for us, as they have done for that that they have said for them, they would not Nor at this: Magdalen did not know Christ to be God, before his resurrection. Nor at this: Rome cannot be destroyed. Nor at this: The pope is lord of all the world. Nor at this: Whatsoever he doth is well done. Nor at this: Pater noster is to be said to St. Peter. Nor at this: Ave Maria is infinitely better. Nor at this: Twenty Ave Marias for one Pater noster. Nor at this: It was not necessary Scripture to be written. Nor at this: He that leaveth father and mother, maketh for our pilgrimage. Now, after these things thus finished and discoursed pertaining to the story of his life, let us come to his letters, which he wrote at divers and sundry times from the first beginning of his preaching, all which here to comprehend which he wrote both in English and Latin, lack of space and place at this present will not permit: nevertheless certain we will take, and first concerning the articles above mentioned, for the which he was troubled by the priests of the country about his benefice at West-Kington; which he writeth thereof to master Morice, the copies whereof follow. LETTERS OF MASTER LATIMER. A Letter of Master Latimer to Master Morice, concerning the Mary. A.D. 1555. Right worshipful and mine own good master Morice, salutem in Christo Jesu. -And I thank you for all hearty kindness, not only heretofore showed unto me, but also that now of late you would vouchsafe to write unto me, so poor a wretch, to my great comfort among all these my troubles. I trust and doubt nothing in it, but God will reward you for me, and supply abundantly mine unability, etc. Master Morice, you would wonder to know how I have been entreated at Bristol, I mean of some of the priests, which first desired me, wel- Note the comed me, made me cheer, heard what I said, and allowed my saying in all dissemthings while I was with them. When I was gone home to my benefice, per- bling inceiving that the people favoured me so greatly, and that the mayor had constancy of popish appointed me to preach at Easter, privily they procured an inhibition for all priests. them that had not the bishop's license, which they knew well enough I had not, Inhibiand so craftily defeated master mayor's appointment, pretending that they were tion prosorry for it; procuring also certain preachers to blatter against me, as Hubber- cured din and Powell, with other more, whom when I had brought before the mayor Latimer and the wise council of the town, to know what they could lay to my charge, not to wherefore they so declaimed against me, they said they spake of information: preach. howbeit no man could be brought forth that would abide by any thing. So that din and they had place and time to belie me shamefully; but they had no place nor time Powell to lay to my charge, when I was present and ready to make them answer. God preach amend them, and swage their malice that they have against the truth and Latimer. me, etc. against Hubber against "Our Lady was a sinner.”—So they did belie me to have said, when I had What the said nothing so, but to reprove certain, both priests and beneficed-men, which papists do do give so much to our Lady, as though she had not been saved by Christ, a give to whole Saviour both of her, and of all that be and shall be saved. I did reason our Lady. Our Lady after this manner: that either she was a sinner, or no sinner. If a sinner, then not withshe was delivered from sin by Christ; so that he saved her, either by delivering out sin. Mary. or preserving her from sin; so that without him neither she, nor none other, either be, or could be saved. And, to avoid all offence, I showed how it might A. D. be answered, both to certain scriptures which make all generally sinners, and 1555. how it might be answered unto Chrysostome and Theophylact, which make her Papists namely and specially a sinner. But all would not serve, their malice was so deprave great; notwithstanding that five hundred honest men can and will bear record. whenthey When they cannot reprove that thing that I do say, then they will belie me disprove. to say that thing that they can reprove; for they will needs appear to be against me. cannot Difference images and saints. "Saints are not to be worshipped."-So they lied when I had showed divers betwixt significations of this word "saints" among the vulgar people. First, images of saints are called saints, and so they are not to be worshipped: take worshipping of them for praying to them-for they are neither mediators by way of redemption, nor yet by way of intercession. And yet they may be well used, when they be applied to that use that they were ordained for, to be laymen's books for remembrance of heavenly things, etc. ria, no prayer. Take saints for inhabiters of heaven, and worshipping of them for praying to them-I never denied, but that they might be worshipped, and be our mediators, though not by way of redemption (for so Christ alone is a whole mediator, both for them and for us), yet by the way of intercession.' "Pilgrimage."—And I never denied pilgrimage. And yet I have said that much scurf must be pared away,2 ere ever it can be well done; superstition, idolatry, false faith and trust in the image, unjust estimation of the thing, setting aside God's ordinance for doing of the thing; debts must be paid, restitutions made, wife and children be provided for, duty to our poor neighbours discharged. And when it is at the best, before it be vowed, it need not to be done; for it is neither under the bidding of God, nor of man, to be done. And wives must counsel with husbands, and husbands and wives with curates, before it be vowed to be done, etc. "Ave Maria."-As for the Ave Maria, who can think that I would deny it? I said it was a heavenly greeting or saluting of our blessed Lady, wherein the angel Gabriel, sent from the Father of heaven, did annunciate and show unto her the good-will of God towards her, what he would with her, and to what he Ave Ma- had chosen her. But I said, it was not properly a prayer, as the Pater noster, which our Saviour Christ himself made for a proper prayer, and bade us say it for a prayer, not adding that we should say ten or twenty Ave Marias withal: and I denied not but that we may well say Ave Maria also, but not so that we shall think that the Pater noster is not good, a whole and perfect prayer, nor cannot be well said without Ave Maria. So that I did not speak against well saying of it, but against superstitious saying of it, and of the Pater noster too; and yet I put a difference betwixt that, and that which Christ made to be said for a prayer, etc. Whether hell be a material fire, or The worm "No Fire in Hell."-Whoever could say or think so? Howbeit good authors the fire in do put a difference betwixt a suffering in the fire with bodies, and without bodies. The soul without the body is a spiritual substance, which they say cannot receive a corporal quality; and some make it a spiritual fire, and some spiritual. a corporal fire. For as it is called a fire, so it is called a worm, and it is of consci-thought of some not to be a material worm, that is a living beast, but it is a ence is so metaphor; but that is neither to nor fro: for a fire it is; a worm it is; pain it called by is; a torment it is; an anguish it is; a grief, a misery, a sorrow; a heaviness phorical inexplicable, intolerable, whose nature and condition in every point who can speech. tell, but he that is of God's privy council, saith3 St. Augustine? God give us grace rather to be diligent to keep us out of it, than to be curious to discuss the property of it; for certain we be, that there is little ease, yea none at all, but weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth; which be two effects of extreme pain—rather certain tokens what pain there is, than what manner of pain there is. a meta "No Purgatory."-He that showeth the state and condition of it, doth not (1) See Master Latimer's error in those days. (2) "Pare away the scurf," and clean take away all popery. deny it. But I had leaver be in it, than in Lollards' Tower, the bishop's prison, for divers skills and causes. First, In this I might die bodily for lack of meat and drink in that I could not. Item, In this I might die ghostly for fear of pain, or lack of good counsel: there I could not. Item, In this I might be in extreme necessity: in that I could not if it be peril of perishing. Item, In this I might lack charity: there I could not. Item, In this I might murmur and grudge against God: in that I could not. Item, In this I might be displeased with God: in that I could not. Item, In this I might be judged to perpetual prison, as they call it: in that I could not. Item, In this I might be craftily handled, in that I could not. Item, In this I might be brought to bear a faggot: in that I could not. Item, In this I might be a member of the devil: in that I could not. Item, In this they might strangle me, and say that I hanged myself:1 in that they could not. Item, In this they might have me to the consistory, and judge me after their fashion: from thence they could not. Ergo, I had lieffer to be there than here. For though the fire be called never so hot, yet and if the bishop's two fingers can shake away a piece, a friar's cowl another part, and "scala cœli" altogether, I will never found abbey, college, nor chantry for that purpose. Mary. A. D. 1555 Why it is better to be in purgatory than in Lollards' Tower. damned for tory hell. For seeing there is no pain that can break my charity, break my patience, cause me to dishonour God, to displease God, to be displeased with God, cause me not to joy in God, nor that can bring me to danger of death or to danger of desperation, or from surety of salvation; that can separate me from What is Christ, or Christ from me; I care the less for it. John Chrysostome saith, the greatthat the greatest pain that damned souls have, is to be separate and cut off from est pain to Christ for ever: which pain, he saith, is greater than many hells; which pain souls. the souls in purgatory neither have nor can have. Consider, master Morice, whether provision for purgatory hath not brought Provision thousands to hell. Debts have not been paid; restitution of evil-gotten lands purgaand goods hath not been made; christian people (whose necessities we see; bringeth to whom whatsoever we do, Christ reputeth done to himself; to whom we are many to bounden under pain of damnation to do for, as we would be done for ourself) are neglected and suffered to perish; last wills unfulfilled and broken; God's ordinance set aside; and also for purgatory, foundations have been taken for sufficient satisfaction: so we have trifled away the ordinance of God and restitutions. Thus we have gone to hell with masses, diriges, and ringing of many a bell. And who can pill pilgrimages from idolatry, and purge purgatory from robbery, but he shall be in peril to come in suspicion of heresy with them? so that they may pill with pilgrimage and spoil with purgatory. And verily the What the abuse of them cannot be taken away, but great lucre and vantage shall fall wasp is away from them, which had lieffer have profit with abuse, than lack the same stingeth with use; and that is the wasp that doth sting them, and maketh them to swell. the paAnd if purgatory were purged of all that it hath gotten, by setting aside resti- pists, and tution, and robbing of Christ, it would be but a poor purgatory; so poor, that them to it should not be able to feed so fat, and trick up so many idle and slothful swell. lubbers. (1) As they did with Hun. [See vol. iv. p. 188.-ED.] that maketh Mary. A. D. The pope's pardon ing out vention. I take God to witness, I would hurt no man, but it grieveth me to see such abuse continue without remedy; I cannot understand what they mean by the pope's pardoning of purgatory, but by way of suffrage; and as for suffrage, 1555. unless he do his duty, and seek not his own but Christ's glory, I had lieffer have the suffrage of Jack of the scullery, which in his calling doth exercise both faith and charity; but for his mass. And that is as good of another simple priest as of him. For, as for authority of keys, it is to loose from guiltiness of sin and of purga- eternal pain, due to the same, according to Christ's word, and not to his own tory, a private will. And as for pilgrimage, you would wonder what juggling there is to get money withal. I dwell within half a mile of the Foss-way, and you Authority would wonder to see how they come by flocks out of the west country to many of keys. images, but chiefly to the blood of Hayles. And they believe verily that it is Pilgrim the very blood that was in Christ's body, shed upon the mount of Calvary for our salvation, and that the sight of it with their bodily eye, doth certify them, and putteth them out of doubt, that they be in clean life, and in state of salvation without spot of sin, which doth bolden them to many things. For you would wonder if you should commune with them both coming and going, what faiths they have for as for forgiving their enemies, and reconciling their christian brethren, they cannot away withal; for the sight of that blood doth quite them for the time. age. Two certifications. The bodily see ing of Christ's I read in Scripture of two certifications; one to the Romans, "We being justified by faith, have peace with God." If I see the blood of Christ with the eye of my soul, that is true faith that his blood was shed for me, etc. Another in the Epistle of John: "We know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren." But I read not that I have peace with God, nor that I am translated from death to life, because I see with my bodily eye the blood of Hayles. It is very probable, that all the blood that was in the body of Christ, was united and knit to his divinity, and then no part thereof shall return to his corruption. And I marvel that Christ shall have two blood pro- resurrections. And if it were that they did violently and injuriously pluck it out of his body, when they scourged him and nailed him to the cross, did see it with their bodily eye, yet they were not in clean life. And we see the selfsame blood in form of wine, when we have consecrated, and may both see it, feel it, and receive it to our damnation, as touching bodily receiving. And many do see it at Hayles without confession, as they say. God knoweth all, and the devil in our time is not dead. fiteth little. against Christ hath left a doctrine behind him, wherein we be taught how to believe, and what to believe; he doth suffer the devil to use his crafty fashion for our trial and probation. It were little thankworthy to believe well and rightly, if nothing should move us to false faith, and to believe superstitiously. It was not in vain that Christ, when he had taught truly, by and by bade beware of Warning false prophets, which would bring in error slily. But we be secure and uncareful, as though false prophets could not meddle with us, and as though the warning of Christ were no more earnest and effectual than is the warning of mothers when they trifle with their children, and bid them beware the bugge, etc. Lo sir, how I run at riot beyond measure. When I began, I was minded to have written but half a dozen lines; but thus I forget myself ever when I write to a trusty friend, which will take in worth my folly, and keep it from mine enemy, etc. false prophets. Dr. Wil son against As for Dr. Wilson, I wot not what I should say; but I pray God indue him with charity. Neither he, nor none of his countrymen, did ever love me, since I did inveigh against their factions and partiality in Cambridge. Before that, Latimer, who was more favoured of him than I? That is the bile that may not be and why. touched, etc. master See A certain friend showed me, that Dr. Wilson is gone now into his country Appendir. about Beverley in Holderness; and from thence he will go a progress through Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, and so from thence to Bristol. What he intended by this progress, God knoweth, and not I. If he come to Bristol, I shall hear tell, etc. As for Hubberdin, no doubt he is a man of no great learning, nor yet of (1) This blood of Hayles was proved before the king, and openly showed at Paul's Cross by the bishop of Rochester that then was, to be but the blood of a duck. [See vol. v. p. 406.—ED.] (2) "Justificati ex fide, pacem habemus." (3) "Nos scimus quod translati sumus de morte ad vitam, quoniam diligimus fratres." See Appendix. preacher of popery. stable wit. He is here "servus hominum;" for he will preach whatsoever the Mary. bishops will bid him preach. Verily, in my mind, they are more to be blamed than he. He doth magnify the pope more than enough. As for our Saviour A. D. Christ and christian kings, they are little beholden to him. No doubt he did 1555. miss the cushion in many things. Howbeit they that did send him, men think, will defend him; I pray God amend him and them both. They would fain make matter against me, intending so either to deliver him by me, or else to rid us both together, and so they would think him well bestowed, etc. As touching Dr. Powell, how highly he took upon him in Bristol, and how Dr. Powell little he regarded the sword, which representeth the king's person, many can a stont tell you. I think there is never an earl in this realm that knoweth his obedience by Christ's commandment to his prince, and wotteth what the sword doth signify, that would have taken upon him so stoutly. Howbeit master mayor, as he is a profound wise man, did twicke him prettily; it were too long to write all. Our pilgrimages are not a little beholden to him; for, to occasion the people to them, he alleged this text: "Whosoever leaveth father, house, Scripture wife," etc. By that you may perceive his hot zeal and crooked judgment, etc. applied of Because I am so belied, I could wish that it would please the king's grace to pists. command me to preach before his highness a whole year together every Sunday, that he himself might perceive how they belie me, saying, that I have neither learning, nor utterance worthy thereunto, etc. I pray you pardon me; I can not make an end. A BRIEF DIGRESSION TOUCHING THE RAILING OF HUBBERDIN, the pa din a hypo din, Forasmuch as mention hath been made in this letter of Hubberdin, Hubberan old divine of Oxford, a right painted pharisee, and a great strayer right abroad in all quarters of the realm to deface and impeach the spring- image of ing of God's holy gospel, something would be added more, touching crisy. that man, whose doings and pageants, if they might be described at large, it were as good as any interlude for the reader to behold; who, in all his life, and in all his actions (in one word to describe him), seemeth nothing else but a right image or a counterfeit, setting out unto us in lively colours the pattern of perfect hypocrisy. But because the man is now gone, to spare therefore the dead (although he little deserved to be spared, which never spared to work what villany he could against the true servants of the Lord), this shall be enough for example's sake, for all christian men necessarily to observe, how the said Hubberdin, after his long railing in all places against Luther, Hubber Melancthon, Zuinglius, John Frith, Tyndale, Latimer, and all other dia like professors, after his hypocritical open alms, given out of other railer men's purses, his long prayers, pretensed devotions, devout fastings, the serhis woolward-going, and other his prodigious demeanour,-riding in Christ. his long gown down to the horse-heels like a pharisee, or rather like a sloven dirted up to the horse-belly,-after his forged tales and fables, dialogues, dreams, dancings, hoppings and leapings, with other like histrionical toys and gestures used in the pulpit, and all against heretics at last, riding by a church side, where the youth of the parish were dancing in the churchyard, suddenly this Silenus, lighting from his horse, by the occasion of their dancing came into the church, and there causing the bell to toll in the people, thought instead of a fitte of mirth to give them a sermon of dancing. In the which sermon, after ing serhe had patched up certain common texts out of the Scriptures, and mon of then coming to the doctors, first to Augustine, then to Ambrose, so din. (1)" Omnis qui relinquit patrem, domos, uxorem." great against vants of A dane Hubber |