Lorde with inwarde heart and true affection, and not with outwarde ceremonies: MarginaliaThe difference betwixt trūp and false religion. addynge more ouer to the prayse of that triumphe, that though it wer neuer so smal, yet it wold make vp the beste cote carde beside in the bunche, yea thoughe it were the Kyng of Clubbes. &c. meanyng thereby, howe the Lorde would be worshipped and serued, in simplicitie of the hearte and veritie, wherein consisteth true Christian religion, and not in the outwarde dedes of the letter onely, or in the glisteryng shew of mans traditions, of pardons, pilgrimages, ceremonies, vowes, deuotions, voluntarye woorkes, and woorkes of erogation, foundations, oblations, the Popes supremacy. &c. so that al these either be nedelesse, where thother is presente, or els be of smal estimation in cōparison there of.
[Back to Top]The copye and effect of these his sermons, although they were neither fully extracted, neither dyd they all come to oure handes, yet so many as came to our handes, I thoughte here to set abrode, for that I woulde wishe nothing of that man, whiche may be gotten to bee suppressed.
This first 'card' sermon was printed in 1563, dropped from the 1570 and 1576 editions, but was restored in the 1583 edition. The two 'card' sermons printed by Foxe were part of a longer series of sermons 'on the card' which Latimer preached at Cambridge in Advent and Christmas 1529. (Their name derived from Latimer's using the traditional card games played during these holidays as props and themes to his sermons). Interestingly, these two sermons did not appear in any of the compendious editions of Latimer's sermons which were printed by John Day. Just as the Acts and Monuments was intertwined with, and yet distinct from the Letters of the Martyrs, so Foxe's account of Latimer and his writings was intertwined with, but distinct from, Day's editions of Latimer's sermons.
[Back to Top]TV quis es? whiche wordes are as muche as to saye in Englishe, who art thou? These be the wordes of the Phariseis, which wer sent by the Iewes vnto sainct Iohn Baptist in wildernesse, to haue knowledge of him, whome he was, whiche woordes they spake vnto him for an euil intēt, thinking that he would haue taken on him to be Christ, & so they would haue had him done with theyr good willes, becaue they knewe that he was more carnall, and geuen to theyr lawes, then Christ in dede should be, as they perceyued by theyr old prophecies: and also because they maruailed muche of his great doctryne, preaching, and baptising, they were in doubte whether he was Christ or not: wherefore they sayde vnto him, who art thou? Then answered saint Ihō, and confessed, that he was not Christ. Nowe here is to be noted, the greate, and prudent answere of saincte Iohn Baptist vnto the Phariseis, þt whē they required of him whom he was, he would not directly answer of himself what he was himself: but he saide he was not Christ, by the which saying he thought to put þe Iewes and Pharisees out of theyr false opinion, and beliefe towardes him, in that they would haue had him to exercise the office of Christ, and so declared farther vnto them of Christ, saying: he is in the middes of you, and amongst you, whō
[Back to Top]ye knowe not, whose latchet of his shoe I am not worthy to vnlose, or vndoe. By this you maye perceiue that sainct Iohn spake much in the laude, and prayse of Christ his maister, professing himselfe to be in no wise like vnto him. So likewise it shall be necessary vnto all men and women of this worlde, not to ascribe vnto themselues any goodnesse of themselues, but all vnto our lorde God, as shall appeare hereafter, when this question aforesaide, (who arte thou?) shall be moued vnto theym: not as the Pharisees did vnto sainct Iohn, of an euil purpose, but of a good, and simple minde, as maye appeare hereafter.
[Back to Top]Now then, according to the preachers mind, let euery man and woman, of a good and simple mind, contrary to the Phariseis intent, ask this question (who art thou?) this questiō must bee moued to themselues, what they bee of themselues, on this fashion. What art thou of thy onely and naturall generation betwene father, and mother, when thou camest into thys world? What substaunce, what vertue, what goodnesse art thou of by thy selfe? whiche question if thou rehearse often tymes vnto thy selfe, thou shalte well perceiue, and vnderstād, howe thou shalt make aunswer vnto it, which muste bee made on this waies: I am of my self, and by my selfe, commyng from my naturall father and mother, the Childe of the ire, and indignation of God, the true inheritour of hell, a lumpe of sinne, and woorking nothyng of my selfe but all towardes hell, excepte I haue better helpe of an other, then I haue of my selfe. Nowe we maye see in what state we enter in to this worlde, that we bee of oure selues the true, and iuste inheritours of hell, the Children of the ire and indignation of Christe, workyng all towardes Hell, whereby we deserue of our selues perpetuall dampnation, by the ryghte iudgement of GOD, and the true clayme of oure selues: whiche vnthriftye state that wee be borne vnto, is come vnto vs for our owne desertes, and proueth well this exaumple followyng.
[Back to Top]Let it be admitted for the probation of this, that it might please the kynges grace now being, to accepte into his fauoure a meane man, of a simple degree, and byrth, not borne to any possession, whom the Kynges grace fauoreth, not because this person hathe of hymselfe deserued anye suche fauoure, but that the Kynge casteth thys fauoure vnto hym of hys owne mere motion, and fantasye: and for because the Kynges grace wyll more declare hys fauoure vnto hym, he geueth vnto thys sayde manne a thousande poundes in landes, to hym and to hys heyres, on thys condition, that he shall take vppon him to be the chief captayne, and defendoure of his towne of Calice, and to bee trew, and faythfull vnto hym,
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