I can tell where one man slew another in a township, and was attached upon the same: twelve men were impanelled: the man had friends: the sheriff laboured the bench: the twelve men stuck at it, and said, Except he would disburse twelve crowns, they would find him guilty. Means were found that the twelve crowns were paid. The quest comes in, and says, not guilty. Here was not guilty for twelve crowns.

This is a bearing, and if some of the bench were hanged, they were well served. This makes men bold to do murder and slaughter. We should reserve murdering till we come to our enemies, and the king bid us fight: he that would bestir him then, were a pretty fellow indeed. Crowns! if their crowns were shaven to the shoulders, they were served well enough.

I know where a woman was got with child, and was ashamed at the matter, and went into a secret place, where she had no woman at her travail, and was delivered of three children at a birth. She wrung their necks, and cast them into a water, and so killed her children: suddenly she was gaunt* again, and her neighbours suspecting the matter, caused her to be examined, and she granted all: Afterward she was arraigned at the bar for it, and despatched and found not guilty, through bearing of friends, and bribing of the judge: where, at the same sessions, another poor woman was hanged for stealing a few rags off a hedge, that were not worth a crown.

There was a certain gentleman, a professor of the word of God, (he sped never the better for that, ye may be sure,) who was accused for murdering of a man, whereupon he was cast into prison; and by chance, as he was in prison, one of his friends came unto him for to visit him; and he declared to his friend that he was never guilty in the murdering of the man: so he went his ways. The gentleman was arraigned and condemned; and as he went to his execution, he saw his friend's servant, and said unto him, commend me to thy master, and I pray thee tell him, I am the same man still I was when he was with me: and if thou tarry awhile, thou shalt see me die. There was suit made for this man's pardon, but it could not be gotten; belike the sheriffs or some other, bare him no good will, but he died for it. And afterward, I

* That is, reduced in person.

being in the Tower, having leave to come to the lieutenant's table, I heard him say, that there was a man hanged afterward that killed the same man for whom this gentleman was put to death. O Lord, what bearing, what bolstering of naughty matters is this in a Christian realm! I desire your majesty to remedy the matter, and God grant you to see redress in this realm in your own person. Although my lord protector, I doubt not, and the rest of the council do, in the mean while, all that lieth in them to redress things; I would such as be rulers, noblemen, and masters, should be at this point with their servants, to certify them on this sort: If any man go about to do you wrong, I will do my best to help you in your right: but if ye break the law, ye shall have justice. If ye will be man-slayers, murderers, and transgressors, look for no bearing at my hands. A strange thing. What need we in the vengeance to burden ourselves with other men's sins, have we not sins enow of our own? What need have I to burden myself with other men's sins? I have burdens and two heaps of sins, one heap of known sins, another of unknown sins. I had need to say, Ab occultis meis munda me, Domine, "O Lord, deliver me from my hidden and my unknown sins." Then if I bear with other men's sins, I must say: Deliver me from my other men's sins. A strange saying; from my other men's sins! Who beareth with other folks' offences, he communicateth with other folks' sins. Men have sins enough of their own, although they bear not and bolster up other men in their naughtiness. This bearing, this bolstering, and looking through their fingers, is naught. What the fair hap should I, or any else, increase my burden? My other men's sins forgive me, O Lord, a strange language; they have hid sins of their own enough, although they bear not with guiltiness of other men's sins.

Oh father Samuel would not bear his own sons, he offered his own sons to punishment, and said, Ecce filii mei vobiscum sunt, even at the first time, he said, "Lo here they be: I discharge myself; take them unto you: and as for my part, Presto sum loqui coram Domino et Christo ejus. I am here ready to answer for myself before the Lord, and his anointed. Behold, here I am, record of me before the Lord, verum cujusquam bovem, &c., whether I have taken any man's ox, any man's ass, or whether I have done any man wrong, or hurt any man, or

taken any bribes at any man's hand." I can commend the English translation, that doth interpret munera, bribes, not gifts. They answered, Nay, forsooth, we know no such things in you. Testis est mihi Deus, saith he, "God is witness," Quod nihil invenieritis in manum meam. "That you have found nought in my hands." Few such Samuels are in England, nor in the world. Why did Samuel this? Marry to purge himself, he was enforced to it, for he was wrongly deposed.

Then by this ye may perceive the fault of the Jews, for they offended not God in asking of a king, but in asking for a king to the wronging and deposition of good father Samuel. If after Samuel's death the people had asked of God a king, they had not faulted: but it is no small fault to put an innocent out of his office.

King David likewise commanded his people to be numbered, and therewith offended God grievously. Why? might he not know the number of his people? Yes, it was not the numbering of the people that offended God, for a king may number his people; but he did it of a pride, of an elation of mind, not according to God's ordinance, but as having a trust in the number of his men; this offended God. Likewise the Jews asked a king, and therewith they offended not God, but they asked him with such circumstances, that God was offended with them. It is no small fault to put a just man out of his office, and to depose him unworthily. To choose a king contrarying the ordinance of God, is a casting away of God, and not of a king. Therefore doubt not but the title of a king is a lawful thing, is a lawful title, as of other magistrates. Only let the kings take heed that they do as it becometh kings to do, that they do their office well. It is a great thing, a chargeable thing. Let them beware that they do not communicare peccatis, alienis, that they bear not with other men's faults, for they shall give a strait account for all that perisheth through their negligence. We perceive now what this text meaneth; It is written in the last of Judges: In diebus illus non erat rex in Israel. "In those days there was no king in Israel, every man did that which seemed right in his own eyes." Men were then allowed to do what they would. When men may be allowed to do what they will, then it is good to have no king at all. Here is a wonderful matter, that unpreaching prelates should be suffered

so long. They can allege for themselves seven hundred years. This while the realm had been as good to have no king. Likewise these bribing judges have been suffered of a long time: and then it was Quasi non fuissit rex in Anglia: "To suffer this, is as much as to say, there is no king in England." It is the duty of a king to have all states set in order to do their office.

I have troubled you too long, I will make an end." Blessed be they that hear the word of God," but so that they follow it, and keep it in credit, in memory, not to deprave it and slander it, and bring the preachers out of credit, but that follow it in their life and live after it. He grant you all that blessing that made both you and me. Amen.

THE

SIXTH SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE KING EDWARD,

APRIL 12th, 1549.

ROMANS xv. 4.

Quæcunque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt.

All things that are written, they are written to be our doctrine.

WHAT doctrine is written for us in the eighth chapter of the first book of the Kings; I did partly shew unto you, most honourable audience, this day sennight, of that good man, father Samuel, that good judge, how good a man he was, what helpers and coadjutors he took unto him, to have his office well discharged. I told you also of the wickedness of his sons, how they took bribes, and lived wickedly, and by that means brought both their father and themselves to deposition: and how the people did offend God, in asking a king in father Samuel's time: and how father Samuel was put from his office, who deserved it not. I opened to you also, how father Samuel clears himself, that he knew not the faults of his sons; he was no bearer with his sons, he was sorry for it, when he heard it, but he would not bear with them in their wickedness, filii mei vobiscum sunt; "My sons are with you," saith he, "do with them according to their deserts. I will not maintain them, nor bear with them." After that, he clears himself at the king's feet, that the people had nothing to burthen him withal, neither money, nor money worth. In treating of that part, I chanced to shew you, what I heard of a man that was slain, and I hear say it was not well taken. Forsooth, I intended not to impair any man's estimation or honesty, and they that enforce it to that, enforce it not to my meaning. I said I heard but of such a thing, and took occasion by that that I heard, to speak against the thing that I knew to be naught,