SERMONS.

THE FIRST

OF

MASTER HUGH LATIMER'S SEVEN SERMONS

ON THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Preached before the virtuous and honourable lady Katherine, Duchess of Suffolk, in the year of our Lord, 1552.

MATTHEW vi. 9.

Our Father which art in heaven, &c.

I HAVE entered of late in the way of preaching, and spoken many things of prayer, and rather of prayer than of any other thing: for I think there is nothing more necessary to be spoken of, nor more abused than prayer was by the craft and subtilty of the devil; for many things were taken for prayer when they were nothing less. Therefore at this same time, also I have thought it good to entreat of prayer, to the intent that it might be known how precious a thing right prayer is. I told you, First, What prayer is.

Secondarily, To whom we ought to pray.

Thirdly, Where and in what place we ought to pray, And, Fourthly, I told you the diversity of prayer, namely, of common prayer and the private.

These and such like things I have dilated, and expounded unto you in the open pulpit *.

Now at this present time I intend as by the way of a lecture, at the request of my most gracious lady to expound unto you, her household servants, and others that be willing to hear, the right understanding and meaning of this most perfect prayer which our Saviour himself taught us, at the request of his dis

* These sermons were preached in the house of the duchess of Suffolk. VOL. II.

B

ciples, which prayer we call the Paternoster. This prayer of our Lord may be called a prayer above all prayers, the principal and most perfect prayer, which prayer ought to be regarded above all others, considering that our Saviour himself is the author of it; he was the maker of this prayer, being very God and very man. He taught us this prayer, which is a most perfect schoolmaster, and commanded us to say it; which prayer containeth great and wonderful things, if a learned man had the handling of it. But as for me, such things as I have conceived by the reading of learned men's books, so far forth as God will give me his grace and spirit, I will shew unto you touching the very meaning of it, and what is to be understood by every word contained in that prayer; for there is no word idle or spoken in vain. For it must needs be perfect, good, and of great importance, being our Saviour's teaching, which is the wisdom of God itself. There be many other psalms and prayers in scripture very good and godly, and it is good to know them. But it is with this prayer, the Lord's Prayer, I say, like as with the law of love. All the laws of Moses, as concerning what is to be done to please God, how to walk before him uprightly and godly; all such laws are contained in the law of love, Diliges, Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et in tota anima tua, et in tota mente tua, et proximum sicut teipsum, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself: thyself:" (Matt. xxii.) Even so is it with this prayer. For like as the law of love is the sum and abridgment of the other laws, so this prayer is the sum and abridgment of all other prayers; all the other prayers are contained in this prayer; yea, whatsoever mankind hath need of to soul and body, that same is contained in this prayer.

This prayer hath two parts; it hath a preface, which some call a salutation or a loving entrance; secondarily, the prayer itself. The entrance is this; Cum oratis, dicite, Paternoster, qui es in calis; when ye pray, say, "Our Father, which art in heaven;" as who should say, you Christian people, you bear the name of Christians, you must pray so.

Before I go any further, I must put you in remembrance to consider how much we be bound to our Saviour Christ, that he would vouchsafe to teach us to pray, and in this prayer to sig

nify unto us the good-will which our heavenly Father beareth towards us. Now to the matter:

"Our Father." These words pertain not to the petitions, they be but an entering, a seeking favour at God's hand; yet if we well weigh and consider them, they admonish us of many things and strengthen our faith wondrous well. For this word FATHER signifieth that we be Christ's brothers, and that God is our Father. He is the eldest Son, he is the son of God by nature, we be his sons by adoption through his goodness; therefore he biddeth us to call him our Father, which is to be had in fresh memory, and great reputation. For here we are admonished how that we be "reconciled unto God; we, which before-times were his enemies, are made now the children of God, and inheritors of everlasting life." This we be admonished by this word Father. So that it is a word of much importance and great reputation: for it confirmeth our faith, when we call him Father. Therefore our Saviour, when he teacheth us to call God Father, teacheth us to understand the fatherly affection which God beareth towards us; which thing maketh us bold and hearty to call upon him, knowing that he beareth a good-will towards us, and that he will surely hear our prayers.

When we be in trouble, we doubt of a stranger whether he will help us or not: but our Saviour commanding us to call God Father, teacheth us to be assured of the love and good-will of God toward us. So by this word "Father," we learn to stablish and to comfort our faith, knowing most assuredly that he will be good unto us. For Christ was a perfect schoolmaster, he lacked no wisdom; he knew his Father's will and pleasure; he teacheth us, yea and most certainly assureth us, that God will be no cruel judge, but a loving Father. Here we see what commodities we have in this word, "Father." Seeing now that we find such commodities by this one word, we ought to consider the whole prayer with great diligence and earnest mind. For there is no word nor letter contained in this prayer, but it is of great importance, and therefore it is necessary for us to know and understand it thoroughly; and then to speak it considerately with great devotion; else it is to no purpose to speak the words without understanding, it is but lip

labour and vain babbling, and so unworthy to be called prayer; as it was in times past used in England.

Therefore when you say this prayer, you must well consider what you say; for it is better once said deliberately, with understanding, than a thousand times without understanding; which is in very deed but vain babbling; and so more a displeasure than pleasure unto God. For the matter lieth not in much saying, but in well saying. So, if it be said to the honour of God, then it hath its effect, and we shall have our petitions; for God is true in his promises: and our Saviour knowing him to be well affected towards us, commandeth us therefore to call him Father.

Here you must understand, that like as our Saviour was most earnest and fervent in teaching us how to pray and call upon God for aid and help, and for things necessary both to our souls and bodies; so the devil, that old serpent, with no less diligence endeavoureth himself to let and stop our prayers; so that we shall not call upon God. And amongst other his lets, he hath one especially wherewith he thinketh to keep us from prayer, which is the remembrance of our sins. When he perceiveth us to be disposed to pray; he cometh with his crafty and subtil conveyances, saying, What, wilt thou pray unto God for aid and help? Knowest thou not that thou art a wicked sinner, and a transgressor of the law of God? Look rather to be damned, and judged for thy ill doings, than to receive any benefit at his hands. Wilt thou call him Father, which is so holy a God, and thou art so wicked, and miserable a sinner?

This the devil will say, and trouble our minds, to stop and let us from our prayer; and so to give us occasion not to pray unto God. In this temptation we must seek for some remedy and comfort; for the devil doth put us in remembrance of our sins to that end, to keep us from prayer and invocation of God. The remedy for this temptation is to call our Saviour to remembrance, who hath taught us to say this prayer; he knew his Father's pleasure, he knew what he did. When he commanded us to call God our Father, he knew we should find

fatherly affections in God towards us. Call this, I say, to remembrance, and again remember that our Saviour hath cleansed, through his passion, all our sins, and taken away all

our wickedness; so that as many as believe in him shall be the children of God. In such wise let us strive and fight against the temptations of the devil, which would not have us to call upon God, because we be sinners. Catch thou hold of our Saviour, believe in him, be assured in thy heart, that he with his suffering took away all thy sins. Consider again, that our Saviour calleth us to prayer, and commandeth us to pray. Our sins let us, and withdraw us from prayer; but our Saviour maketh them nothing: when we believe in him, it is like as if we had no sins. For he changeth with us, he taketh our sins and wickedness from us, and giveth unto us his holiness, righteousness, justice, fulfilling of the law; and so, consequently, everlasting life: so that we be like as if we had done no sin at all; for his righteousness standeth us in so good stead, as though we of ourselves had fulfilled the law to the

uttermost.

Therefore our sins cannot let us, nor withdraw us from prayer: for they be gone, they are no sins, they cannot be hurtful unto us. Christ dying for us, as all the scripture, both of the new and old testament, witnesseth; Dolores nostros ipse portavit, "He hath taken away our sorrows." Like as when I owe unto a man an hundred pounds; the day is expired, he will have his money; I have it not, and for lack of it, I am laid in prison. In such distress cometh a good end, and saith, Sir, be of good cheer, I will pay thy debts; and forthwith payeth the whole sum, and setteth me at liberty. Such a friend is our Saviour; he hath paid our debts, and set us at liberty; else we should have been damned world without end, in everlasting prison and darkness. Therefore though our sins condemn us, yet when we allege Christ and believe in him, our sins shall not hurt us. For St. John saith, Si quis peccaverit advocatum habemus apud Patrem, Jesum Christum justum, "We have an advocate with God the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Mark, that he saith, Advocatum, non advocatos. He speaketh singularly, not plurally.

We have one advocate, not many; neither saints, nor any body else, but only him, and none other, neither by the way of mediation, nor by the way of redemption. He only is sufficient, for he only is all the doer, let him have all the whole praise. Let us not withdraw from him his majesty, and give it to creatures, for he only satisfieth for the sins of the whole world.