soul from thee again, and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? Even so it is with him, saith Christ, that gathereth riches unto himself, and is not rich toward God," &c. But yet the covetous man can never be content. I walked one day with a gentleman in a park, and the man regarded not my talk, but cast his head and eye this and that way, so that I perceived he gave no great ear to me, which when I saw I held my peace. At last, "Oh (quoth the gentleman), if this park were mine, I would never desire more while I lived." I answered and said, Sir, and what if ye had this park too? for there was another park even hard by. This gentleman laughed at the matter. And truly I think he was diseased with the dropsy, the more he had, the more covetous he was to have still more and more. This was a farmer that had a farm hard by it, and if he might have had this park to it, he would never have desired more. This was a farmer not altogether so covetous a man, as there be many nowadays, as for one gentleman to rake up all the farms in the country together into his hands all at once.

And here one suit more to your Highness: there lacketh one thing in this realm, that it hath need of; for God's sake make some promoters. There lack promoters, such as were in king Henry the Seventh's days, your grandfather. There lack men to promote the king's officers when they do amiss, and to promote all offenders. I think there is great need of such men of godly discretion, wisdom, and conscience, to promote transgressors, as rent-raisers, oppressors of the poor, extortioners, bribers, usurers. I hear there be usurers in England, that will take forty in the hundred; but I hear of no promoters to put them up. We read not, this covetous farmer, or landed man of the gospel, bought corn in the markets to lay it up in store, and then sell it again. But and if it please your Highness, I hear say that in England, we have landlords (nay, step-lords I might say), that are become graziers, and burgesses are become regraters, and some farmers will regrate and buy up all the corn that cometh to the markets and lay it up in store, and sell it again at a higher price, when they see their time. I heard a merchantman say, that he had travailed all the days of his life in the trade of merchandise; and had gotten three or four thousand pounds by buying and selling;

but in case he might be licensed or suffered so to do, he would get a thousand pound a year, by only buying and selling of grain here within this realm. Yea, and, as I hear say, aldermen nowadays are become colliers. They be both woodmongers and makers of coals. I would wish he might eat nothing but coals for awhile, till he had amended it. There cannot a poor body buy a sack of coals, but it must come through their hands. But this rich man that the gospel speaketh of was a covetous man, God had given him plenty, but that made him not a good man: it is another thing that maketh a good man; God saith, Si non audieris vocem meam, "If thou obey not my voice," &c. And therefore worldly riches, do not declare the favour or disfavour of God. The scripture saith, "God hath ordained all things to be good; and the devil laboureth to turn all things to man's evil." God giveth men plenty of riches to exercise their faith and charity, to confirm them that be good, to draw them that be naught, and to bring them to repentance; and the devil worketh altogether to the contrary. And it is an old proverb, the more wicked, the more fortunate. But the unquietness of this covetous rich man, declareth the unquietness of the mind, that riches bringeth with it. First, they are all in care how to get riches, and then are they in more care how to keep it still. Therefore the Apostle saith, Quo volunt ditescere incidunt in tentationes varias, "They that study to get great riches, do fall into many divers temptations. But the root of all evil is covetousness. What shall I do?" saith this rich man. He asked his own brainless head what he should do; he did not ask of the scripture; for if he had asked of the scripture, it would have told him, it would have said unto him, Frange esurienti panem tuam, &c., "Break thy bread unto the hungry." All the affection of men nowadays is in building gay and sumptuous houses, it is in setting up and pulling down, and never have they done building. But the end of all such great riches and covetousness is this: "This night, thou fool, thy soul shall be taken from thee." It is to be understood of all that rise up from little to much, as this rich man that the gospel spake of did. I do not despise riches, but I wish that men should have riches as Abraham had, and as Joseph had. A man to have riches to help his neighbour, is

VOL. I.

godly riches. The worldly riches, is to put all his trust and confidence in his worldly riches, that he may by them live here gallantly, pleasantly and voluptuously. Is this godly riches? No, no, this is not godly riches. It is a common saying nowadays among many, "Oh he is a rich man. He is well worth five hundred pounds." He is well worth five hundred pounds that hath given fifty pounds to the poor, otherwise it is none of his. Yea, but who shall have this five hundred pounds? For whom hast thou gotten this five hundred pounds? What saith Solomon? Ecclesiastes v. Est alia infirmitas pessima quam vidi sub sole divitiæ conservatæ in malum domini sui, "Another evil, saith he, and another very naughty imperfection, is riches hoarded up, and kept together to the owner's own harm ;" for many times such riches do perish and consume away miserably. Such a one shall sometime have a son, said he, that shall be a very beggar, and live all in extreme penury. O goodly riches, that one man shall get it, and another come to devour it. Therefore, Videte & cavete ab avaritia, "See and beware of covetousness." Believe God's words, for they will not deceive you nor lie. "Heaven and earth shall perish, but Verbum Domini manet in æternum, the word of the Lord abideth, and endureth for ever." O, this leavened faith, this unseasoned faith, beware of this unseasoned faith. A certain man asked me this question, Didst thou ever see a man live long that had great riches? Therefore saith the wise man, "If God send thee riches, use them." If God send thee abundance, use it according to the rule of God's word, and study to be rich in our Saviour Jesus Christ; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen.

A

SERMON

OF MASTER HUGH LATIMER,

PREACHED AT STAMFORD,

The 9th Day of October, Anno 1550.

MATTHEW xxii. 21.

Redlite ergo quæ sunt Cæsaris, Cæsari; et quæ sunt Dei, Deo.
Give that that is Cæsar's to Cæsar; and that that is God's to God.

THIS doctrine is grievous, heavy, and irksome to covetous hearts, rebellious and seditious hearts. Give, give, they cannot away with it, it cannot stick in their minds, nor settle in their stomachs: they would rather be taking, scraping, and catching, than giving. But godly persons will well accept and take it, for it is to them a great pleasure, joy, and comfort. For the better understanding of this place, ye shall understand, Christ came to bring us out of bondage, and to set us at liberty: not from civil burthen, as from obeying the magistrates, from paying tax and tribute, but from a greater burthen, and a more grievous burthen, the burthen of sin; the burthen, not of the body, but of the soul; to make us free from it, and to redeem us from the curse and malediction of the law, unto the honourable state of the children of God. But as for the civil burthens, he delivered us not from them, but rather commanded us to pay them. Give, give, saith he, to Cæsar obedience, tribute, and all things due to Cæsar.

For the understanding of this text, it shall be needful to consider the circumstance going before; which thing duly considered, giveth a great light to all places of the scripture; who spake these words, to whom they were spoken, upon what occasion, and afore whom. Therefore I will take the whole fragment and shred, taken out of God's book for the gospel of this day, written in the Gospel of Matthew, the twenty-second

chapter: Tunc abierunt Pharisai, "Then went the Pharisees, and took a counsel." Luke hath OBSERVANTES, marking, spying, looking, tooting, watching, like subtle, crafty, and sleighty fellows, they took a counsel, and sent to him their disciples, which should feign themselves just men, godly men, glad to learn his doctrine: and with them Herod's servants to trap him in his words: and they said to him: "Master, we know that thou art a true man, and teachest the way of God in veritate, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the personage of man: Tell us therefore; what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give Cæsar tribute-money, or no?" This was their question that they would have snared him with. In answering to this, they would have caught him by the foot. But cognita autem malitia eorum, Jesus knowing their malice, their wickedness, their uncharitableness, said to them, "Hypocrites, why do ye tempt me? Shew me a piece of the tributemoney. And they brought him a penny. And he said to them, Whose image is this, and the writing? They answered, Cæsar's. He said to them, Give to Cæsar, that that belongeth to Cæsar, and to God, that that is God's."

Thus ye may perceive, it was our Saviour Christ, that spake these words, and they were spoken unto the Pharisees that tempted him. But they be a doctrine unto us, that are Christ's disciples. For whose words should we delight to hear and learn, but the words and doctrine of our Saviour Christ?

And that I may at this time so declare them, as may be for God's glory, your edifying, and my discharge, I pray you all to help me with your prayers.

In the which prayer, &c., for the universal church of Christ through the whole world, &c., for the preservation of our sovereign lord king Edward the Sixth, sole supreme head under God and Christ, of the Churches of England and Ireland, &c. Secondly, for the king's most honourable council. Thirdly, I commend unto you the souls departed this life in the faith of Christ, that ye remember to give laud, praise, and thanks to Almighty God, for his great goodness and mercy shewed unto them in that great need and conflict against the devil and sin, to give them at the hour of death faith in his Son's death and passion, whereby they might conquer and overcome and get the victory. Give thanks I say for this, adding