A. D.

Mary. called) imagine, to break and withstand the acts which were made in your grace's last parliament against their superfluities. Wherefore they that thus do, your grace may know them not to be true followers of Christ. And although 1555. I named the spiritualty to be corrupt with this unthrifty ambition; yet I mean Ambition not all to be faulty therein, for there be some good of them: neither will I that of the spi- your grace should take away the goods due to the church, but take away such evil persons from the goods, and set better in their stead.

ritualty.

Christ

eth no

promo

tion, but

persecution, to his followers.

I name nor appoint no person nor persons, but remit your grace to the rule of our Saviour Christ, as in Matthew vii., "By their fruits ye shall know them." As touching the words that our Saviour Christ spake to his disciples when he sent them to preach his gospel, they be read in Matthew v. and x., where he showeth, that here they shall be hated and despised of all men worldly, and brought before kings and rulers, and that all evil should be said by them, for their preaching sake; but exhorteth them to take patiently such persecution by promis- his own example, saying, "It becometh not the servant to be above the Master. And seeing they called me Beelzebub, what marvel is it, if they call you devilish persons and heretics?" Read the xxivth chapter of St. Matthew's gospel, and there your grace shall see that he promised to the true preachers no worldly promotions or dignity; but persecution and all kinds of punishment, and that they should be betrayed even by their own brethren and children. In John also he saith, "In the world ye shall have oppression, and the world shall hate you but in me you shall have peace.' "1 And in the tenth chapter of St. Matthew's gospel saith our Saviour Christ also, "Lo I send you forth as sheep among wolves." So that the true preachers go like sheep harmless, and be persecuted, and yet they revenge not their wrong, but remit all to God; so far it is off that they will persecute any other but with the word of God only, which is their weapon. word only And so this is the most evident token that our Saviour Jesus Christ would that his gospel and the preachers of it should be knowen by, that it should be despised spiritual among these worldly wise men, and that they should repute it but foolishness and deceivable doctrine; and the true preachers should be persecuted and hated, and driven from town to town, yea, and at the last lose both goods and life.

God's

is the

weapon of

pastors.

The apo

ed, but

Persecution a

sure

mark of

true

ing.

of the

cross.

And yet they that did this persecution, should think that they did well, and a great pleasure to God. And the apostles, remembering this lesson of our Saviour Christ, were content to suffer such persecutions, as you may read in the stles were Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles. But we never read that they ever perpersecut- secuted any man. The holy apostle St. Paul saith, that "every man that will never per- live godly in Christ Jesus, should suffer persecution." And also he saith further, secutors. in the Epistle written to the Philippians, in the first chapter, that "it is not only given you to believe in the Lord, but also to suffer persecution for his sake." Wherefore take this for a sure conclusion, that there, where the word of God is truly preached, there is persecution, as well of the hearers, as of the teachers: and where as is quietness and rest in the worldly pleasure, there is not the truth. For the world loveth all that are of the world, and hateth all things that is preach- contrary to it. And, to be short, St. Paul calleth the gospel the word of the The word cross, the word of punishment. And the holy Scripture doth promise nothing to the favourers and followers of it in this world, but trouble, vexation, and persecution, which these worldly men cannot suffer nor away withal. Therefore pleaseth it your good grace to return to this golden rule of our Master and Saviour Jesus Christ, which is this, " By their fruits you shall know them." For where you see persecution, there is the gospel, and there is the truth; and they that do persecute be void and without all truth, not caring for the clear light, which (as our Saviour Jesus Christ saith in the third chapter of St. John's gospel) "is come into the world, and which shall utter and show forth every man's works." And they whose works be naught, dare not come pretences to this light, but go about to stop it and hinder it, letting as much as they may, prelates that the holy Scripture should not be read in our mother tongue, saying that it would cause heresy and insurrection: and so they persuade, at the least way the Scrip- they would fain persuade, your grace to keep it back. But here mark their shameless boldness, which be not ashamed, contrary to Christ's doctrine, to gather figs of thorns, and grapes of bushes, and to call light darkness, and darkness light, sweet sour, and sour sweet, good evil, and evil good, and to say, that that which teacheth all obedience should cause dissension and strife. But such wisdom, is their belly wisdom, wherewith they judge and measure every thing, to hold (1) John xvi,

Crafty

of the

to stop

ture.

Belly

and keep still this wicked mammon, the goods of this world, which is their God, Mary. and hath so blinded the eyes of their hearts, that they cannot see the clear light of the sacred Scripture, though they babble never so much of it.

A.D.

the Scripture to be

Sinister

But as concerning this matter, other men have showed your grace their 1555. minds, how necessary it is to have the Scripture in English. The which thing Persuaalso your grace hath promised by your last proclamation: the which promise I sion to let pray God that your gracious highness may shortly perform, even to-day, before to-morrow. Nor let the wickedness of these worldly wise men deceive you from read in your godly purpose and promise. Remember the subtle worldly wise counsellors English. of Hanun the son of Nahash, king of the Ammonites, which, when David had counsel sent his servants to comfort the young king for the death of his father, by crafty about imaginations counselled Hanun, not alonely not to receive them gently, but to princes. entreat them most shamefully and cruelly, saying that "they came not to comfort him, but to espy and search his land; so that afterward they, bringing David word how every thing stood, David might come and conquer it." And they caused the young king to shear their heads, and cut their coats by the wicked points, and sent them away like fools; whom he ought rather to have made policy much of, and to have entreated them gently, and have given them great thanks its own and rewards. O wretched counsellors! But see what followed of this carnal destruction. and worldly wisdom. Truly nothing but destruction of all the whole realm, and also of all them that took their parts.

turned to

of insur

prelates

Christ's

ed and

Therefore good king, seeing that the right David, that is to say, our Saviour Under the Christ, hath sent his servants, that is to say, true preachers, and his own word pretence also, to comfort our weak and sick souls, let not these worldly men make your rections grace believe that they will cause insurrection and heresies, and such mischiefs and hereas they imagine of their own mad brains, lest that he be avenged upon you and sies, the your realm, as was David upon the Ammonites, and as he hath ever been stop the avenged upon them which obstinately withstand and againsay his word. But liberty of peradventure they will lay this against me, and say that experience doth show, gospel. how that such men as call themselves followers. of the gospel regard not objection your grace's commandment, neither set by your proclamation; and that was preventwell proved by those persons which of late were punished in London for keep- answered ing such books as your grace had prohibited by proclamation and So, like as they regarded not this, so they will not regard nor esteem other your grace's laws, statutes, and ordinances. But this is but a crafty persuasion: for your grace knoweth that there is no man living, specially that loveth worldly promotion, that is so foolish, to set forth, promote, or enhance his enemy, whereby he should be let of his worldly pleasures and fleshly desires: but rather he will seek all the ways possible that he can, utterly to confound, destroy, and put him out of the way. And so as concerning your last proclamation, prohibiting Cause of such books, the very true cause of it and chief counsellors (as men say, and of the prolikelihood it should be) were they, whose evil living and cloaked hypocrisy these against books uttered and disclosed. And howbeit that there were three or four, that Scripture would have had the Scripture to go forth in English, yet it happened there, English. as it is evermore seen, that the most part overcometh the better. And so it might be that these men did not take this proclamation as yours, but as theirs A pracset forth in your name, as they have done many times more, which hath put prelates this your realm in great hinderance and trouble, and brought it to great penury; to convey and more would have done, if God hath not mercifully provided to bring your their own grace to knowledge of the falsehood and privy treason, which their head and proclamacaptain was about:3 and be you sure not without adherents, if the matter be der the duly searched. For what marvel is it, that they, being so nigh of your counsel, king's and so familiar with your lords, should provoke both your grace and them to prohibit these books, which before by their own authority have forbidden the New Testament, [under] pain of everlasting damnation? for such is their manner, to send a thousand men to hell, ere they send one to God; and yet the New Testament (and so I think by the other) was meekly offered to every man that would and could, to amend it, if there were any fault.

2

clamation

books in

tice of

tions un

name and authority.

Moreover, I will ask them the causes of all insurrections, which hath been The cause in this realm heretofore; and whence is it, that there be so many extortioners, of insurbribers, murderers, and thieves, which daily do not break only your grace's laws,

(1) 2 Sam. x.

(2) He meaneth of Cranmer, Cromwell, and one or two more, against whom the Bishop of Winchester and his faction did prevail. [See the Appendix.]

(3) He meaneth of the pope, which went about drive to king Henry out of his kingdom, and that not without some adherents near about the king.

rections.

Mary. ordinances, and statutes, but also the laws and commandments of Almighty God? I think they will not say these books, but rather their pardons, which A.D. causeth many a man to sin, in trust of them. For as for those malefactors 1555. which I now rehearsed, you shall not find one amongst a hundred, but that he will cry out both of these books, and also of them that have them, yea and will be glad to spend the good which he hath wrongfully gotten upon faggots to burn both the books, and them that have them.

The

enemies

to the gospel.

The fro

ward life

of the gospellers

And as touching these men that were lately punished for these books, there greatest is no man, I hear say, that can lay any word or deed against them that should sound to the breaking of any of your grace's laws, this only except, if it be yours, and not rather theirs. And be it so that there be some that have these books, that be evil, unruly and self-willed persons, not regarding God's laws nor man's, yet these books be not the cause thereof, no more than was the bodily presence of Christ, and his words, the cause that Judas fell, but their own not to be froward mind and carnal wit, which should be amended by the virtuous example gospel. of living of their curates and by the true exposition of the Scriptures. If the Lack of lay people had such curates, that would thus do their office, these books, nor the good cu- devil himself, could not hurt them, nor make them to go out of frame: so that the lack of good curates is the destruction and cause of all mischief. Neither do of all mis- I write these things because that I will either excuse these men lately punished, chief in or to affirm all to be true written in these books, which I have not all read; but to show that there cannot such inconvenience follow of them, and specially of the scripture, as they would make men believe should follow.

laid to the

rates is the cause

the realm.

The gospel will not go forth

persecu

tion,

ing there

fore the

day.

And though it be so that your grace may by other books, and namely by the scripture itself, know and perceive the hypocrite-wolves clad in sheep's clothing, yet I think myself bound in conscience to utter unto your grace such things as without God put in [my] mind to write. And this I do (God so judge me!) not for hate of any person or persons living, nor for that I think the word of God should though go forth without persecution, if your grace had commanded that every man the read- within your realm should have it in his mother's tongue. For the gospel must of be free, needs have persecution unto the time that it be preached throughout all the The last world, which is the last sign that Christ showed to his disciples should come sign be- before the day of judgment: so that if your grace had once commanded that the judgment scripture should be put forth, the devil would set forth some wile or other to persecute the truth. But my purpose is, for the love that I have to God principally, and the glory of his name, which is only known by his word, and for the true allegiance that I owe unto your grace, and not to hide in the ground Latimer of my heart the talent given me of God, but to chaffer it forth to other that it forth his may increase to the pleasure of God, to exhort your grace to avoid and beware of these mischievous flatterers and their abominable ways and counsels. And take heed whose counsels your grace doth take in this matter: for there be some that, for fear of losing of their worldly worship and honour, will not leave of their opinion, which rashly, and that to please men withal by whom they had great promotion,' they took upon them to defend by writing, so that now they think that all their felicity, which they put in this life, should be marred, and their wisdom not so greatly regarded, if that which they have so slanderously oppressed should be now put forth and allowed. But, alas! let these men remember St. Paul, how fervent he was against the truth (and that of a good zeal) before he was called: he thought no shame to suffer punishment and great persecutions for that which, before, he despised and called heresy. And I am sure that their living is not more perfect than St. Paul's was, as concerning the outward works of the law, before he was converted.

chaffereth

talent.

Paul, a

good ex

ample for

all

perse

cutors to

follow.

David a

ample for all

Also the king and prophet David was not ashamed to forsake his good intent good ex- in building of the temple, after that the prophet Nathan had showed him that it was not the pleasure of God that he should build any house for him; and, kings to notwithstanding that Nathan had before allowed and praised the purpose of David, yet he was not ashamed to revoke and eat his words again, when he tents and knew that they were not according to God's will and pleasure.

submit

their in

purposes to God's word.

Wherefore they be sore drowned in worldly wisdom, that think it against their worship to acknowledge their ignorance, whom I pray to God that your grace may espy, and take heed of their worldly wisdom, which is foolishness

(1) He meaneth this belike by Sir Thomas More, who, for the bishop's pleasure, set his pen against the gospel.

(2) By Nathan we may learn not to be ashamed to call back our words when we know God's pleasure to be otherwise.

before God; that you may do that God commandeth, and not that seemeth good Mary. in your own sight without the word of God, that your grace may be found acceptable in his sight, and one of the members of his church; and, according to A.D. the office that he hath called your grace unto, you may be found a faithful 1555. minister of his gifts, and not a defender of his faith: for he will not have it defended by man or man's power, but by his word only, by the which he hath evermore defended it, and that by a way far above man's power or reason, as all the stories of the Bible make mention.

Wherefore, gracious king, remember yourself, have pity upon your soul; and think that the day is even at hand, when you shall give account of your office, and of the blood that hath been shed with your sword. In the which day that your grace may stand steadfastly, and not be ashamed, but be clear and ready in your reckoning, and to have (as they say) your "quietus est" sealed with the blood of our Saviour Christ, which only serveth at that day, is my daily prayer to him that suffered death for our sins, which also prayeth to his Father for grace for us continually. To whom be all honour and praise for ever, Amen. The Spirit of God preserve your grace.-Anno Domini 1530. Prim. die Decembris.

things in

to the

consi

In this letter of master Latimer to the king above prefixed, many Divers things we have to consider: first, his good conscience to God, his this letter good-will to the king, the duty of a right pastor unto truth, his ofLatimer tender care to the commonwealth, and specially to the church of king to be Christ. Further, we have to consider the abuse of princes' courts, dered. how kings many times be abused with flatterers and wicked counsellors about them; and specially we may note the subtle practices of prelates, in abusing the name and authority of kings, to set forth their own malignant proceedings. We may see moreover, and rather Heavenly marvel at in the said letter, the great boldness and divine stoutness courage of in this man, who, as yet being no bishop, so freely and plainly without in disall fear of death, adventuring his own life to discharge his conscience, his condurst so boldly, to so mighty a prince, in such a dangerous case, against science. the king's law and proclamation set out in such a terrible time, take upon him to write, and to admonish that, which no counsellor durst once speak unto him, in defence of Christ's gospel. Whose example if the bishops and prelates of this realm, for their parts likewise in like cases of necessity would follow (as indeed they should), so many things peradventure would not be so out of frame as they be, and also for lack that the officers of God's word do not their duty.

charging

with his

ness

Finally, this moreover in the said letter is to be noted, how bless- The king edly Almighty God wrought with his faithful servant's bold adven- pleased ture, and wholesome counsel, though it did not prevail through the plaininiquity of the time: yet, notwithstanding, God so wrought with his servant in doing his duty, that no danger nor yet displeasure rose to him thereby, but rather thanks and good-will of the prince, for, not long after the same, he was advanced by the king to the bishopric of Worcester, as is above declared.

Seeing master Latimer was so bold and plain with the king (as is afore specified), no great marvel if he did use the like freedom and plainness toward other meaner persons in admonishing them of their misorder, especially if any such occasion were given, where truth and equity required his defence against injury and oppression: for example whereof we have another letter of his written to a certain justice of the peace in Warwickshire, who, as he is long since departed, so he shall be here unnamed. The letter, although it may seem somewhat

A.D.

shops, and

pastors to follow.

Mary. long and tedious, yet I thought here not to overpass the same for divers and sundry respects: first that the virtue and faithful conscience 1555. of this good pastor may appear more at large; also for that all other Example bishops and pastors by this example may learn with like zeal and for bi- stomach to discharge their duty and conscience in reforming things all good amiss, and in powdering with the salt of God's word the sores of the people. Which thing if every bishop for his part within his diocese had done in king Edward's days, in redressing such corruption of that time with like diligence as this man did, verily I suppose that the persecution of queen Mary had not so plagued the realm as it did : but where never a man almost liveth in due order, and yet never a bishop Warning will stir to seek redress, what can become of the realm? Item, of peace. another respect is, because of the justices and all other placed in room and office, which may take heed thereby, not to abuse their authority to tread down truth, and bear down poor men with open wrong, through extortion or partiality. And finally, that all injurious oppressors whatsoever, by the said letter may take some fruit of wholesome admonition. What the argument and occasion was of this letter, I showed before. The tenor and purport thereof, as it was written to the gentleman, is this as followeth.

to justices

A fruitful Letter of Master Latimer, written to a certain
Gentleman.

Right worshipful, salutem in Domino. And now, sir, I understand, that you be in great admirations at me, and take very grievously my manner of writing to you, adding thereunto that " you will not bear it at my hand, no, not and I were the best bishop in England," etc.

Ah sir! I see well I may say as the common saying is, "Well, I have fished and caught a frog;" brought little to pass with much ado. "You will not bear it with me," you say. Why sir? what will ye do with me? You will not fight with me, I trow. It might seem unseemly for a justice of peace to be a breaker of peace: I am glad the doting time of my foolish youth is gone and past. What will you then do with me, in that you say you will not bear it at my hand? What hath my hand offended you? Perchance you will convent me before some judge, and call me into some court. God turn it to good I refuse no judgment. Let us accuse one another, that one of us may amend another, in the name of the Lord. Let justice proceed with judgment:' and then and there, do best, have best, for club half-penny. Or peradventure ye will set pen to paper, and all to rattle me up in a letter, wherein, confuting me, you will defend yourself and your brother against me. Now that would I see, quoth long Robin, ut dicitur vulgariter. I cannot choose but much allow such diligence for so should both your integrities and innocencies best appear, if you be able to defend both your own proceedings, and your brother's doings, in this matter to be upright. And then will I gladly give place, confessing my fault humbly, as one conquered with just reasons.3 But I think it will

not be.

But now first of all let me know what it is that ye will not bear at my hand? What have I done with my hand? What hath my hand trespassed you? Forsooth, that can I tell; no man better: for I have charitably monished you in a secret letter, of your slipper-dealing, and such like misbehaviour. What a sore matter is this! And will ye not bear so much with me? Will ye not take such a show of my good will towards you, and toward the saving of your

(1) Deus bene vertat. Equidem non recuso judicium ullum. Accusemus invicem, ut emendemus alius alium in nomine Domini. Fiat justitia in judicio.

(2) Non potero sane non vehementer probare ejusmodi industriam.

(3) Et ego tum justis rationibus victus, libenter cedam, culpam humiliter confessurus.
(4) O quam grave piaculum !