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…

For sooth I intend not to impair any mans estimation or honesty, and they that enforce it to that, enforce it not to my meaning, I said I heard, but of such a thing, and toke occasion by that, that I heard, to speak against the thing, that I knew to be nought, that no man should bear with ⟨image 147⟩any man to the maintenance of voluntary and prepensed murder. And I hear say since, the man was other wise an honest man, and they that spake for him, are honest men. I am inclinable enough to credit it. I spoke not because I would have any mans honesty impaired. Only I did as Saint Paul did,¹ who hearing, of the Corinthians, that there should be contentions and misorder among them, did write unto them that he hard, and there upon by occasion of hearing he set forth very wholesome doctrine of the supper of the Lord. We might not have lacked that doctrine I tell you. Be it so the Corinthians had no such contentions ⟨image 148⟩among them, as Paul wrote of, Be it so, they had not misordered them selves, it was neither of, nor on, to that that Paul said. The matter lay in that, that upon hearing he would take occasion to set out the good & true doctrine. So, I did not affirm it to be true that I hard. I spake it to advertise you,² to be ware of bearing, with wilful and prepensed murder. I would have nothing enforced against any man. This was mine intent and meaning. I do not know, what ye call chance medley in the law, it is not for my study.³ I am a scholar in scripture in gods book, I study that. I know what voluntary murder is before God. If I shall fall out with a man He is ⟨image 148⟩angry with me, and I with him, and lacking opportunity and place,⁴ we shall put it of for that time, in the mean season I prepare my weapon, & sharp it against another time, I swell and boil in this passion towards him. I seek him, we meddle together, it is my chance by reason my weapon is better then his, & so fourth, to kill him, I give him his deaths stroke, in my vengeance and anger. This call I voluntary murder in scripture, what it is in the law I can not tell. It is a great sin, and therefore I call it voluntary. I remember what a great Clarke writeth of this.