Sermons on the Card | Page 4

the game of primero. His homely parables
enforced views of religious duty more in accordance with the mind of
the Reformers than of those who held by the old ways. The Prior of the
Dominicans at Cambridge tried to answer Latimer's sermon on the
cards with an antagonistic sermon on the dice: the orthodox Christian
was to win by a throw of cinque and quatre--the cinque, five texts to be
quoted against Luther; and the quatre the four great doctors of the
Church. Latimer replied with vigour; others ranged themselves on one
side or the other, and there was general battle in the University; but the
King's Almoner soon intervened with a letter commanding silence on
both sides till the King's pleasure was further declared. The King's
good-will to Latimer was due, as the letter indicated, to the
understanding that Latimer "favoured the King's cause" in the question
of divorce from Katherine of Arragon.
In March, 1530, Latimer was called to preach before Henry VIII., at
Windsor. The King then made Latimer his chaplain, and in the

following year gave him the rectory of West Kington, in Wiltshire. The
new rector, soon accused of heresy, was summoned before the Bishop
of London and before Convocation; was excommunicated and
imprisoned, and absolved by special request of the King. When
Cranmer became Archbishop of Canterbury, Latimer returned into
royal favour, and preached before the King on Wednesdays in Lent. In
1535, when an Italian nominee of the Pope's was deprived of the
Bishopric of Worcester, Latimer was made his successor; but resigned
in 1539, when the King, having virtually made himself Pope, dictated
to a tractable parliament enforcement of old doctrines by an Act for
Abolishing Diversity of Opinion. From that time until the death of
Henry VIII. Latimer was in disgrace.
The accession of Edward VI. brought him again to the front, and the
Sermon on the Plough, in this volume, is a famous example of his use
of his power under Edward VI., as the greatest preacher of his time, in
forwarding the Reformation of the Church, and of the lives of those
who professed and called themselves Christians. The rest of his story
will be associated in another volume of this Library with a collection of
his later sermons.
H. M.

SERMONS ON THE CARD.

THE TENOR AND EFFECT OF CERTAIN SERMONS MADE BY
MASTER LATIMER IN CAMBRIDGE, ABOUT THE YEAR OF
OUR LORD 1529.

Tu quis es? Which words are as much to say in English, "Who art
thou?" These be the words of the Pharisees, which were sent by the
Jews unto St. John Baptist in the wilderness, to have knowledge of him
who he was: which words they spake unto him of an evil intent,
thinking that he would have taken on him to be Christ, and so they

would have had him done with their good wills, because they knew that
he was more carnal, and given to their laws, than Christ indeed should
be, as they perceived by their old prophecies; and also, because they
marvelled much of his great doctrine, preaching, and baptizing, they
were in doubt whether he was Christ or not: wherefore they said unto
him, "Who art thou?" Then answered St. John, and confessed that he
was not Christ.
Now here is to be noted the great and prudent answer of St. John
Baptist unto the Pharisees, that when they required of him who he was,
he would not directly answer of himself what he was himself, but he
said he was not Christ: by the which saying he thought to put the Jews
and Pharisees out of their false opinion and belief towards him, in that
they would have had him to exercise the office of Christ; and so
declared further unto them of Christ, saying, "He is in the midst of you
and amongst you, whom ye know not, whose latchet of his shoe I am
not worthy to unloose, or undo." By this you may perceive that St. John
spake much in the laud and praise of Christ his Master, professing
himself to be in no wise like unto him. So likewise it shall be necessary
unto all men and women of this world, not to ascribe unto themselves
any goodness of themselves, but all unto our Lord God, as shall appear
hereafter, when this question aforesaid, "Who art thou?" shall be
moved unto them: not as the Pharisees did unto St. John, of an evil
purpose, but of a good and simple mind, as may appear hereafter.
Now then, according to the preacher's mind, let every man and woman,
of a good and simple mind, contrary to the Pharisees' intent, ask this
question, "Who art thou?" This question must be moved to themselves,
what they