CERTAIN OTHER

SERMONS

By the Reverend Father in Christ Master HUGH LATIMER, Bishop of Worcester.

Collected by Auguftine Bernher, an Helvetian, a Clergyman, and native of Switzerland.

VOLUME the SECOND.

SERMON XXIII.

MATTHEW XXII. 2, 3.

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain King, which married his son, and fent forth his fervants to call them that were bidden to the wedding; and they would not come.

T

HIS is a gofpel that containeth very much matter; and there is another like unto this in the fourteenth of Luke, but they be both one in effect, for they teach both one thing. And therefore. I will take them both in hand together, because they tend to one purpose. Matthew faith," The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a "certain King, which married his fon." Luke faith, "A certain man ordained a great fupper." But there is no difference in the very fubftance of N' 20. VOL. II, B

the

the matter, for they pertain to one purpose. Here is made mention of a feaft-maker; therefore we muft confider who was this feast-maker: fecondly, who was his fon; thirdly, we must confider to whom he was married; fourthly, who were they that called the guests: fifthly, who were the guests. And then we must know how the guest-callers behaved themselves; and then how the guests behaved themselves towards them that called them. When all thefe circumstances be confidered, we fhall find much good matters covered and hid in this gospel.

Now that I may fo handle these matters, that it may turn to the edification of your fouls, and to the discharge of my office, I will most inftantly defire you, to lift up your hearts unto God; and defire his divine Majefty, in the name of his only begotten Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift, that he will give unto us his holy Ghoft; unto me, that I may speak the word of God, and teach you to understand the fame unto you, that you may hear it fruitfully, to the edification of your fouls, fo that you may be edified through it, and your lives reformed and amended, and that his honour and glory may increafe daily amongst us. Wherefore I fhall defire you to fay with me, "Our Father, &c."

Dearly beloved in the Lord, the gospel that is read this day is a parable, a fimilitude, or comparifon. For our Saviour compared the kingdom of God unto a man that made a marriage for his fon. And here was a marriage. At a marriage you know there is commonly great feaftings. Now you must know who was this feaft-mafter, and who was his fon, and to whom he was married; and who were those that should be called, and who were the callers; how they behaved themselves; and how the guefts

guefts behaved themselves towards them that called them.

Now this marriage-maker, or feast-maker, is almighty God. Luke the Evangelift calleth him a man, faying, "A certain man ordained a great fupper." He calleth him a man, not that he was incarnate, or hath taken our flesh upon him; no not fo, for you must understand that there be three perfons in the Deity," God the Father, God "the Son, and God the holy Ghost." And these three perfons decked the Son with manhood: fo that neither the Father, neither the holy Ghoft took flesh upon them, but only the Son, he took flesh upon him, taking it of the Virgin Mary. But Luke calleth God the Father a man, not because he took flesh upon him, but only compared him unto a man; and that he will affirm him to be a

man.

Who was he now that was married? who was the Bridegroom? Certainly, that was our Saviour Jefus Chrift, the fecond Perfon in the Deity, the eternal Son of God. Who fhould be his Spoufe? to whom was he married? to his Church and Congregation: for he would have all the world to come unto him, and to be married unto him; but we fee by daily experience, that the most part refuse this offer.

But here, is fhewed the ftate of the Church of God: for this marriage, and this feast, was begun at the beginning of the world, and fhall endure to the end of the fame: yet for all that, the moft part come not fo at the beginning of the world, ever the most part refused to come. And fo it appeareth at this time, how little a number cometh to this wedding and feaft: though we have many callers, yet there be but few of thofe that come. So ye hear that God is the feaft-maker, the Bridegroom is

Christ,

Christ, his Son, our Saviour; the Bride, is the Congregation.

Now what manner of meat was prepared at this great feaft? For ye know it is commonly feen, that at a marriage, the fineft meat is prepared that can be gotten. What was the chiefeft dish at this great banquet? What was the feast dish? Marry it was the Bridegroom himself: for the Father, the feastmaker, prepared none other manner of meat for the guests, but the body and blood of his natural Son, And this is the chiefeft difh at this banquet, which truly is a marvellous thing, that the Father offered his Son to be eaten. Verily, I think that no man hath heard the like. And truly there was never fuch kind of feafting as this is, where the Father will have his Son to be eaten, and his blood to be drank.

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*Mafter Latimer, though a Proteftant, could not help now and then, as particularly here, to talk as if he ftill believed (for he had for many Years believed) the doctrine of Tranfubftantiation. Indeed, our Church has only fpiritualized the popish doctrine of Tranfubftantiation, as appears from what the Prieft is appointed to fay to the Communicant when he delivers the Bread to him: "The Body of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which was given for thee, pre"ferve thy Body and Soul unto everlafting Life. Take and eat "this in remembrance that Chrift died for thee, and feed on him "in thy HEART (mind, spirit, or foul) BY FAITH with thanksgiving." And again, in her twenty eighth Article, fhe thus pofitively declares,that" to fuch as rightly, worthily, and WITH FAITH "receive the fame," (that is, the facrament of the Lord's fupper) "the Bread which wE" (that is, the Clergy of the Church of England) "break is a partaking of the BODY OF CHRIST.-The

BODY OF CHRIST is given, taken and eaten in the Supper only "after an heavenly and spiritual manner; and the mean whereby "the BODY OF CHRIST is received and eaten in the Supper, is "FAITH." The Article fays the fame concerning the Wine after benediction. Laftly, our Church thus teacheth her Catechumens in her answer to this question, "What is the inward part or thing (in the facrament) fignified ?" Anfwer, "The body and "blood of Chrift, which are verily and indeed taken and received by the FAITHFUL in the Lord's Supper."