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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. Nay, nay, those that be faithful shall be so few, that Christ shall scarce see them. "Many there be that runneth, saith St. Paul, but there is but one that receiveth the reward."

It shall be with the multitude, when Christ shall come, as it was in the time of Noah, and as it was in the time of Lot. In the time of Noah, "they were eating and drinking, building and planting, and suddenly the water came upon them, and drowned them." In the time of Lot also," they were eating and drinking, &c., and suddenly the fire came upon them, and devoured them."-And now we are eating and drinking: there was never such building then as is now, planting, nor marrying. And thus it shall be, even when Christ shall come at judgment.

Is eating, and drinking, and marrying, reproved in scripture? Is it not? Nay, he reproveth not all kind of eating and drinking, he must be otherwise understanded. If the scripture be not truly expounded, what is more erroneous? And though there be complainings of some eating and drinking in the scripture, yet he speaketh not as though all were naught. They may be well ordered, they are God's allowance: but to eat and drink as they did in Noah's time, and as they did in Lot's time; this eating, and drinking, and marrying, is spoken against. To eat and drink in the forgetfulness of God's commandment, voluptuously, in excess and gluttony, this kind of eating and drinking is naught; when it is not done moderately, soberly, and with all circumspection. And likewise to marry for fleshly lust, and for their own phantasy.

There was never such marrying in England as is now. I hear tell of stealing of wards to marry their children to. This is a strange kind of stealing: but it is not the wards,

* A female recluse.

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 compulsed. And they that marry thus, marry in a forgetfulness and obliviousness of God's commandments.

But as in the time of Noah suddenly a clap fell in their bosoms; so it shall be with us at the latter day, when Christ shall come. We have as little conscience as may be; and when he shall come he shall lack Lady Faith. Well is them that shall be of that little flock, that shall be set on the right hand, &c.

I have troubled you long, partly being out of my matter, partly being in; but now I will make an end. I began with this text, Quacunque scripta sunt, &c.; so I will end now for mine own ease, as an old truant, with this sentence; Beati qui audiunt verbum Dei, &c., " Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." I told you in the beginning of this parable of bene: Nil melius quàm lætari et facere. If I had ceased there, all had been well, quoth the merry monk; so, "Blessed are they that hear the word of God;" but what followeth?" and keep it." Our blessedness cometh of the keeping. It hangs all on the end of the tale, in crediting and assenting to the word, and following of it. And thus we shall begin our blessedness here, and at the length we shall come to the blessing that never shall have end; which God grant both you and me. Amen.

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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 parable of the judge and the widow, I have opened it to you, most honourable audience. Something as concerning the judge, I would wish and pray that it might be a little better kept in memory, that in the seat of justice no more iniquity and unrighteousness might reign. Better a little well kept, than a great deal forgotten. I would the judges would take forth their lesson, that there might be no more iniquity used, nor bribe-taking; for if there shall be bribing, they know the peril of it, they know what shall follow. I would also they should take an example of this judge, that did say, not that that he thought himself, but our Saviour Christ puts him to say that thing that was hid unto himself. Wherefore I would ye should keep in memory, how unsearchable a man's heart is. I would ye should remember the fall of the angels, and beware thereby; the fall of the old world, and beware thereby; the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah, and beware thereby; the fall of Lot's wife, and beware thereby.

I would not that miserable folk should forget the argument of the wicked judge, to induce them to prayer; which argument is this: If the judge, being a tyrant, a cruel man, a wicked man, which did not call her to him, made her no promise, nor in hearing nor helping of her cause, yet in the end of the matter, for the importunity's sake, did help her; much more almighty God, which is a father, who beareth a fatherly affection, as the father doth to the child, and is naturally merciful,

FIFTH SERMON BEFORE EDWARD THE SIXTH. 153

and calleth us to him, with his promise that he will hear them that call upon, that be in distress, and burdened with adversity. Remember this. You know where to have your remedy. You by your prayer can work great efficacy, and your prayer with tears is an instrument of great efficacy: it can bring many things to pass.

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But what thing is that that maketh our prayer acceptable to God? Is it our babbling? No, no; it is not our babbling, nor our long prayer; there is another thing than it. The dignity and worthiness of our words is of no such virtue. For whosoever resorteth unto God, not in the confidence of his own merits, but in the sure trust of the deserving of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and in his passion; whosoever doth invocate the Father of heaven, in the trust of Christ's merits, which offering is the most comfortable and acceptable offering to the Father whosoever, I say, offereth up Christ, which is a perfect offering, he cannot be denied the thing he desireth, so that it be expedient for him to have it. It is not the babbling of our lips, nor dignity of our words, but the prayer of the heart, is the offering that pleaseth, through the only means of his son. prayer profiteth us, because we offer Christ to his Father. Whosoever resorteth to God without Christ, he resorteth in vain. Our prayer pleaseth because of Jesus Christ, whom we offer. So that it is faith, faith, faith is the matter. It is no prayer that is without faith, it is but a lip-labouring and mockery, without faith; it is but a little babbling.

For our

I spake also of lack of faith; and upon that also I said, The end of the world is near at hand; for there is lack of faith now; also the defection is come, and swerving from the faith. Antichrist, the man of sin, the son of iniquity, is revealed; the latter day is at hand. Let us not think his coming is far off. But whensoever he cometh, he shall find iniquity enough, let him come when he will.

What is now behind? We be eating and drinking as they were in Noah's time; and marrying, I think as wickedly as ever was. We be building, purchasing, planting, in the contempt of God's word. He may come shortly, when he will, for there is so much mischief, and swerving from the faith, reigning now in our days, as ever was in any age. It is a good warning to us all, to make ready against his coming.

This little rehearsal I have made of the things I spake in my last sermon. 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 this text of the 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 heart; a witty man, a learned man, a man of a noble house, so in favour, that if he had tarried in the realm, and would have conformed himself to the king's proceedings, I heard say, and I believe it verily, that he had been bishop of York at this day. To be a bidden-by†, he would have done much good in that part of the realm, for those quarters have always had great need of a learned man, and a preaching prelate. A thing to be much lamented, that such a man should take such a way. I hear say, he readeth much St. Jerom's

* 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 deanries. 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.

†The same as the common phrase, "by the by."

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