Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 13 · Letter 12 – Citation
¶The summe of M. Latymers aunswer to Doct. Redman.
Aunswere of M. Latimer to D. Redman.REuerend M. Redman, it is euen enough for me, that Christes sheepe heare no mans voyce but Christ: and as for you, you hauehave no voyce of Christ agaynst me, whereas for my part, I hauehave a heart that is ready to harken to any voyce of Christ that you can bring me. Thus fare you well, and trouble me no more from the talkyng with the Lord my God.
M. Latimer called vp to the Cardinall.After Maister Latymer had thus trauailed in preachyng and teachyng in the Uniuersitie of Cambridge, about the space of three yeares, at length he was called vp to the Cardinall for heresie, by the procurement of certain of the sayd Uniuersitie, where he was content to subscribe and graunt to such Articles, as then they propounded vntounto hym, &c.
D Buttes a worthy fauourer of Gods worde.After that, he returned to the Uniuersitie again, where shortly after, by the meanes of D. Buttes the kyngs Phisition, a singuler good man, and a special fauourer of good procedyngs, he was in the number of them which laboured in the cause of the kyngs supremacie. Then went he to the Court, where he remayned a certaine tyme in the sayd D. Buttes chamber, preachyng then in London very often. At last beyng weary of the Court, hauyng a benefice offred by the kyng, at the sute of the L. Crumwell and D. Buttes, was glad thereof, seekyng by that meanes to bee rid out of the Court, wherewith in no case he could agree, and so hauyng a grant of the benefice, cōtrary to the mind of D. Buttes, he would needes depart, and be resident at the same.
This benefice was in Wilshire, vnderunder the Diocesse of Sarum, M. Latimer … in … in West Kington.the name of which towne was called West Kington, where this good preacher did exercise hymselfe wyth much diligence of teaching to instruct hys flocke: and not onelyonly to them his diligence extended, but also to all the countrey about. In fine, his diligence was so great, hys preachyng so mighty, the maner of his teaching so zelous, that there in lyke sort hee could not escape without enemies. So true it is that Saint Paul foretelleth vsus: Who so euer will lyue godly in Christ, shall suffer persecution. It so chanced,M. Latimer troubled … our …, and … Lady. that where as he preachyng vponupon the blessed virgine Christes mother (whome we call our Lady) had thereupon declared his mynd, referring and reducing all honour onelyonly to Christ our onelyonly Sauior, certaine popish priests beyng therewith offended, sought & wrought much trouble against hym, drawyng out Articles and impositions which they vntruly, vniustly, falsly, and vncharitably imputed vntounto hym: first that hee should preach against our Lady, for that he reprooued in a sermon the superstitious rudenesse of certaine blynd Priestes,The superstitious rudenes of blinde Priestes. which so held altogether vponupon that blessed Uirgin, as though shee neuer had any sinne, nor were saued by Christ the onelyonly Sauiour of the whole world.
Item, that he should say, that Saintes were not to be worshipped.
Item, that Aue Maria was a salutation onelyonly,Matter deuised agaynst M. Latimer by Popi…e Priestes. and no prayer.
Item, that there was no materiall fire in hell.
Item, that there was no purgatorie, in saying, that he had leuer be in Purgatory, then in Lollards tower.
Touchyng the whole discourse of whiche Articles, with hys reply and aunswer to the same, hereafter shall follow (by the Lordes assistaunce) when we come to his letters.
The chiefe impugners and molesters of hym, besides these countrey priests, were D. Powell of Salisbury,Doct. Powell, Doct. Wilsone, D. Sherwood, Hubberdine, D. Warham Archb. of Canterbury, Doctor Stokesly B. of London troublers of M. Latimer. D. Wilson sometyme of Cambridge, M. Hubberdin, and D. Sherwood. Of whom some preached agaynst hym, some also did write against hym: in so much that by theyr procurement he was cited vp, and called to appeare before W. Warrham Archbishop of Canterbury, & Ioh. Stokesley Bish. of London, ann. 1531. Ian. 29. the copy of which citation, here ensueth.
¶The copy of the Citation sent to the sayd M. Latimer by the Chancellor of Sarum, at the intercession of the Bish. of London.
RIchardus Hilley decretorū Doctor, Reuerendissimi in Christo patris & domini, domini Laurentij, dei gratia Sarum Episcopi, in remotis extra regnum Angliae agentis vicarius in spiritualibus generalis, vniuersis & singulis rectoribus, vicarijs, capellanis, curatis, clerisque, & literatis per dioces. Sarum vbilibet cō stitutis, salutem in autoritate salutis. Vobis coniunctim, & diuisim committimus, ac firmiter iniungendo mandamus, quatenus citetis, vel citari faciatis peremptoriè magistrum Hugonem Latimer, Vicarium de Westkington in archimatu Wiltes Sarum dioces. quod compareat coram reuerendo in Christo patre, & domino domino Iohanne, dei gratia London Episcopo, aut eius vicario in spiritualibus generali, siue commissario in ecclesia cathedrali Sancti Pauli London, in loco consistoriali ibidem, die lun…: videlicet, xxix. die mensis Ianuarij, iam instantis, inter horam, ix. & xi. ante meridiem eiusdem diei, certis articulis siue interrogatorijs, crimina seu excessus graues infra iurisdictionem London. per ipsum commis. concernentibus personaliter responsur. vlteriusque factur. & receptur. quod iustitia in ea parte suadebit: & quid in praemissis feceritis, nos citra xxij. diem eiusdem mensis Ianuarij, vel in eo apud Sarum debite certificari curetis, vt nos certificatorium huiusmodi supradicto reuerendo patri, Domino London Episcopo erga dictum .xxij. diem transmittere valeamus, prout idem reuerendus pater nos in iuris subsidium ac mutuae vicissitudinis obtentu rogauit, & etiam requisiuit. Datum Sarum, sub sigillo antedicti reuerendissimi patris ad causas, x. die mensis Ianuarij. An. 1531.
Against this citation, M. Latimer appealed from the Bishop of Londons citation, to his owne Ordinary.although M. Latimer did appeale to his owne Ordinary, requiring by hym to bee ordered, yet all that notwithstanding, he was had vp to Lō don before Warrham the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bish. of London, where he was greatly molested, and deteined a long space from his cure at home. There he beyng called thrise eueryevery weeke before the sayd Bishops, to make aunswer for his preachyng, M. Latimer molested by Warham Archb. of Canterbury and Stokesley B. of London.had certaine articles or propositions drawen out and sayed to hym, whereunto they required hym to subscribe. At length he not only perceiuyng their practical procedyngs, but also much grieued with their troublesome vnquietnes, which neither would preach themselues, nor yet suffer him to preach & to do his dutie, writeth to the foresayd Archbish. partly excusing his infirmitie, whereby he could not appeare at their cōmandement, partly expostulatyng with them for so troublyng and deteinyng hym from his duetie doyng, and that for no iust cause, but onelye for preachyng the truth agaynst certayne vayne abuses crept into religion, much needfull to be spoken agaynst. Which all may appeare by his Epistle sent to a certaine bishop or Archbishop, whose name is not expressed, the copye of which Epistle in Latine is this.