1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1942 
CloseThe account of Latimer's life appeared in the 1563 edition. (There is nothing on Latimer's life in the Rerum, which is a powerful indication of the pressure on Foxe to sacrifice material in order to complete the work on time). Foxe's sources for the 1563 account are largely Latimer's own sermons and letters, Latimer's own descriptions of his early life (it is worth remembering that Foxe knew Latimer personally) and Augustine Bernher's dedication to the collection of Latimer's sermons which he edited. Bernher also probably contributed his own memories of Latimer and this may well have also been true of Mary Glover, Latimer's niece.
[Back to Top]Even by the low standards of the 1563 edition, the account of Latimer was poorly organised, and one major difference between it and the 1570 account of Latimer was the rearranging of the materials in it into a logical and chronological order. Another major difference was the pruning back of documents: Latimer's 'card' sermons, the citation sent to him by the bishop of Salisbury, Latimer's letter to Archbishop Warham, the ban on his preaching and the articles imputed to him were all dropped from this edition. But if documents were deleted, information from individual informants was added on Latimer's disputes with various friars in Cambridge.
[Back to Top]The 1570 version of Latimer's life was printed without change in 1576. In the 1583 edition, with paper in abundant supply, all of the documentation removed from the account of Latimer's life in the 1570 edition was restored, although the second 'card' sermon was relegated to an appendix.
Marginalia1555. October.MarginaliaThe story of Maister Hugh Latymer, Martyr.NOw consequently after the life of B. Ridley, with other his letters, which partly we haue expressed, partly we haue differred to our latter appendix, foloweth likewise the life and doinges of the worthy champion and old practised souldiour of CHRIST M. Hugh Latimer, of whose Actes & long trauailes euē from his first yeares and tender age to begyn here to entreate: first he was the sonne of one Hugh Latimer, of Thirkesson, in the County of Leycester, a husbandman of right good estimation: with whom also he was brought vp vntill he was of the age of iiij. yeares or thereabout. At which time his parentes (hauyng him as then left for theyr onely sonne, with. 6. other daughters) seyng his ready, prompt, and sharpe wyt, purposed to traine him vp in erudition and knowledge of good literature:MarginaliaMaster Latymer first set to schole. wherein he so profited in his youth at the common Scholes of his owne countrey, that at the age of xiiij. yeares, he was sent to the vniuersitie of Cambridge.MarginaliaMaster Latymer sent to Cābridge. Where, after some continuaunce of exercises in other thinges, he gaue him selfe to the study of such schole Diuinitie, as the ignoraunce of that age did suffer.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaMaster Latymer a long time was a zealous and superstitious Papist.Zelous he was then in the Popish Religion, & therwith so scrupulous (as him selfe confesseth) that being a Priest, and vsing to say Masse, he was so seruile an obseruour of the Romish Decrees, that he had thought he had neuer sufficiently mingled his Massyng wyne with water: and moreouer, that he should neuer be dāned if he were once a professed Frier,
CloseFoxe is basing this claim on a passage in Latimer's first letter to Sir Edward Baynton.
Notwithstandyng such was the goodnes and mercyfull purpose of God, that when he saw his good tyme, by the which way hee thought to haue vtterly defaced the professours of the Gospell and true Church of CHRIST, he was at length him selfe by a member of the same, pretily caught in the blessed net of Gods word. MarginaliaLatymer conuerted by Mast. Bilney.For M. Thomas Bilney (whose story is before described) beyng at that tyme a trier out of Sathās subtilties, and a secret ouerthrower of Antichristes kyngdome, seyng M. Latymer to haue a zeale in his wayes (although without knowledge) was strickē with a brotherly pity towards him, & bethought by what meanes he might best wyn this zelous ignoraunt brother to the true knowledge of CHRIST. Wherfore, after a short tyme, he came to M. Latymers study, and desired hym to heare him make his confession. Which thing he willingly graūted: by the hearing wherof he was (through the good spirite of God) so touched, that hereupō he forsooke his former studying of the schole Doctours, and other such fopperies, & became a earnest student of true Diuinitie, as he him selfe, aswel in his conference with M. Ridley, as also in his first Sermon made vpon the Pater noster,
CloseA somewhat different account of Latimer's conversion, which Foxe did not use, was sent to Foxe by Ralph Morrice, Cranmer's private secretary and a friend of Latimer's (BL, Harley MS 422, fos. 84r-87r).
After this his winnyng to CHRIST, he was not
satisfied wth his own conuersion onely, MarginaliaM. Latymer a Papist, turned to a zealous Christiā.but like a true Disciple of the blessed Samaritane, pitied the misery of others, and therfore became both a publicke preacher, and also a priuate instructour to the rest of his brethrē within the Vniuersitie,MarginaliaM. Latymer becometh a preacher at Cambridge. by the space of iij. yeares,
Close'Two years' in 1563, corrected to three years in 1570.
Amōgest these there was an Augustine Frier, who tooke occasion vpō certaine Sermons that M. Latymer made about Christenmas. 1529. aswell in the Church of S. Edward, as also in S. Augustines, within the Vniuersity in Cambridge, to inueigh agaynst him, for that M. Latimer in the sayd Sermons (alludyng to the cōmon vsage of the season) gaue the people certein cardes out of the. 5. 6. 7. chapters of S. Mathew, whereupon they might, not onely then, but alwayes els occupy their tyme. MarginaliaM. Latymers preaching of the Cardes in Cābridge.For þe chief triumph in þe cardes he lymited the hart, as the principall thyng that they should serue God withall: wherby he quite ouerthrew all hypocriticall and externall ceremonies, not tending to the necessary furtheraunce of Gods holy word & Sacraments. For the better atteinyng hereof, he wished the Scriptures to be in English,
CloseThis sermon has not survived.
The hādlyng of this matter was so apt for the time, and so pleasauntly applied of him, that not onely it declared a singular towardnes of witte in þe preacher, but also wrought in þe hearers much fruit, to þe ouerthrow of Popish superstition, & settyng vp of perfect religion.
This was vppon the Sonday before Christenmas day, on which day comming to þe Church, and causing the bell to be toled to a Sermon, he entred into þe Pulpit takyng for his text the wordes of the Gospell aforesayd red in the church that day: Tu quis es. &c. In deliueryng the which cardes (as is abouesayd) he made the hart to bee triumph, exhortyng and inuityng all men thereby to serue the Lorde with inward hart and true affection, and not with outward ceremonies:MarginaliaThe differēce betwixt true and false religion. addyng moreouer to the prayse of that triumph, that though it were neuer so smal, yet it would make vp the best cote carde beside in the bunch, yea though it were the Kyng of Clubbes. &c. meanyng thereby, how the Lord woulde bee worshipped and serued in simplicitie of the hart and veritie, wherein consisteth true Christian Religiō, and not in the outward deedes of the letter onely, or in the glisteryng shew of mans traditions, of pardons, pilgrimages, ceremonies, vowes, deuotions, volūtary workes, & workes of supererogatiō, foūdations, oblations, the Popes supremacy. &c. so that all these either were nedeles where the other is present, or els were of small estimatiō in cōparison of the other.
[Back to Top]The tenour and effect of these his Sermōs, so farre as they could come to our handes, for somuch as they are collected and expressed in our former edition, pag. 1298.
CloseThis first 'card' sermon was printed in 1563, dropped from the 1570 and 1576 editions, but was restored in the 1583 edition. The two 'card' sermons printed by Foxe were part of a longer series of sermons 'on the card' which Latimer preached at Cambridge in Advent and Christmas 1529. (Their name derived from Latimer's using the traditional card games played during these holidays as props and themes to his sermons). Interestingly, these two sermons did not appear in any of the compendious editions of Latimer's sermons which were printed by John Day. Just as the Acts and Monuments was intertwined with, and yet distinct from the Letters of the Martyrs, so Foxe's account of Latimer and his writings was intertwined with, but distinct from, Day's editions of Latimer's sermons.
[Back to Top]It would aske a long discourse to declare what a styrre there was in Cambridge vpon this preaching of M. Latymer. Belike Sathan began to feele hym selfe and his kingdome to be touched to neare, and therfore thought it time to looke about him, and to make out his men of armes.
First came out the Priour of the Blacke Friers called Bucknham,
CloseRobert Buckenham was the prior of the Dominican convent in Cambridge and a noted champion of orthodoxy. In 1527, he had been licensed to preach against Thomas Bilney, the great evangelical preacher and Latimer's spiritual mentor.