¶ A MOST faithful Sermon preached before the Kings most excellent Majesty, and his most honourable Council, in his Court at Westminster, by the reverend Father Master.  
Hugh Latymer.  
Anno. Domi. M. D. L.   

¶ A Sermon preached before the King.  
VIdete & cavete ab avaricia. Take heed and beware of covetousness, take heed and beware of covetousness, take heed and beware of covetousness, take heed & beware of covetousness. And what and if I should say nothing else these three or. iiii. hours (for I know it will be so long, in case I be not commanded to the contrary) but these words Take heed and beware of covetousness, it would be thought a strange Sermon before a King to say noting else but Cavete ab avaricia. Beware of Covetousness. And yet as strange as it is, it would be like the Sermon of Jonas that he preached to the Ninivites, as touching the shortness, and as touching the paucity or fewness of the words: For his Sermon was, Ad huc quadraginta dies, et Niniue subvertetur. There is yet forty days to come, and Nynyue shall be destroyed. Thus he walked from street to street, & from place to place round about the City, and said nothing else, but there is yet. xl. days (quoth he) and Ninive shallbe destroyed. There is no great odds nor difference at the lest wise, in the number of words, no nor yet in the sense or meaning between, these two Sermons: There is yet forty days, and Ninive shallbe destroyed, and these words that I have taken to speak of this day: Take heed and beware of Covetousness. For Ninive should be destroyed for sin, and of their sins Covetousness was one, and one of the greatest, so that it is all one infeffect. And as they be like concerning the shortness, the paucity of words, the brevity of words, & also the meaning & purpose: So I would they might be like in fruit and profit, for what came of Jonas sermon? what was the fruit of it? Ad predicacionem jonae crediderunt Deo. At the preaching of Jonas they believed God. Here was a great fruit, a great effect wrought, what is that same, they believed god? They believed God's Preacher God's office, God's Minister Jonas, & were converted from their sin. They believed that (as the preachersayd) if they did not repent & amend their life, the City should be destroyed within forty days. This was a great fruit, for Jonas was but one man, & he preached, but one Sermon, and it was but a short Sermon, neither as touching the number of words, and yet he turned all the whole City great & small, rich and poor, king and al. We be many preachers here in England, and we preach many long Sermons, and yet the people will not repent nor convert. This was the fruit, the effect and the good that his Sermon did, that all the whole City at his preaching converted and amended their evil living & did penance in sackcloth. And yet here in this Sermon of Jonas is no great curiousness, no great clerklines, no great affectation of words, nor of painted eloquence, it was none other but Ad huc qua di aginta dies, & Ninive subvertitur. yet forty days & Ninive subvertitur, and Ninive shall be destroyed, it was no more. This was no great curious Sermon, but this was a nipping Sermon, apynching Sermon, a biting Sermon, it had a full bite, it was a nipping sermon, a rough Sermon, and a sharp biting Sermon. Do you not hear marvel that these Ninivites cast not Jonas in prison, that they did not revile him, and rebuke him? They did not revile him, nor rebuke him, but God gave them grace to hear him, and to convert and amend at his preaching. A strange matter, so noble a City to give place to one man's Sermon. Now England cannot abide this gear, they cannot be content to hear God's Minister and his threatening for their sin. Though the Sermon be never so good, though it be never so true. It is a naughty fellow, a seditious fellow, he maketh trouble and rebellion in the Realm, he lacketh discretion, but the Ninivites rebuked not Jonas the he lacketh discretion, or that he spoke out of time, that his Sermon was out of season made. But in England if God's Preacher, God's Minister be any thing quick, or do speak sharply, than he is a foolish fellow, he is rash, he lacketh discretion. Nowadays if they cannot reprove the doctrine that is preached: then they will reprove the Preacher that he lacketh due consideration of the times, and that he is of learning sufficient, but he wanteth digression, what a time is this picked out to preach such things, he should have a respect and a regard to the time, and to the state of things, and of the Common w●●l. It rejoiceth me sometimes when myfrend cometh and telleth me that they find fault with 〈…〉 y discretion, for by lykelyehoode (think I) the doctrine is true, for if they could find fault with the doctrine, they would not charge me with the lack of discretion, but they would charge me with my doctrine, & not with the lack of digression, or with the inconueniency of the time, I will now ask you a question: I pray you when should Jonas have preached against the Covetousness of Ninive, if the covetous men should have appointed him his time? I know the preachers ought to have a discretion in their preaching, and that they ought to have a consideration and respect to the place and to the time that he preacheth in, as I myself will say here that I would not say in the country for no good. But when then? sin must be rebuked, sin must be plainly spoken against. And when should Jonas have preached against Ninive, if he should have forborn for the respects of the times, or the place or the state of things there? For what was Ninive, a noble, a rich and a wealthy City. What is London to Ninive? like a village as Islington or such another in comparison of London. Such a city was Ninive, it was three days journey to go through every street of it, and to go but from street to street. There was noble men, rich men, wealthy men, there was vicious men and covetous men, and men that gave themselves to all voluptuous living, and to worldelynes of getting riches was this a time well chosen and discritely taken of Jonas to come & reprove them of their sin, to declare unto them the threatenings of God, and to tell them of their Covetousness, and to say plainly unto them, that except they repented and amended their evil living, they and their City should be destroyed of God's hand within. xl. days? And yet they heard Jonas & gave place to his preaching. They heard the threatenings of God, and feared his stroke and vengeance, and believed God, the is, they believed God's Preacher & Minister, they believed that God would be true of his word, that he spoke by the mouth of his prophet, and there upon did penance to turn away the wrath of God from them. Well what shall we say? I will say this and not spare, Christ saith: Ninive shall arise against the Jews at the last day and bear witness against them, because that they hearing God's threatenings for sin. Ad predicacionem Io 〈…〉 e in cinere & sacco egerunt penitentiam, they did penance at the preaching of Jonas in ashes and sackcloth (as the text saith there) and I say Ninive shall arise against England (thou England) Ninive shall arise against England, because it will not believe God, nor hear his Preachers that cry daily unto them, nor amend their lives, and specially their Covetousness. Covetousness is as great a sin now, as it was then, and it is the same sin now, it was then, for God hateth sin, and all Covetousness as much now, as he did then. And he will as sure strike for sin now, as he did then. But ah good God that would give them a time of repentance after his threatening. first to see whither they would amend or not, or he would destroy them. For even from the beginning of the world they fell to sin. The first age from Adam which was about two thousand years they fell ever to sin, and they had preachers Noah and Enoch and other holy fathers. And in that time a great multiplication was that grew in two thousand years. For the scripture sayeth: The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, & they took them wives from among all that they had chosen. This is a long matter to speak of al. But what meaneth this the sons of God saw the daughters of men? who were these sons of God? The sons of God were those that came of the good men, of the good preachers, and of the holy fathers, that were gods men, as they that came of Seth and Enos, that were good men, and of others. For our graundemother Eve, when Cain had killed Abel, and then she had another son by Adam, who was called Seth, What did she? She gave thanks to god for him, & acknowledged that God it was which had given him unto her, for she said: Dedit mihi deus semen pro Abel quem occidet Cain. GOD (said she) hath given me another seed in steed of Abel whom Cain slew. Here is a long matter to talk on. Some will say, was this a natural mother, was this naturally done to publish the sin of her own son. what needed she to speak of that matter, or to make any rehearsal of that matter, to open the sin of her son, what needed she this to do? yes, she was now a good woman, when she believed the serpent, she was not good. But now she hath repent that deed, and had taken hold of the promise of God, that there should come of her a seed, that should tread down and destroy the head of the Serpent. She had taken hold of this promise and was now a good woman and a godly woman, she opened the fault of her son and hid it not. Here could I say somewhat to them (if I would) that spoke so much against me for my preaching hear the last year, Oh what a great matter is made of it, and what a do, & what great fault is found with me for speaking that I did of the Lord Admiral: A great matter is made of it: But I will tell you, and I will speak now with a clear conscience: If it were to do again and having the occasion that I then had: I would speak it again every word of it, yea and a great deal more to. I spoke it for none hatred. I spoke it but for an example of others to be ware thereby, and if it were in the like occasion to be spoken again, I would speak it again. There be some that think and say that I was hired to it, and that my Lady of Somersetes grace hired me to it. and that I was her feed man, & had money of her to speak it. Well, so god help me, and as I shall answer in my conscience, in my remembrance I never talked with her grace touching that man in my life, nor 〈◊〉 gave she me any thing in her life, for any such purpose, & therefore they are to blame that speak so of m●.  
But ●wys I could say somewhat to them again if I would, I know the botts that nip them by the guts.  
But to return to Eve, and declare that the sons of God are to be understanded those that came of good men, as of Seth and Enos, and the same good part of generation. And the daughters of men are to be understanded of them that came of Cain and of his seed. And therefore our grand mother Eve bad beware of marrying with Cain's seed, for seas of falling from God to wickedness thereby. And here I would say a thing to your majesty, I shall speak it of good will to your highness, I would I were able to do your grace good service in anything, ye should be sure to have it. But I will say this For God's love beware where you marry, choose your wife in a faith full stock. Beware of this worldly policy, marry in god, marry not for the great respect of alliance, for thereof cometh all these evils of breaking of wedlock, which is among Princes and noble men. And here I would be a Suitor unto your majesty, for I come now rather to be a Suitor and a Peticyoner than a Preacher, for I come now to take my leave, & to take my, Vltimum vale, at least wise in this place, for I have not long to live, so that I think I shall never come here into this plate again, and therefore I will ask a petition of your highness: For the love of God, take an order for marriages here in England. For here is marriage for pleasure & boluptousnes & for goods, and so that they may join land to land, and possessions to possessions, they care for no more hear in England. And that is the cause of so much adultery, and so much breach of wedlock in the noble men, and gentlemen, and so much devorcing. And it is not now in the noble men only, but it is come now to the inferior sort. Every man if he have but a small cause will cast of his old wife and take a new, and will mary again at his pleasure, and there be many that have so done. I would therefore wish that there were a law provided in this behalf for adulterers, and that adultri should be punished with death, and that might be a remedy for all this matter▪ There would not then be so much add ultry, whoredom and lechery in England as there is. For the love of God take heed to it, and see a remedy provided for it. I would wish that adultri should be punished with death. And that the woman being an offender, if her husband would be a suitor for her, she should be pardoned for the first time, but not for the second tyme. And the mambeing an offender should be pardoned, if his wife be a suitor for him, for the first time, but not for the second time, not if he offended twice. If this law were made there would not be so much adultery nor lechery used in the realm as there is. Well I trust once yet as old as I am, to see the day that lechery shallbe punished. It was never more need, for there was never more lechery used in England as there is at this day, and maintained. It is made but a laughing matter, and a triste, & it is a sad matter and an earnest matter. For lechery is a great sin, Sodom & Gomore was destroyed for it. And it was one of the sins reigning in Ninive for which it should have been destroyed. But think ye that lechery was alone? No no, covetousness was joined with it. Covetousness followeth lechery, and commonly they go together. For why, they that be given to voluptuousness, and to the vice of lechery, must have wherewith to maintain it, & that must be gotten by covetousness. For at the first when men fell to sin, and chiefly to lechery, where fore the world should be destroyed (the book faith) there were Giants in the earth in those days. And after that the sons of God had come to the daughters of men, and there had engendered with them. The same became mighty men of the world, and men of renown. etc. This is covetousness, for the book saith. Terra ●rat replet● iniquitate, the earth was reple ate with iniquity, for they oppressed the poor. They made them haves, pessaunts, villains & bondmen unto them. These were Giants, so called of the property of Giants, for they oppress the weaker, and take from them what they list, by force, violence and oppression. They were Giants of the property of Giants, not that they were greater men of stature and strength of body than other men were. For certain writers speaking of this matter, say: that they were Giants for their cruelty and covetous oppression, and not in stature or pro 〈…〉 ritye of body. Further is no reason why Seth's children could beget on cain's daughters greater men than others were in stature of body. But they were Giants in the property of Giants for oppressing of others by force and violence. And this was covetousness wherewith God was so disposed, that he repented that he had made man, and resolved utterly to destroy the world, and so called to Noah, and told him of it. And I will not dispute the matter with them (saith God) from day to day, and never the near, but if they will not amend within an hundredth and. xx. years. I shall bring in an universal 〈…〉 oud over their ears and destroy them all. This was preached by Noah to them, and so that god of his goodness patience and long sufferance, gave them a time to repent and amend after his threatenings, because they should see their evil doings, and return to God. So they had an hundredth and. xx. years to repent. This Noah was laughed to scorn, they like doddypoles laughed this godly father to scorn, Well ye think little of the history, if ye will know the meaning of it, it is a great show what anger God hath to sin.  
But how long hast thou England thou England? I can not tell, for god hath not revealed it unto me, if he had, So God help me I would tell you of it, I would not be afraid, nor spare to tell it you for the good will I bear you, but I can not tell how long time ye have, for God hath not opened it unto me: But I can tell you that this lenity, this long forbearing and holding of his hand, provoketh us to repent & amend. And I can tell that whosoever condemneth this riches & treasure of God's goodness of his mercy, his patience and long suffering, shall have the more grievous condemnation. This I can tell well enough, Paul telleth me this, and I can tell that ye have time to repent as long as you live here in this world, but after this life I can make no warrant of any further time to repent. Therefore repent and amend while ye be here, for when ye are gone hence, ye are passed that. But how long that shall be whether to morrow or the next day, or xx. year, or how long, I cannot tell. But in the mean time ye have many Jonasses to tell you of your fauts and to declare unto you gods threatenings, except ye repent and amend, therefore to return to my matter, I say as I said at the beginning: Vide te et cavete ab avaricia. Videte. se it. First see it, and then amend it. For I promise you great complaints there is of it, and much crying out, and much preaching, but none amendment that I se. But Cavete ab avaricia, beware of covetousness. And why of covetousness Quia radix omnium malorum avaricia & 〈…〉 piditas. For Covetousness is the root of all evil, and of all mischief. Thus saying of Paul took me away from the gospel that is red in the church this day, it took me from the epistle, that I would preach upon neither of them both at this time, I cannot tell what alled me. But to tell you my imperfection: when I was appointed to preach here, I was new come out of a sick sickness, whereof I looked to have died and weak I was. Yet nevertheless when I was appointed unto it, I took it upon me, how be it I repented afterward that I had done. I was displeased with myself, I was testi as Jonas was when he should go preach to the Ninivites. Well, I looked on the Gospel that is red this day, tut it liked me not, I looked on the Epistle: tush I could not away with that nether. And yet I remember I had preached upon this epistle once afore king Henry the. viii. but now I could not frame with it, nor it liked me not in no sauce. Well, this saying of Paul came in my mind, and at last I considered and weighed the matter deeply, and then thought I thus with myself: Is Covetousness the root of all mischief, and of all evil? then have at the root, & down withal Covetousness. So this place of Paul brought me to this text of Luke, See and beware of Covetousness Therefore you preachers out with your sword, and strike at the root, speak against Covetousness, and cry out upon it. Stand not tycking and toying at the branches, nor at the boughs, (for then there will new boughs and branches springe again of them:) but strike at the root, and fear not these Giants of England, these great men and men of power, these men that are oppressors of the poor. Fear them not, but strike at the rote of all evil, which is mischievous covetousness. For covetousness is the cause of rebellion. I have forgotten my logic, but yet I can jumble at a syllogism, & make an argument of it to prove it by. Covetousness is the rote of all evil: Rebellion is an evil, Ergo. Covetousness is the root of rebellion. And so it was in deed. Covetousness was the cause of rebellion this last Summer, and both parties had covetousness, as well the gentle men as the commons. Both parties had Covetousness, for both parties had an desire to have that they had not, & that is covetousness, an inordinate desire to have that one hath not. The commons would have had from the gentlemen such things as they desired. The gentlemen would none of it, and so was their covetousness on both sides. The Commons thought they had a right to the things that they inordinately sought to have. But what then, they must not come to it that way. Now on the other side the gentlemen had a desire to keep that they had, and so they rebelled to against the kings commandment, and against such good order as he and his council would have set in the realm. And thus both parties had covetousness, and both parties did rebel. I heard say that there was godly ordinances devised for the redress of it. But the Giants would none of it in no sauce. I remember mine own self a certain Giant, a great man, who sat in commission about such matters. And when the tounsemen should bring in what had been enclosed, he frowned and chafed and so near looked and threatened the poor men, that they durst not ask their right. I red of late in an act of parliament: and this act made mention of an act that was made in king Henry's days (the. iii. I trow it was, yea and such an other buysynes there was in king Edward's time the second also) In this parliament that I speak of, the gentlemen and the commons were at variance as they were now of late. And there the gentle men that were landlords, would needs have away much lands from their tenants, and would neds have an act of parliament that it might be lawful for them to enclose & make several from their tenants and from the commons such portions of their lands as they thought good, much a do there was about this act. At last it was concluded & granted that they might so do, Provided always that they should leave sufficient to the tenant. Well it was well that they were bound to leave sufficient for them. But who should be the judge to limit what was sufficient for them. Or who shall now judge what is sufficient, well I for my part can not tell what is ●ufficient. But me thought it was well that the tenants & poor commons should have sufficient, for if they had sufficient (thought I) they had cause to be quiet. And then fell I to make this argument within myself. If at that time it were put in their will and power, that they might enclose leaving to the tenant that were sufficient for him, if they had it then in their power (thought I) that they might this do, they would leave no more than sufficient. If they left to the tenants and poor commons no more in those days but suffycyente: then if they had any more taken from them sense that time, than had they now not sufficient. They in Christ are equal with you. Peres of the realm must needs be. The poorest ploughman is in Christ equal with the greatest prince that is. Let them therefore have sufficient to maintain them, and to find them their necessaries. A ploughlande must have sheep, yea they must have sheep to dung their ground for bearing of corn (for if they have no sheep to help to fat the ground, they shall have but bare corn and thin.) They must have swine for their food to make their veneryes or bacon of, their bacon is their venison (for they shall now have bangun tuum if they get any other venison) so that bacon is their necessary meat to feed on, which they may not lack. They must have other cattles, as horses to draw their plough and for carriage of things to the markets, and kine for their milk and cheese, which they must live upon and pay their rents. These cattle must have pasture which pasture if they lack, the rest must needs fail them. And pasture they cannot have, if the land be taken in and enclosed from them. So (as I said) there was in both parts rebellion. Therefore for Gods love restore their sufficient unto them, and search no more what is the cause of rebellion. But see and beware of covetousness, for covetousness is the cause of rebellion. Well now, if covetousness be the cause of rebellion, then preaching against covetousness is not the cause of rebellion. Some say that the preaching now a days is the cause of all sedition and rebellion, for sense this new preaching hath come in, there hath been much sedition, & therefore it must needs be that the preaching is the cause of rebellion here in England, forsooth our preaching is the cause of rebellion, much like as Christ was cause of the destruction of Jerusalem. For (saith Christ) Si non venissem & locutus suissem eyes, peccatum non haberent. etc. If I had not come (saith Christ) and spoken to them, they should have no sin. So we preachers have come and spoken to you: we have drawn our swords of God's word, and stricken at the roots of all evil, to have them cut down, and if ye will not amend, what can we do more. And preaching is cause of sedition here in England, much like as Ely was the cause of trouble in Israel, for he was a preachet there, and told the people of all degrees their faults, and so they wynched and kicked at him, and accused him to Achab the king, that he was a seditious fellow, and a troublous preacher and made much uproar in the realm. So the king sent for him, and he was brought to Achab the king, who said unto him: Art thou he that troubleth all Israel? and Ely answered & said: nay, thou and thy father's house are they that trouble all Israel. Ely had preached gods word, he had plainly told the people of their evil doings, he had showed them Gods threatenings: (In gods behalf I speak, there is neither king nor Emperor, be they never in so great estate, but they are subject to god's word) and therefore he was not afraid to say to Achab: it is thou and thy father's house that causeth all the trouble in Israel. Was not this presumptuously spoken to a king? was not this a seditious fellow: was not this fellows preaching a cause of all the trouble in Israel? was he not worthy to be cast in bocardo or little ease? No, but he had used god's sword which is his word, and done nothing else that was evil, but they could not abide it, he never disobeyed Achab's sword which was the regal power. But Achab disobeyed his sword, which was the word of God. And therefore by the punishment of god much trouble arose in the realm for the sins of Achab & the people. But God's preacher god's prophet was not the cause of the trouble. Then is it not we Preachers that trouble England. But here is now an argument to prove the matter against the preachers. Here was preaching against covetousness all the last year in Lent, and the next summer followed rebellion: Ergo preaching against covetousness, was the cause of the rebellion, A goodly argument, Hear now I remember an argument of master Mores, which he bringeth in, in a book that he made against Bilney & here by the way I will tell you a merytoy. Master Moor was once sent, in commission into Kent, to help triout (if it might be) what was the cause of Goodwin sands and the shelf that stopped up Sandwich haven. Thither cometh master Moor, and calleth the country afore him, such as were thought to be men of experience & men that could of likelihood best certify him of that matter concerning the stopping of Sandwich haven. Among others came in before him an old man with a white head, and one that was thought to be little less than an hundredth years old. When master Moor saw this aged man, he thought it expedient to hear him say his mind in this matter (for being so old a man it was likely that he knew most of any man in that presence and company.) So master Moor called this old aged man unto him, & said: Father (said he) tell me if ye can, what is the cause of this great arising of the sands & shelves hear about this haven, the which stop it up that no ships can arrive here. Ye are the eldest man that I can espy in all this company, so that if any man can tell any cause of it, ye of like lyhoode can say most in it, or at lest wise more than any other man here assembeled. yea forsooth good master (quoth this old man) for I am well nigh an hundredth years old, and no man here in this company any thing near unto mine age. Well then (quod master Moor) how say you in this matter? what thick ye to be the cause of these shelves and 〈…〉 attes' that stop up Sandwich haven? Forsooth sir (quoth he) I am an old man I think that Tenterton steeple is the cause of Goodwin sands, for I am an old man sir (quoth he) and I may remember the building of Tenterton steeple, & I may remember when there was no steeple at all there. And before that Tenterton steeple was in building, there was no manner of speaking of any flats or sands that stopped the heaven, and therefore I think that Tenterton steeple is the cause of the destroying and the decaying of sandwich haven. And even so to my purpose is preaching of God's word the cause of rebellion, as Tenterton steeple was cause that Sandwich haven is decayed. And is not this agai matter, that such should be taken for great wise men, that will thus reason against the preacher of God's word? 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 to, because I would do all folks good if I could, before I take my Vltimum vale (at least wise here of this place) for I think 〈◊〉 shall no more come here. For I 〈◊〉 I have not long to live. So that I judge I take my leave now of the court for ever, & shall no more come in 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 allthings, and she would order matters as pleased her, and so will many women do, they will rule their husbands and do allthings 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 apparelle themselves gorgeously, and some of them far above their degrees, whither their husbands will or no. But they break their injunction, and do therein contrari to God's ordinance. God saith: Subdita eris sub pote●tate 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 & the woman were equal. But after that she had given credit to the serpent, than she had a injunction set upon her: Subditaeris subpotestate viri, thou shalt be subject under the power of thy husband. And as for 〈◊〉 part of her injunction she taketh, & 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 Christome sayeth: 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 here in. And (as Christ sayeth in the Gospel: Muiter cum parit tristici● habet. etc. The woman when she beareth child hath sorrow, but afterwards she remembreth not the pain, because there is a soul brought forth into the world. But as it is a part of your penance ye we men to travel in bearing your children: so is it 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, & to have her power on her head, is to have a sign and a 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 the is not immediately under God, but mediately. For by their injunction the husband is their head under God & they subjects unto their husbands. But this power that some of them have is disgused gear and of strange fashions.  
They must we are Frenchehoodes, and I cannot tell you I, what to call it. And when they make them ready & 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 & 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 Saint 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 now a days. But now hear is a vengeance devil: we must have our power from Turkey of Velvet, and gay it must be. far fet, dear bought, and when it cometh it is a false sign. I had rather have a true English sign then a false sign from Turki. 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 Tussockes nor tufts be seen, as there be, nor such laying out of the here nor breyding 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 adam's 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 now a days that will defend it, & say it mai be suffered well enough, because it is not express in Scripture, nor spoken of by name. Though we have not expressed mention in scripture against such laying out of the hear in Tussockes and Tufftes: yet we have in scripture express mention. Detortis erinibus, Of writhe hear, that is for the nonce forced to courle. But of these tussocks that are laid out now a days, there is no mention made in scriptures, 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 tufftes, but I will tell thee, if thou wilt needs lay it out, or if thou wilt needs show thy hear 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 masters with their husbands, quarter masters? Nay, half masters yea some of them will be hold 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 employed in scripture as well as though they were there expressly spoken of. For the Prophet Esay saith. Vequi consurgitis mane ad comessandum, ad Ebrietatem sectandam, et potan do usque advesperam, ut vino estuetis. Woe 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 day time till none, & the scripture speaketh nothing of that. But when 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 alday. So the devil hath his purpose both ways. Ye noble men, ye great men I wot not what rule ye keep: For God's sake here the complaints and suits of the poor. Many complain against you that ye liea bed till viii. or. ix or. x. of the clock, I cannot tell what revel ye have over night, 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 utter chamber, out cometh one or other. Sir, ye cannot speak with my Lord yet, my lord is a sleep or he hath had business of the kings all night. etc. And thus poor Suitors are driven of from day to day, that they cannot speak with you in. iii. or. iiii. days, ye a hole month, what shall I say more? ye a hole year sometimes err they can come to your speech, to be hard of you, For gods love look better to it, speak with poor men when they come to your houses, and dispatch poor suitors, as in deed some noble men do, and would Christ that all noble men would so do. But some do. I went one day myself be time in the morning to a great man's house, to speak with him, in business that I had of min own. And me thought 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 to late for mine own matter, and lost my journey, and my early rising to and yet I was glad that I had been so beguiled. For Gods love follow this example ye great men, and arise in the mornings, & be redi for men to speak with them, and to dispatch 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 an other way: though it be not expressye spoken against in scripture, yet I reckon plainly enough employed in the scripture. But now to come to my matter again. Videte et cavete ab avaricia, See and beware of Covetousness, and I shall desire you to consider. iiii. things, Quis dicat, quid dicat, cui dicat, et quare dicat, who speaketh it, what he speaketh, to whom he speaketh, & wherefore he speaketh it. As here Christ speaketh, to a rich man against avarice. And why against avarise? what shall be the end of all covetous persons? eternal damnation. For the covetous persons (saith Paul) shall not possess ne enter into the kingdom of God, hear therefore I shall desire you to pray. etc.  
VIdete cavete ab avaricia, See, and beware of covetousness. First who spoke these words? Forsooth Christ speak them, if I had spoken them of myself, it had been little worth. But Christ spoke, and upon a good occasion: The story is Duo litigaban 〈…〉 inter se. there were two at strife between themselves. Luc. xii. and by this it appeareth that Christ spoke them well. Christ spoke 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 dispatched by and by. He was at Christ's Sermon, but yet he would not differ his worldlycause till Christ had made an end of his godly exhortation. This was a thorny brother, he was a gospeler, he was a carnal gospeler (as many be now adays for a piece of an abbey or for a portion or chantry lands) to get somewhat by it and to serve his commodity: He was a gospeler one of the new brethren somewhat worse than a rank papist. How be it a rank papist now a days shall sooner have promotion then a true gospeler shall have, the more pity. But this was a thorni gospeler, 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 yer it were all done? And what was Christ then doing? forsoo the he was sowing of good seed, but it fell upon stony ground, so that it could not take any rote 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 a while and seeing that I come now to take mine Vltimum 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 xii. Chapter of saint Luke's Gospel, and there he first of all taught his disciples a good lesson, saying: Cavete vobis a farmento Phariseorum. Beware in any wise (saith he) from 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 preachers must cry out earnestly, and never cease till it be rooted up. In the city of Corinthe one had married his stepmother, 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 & authority that they durst not, many of them. But. S. Paul hearing of that matter, writ unto them, and in God's behalf charged them, to do away such abomination from among them. Saint 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 a do in England, Ye that are Magistrates, she we favour for affection to such, & 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. etc. And so the thing is not now any thing looked unto. Lechery is used thoroweoute 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 trist not to be passed on, nor not to be reformed. But beware ye that are magistrates, their sin doth leaven you all, Therefore for gods love beware of this leaven. Well I trust it will be one day amended. I look not to live long, & yet I trust (as old as I am) to live so long as to see lechery punished. I would wish that Moses' law were restored for punishment of lechery, & that the offenders therein might be punished according to the prescription of Moses' 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 mean both to pacifis gods wrath and indignation against us, and also that les habomination shall be used, then in times paste 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 with. Sometime leaven is taken for corrupt doctrine, and so it is here taken in this place when he sayeth: Be ware of the leaven of the Pharisee is. 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 sayeth 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 peace 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 pertain the all to one purpose, for there he taught his disciples too beware of the leaven, which was hypocrisy declaring unto them that hypocrisy, would not be all ways 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 an other meaning for it is God's proverb. There is nothing so privy but it shall be opened, at least wise in the great day of reconning.  
In the dreadful day of the general account, in the day of revelation. Then shall it be openly know en what so ever is done: be it never so privily done. These fellows that have their fetches and their far compasses too bring things too their purposes, work they never so privily never so covertly, yet at the last day, their doings shall be openly revealed. Vsque ad sacietatem visionis (saith the Prophet Esay) that is, 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. etc. 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 damnations. In deed God hath verified his proverb from time to tyme. 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? tut he thought he could have beguiled God to. And therefore he answered. I can not 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 a way: they took his motely cote and he sprinkled 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. Though he was straight way 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 fet her. And here I have an other suit to your highness. When you come to age beware what parsons 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 cloaked the matter, that it should never have been known. He sent for her husband Urias, and showed him a fair countenance, and looked mere lie on him, and sent him forth to war that he might do his pleasure with Bersaba afterward, & 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, & who is now that knoweth it not? Elyzeus servant Giezi, a bribing brother, he came coulourablye to Naaman the Sirian: he feigned a tale of his master Elizeus, as all bribers will do & 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 secreatelye about such things, have this in your minds when ye devise your secret fetches and conveyance, how Eliseus' servant was served and made to be 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 abrybe, 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 besides me that know it. Oh briber & bribery, he was never a good man that will so take bribes. Nor I can never believe that he that is a briber shallbe 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 saint Paul. And translate the thing on myself. I will become the kings office for a while. 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. iii. hundredth marks to have my byls 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, & do bring in a true account: Wherefore should one groat be given? yea one groat for warranting of my byls? Smell ye nothing in this? what needeth any bribes giving except the byls be false? no man giveth brybs for warranting of his bills except they be false byls. 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 hear now I speak to you my master's Mynters, augmentationer, Receivers, surveyor, and Auditors: I make a petition unto you: I beseech you all be good to the King. Be good to the king, he hath been good to you, therefore be good to him, yea, be good too 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 sense, and what buildings ye make daily, well I pray you so build, that the kings workmen may be paid. They make their moan that they can not get no money. The poor labourers, gunmakers, poudermen bowmakers. Arrowmakers, smiths carpenters, soldiers, & other crafts cry out for their duties. They be unpaid some of them three or. iiii. months: yea some of them half a year: yea and sum of them put up bills this time. xii. months for their money, and can not be paid yet. They cry out for their money,) and as the Prophet sayeth) Clamour operariorum ascendit ad aures meas. The cry of the workmanne is come up to mine ears. Oh for gods love let the work men be paid, if there be money enough? there will whole showers of gods vengeance rain down upon your heads. Therefore ye mynters, and ye Augmentacioners, serve the king truly. So build and purchase that the king may have money to pay his workmen. It seemeth evil favouredli, that ye should have enough where with to build superstuously, & 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 contryssyon (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 chose the either restitution or else endless damnation. But now therebe two manner of restitucioners, secret restitution, and open restitution whither of both it be, So that restitution be made it is all good enough. At my first preaching of restituion, 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, & so the first lent came to my hands twenty pounds to be restored to the king's use. I was promised. xx. pound more the same lente, but it could not be made, so that it came not. Well, the next lent came three hundreth and twenty pounds more. I received it myself, and paid it to the kings Counsel. So I was asked, what he was that thus made restitution.  
But should I have named him? nay they should as soon have this wesaunt of mine. Well, now this lent came one hundredth and fore score pounds. x. s. which I have paid and delivered this present day to the kings comcel. And so this man hath made a godly restitution. And so (quoth I to a certain noble man that is one of the kings council) if every man that hath beguiled the king should make restitution after this sort, it would cough the king. xx. M. pounds I think (quoth I) yea that it would (quod the other) a whole. C. M. pounds. Alac alac, 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 a frayed 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, etc. 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 shal●e 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 hydden● which is repent and amend, Recipiscentia, recipiscentia. Repenting and amending is a sure remedi, and a sure way to hide all, that it shall not come out to our shame and confusion. Yet there was an other seed that Christ was sowing in that sermon of his, & 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 hell fire. etc. And there to put his disciples in comfort and sure hoop 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 hears of our heads, how that not so much as one hear 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 hear, but specially for kings. And therefore hear is an other 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 can not be without his friendship, agree with him in religion, or else ye shall have him your enemy. etc.  
Well, fear them not, but cleave to God, and he shall defend you. Do not ask Achab 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 with him in religion, and worshipping of God. And a non 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 rotches. But follow not Achab: Remember the hear 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) then sparrows or other birds. God will defend you, that before your time cometh, ye shall not die nor miscarry. On a time when Christ was going to Jerusalem, his disciples said unto him: They there would have stoned thee, and wilt thou now go thither again? What (saith he again to them) Nun duodecem sunt horae die. etc.  
Be there not twelve hours in the day? (saith he). God hath appointed his times, as pleaseth him, and before the time cometh that God hath appointed, they shall have no power against you. Therefore stick to God and forsake him not, but fear him, and fear not men. And beware chief of two affections: fear and love. Fear as Achab, of whom I have told you that for fear of the Assirian king he changed his religion, & thereby purchased godsh ie indignation to him & to his realm. And love, as Dina jacob's daughter, who caused a change of religion, by Sichem and Hemor who were contented for lust of a wife to the destruction and spoiling of all the whole city: Read the Chronicles of England and France, and ye shall see what changes of religion hath come by marriages, & for marriages.  
Marry my daughter and be baptized, and so forth, or else. etc. Fear them not. Remember the sparrows. And this rule should all estates and degrees of men follow, where as now they fear men and not god. If there be a judgement between a great man and a poor man: Then must there be a corruption of justice for fear. Oh he is a great man, I dare not displease him. etc. Fi● upon thee, art thou a judge and wilt be afraid to give right judgement? fear him not be he never so great a man, but uprightly do true justice. likewise some pastures go from their cure, they are afraid of the plague, they dare not come nigh any sick body: but higher other, and they go away themselves. Out upon the. The wolf cometh upon thy stock to devour them, and when they have most need of thee, thou runnest awa● from them. The souldioure also that should go on warfare, he will draw back asmuch as he can. Oh I shall be ●●ain. Oh such and such went and never came home again: Such men went the last year into Norfolk, and were slain there. Thus they are afraid to go. They will labour to tarry at home. If the king command the to go, thou art bound to go, & serving the king, thou servest god. If thou serve God, he will not shorten thy days to thine hurt. Well saith some, if they had not gone they had lived unto this day. How know'st thou that? who made the so privy of god's council? follow thou thy vacation, & serve the kig, when he calleth the. In seruig him thou shalt serve god. And till thy time come, thou shalt not die. It was marvel that Jonas escaped in such a city, what then? Yet God preserved him, so that he could not perish. Take therefore an example of Jonas, and every man follow his vocation not fearing men, but fearing God. And other seed that Christ was sowing in that sermon was this: Qui confessus me fuerit hominibus, confitebor et ego illum coram pair meo. He that confesseth me before men, I shall also confess him before my father. We must confess him with mouth. It was of a bishop not long a go asked as touching this, laws (sayeth he) must be obeyed and civil ordinance, I will follow outwardly, but my heart in religion is free to think as I will, So said Friar Forest half a papist, yea worse than a hole papist. Well an other seed was: he that sinneth against the holy ghost, it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world, nor in the world to come.  
What is this same sin against the holy ghost? an horrible sin that shall never be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come: what is this sin? final impenitency, and some say, impugning ●f the truth. One came to me once, that despaired, because of sin against the holy ghost. He was sore troubled in his conscience, that he should be dampened, and that it was not possible for him to be saved, because he had sinned against the holy ghost. I said to him: what man (quoth I) comfort yourself in these words of the Apostle: Christus est propiciatio pro peccatis nostris. And again: Ideo me misit pater in mundum, ut qui credit in me non pereat, sed habeat vitam eternam. My father hath for this purpose sent me into the world, that he which believeth in me, may not perish, but may have the life everlasting. Also: Quaqumque hora ingemuerit peccator saluus erit. In what hour soever the sinner shall mourn for his sin, he shallbe saved. I had scriptures enough for me (as me thought) but say what I could say, he could say more against himself, than I could sai at the time to do him good with all. Where some say that the sin against the holy ghost, is original sin: I alleged against that, the saying of saint Paul. Sicut par unius delictum. etc. And si qui segerit penitency. If a man had done all the sins in the world, and have true repentance, with faith and hope in God's mercy, he shall be forgiven. But whatsoever I said he could still object against me and avoid my reasons. I was fain to take an other day, & did so. Let me go to my book (quoth I) and go you to your prayers, for ye are not all together without faith. I got me to my study, I red many doctoures, but none could content me, no expositoure could please me nor satisfy my mind in the matter. And it is with me as it is with a scholar of Cambridge, who being demanded of his tutor how he understood his lesson, and what it mente: I know (quoth he) what it meaneth, but I can not tell it, I can not express it. So I understood it well enough, but I can not well declare it. Nevertheless I will boungle at it as well as I can. Now to tell you by the way what sin it was that he had committed, he had fallen from the truth known, And afterward fell to mocking and scorning of it. And this sin it was that he thought to be unforgivable. I said unto him, that it was a vehement manner of speaking in scripture, yet (quoth I) this is not spoken universally, nor it is not mente that God doth never forgive it, but it is commonly called irremissible, unforgivable, because that God doth seldom for give it, but yet there is no sin so great but God may forgive it, and doth forgive it to the repentant heart, though in words it sound that it shall never be forgiven: As privilegium paucorum non destruit regulam universale●n. The privilege of a few persons doth not destroy an universal rule or saying of scripture. For the scripture saith: Omnes moriemur. We shall 〈◊〉 every one of us, yet some shall be ra●te and taken alive, as saint Paul 〈◊〉 For this privilege of a few doth n●t hurt a generalty. a irre 〈…〉 le sin, an unexcusable sin yet to him that will truly repent, it is forgivable, In Christ it may be remitted, if there be no more but one man forgiven, ye may be that same one man that shall be forgiven. Vbi a bundavit deli●tum, ibi abundavit et gracia.  
Where iniquity hath habounded there shall grace abound. Thus by little and little this man came to a settled conscience again, and took comfort in Christ's mercy. Therefore despair not though it be said it shall never be forgiven. Where Cain said my wickedness is so great that God cannot forgive it. Nay thou liest saith Austen to Caine. Maior est dei miseri cordia, quam iniquitas tua. The mercy of God is greater than thine iniquity, Therefore despair not, but this one thing I say: beware of this sin that ye fall not into it, for I have known no mobut this one man that hath fallen from the truth, and hath afterward repent and come to grace a gain, I have known many sense God hath opened mine eyes to see a little, I have known many (I say) that knew more than I, and some whom I have honoured, that have after wards fallen from the truth, but never one of them (this man except) that have returned to grace and to the truth again. But yet though God both very seldom forgive this sin, and although it be one of the sins that God doth hate most of all others, and such as is almost never forgiven, yet it is forgivable.  
In the blood of Christ, if one truelis repent, and lo it is universal. As there is also an other scripture, Vaeterre cuius rexpuer est. Woe be to the Land, to the Realm: whose King is a child, which some interpreate and refer to childish conditions. But it is commonly true the other way to, when it is referred to the age & years of childhod. For where the king is within age, they that have governance about the king, have much liberty to live voluptuously and licenciousti, & not to be in fear how they govern as they would be if the king were of full age, & then commonly they govern not well. But yet Josias & one or two more though they were children yet had their realms well governed and reigned prosperoustye, and yet the saying. Vaeterre cuis rexpuer est, nevertheless true for that. And this I gather of this irremissible sin against the holy ghost, that the scripture saith it is never forgiven, because it is seldom forgiven. For in deed I think that there is no sin which God doth so seldom nor so hardly forgive, as this sin of falling away from the truth, after that a man once knoweth it. And in deed this took best place with the man that I have told you of, and best quieted his conscience. another seed was this. Be not careful (saith Christ) what ye shall say, before judges and Magistrates, when ye are brought afore them for my name's sake, for the holy ghost shall put in your minds even at the present hour what ye shall speak.  
A comfortable saying and a goodly promise of the holy ghost? that the adversaries of the truth (sayeth he) shall not be able to resist us, what? shall the adversaries of the truth be dumb? nay, there be no greater talkers nor boasters & facers than they be. But they shall not be able to resist the truth, to destroy it. Hear some will say, what needeth universities then and the preservation of schools, the holy ghost will give always what to say. Yea, but for all that, we may not tempt God: we must trust in the holy ghost, but we must not presume on the holy Ghost. Hear now should I speak of universities, and for preferring of schools. But he that preached the last sunday spoke very well in it, and substauncyallye and like one that knew the estate and condition of the universities and Schools very well. But thus much I say unto you magistrates. If ye will not maintain schools and universities, ye shall have a brutalytye. Therefore now a suit again to your highness. So order the matter that preaching may not decay. For sureli if preaching decay, ignorance & brutishness will enter again. Nor give the preachers livings to seculet men. What should secular men do with the livigs of preachers? I think there be at this day ten thousand Studients les than were within these. xx. years, & fewer preachers & that is the cause of rebellion, if there good bishops, there should be no rebellion. I am now almost come to mi matter, saving one saying of Christ which was an other seed. Date, et dabi tur vobis. give and it shallbe given unto you. etc. But who believeth this? if men believed this promise they would give more than they do & at least wise they would not stick to give a little, but now a days mens study is set rather to take gifts & to get of other men's good than to give any of their own, so all o there the promises are mistrusted and unbelieved. For if the rich men did believe this promise of God, they would willingly and readly give a little to have the overplus. So where Christ saith of injuries or offences and trespasses. Mihi unidictam & ego retribuam. etc., Leave the advenging of wrongs alone unto me, & I shall pay them home etc. If the rebels had believed this promise, they would not have done as they did. So all the promises of God are mistrusted. Noah also after the flood feared at every rain, lest the world should be drowned and destroyed again, till God gave the rainbow. And what exercise shall we have by the rainbow? we mai learn by the rainbow that God will be true of his promises, & will fulfil his promises. For god sent the rainbow &. iiii. M. years, it is, & more sē●e this promise was made, and yet god hath been true of his promise unto this day. So that now when we se the rainbow we mai learn that god is true of his promise. And as God was true in this promise, so is he & will be, in all the rest, but the covetous man doth not believe that god is true of his promise, for if he did, he would not stick to give of his goods to the poor. But as touching that I spoke afore, when we see the rainbow, & see in the rainbow that that is like water, & of a watri colour and as we may and ought not only to take there of hold and comfort of god's promise, that he will no more destroi the world with water for sine but also we may take an example to fear god, who in such wise hateth sin Likewise when in the rainbow we see that that is of fiery colour, and like unto fire we may gather an example of the end of the world, that accept we amend the world shall at last be consumed with fire for sin, and to fere the judgement of God, after which they that are dampened, shallbe burned in hell fire. These were thesedes that Christ was sowing, when this covetous man came unto him. And now I am come to my matter. While Christ was this preachig, this covetous fellow would not tarry till all the sermon was done, but interrupted the sermon, even suddenly choppig in. Master (quoth he) speak to mi brother, that he may divide the inheritance with me. He would not a bide till the end of the sermon. But his mind was on his halfpenny, and he would needs have his matter dispatched out of hand, Master (quoth he) let my brother, divide with me. Yet this was a good fellow, he could be contented with part, he desired not to have all together alone to himself, but could be content with a division, and to have his part of the inheritance, & what was the inheritance, Ager. So that it was but one piece of ground, or one farm. This covetousman could be content with the half of one farm, where our men now a days cannot be satisfied with many farms at once, one man must now have as many farms as will serve many men, or else he will not be contented nor satisfied. They wylier now a days one with an other, except they have al. Oh saith the wise man: There be three things wherein my soul delighteth: Concordia fratum, amor proximorum, et vir ac mulier bene sibi consentientes. The uniti of brethren, the love of neighbours, & a man & wife a greeting well together. So that the concord of brethren & a greeing of brethren is a gay thing. What saith Solomon of this matter. Frater qui adiwatur a fratre quasi civitas firma, et turris fortis. The brother that is holpen of his brother is as a sure and well fenced city, and a strong Tower he is so strong. Oh it is a great matter when brethren love and hold well together. But if the one go about to pull down the other, then are they week both of them, and when one pulleth down his fellow, they must needs down both of them, there is no stay to hold them up. Mark in the Chronicles of England. Two brethren have reigned jointly together, the one on thissid Humber, & the other beyond Humber in Scotland & all that way. And what hath come of it? So long as they have agreed well together, so long they have prospered. And when they have ierred they have both gone to wrak. Brethren that have so reigned here in England have quarreled one with another, & the younger hath been contented with his portion (as in deed the younger brother commonly ierreth first) but by the contention both hath feared the worse. So when there is any contention between brother & brother for land, commonly they are both undone by it. And that crafty merchant (what ever he be) that will set brother against brother, moveth to destroy than both, but of these two. brethren whether this man here were the elder or the younger I cannot say, scripture telleth me not whither of these, two. was the younger. But a lykelihod this was younger, for once it was a plain law that primogenitus, that is to say the elder brother had duplicia, & therefore of likelihood it should be the youngest brother that found himself aggrieved, & was not content: but Christ said unto him: thou man who hath made me a judge or a divider between you? Christ answered him by a question, and mark this question of Christ, thou man Quis me constituit iudecem aut divisorem superuos. It is no small matter (saith Austen) of what inteneion one asketh a question, as Christ in an other place of the gospel, asketh who was neighbour to the pilgrim that was wounded. There was (saith Christ) a man that went from Jerusalem to Hierico, and fell among thieves, and they wounded him, & left him for dead. And a priest came by, that was his own contriman & let him lie a Levit came by and would show no compassion upon him: at last a Samaritan came by, & set him on his horse, & conveyed him to the city and provided surgery for hi. etc. Now who was neighbour to this wounded man (saith Christ)? Qui fecit illi misericordiam (quod the lawyer). He that showed merci unto him. He that did the office of a neighbour, he was neighbour. As ye may perceive by a more familiar example of the Bishop of Exeter at Sutton in Staffordshire. Who is Bishop of Exeter? forsooth master Coverdale. What? do not all men know who is bishop of Exeter? what he hath been by shop many years. Well, say I master Coverdale is Bishop of Exeter, master Coverdale putteth in execution the Bishop's office, & he that doth the office of the Bishop, he is the Bishop in deed. Therefore say I master Coverdale is Bishop of Exeter. Alack there is a thing that maketh my heart sorry. I he are that Master Coverdale is poisoned. Alack a good man, a godlic preacher, an honest fatherly man, and if it be true, it is a great pity and a lamentable case, that he feedeth them with god's word, and there feed him a gain with poison. Alack, shall poysonning come now hither into England out of Italy? But to the purpose of Christ's question, who made me a judge between you? here an Anabaptist will sai: Ah Christ refused the office of a judge, ergo there aught to be no judges nor magistrates among Christian men. If it had been a thing lawful, Christ would not have refused to do the office of a judge, and to have determyded the variance between these. two. brethren. But Christ did thereby signify, that he was not sent for that office. But if thou wilt have a trial and a sentence of that matter according to the laws, thou must go to the temporal judge that is deputed therefore but Christ's meanings was, that he was come for an other purpose, he had another office deputed unto him than to be a judge in temporal matters, Fgo veni vocare peccatores ad peniteci●, I am come (saith he) to call sinners to repentance. He was come to preach the gospel, the remission of sin, & the kingdom of god & meant not thereby to disallow the office of temporal magistrates. Nai, if Christ had meant that there should be no magistrates, he would have bid him take all, but Christ meant nothing so. But the matter is, that this covetous man, this brother took his mark amiss, for he came to a wrong man to seek redress of his matter, nor Christ did not forbid him to seek his remedy at the magestrats hand, but Christ refused to take upon high the office that was not his calling. For Christ had an other vocation then to be a judge between such as contended about matters of land. If our rebels had had this in their minds they would not have been their own judges, but they would have sought the redress of their grief at the hands of the king & his magistrates under him appointed. But no marvel of their blindness & ignorance for the Bishops are out of their diocese, that should teach them this gear. But this man perchance had heard, and did think that Christ was Messiah, whose reign in words soundeth a corporal and a temporal reign, which should do justice, and see a redress in all matters of worldly controversy. Which is a necessary office in a Christian realm and must needs be put in execution for ministering of justice. And therefore I require you (as a suitor rather than a preacher) look to your office yourself, and lay not all on your officers backs. Receive the bills of supplication youreself, I do notse you do so now a days, as ye were wont to do the last year.  
For God's sake look unto it, and see to the ministrig of justice your own self and let poor Suitors have answer. There is a king in Christendom, and it is the king of Denmark that sitteth openly in justice thrice in the week & hath doors kept open for the nonce. I have hard it reported of one that hath been there and seen the proof of it many a time and oft. And the last justice that ever he saw done there was of a priests cause, that had had his glebe land taken from him (and now here in England some go about to take away all) but this priest had had his glebeland taken from him by a great man. Well, first went out letters for this man, to appear at a day, process went out for him according to the order of the law, & charged by virtue of those letters, to appear afore the king at such a day. The day came. The king sat in his hall readi to mi minister justice: The priest was there present: The gentleman this Lord, this great man, was called, and commanded to make his appearance, according to the write that had been directed out for him. And the Lord came, & was there, but he appeared not: No quoth he king? was he sommonid as he should be? had he any warnig to be here? It was answered, yea, & that he was there walking up & down in the hall, & that he knew well enough that that was his day, and also that he had all ready been called, but he said he would not come before the king at that time, alled gig that he needed not as yet to make an answer, because he had had but one summoning. No quoth the king? is he here present: yea forsooth sir said the priest. The king commanded him to be called, and to come before him. And the end was this. He made this lord this great man to restore unto the priest not only the glebeland which he had taken from the priest, but also the rent & profit thereof for so long time as he had wholden it from the priest which was viii. years or thereabout (saith he) when ye can show better evidence than the priest hath done, why it ought to be your land, then he shall restore it to you again & the profits thereof, that he shall receive in the mean time. But till that day come, I charge ye that ye suffer him peaceably to enjoy that is his. This is a noble king, & this I tell for your example, that ye may do the like. Look upon the matter yourself. Poor. men put up ●ils every day, & never the near. Confirm your kingdom in judgement, and begin doing of your own office yourself, even now while you are young, and sit once or twice in the week in council among your lords, it shall cause things to have good success, and that matters shall not be lingered forth from day to day. It is good for every man to do his own office, & to see that well executed & discharged. Ozias king in Juda, he would needs do the office of the priest, and he would needs offer incense in the sanctuary which to do, was the priests office. But he was suddenly stricken with the lepry of his labour, & so continued alepre all days of his life. S. John's disciples would have had him to take upon him that he was Christ. But what said John? Nemo sibi assumit quicquam, nisi datum fuerit et de super. No man may take any thing upon himself, except it be given unto him from above. If the Devonshire men had well considered this, they had not provoked the plagues that they have had light upon them. But unprechig prelaci hath been the chiefest cause of all this & commotions. But if Christ may challenge any kind of men for taking his office upon them, he mai say to the mass mongers. Who gave you commission to offer up Christ? who gave you authority to take mine office in hand? for it is onli christs office to do y●. It is a great matter to offer Christ, if Christ had offered his body at the last supper, then should we so do to, who is worthy to offer up Christ? an abominable presumption Paul saith Accepit panem, postquam gracias egissit fregit ac dxit, Accipite, edite. He took bread and after that he had given thanks, he broke it, and said. Take ye, eat ye etc., & so said: Hoc est corpus meum, He gave thanks, well then in thangs giving there is none oblation, & when he gave thanks it was not his body. When I was in examination. I was asked many questions, & it was said to me what Christ did that should we do, a bishop gathered that upon these words. Hoc facite inmei recordacionem. Then said he to me, how know ye that they eat it before he said, hoc est corpus meum. I answered again and said: how knowye that they did not eat it. etc. so I brought into him the place of Paul above said, and that in thanks giving is none oblation, and when he gave thanks it was not his body, for he gave thanks in the beginning of supper, before they eat any manner thing at all, as his accustomed manner was to do. I wonder therefore that they will or dare by this text take upon them to offer Christ's body. They should rather say: Quis me constituit oblatorem? who made me an offerer? But when Christ said: Quis me constituit judicem aut divisorem superuos? who hath made me a Judge, or a divider of lands among you? Christ did refuse an other man's office an office that he was not of his father deputed unto. Christ's kingdom was a spiritual kingdom, & his office was a spiritual office & he was a spiritual judge. And therefore when the woman taken in adultery was brought before him, he refused not to play the judge, but said: Quis te accus at? and she say again Nemo domine. No man Lord (saith she) then said he, Nec ego te condemn no. Nor I condemn the not. Vade et no li amplius piece are. On thy ways, and sin no more. Hear he took upon him his own office, and did his offyre, for his office was to preach & to bid sinners amend their evil living, and not to be a temporal judge in temporal causes. And here is an other occasion of a suit to your highness, for the punish meant of Lechery. For lechery floweth in England like a blood. But now to make an end in temporal causes he said. Quis me constituit judicem, etc. Who made me a judge of temporal causes among you, and of wordly matters: Thus came this fellow in hear with interrupting of Christ's sermon, and received the answer which I have rehearsed? Thou man thou fellow (quoth he) who hath made me a judge, among you? And he said unto all the audience: Videte, et cavete ab avaricia. See and beware of covetousness. Why so? O 〈…〉 a non in abundancia a cu●us quam vita eius et. ex his que possidet. For no man's life standeth in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. We may have things necessary, and we may have abundance of things, but the abundance doth not make us blessed. It is no good argument. Quo plus quis quc habet, tanto beatius 〈◊〉 vit. The more riches that a man hath the more happellye and the more blisfullye he liveth. For a certain great man that had purchased much lands a thousand marks by year or I wots not what, a great portion he had. And so on the way as he was in his journey towards London, or from London, he fell sick by the way. A disease took him, that he was constrained to lie upon it. And so being in his bed the disease grew more and more up on him, that he was by his friends, that were about him very godly advised to look to himself, & to make him ready to God, for there was none other likelihood but that he must die without remedy. He tried out, what? shall I die (quoth he) wounds, sides, heart, shall I die, and thus go from my goods? go fet me some Physician that may save my life, wounds and sides shall I thus die? There lay he still in his bed like a block with nothing but wounds and sides shall I die? Within a very little while he died in deed, and then lay he like a block in deed. Thet was black gowns, torches. Tapers and ringing of bells, but what is become of him, God knoweth, and not I. But here by this ye mai perceive that it is not the abundance of riches that maketh a man to live quietly and blysfully. But the quiet life is in a mediocrity. Mediocres optime viwnt. (saith he) they that are in a mean do live best. And there is a pro verb which I red many years ago Dimidium plus to to. The half sometimes more than the hole. The mean life is the best life and the most quiet life of al. If a man should fill himself up to the throat he should not find ease in it, but displeasure, and with the one half he might satisfy his greedy appetide. So this great riches never maketh a man's life quiet, but rather troublous I remember here a saying of Solomon, and his example. Coacernavi mihi argentum et aurum. I gathered silver & gold together (saith he) I provided me singers, and women which could play on instruments to make men mirth and pastime. I gate me & songs of music. etc. & thus my heart rejoiced in all that I did. But what was the end of all this? Cum conuer tissem me ad omnia, when I considered (saith Solomon) all the works that my hands had wrought. etc. lo, all was but vanity, and vexation of mind, & nothing of any value under the sun. Therefore leave covetousness, for believe me if I had an enemy. The first thing that I would wish to him, should be that he might have abundance of riches, for so I am sure, he should never be in quiet. But think ye there be not many that would be so hurt? But in this place of the gospel. Christ spoke and declared this unquietness and uncerteinti of great riches by a similitude and parable of a great rich man, who had much land that brought forth all fruits plentifully. And he being in a pride of the matter, and much unquiet by reason that he had so much, said to himself: What shall I do, because I have riot 〈…〉 e enough where to bestow my fruits that have grown unto me of my lands? I will thus do (saith he) I will pull down my barns, and build greater barns, and I will say to my soul. My soul thou hast much goods laid up in store for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. But God God said to him. Stulte hac nocte, animam 〈◊〉 tuam repetunt abs te. Thou fool, thou fool, this night will they take thy soul from the again. And then, whose shall those things be which thou haste provided? Even so it is with him (sayeth Christ) that gathereth riches unto himself, & is not Rich toward God. etc. But yet the Covetousman can never be content.  
I walked one day with a Gentelmanne in a park, and the man regarded not my talk, but cast his head and eye this and that way, so that I perceived he gave no great ear to me, which when I saw: I held my peace. At last, oh (quoth the gentleman) if this park were mine, I would never desire more while I lived. I answered, and said, Sir & what if ye had this park to, for there was an other park even hard by? this gentleman laughed at the matter. And truly I think he was diseased with the dropsy, the more he had, the more covetous he was to have still more & more. This was a farmer that had a farm hard by it, and if he might have had this park to it, he would never have desired more. This was a farmer not altogether so covetus a man, as there be many now a days, as for one gentleman to rake up all the farms in the country together in his hands all at ones. And here one suit more to your highness. There lacketh one thing in this realm that it hath need of, for God's sake make some promoters. There lack promoters, such as were in king Henrye the seventhes' days your grandfather. There lack men to promote the kings officers when they do amiss, and to promote all offenders. I think there is great need of such men of godly discretion, wisdom, and conscience, to promote transgressors, as rentrai sours, oppressors of the poor, extortioners, bribers, usurers. I here there be usurers in England, that will take xi. in the hundredth: But I here of no promoters to put them up. Wereade not that this covetous farmer or landed man of the gospel, bought corn in the markets to lay it up in store, and then sell it again. But and if it please your highness? I here say that in England, we have land Lords (nay step Lords I might say) are become graziers, and burgesses are become regraters, and some farmers, will regrate and buy up all the corn that cometh to markets and lay it up in store, and sell it again at an higher price, when they see their time: I heard a macchaunt man say that he had travailed all the days of his life, in the trade of merchandise, and had gotten. iit. or. itii. thousand pounds by buying and selling, but in case he might be licensed or suffered so to do, he would get a thousand pound a year by only buying and selling of grain hear within this realm. Yea and (as I hear say) Aldermen are now a days become Colliers. They be both wodmongers, and makers of cools. I would so God help me, what so ever he be: I would wish he might eat nothing but coals for a while, till he had amended it. There can not a poor body by a sack of coals. but it must come thorough their hands. But this rich man that the Gospel speaketh of, was a covetous man. God had given him plenti but that made him not a good man, It is another thing that maketh a good man. God saith, Sinon audieris uoe●m meam: If thou obey not my voice etc. And therefore wordly riches do not declare the favour or disfavour of god. The scripture saith: Nemo scit an sit a moredignus, an odio. God hath ordained all things to be good. And the devil laboureth to turn all things to man's evil. God giveth men plenty of riches to exercise their faith and charity, to confirm them that be good, to draw them that be nought, and to bring them to repentance: And the devil worketh all together to the contrary. And it is an old Proverb, the more wicked the more fortunate. But the unquietness of this covetous richman, declareth the unquietness of the mid that riches bringeth with it. first they are all in care how to get riches, & then are they in more care how to keep it stil. Therefore the apostle saith Qui volunt dite year incidunt in tentaciones varias. They that studi to get great riches do fall into many divers temptations. But the root of all evil is covetousness. What shall I do (saith this rich man.) He asked his own brainless head what he should do, he did not ask of the scripture. For if he had asked of the scripture, it would have told him, it would have said unto him: Frange esurienti panem tuum. etc. Break thy bread unto the hungry. All the affection of men now a days, is in building gay & sumptuous houses, it is in setting up and pulling down, & never have they done building. But the end of all such great riches and covetousness is this: This night thou fool thy soul shall be taken from the. It is to be understand of all that rise up from little to much, as this rich man that the Gospel spoke of did. I do not despise riches, but I wish that men should have riches, as Abraham had, and as Joseph had. A man to have riches to help his neighbour, is a godly riches. The worldly riches is to put all his trust and confidence in his worldly riches, that he may by them live here gallantly, pleasantly, and voluptuously. Is this godly riches? No no, this is not godly riches. It is a common saying now a days among many: Oh, he is a rich man, he is well worth five hundredth pounds. He is well worth five hundredth pounds that hath given five hundredth pounds to the poor, otherwise it is none of his. Yea, but who shall have this five hundredth pounds? For whom hast thou gotten that five hundredth pounds? What sayeth Solomon. Ecclesia. v. Est alia infirmitas pessima, quam vidi sub sole, divitiae conseruate in malum domini sui. Another evil (saith he) and an other very naughty imperfection riches hoarded up & kept together to the owners own herme, for many times such riches do perish and consume away miserabli. Such a one shall sometime have a son saith he, that shallbe a veri beggar, & live all in extreme penury. Ogoodly riches that one man shall get it, & an other come to devour it. Therefore Videte, et cavete ab avaricia. See and beware of covetousness. Believe gods words, for they will not deceive you, nor lye. Heaven and earth shall perish: but Verbum domini, manet in eternum. The word of the Lord abide than 〈…〉 endureth forever. On this leavened faith, this unseasoned faith▪ Beware of this unseasoned faith A certain man asked me this question: Didst thou ever sea man lie 〈…〉 e long that had great titches? Therefore saith the wiseman if god send the riches, use them. If God send the abundance, use them according to the rule of god's word, and study to be rich in our saviour Jesus Christ. To whom 〈◊〉 the father and the holy ghost, be all honour glory and praise for ever and ever.  
Amen.   

¶ Imprinted at London by John Day: dwelling over Aldersgate beneath S. Martin's. These books are to be sold at his shop by the little Cunduite in cheapside.  
Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum▪ Per septenium.