
same  is your cross2 not that which you 
of your own wilfulness lay upon         
yourselves3 as there was a certain sect 
which were called ,flagellarii1  which  
scourged themselves with whips till the 
blood ran from their  bodies2 this was a

 cross1 but it was not the cross of     
,god4  ,no1 no3 he  laid not that upon  
them1 they did it of their own head4    
,therefore look1  what ,god layeth upon 
me1 that same is my cross1 which ,i     
ought to take in  good part2 as when ,i 
fall in poverty1 or in miseries1 ,i     
ought to be  content withal2 when my    
neighbour doth me wrong1 taketh away my 
goods1  robbeth me of my good name and  
fame1 ,i shall bear it willingly1       
considering that it is ,god's cross1 and
 that nothing can be done against  me   
without his permission4  ,there falleth 
never a sparrow to the ground  without  
his permission2 yea1 not a hair falleth 
from our head without his  will4        
,seeing then that there is nothing done 
without his will1 ,i ought  to bear this
 cross which he layeth upon me          
willingly1 without any  murmuring or    
grudging4    ,but ,i pray you1 consider 
these words of ,st4 ,peter well3        
,humiliamini sub  potenti manu ,dei2    
,humble yourselves under the mighty hand

 of ,god4  ,here  ,st4 ,peter signifieth
 unto us that ,god is a mighty ,god1    
which can take  away the cross from us  
when it seemeth him good2 yea1 and he   
can send  patience in the midst of all  
trouble and miseries4  ,st4 ,paul1 that 
elect  instrument of ,god1 shewed a     
reason wherefore ,god layeth afflictions
 upon  us1 saying3 ,corripimur a        
,domino1 ne cum mundo condemnemur2 ,we  
are  chastened of the ,lord1 lest we    
should be condemned with the world4     
,for  you see by daily experience1 that 
the most part of wicked men are lucky   
in this world2 they bear the swing1 all 
things goeth after their minds2  for    
,god letteth them have their pleasures  
here4  ,and therefore this is a  common 
saying1 ,the more wicked1 the more      
lucky3 but they that pertain  to ,god1  
that shall inherit everlasting life1    
they must go to the pot2  they must     
suffer here1 according to that          
scripture1 ,judicium a domo ,dei        
incipit2 ,the judgment of ,god beginneth

 at the house of ,god4  ,therefore  it  
cometh of the goodness of ,god1 when we 
be put to taste the sauce of            
tribulation3 for he doth it to a good   
end1 namely1 that we should not be      
condemned with this wicked world4  ,for 
these sauces are very good for us2  for 
they make us more hungry and lusty to   
come to ,christ and feed upon  him4     
,and truly1 when it goeth well with us1 
we forget ,christ1 our hearts  and minds
 are not upon him3 therefore it is      
better to have affliction  than to be in
 prosperity4  ,for there is a common    
saying1 ,vexatio dat  intellectum2      
,vexation giveth understanding4  ,david1
 that excellent  king and prophet1      
saith1 ,bonum est mihi quod humiliasti  
me1 ,domine3  ,lord1 saith he1 it is    
good for me that thou hast pulled down  
my  stomach1 that thou hast humbled me4 
,but ,i pray you1 what sauce had        
,david1 how was he humbled8  ,truly     
thus3 his own son defiled his daughter4 
,after that1 ,absalom1 one other of his 

sons1 killed his own brother4  ,and     
this was not enough1 but his own son    
rose up against him1 and  traitorously  
cast him out of his kingdom1 and defiled
 his wives in the  sight of all the     
people4  ,was not he vexed8 had he not  
sauces8  ,yes1 yes3  yet for all that he
 cried not out against ,god2 he murmured
 not1 but  saith1 ,bonum est mihi quod  
humiliasti me2 ,lord1 it is good for me 
that  thou hast humbled me1 that thou   
hast brought me low4  ,therefore when we
  be in trouble1 let us be of good      
comfort1 knowing that ,god doth it for  
the best4  ,but for all that1 the devil1
 that old serpent1 the enemy of         
mankind1 doth what he can day and night 
to bring us this sauce1 to cast  us into
 persecution1 or other miseries3 as it  
appeareth in the gospel of  ,matthew1   
where our ,saviour casting him out of a 
man1 seeing that he could  do no more   
harm1 he desired ,christ to give him    
leave to go into the  swine2 and so he  
cast them all into the sea4  ,where it  

appeareth1 that  the devil studieth and 
seeketh all manner of ways to hurt us1  
either in  soul1 or else in body4  ,but 
for all that1 let us not despair1 but   
rather  lift up our hearts unto ,god1   
desiring his help and comfort2 and no   
doubt1  when we do so1 he will help3 he 
will either take away the calamities1 or
  else mitigate them1 or at the         
leastwise send patience into our hearts1
  that we may bear it willingly4    ,now
 you know1 at a great feast1 when there 
is made a delicate dinner1 and  the     
guests fare well1 at the end of the     
dinner they have bellaria1  certain     
subtleties1 custards1 sweet and delicate
 things3 so when we come  to this       
dinner1 to this wedding1 and feed upon  
,christ1 and take his  sauces which he  
hath prepared for us1 at the end cometh 
the sweetmeat4  ,what is that8  ,marry1 
remission of sins1 and everlasting life2
 such joy1  that no tongue can express1 
nor heart can think1 which ,god hath    
prepared  for all them that come to this

 dinner1 and feed upon his ,son1 and    
taste  of his sauces4  ,and this is the 
end of this banquet4  ,this banquet1 or 
marriage-dinner1 was made at the very   
beginning of the world4  ,god made  this
 marriage in paradise1 and called the   
whole world unto it1 saying1  ,semen    
mulieris conteret caput serpentis2 ,the 
,seed of the woman shall  vanquish the  
head of the serpent4  ,this was the     
first calling2 and this  calling stood  
unto the faithful in as good stead as it
 doth unto us1  which have a more       
manifest calling4  ,afterward ,almighty 
,god called again  with these words1    
speaking to ,abraham3 ,ego ero ,deus    
tuus et seminis tui  post te2 ,i will be
 thy ,god1 and thy seed's after thee4   
,now what is it  to be our ,god8        
,forsooth to be our defender1 our       
comforter1 our  deliverer1 and helper4  
,who was ,abraham's seed8  ,even ,christ
 the ,son of  ,god1 he was ,abraham's   
seed3 in him1 and through him1 all the  
world shall  be blessed2 all that       

believe in him1 all that come to this   
dinner1 and  feed upon him4  ,after     
that1 all the prophets1 their only      
intent was to  call the people to this  
wedding4  ,now after the time was       
expired which  ,god had appointed1 he   
said1 ,venite1 parata sunt omnia2 ,come1
 all  things are ready4    ,but who are 
these callers8  ,the first was ,john    
,baptist1 which not only  called with   
his mouth1 but also shewed with his     
finger that meat which  ,god had        
prepared for the whole world4  ,he      
saith1 ,ecce ,agnus ,dei qui  tollit    
peccata mundi2 ,lo1 the ,lamb of ,god1  
that taketh away the sins of  the world4
  ,also ,christ himself called1 saying1 
,venite ad me1 omnes qui  laboratis2    
,come to me1 all ye that travail and    
labour1 and ,i will  refresh you4       
,likewise the apostles cried1 and called
 all the whole  world2 as it is written1
 ,exivit sonus eorum per universam      
terram2  ,their sound is gone throughout
 all the world4  ,but1 ,i pray you1 what

  thanks had they for their calling1 for
 their labour8  ,verily this3 ,john     
,baptist was beheaded2 ,christ was      
crucified2 the apostles were killed3    
this was their reward for their labours4
  ,so all the preachers shall look  for 
none other reward3 for no doubt they    
must be sufferers1 they must  taste of  
these sauces3 their office is1 arguere  
mundum de peccato1 to  rebuke the world 
of sin2 which no doubt is a thankless   
occupation4  ,ut  audiant montes judicia
 ,domini1 ,that the high hills1 that is1
 great  princes and lords1 may hear the 
judgments of the ,lord3 they must spare 
no body2 they must rebuke high and low1 
when they do amiss2 they must  strike   
them with the sword of ,god's word3     
which no doubt is a thankless           
occupation2 yet it must be done1 for    
,god will have it so4    ,there be many 
men1 which be not so cruel as to        
persecute or to kill the  preachers of  
,god's word2 but when they be called to 
feed upon ,christ1 to  come to this     

banquet1 to leave their wicked livings1 
then they begin to  make their excuses2 
as it appeared here in this gospel1     
where the first  said1 ,i have bought a 
farm1 and ,i must needs go and see it2  
,i pray thee  have me excused4  ,another
 said1 ,i have bought five yoke of oxen1
 and ,i go  to prove them2 ,i pray thee 
have me excused4  ,the third said1 ,i   
have  married a wife1 and therefore ,i  
cannot come4  ,and these were their     
excuses4  ,you must take heed that you  
mistake not this text3 for after  the   
outward letter it seemeth as though no  
husbandman1 no buyer or  seller1 nor    
married man shall enter the kingdom of  
,god4  ,therefore ye  must take heed    
that ye understand it aright4  ,for to  
be a husbandman1 to  be a buyer or      
seller1 to be a married man1 is a good  
thing1 and allowed  of ,god3 but the    
abuse of such things is reproved4       
,husbandman1 and  married man1 every one
 in his calling1 may use and do the     
works of his  calling4  ,the husbandman 

may go to plough2 they may buy and sell2
 also1  men may marry2 but they may not 
set their hearts upon it4  ,the         
husbandman  may not so apply his        
husbandry to set aside the hearing of   
the word of  ,god2 for when he doth so1 
he sinneth damnably3 for he more        
regardeth his  husbandry than ,god and  
his word2 he hath all lust and pleasure 
in his  husbandry1 which pleasure is    
naught4  ,as there be many husbandmen   
which  will not come to service2 they   
make their excuses that they have other 
business3 but this excusing is naught2  
for commonly they go about wicked       
matters1 and yet they would excuse      
themselves1 to make themselves          
faultless2 or1 at the least way1 they   
will diminish their faults1 which  thing
 itself is a great wickedness2 to do    
wickedly1 and then to defend  that same 
wickedness1 to neglect and despise      
,god's word1 and then to  excuse such   
doings1 like as these men do here in    
this gospel4  ,the  husbandman saith1 ,i

 have bought a farm2 therefore have me  
excused3 the  other saith1 ,i have      
bought five yoke of oxen2 ,i pray thee  
have me  excused3  ,now when he cometh  
to the married man1 that same fellow    
saith  not1 ,have me excused1 as the    
others say2 but he only saith1 ,i cannot
  come4  ,where it is to be noted1 that 
the affections of carnal lusts and      
concupiscence are the strongest above   
all the other3 for there be some  men   
which set all their hearts upon         
voluptuousness2 they regard nothing     
else1 neither ,god nor his word2 and    
therefore this married man saith1 ,i    
cannot come2 because his affections are 
more strong and more vehement  than the 
other men's were4    ,but what shall be 
their reward which refuse to come8  ,the
 house-father  saith1 ,i say unto you1  
that none of those men which were bidden
 shall  taste of my supper4  ,with these
 words ,christ our ,saviour teacheth us1
  that all those that love better       
worldly things than ,god and his word   

shall be shut out from his supper2 that 
is to say1 from everlasting joy  and    
felicity3 for it is a great matter to   
despise ,god's word1 or the  minister of
 the same2 for the office of preaching  
is the office of  salvation2 it hath    
warrants in scripture1 it is grounded   
upon ,god's word4  ,st4 ,paul to the    
,romans maketh a gradation of such-wise3
 ,omnis quicunque  invocaverit nomen    
,domini salvabitur3 quomodo ergo        
invocabunt in quem non  crediderunt1 aut
 quomodo credent ei quem non audisrunt8 
that is to say1  ,whosoever shall call  
on the name of the ,lord1 shall be      
saved3 but how  shall they call upon    
him1 in whom they believe not8  ,how    
shall they  believe on him of whom they 
have not heard8  ,how shall they hear   
without  a preacher8  ,and how shall    
they preach1 except they be sent8  ,at  
the  length he concludeth1 saying1      
,fides ex auditu2 ,faith cometh by      
hearing4  ,where ye may perceive1 how   
necessary a thing it is to hear  ,god's 

word1 and how needful a thing it is to  
have preachers1 which may  teach us the 
word of ,god3 for by hearing we must    
come to faith2 through  faith we must be
 justified4  ,and therefore ,christ     
saith himself1 ,qui  credit in me1 habet
 vitam aeternam2 ,he that believeth in  
me hath  everlasting life4  ,when we    
hear ,god's word by the preacher1 and   
believe  that same1 then we shall be    
saved3 for ,st4 ,paul saith1 ,evangelium
 est  potentia ,dei ad salutem omni     
credenti2 ,the gospel is the power of   
,god  unto salvation to all that        
believe2 the gospel preached is ,god's  
power to  salvation of all believers4   
,this is a great commendation of this   
office  of preaching3 therefore we ought
 not to despise it1 or little regard it2
  for it is ,god's instrument1 whereby  
he worketh faith in our hearts4  ,our   
,saviour saith to ,nicodeme1 ,nisi quis 
renatus fuerit1 ,except a man be  born  
anew1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4
  ,but how cometh this  regeneration8   

,by hearing and believing of the word of
 ,god3 for so saith  ,st4 ,peter1       
,renati non ex semine mortali           
corruptibili2 ,we are born  anew1 not of
 mortal seed1 but of immortal1 by the   
word of ,god4  ,likewise  ,paul saith in
 another place1 ,visum est ,deo per     
stultitiam praedicationis  salvos facere
 credentes2 ,it pleased ,god to save the
 believers through  the foolishness of  
preaching4  ,but1 peradventure1 you will
 say1 ,what1  shall a preacher teach    
foolishness8  ,no1 not so3 the preacher1
 when he  is a right preacher1 he       
preacheth not foolishness1 but he       
preacheth the  word of ,god2 but it is  
taken for foolishness1 the world        
esteemeth it for  a trifle3 but         
howsoever the world esteemeth it1 ,st4  
,paul saith that ,god  will save his    
through it4    ,here ,i might take      
occasion to inveigh against those which 
little regard  the office of preaching2 
which are wont to say1 ',what need we   
such  preachings every day8  ,have ,i   

not five wits8  ,i know as well what is 
good  or ill1 as he doth that preacheth4
  ,but ,i tell thee1 my friend1 be not  
too hasty2 for when thou hast nothing to
 follow but thy five wits1 thou  shalt  
go to the devil with them4  ,david1 that
 holy prophet1 said not so3  he trusted 
not his five wits1 but he said1 ,lucerna
 pedibus meis verbum  tuum1 ,domine2    
,lord1 thy word is a lantern unto my    
feet4  ,here we learn  not to despise   
the word of ,god1 but highly to esteem  
it1 and reverently  to hear it2 for the 
holy day is ordained and appointed to   
none other  thing1 but that we should at
 that day hear the word of ,god1 and    
exercise  ourselves in all godliness4   
,but there be some which think that this
 day  is ordained only for feasting1    
drinking1 or gaming1 or such            
foolishness2  but they be much deceived3
 this day was appointed of ,god that we 
should  hear his word1 and learn his    
laws1 and so serve him4  ,but ,i dare   
say the  devil hath no days so much     

service as upon ,sundays or holy days2  
which  ,sundays are appointed to        
preaching1 and to hear ,god's most holy 
word4  ,therefore ,god saith not only in
 his commandments1 that we shall abstain
  from working2 but he saith1           
,sanctificabis1 ,thou shalt hallow3 so  
that  holy day keeping is nothing else  
but to abstain from good works1 and to  
do better works2 that is1 to come       
together1 and celebrate the ,communion  
together1 and visit the sick bodies4    
,these are holy-day works2 and for  that
 end ,god commanded us to abstain from  
bodily works1 that we might be  more    
meet and apt to do those works which he 
hath appointed unto us1  namely1 to feed
 our souls with his word1 to remember   
his benefits1 and to  give him thanks1  
and to call upon him4  ,so that the     
holy-day may be  called a marriage-day1 
wherein we are married unto ,god2 which 
day is very  needful to be kept4  ,the  
foolish common people think it to be a  
belly-  cheer day1 and so they make it a

 surfeiting day3 there is no wickedness1
  no rebellion1 no lechery1 but she hath
 most commonly her beginning upon  the  
holy-day4    ,we read a story in the    
fifteenth chapter of the book of        
,numbers1 that  there was a fellow which
 gathered sticks upon the sabbath-day2  
he was a  despiser of ,god's ordinances 
and laws1 like as they that now-a-days  
go  about other business1 when they     
should hear the word of ,god1 and come  
to  the ,common ,prayer3 which fellows  
truly have need of sauce1 to be made    
more lustier to come and feed upon      
,christ than they be4  ,now ,moses and  
the people consulted with the ,lord1    
what they should do1 how they should    
punish that fellow which had so         
transgressed the sabbath-day4  ,he shall
  die1 saith ,god3 which thing is an    
ensample for us to take heed1 that we   
transgress not the law of the           
sabbath-day4  ,for though ,god punish us
 not  by and by1 as this man was        
punished2 yet he is the very self-same  

,god  that he was before1 and will      
punish one day1 either here1 or else in 
the  other world1 where the punishment  
shall be everlasting4    ,likewise in   
the seventeenth chapter of the prophet  
,jeremy ,god threateneth  his fearful   
wrath and anger unto those which do     
profane his sabbath-day4  ,again1 he    
promiseth his favour and all prosperity 
to them that will keep  the holy-days2  
saying1 ,princes and kings shall go     
through thy gates1  that is to say1     
,thou shalt be in prosperity1 in wealth1
 and great  estimation amongst thy      
neighbours4  ,again3 ,if ye will not    
keep my  sabbath-day1 ,i will kindle a  
fire in your gates2 that is to say1 ,i  
will  destroy you1 ,i will bring you to 
nought1 and burn your cities with fire4 
,these words pertain as well unto us at 
this time1 as they pertained to  them at
 their time3 for ,god hateth the        
disallowing of the sabbath as well  now 
as then2 for he is and remaineth still  
the old ,god3 he will have us  to keep  

his sabbath1 as well now as then3 for   
upon the sabbath-day ,god's  seed-plough
 goeth2 that is to say1 the ministry of 
his word is executed2  for the          
ministering of ,god's word is ,god's    
plough4  ,now upon the ,sundays  ,god   
sendeth his husbandmen to come and till2
 he sendeth his callers to  come and    
call to the wedding1 to bid the guests2 
that is1 all the world  to come to that 
supper4  ,therefore1 for the reverence  
of ,god1 consider  these things3        
consider who calleth1 namely1 ,god2     
consider again who be  the guests2 all  
ye4  ,therefore ,i call you in ,god's   
name1 come to this  supper2 hallow the  
sabbath-day2 that is1 do your holy-day  
work1 come to  this supper2 for this day
 was appointed of ,god to that end1 that
 his word  should be taught and heard4  
,prefer not your own business therefore 
before the hearing of the word of ,god4 
,remember the story of that man  which  
gathered sticks upon the holy day1 and  
was put to death by the  consent of     

,god3 where ,god shewed himself not a   
cruel ,god1 but he would  give warning  
unto the whole world by that man1 that  
all the world should  keep holy his     
sabbath-day4    ,the almighty           
ever-living ,god give us grace to live  
so in this miserable  world1 that we may
 at the end come to the great           
sabbath-day1 where there  shall be      
everlasting joy and gladness6  ,amen4