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…

This is their ground that¹ say a king is an odious thing and not acceptable before the face of God.² Thus they force and violent this place to make for their purpose, where no such thing is meant. Show the Israelites (saith God) and testify to them a kings authority & what a thing a king is, & what a king will do. And ye will not persuade them, I will not here them hear after, when they shall try unto me. I must needs confess that the Jews trespassed against almighty God in asking of a King.³ But hear is the matter, in what thing there offence stood, whether absolutely in asking a king, or in any other circumstance. It was in a circumstance. ⟨image 136⟩They said not. Ask us a king of God: but make us a king to judge us,⁴ as all other nations have. They would have a king of their own swing and of their own election, as though they paste not of God. In another point there was pride. They would be like the heathen & judged under kings as they were. Thirdly, they offended God because they asked a king to the injury & wrong of good father Samuel to depose him,⁵ so this was a wrong toward Samuel. It was not with Samuel & his children like as with Eli & his children, Ophenes and Phines. They were cruel, who with hooks taken the flesh out of the pots when that sacrifice was offered to god, brought the people ⟨image 136⟩in to a contempt of Gods word They were lechers. Their s•nne were manifestly and notoriously known:⁶ but their father Ely knowing and herring of it did blame them, but nothing to purpose, he did not earnestly & substantially chastise them, and therefore he was justly deposed of God The sins of Samuel's sons were not known, they were not so notorious, wherefore, it was not with father Samuel as it was with Ely,