to say masse, he was so servile an observer of the Romish decrees, that hee thought hee had never sufficiently mingled his masse wine with water and moreover, that he should never be man's imagination, but that onely, which He saith of himselfe. God is nothyng but his law, and his promises; that is to say, that which he biddeth thee to do, and that which he biddeth thee beleve and hope.” Works, p. 103, 4. • Zelous he was then.] See Life of Bilney, p. 29, and Latimer's Sermons, fol. 294. edit. 1584. "All the papistes thinke themselves to be saved by the law and I myself have bene of that daungerous, perilous, and damnable opinion, till I was thirty years of age; so long had I walked in darkness, and in the shadowe of death." 7 Mingled his masse wine.] “ Vinum tuum mixtum est aqua :—It had been good for our missal priests to have dwelled in that countrye, for they might have been sure to have had their wine well mingled with water.—I remember how scrupulous I was in my time of blindnesse and ignorance; when I should say masse, I have put in water twice or thrice for fayling, in so much, when I have been at my memento, I have had a grudge in my conscience, for fearyng that I had not put in water enough."-Latimer's Sermons, fol. 45. In the Catechism of the Council of Trent, the mixing of a portion of water with the wine in the Eucharist is declared to be an apostolical tradition; and, it is added, that, though its absence is not fatal to the efficacy and essence of the sacrament, yet it cannot be omitted without mortal sin, "eum sine mortali peccato prætermittere non licet."-Catechism. ad Paroch. De Eucharistiæ Sacramento, § 17. It is a favourite subject with Luther to enlarge upon his own servile fear, and the superstitious reverence with which he was addicted to the several observances and ceremonies of his profession, whilst he continued a monk. See also Life of Bilney, p. 25, 6. A writer, in the reign of Edward the sixth, gives incidentally the following picture of his religion, before his conversion to the protestant faith. "It fared then with them" (the Jews) "as it dyd with me, whan I was a holy papist; at what tyme I was at thys point wyth God, that if I had hearde masse both Sondaye and holye day, and sayde our Lady mattins, or our Ladyes psalter, kissed and licked devoutly saintes feet (for so called they their images), and besprinkled myself well favouredly wyth conjured water, and had done the superstitious penance enjoyned to me by my ghostly, shall I say enemye, or father?-then, I say, I was at such poynte wyth God, I thought it, and assuredly beleved, that I had done my full duty unto hym, though I never once called to remembrance the benefite of Christes death in satisfying and pacifying for all the trespaces and synnes of my former evill life, and naughty conversation. "Yea, besides all this popysh and devillishe presumption, I thought farther, that if I had done the sayd vayne workes, and such other no better, that I was no more beholden unto God, than he was to me; neither gave I him more thankes for pardonyng me of my synnes, than one marchaunt man geveth to another for the obtaynynge a peny worthe for a penie. "But thankes be unto the Lorde who of hys mere clemency, delivered me VOL. II. G g H damned, if he were once a professed friar; with divers such superstitious fantasies. And in this blind zeale hee was a very enemie to the professors of Christes gospel: as both his oration made when hee proceeded bachelour of divinitie, against Philip Melancthon, and also his other workes did plainely declare. But especiallie his popish zeale could in no case abide in those daies good master Stafford, reader of the divinitie lectures in Cambridge, most spitefully railing against him, and willing the youth of Cambridge, in no wise to beleeve him. out of thys blynde popyshe heresye!" W. Salisbury's Baterie of the pope's Botereula. Signat. F. 1. A.D. 1550. Latimer's particular fears are illustrated by superstitions of a similar nature, mentioned by Tindal; and which appear to have been of various kinds, and of frequent occurrence. "If any of these blinde guides happen to swallow his spittle, or any of the water wherewith he washeth his mouth, ere he goe to masse or if he touch the sacrament with his nose, or if the asse forget to breathe on him, or happen to handle it with any of his fingers which are not anointed; or if he say Alleluia instead of Laus Tibi, Domine, or Ite, missa est, instead of Benedicamus Domino, or poure too much wine in the chalice: or read the Gospel without light; or make not his crosses aright.—How trembleth he! How feareth he! What an horrible sin is committed! I cry God mercy (saith he), and you, my ghostly father."-Works, p. 141. Again, "Who dare handle the chalice, touch the altar stone, or put his hand in the fount, or his finger into the holy oyle. What reverence give we unto holy water, holy fyre, holy bread, holy salt, hallowed bells, holy waxe, holy bowes, holy candels, and holy ashes! And, last of all, unto the holy candle commit we our soules at our last departing.”—Ibid. p. 131. Railing against him.] "It pleased Almighty God," (says Ralph Morice, secretary to archbishop Cranmer, see p. 264) "to call Hugh Latymer unto the knowlege of the truth of God's holy word, by the godly lecture of divinity read by Mr. George Stafford, in the University school of Cambridge; and of a Saul made him a very Paul. For otherwise, all the days of his life, he had bestowed his time in the labyrinth study of the school doctors, as in Duns, Dorbel, Thomas of Acquine, Hugo de Victore, with such like. Insomuch that being mightily affected that way, he of purpose, perceiving the youth of the university inclined to the reading of the Scriptures, leaving off those tedious authors, used that kind of study, being a batchelor of divinity, and for his gravity and years preferred to the keeping of the university cross, which no man had to do withall, but such an one as in sanctimony of life excelled other, came into the Sopham school, among the youth, there gathered together of daily custom to keep their sophams and disputations; and there most eloquently made to them an oration, dissuading them from this newfangled kind of study of the Scriptures; and vehemently persuaded them to the study of the school-authors. Which he did, not long before that he was mercifully called to the contrary. And as he felt by this his divine vocaall his other study little profited him, but was rather a stumbling Notwithstanding, such was the goodnesse and merciful purpose of God, that when he saw his good time, by the which way Latimer thought to have utterly defaced the professours of the gospel, and true church of Christ, he was at length himselfe by a member of the same, pretily caught in the blessed net of Gods word. For M. Thomas Bilney (whose storie is before described) being at that time a trier out of Sathans subtleties, and a secret overthrower of antichristes kingdome, seeing maister Latimer to have a zeale in his waies (although without knowledge) was stricken with a brotherly pitie towards him, and bethought by what meanes hee might best winne this zealous ignorant brother to the true knowledge of Christ. Wherefore, after a short time, he came to M. Latymers study, and desired him to heare 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 schoole doctors, and other such fopperies, and became an earnest student of true divinitie; as he himselfe, as well in his conference with M. Ridley, as also in his first sermon made upon the pater noster, doth confesse.— So that whereas before he was an enemy, and almost a persecutor of Christ, he was now a zealous seeker after him, changing his olde manner of cavilling and railing, into a diligent kinde of conferring both with maister Bilney and others, and came also to maister Stafford before hee died, and desired him to forgive him. 9 After this his winning to Christ, hee was not satisfied with his own conversion only, but like a true disciple of the blessed Samaritane, pitied the misery of others; and therefore became both a publike preacher, and also a private instructer to the rest of his brethren within the universitie, by the space of three block unto him, then intending to preach to the world the sincere doctrine of the gospel, so he mightily, tracting no time, preached daily in the university of Cambridge, both in English, and, ad clerum, to the great admiration of all men, that aforetime had known him of a contrary severe opinion.”—Strype's Ecclesiast. Memor. vol. iii. p. 233. "Master Latimer being yet a fervent and a zealous papist, standing in the schooles when master Stafford read, bade the scholars not to heare him: and also preaching against him, exhorted the people, not to beleeve him: and yet the said Latimer confessed himselfe, that he gave thankes to God, that he asked him forgiveness before he departed." Fox's Acts, p. 524. r me partly in the Latin tongue among the umes the simple people in his naturall and an er sleepeth when he seeth his kingdome →ewise now seeing that this worthy menre vonul e a screwd shaker thereof, he raised up his ←ɔɔKad trouble him. IN THE TE an augustine frier, who tooke occasion Tanie -rm is maister Latymer made about christen- vei 1 de moh of S. Edward, as also in S. Autie of Cambridge, to invey against LL the said sermons (alluding to the chapters of S. Mathew, wherupon but alwaies els occupy their time. - end ¤ the cards he limited the heart, as the theshold serve God withall: whereby hee testima u recall and externall ceremonies, not therance of Gods holy worde and the better attaining hereof, he wished the kada je i dagist whereby the common people might the ter aces, as well to God, as their neighbours. MATHS Tarter was so apt for the time, and so sanded if him, that not onely it declared a singular At the preacher, but also wrought in the hearers u the wwerdrow of popish superstition, and setting and the sunday before christenmasse day on which The church, and causing the bell to be tolled to a ser into the pulpit, taking for his text the wordes seet auresmod read in the church that day : Tu quis es? delivering the which cards' (as is above "hs blunt preaching," (says Fuller, in his History of Samruge was in those dark daies admirably effectual, se he ridiculous in our age. I remember in my time a ..ser weached at St. Maries; his text, Rom. xii. 3. As God mux the measure of faith.' In a fond imitation of Latisein a, he prosecuted the metaphor of dealing; that men should vá 2007, Ti is, avoid all dissembling; not pocket cards, but imfs ami graces; follow suit, wear the surplice, and conform e. All produced nothing but laughter in the audience." said) he made the heart to be triumph, exhorting and inviting 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 coate card beside in the bunch, yea, though it were the king of clubs; meaning therby, how the Lord would be worshipped and served in simplicitie of the heart and veritie, wherein consisteth true Christian religion, and not in the outward deeds of the letter only, or in the glistering shew of mans traditions, or pardons, pilgrimages, ceremonies, vowes, devotions, voluntarie workes, and workes of supererogation, foundations, oblations, the popes supreamacie, &c. so that all these either were needlesse, where the other is present; or els were of small estimation, in comparison of the other. It would aske a long discourse to declare what a stirre there was in Cambridge, upon this preaching of M. Latimer.-Belike Sathan began to feele himselfe and his kingdome to be touched too neare, and therefore thought it time to looke about him, and to make out his men of armes. First, came out the prior of the blacke friers called Buckneham, otherwise surnamed Domine labia, who thinking to make a great hand against M. Latimer, about the same time of christenmas, when M. Latimer brought forth his cardes, to deface belike the doings of the other, brought out his christenmas dice, casting there to his audience cinque and quater: meaning by the cinque five places in the New Testament, and the foure doctors by the quater, by which his cinque quater, hee would proove that it was not expedient the scripture to be in English, least the ignorant and vulgar sort thorough the occasion thereof, might happilie be brought in danger to leave their vocation, or else to runne into some inconvenience; as for example: 2 The plowman when he heareth this in the gospell: No man that layeth his hand on the plough, and looketh back, is meete for the kingdome of God, might peradventure hearing this, cease from his plough. Likewise the baker when he heareth that a little leaven corrupteth a whole lumpe of dowe, may percase leave our bread unlevened, and so our bodies shall be unseasoned. Also the sim 2 The foure doctors.] I. e. the four great Augustin, Jerome, Ambrose, and Gregory. vol. i. fathers of the western church; Comp. Life of Wickliffe, p. 255. |