ftiles him the bleffed martyr of God, fays, " he "was a charitable, fimple, good foul."

1532. Latimer did not follow Bilney into Norfolk, but ftaid in Cambridge, preaching in Doctor Barnes's church, and affifting him in the discharge of his paftoral duty. Latimer was one of those antiquated divines, who thought it his duty, not only continually to vifit and inftruct the well, but alfo the fick and imprisoned. In doing this part of his duty (for it is the duty of every minister of the gospel to vifit the fick and imprisoned) he found in Cambridge goal, a woman under fentence of death for the murder of her own child. He carefully examined her as to her guilt, and finding, as he was perfuaded in his own mind, that the woman was, through the illwill, hatred and malice of her husband, falfly accused, he went up to London, told the King the whole matter, with all its circumftances, and joining thereto his own opinion, procured her pardon. And it is here to be noted, that this good man made ufe of his intereft at court more to serve others than himself.

About this time it happened, that the King sent Doctor Butts, his phyfician, to Cambridge, to folicit the opinions of all the learned men in that University relating to the popular subject of the divorce. Whoever would at this time curry favour with that refolute monarch must say as he faid. It was now alfo Henry's opinion, that he ought to be head of the English church. Doctor Butts was zealously of this opinion, and coming to Cambridge he founded Latimer on this topic, and found him of the fame way of

thinking;

thinking; only perhaps with this difference, Butts was the advocate of the King's Supremacy politically, but Latimer was fo confcientiously. However, Latimer was found fo fit a perfon for the fupport of the cause, that Butts, on his return to London, prevailed on Latimer to go with him.

Doctor Butts introduced Latimer to Court, in the year 1533, where he preached on the fubject of the King's Supremacy with great clearness and fuccefs. Every one was taken with his familiar way of exprefling himself, and more with the real honeft intention of his heart, which appeared in all his discourses and tranfactions. The fucceeding year Butts recommended Latimer to Lord Cromwell, who being well fatisfied of his fufficiency and ability to fupport the task he had undertaken, prefented Latimer to the rectory of Weftkington, in the County of Wilts, in the diocefe of Salisbury, then vacant, and in the King's gift. Latimer accepted it.

But had either Cromwell or Butts knew the confequence, the would not have thus provided for him. They did it to encourage him in the great work they had to be done; for as he was then the most diligent and popular Preacher in the kingdom, they wanted him to preach up and down London, the King's Supremacy. But honest Latimer no fooner had procured induction and institution to his living, but he was immediately for leaving the Court, and for going and refiding on his benefice. Butts would feign have diffuaded him from this by telling him," He was deferting

с

"the

"the fairest opportunity of making his for

tune. The minifter intends this only as an " earnest of his future favours; and will cer"tainly in time, do great things for you. But "it is the manner of Courts to confider them as provided for who are fatisfied; and take my word for it an abfent claimant ftands "but a poor chance among rivals, who have "the advantage of being present."

All this had no weight with Master Latimer, he had no other notion of things than of making himself useful and ferviceable to the people, the cure of whofe fouls he had fo folemnly undertaken. He was likewife glad of this opportunity that he might retire from the noise and hurry of a Court, where he had with the deepest concern beheld every vice in its zenith, and malice, envy, detraction and vanity riding triumphant.

And now we are to regard Master Latimer as a parish-priest, as rector of the parish of Weftkington, in Wiltshire. Here, fays Fox, his diligence was fo great, his preaching fo mighty, and the manner of his teaching fo zealous, not only in his own parish church, but alfo in other churches in every part of Wiltshire, that the people every where flocked about him, and where much edified by him. In his fermons to the people, he plainly and clearly proved, that the doctrine of a purgatory was a pick-purfe doctrine; that the holy Virgin was not to be prayed to; that the being herself a finful woman, could not be an interceffor and mediator before God for us men; and that only Chrift was to be prayed

to,

to, who was the lamb of God, whofe blood was fhed for the fins of the whole world; and who now was fitting at the right hand of his father continually making interceffion for us; to him, and to him only ought all men to pray. He farther faid, that the faints were not to be worshipped, nor prayed unto on any account whatsoever; and laftly, he affirmed, that there was no material fire in hell. It is to be obferved, that Master Latimer, in all his dif courses both public and private, never forgot to infift on the abfurdity and ridiculousness of praying to God in an unknown tongue, and of the great neceffity and ufefulness of an English translation of the Bible, that all men might be judges of the truth of the doctrines he preached, and themselves thereby fee their own way to heaven.

1

The defire of the laity to perufe the facred writings in their own language became now almost universal, and the more the Clergy oppofed the tranflation, the more defirous were the people for it. Books containing extracts out of the Bible were daily printed, publifhed, and difperfed all over the kingdom; and the general cry of almost all orders of the people feemed to be for an English translation thereof. The Popish party, the Bifhops, Monks and Clergy oppofed it with all the rancor and malice they were capable of; and that not being fufficient, they at length procured the royal injunction to command all perfons in every diocefe poffeffed of any of these books, wrote either in favour of the Reformation, or of the defired tranflation, to bring them

in to the vicar-generals or commiffaries, on pain of excommunication, that they might be burnt as heretical books. It was now-about, that Stokesley, Bishop of London, in his zeal to crush the progrefs of the Reformation, fent into Holland, purchased half of Tindal's Edition of an English translation of the Bible, brought them over here, and publicly (and I think it may be justly faid impiously) `burnt them in Cheapfide. Thefe wicked proceedings fo raised the honeft zeal of Mafter Latimer, that he wrote the following letter to King Henry the eighth.

"St Auguftine tells us, That he who through fear, bideth the truth, provoketh the wrath of "heaven, as a perfon who fears man more than " God. And St Chryfoftom gives it as his

opinion, That a perfon may betray the "truth, as well by concealing it, as difguifing it. "These sentences, great King, occured to me very lately; and have had fuch an effect

upon me, that I muft either open my con"fcience to your Majefty, or rank myfelf acc mong fuch perfons as these two holy fathers " cenfure. The latter I cannot think of. But "alas! there are men upon whom fuch fevere "cenfures have no effect: there are men, who, "pretending to be guides and teachers in reli

gion, not only conceal the truth, but pro"hibit others to fet it forth; blind guides, "who fhut up the kingdom of heaven from "men, and will neither enter in themselves, "neither fuffer them that would, to enter. "And not content with obftructing the word

of God to the utmost of their own autho

"rity,