doctors, that St. Augustine sheweth us: "The sign of a thing hath oftentimes the name of the thing that it signifieth." As the supper of the Lord is the sacrament of another thing, it is a commemoration of his death, which suffered once for us; and because it is a sign of Christ's offering up, therefore it bears the name thereof. And this sacrifice a woman can offer as well as a man; yea, a poor woman in the belfry hath as good authority to offer up this sacrifice, as hath the bishop in his pontificalibus, with his mitre on his head, his rings on his fingers, and sandals on his feet. And whosoever cometh asking the Father remedy in his necessity, for Christ's sake, he offereth up as acceptable a sacrifice as any bishop can do.

Faith is a great state, a lady, a duchess, a great woman; and she hath ever a great company and train about her, as a noble estate ought to have. First, she hath a gentlemanusher that goeth before her, and where he is not, there is not Lady Faith. This gentlemanusher is called "Agnitio peccatorum," Knowledge of sin; when we enter into our heart, and acknowledge our faults, and stand not about to defend them. He is none of these winkers, he kicks not when he hears his fault. Now as the gentleman-usher goeth before her, so she hath a train that cometh behind her; and yet,

though they come behind, they be all of Faith's company, they are all with her: as Christ, when he counterfeited a state going to Jerusalem, some went before him, and some after, yet all were of his company. So all these wait upon Faith, she hath a great train after her, besides her gentleman-usher, her whole household; and those be the works of our vocation, when every man considereth what vocation he is in, what calling he is in, and doth the works of the same; as, to be good to his neighbour, to obey God, &c. This is the train that followeth Lady Faith: as for an example; a faithful judge hath first a heavy reckoning of his fault, repenting himself of his wickedness, and then forsaketh his iniquity, his impiety, feareth no man, walks upright; and he that doth not thus, hath not Lady Faith, but rather a boldness of sin, and abusing of Christ's passion. Lady Faith is never without her gentleman-usher, nor without her train; she is no anchoress,* she dwells not alone, she is never a private woman, she is never alone. And yet many there be that boast themselves that they have faith, and that when Christ shall come they shall do well enough.

There was never such marrying in England

* A female recluse.

r

L

as is now. I hear tell of stealing of wards to marry their children to. kind of stealing; but it is

This is a strange not the wards, it is

the lands that they steal. And some there be that knit up marriages together, not for any love or godliness in the parties, but to get friendship, and make them strong in the realm, to increase their possessions, and to join land to land. And other there be that inveigle men's daughters, in the contempt of their fathers, and go about to marry them without their consent: this marrying is ungodly. And many parents constrain their sons and daughters to marry where they love not, and some are beaten and compelled. And they that marry thus, marry in a forgetfulness and obliviousness of God's commandments.

THE

FIFTH SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE KING EDWARD,

APRIL 5th, 1549.

ROMANS xv. 4.

Quæcunque scripta sunt, ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt. All things that are written, are written to be our doctrine.

I will now for this day return to my question, and dissolve it, whether God's people may be governed by a governor that beareth the name of a king, or no? The Jews had a law, that when they should have a king, they should have him according to the election of God: he would not leave the election of a king to their own brains. There be some busy brains, wanton wits, that say the name of a king is an odious name, and wrest the text of Scripture, where God seemeth to be angry and displeased with the Israelites for asking a king,

expounding it very evil and odiously; as who would say, a king were an odious thing. I coming riding in my way, and calling to remembrance wherefore I was sent, that I must preach, and preach before the king's majesty, I thought it meet to frame my preaching according to a king. Musing of this, I remembered a book that came from cardinal Pole,* master Pole, the king's traitor, which he sent to the king's majesty. I never remember that man, methink, but I remember him with a heavy

Reginald Pole was descended from the blood-royal of England, being a younger son of Sir Richard Pole, cousin-german to Henry VII., by Margaret, daughter of George, duke of Clarence, younger brother of Edward IV. He was educated for the church, and at the age of seventeen had two deaneries. About this time he went to Italy, where he greatly improved himself in learning. On his return to England he would have obtained the highest preferments, had it not been for his opposition to the king's divorce from Catharine of Arragon. To avoid the royal displeasure, he went abroad, and in 1536 was made a cardinal, for which he was proclaimed a traitor, and a price put upon his head. In 1549, he lost the popedom when offered him, by telling the cardinals to do nothing rashly. This offended them so much that they chose cardinal de Monte, who assumed the name of Julius III. On the accession of Mary, he was recalled to England, and when Cranmer was deposed, obtained the archbishopric of Canterbury. The cardinal died Nov. 18, 1558.