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, p