Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 13 · Invocation 2
¶What to say in geuing holy bread.
Of Christes body this is a token,
Which on the crosse for our sinnes was broken,Wordes vsed in geuing holy bread.
Wherefore of your sinnes you must be forsakers,
If of Christes death ye will be partakers.
By this it may be considered what the diligent care of this Bishop was in doyng the duety of a faythfull Pastor among his flocke.The behauiour of Bishop Latimer in his office▪ And moreouer it is to be thoughte that he would hauehave brought more thinges elles to passe, if the time then had aunswered to his desire: for he was not ignorant, how the institution of holy water and holy bread, not onelyonly had no ground in scripture, but also how full of prophane exorcismes and coniurations they were, contrary to the rule and learning of the Gospell. Thus this good man behaued hymselfe in his Dioces, but, as before, both in the Uniuersity, and at his benefice he was tost and turmoyled by wicked and euill disposed persons,The troubles of M. Latimer in his Bishopricke. so in hys Bishopricke also he was not all cleare and voyde of some that sought his trouble. As among many other euill willers, one especially there was, and that no small person, which accused him then to the king for his sermons. The story because he sheweth himselfe in a Sermon of his before K. Edward, I thought therfore to vse his owne wordes which be these.
In the kinges dayes that dead is, a great many of vsus were called together before him,Ex verbis Latimeri, pro concione. to say our mindes in tertayne matters. In the end, one kneeleth downe and accuseth me of sedition and that I had preached sedititious doctrine. A heauy salutatiō, and a hard poynt of such a mans doing, as if I should name, ye would not thinke it.B. Latimer accused to King Henry for his Preaching. M. Latimer answereth his accuser The king turned to me and sayd: What say you to that syr?
Then I kneled downe, and turned me first to my accuser, and required him: Sir what forme of preaching would you appoynt me? in preaching before a king woulde you hauehave mee preache nothing as concerning a Kinge in the kinges Sermon? hauehave you any commission to appoint me what I shal preach? besides this I asked him diuers other questions, and he would make me none aunswere to any of them all: he had nothing to say.
Then I turned me to the king, and submitted my selfe to his grace,The wordes of B. Latimer to … King. and sayd: I neuer thought my selfe worthye, nor I neuer sued to be a Preacher before your grace, but I was called to it, and would be willing (if you mislike me) to geue place to my betters: for I graunt there be a greate many, more worthye of the roome then I am. And if it be your graces pleasure so to allowe them for Preachers, I coulde be content to beare theyr bookes after them. But if your grace alow me for a Preacher, I woulde desire your grace to geue me leaue to discharge my conscience, geue me leaue to frame my doctrine according to my audience. I had bene a very dolte to hauehave preached so at the borders of your realme, as I preach before your grace.
The Kings harte reserted toward B. Latimer.And I thanke almighty GOD (which hath alwayes bene my remedy) that my sayinges were well accepted of the king, for like a gracious Lord he turned into an other communication. It is euen as the Scripture sayth: Cor Regis in manu Domini. i. The Lord directed the kinges hart. Certayne of my frendes came to me with teares in theyr eyes, and told me they looked I shoulde hauehave bene in the Tower the same night.
Besides this diuers other conflictes and combats this godly Bishop susteined in his owne country and Dioces, in taking the cause of right and equitye agaynste oppressiō and wrong. As for an other example, there was at that time not far from the dioces of Worcester a certayn Iustice of peace, whom here I will not name, being a good man afterward, and now deceased. This Iustice in purchasinge of certayne land for his brother,B. Latimer taketh the poore mans part agaynst his oppressor. or for himselfe, wēt about to wrong or damnify a poore man, who made his cōplaynt to M. Latimer. He first hearing, then tendering his rightfull cause, wrote his letter to the Gentleman: exhorting him to remember himselfe, to consider the cause and to absteine from iniury. The Iustice of peace not content withall (as the fashion of men is when they are tolde of theyr fault) sendeth word agayne, in greate displeasure, that hee would not so take it at his handes, with suche threatnyng wordes. &c. M. Latimer hearing this, aunswered agayne by writing to a certain gentleman: the copy wherof amōg his letters hereafter foloweth in the sequele of this story to be sene.
It were a large & long processe to story out all the doinges, trauels & writings of this christian Bishop neither yet hauehave we expressed all that came to our handes: but this I thought sufficient for this present. Thus he continued in this laborious function of a Bishop the space of certayne yeares, till the comming in of the 6. Articles.Bishop Latimer at the comming in of the sixe articles resigned … ▪ Bishoprick. Then beyng distressed through the straightnesse of time, so that either he must lose the quiet of a good conscience, or els must forsake his Bishopricke, he did of his owne free accord resigne his pastorship. At which time Shaxton then bishop of Salisbury resigned likewise with hym his bishopricke. And so these two remayned a great space vnbishopped, keping silence till the time of king Edwarde of blessed memory.M. Latimer kept silence till the time of King Edward. At what time he first put of his Rochet in his chamber amōg his frendes, sodenly he gaue askip in ye floore for ioy, feling his shoulders so light, and being discharged (as he sayd) of such an heauy burden. Howbeit neither was he so lightened,The whole life of M. Latimer full of tribulations. M. Latimer almost slayne▪ with the fall of a tree. M. Latimer cast into the Tower. M. Latimer restored by K. Edward to liberty of Preaching. but that troubles & labors folowed him wheresoeuer he went. For a litle after he had renounced his bishoprick, first he was almost slayne, but sore brused with the fall off a tree. Then comming vp to London for remedye, he was molested & troubled of the bishops, wherby he was again in no little daunger, & at length was cast into the Tower where he cōtinually remayned Prisoner, till the time that blessed K. Edward entred his crown, by meanes wherof the goldē mouth of this preacher, long shut vp before, was now opened agayne. And so he beginning a freshe to sette forth his plough agayne, continued, all the time of the said king▪ labouring in the Lordes haruest most fruitfully, discharging his talent, as well in diuers other places of this realme, as in Stamford, and before the Duches of Suffolk (whose sermons be extant and set forth in print) as also at London in the conuocation house: and especially before the king at the Court, in the same place of the inward garden which was before applied to lasciuious & courtly pastimes there he dispensed the fruitefull word of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ,Diuer… Sermon… of M. Latimer in K. Edwards time preaching there before the king & hys whole Court, to the edification of many.
*A description of M. Latimer, preaching before K. Edward the 6. in the preaching place at Westminster.
IN this his paynefull trauell he occupied himselfe all K. Edwardes dayes,M. Latimer Preaching before K. Edward. The diligent traueling of M. Latimer in King Edwardes time. preaching for the most part eueryevery sonday twise, to no small shame of all other loytering and vnpreaching Prelates, which occupy great roomes and do litle good: and that so much more to theyr shame, because he being a sore brused man by the fall of the Tree, mentioned a little before, and aboue lxvij. yeares of age tooke so little case, and care of sparing himselfe, to doe the people good Now to speake here of his indefatigable trauell and diligence in his owne priuate studies, who notwithstanding both hys yeares, and other paynes in preaching,The early waking of M. Latimer to his book…. euerye mornyng ordinaryly, Wynter and Sommer, about two of the clocke in the morninge was at his booke most diligently. Howe carefull his hart was of the preseruation of the Churche and the good successe of the Gospell, hys Letters canne testify, wherewith he continuallye admonished such as then were in authority, of theyr duty, and assisted them with his godly counsell.
As the diligence of this man of God neuer ceased all the time of king Edward, to profite the Church both publickely and priuately, so among other doings in him to be noted,M. Latimer … Q. Maryes …. this is not lightly to be ouerpassed, but worthye to be obserued, that God not onelyonly gaue vntounto him his spirite plenteously and comfortably to preache his word vntounto hys Churche, but also by the same spirite hee did so euidentlye foreshew and prophecye of all those kindes of plagues before, which afterward ensued, that if England euer had a Prophet he might seeme to be one. And as touching hymselfe, he euer affirmed that the preachinge of the Gospell would cost him his life, to the which he no lesse chearefully prepared himselfe, then certaynely was perswaded that Winchester was kept in the Tower for the same purpose,M Latimer … vp … by … to …. as the euent did to truelye prooue the same. For after the death of the sayde blessed King Edwarde, not long after Queene Marye was proclaymed, a Pursiuant was sente downe (by the meanes no doubt of Winchester) into the countrey, to call him vp, of whose comming although M. Latimer lacked no forewarning being premonished about sixe houres before by one Iohn Careles (whose story here after foloweth) yet so farre of was it that he thought to escape, that he prepared himselfe towards his iorney before the sayd Pursiuant came to his house.
At the which thing when the Pursiuant maruelled, seing him so prepared towardes his iourney, he sayde vntounto him:… My frend, you be a welcome Messenger to me. And be it knowne vntounto you, and to the whole world, that I go as willingly to Londō at this present, being called by my Prince to render a reckoning of my doctrine, as euer I was at any place in the worlde. And I doubt not but that God, as he hath made me worthy to preache his word before two excellent Princes, so he wil able me to witnes the same vntounto the thyrd, either to her comfort or discomfort eternally. &c. At the which time the Pursiuant, whē he had deliuered his letters, departed, affirming that he had commaundement not to tary for him. By whose sodein departure it was manifest that they would not hauehave him appere but rather to hauehave fled out of the realme. They knewe that his constancy should deface them in theyr Popery, and cō firme the godly in the truth.
Thus Mayster Latimer being sent for, and comming vp to London through Smithfield (where merely he sayd that Smithfielde had long groaned for him) was brought before the Counsell,M. Latimer … vp to Lond…n not c…pe…led. where hee pacientlye bearing all the mockes and tauntes geuen him by the scorneful Papistes, was cast agayne into the Tower, where he being assisted with the heauenly grace of Christ,… susteined most pacient imprisonment a long time, notwithstanding the cruel and vnmercifull handlinge of the Lordlye Papistes, whyche thought then theyr kingdome would neuer fall: yet he shewed hymselfe not onelyonly pacient, but also chearefull in and aboue all that which they could or woulde worke agaynst him:M. Latimer …refull … imprison…nt. yea such a valiaunt spirit the Lord gaue him, that he was able not onelyonly to despise the terriblenesse of prisons & tormentes, but also to deride and laugh to scorne the doinges of his enemies. As it is not vnknowne to the eares of many, what he aunswered to the Lieuetenaunt beynge then in the Tower. For when the Lieutenauntes man vponupon a time came to him, the aged Father kept without fire in the frosty winter,M. Latimers …. and well…ye starued for colde, merely bad the man tell his Mayster, that if he did not looke ye better to him, perchaunce he would deceiue him.
The Lieutenaunt hearing this, he thought hymselfe of these wordes, and fearing least that in deede he thought to make some escape, beganne to looke more straightly to his Prisoner, and so comming to him, beginneth to charge him with his wordes, reciting the same vntounto him whiche his man had told him before: how that if he were not better looked vntounto, perchaunce he would deceiue them. &c. Yea Mayster Lieutenaunt, so I sayd (quoth he) for you looke I thinke that I shoulde burne:… but except you let me hauehave some fire, I am like to deceiue your expectation, for I am like here to starue for cold.
Many such like answeres and reasons, mery, but sauery, comming not from a vayne minde, but from a constant and quiet reasō, proceded from that man, declaring a firme and stable hart, litle passing for all this great blustering of theyr terrible threates, but rather deriding the same.
Thus Mayster Latimer passing a long time in the tower,… with as much pacience as a manne in his case coulde do, from thence was transported to Oxforde, with Doctor Cranmer Archbishop of Caunterbury, and Mayster Ridley Byshop of London, there to dispute vponupon Articles sent downe from Gardiner Bishop at Winchester as is before touched, the maner and order of whiche disputations betwene them and the Uniuersitye Doctours is also before sufficiently expressed. Where also is declared, how and by whome the sayd Latimer with his otherfelow Prisoners, were condemned after the disputations, and so committed agayne to the Prison, and there they con…umed from the MonethMonth of Aprill aboue mentioned, to this present MonethMonth of October: where they were most godly occupied,Octob. 16. either with brotherly conference, or with feruent prayer, or with fruitfull writing.
Albeit M. Latimer by reasō of the feblenes of his age, wrote least of them all in this latter time of his imprisonment: yet in prayer he was feruently occupyed, wherin oftentimes so long he continued kneeling, that hee was not able to rise without helpe: and amongst other things, these were three principall matters he prayed for.
First, that as God had appoynted him to be a preacher of his worde,Three requestes of M. Latimers prayer. so also he woulde geue him grace to stand to his doctrine vntill his death, that he might geue his harte bloud for the same.
Secōdly, that God of his mercy would restore his gospell to Englande once agayne, and these wordes once agayne, once agayne, he did so inculcate & beat into ye eares of the Lord God, as though he had sene God before hym,Once agayne, once agayne. and spoken to him face to face.
The third matter was, to pray for the preseruation of the Queenes Maiesty, that now is,M. Latimers prayer for Q. Elizabeth▪ whome in his prayer he was wont accustomably to name, and euen with teares desired God to make her a comfort to his comfortles realme of England. These were the matters he prayed for so earnestlye. Neither were these thinges of him desired in vayne, as the good successe thereof after following did declare: for the Lord most graciously did graunt all those his requestes.
First concerning his constancy, euen in the most extremity the Lord graciously assisted him.All three requestes of M. Latimer graunted of the Lord. For when he stoode at the stake without Bocardo gate at Oxford, and the tormentors about to sette the fire to him, and to the learned and Godly Byshop Mayster Ridley, he lifted vp his eyes towardes heauen with an amiable and comfortable countenaunce, saying these wordes: Fidelis est Deus qui non sinit nos tentari supra id quod possumus: God is faythfull, whiche doth not suffer vsus to be tempted aboue our strength: and so afterwarde by and by shedde his bloude in the cause of Christ, the whiche bloud ranne of his hart in suche aboundaunce that all those that were present, being godly, dyd maruell to see the most part of the bloud in his body to bee gathered to hys hart, and with such violence to gush out, his body being opened by the force of the fire: by the whiche thing God most graciously graunted his request, whiche was that he might shed his hart bloud in the defence of the Gospell.
How mercifully the Lord heard his second request, in restoring his Gospell once agayne into this Realme,The vnthankefulnes of England. these present dayes can beare record. And what then shall England say now for her defence, whiche being so mercifullye visited and refreshed with the word of God, so slenderlye and vnthankfully considereth either her own misery past, or the great benefite of God nowe present? The Lorde be mercifull vntounto vsus. Amen.
Agayne, concerning his third request, it seemeth likewise most effectuously graūted, to the great praise of God, the furtherance of his Gospell, and to the vnspeakable cō fort of this Realme. For whether at the request of his praiyr, or of other Gods holy Sayntes, or whether God was moued with the cry of his whole Church, the truth is, that when all was deplorate and in a desperate case, and so desperate that the enemies mightily florished and triumphed, Gods word was banished, Spanierdes receiued,Gods gratious helpe in tyme of neede, vponupon the realme of England. no place left for Christes seruauntes to couer theyr heades: sodenly the Lord called to remembraunce his mercye, and forgetting our former iniquity, made an end of al these miseries, and wroughte a maruellous chaunge of thinges, at the chaunge whereof the said Queene Elizabeth was appointed and annoynted,Q Elizabeth graunted of God to England. for whome this graye headed father so earnestly prayd in his imprisonment: through whose true, naturall, and imperiall Crowne, the brightnesse of Gods word was set vp agayne to confound the darcke and false visoured kingdome of Antichrist, the true temple of Christ reedified, the Captiuitye of sorowfull Christians released, which so long was wished for in the prayers of so manye good men, specially of this faythfull and true seruaunt of the Lord, M. Latimer.
The same God which at the requestes of his holy and faythfull Sayntes hath poured vponupon vsus such benefites of his mercy, peace and tranquility,God for Christs sake so graunt. assiste our most vertuous and Christian Princesse: and her Subiectes, that wee may eueryevery one in his state and calling to serue hys glory, & walke in our vocation, that we lose not that which they hauehave obteined, but may proceed in all faythfulnes, to build and keepe vp the house and temple of the Lorde, to the aduansing of his glory, and our euerlasting comfort in hym. And thus much concerning the doings and laborious trauelles of M. Latimer. Now after these thinges thus finished, and discoursed perteining to the story of his lyfe, lette vsus come to his letters which he wrote at diuers and sundry tymes from the first beginning of his preachinge, all which here to comprehend whiche he wrote both in English and Latine, lacke of space and place at this present will not permitte, neuertheles certayne we will take, and fyrst concerning the articles aboue mentioned, for the which he was troubled by the Priestes of the country about his benefice at West Kington: whiche hee writeth thereof to M. Morice, the copy thereof here foloweth.