of the Clergy. However, in a short time after Bilney thus reforted to him, through the good fpirit of God, Latimer was fo convinced in his own mind, that he forfook his former ftudying of the schoolmen, and other fuch like fopperies, and became an earnest and fincere ftudent of true divinity, and of the holy Scriptures. So that whereas before he was an enemy, and almost a perfecutor of Chrift, he became now a diligent feeker after him; and from this time changed his old way of cavilling and railing against all the Reformers and their principles, into a diligent and kind method of conferring not only with Master Bilney, but with all others who any way favoured the Reformation.

Thus this holy man became a convert to Proteftantifm, and as before he was a zealous Papift, he now commenced a hearty and fincere Proteftant. He heartily pitied the mifery and misfortune, of all those who were bred up in ignorance and fuperftition, and therefore he spent three whole years in endeavouring to bring over to the true faith both the learned as well as the fimple folk, not only in Cambridge, but in the towns and villages round about, every where preaching Chrift crucified, and infifting always on the neceffity of a holy life, and the weakness and nothingness of ceremonious obfervances, which were then accounted the effentials of religion. Hereupon, Satan, fays our hiftorian, who never fleepeth when he feeth his kingdon begin to decay, perceiving that this worthy member of Chrift would be a fhrewd and powerful shaker thereof,

he

he raised up many to moleft and trouble him. Among whom were Doctor Watson, master of Chrift's college; Doctor Notaries, mafter of Clare-hall; Doctor Philo, mafter of Michaelhoufe; Doctor Metecalfe, mafter of St John's; Doctor Blithe, of the King's-hall; Doctor Bullock, master of Queen's College; Doctor Cliffe, of Clement-house; Doctor Downes, of Jefus College, Doctor Pfalmes, mafter of Saint Nicholas Hottel; Bain, Rud, Greenwood and Brickenden, all four batchelors of divinity, and of Saint John's College; in fhort all the heads of houfes in Cambridge fet themfelves to oppose him.

Latimer was now in the fifty-third year of his age, when Bilney addreffed him; and as we have led the reader to the conversion of honest Latimer it will here be neceffary before we proceed, briefly to lay before him, the ftate of Religion and the Clergy at this time, and this we will gather concisely from the ecclefiaftical hiftorians of the reign of King Henry VIII: "The cathedral Clergy, fay they,

throughout the kingdom gave themfelves up

wholly to idlenefs and pleafure; they de"cried and difcouraged learning; affirming, "that learning would bring in herefy, and all manner of mischief; the rural and parochial Clergy were univerfally ignorant, flothful, "idle, fuperftitious, proud and vicious; preach

ing most of them but once a quarter on a Sunday, and but few more than once a "month, on the firft Sunday thereof. In Lent "sermons were more frequent, but these usually turned on abftinence, confeffion, the

"neceffity

neceffity of corporal feverities, pilgrimages, "the enriching of the fhrines, and the relics "of the faints, and the great ufe of indul"gencies; no pains was taken to inform the people of the hatefulness of vice, and the excellency of holiness, or of the wonderful "love of Chrift, by which men might be en

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This

gaged to acknowledge and obey him. It "was far otherwife on the holy or faints days, "for on them the monks and the friars and "others would afcend the pulpit, and instead "of fermons harangue the people on the "merits, fupererogations and miracles of the "faints, to the memory of whom the day was "dedicated, magnifying their relics, which "they always took care to inform them were "laid up in fuch and fuch places." cuftom of the church of Rome is a remain of the old heathen cuftom of extolling the fathers and first benefactors of mankind, who lived long before the period of divine revelation. It was then cuftomary for the oldeft man, or the father of the tribe or nation, in a plain and inartificial manner, on a fet-day to relate to the rifing generation the great things their ancestor, patron or founder had done for them.

The hiftorians conclude: "That the Clergy "of this time were generally fuperftitious, and "their corruptions were fo notorious, and "their cruelty fo enraged, that the people "were deeply prejudiced against them. And "if any man denied them any part of that "respect, or of those advantages to which they

pretended, he was prefently brought under "the fufpicion of herefy, and vexed with imprisonments,

"prisonments, and articles in the fpiritual courts were exhibited against him." Notwithstanding all this, it ought not here to be forgot, that though these men were to a shameful degree negligent in the duty of preaching, and withal corrupt in their morals, yet they were not an unpraifing and an unpraying Clergy. The cathedral, monaftic and many of the parochial churches were continually open and mass was faid in them almost hourly from fun-rife to fun-fet. In our church of London, it was now usual every day, at canonical hours, to fee the Bishop, Dean, Prebends, Minor Canons, and Chantors, all of them together attending at mass, and in the most folemn manner offering up the public prayers and thanksgivings to the Author of the universe, and to Jefus Chrift his Son for the ineftimable bleffing of the redemption of the world. The folemnity, regularity and conftancy wherewith they performed their devotions was truly commendable; for as there were thirty Prebends, it was the duty of every one of them in rotation, day after day, to repeat a portion of David's Pfalms. This order was first eftablished about the time of the conqueft when Ulftan was dean, and during the epifcopate of William the Norman. For inftance, the Prebend who held the canonicate then called Totenhale (now Totnam or Tottenham-Court in the Parish of Pancras in the county of Middlesex) was bound in the discharge of the duty of his office, on the first day of every month throughout the year to fing or fay, the portion of David's Pfalms, beginning thus: Beatus

qui non abiit, &c. "Bleffed is the man that "hath not walked in the council of the un

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godly, nor ftood in the way of finners; and " hath not fat in the feat of the scornful." On the second day of every month, the Prebend of the canonicate of Mora extra London (now More-lane and Morefields in the parish of Cripple-gate) faid or fung the portion beginning, Confitebor tibi in toto corde Domine, &c. "I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with "my whole heart; I will fpeak of all thy "marvellous works; I will be glad and rejoice "in thee; yea, my fongs will I make of thy name, O thou moft Higheft." And thus did all the reft of the Prebends daily throughout every month. This was a laudable custom, and agreeable to the genius of the Clergy, doctrines and piety of that time, fince they taught the people, as the Clergy among the Jews and Heathens of old did, that they were interceffors and attoners for men, and that they could offer up to God for the laity the facrifice of prayer and thankfgiving daily in their lieu and stead. And if we may credit the hiftorians of this time, on the grand festivals, fuch as the feafts of the bleffed Virgin, and the converfion of St Paul, &c. all the Clergy belonging to the cathedral, (then upwards of two hundred) all dreffed in their furplices, copes, hoods, &c. accompanied by the Bishop and Dean, performed their devotions in the most folemn and auguft manner the art and zeal of man had invented. This was indeed a fine fight, and like taking heaven by violence.

I hope the reader will excufe this digreffion it being very material to the narrative that is to follow.

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