Hugh Latimer · 16 of 26

LAST SERMON PREACHED BEFORE KING EDWARD THE SIXTH · Part 2

But here I would take an occasion by the way of a digression to speak somewhat to my sisters, the women, to do them some good too; because I would do all folks good if I could, before I take my ultimum vale, at leastwise here of this place: for I think I shall no more come here; for I think I have not long to live; so that I judge I take my leave now of the court for ever, and shall no more come in of this place. Achab was a king, but Jesabel, Jesabel she was the perilous woman. She would rule her husband, the king; she would bear a stroke in all things, and she would order matters as pleased her. And so will many women do; they will rule their husbands, and do all things after their own minds. They do therein against the order by God appointed them: they break their injunction that God gave unto them. Yea, it is now come to the lower sort, to mean men’s wives; they will rule and apparel themselves gorgeously, and some of them far above their degrees, whether their husbands will or no. But they break their injunction, and do therein contrary to God’s ordinance. God saith, Subdita eris sub potestate viri; “Thou shalt be subject under the power of thy husband.” Thou shalt be subject. Women are subjects; ye be subjects to your husbands. At the first, the man and the woman were equal. But after that she had given credit to the serpent, then she had an injunction set upon her: Subdita eris sub potestate viri, “Thou shalt be subject under the power of thy husband.” And as for one part of her injunction she taketh; and she taketh one part of her penance, because she cannot avoid it, and that is, In dolore paries, “Thou shalt bring forth children with pain and travail.” This part of their injunction they take, and yet is the same so grievous, that Chrysostom saith, if it were not for the ordinance of God, which cannot be made frustrate by man, they would never come to it again for no worldly good. But God hath provided herein and as Christ saith in the gospel, Mulier cum parit tristitiam habet, &c., “The woman when she beareth a child hath sorrow, but afterward she remembereth not the pain, because there is a soul brought forth into the world.” But as it is a part of your penance, ye women, to travail in bearing your children; so it is a part of your penance to be subjects unto your husbands: ye are underlings, underlings, and must be obedient. But this is now made a trifle and a small matter and yet it is a sad matter, a godly matter, a ghostly matter, a matter of damnation and salvation. And Paul saith, that “a woman ought to have a power on her head.” What is this, “to have a power on her head”? It is a manner of speaking of the scripture; and to have her power on her head is to have a sign and token of power, which is by covering of her head, declaring that she hath a superior above her, by whom she ought to be ruled and ordered: for she is not immediately under God, but mediately. For by their injunction, the husband is their head under God, and they subjects unto their husbands. But this “power” that some of them have is disguised gear and strange fashions. They must wear French hoods, and I cannot tell you, I, what to call it. And when they make them ready and come to the covering of their head, they will call and say, “Give me my French hood, and give me my bonnet, or my cap;” and so forth. I would wish that the women would call the covering of their heads by the terms of the scripture: as when she would have her cap, I would she would say, “Give me my power.” I would they would learn to speak as the Holy Ghost speaketh, and call it by such a name as St Paul doth. I would they would (as they have much pricking), when they put on their cap, I would they would have this meditation: “I am now putting on my power upon my head.” If they had this thought in their minds, they would not make so much pricking up of themselves as they do nowadays. But now here is a vengeance devil: we must have our power from Turkey, of velvet, and gay it must be; far fetched, dear bought; and when it cometh, it is a false sign. I had rather have a true English sign, than a false sign from Turkey. It is a false sign when it covereth not their heads as it should do. For if they would keep it under the power as they ought to do, there should not any such tussocks nor tufts be seen as there be; nor such laying out of the hair, nor braiding to have it open. I would marvel of it, how it should come to be so abused, and so far out of order; saving that I know by experience that many will not be ruled by their husbands, as they ought to be. I have been desired to exhort some, and with some I could do little in that matter. But there be now many Adams that will not displease their wives, but will in this behalf let them have all their own minds, and do as them listeth. And some others again there be nowadays that will defend it, and say it may be suffered well enough, because it is not expressed in scripture, nor spoken of by name. Though we have not express mention in scripture against such laying of the hair in tussocks and tufts, yet we have in scripture express mention de tortis crinibus, of wreathen hair; that is, for the nonce forced to curl. But of these tussocks that are laid out nowadays there is no mention made in scripture; because they were not used in scripture-time. They were not yet come to be so far out of order as to lay out such tussocks and tufts. But I will tell thee, if thou wilt needs lay it out, or if thou wilt needs shew thy hair, and have it seen, go and poll thy head, or round it, as men do; for to what purpose is it to pull it out so, and to lay it out? Some do it, say they, of a simplicity: some do it of a pride; and some of other causes. But they do it because they will be quarter-master with their husbands. Quarter-masters? Nay, half-masters; yea, some of them will be whole masters, and rule the roast as they list themselves.

But these defenders of it will not have it evil, because it is not spoken of in scripture. But there be other things as evil as this, which are not spoken of in scripture expressly; but they are implied in scripture, as well as though they were expressly spoken of. For the prophet Isaiah saith Vae qui consurgitis mane ad comessandum, ad ebrietatem sectandam et potando usque ad vesperam, ut vino aestuetis. “Wo unto you that arise early in the morning, and go to drinking until night, that ye may swim in wine.” This is the scripture against banqueting and drunkenness. But now they banquet all night, and lie a-bed in the daytime till noon, and the scripture speaketh nothing of that. But what then? The devil hath his purpose this way, as well as the other: he hath his purpose as well by revelling and keeping ill rule all night, as by rising early in the morning and banqueting all day. So the devil hath his purpose both ways. Ye noblemen, ye great men, I wot not what rule ye keep. For God’s sake, hear the complaints and suits of the poor. Many complain against you, that ye lie a-bed till eight, or nine, or ten of the clock. I cannot tell what revel ye have overnight; whether in banqueting, or dicing, or carding, or how it is; but in the morning when poor suitors come to your houses, ye cannot be spoken withal: they are kept sometimes without your gates, or if they be let into the hall, or some outer chamber, out cometh one or other, “Sir, ye cannot speak with my lord yet; my lord is asleep; or he hath had business of the king’s all night,” &c. And thus poor suitors are driven off from day to day, that they cannot speak with you in three, or four days, yea, a whole month: what shall I say more? yea, a whole year sometimes, ere they can come to your speech, to be heard of you. For God’s love look better to it. Speak with poor men when they come to your houses; and despatch poor suitors, as indeed some noblemen do; and would Christ that all noblemen would so do! But some do. I went one day myself betime in the morning to a great man’s house to speak with him in business that I had of mine own. And methought I was up betimes; but when I came thither, the great man was gone forth about such affairs as behoved him, or I came. Well; yet, thought I, this is well, I like this well: this man doth somewhat regard and consider his office and duty. I came too late for mine own matter, and lost my journey, and my early rising too: and yet I was glad that I had been so beguiled. For God’s love follow this example, ye great men, and arise in the mornings, and be ready for men to speak with them, and to despatch suitors that resort unto you. But all these I bring to disprove them; that defend evil things, because they be not expressly spoken against in the scripture. But what forceth that, when the devil hath his purpose, and is served as well one way as another way? Though it be not expressly spoken against in scripture, yet I reckon it plainly enough implied in the scripture.

But now to come to my matter again: Videte et cavete ab avaritia; “See and beware of covetousness” and I shall desire you to consider four things: Quis dicat; quid dicat; cui dicat; et quare dicat: “Who speaketh it; what he speaketh; to whom he speaketh; and wherefore he speaketh it.” As here, Christ speaketh to a rich man against avarice. And why against avarice? What shall be the end of all covetous persons? Eternal damnation. “For the covetous persons,” saith Paul, “shall not possess nor enter into the kingdom of God.” Here therefore I shall desire you to pray, &c.

The Second Part of the Sermon. Videte et cavet ab avaritia.

See and beware of covetousness.

First, who spake these words? Forsooth, Christ spake them. If I had spoken them of myself, it had been little worth; but Christ spake them, and upon a good occasion. The story is, Duo litigabant inter se, “There were two at strife between themselves;” and by this it appeareth that Christ spake them. Well, Christ spake these words at that time; and now he speaketh them by his preacher, whom ye ought to believe; and so it is all one. But upon what occasion did he speak it? There were two brethren at strife together for lands, wealthy men, as it appeareth, and the rich fellow would not tarry till Christ had ended his sermon, but interrupted it, and would needs have his matter despatched by and by. He was at Christ’s sermon, but yet he would not defer his worldly cause till Christ had made an end of his godly exhortation. This was a thorny brother; he was a gospeller; he was a carnal gospeller (as many be nowadays for a piece of an abbey, or for a portion of chantry-lands) to get somewhat by it, and to serve his commodity. He was a gospeller; one of the new brethren; somewhat worse than a rank papist. Howbeit, a rank papist nowadays shall sooner have promotion than a true gospeller shall have: the more is the pity. But this was a thorny gospeller: he heard Christ’s preaching and followed him for company, and heard his words; but he was never the better for it; but the care of the world so choked the word of God in him, that he could not hear the sermon to the end, but interrupted the sermon for his worldly matter, ere it were all done. And what was Christ then doing? Forsooth he was sowing of good seed, but it fell upon stony ground, so that it could not take any root in this fellow, to bring forth good fruit in him. And let me tell you of the seed that Christ was then sowing: bear with me awhile; and seeing that I come now to take my ultimum vale of this place, hear me patiently, and give me leave a little while, and let me take my leave honestly. At the time when this fellow interrupted Christ’s sermon, he was preaching a long sermon to his disciples, and to the people, being gathered together in a wonderful great multitude, as appeareth in the twelfth chapter of St Luke’s gospel: and there he first of all taught his disciples a good lesson, saying, Cavete vobis a fermento Pharisaeorum: “Beware in any wise,” saith he, “of the leaven of the Pharisees.” What is this leaven of the Pharisees? Leaven is sometimes taken for corrupt living, which infecteth others by the evil example thereof; and against such corrupt living God’s preacher must cry out earnestly; and never cease till it be rooted up. In the city of Corinth one had married his step-mother, his father’s wife and he was a jolly fellow, a great rich man; an alderman of the city; and therefore they winked at it, they would not meddle in the matter, they had nothing to do with it: and he was one of the head men, of such rule and authority, that they durst not, many of them. But St Paul, hearing of the matter, writ unto them, and in God’s behalf charged them to do away such abomination from among them. St Paul would not leave them till he had excommunicated the wicked doer of such abomination. If we should now excommunicate all such wicked doers, there would be much ado in England. Ye that are magistrates shew favour for affection to such, and will not suffer they may be rooted out or put to shame. Oh, he is such a man’s servant, we may not do him any shame. Oh, he is a gentleman, &c. And so the thing is not now any thing looked unto. Lechery is used throughout England, and such lechery as is used in none other place of the world. And yet it is made a matter of sport, a matter of nothing; a laughing matter, and a trifle; not to be passed on, nor to be reformed. But beware, ye that are magistrates their sin doth leaven you all. Therefore for God’s love beware of this leaven. Well, I trust it will be one day amended. I look not to live long, and yet I trust, as old as I am, to live so long as to see lechery punished. I would wish that Moses’s law were restored for punishment of lechery, and that the offenders therein might be punished according to the prescription of Moses’s law. And here I will make a suit to your Highness to restore unto the church the discipline of Christ, in excommunicating such as be notable offenders; nor never devise any other way. For no man is able to devise a better way than God hath done, which is excommunication, to put them from the congregation till they be confounded. Therefore restore Christ’s discipline for excommunication; and that shall be a means both to pacify God’s wrath and indignation against us; and also, that less abomination shall be used than in times past hath been, and is at this day. I speak this of a conscience, and I mean and move it of a good-will to your grace and your realm. Bring into the church of England open discipline of excommunication, that open sinners may be stricken withal.

Sometimes leaven is taken for corrupt doctrine: and so it is here taken in this place, when he saith, “Beware of the leaven of the pharisees.” For Christ intended to make his disciples teachers of all the world, and therefore to beware of corrupt doctrine. And that that he said to them, he saith also to us; receive no corrupt doctrine, no mingle-mangle; yet there be leaveners yet still, and mingle-manglers that have soured Christ’s doctrine with the leaven of the Pharisees. Yea, and where there is any piece of leaven, they will maintain that one piece, more than all the doctrine of Christ; and about that purpose they occupy and bestow all their wits. This was the first seed.

The second seed was, Nihil occultum, quod non revelabitur; “There is nothing privy or hidden that shall not be revealed and opened.” It pertaineth all to one purpose: for there he taught his disciples to beware of the leaven, which was hypocrisy; declaring unto them, that hypocrisy would not be always hidden, but such as were not sincere should be known at the last day, and all that was taught should at length be known. It hath also another meaning, for it is God’s proverb, “There is nothing so privy but it shall be opened”; at leastwise in the great day of reckoning, in the dreadful day of general account, in the day of revelation then shall it be openly known, whatsoever is done, be it never so privily done. These fellows that have their fetches and their far compasses to bring things to their purposes, work they never so privily, never so covertly, yet at the last day their doings shall be openly revealed, usque ad satietatem visionis, saith the prophet Esay, till all the world shall see it, to their shame and confusion that are the doers of it. As the prophet Jeremy saith, Sicut confunditur fur qui deprehenditur, “Even as a thief that is taken with the manner when he stealeth, so shall sinners be openly confounded, and their evil doings opened.” Yea, and though it be not known in this world, yet it shall be known at the last day to their damnation. Indeed God hath verified his proverb from time to time, “Nothing is so privy the which shall not be revealed.” When Cain had killed his brother Abel, he thought he had conveyed the matter so privily and so closely, that it should never have been known nor have come to light: but first, God knew it well enough, and called unto him saying, “Cain, where is thy brother Abel?” But he thought he could have beguiled God too; and therefore he answered, “I cannot tell.” “What,” quoth Cain, “am I set to keep my brother? I cannot tell where he is.” But at last he was confounded, and his murder brought to light; and now all the world readeth it in the bible. Joseph’s brethren had sold him away; they took his motley coat and besprinkled it over and over with blood; they thought all was cock-sure; they had conveyed the matter so secretly, that they thought all the world could never have espied it. And yet out it came to their great benefit. And now it is known to us all, as many as can read the bible. David saw a fair woman wash her naked. Then he was straightway ravished, he was clean gone by, and would needs have her. He sent for her; yea, he had gentlemen of his chamber about him, that went for her by and by and fetched her.

And here I have another suit to your Highness. When you come to age, beware what persons ye have about you for if ye be set on pleasure, or disposed to wantonness, ye shall have ministers enough to be furtherers and instruments of it. But David, by his wisdom and policy, thought so to have cloked the matter, that it should never have been known. He sent for her husband Uriah, and shewed him a fair countenance, and looked merrily on him, and sent him forth to war, that he might do his pleasure with Berseba afterward; and he thought he had wrought wondrous privily. He thought all the matter cock-sure. But the prophet of God, Nathan, came and laid his fault plain before his face; and who is now that knoweth it not?

Elizeus’ servant, Giezi, a bribing brother, he came colourably to Naaman the Syrian: he feigned a tale of his master Elizeus, as all bribers will do, and told him that his master had need of this and that, and took of Naaman certain things, and bribed it away to his own behoof secretly, and thought that it should never have come out; but Elizeus knew it well enough. The servant had his bribes that he sought, yet was he stricken with the leper, and so openly shamed.

Think on this, ye that are bribers, when ye go so secretly about such things: have this in your minds, when ye devise your secret fetches and conveyances, how Elizeus’ servant was served, and was openly known. For God’s proverb will be true, “There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed.” He that took the silver basin and ewer for a bribe, thinketh that it will never come out: but he may now know that I know it; and I know it not alone, there be more beside me that know it. Oh briber and bribery! he was never a good man that will so take bribes. Nor I can never believe that he that is a briber shall be a good justice. It will never be merry in England, till we have the skins of such. For what needeth bribing, where men do their things uprightly, as for men that are officers, and have a matter of charge in their hands?

But now I will play St Paul, and translate the thing on myself. I will become the king’s officer for awhile. I have to lay out for the king twenty thousand pounds, or a great sum, whatsoever it be: well, when I have laid it out, and do bring in mine account, I must give three hundred marks to have my bills warranted. If I have done truly and uprightly, what should need me to give a penny to have my bills warranted? If I have done my office truly, and do bring in a true account, wherefore should one groat be given? yea, one groat, for warranting of my bills? Smell ye nothing in this? What needeth any bribes-giving, except the bills be false? No man giveth bribes for warranting of his bills, except they be false bills. Well, such practice hath been in England, but beware; it will out one day: beware of God’s proverb, “There is nothing hidden that shall not be opened;” yea, even in this world, if ye be not the children of damnation. And here now I speak to you, my masters, minters, augmentationers, receivers, surveyors, and auditors: I make a petition unto you; I beseech you all be good to the king. He hath been good to you, therefore be good to him: yea, be good to your own souls. Ye are known well enough, what ye were afore ye came to your offices, and what lands ye had then, and what ye have purchased since, and what buildings ye make daily. Well, I pray you so build, that the king’s workmen may be paid. They make their moan that they can get no money. The poor labourers, gun-makers, powdermen, bow-makers, arrow-makers, smiths, carpenters, soldiers, and other crafts, cry out for their duties. They be unpaid, some of them, three or four months: yea, some of them half a year: yea, some of them put up bills this time twelve months for their money, and cannot be paid yet. They cry out for their money, and, as the prophet saith, Clamor operariorum ascendit ad aures meas; “The cry of the workmen is come up to mine ears.” O, for God’s love, let the workmen be paid, if there be money enough; or else there will whole showers of God’s vengeance rain down upon your heads! Therefore, ye minters, and ye augmentationers, serve the king truly. So build and purchase, that the king may have money to pay his workmen. It seemeth evil-favouredly, that ye should have enough wherewith to build superfluously, and the king lack to pay his poor labourers. Well, yet I doubt not but that there be some good officers. But I will not swear for all.

I have now preached three Lents. The first time I preached restitution. “Restitution,” quoth some, “what should he preach of restitution? Let him preach of contrition,” quoth they, “and let restitution alone; we can never make restitution.” Then, say I, if thou wilt not make restitution, thou shalt go to the devil for it. Now choose thee either restitution or else endless damnation. But now there be, two manner of restitutions; secret restitution, and open restitution: whether of both it be, so that restitution be made, it is all good enough. At my first preaching of restitution, one good man took remorse of conscience, and acknowledged himself to me, that he had deceived the king; and willing he was to make restitution: and so the first Lent came to my hands twenty pounds to be restored to the king’s use. I was promised twenty pound more the same Lent, but it could not be made, so that it came not. Well, the next Lent came three hundred and twenty pounds more. I received it myself, and paid it to the king’s council So I was asked, what he was that made this restitution? But should I have named him? Nay, they should as soon have this wesant of mine. Well, now this Lent came one hundred and fourscore pounds ten shillings, which I have paid and delivered this present day to the king’s council: and so this man hath made a godly restitution. “And so,” quoth I to a certain nobleman that is one of the king’s council, “if every man that hath beguiled the king should make restitution after this sort, it would cough the king twenty thousand pounds, I think,” quoth I. “Yea, that it would,” quoth the other,” a whole hundred thousand pounds.” Alack, alack; make restitution; for God’s sake make restitution: ye will cough in hell else, that all the devils there will laugh at your coughing. There is no remedy, but restitution open or secret; or else hell.

This that I have now told you of was a secret restitution. Some examples hath been of open restitution, and glad may he be that God was so friendly unto him, to bring him unto it in this world. I am not afraid to name him; it was Master Sherington, an honest gentleman, and one that God loveth. He openly confessed that he had deceived the king, and he made open restitution. Oh, what an argument may he have against the devil, when he shall move him to desperation! God brought this out to his amendment. It is a token that he is a chosen man of God; and one of his elected. If he be of God, he shall be brought to it; therefore for God’s sake make restitution, or else remember God’s proverb; “There is nothing so secret,” &c. If you do either of these two in this world, then are ye of God; if not, then for lack of restitution, ye shall have eternal damnation. Ye may do it by means, if you dare not do it yourselves; bring it to another, and so make restitution. If ye be not of God’s flock, it shall be brought out to your shame and damnation at the last day; when all evil men’s sins shall be laid open before us. Yet there is one way, how all our sins may be hidden, which is, repent and amend. Recipiscentia, recipiscentia, repenting and amending is a sure remedy, and a sure way to hide all, that it shall not come out to our shame and confusion.

Yet there was another seed that Christ was sowing in that sermon of his; and this was the seed: “I say to you, my friends, fear not him that killeth the body, but fear him that after he hath killed, hath power also to cast into hellfire,” &c. And there, to put his disciples in comfort and sure hope of his help, and out of all doubt and mistrust of his assistance, he bringeth in unto them the example of the sparrows, how they are fed by God’s mere providence and goodness; and also of the hairs of our heads, how that not so much as one hair falleth from our heads without him. “Fear him,” saith he, “that when he hath killed the body, may also cast into hell-fire.” Matter for all kinds of people here, but specially for kings. And, therefore, here is another suit to your Highness. “Fear not him that killeth the body.” Fear not these foreign princes and foreign powers. God shall make you strong enough. Stick to God: fear God, fear not them. God hath sent you many storms in your youth; but forsake not God, and he will not forsake you. Peradventure ye shall have that shall move you, and say unto you, “Oh, Sir! Oh, such a one is a great man, he is a mighty prince, a king of great power, ye cannot be without his friendship, agree with him in religion, or else ye shall have him your enemy,” &c. Well, fear them not, but cleave to God, and he shall defend you. Do not as king Ahaz did, that was afraid of the Assyrian king, and for fear lest he should have him to his enemy, was content to forsake God, and to agree with him in religion and worshipping of God and anon sent to Urias the high priest, who was ready at once to set up the idolatry of the Assyrian king. Do not your Highness so: fear not the best of them all; but fear God. The same Urias was capellanus ad manum, “a chaplain at hand,” an elbow chaplain. If ye will turn, ye shall have that will turn with you; yea, even in their white rochets. But follow not Ahaz. Remember the hair, how it falleth not without God’s providence. Remember the sparrows, how they build in every house, and God provideth for them. “And ye are much more precious to me,” saith Christ, “than sparrows or other birds.” God will defend you; that before your time cometh, ye shall not die nor miscarry.