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ART. VII.-The Life of Bishop Latimer, as compiled from Fox's Book of Martyrs. Three Volumes, folio, (black letter) 1641.

The worthy champion, and old practised soldier of Christ, Master Hugh Latimer, was the son of one Hugh Latimer, of Thureaston, in the county of Leicester, a husbandman of right good estimation; with whom also he was brought up until he was of the age of four years or thereabouts. At which time his parents (having him as then left for their only son, with six daughters,) seeing his ready, prompt, and sharp wit, purposed to train him up in erudition and knowledge of good literature; wherein he so profited in his youth, at the common schools of his own county, that at the age of fourteen years, he was sent to the university of Cambridge; where, after some continuance of exercises in other things, he gave himself to the study of such school divinity as the ignorance of that age did suffer. Zealous he was then in the Popish religion, and there with so scrupulous, as himself confessed, that being a priest, and using to say mass, he was so servile an observer of the Romish decrees, that he thought he had never sufficiently mingled his massing wine with water; and, moreover, that he should never be damned if he were a professed friar, with divers such superstitious fantasies. And in this blind zeal he was a very enemy to the professors of Christ's gospel, as both his oration made when he proceeded bachelor of divinity against Philip Melancthon, and also his other works, did plainly declare. But, especially, his popish zeal could in no case abide in those days good Master Stafford, reader of the Divinity Lectures in Cambridge; most spitefully railing against him, and willing the youth of Cambridge in no wise to believe him. Notwithstanding such was the goodness and merciful purpose of God, that when he saw his good time, by the which way he thought to have utterly defaced the professors of the gospel and true church of Christ, he was at length himself, by a member of the same, prettily caught in the blessed net of God's word. For Mr. Thomas Bilney, being at that time a trier out of Satan's subtilities, and a secret overthrower of Antichrist's kingdom, seeing Master Latimer to have a zeal in his ways, although without knowledge, was stricken with a brotherly pity towards him, and bethought by what means he might best win this zealous ignorant brother to the true knowledge of Christ. Wherefore, after a short time, he came to Master Latimer's study, and desired him to hear him make his confession. Which thing he willingly granted; by hearing whereof he was, through the good spirit of God, so touched, that hereupon he forsook

his former studying of the school doctors, and other such fopperies, and became an earnest student of true divinity, as he himself, as well in his conference with Master Ridley, as also in his first sermon made upon the Paternoster, doth confess.

So that whereas before he was an enemy, and almost a persecutor, of Christ, he was now a zealous seeker after him; changing his old manner of reviling and railing, into a diligent kind of conferring, both with Master Bilney and others, and came also to Master Stafford, before he died, and desired him to forgive him. After this his winning to Christ, he was not satisfied with his own conversion only, but, like a true disciple of the blessed Samaritan, pitied the misery of others, and therefore became both a public preacher, and also a private instructor to the rest of his brethren within the university, by the space of three years, spending his time partly in the Latin tongue among the learned, and partly amongst the simple people in his natural and vulgar language. Howbeit, as Satan never sleepeth when he seeth his kingdom to begin to decay: so likewise now, seeing that this worthy member of Christ would be a shrewd shaker thereof, he raised up his impious imps to molest and trouble him. Amongst these there was an Augustine friar, who took occasion, upon certain sermons that Master Latimer made about Christmas, 1529, as well in the church of St. Edward, as also in St. Augustine's, within the university of Cambridge, to inveigh against him; for that Master Latimer, in the said sermons, alluding to the common usage of the season, gave the people certain cards out of the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of St. Matthew, whereupon they might, not only then but always else occupy their time. For the chief triumph in the cards he limited the heart, as the principal thing, that they should serve God withal; whereby he quite overthrew all hypocritical and external ceremonies not tending to the necessary furtherance of God's holy word and sacraments. For the better attaining hereof, he wished the scriptures to be in English, whereby the common people might the better learn their duties, as well to God as their neighbours.

The handling of this matter was so apt for the time, and so pleasantly applied of him, that not only it declared a singular towardness of wit in the preacher, but also wrought in the hearers much fruit, to the overthrow of popish superstition, and setting up of perfect religion.

This was upon the Sunday before Christmas day; on which day, coming to the church, and causing the bell to be tolled to a sermon, he entered into the pulpit, taking for his text the words of the gospel aforesaid, read in the church that day; Tu quis es, &c. In delivering the which cards, as is abovesaid, he made the heart to be triumph, exhorting and in

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viting all men thereby to serve the Lord with inward heart and true affection, and not with outward ceremonies; adding, moreover, to the praise of that triumph, that though it were never so small, yet it would take up the best court card beside in the bunch, yea, though it were the king of clubs; i. e. meaning thereby how the Lord would be worshipped and served in simplicity of heart and verity, wherein consisteth true Christian religion, and not in the outward deeds of the letter only, or in the glistering show of man's traditions or pardons, pilgrimages, ceremonies, bows, devotions, voluntary works, and works of supererogation, foundations, oblations, the pope's supremacy, i. e. so that all these either were needless where the other is present, or else were of small estimation in comparison of the other.

It would ask a long discourse to declare what a stir there was in Cambridge upon this preaching of Master Latimer. Belike Satan began to feel himself and his kingdom to be touched too near, and therefore thought it time to look about him, and to make out his men of arms. First came out the prior of the black friars called Buckneham, otherwise surnamed Domine Dewface, who, thinking to make a great head against M. Latimer, about the same time of Christmas, when M. Latimer brought forth his cards to deface belike the doings of the other, brought out his Christmas dice, casting them to his audience cinque and quater; meaning by the cinque five places of the New Testament, and the four doctors by the quater; by which his cinque quater, he would prove that it was not expedient for the Scripture to be in English, lest the ignorant vulgar sort, through the occasion thereof, might haply be brought in danger to leave their vocation, or else to run into some inconvenience: as for example: The ploughman, when he heareth this in the gospel, No man that layeth his hand on the plough and looketh back is meet for the kingdom of God;' might, peradventure, hearing this, cease from the plough. Likewise, the baker, when he hears that a little leaven corrupted a whole lump of dough, may, percase, leave our bread unleavened; and so our bodies shall be unseasoned. Also, the simple man, when he heareth the gospel, If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee,' may make himself blind and so fill the world full of beggars. These with more this clerkly friar brought out, to the number of five, to prove his purpose. M. Latimer hearing this friarly sermon of Dr. Buckneham, cometh again the afternoon, or shortly after, to the church, to answer the friar, where resorted to him a great multitude, as well of the university as of the town, both doctors and other graduates, with great expectation to hear what he could say; among whom, also directly in the face of Latimer, underneath the

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pulpit, sat Buckneham, the foresaid friar, prior of the Black Friars, with his black friars' cowl about his shoulders. When Master Latimer, first repeating the friarly reasons of Doctor Buckneham, whereby he would prove it a dangerous thing for the vulgar people to have the scripture in the vulgar tongue, so refuted the friar; so answered to his objections; so dallied with his bold reason of the ploughman looking back, and of the baker leaving his bread unleavened, that the vanity of the friar might to all men appear; well proving and declaring to the people, how there was no such fear nor danger for the scriptures to be in English as the friar pretended; at least requiring this, that the scriptures might be so long in the English tongue till Englishmen were so mad that either the ploughman durst not look back, or the baker should leave his bread unleavened and proceeding moreover in his sermon, he began to discourse of the mystical speeches and figurative phrases of the scripture; which phrases, he said, were not so diffuse and difficult, as they were common in the scripture, and in the Hebrew tongue are commonly used and well known; and not only in the Hebrew tongue, but also every speech, saith he, has his like metaphors and figurative signification, so common and vulgar to all men, that the very painters do paint them on walls and on houses. As for example, saith he, looking towards the friar, that sat over against him, when they paint a fox preaching out of a friar's cowl, none is so mad as to take this to be a fox that preacheth, but know well enough the meaning of the matter, which is to paint out unto us what hypocrisy, craft, and subtil dissimulation lieth hid many times in these friars' cowls, willing us thereby to beware of them. In fine, friar Buckneham with this sermon was so dashed, that never after he durst peep out of the pulpit against M. Latimer.

Besides this Buckneham, there was also another eviling friar, not of the same coat, but of the same note and fashion, a gray friar and a doctor, an outlandishman, called Doctor Venetus; who, likewise, in his brawling sermons, railed and raged against Doctor Latimer, calling him a mad and brainless man, and willing the people not to believe him, &c. To whom Master Latimer answering again, taketh for his ground the words of our Saviour Christ, Matthew v. Thou shalt not kill,? &c. but I say unto you, whosoever is angry with his neighbour shall be in danger of judgement; and whosoever shall say unto his neighbour Racha, or any other like words of rebuking, as brainless, shall be in danger of counsel: and whosoever shall say to his neighbour, Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.' But why should I here stand deciphering the names of his adversaries, when whole swarms of friars and doctors flockt against him on every side almost through the whole university, preach

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ing likewise and barking against him. Amongst whom was Doctor Watson, master of Christ's college, whose scholar Latimer had been afore; Doctor Notaries, master of Clare Hall; Doctor Philo, master of Michael House; Doctor Metcalfe, master of St. John's; Doctor Blythe, of King's Hall; Doctor Bullock, master of the Queen's College; Doctor Cliffe, of Clement House; Doctor Downes, of Jesus College; Doctor Psalmes, master of St. Nicholas Hostel; Bain; Rud; Greenwood, bachelor of divinity, all three of St. John's College; also Brikenden, bachelor of divinity; of the same house, and scholar sometimes to the said Latimer. Briefly, almost as many as were heads then of houses, so many impugners did this worthy standard-bearer of Christ's gospel sustain. Then came at last Doctor West, bishop of Ely, who, preaching against Master Latimer, at Barnwell Abbey, forbade him, within the churches of that university, to preach any more. Notwithstanding so the Lord provided that Doctor Barnes, prior of the Augustine Friars, did licence Master Latimer to preach in his church of the Augustines, and he himself preached at the church by, called St. Edward's church, which was the first sermon of the gospel which Doctor Barnes preached, being upon Christmas, even upon a Sunday. Whereupon certain articles were gathered out of his sermon and were commenced against him by Master Tirrell, fellow of King's Hall, and so by the Vice Chancellor presented to the cardinal (Wolsey).

This M. Latimer (as you have heard) being baited by the friars, doctors, and masters of that university, about the year 1529, notwithstanding the maugre and malice of these malignant adversaries, continued yet in Cambridge, preaching for the space of three years together, with favour and applause of the godly, also with such admiration of his enemies that heard him, that the bishop himself coming in, and hearing his gift, wished himself to have the like, and was compelled to commend him upon the same.

So M. Latimer, with M. Bilney, after this continued yet in Cambridge a certain space, where he, with the said Bilney, used to confer and company together, insomuch, that the place where they most used to walk in the fields was called long after, the Heretics' Hill.

The society of these two, as it was much noted of many in that university, so it was full of many good examples to all such as would follow their doings, both in visiting the prisoners, in relieving the needy, and in feeding the hungry. In a place of his sermons Master Latimer maketh mention of a certain history which happened about this time in Cambridge, between them two and a certain woman, then prisoner in the castle or tower of Cambridge, which I thought here not unworthy to be

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