him to his enemy, was content to forsake God, and to agree with him in religion and worshipping of God; and anon sent to Uryas, the high-priest, who was ready at once to set up idolatry of the Assyrian king. Do not your highness so; fear not the best of them all, but fear God. The same Urias was Capellanus ad manum-a chaplain at hand, an elbow chaplain. If ye will turn, ye shall have that will turn with you, yea, even in their white rochets. But follow not Ahaz. Remember the hair-how it falls not without God's providence. Remember the sparrows-how they build in every house, and God provideth for them. "And ye are much more precious to me," saith Christ, "than sparrows or other birds." God will defend you, so that before your time cometh ye shall not die nor miscarry. On a time when Christ was going to Jerusalem, His disciples said to Him, "They there would have stoned Thee, and wilt Thou now go thither again?" "What!" saith He again to them, "Nonne duodecim sunt horæ in die," &c.-" 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 chiefly of two affections, fear and love. Fear, as Ahaz, of whom I have told you, that for fear of the Assyrian king he changed his religion, and thereby purchased God His indignation to him and 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 and for marriages. "Marry my daughter and be baptized, and so forth, or else," &c. Fear them not. Remember the sparrows. And this rule should all estates and degrees follow, whereas now they fear men, and not God. If there be a judgment 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," &c. Fie upon thee! Art thou a judge, and wilt be afraid to give right judgment? Fear him not, be he never so great a man, I say, but uprightly do true justice. Likewise, some pastors go from their cure; they are afraid of the plague; they dare not come nigh any sick body, but hire others, and they go away themselves. Out upon thee! The wolf cometh upon your flock to devour them, and when they have most need of thee, thou runnest away from them. The soldier, also, that should go on warfare, he will draw back as much as he can. "Oh, I shall be slain. Oh, such and such went, and never came 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 thee to go, thou art bound to go, and, serving the King, thou servest God. If thou serve God, He will not shorten thy days to thine hurt. "Well," saith some, "if they 1 Reference is to the insurrections of 1549. In Devonshire the rioters, as an army of ten thousand men, under Humphrey Arundel, claimed restoration of the mass, the law of the Six Articles, and resumption of half the abbey lands. In Norfolk the insurrection, headed by Ket, a tanner, required the diversion from Scotch wars of six thousand men under the Earl of Warwick for attack upon the rebels. Two thousand of the Norfolk men were killed in the battle and pursuit; and Ket was hanged. The leaders of the rising in Devonshire and prisoners taken were also very severely dealt with. In the same year, 1549, Somerset was deposed from the Protectorate, after much abuse of power, including the erection, begun in that year, of Somerset House in the Strand, upon the site of buildings belonging to the bishoprics of Worcester, Lichfield, and Llandaff, and to the Temple, which were seized and appropriated without compensation. had not gone they had lived to this day." How knowest thou that? Who made thee so privy of God's counsel? Follow thou thy vocation, and serve the King when he calleth thee. In serving him thou shalt serve God; and, till thy time comes, 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, example by Jonas, and every man follow his vocation, not fearing men, but fearing God. "There was," said Christ, "a man that went from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, and they wound him and left him for dead. And a priest came by that was his own countryman, and let him lie. A Levite came by, and would show no compassion upon him. At last a Samaritan came by, and set him on his horse, and conveyed him to a city, and provided surgery for him," &c. "Now, who was neighbour to this wounded man?" said Christ. Qui fecit illi misericordiam, quoth the lawyer. "He that showed mercy unto him." He that did the office of a neighbour, he was a neighbour. As ye may perceive by a more familiar example of the Bishop of Exeter, at Sutton, in Staffordshire. Who is a Bishop of Exeter? Forsooth, Master Coverdale. What? Do not all men know who is Bishop of Exeter? What! he hath been bishop many years. Well, say I, Master Coverdale is Bishop of Exeter; Master Coverdale putteth in execution the bishop's office, and he that doth the office of the bishop, he is the bishop indeed. Therefore, say I, Master Coverdale is Bishop of Exeter. But to the purpose of Christ's question. Who made me a judge between you? Here an Anabaptist will say, "Ah, Christ refused the office of a judge. Ergo! there ought 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 determined 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 sentence of the matter according to the laws, thou must go to the temporal judge that is deputed therefore. But Christ's meaning was that he was come for another purpose; He had another office deputed unto Him than to be a judge in temporal matters. Ego veni vocare peccatores ad pænitentiam-"I am come," said He, "to call sinners to repentance." He was come to preach the Gospel, the remission of sins, and the kingdom of God, and meant not thereby to disallow the office of temporal magistrates. Nay, 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 magistrate's hand, but Christ refused to take upon Him the office that was not His calling. For Christ had another vocation than 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 and his magistrates under him appointed. But no marvel of their blindness and 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 foundeth a corporeal 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 In the following year, 1551, Miles Coverdale was made actual Bishop of Exeter upon the resignation of Bishop Veysey. office yourself, and lay not all on your officers' backs. Receive the bills of supplication yourself. I do not see you do so now-a-days as you were wont to do the last year. For God's sake look unto it, and see to the ministering 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, and hath doors kept open for the nonce. I have heard 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 priest's 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 glebe land 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, and charged by virtue of those letters to appear before the king at such a day. The day came. The king sat in his hall ready to 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 writ that had been directed out for him. And the lord came and was there, but he appeared not. "No?" quoth the king. "Was he summoned as he should be? Had he any warning to be here?" It was answered yea, and that he was there walking up and down in the hall; and that he knew well enough that that was his day, and also that he hath already been called; but he said he would not come before the king at that time, alleging that he needeth 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 globe land which he had taken from the priest, but also the rent and profit thereof for so long time as he had withholden it from the priest, which was eight years or thereabouts. Saith he, "When you can show better evidence than the priest has done why it ought to be your land, then he shall restore it to you again, and the profits thereof that he shall receive in the meantime. But till that day comes I charge ye that ye suffer him peaceably to enjoy that is his." This is a noble king, and this I tell for your example, that ye may do the like. Look upon the matter your own self. Poor men put up bills every day, and never the near. Confirm your kingdom in judgment, and begin doing of your 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 do his own office, and to see that well executed and discharged. 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, &c.-" Break thy bread unto the hungry." All the affection of men now-a-days is in building gay and sumptuous houses; it is in setting up and pulling down, and 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 thee. It is to be understood of all that rise up from little to much, as this rich man that the Gospel spake of. 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 goodly 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 hundred pounds that hath given five hundred pounds to the poor, otherwise it is none of his. Yea, but who shall have this five hundred pounds? For whom hast thou got that five hundred pounds? What says Salomon? (Eccles. v.)—Est alia infirmitas pessima, quam vidi sub sole, divitiæ conservatæ in malum Domini sui-" Another evil," saith he, “and another very naughty imperfection-riches hoarded up and kept together to the owner's harm; for many times such riches do perish and consume away miserably." "Such a one shall sometimes have a son," said he, “that shall be a very beggar, and live in all extreme penury." Oh, goodly riches, that one man shall get it and another come to devour it! Therefore, Videte et cavete ab avaritia"See and beware of covetousness." Believe God's words, for they will not deceive you nor lie. Heaven and earth shall perish, but, Verbum Domini manet in æternum-"The Word of the Lord abideth and endureth for ever." Oh, this leavened faith, this unseasoned faith! Beware of this unseasoned faith. A certain man asked me this question, "Diddest thou ever see a man live long that had great riches?" Therefore, saith the wise man, if God send thee riches, use them. If God send thee abundance, use it according to the rule of God's Word, and study to be rich in our Saviour Jesus Christ. To whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, glory, and praise for ever and ever. Amen. After taking leave of the court, Hugh Latimer seems to have been in Lincolnshire during the rest of Edward VI.'s reign. In 1552 he preached at Grimsthorpe Castle seven sermons on the Lord's Prayer, and notes have been left us of twenty-one other sermons of his preached in Lincolnshire. Upon the accession of Mary he was sent for, and taken to the Tower, saying, as he passed through Smithfield, that this place had long groaned for him. But it was at Oxford, on the 16th of October, 1555, that Hugh Latimer was burnt with Nicholas Ridley, saying, when the lighted fagot was placed under his friend's martyr-pile, "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out." The martyrdom of Thomas Cranmer followed that of Hugh Latimer, on the 21st of March, 1556. A part of his labour as Archbishop of Canterbury had been to assist in producing the first Prayer Book of the Reformed Church of England, which came into use on Whit Sunday, the 9th of June, 1549. A revision of this was entrusted to Cranmer, who invited criticisms from the most competent advisers, and produced what is known as King Edward's Second Prayer Book. This was authorised by Parliament in 1552. Many of the Collects in the Praver Book of 1549 were first written in that year, and among them this : "Blessed Lord, who hast caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wie hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience, and comfort of Thy Holy Word, we may ebrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life. which thou hast given us in our Saviour, Jesus Christ." In the summer of 1551 Archbishop Cranmer sketched the faith of the Reformed Church of England in a series of forty-two Articles of Religion. Of these, a draught was sent to the bishops for revision and suggestion. They were then submitted to William Cecil and John Cheke, then to the royal chaplains, including Edmund Grindal and John Knox. In November, 1552, they were returned to the Archbishop for final corrections, and in 1553 they were published by Richard Grafton, the king's printer, as "Articles agreed on by the Bishops and other learned men in the Synod at London in the year of our Lord God 1552, for the avoiding of controversy in opinions and the establishment of a godly concord in certain matters of Religion." By a royal mandate of June 19th, 1553, actual incumbents of Church livings were required to subscribe to these forty-two articles, on pain of deprivation; future incumbents were to subscribe to them before admission. But the death of Edward VI. in July arrested the movement. There was also an authorised book of Homilies to which Cranmer contributed three sermons. In 1540 a book of Postilles or Homilies upon the Epistles and Gospels with sermons on other subjects "by dyverse learned men " had been issued by royal allowance, and in 1542 the Convocation of the Clergy resolved to prepare a Book of Homilies "to stay such errors as were then by ignorant men sparkled1 among the people." In 1547 Archbishop Cranmer applied his energy to the carrying out of this design, and he published in that year a volume of twelve Homilies. The three written by himself were on "The Salvation of Mankind," "The True and Lively Christian Faith," and "Good Works annexed unto Faith." Two were by Thomas Becon, who lived until 1570. Of Cranmer's preaching I take as an example the First Part of his "Short Declaration of the True, Lively, and Christian Faith" in the first Book of Homilies. The Homily was in three parts, which were to be read at successive meetings of the congregation, and the First Part, a complete sermon for one service, was this upon FAITH, DEAD AND LIVING. The first entry unto God, good Christian people, is through faith, whereby (as it is declared in the last sermon) we be justified before God. And lest any man should be deceived for lack of right understanding thereof, it is diligently to be noted, that faith is taken in the Scripture two manner of ways. There is one faith, which in Scripture is called a dead faith, which bringeth forth no good works, but is idle, barren, and unfruitful. And this faith by the holy Apostle St. James is compared to the faith of devils, which believe God to be true and just, and tremble for fear; yet they do nothing well, but all evil. And such a manner of faith have the wicked and naughty Christian people, "which confess God," as St. Paul saith, "in their mouth, but deny him in their deeds, being abominable, and without the right faith, and in all good works reprovable." And this faith is a persuasion and belief in man's heart, whereby he knoweth that there is - Eparkled, scattered, sprinkled. From Latin " spargere." a God, and assenteth unto all truth of God's most holy Word, contained in holy Scripture: so that it consisteth only in believing of the Word of God, that it is true. And this is not properly called faith. But as he that readeth Cæsar's Commentaries, believing the same to be true, hath thereby a knowledge of Cæsar's life and noble acts, because he believeth the history of Cæsar; yet it is not properly said, that he believeth in Caesar, of whom he looketh for no help nor benefit: even so, he that believeth that all that is spoken of God in the Bible is true, and yet liveth so ungodly, that he cannot look to enjoy the promises and benefits of God; although it may be said that such a man hath a faith and belief to the Word of God, yet it is not properly said that he believeth in God, or hath such a faith and trust in God, whereby he may surely look for grace, mercy, and eternal life at God's hand, but rather for indignation and punishment, according to the merits of his wicked life. For, as it is written in a book intituled to be of Didymus Alexandrinus: "Forasmuch as faith without works is dead, it is not now faith, as a dead man is not a man." The dead faith therefore is not that sure and substantial faith, which saveth sinners. 66 Another faith there is in Scripture, which is not, as the foresaid faith, idle, unfruitful, and dead, but worketh by charity," as St. Paul declareth (Gal. v.); which, as the other vain faith is called a dead faith, so may this be called a quick or lively faith. And this is not only the common belief of the articles of our faith, but it is also a sure trust and confidence of the mercy of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and a steadfast hope of all good things to be received at God's hand; and that, although we through infirmity, or temptation of our ghostly enemy, do fall from him by sin, yet if we return again unto him by true repentance, that he will forgive and forget our offences for his Son's sake, our Saviour Jesus Christ, and will make us inheritors with him of his everlasting kingdom; and that in the mean time, until that kingdom come, he will be our protector and defender in all perils and dangers, whatsoever do chance: and that, though sometime he doth send us sharp adversity, yet that evermore he will be a loving father unto us, correcting us for our sin, but not withdrawing his mercy finally from us, if we trust in him, and commit ourselves wholly to him, hang only upon him, and call upon him, ready to obey and serve him. This is the true, lively, and unfeigned Christian faith, and is not in the mouth and outward profession only, but it liveth and stirreth inwardly in the heart. And this faith is not without hope and trust in God, nor without the love of God and of our neighbours, nor without the fear of God, nor without the desire to hear God's Word, and to follow the same, in eschewing evil and doing gladly all good works. This faith, as St. Paul describeth it, is the "sure ground and foundation of the benefits which we ought to look for, and trust to receive of God; a certificate and sure expectation of them, although they yet sensibly appear not unto us.” And after he saith: "He that cometh to God must believe both that he is, and that he is a merciful rewarder of welldoers." And nothing commendeth good men unto God so much as this assured faith and trust in him. Of this faith three things are specially to be noted. First, that this faith doth not lie dead in the heart, but is lively and fruitful in bringing forth good works. Second, that without it can no good works be done, that shall be acceptable and pleasant to God. Third, what manner of good works they be that this faith doth bring forth. For the first, as the light cannot be hid, but will show forth itself at one place or other; so a true faith cannot be kept secret, but, when occasion is offered, it will break out and show itself by good works. And as the living body of a man ever exerciseth such things as belongeth to a natural and living body, for nourishment and preservation of the same, as it hath need, opportunity, and occasion; even so the soui, that hath a lively faith in it, will be doing alway some good work, which shall declare that it is living, and will not be unoccupied. Therefore, when men hear in the Scriptures so high commendations of faith, that it maketh us to please God, to live with God, and to be the children of God; if then they phantasy that they be set at liberty from doing all good works, and may live as they list, they trifle with God, and deceive themselves. And it is a manifest token that they be far from having the true and lively faith, and also far from knowledge what true faith meaneth. For the very sure and lively Christian faith is, not only to believe all things of God which are contained in holy Scripture; but also is an earnest trust and confidence in God, that he doth regard us, and hath cure of us, as the father of the child whom he doth love, and that he will be merciful unto us for his only Son's sake, and that we have our Saviour Christ our perpetual advocate and priest, in whose only merits, oblation, and suffering, we do trust that our offences be continually washed and purged, whensoever we, repenting truly, do return to him with our whole heart, steadfastly determining with ourselves, through his grace, to obey and serve him in keeping his 'commandments, and never to turn back again to sin. Such is the true faith that the Scripture doth so much commend; the which, when it seeth and considereth what God hath done for us, is also moved, through continual assistance of the Spirit of God, to serve and please him, to keep his favour, to fear his displeasure, to continue his obedient children, showing thankfulness again by observing his commandments, and that freely, for true love chiefly, and not for dread of punishment or love of temporal reward; considering how clearly, without our deservings, we have received his mercy and pardon freely. This true faith will show forth itself, and cannot long be idle: for, as it is written, "The just man doth live by his faith." He neither sleepeth, nor is idle, when he should wake and be well occupied. And God by his prophet Jeremy saith, that "he is a happy and blessed man which hath faith and confidence in God. For he is like a tree set by the water-side, that spreadeth his roots abroad toward the moisture, and feareth not heat when it cometh; his leaf will be green, and will not cease to bring forth his fruit:" even so faithful men, putting away all fear of adversity, will show forth the fruit of their good works, as occasion is offered to do them. John Bale, born at Hove, in Suffolk, in the year 1495, began life as a Carmelite monk at Norwich, was afterwards a priest in the Suffolk parish of Thorndon, then studied at Cambridge, and at the age of thirty became Doctor of Civil Law. Lord Wentworth, of Nettlestead, Suffolk, in days of much controversy about reformation in religion, transformed John Bale the Carmelite into John Bale the Reformer. As he wrote himself, in the last chapter of his eighth Century of British Writers, "I was involved in the utmost ignorance and darkness of mind, both at Norwich and Cambridge, without tutor or patron, till the Word of God shining forth, the Churches began to return to the true foundation of Divinity. Moved not by any monk or priest, but by the noble Lord Wentworth, of Nettlestead, in Suffolk, I saw and acknowledged my former defor mity, and by the goodness of God I was transported from the barren Mount (Carmel) into the fair and fruitful valley of the Gospel, where I found all things built, not on a sandy shore, but on a solid foundation of stone." Then John Bale put off his habit as a Carmelite, married a wife Dorothy, and became a zealous convert. For marrying and preaching heresy he was cited before Dr. Lee, Archbishop of York, and Dr. Stokesly, Bishop of London. Thomas Cromwell rescued him, but after Cromwell had been executed in 1540 for introducing Henry VIII. to his fourth wife, who proved fatter than he expected, and who did not please him, John Bale had lost his friend. He then went into Germany, where he remained during the last six years of Henry VIII.'s reign, writing some sharp attacks upon the Roman Catholics, and preparing in Latin an account of the Illustrious Writers of Great Britain ("Illustrium Majoris Britanniæ Scriptorum Summarium"), printed at Ipswich by John Overton, in 1548. Edward VI. had then come to the throne, and his advisers had just recalled John Bale and given him the rectory of Bishopstoke, near Southampton. Therefore his account of British Writers, divided into Centuries, had in this first edition a picture of its author presenting his book to the young king in formal state. Bale did not want liveliness, it seems to have been uggested as the subject of another little woodcut. SECOND VIEW OF JOHN BALE PRESENTING A BOOK TO EDWARD VI. From his "Centuries of British Writers" (1548). In August, 1552, Bale was made Bishop of Ossory, in Ireland, and endeavoured to convert his people to the Reformed Church. King Edward died before the bishopric had been held quite a year; Mary came to the throne, and the relations of the Roman Catholics to the Reformers were again suddenly reversed. Some of Bale's servants were killed, and his own life was in danger; he escaped to Dublin, sailed thence, was taken by pirates, but at last made his way to Basle, where he published a new edition of his "Centuries of British Writers." He came back after Elizabeth's accession, declined to return to Ireland, and was made a prebend of Canterbury, where he lived content until he died in 1563, leaving, said Thomas Fuller, "a scholar's inventory, more books (many of his own writing) than money behind him." Among John Bale's works are religious Interludes, one on "the Promises of God" which is comparatively well known ;' another, made in 1538, which remains only in a single copy of the original edition, and has been reproduced by the Rev. A. B. Grosart in the Miscellany of his "Fuller Worthies' Library."" is on "The Temptation of our Lord," which thus opens: BALEUS PROLOCUTOR. After his baptism Christ was God's Son declared Of His Heavenly Word, our only Teacher to be. 1 It is in the first volume of Dodsley's Collection of Old Plays. This 2 This Miscellany, now completed, forms four substantial volumes, each containing five or six scarce and valuable works, privately printed. Now is he gone forth into the desert place Learn first in this act that we whom Christ doth call But the Holy Ghost as our guide special, To persecution let us prepare us than,3 For that will follow in them that seek the Truth: Mark in this process what troubles to Christ ensu'th. Satan assaulteth him with many a subtle drift, For assaults of Satan, learn here the remedie, The Interlude begins with Christ in the Wilderness, who will encounter Satan to teach men ways his mischiefs to prevent By the Word of God, which must be your defence, Then comes Satan, seeking everywhere the hurt of man, to try Christ, of whom he has heard as the Redeemer. He puts on a semblance of religion, approaches Christ and says: It is a great joy, by my halidom, to see So virtuous a life in a young man as you be. Iesus Christus. Your pleasure is it to utter your fantasy. A brother am I of this desert wilderness, Iesus Christus. I disdain nothing which is of God truly. Satan Tentator. Then will I be bold a little with you to walk. Iesus Christus. Do so if ye list, and your mind freely talk. 3 Than, then. |