Imprynted at London by Wyl Iyam Seres dwellinge at the West end of Pau= the Hedge= The tenth of March. Anno. 1563. [Though the Sermon of bishop Pilkington, which gave rise to the preceding controversy, is not extant, and probably never was printed, (see note, p. 481.) yet we have a very minute abstract of its contents, published by Seres himself only on the Tuesday following the sermon. This abstract is preserved in a Tract printed and published on that day by Seres, and reprinted in the Archæologia, Vol. xi. p. 74, London, 1794, and from thence in the new edition of Dugdale's History of St Paul's. The title-page of this Tract is: "The true Report of the burnyng of the Steple in London. Jeremy, xviii, I will speake suddenlye agaynst a nati Imprynted at London, at the Seres. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum Anno 1561. The x of June." The Rev. S. Denne, in communicating this tract to the Archæologia, says: "The passage from Jeremiah printed in the title-page was, it may be presumed, the text to bishop Pilkington's sermon, the substance of which so speedily issued from the press of Master Seres." The former part of the tract gives an interesting narrative of the fire, and then concludes with the following abstract of the bishop's Sermon: On Sonday folowing, beynge the viii day of June, the reverend in God, the Bishop of Duresme, at Paules Crosse, made a learned and fruitful sermon, exhorting the auditory to a general repentance, and namely to humble obediéce of the lawes and superior powers, which vertue is much decayed in these our daies. Seeming to have intellygece from the Queenes highnes, that her Majestie intendeth that more severitie of lawes shall be executed against persons disobedyent, as well in causes of religion as civil, to the great rejoysing of his auditours. He exhorted also hys audiéce to take this as a general warninge to the whole realme, and namelye to the citie of London, of some greater plage to folow, if amendemente of lyfe in all states did not ensue : He muche reproved those persons whiche would assigne the cause of this wrathe of God to any particular state of me, or that were diligent to loke into other men's lyves, and could see no faultes in themselfes; but wished that every man wold descend into himselfe, and say with David, Ego sum qui peccavi: I am he that hath sinned; and so furth, to that effect very godlye. He also not onely reproved the prophanatyon of the said churche of Paules, of long time heretofore abused by walking, jangling, brawling, fighting, bargaining, &c., namely in sermons and service time; but also auswered by the way to the objections of such evil-tunged persōs, which do impute this token of God's deserved ire, to alteratio or rather reformatiō of religiō, declaring out of aŭcient records and histories, ye like, yea and greater matters, had befallen in the time of superstitio and ignorance. For in the first year of King Stephē, not only the said churche of Paules was brent, but also a great part of the city, that is to say fro Londo Bridge unto St Clemēts without Teple bar, was by fier cōsumed. And in ye daies of King Héry VI. ye Steple of Paules was also fired by lightning, although it was then staide by diligèce of y citizens, ye fier being the by likelyhode not so fierce. Many other suche like cōmon calamities he rehersed, which had happened in other coûtreis, both nigh to this realm, and far of, where the church of Rome hath most authority, and therefore concluded the surest way to be, y' every man should judge, examin, and amed himselfe, and embrace, beleve, and truely folow ye word of God, and earnestly to pray to God to turn away frō us his deserved wrath and indignation, whereof this his terrible work is a most certein warning, if we repent not unfeinedly. The whiche God gråt may come to passe in all estates and degrees, to ye glory of his name, and to our endlesse comforte, in Christ our Saviour, Amen. God Save the Queene. So ends the Tract published by W. Seres, probably from his own notes of the Sermon, only two days after it was preached. And this is perhaps all the printing of the sermon which Strype refers to, Life of Parker, Book 1. ch. 5. where he states that "Pilkinton, bishop of Durham, a great preacher, made a sermon at Paul's Cross on this occasion, which was afterwards printed and entitled, &c." After all that has been written on the subject of this fire, it is stated by Baker, (MS. History of St John's College, Cambridge, of which the original is in the British Museum,) that it arose from an accident through the carelessness of a plumber: he remarks, “Had he (Pilkington) outlived the plumber that burnt that church by his carelessness, he would have known the true cause by the poor man's own confession." But whatever may be the case as to the fact here mentioned, the conclusion intended to be drawn does not follow the pious bishop would still have dealt with circumstance as a judgment and warning. See his remarks in p. 608-9. En.] |
