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.

heart; a witty man, a learned man, a man of a noble house; so in favor, 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 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. Jerome's works, and is well seen in them; but I would he would follow St. Jerome, where he expoundeth this place of Scripture; "Exite de illâ, populus meus:" Almighty God saith, Get you from it, get you from Rome; he calleth it the purple whore of Babylon. It had been more commendable to go from it, than to come to it. What his sayings be in his book, I do not well remember; it is in the farthest end of my memory. He declareth himself in it, to have a corrupt judgment. I have but a glimmering of it, yet in general I remember the scope of it. He goeth about to dissuade the king from his supremacy. In his persuasions he is very homely, very quick, and sharp with the king, as these cardinals will

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

take well

upon them. He saith, that a king is an odious word, and toucheth the place how God was offended with the Israelites for calling for a king. Very lightly he seemeth to set forth the title of a king. As though he should mean: What is a king? What should a king take upon him to redress matters of religion? It pertaineth to our holy father of Rome.

I told you before of "scala cœli," the ladder of heaven; I would you should not forget it. The steps thereof are set forth in the tenth to the Romans. The first is preaching, then hearing, then believing, and last of all salvation. "Scala cœli" is a preaching matter, I tell you, and not a massing matter. God's instrument of salvation is preaching. Here I move you, my lords, not to be greedy and outrageous in enhancing and raising of your rents, to the minishing of the office of salvation. It would pity a man's heart to hear that, that I hear of the state of Cambridge; what it is in Oxford I cannot tell. There be few do study divinity, but so many as of necessity must furnish the colleges, for their livings be so small, and victuals so dear, that they tarry not there, but go other where to seek livings; and so they go about. Now there be a few gentlemen, and they study a little divinity. Alas! What is that? It will come to pass that we shall have noth

ing but a little English divinity, that will bring the realm into a very barbarousness, and utter decay of learning. It is not that, I wis, that will keep out the supremacy of the bishop of Rome.

Here I will make a supplication, that ye would bestow so much to the finding of scholars of good wits, of poor men's sons, to exercise the office of salvation, in relieving of scholars, as ye were wont to bestow in pilgrimage matters, in trentals, in masses, in pardons, in purgatory matters. Ye bestowed that liberally, bountifully, but this was not well spent. You had a zeal, but not "secundum scientiam," not according to knowledge. You may be sure, if you bestow your goods on this wise, ye shall bestow it well, to support and uphold God's word, wherein ye shall please God. I require no more, but that ye bestow so much godly, as ye were wont to bestow ungodly. It is a reasonable petition, for God's sake look upon it; I There be none now but great say no more. men's sons in colleges, and their fathers look not to have them preachers; so every way this office of preaching is pinched at. I will speak no more of "scala cœli." But I am sure this is "scala inferni," the right way to hell, to be covetous, to take bribes, and pervert justice. If a judge should ask me the way to hell, I would shew him this way. First, let him be a covet