Marginalia1555. October.by the fall of the tree, mencioned a little before, and aboue. lxvij. yeares of age toke so little ease, and care of sparyng him selfe, to do the people good. Not to speake here of his indefatigable trauayle and diligence in hys owne pryuate studyes, who notwithstandyng both his yeares, and other paynes in preaching, euery morning ordinarily, Wynter, and Sommer, about two of the clocke in the mornyng was at his boke most diligently.MarginaliaThe early waking of Master Latymer to hys booke. How carefull hys hart was of the preseruation of the Church and the good successe of the Gospel, hys letters can testyfie, wherewyth hee contynually admonyshed such as then were in authority, of theyr duty, and assisted them wyth hys godly counsell.

As the diligence of this man of God neuer ceased al the time of king Edward, to profit the church both publickely and priuately, so among other doings in him to be noted, this is not lightly to be ouerpassed, but worthy to bee obserued, that God not only gaue vnto him hys spirite plenteously and comfortably to preach hys word vnto hys Church, but also by the same spirite hee did so euidently foreshewe and prophecie of all those kindes of plagues before, which afterward ensued, that if England euer had a Prophet, he myght seeme to be one.MarginaliaMaster Latymer prophecieth what plages are to come in Queene Maries time. And as touching hym selfe, hee euer affirmed that the preaching of the Gospell would cost hym hys lyfe, to the which he no lesse chearefully prepared hymselfe, then certainly was perswaded that Winchester was kept in the Tower for the same purpose, as the euent did to truely proue the same. For after the death of the sayd blessed kyng Edward, not long after Queene Mary was proclaymed, a Pursiuant was sent downe (by the meanes no doubt of Winchester) into the countrey, to call hym vp,MarginaliaMaster Latymer called vp to London by Winchest. of whose cōming although master Latimer lacked no forewarning being premonished about sixe houres before by one Iohn Careles (whose story hereafter followeth) yet so farre of was it that he thought to escape,MarginaliaMaster Latymer being premonished before yet refuseth to escape. that he prepared him selfe towardes hys iorney before the sayd Pursiuant came to hys house.

At the which thing when the Pursiuant marueiled, seing hym so prepared towardes hys iourney, he sayd vnto hym: MarginaliaMaster Latimers wordes to the Queenes Pursiuaunt.My friend, you bee a welcome Messenger to me. And be it knowen vnto you, and to the whole world, that I go as wyllingly to London at this presēt, beyng called by my Prince to render a reconing of my doctrine, as euer I was at any place in the world. And I doubt not, but that God, as he hath made me worthy to preach his worde before two excellent Princes, so he wyll able me to witnes the same vnto the third, eyther to her comfort or discomfort eternally. &c. At the which tyme the Pursiuaunt, whē he had deliuered his letters, departed, affirming that hee had commaundement not to tary for him. By whose sodayne departure it was manifest that they would not haue him appeare but rather to haue fled out of the realme. They knew that hys constancy should deface them in their popery, and confirme the godly in the truth.

MarginaliaMaster Latymer commeth vp to London not compelled.Thus M. Latimer being sent for, and comming vp to London through Smithfield (where merely he said that Smithfield had long groned for hymMarginaliaMaster Latymers words comming through Smithfield.) was brought before the Counsell, where he paciently bearyng al the mockes and tauntes geuen hym by the scornefull Papistes, was cast agayne into the Tower, where he being assisted wyth the heauenly grace of CHRIST, sustayned most pacient imprisonment a long tyme, not wythstanding the cruell and vnmercyfull handlyng of þ^e Lordly Papistes, which thought then their kingdome would neuer fall: yet he shewed him selfe not onely pacient, but also chereful in and aboue all that which they could or would worke agaynst hym:MarginaliaMaster Latymer cherefull in imprisonment. yea such a valiant spirite the Lord gaue hym, that he was able not onelye to despise the terriblenes of prisons and torments, but also to deride and laugh to scorne the doings of his enemies. As it is not vnknowen to the eares of many, what he aunswered to the Lieutenaunt being then in the Tower. For when the Lieutenantes man vpon a

tyme came to hym, the aged Father kept wythout fire in the frosty wynter, and welny starued for cold, merely bad the man tell hys Master, MarginaliaM. Latymers mery message to the Liuetenant.that if he did not looke the better to hym, perchaunce he would deceiue hym.

The Lieutenaunt hearyng thys, bethought himself of these wordes, and fearing lest that in deede hee thought to make some escape, begā to looke more straitly to hys prisoner, and so comming to him, begynneth to charge hym with hys wordes, recityng the same vnto hym which hys man had told hym before: how that if he were not better looked vnto, perchaunce he would deceaue them. &c. MarginaliaThe answer of M. Latymer to the Liuetenant.Yea Maister Lieutenaunt, so I sayd (quoth he) for you looke I thinke þ^t I should burne: but except you let me haue some fire, I am lyke to deceaue your expectation, for I am like here to starue for cold.

Many such lyke aunsweres and reasons, mery, but sauery, commyng not frō a vaine mind, but frō a constāt & quiet reason, proceded frō that man, declaryng a firme & stable hart, litle passing for all this great blusteryng of theyr terrible threates, but rather deridyng the same.

Thus M. Latimer passyng a longe tyme in the Tower, with as much pacience as a man in hys case could do, from thence was transported to Oxford, with Doct. Cranmer Archbyshop of Canterbury, and M. Ridley Byshop of London,MarginaliaM. Latymer with Doctour Cranmer and B. Ridley, remoued from the Tower to Oxford. there to dispute vpon Articles sent down from Gardiner Byshop at Winchester as is before touched, pag. 1591. the maner and order of which disputations betwene them and the Vniuersity Doctours is also before sufficiētly expressed, pag. 1593.MarginaliaRead before pag. 1593. Where also is declared, how and by whom the sayd Latymer with his other felow prisoners were cōdemned after the disputations, and so committed agayne to þ^e prison, & there they continued frō þ^e moneth of Aprill aboue mencioned, to this present moneth of October:MarginaliaOctob. 16. where they were most godly occupyed, either with brotherly conference, or with feruent prayer, or with fruitfull writyng.

Albeit M. Latymer by reason of the feblenes of hys age, wrote least of thē all in this latter tyme of his imprisonment: yet in prayer he was feruently occupyed, wherin often times so long he continued kneelyng, that he was not able to ryse without helpe: and amongest other thynges, these were three principall matters hee prayed for.

MarginaliaThree requestes of M. Latymers prayer.First, that as god had appointed him to be a preacher of hys word, so also he would giue hym grace to stand to hys doctrine vntill hys death, that he might geue hys hart bloud for the same.

Secondly, that God of hys mercy would restore hys Gospell to England once agayne, and these wordes MarginaliaOnce agayne, once agayne.once agayne, once agayne, he did so inculcate and beate into the eares of the Lord God, as though he had seene God before hym, and spoken to hym face to face.

The thyrd matter was, to pray for the preseruation of the Queenes maiesty, that now is, whō in his prayer he was wont accustomably to name, MarginaliaM. Latimers prayer for Q. Elizabeth.and euen with teares desired God to make her a comfort to his comfortles Realme of England. These were the matters he prayed for so earnestly. Neither were these thyngs of hym desired in vayne, as the good successe therof after folowyng did declare: for the Lord most graciously did graunt all those his requestes.

MarginaliaAll three requestes of M. Latimer graunted of the Lord.First, concerning his constancy, euen in the most extremity the Lord graciously assisted hym. For when he stoode at the stake without Bocardo gate at Oxford, and the tormentors about to set the fire to hym, and to the learned and godly Byshop M. Ridley, he lifted vp hys eyes towardes Heauen with an amiable and comfortable countenaunce, saying these wordes: Fidelis est Deus qui non sinit nos tētari supra id quod possumus:  

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Latimer

Foxe text Latin

Fidelis est Deus qui non sinit nos tentari supra id quod possumus:

Foxe text translation

God is faythfull, which doth not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength.