Now what shall we say of these rich citizens of London? what shall we say of them? Shall I call them proud men of London, malicious men of London, merciless men of London? No, no, I may not say so; they will be offended with me then. Yet must I speak. For is there not reigning in London as much pride, as much covetousness, as much cruelty, as much oppression, and as much superstition, as was in Nebo?

from 'The Sermon of the Plough'

Hugh Latimer (1490-1555), with Cranmer and Ridley, is remembered as one of the most notable martyrs of the Reformation. He was utterly fearless in an age of grim persecutions, more noted for candour than tact. Once he had been convinced of the truth of the movement for reform, nothing could prevent him from declaring it. But he was as much concerned about the social evils of his time as about theological verities. Above all, he could communicate his beliefs with superb assurance. In forceful language, interspersed with homely images and references to his own everyday experiences, he made sure that his audience, whether King and court or rural peasantry, was left in no doubt of his meaning. He knew what men felt, without sparing their feelings. Latimer's is as much a living voice today as it was in his own time.

ARTHUR POLLARD edited selections from Richard Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity for FyfieldBooks. He was educated at Leeds and Oxford and taught at Manchester before becoming Professor of English at Hull in 1967. Since his retirement he has continued to research and publish in Victorian studies and in the area of religion. In 1966 he was Literary Editor of the Anglican Hymn Book.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The First Sermon on the Card (1529)

The Second Sermon to Convocation (1536)

The Sermon on the Plough (1548)

The Fifth Sermon before Edward VI (1549)

The Seventh Sermon before Edward VI (1549)

The Last Sermon before Edward VI (1550)

The First Sermon on the Lord's Prayer (1552)