Latimer was a Lent preacher before the king in 1548 and 1549, preaching from a pulpit built in the king's private garden at Westminster, with many statesmen, courtiers, and people gathered about him. The king listened at an open window near the preacher, and the princess Elizabeth, then fifteen or sixteen years old, was among his hearers.1

As the next passages will serve to show, Latimer went straight to his point in plain idiomatic English:

A REQUEST TO THE LORD PROTECTOR. "When all Israel heard of this judgment [the judgment of Solomon] they feared the king." It is wisdom and godly knowledge that causeth a king to be feared. One word note here, for God's sake, and I will trouble you no longer. Would Salomon, being so noble a king, hear two poor

to satisfy this place. I am no sooner in the garden and have read awhile, but by-and-by cometh there some or other knocking at the gate. Anon cometh my man and saith, "Sir, there is one at the gate would speak with you." When I come there, then it is some one or other that desireth me that I will speak that his matter might be heard, and that he hath lain thus long at great cost and charges, and cannot once have his matter come to the hearing. But among all

other, one specially moved me at this time to speak. This

it is, sir:

A gentlewoman came to me and told me, that a great man keepeth certain lands of hers from her, and will be her tenant in the spite of her teeth. And that in a whole twelvemonth she could get but one day for the hearing of her matter, and the same day when the matter should be heard, the great man brought on his side a great sight of lawyers for his counsel: the gentlewoman had but one man of law; and the

women? They were poor, for, as the Scripture saith, they were together alone in a house, they had not so much as one servant between them both. Would King Salomon, I say, hear them in his own person? Yea, forsooth. And yet I hear of many matters before my Lord Protector, and my Lord Chancellor, that cannot be heard. I must desire my Lord Protector's grace to hear me in this matter, that your Grace would hear poor men's suits yourself. Put them to none other to hear, let them not be delayed. The saying is now, that Money is heard everywhere; if he be rich, he shall soon have an end of his matter.

Other are fain to go home with weeping tears, for any help they can obtain at any judge's hand. Hear men's suits yourself, I require you in God's behalf, and put it not to the hearing of these velvet coats, these upskips. Now a man can scarce know them from an ancient knight of the country. I cannot go to my book, for poor folks come unto me, desiring me that I will speak that their matters may be heard. I trouble my Lord of Canterbury, and being at his house, now and then I walk in the garden looking in my book, as I can do but little good at it; but something I must needs do

1 Fox, in the picture here copied, places her on the front steps of the pulpit.

great man shakes him so, that he cannot tell what to do So that when the matter came to the point, the judge was a mean to the gentlewoman that she would let the great man have a quietness in her land. I beseech your Grace that ye will look to these matters; hear them yourself. View your judges, and hear poor men's causes.

CORRUPT PATRONAGE OF LIVINGS.

If the great men in Turkey should use in their religion of Mahomet to sell, as our patrons commonly sell benefices here (the office of preaching, the office of salvation), it would be taken as an intolerable thing, the Turk would not suffer it his commonwealth. Patrons, be charged to see the office done, and not to seek a lucre and a gain by their patronship. There was a patron in England (when it was) that had a benefice fallen into his hand, and a good brother of mine came unto him, and brought him thirty apples in a dish, and gave them to his man to carry them to his master. it is like he gave one to his man for his labour, to make up the game, and so there was thirty-one. This man cometh to his master and presenteth him with a dish of apples, saying, "Sir, such a man hath sent you a dish of fruit, and desireth you to be good unto him for such a benefice." "Tush, tush!"

quoth he, "this is no apple matter, I will none of his apples. I have as good as these (or as he hath any) in mine own orchard." The man came to the priest again, and told him what his master said. "Then," quoth the priest, "desire him yet to prove one of them for my sake, he shall find them much better than they look for." He cut one of them, and found ten pieces of gold in it. "Marry!" quoth he, "this is a good apple." The priest standing not far off, hearing what the gentleman said, cried out and answered, They are all one fruit, I warrant you, sir; they grew all on one tree, and have all one taste." "Well, he is a good fellow, let him have it," said the patron, &c. "Get you a graft of this tree, and I warrant you it will stand you in better stead than all St. Paul's learning."

NEGLECT OF PREACHING.

I would our preachers would preach, sitting or standing, one way or other. It was a goodly pulpit that our Saviour Christ had gotten Him here. An old rotten boat, and yet He preached His Father's will, His Father's message out of this pulpit. He cared not for the pulpit, so He might do the people good. Indeed, it is to be commended for the preacher to stand or sit, as the place is; but I would not have it so superstitiously esteemed, but that a good preacher may declare the Word of God sitting on a horse, or preaching in a tree. And yet, if this should be done, the unpreaching prelates would laugh it to scorn. And though it be good to have the pulpit set up in churches, that the people might resort thither, yet I would not have it so superstitiously used, but that in a profane place the Word of God might be preached sometimes; and I would not have the people offended withal, no more than they be with our Saviour Christ's preaching out of a boat. And yet to have pulpits in churches it is very well done to have them; but they would be occupied, for it is a vain thing to have them as they stand in many churches.

I heard of a bishop of England that went on visitation, and (as it was the custom) when the bishop should come and be rung into the town, the great bell's clapper was fallen down, the tyall was broken, so that the bishop could not be rung into the town. There was a great matter made of this, and the chief of the parish was much blamed for it in the visitation. The bishop was, somewhat quick with them, and signified that he was much offended. They made their answers and excused themselves as well as they could. "It was a chance," said they, "that the clapper brake, and we could not get it mended by-and-by; we must tarry till we can have it done. It shall be mended as shortly as may be." Among the other, there was one wiser than the rest, and he comes to the bishop, "Why, my lord," saith he," doth your lordship make so great a matter of the bell that lacketh his clapper? Here is a bell," saith he, and pointed to the pulpit, "that hath lacked a clapper this twenty years. We have a parson that fetcheth out of his benefice fifty pounds every year, but we never see him." I warrant you the bishop was an unpreaching prelate. He could find fault with the bell that wanted a clapper to ring him into the town, but he could not find any fault with the parson that preached not at his benefice. Ever this office of preaching hath been least regarded, it hath scant had the name of God's service. They must sing Salve festa dies about the church, that no man was the better for it, but to show their gay coats and garments.

I came once myself to a place, riding on a journey homeward from London, and I sent word over night into the town that I would preach there in the morning, because it was holiday, and methought it was an holiday's work. The

church stood in my way, and I took my horse and my company, and went thither (I thought I should have found a great company in the church), and when I came there, the church door was fast locked. I tarried there half an hour

and more. At last the key was found, and one of the parish comes to me, and said, "Sir, this is a busy day with us; we cannot hear you; it is Robin Hood's day. The parish are gone abroad to gather for Robin Hood, I pray you let 1 them not." I was fain there to give place to Robin Hood. I thought my rochet should have been regarded though I were not; but it would not serve, it was fain to give place to Robin Hood's men.

It is no laughing matter, my friends; it is a weeping matter, a heavy matter, a heavy matter, under the pretence for gathering for Robin Hood, a traitor and a thief, to put out a preacher, to have his office less esteemed, to prefer Robin Hood before the ministration of God's Word; and all this hath come of unpreaching prelates. This realm hath been ill provided for, that it hath had such corrupt judgments in it, to prefer Robin Hood to God's Word. If the bishops had been preachers, there should never have been any such thing, but we have a good hope of better. We have had a good beginning: I beseech God to continue it. But I tell you, it is far wide, that the people have such judgments. The bishops they could laugh at it. What was that to them? They would have them to continue in their ignorance still, and themselves in unpreaching prelacy.

The last of the sermons so preached, which Latimer called his Ultimum Vale (Last Farewell) to the Court, was more than three hours long, vigorous, discursive, and rich in illustration of the directness of speech that made his preaching effectual, and at the same time laid it open, in its own day, to much critical exception from his adversaries. The substance of the sermon is here given, without the digressions :

COVETOUSNESS.

From Latimer's "Ultimum Vale," the last Sermon before King Edward. Preached in 1550.

Videte et cavete ab avaritia. Take heed and beware of covetousness: take heed and beware of covetousness: take heed and beware of covetousness: Take heed and beware of covetousness,

And what and if I should say nothing else, these three or four 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 nothing else but Cavete ab Avaritia "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, Adhuc quadraginta dies, et Ninere subvertetur-" There is yet forty days to come, and Ninivy shall be destroyed." Thus he walked from street to street, and from place to place round about the city, and said nothing else but, "There is yet forty days," quoth he, "and Ninivy shall be destroyed." There is no great odds nor difference, at least wise, in the number of words, no nor yet in the sense or meaning between these two sermons. This is, "Yet forty days, and Ninivy shall be destroyed;" and these words that I have taken to speak of this day, "Take heed and beware of covetousness." For Ninivy should be destroyed for sin, and of their sins covetousness

1 Let, hinder.

was one, and one of the greatest, so that it is all one in effect. And as they be like concerning the shortness, the paucity of the words, the brevity of words, and also the meaning and 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 prædicationem Jona crediderunt Deo-" At the preaching of Jonas they believed in God." Here was a great fruit, a great effect wrought. What is the same? They believed in God. They believed God's preacher, God's officer, God's minister Jonas, and were converted from their sin. They believed that (as the preacher said) if they did not repent and amend their life, the city should be destroyed within forty days. This was a great fruit for Jonas was but one man, and 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 and small, rich and poor, king and all. We be many preachers here in England, and we preach many long sermons, 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 loose living, and did penance in sackcloth.

And yet here in this sermon of Jonas is no great curiousness, no great clerkliness, no great affectation of words, nor painted eloquence; it was none other but, Adhuc quadraginta dies, et Ninive subvertetur—“Yet forty days," Ninive subvertetur, "and Ninivy shall be destroyed;" it was no more. This was no great curious sermon; but this was a nipping sermon, a pinching 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 here marvel that these Ninivites cast not Jonas in prison, that they did not revile him, nor 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 sins, 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 that he lacked discretion, or that he spake 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, then he is a foolish fellow, he is rash, he lacketh discretion. Now-a-days 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 discretion. 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 weal." It rejoiceth me sometimes, when my friend cometh and telleth me that they find fault with my indiscretion, for by likelihood, 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, and not with the lack of discretion, or with the inconvenience of the time.

I will now ask you a question, I pray you when should Jonas have preached against the covetousness of Ninivy, if the covetous men should have appointed him his time? I know that 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 preaches in, as I myself will say here that I would not say in the country for no good. But what then? sin must be rebuked, sin must be plainly spoken against. And when should Jonas have preached

against Ninivy, if he should have forborne for the respects of the times, or the place, or the state of things there? For what was Ninivy? A noble, a rich, and a wealthy city. What is London to Ninivy? Like a village, as Islington, or such another, in comparison of London. Such a city was Ninivy; it was three days' journey to go through every street of it, and to go but from street to street. There was noblemen, rich men, wealthy men; there was vicious men and covetous men, and men that gave themselves to all voluptuous living, and to worldliness of getting riches. Was this a time well chosen and discreetly taken of Jonas to come and 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 at God's hand within forty days? And yet they heard Jonas, and gave place to his preaching. They heard the threatenings of God, and feared His stroke and vengeance, and believed God—that is, they believed God's preachers and minister; they believed that God would be true of His word that he spake by the mouth of his prophet, and thereupon did penance to turn away the wrath of God from them. Well, what shall we say I shall say this, and not spare Christ's faith, Ninivy shall arise against the Jews at the last day, and bear witness against them, because that they, hearing God's threatenings for sin, Ad prædicationem Jona in cinere et facto egerunt pænitentiam, “they did penance at the preaching of Jonas in ashes and sackcloth" (as the text saith there); and I say Ninivy shall arise against England-thou, EnglandNinivy shall arise against England, because it will not believe God, nor hear his preachers that cry daily unto them, nor amend their lives, and especially their covetousness. Covetousness is as great a sin now as it was then, and it is the same sin now as it was then. And He will as sure strikfor sin now as He did then. But ah, good God, that would give thee a time of repentance after His threatening!

But how long time hast thou, England-thou England? I cannot tell, for God hath not revealed it unt 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 cannot 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 and amend. And I can tell that whoseever contemneth this riches and treasure of God's goodnes, 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 past that. But how long that shall be, whether to-morrow, or next day, or twenty years, how long I cannot tell. But, in the meantime, ye hav many Jonases to tell you of your faults, and to declare unt you God's threatenings, except you repent and amend; there fore, to return to my matter, I say as I said at the beginning Videte et cavete ab avaritia. Tidete; see 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 n amendment that I see. But cavete ab avaritia-" Beware of covetousness." And why of covetousness? Quia radis o omnium malorum avaritia et cupiditas-" For covetousness the root of all evil and mischief."

This saying of Paul took me away from the gospel thi is read in the church this day; it took me from the epistle, that I would preach upon neither of them both af

this time. I cannot tell what ailed me. but to tell you my imperfection. When I was appointed to preach here, I was new come out of a sickness whereof I looked to have died, and weak I was. Yet, nevertheless, when I was appointed unto it, I took it upon me, albeit I repented afterwards that I had done. I was displeased with myself; I was testy, as Jonas was when he should go preach to the Ninivites. Well, I looked on the gospel that is read this day, but it liked me not; I looked on the epistle: tush! I could not away with that neither. And yet, I remember I had preached upon this epistle once before King Henry the Eighth ; 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, and down with all covetousness."

So this place of Paul brought me to this text of Luke: "See, and beware of covetousness." Therefore, you preachers, out with your swords and strike at the root; speak against covetousness, and cry out upon it. Stand not ticking and toying at the branches, nor at the boughs (for then there will new boughs and branches spring 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 root of all evil, which is mischievous covetousness.

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 since this new preaching has come in, there hath been much sedition; and 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 the cause of the destruction of Jerusalem. For, saith Christ, Si non venissem et locutus fuissem eis, 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 unto 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 Elias was the cause of trouble in Israel; for he was a preacher there, and told the people of all degrees their faults, and so they winced and kicked at him, and accused him to Achab the king that he was a seditious fellow, and a troublous preacher, and made such uproar in the realm. So the king sent for him, and he was brought to Achab the king, who said to him, "Art thou he that troubleth all Israel?" And Elias answered and said, "Nay, thou and thy father's house are they that trouble all Israel." Elias had preached God's Word, he had plainly told the people of their evil doings, he had showed them God's threatenings. In God's 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 fellow's 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 dis

1 Bocardo, the old North Gate of Oxford, used as a prison. Latimer himself was confined in it before his martyrdom.

obeyed 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 and the people. But God's preacher, God's prophet, was not the cause of the trouble. Then it is 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. Here, now, I remember an argument of Master Moore's, which he bringeth in a book that he made against Bilney; and here, by the way, I will tell you a merry toy. Master Moore was once sent in commission into Kent to help to try out (if it might be) what was the cause of Goodwin sands, and the shelf that stopped up Sandwich haven. Thither came Master Moore, and calleth the country afore him, such as were thought to be men of experience, and 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 hundred years old. When Master Moore 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 Moore called this old aged man unto him, and said, "Father," said he, "tell me, if ye can, what is the cause of this great rising of the sands and shelves here about this haven, the which stop it up that no ships can arrive here? Ye are the oldest man that I can espy in all this company, so that if any man can tell any cause of it, ye of likelihood can say most to it, or, at leastwise, more than any man here assembled." Yea, forsooth, good master," quoth this old man, "for I am well nigh an hundred years old, and no man here in this company anything near unto mine age." "Well, then," quoth Master Moore, "how say you in this matter? What think ye to be the cause of these shelves and flats that stop up Sandwich haven ?" "Forsooth, sir," quoth he, "I am an old man; I think that Tenterden steeple is the cause of Goodwin sands. For I am an old man, sir," quoth he, "and I may remember the building of Tenterden steeple, and I may remember when there was no steeple at all there. And before that Tenterden steeple was in building, there was no manner of speaking of any flats or sands that stopped the haven, and, therefore, I think that Tenterden steeple is the cause of the destroying and decay of Sandwich haven." And so, to my purpose, is preaching of God's Word the cause of rebellion as Tenterden steeple was cause that Sandwich haven is decayed.

Elizeus' servant, Giezi, a bribing brother, he came colourably to Naaman the Syrian; he framed a tale of his master, Elizeus, as all bribers will do, and told him that his master had need of this and that, and took of Naaman certain things, and bribed it away to his own behoof secretly, and thought that it should never have come out; but Elizeus knew it well enough. The servant had his bribes that he sought; yet was he stricken with the leprosy, and so openly shamed. Think on this, ye that are bribers, when ye go so secretly about such things; have this in your minds when ye devise your secret fetches and conveyances, how Elizeus' servant was served and was openly known. For God's proverb

will be true: "There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed." He that took the silver basin and ewer for a bribe thinketh that it would never come out: but he may now know that I know it, and I know it not alone; there are more besides me that know it. Oh, briber and bribery! he was never a good man that will so take bribes. Nor I can never believe that he that is a briber shall be a good justice. It will never be merry in England till we have the skins of such. For what needeth bribing where men do their things uprightly? But now I will play St. Paul, and translate the thing on myself. I will become the king's officer for awhile. I have to lay out for the king two thousand pounds, or a great sum, whatsoever it be. Well, when I have laid it out, and to bring in mine account, I must give three hundred marks to have my bills warranted. If I have done truly and uprightly, what should need me to give a penny to have my bills warranted? If I have done my office truly, and do bring in a true account, wherefore should one groat be given? Yea, one groat for warranting of my bills? Smell ye nothing in this? What needeth any bribes-giving, except the bills be false? No man giveth bribes for warranting of his bills except they be false bills.

Well, such practice hath been in England, but beware, it will out one day. Beware of God's proverb, "There is nothing hidden that shall not be opened." Yea, even in this world, if ye be not the children of damnation. And here, now, I speak to you my masters, minters, augmentationers, receivers, surveyors, and auditors, I make a petition unto you. I beseech you all be good to the king, be good to the king; he hath been good to you, therefore be good to him, yea, be good to your own souls. Ye are known well enough what you were afore ye came to your offices, and what lands ye had then, and what ye have purchased since, and what buildings ye make daily. Well, I pray you so build, that the King's workmen may be paid. They make their moan, but they can get no money. The poor labourers, gunmakers, powdermen, bow-makers, arrow-makers, smiths, carpenters, soldiers, and other crafts cry out for their duties. They be unpaid, some of them, three or four months; yea, some of them, half a year; yea, some of them put up bills this time twelve months for their money, and cannot be paid yet. They cry out for their money; and, as the prophet saith, Clamor operariorum ascendit ad aures meas-"The cry of the workmen is come up to mine ears." Oh, for God's love, let the workmen be paid if there be money enough, or else there will whole showers of God's vengeance rain down upon your heads. Therefore, ye minters and ye augmentationers serve the King truly. So build and purchase that the King may have money to pay his workmen. It seemeth evil-favouredly that ye should have enough wherewith to build superfluously, and the King lack to pay his poor labourers. Well, yet I doubt not but that there be some good officers. But I will not swear for all.

I have now preached three Lents. The first time I preached restitution. "Restitution," quoth some, 66 what should he preach of restitution? Let him preach of contrition," quoth they, "and let restitution alone. We can never make restitution." "Then," say I, "if thou wilt not make restitution, thou shalt go to the devil for it. Now, choose thee, either restitution or else endless damnation." But now, there be two manner of restitutions, secret restitution and open restitution; whether of both it be, so that restitution be made, it is all good enough. At my first preaching restitution, one man took remorse of conscience, and acknowledged himself to me that he had deceived the King, and willing he was to make restitution. And so the first Lent came to my hands twenty pounds, to be restored

And so

to the King's use. I was promised twenty pounds more the same Lent, but it could not be made, so that it came not. Well, the next Lent came three hundred and twenty pounds more. I received it myself, and paid it to the King's Council. So I was asked what was he that made this restitution. But should I have named him? Nay; they should as soon have this wesaunt of mine. Well, now, this Lent came one hundred and eighty pounds ten shillings, which I have paid and delivered this present day to the King's Council. this man hath made a godly restitution. "And so," quoth I to a certain nobleman that is one of the King's Council, “if every man that hath beguiled the King should make restitu tion after this sort, it would cough the King twenty thousand pounds, I think," quoth I. 'Yea, that it would," quoth the other, "a whole one hundred thousand pounds." Alack! alack! make restitution, for God's sake, make restitution; ye will cough in hell else, that all the devils there will laugh at your coughing. There is no remedy but restitution, open or secret, or else hell. This that I have now told you of was a secret restitution. Some examples have been of open restitution, and glad may he be that God was so friendly unto him to bring him unto it in this world. I am not afraid to name him. It was Master Sherrington, 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 sak make restitution, or else remember God's proverb, “There i nothing so secret," &c. If you do either of these two in thi world, then are ye of God; if not, then, for lack of restitu tion, ye shall have eternal damnation. Ye may do it b means, if you dare not do it yourselves. Bring it to anothe and so make restitution. If ye be not of God's flock, it sha be brought out to your shame and damnation at the last day when all evil men's sins shall be laid open before us. Y there is one way how all our sins may be hidden, which repent and amend. Resipiscentia, resipiscentia; repentin and amending is a sure remedy and a sure way to hide i that it shall not come out to our shame and confusion. there is another seed that Christ was sowing in that sermon His, and this was the seed: "I say to you, my friends, fe not him that killeth the body, but fear Him that, after 1 hath killed, hath power also to cast into hell fire," &c. A there, to put His disciples in comfort and sure hope of 1 help, and out of all doubt and mistrust of His assistance, bringeth in unto them the example of the sparrows-how th are fed by God's mere providence and goodness; and als the hairs of our heads-how that not so much as one hair fall from our heads without Him. "Fear Him," saith He, "1] when He hath killed the body, may also cast into hell fi Matter for all kinds of people here, but especially for king

Y

And, therefore, here is another suit to your highn Fear not him that killeth the body. Fear not these for princes and foreign powers. God shall make you st enough. Stick to God, fear God; fear not them. God 1 sent you many storms in your youth, but forsake not ‹ and He will not forsake you. Peradventure ye shall that which shall move you, and say unto you, 64 Oh, sir such a one is a great man, he is a mighty prince, a kin great power; ye cannot be without his friendship; a with him in religion, or else ye shall have him enemy," &c. Well, fear them not, but cleave to God. He shall defend you. Do not as King Ahaz did, that afraid of the Assyrian king, and, for fear lest he should