Sermons on the Card, and Other DiscoursesLatimer, Hugh
Religion
Sermons on the Card, and Other Discourses
Latimer, Hugh
Church of England -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 16th century
were also counselled by a learned priest so to do? When should she go
far off to these famous images? For this the common people of England
think to be going on pilgrimage; to go to some dead and notable image out
of town, that is to say, far from their house. Now if your forefathers
made this constitution, and yet thereby did nothing, the abuses every day
more and more increased, what is left for you to do? Brethren and
fathers, if ye purpose to do any thing, what should ye sooner do, than to
take utterly away these deceitful and juggling images; or else, if ye
know any other mean to put away abuses, to shew it, if ye intend to
remove abuses? Methink it should be grateful and pleasant to you to mark
the earnest mind of your forefathers, and to look upon their desire where
they say in their constitution, "We _command_ you," and not, "We
_counsel_ you." How have we been so long a-cold, so long slack in
setting forth so wholesome a precept of the church of England, where we
be so hot in all things that have any gains in them, albeit they be
neither commanded us, nor yet given us by counsel; as though we had lever
the abuse of things should tarry still than, it taken away, lose our
profit? To let pass the solemn and nocturnal bacchanals, the prescript
miracles, that are done upon certain days in the west part of England,
who hath not heard? I think ye have heard of St. Blesis's heart which is
at Malverne, and of St. Algar's bones, how long they deluded the people:
I am afraid, to the loss of many souls. Whereby men may well conjecture,
that all about in this realm there is plenty of such juggling deceits.
And yet hitherto ye have sought no remedy. But even still the miserable
people are suffered to take the false miracles for the true, and to lie
still asleep in all kind of superstition. God have mercy upon us!
Last of all, how think you of matrimony? Is all well here? What of
baptism? Shall we evermore in ministering of it speak Latin, and not in
English rather, that the people may know what is said and done?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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