Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 13 · Articles – Invocation 1
¶Articles deuised by the Bishops, for M. Latymer to subscribe vntounto.
I Beleeue that there is a purgatory to purge the soules of the dead after this lyfe.
That the soules in Purgatorie are holpen wyth the Masses, prayers, and almes of the liuyng.Articles propounded to W. Latimer to subscribe vntounto▪
That the Saints do pray as Mediatours now for vsus in heauen.
That they are to be honoured of vsus in heauen.
That it is profitable for Christians to call vppon the Saintes, that they may pray as Mediatours for vsus vntounto God.
That pilgrimages and oblations done to the Sepulchres, and Reliques of Saints, are meritorious.
That they which hauehave vowed perpetual chastitie, may not marry, nor breake their vow, without the dispensation of the Pope.
That the keyes of bindyng & loosing deliuered to Peter, do still remaine with the bishops of Rome, his successors, although they lyue wickedly, and are by no meanes, nor at any tyme committed to lay men.
That men may merite and deserue at Gods hand by fasting, prayer, and other good works of pitie.
That they which are forbidden of the Bishoppe to preach, as suspect persons, ought to cease vntill they hauehave purged themselues before the sayde Bishops, or theyr Superiors, and be restored agayne.
That the fast whiche is vsed in Lent, and other fastes prescribed by the Canons, and by custome receiued of the Christians (except necessity otherwise require) and to be obserued and kept.
That God in eueryevery one of the seuen Sacramentes geueth grace to a man, rightly receiuing the same.
That consecrations, sanctifyinges and blessinges by vse and custome receiued in the Churche, are laudable and profitable.
That it is laudable and profitable, that the venerable Images of the Crucifix and other Sayntes, should be had in the Church as a remembraunce, and to the honour and worship of Iesus Christ and his Sayntes.
That it is laudable and profitable, to decke & to clothe those Images, and to set vp burning lightes before them, to the honor of the sayd Sayntes.
To these Articles whether he did subscribe or no, it is vncertayne.M. Latimer whether he …, it is …. It appeareth by his Epistle aboue written to the Byshoppe, that he durst not consent vntounto them, where he writeth in these wordes: His ego nudis sententijs subscribere non audeo, quia popularis superstitionis diutius duraturae, quoad possum, autorculus esse nolo. &c. But yet whether he was compelled afterwarde to agree, through the cruell handling of the Byshoppes, it is in doubt. By the wordes and the Title in Tonstalles Register prefixed before the Articles, it may seeme that he subscribed. The wordes of the Register bee these: Hugo Latimerus in sacra Theologia Bacch. in vniuersitate Cantab. coram Cant. Archiepiscopo, Iohan. Lond. Episcopo, reliquáque concione apud Westmonst. vocatus, confessus est & recognouit fidem suam, sic sentiendo vt sequitur, in his artic. xxi. die Martij. Anno. 1531. If these wordes be true, it may bee so thought that he subscribed. And whether he so did, no great matter nor maruell, the iniquitye of the time being such, that either he must nedes so do, or els abide the Bishoppes blessing, that is, cruell sentence of death,The crafty handling of the Bishops … examining M. Latimer. which he at that time (as himselfe confessed preachinge at Stamforde) was lothe to susteine for such matters as these were vnlesse it were for Articles necessary of his beliefe, by whiche his wordes I coniecture rather that he did subscribe at length, albeit it was longe before he coulde be brought so to do. Yet this by the waye is to be noted, concerning the crafty and deceitfull handling of these Bishoppes in his examinations, what subtle deuises they vsed the same time to entrappe him in theyr s…ares. The trueth of the story he sheweth forth hymselfe in a certayne Sermon preached at Stamforde. ann. 1550. October 9. his wordes be these. I was once (sayeth he) in examinatiō before fiue or sixe Bishops,Ex verbis Latimeri. where I had much turmoyling, eueryevery weeke thrise: I came to examinations, and many snares and traps were layde to get something. Now God knoweth I was ignoraunt of the Lawe, but that God gaue me answere and wisedome what I should speake: it was God in deed, for els I had neuer escaped them. At the last I was brought forth to be examined into a chamber hanged with arras, where I was wont to be examined: but nowe at this time the chamber was somewhat altered. For where as before there was wonte euer to be a fire in the chimney, now the fire was taken away, and an arras hanged ouer the chimney and the table stood nere the chimneis end.
There was amongest these Bishoppes that examined me, one with whom I hauehave bene very familier, and tooke him for my great frend, an aged man, and he sate nexte the table end.
Then amongest all other questions he put forth one, a very subtle and crafty one, and such a one in deed, as I could not thinke so great daunger in. And when I should make aunswere, I pray you M. Latimer sayd one, speake out, I am very thicke of hearing, and here be many that fitte farre of. I maruelled at this, that I was biddē speak out, and began to misdeme, and gaue an eare to the chimney: and syr, there I heard a penne walking in the chimney behinde the cloth. They had appoynted one there to write all mine answeres: for they made sure, that I should not starte from them: there was no startinge from them, God was my good Lord, and gaue me aunswere, I could neuer elles hauehave scaped it. The question to him there and then obiected, was this: whether he thoughte in his conscience, that he hath bene suspected of heresye. This was a captious question.… & …ptious question put to M. Latimer by the …ishops. There was no holding of peace would serue, for that was to graunt himselfe faulty. To answere, it was eueryevery way full of daunger. But GOD which alwaye geueth in neede what to aunswere, helped him, or elles (as he confesseth himselfe) he had neuer escaped theyr bloudy handes. Albeit what was his answere, he doth not there expresse. And thus hitherto you hauehave heard declared the manifolde troubles of this godly preacher in the time not onelyonly of his being in the Uniuersitye, but especially at his benefice, as partly by his owne wordes aboue mentioned, and partly by his owne letters hereafter folowing may better appeare.
In these so harde and daungerous straites, and suche snares of the bishops, hard it had bene for him and unpossible to hauehave escaped and continued so long, had not the almighty helping hand of the highest, as he styrred him vp, so hauehave preserued him through the fauoure and power of his Prince: who with muche fauour embraced him,M. Latimer rescued by the king. and with his mere power sometime rescued and deliuered him out of the crooked clawes of his enemies. Moreouer, at length also, through the procurement, partly of Doctour Buttes, partly of good Cromwell, (whose story ye had before) he aduaunced him to the degree and dignity of a Bishop, making him the bishop of Worcester,Maister Latimer aduaunced to the Bishoprick… of Worcester by the king. which so cō tinued a fewe yeares, instructing his Dioces, according to the duty of a diligent and vigilant Pastor with wholesome doctrine and example▪ of perfecte conuersation duly agreeing to the same. It were a long matter to stand particularly vponupon such things as might here be brought to the commendation of his paynes, as study, readines and continuall carefulnes in teaching, preaching, exhorting, visiting,The pastorall diligence of M▪ Latimer in his dioces. correcting and reforming, either as his ability could serue, or els the time woulde beare. But the dayes then were so daungerous and variable, that he could not in all thinges do that he would? yet what he might doe, that he perfourmed to the vttermost of his strength, so that althoughe hee could not vtterly extinguish al the sparkling relicks of old superstition, yet he so wrought,The time vnstable for B. Latimer to worke in. that though they could not be taken away, yet they should be vsed with as little hurt, & with as much profite as might be. As (for exāple) in this thing, as in diuers other it did appeare, that whē it coulde not be auoyded, but holy water & holy bread must nedes be receiued, yet he so prepared and instructed them of hys Dioces, with such informations and lessons, that in receiuing therof superstition shoulde be excluded, and some remembrance taken thereby, teaching and charging the Ministers of his Dioces, in deliuering the holy bread and holy water, to say these wordes folowing.
¶Wordes spoken to the people in geuing them holy water.
Remember your promise in Baptisme,
Christ his mercy and bloudshedding,Wordes vsed i… Bishop Latimers dioces in geuing holy water.
By whose most holy sprinkeling,
Of all your sinnes you hauehave free pardoning.