THE FIRST

OF

THE SERMONS OF THE CARD.*

Preached at Cambridge, in Advent, about the year 1529.

JOHN i.

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem, to ask him, Who art thou?

Tu quis es? Which words are as much as to say in English, "Who art thou?" These are the words of the Pharisees, who were sent by the Jews unto St. John Baptist in the wilderness, to know of him who he was; which words they spake unto him of an evil intent, thinking that

* These sermons "of the Card" are interesting as the earliest of those preached by Latimer which have been preserved. In reading them, we must remember that the Reformation had made but little progress at that time, and that it was then usual for preachers to seize upon some topic of the day to engage the attention of their hearers, who had not been accustomed to the close exhibition of the gospel, and to whom as yet a sermon wholly confined to scriptural doctrines would have proved strange and uninteresting. Speaking of these sermons, Fox says, “At Christmas, 1529, M. Latimer, alluding to the common custom of the season, gave the people certain cards out of the v. vi. vii. chapter of St. Matthew, whereupon they might not only then but always profitably employ their time. For the chief triumph (or trump) in the cards he fixed upon the heart, as the principal thing they should serve God with, whereby he quite overthrew all hypocritical and external ceremonies which do not tend to the necessary furtherance of God's holy word and sacraments. For the better attaining hereof, he wished the Scriptures to be in English, whereby the common people might the better learn their duties to God as well as to their neighbours. The handling of this matter was apt for the time and pleasantly applied by him, and also wrought in the hearers much fruit, to the overthrow of popish superstition and setting up of perfect religion."

Fox then gives these two sermons as being "the tenour and effect" of those which were thus preached by Latimer. They are evidently only the substance of what he delivered, and it is also probable that the persons who took them down were better able and more anxious to preserve the illustrations than the doctrine and application.

he would have taken on him to be Christ, and so they would have had him do of their good wills, because they knew that he was more carnal, and given to their laws, than Christ himself should be, as they perceived by their old prophecies: and also, because they marvelled much at his great doctrine, preaching, and baptizing, they were in doubt whether he was Christ or not: wherefore they said unto him, "Who art thou?" Then answered St. John, and

confessed that he was not Christ.

Now here is to be noted, the great and prudent answer of St. John Baptist unto the Pharisees, that when they inquired of him who he was, he would not answer directly of himself, what he was himself, but he said he was not Christ. By which saying he thought to put the Jews and Pharisees out of their false opinion and belief towards him, in that they would have had him to exercise the office of Christ, and so he declared further unto them of Christ, saying, "There standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is who coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoes' latchet I am not worthy to unloose." By this you may perceive that St. John spake much in the laud and praise of Christ his master, professing himself to be in no wise like unto him. So likewise it is necessary for all men and women of this world, not to ascribe unto themselves any goodness of themselves, but all unto our Lord God, as shall appear hereafter, when this question, "Who art thou?" shall be put unto them; not as the Pharisees did unto St. John, of an evil purpose, but of a good and simple mind, as may appear hereafter.

Now then, according to the preacher's mind, let every man and woman, of a good and simple mind, contrary to the Pharisees' intent, ask this question, "Who art thou?" This question must be moved to themselves, what they are of themselves, and on this fashion, "What art thou when thou comest into this world? What substance, what virtue, what goodness art thou of by thyself?" Which question, if thou rehearse oftentimes unto thyself, thou shalt well perceive and understand, how thou shalt make answer unto it: which must be made on this wise; "I am of myself, and by myself, coming from my natural father and mother, the child of the wrath and indignation of God, and the true inheritor of hell, a lump of sin, and working nothing of myself, but all towards hell, except I have better help of another, than I have of myself."

Now we may see in what state we enter into this world, that we are of ourselves the true and just inheritors of hell, the children of the wrath and indignation of Christ, working all towards hell, whereby we deserve perpetual damnation, by the right judgment of God, and the true claim of ourselves: which unthrifty* state that we are born unto is come unto us for our own deserts, and may be proved by this example following.

Let it be supposed that it might please the king, to accept into his favour a mean man, of simple degree and birth, not born to any possession; whom the king favoureth, not because this person has of himself deserved any such favours, but because the king casts his favour unto him of his own mere motion and pleasure: and because the king will more fully declare his favour unto him, he gives unto this man a thousand pounds in lands, to him and to his heirs, on this condition, that he shall take upon him to be the chief captain and defender of his town of Calais, and be true and faithful to him in the custody of the same, against the Frenchmen especially, above all other enemies.†

This man takes on himself this charge, promising fidelity thereto. It chances in process of time, that by the singular acquaintance and frequent familiarity of this captain with the Frenchmen, the Frenchmen give unto the said captain of Calais a great sum of money, so that he will allow them to enter into the said town of Calais by force of arms, and so thereby obtain the same for the crown of France; and upon this agreement the Frenchmen do invade the said town of Calais, only by the negligence of this captain.

Now the king, hearing of this invasion, comes with a great force to defend this his said town, and by good policy of war overcomes the Frenchmen, and enters again into his town of Calais. Then being desirous to know how these enemies of his came thither, he makes strict search and inquiry, by whom this treason was conspired: by this search it is known and found that his own captain was the author and the beginner of the betraying of it. The king, seeing

*Unprofitable, evil.

+ Calais was taken from the French by King Edward III. in 1346, and continued in possession of the English till 1558. It was highly valued as the key of France, and was kept with much care. The loss of it deeply affected queen Mary, and was one cause of her death.

the great infidelity of this person, discharges this man from his office, and takes from him and his heirs the thousand pounds possessions. Think you not that the king doth justly unto him, and all his posterity and heirs? Yes, truly: the captain cannot deny but that he had true justice, considering how unfaithfully he behaved himself to his prince, contrary to his own fidelity and promise. So likewise it was of our first father Adam. He had given unto him the spirit and science of knowledge, to work all goodness therewith this said spirit was not given only unto him, but unto all his heirs and posterity. He had also delivered him the town of Calais, that is to say, paradise in earth, the strongest and fairest town in the world, to be in his custody: he nevertheless by the instigation of these Frenchmen, that is to say, the temptations of the fiend, obeyed their desire and so he brake his promise and fidelity, the commandment of the everlasting King his Master, in eating of the fruit by him forbidden.

Now then, the king seeing this great treason in his captain, deposed him, and all his heirs and posterity, from the thousand pounds of possessions, that is to say, of everlasting life and glory; for as he had the spirit of science and knowledge, for himself and his heirs, so when he lost the same, his heirs lost it also by him, and in him. So now, this example proves, that by our father Adam we had once in him the true inheritance of everlasting joy; and by him and in him, again we lost the same.

The heirs of the captain of Calais could not by any manner of claim ask of the king the right and title of their father, in the thousand pounds possessions; for the king might answer, and say unto them, that although their father deserved not of himself to enjoy so great possessions, yet he deserved by himself to lose them, and greater, committing such high treason as he did, against his prince's commandments; whereby he had no wrong in losing his title, but was unworthy to have the same, and had therein true justice; let not you, that are his heirs, think that if he had justice to lose his possessions, you have wrong to lose the same. In the same manner it may be answered unto all men and women now in being, that if our father Adam were justly excluded from his possession of glory in paradise, let us, that are his heirs, think that we have no wrong in also losing the same; yea, we have true justice and right. Then in what a miserable state are we, who by our