The second [seventh] sermon of Master Hugh Latimer which he preached before the Kings…The seconde [seventh] sermon of Maister Hughe Latimer which he preached before the Kynges…

We read in the scripture give to every man his duty, tribute, to whom tribute belongeth, custom, to whom Custom, is due fear to whom fear belongeth honour to whom honour pertaineth. But we find not there, nor else where, fines to whom fines, incomes to whom incomes. Paul was not acquainted with none of those terms. Belike they were not used ⟨image 7⟩and come up in his time, or else he would have made mention of them. Yet not with standing, we deny not but these reasonably required & upon honest covenants & con tracts, are the more tolerable, & so used, so may be permitted. But the covenants & the contracts we remit to the godly wisdom of the hie magistrates,¹ who (we pray god) may take such order and direction in this, and all other, that the common people may be relieved & eased of many importable charges and injures, which many of them, contrary to all equity and right, sustain. But woe worth this covetousness, not without skill called the root of all evil. If covetousness were not, we think many things amiss should shortly be redressed. She is a mighty Matron a Lady of great power. She hath retained moo servants than any Lady hath in England, But mark how well in fine she hath rewarded her servants: and learn to be wise by another mans harm. Acham by the commandment of God, was stoned to death, because he toke of the excommunicate goods.² Saul moved with covetousness disobeyed God's word, reserving the King, Agag and a parcel of the fattest of the cattle, ⟨image 7⟩& lost his kingdom thereby. Gehize was stricken with leprosy and all his posterity, because he toke money and raiment of Naaman. The rich and unmerciful glutton, which fared well and daintily every day, was buried in hell, and there he taketh now such fare as the devil him self doth Woo be to you, that join house to house, and field to field: shall ye alone inhabit the pearth? Let these terrible examples suffice at this present, to teach, and admonish, the enhancer of Rents, the unreasonable exactor and greedy requirer of fines and incomes, the covetous lease monger, the devourer of towns and countries as. M. Latimer termeth them rightly. If these scriptures (which they may read in these godly sermons do not pierce their stony hearts (we fear) more will not serve The Lord be merciful to them.