Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 14 · Examination 4
¶The last appearaunce and examination of M Latimer before the Commissioners.
… of M. Latimer before the Commissioners.THis sentence beyng published by the Bishop of Lincolne, M. Ridley was committed as a prisoner to the Maior, and immediatly M. Latimer was sent for: but in the meane season the Carpet or cloth whiche lay vponupon the table whereat M. Ridley stode, was remoued, because (as men reported) M. Latimer had neuer the degree o… a Doctor as M. Ridley had. But eftsones as M. Latimer appeared as he did the day before, perceiuyng no cloth vponupon the table, layde his hat, which was an olde felte vnderunder his elbowes, and immediatly spake to the Commissioners, saying:
Lati
My Lordes, I beseech your Lordships to set a better order here at your entraunce: for I am an olde man and hauehave a very euill backe, so that the presse of the multitude doth me much harme.
Linc.
I am sory M. Latimer for your hurt. At your departure we will see to better order.
With that M. Latimer thanked his Lordshyp, making a very low curtesie. After this the Bishop of Lincolne began on this manner.
Linc.
M. Latimer, although yesterday after we had taken your aunsweres to those Articles whiche we proposed, might hauehave iustly proceeded to iudgement against you,The Bishop of Lincolnes wordes to M. Latimer. especially in that you required the same, yet we hauyng a good hope of your returning, desiring not your destruction, but rather that you woulde recant, reuoke your errours, and turne to the Catholicke Church, differred farther processe tyll this day, and now accordyng to the appoyntment, we hauehave called you here before vsus, to heare whether you are content to reuoke your hereticall assertions, and submitte your selfe to the determination of the Church, as we most hartely desire, and I for my part, as I did yesterday, most earnestly doe exhort you, eyther to know whether you perseuer still the man that you were, for the which we would be sory.
It seemed that the Bishop woulde hauehave farther proceeded, sauyng that M. Latimer interrupted hym, saying:
Lati.
Your Lordship often doth repeate the Catholike Church, as though I should deny the same. No my Lord,M. Latimer short with the Commissioner… ▪ I confesse there is a Cotholicke Church, to the determination of the which I will stande, but not the Churche which you call Catholicke, which soner might be termed diabolike. And where as you ioyne together the Romish and Catholicke Church, stay there I pray you. For it is an …ther thing to say Romish Church, and an other thing to say Catholicke Church:The Catholicke Church and the Romish Church be two thinges. Cyprians counsell, in truth no deliberation to be taken. M. Latimers question to the Bishops. I must vse here in this myne aunswere the counsell of Cyprianus, who at what tyme he was ascited before certayne Bishoppes that gaue him leaue to take deliberation and counsell to try and examine his opinion, he answered them thus: in stickyng and perseueryng in the truth, there must no counsel, nor delibera, tion be taken. And agayne beyng demaunded of them sitting in iudgement, which was most like to be of y• Church of Christe, either he whiche was persecuted, eyther they which did persecute: Christ, sayd he, hath foreshewed, that he that doth follow hym, must take vp his crosse and follow him. Christ gaue knowledge that the disciples should hauehave persecution and trouble. Howe thinke you then my Lords, is it like yt the sea of Rome,Whether is more lyke, the sea of Rome which persecuteth: or the little flocke which is persecuted▪ to be the …rue Church. &c. which hath bene a continual persecutor, is rather the Church, or that swal flocke which hath continually ben persecuted of it euen to death? Also the flock of Christ hath ben but few in comparison to the residue, and euer in subiection: which he proued, beginning at No…s tyme euen to the Apostles.
Linc.
Your cause and S. Cyprians is not one, but cleane contrary, for he suffered persecution for Christes sake and the Gospell: but you are in trouble for your errours and false assertions, contrary to the worde of God, and the receiued trueth of the Church.
Lati.
M. Latimer interruptyng hym, sayd: yes verely,The cause of the Martyrs of the primitiue tyme, and of the Martyrs of the latter tyme a…l one. my cause is as good as S. Cyprians: for his was for the worde of God and so is myne.
But Lincolne goeth forth in his talke.
Also at the beginnyng and foundation of the Churche, it coulde not be but that the Apostles shoulde suffer great persecution. Further, before Christes commyng, continually there were very fewe whiche truely serued God: but after his commyng beganne the tyme of grace, then beganne the Churche to encrease, and was continually augmented vntyll that it came vntounto this perfection,The Image of the Church before Christes comming compared with the Church after his comming. and now hath iustly that iurisdiction whiche the vnchristian Princes before by tyranny dyd resist: there is a diuerse consideration of the estate of the Churche nowe in the tyme of grace, and before Christes commyng. But Maister Latimer, although we had instructions geuen vsus determinately to take your aunsweare to suche Articles as we shoulde propose, without any reasonyng or disputations, yet wee hopyng by talke somewhat to preuayle with you, appoynted you to appeare before vsus yesterday in the Diuinitie Schole, a place for disputations. And whereas then notwithstanding you had licence to saye your mynde, and were aunsweared to eueryevery matter, yet you coulde not be brought from your errours. We thynkyng that from that tyme ye would with good aduisement consider your state, gaue you respite from that tyme yesterday when we dimissed you,The Articles agayne propoū ded to Maister Latimer. Maister Latimer againe aunswereth with Protestation, as before. The very body of Christ receaued in the Sacrament by the spirite & grace. vntill this tyme, and now hauehave called you agayne here in this place, by your aunsweres to learne whether you are the same man you were then or no? Therefore we wyll propose vntounto you the same articles which we did then, and require of you a determinate aunswere, without farther reasoning, and eftsones recited the first article.
Lati.
Alwayes my protestation saued, that by these mine answeres it should not be thought that I did condescend and agree to your Lordshippes authority in that you are legased by authoritie of the Pope, so that thereby I might seeme to consent to his iurisdiction, to the fyrst article I aunswere now as I did yesterday, that in the Sacrament the worthy receyuer receiueth the very body of Christ, and drinketh his bloud by spirite and grace. But after that corporall being which the Romish Church prescribeth, Christes body & bloud is not in the Sacrament vnderunder the formes of bread and wine.
The Notaries toke his aunswere to be affirmatiuely. For the seconde article,Aunsweres to 2. & 3. articles. he referred hymselfe to his aunsweres made before.
Linc.
After this the Bishop of Lincolne recited the third article, and required a determinate aunswere.
Lat.
Christ made one oblation and sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole worlde, and that a perfecte sacrifice, neyther needeth there to be any other, neyther can there be any other propitiatory sacrifice.
The Notaries tooke his aunsweare to bee affirmatiuely.
In like maner did he aunswere to the other articles, not varying from his aunsweres made the day before.
After his aunsweres were penned of the Notaries, and the Bishop of Lincolne had exhorted him in like sort to recant as he dyd M. Ridley, and reuoke his errours and false assertions, and M. Latimer had aunswered that he ne could,M Latimer will not deny his Maister Christ. Condemnation read agaynst M. Latimer. ne would deny his maister Christ and his veritie, the Bishop of Lincolne desired M. Latimer to harken to him, and then maister Latimer harkening for some new matter and other talke, the Byshop of Lincolne red his condemnation, after the publication of the which, the sayd three Bishops brake vp their Sessions, and dimissed the audience.
But M. Latimer required the Bishop to performe his promyse,The Papistes false in their promises. in saying the daye before, that he shoulde hauehave licence briefly to declare the causes why he refused the Popes authoritie.
Lincol.
But the Byshop sayde, that now he coulde not heare hym, neither ought to talke with hym.
Then M. Latimer asked hym whether it were not lawfull for him to appeale from this his iudgement. And the Byshop asked hym againe, to whom he would appeale. To the next generall Counsell, quoth M. Latimer, whiche shalbe truely called is Gods name.M. Latimer appealeth to the next generall Councell truly called in the Lordes name: but that Councell is long a comming. With that appellation the Byshop was content: but he sayd it woulde be a long season before suche a conuocation as he ment would be called.
Then the Byshop committed M. Latimer to the Maior, saying: now he is your prisoner maister Maior. Because the presse of people was not yet diminished, ech man lookyng for farther processe, the Byshop of Lincolne commaunded auoydance, and willed M. Latimer to tary tyl the presse were diminished lest he shoulde take hurt at his egression, as he did at his entraunce. And so continued Byshop Ridley, and M. Latimer in durance till the .16. day of the sayd monethmonth of October.