Marginalia1555. October.true allegiaunce that I owe vnto your Grace, and not to hide in the ground of my hart the talent geuen me of God, MarginaliaMaster Latymer chaffereth forth his talent.but to chaffer it forth to other, that it may encrease to the pleasure of God, to exhorte your grace to auoyde and beware of these mischieuous flatterers & their abominable wayes and counsels.

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And take hede whose counsels your grace doth take in this matter: for there bee someMarginaliaHe meaneth thy belike by Syr Thomas Moore, who for the bishops pleasure, set his pen against the Gospell. that for feare of losyng of their worldly worshyp and honour, will not leaue their opinion, which rashly, and that to please men withall by whom they had great promotion, they tooke vpon them to defend by writtyng, so that now they thinke that all their felicity which they put in this life, should be marde, and their wisedom not so greatly regarded, if that which they haue so sclaūderously oppressed, should be now put forth and allowed. But alas, MarginaliaS. Paul a good example for all persecutors to follow.let these men remember S. Paul, how feruēt he was agaynst þ^e truth (& that of a good zeale) before he was called: he thought no shame to suffer punishmēt & great persecutions  

for that which he before despised & called heresie. And I am sure that their liuyng is not more perfect then S. Paules was, as concernyng the outward workes of the law, before he was conuerted.

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Also the kyng and Prophet MarginaliaKing Dauid a good example to all Kinges to submitte their intentes and purposes to Gods word.Dauid was not ashamed to forsake his good entent in building of the Temple, after that the Prophet Nathan had shewed him that it was not the pleasure of God that he should builde any house for him. And notwithstanding that Nathan had before allowed and praysed the purpose of Dauid, MarginaliaBy Nathan we may learne not to be ashamed to call backe our wordes when we know gods pleasure to be otherwise.yet he was not ashamed to reuoke and eate his wordes agayn when he knew that they were not accordyng to Gods will and pleasure.

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Wherfore they be sore drowned in worldly wisedome that thinke it agaynst their worshyp to knowledge their ignoraunce: whom I pray to God that your grace may espie, and take hede of their worldly wisedome, which is foolishnes before God, that you may do that that God commaundeth, and not that seemeth good in your owne sight without the word of God, that your grace may bee found acceptable in his sight and one of the members of his Church, and according to the office that he hath called your grace vnto, you may be found a faithful minister of his giftes, and not a Marginalia
The Popes title geuē to K. Henry.
Defender of the fayth no mete role for man.defender of his faith: for he will not haue it defended by man or mans power, MarginaliaThe fayth of Christ is not defended by man or mans power, but by Christ alone & hys word.but by hys wordes only, by the which he hath euermore defended it, and that by a way farre aboue mans power or reasō, as all the stories of the Bible maketh mencion.

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Wherfore gracious kyng remember your selfe, haue pitie vpon your soule, and thinke that the day is euen at hand whē you shal geue accomptes of your office & of the bloud that hath bene shed with your sword. In þ^e which day that your grace may stand stedfastly and bee not ashamed, but to bee cleare and ready in your recknyng, and to haue (as they say) your Quites est, sealed with the bloud of our Sauiour CHRIST which onely serueth at that day, is my dayly prayer to him that suffred death for our sinnes, which also prayeth to his father for grace for vs continually. To whom be all honour & prayse for euer, Amen. The spirit of God preserue your grace. Anno dom. 1530. 1. die Decembris.

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In this letter of M. Latymer to the kyng aboue prefixed, many thinges we haue to consider:MarginaliaDiuers thinges in this letter of Master Latymer to þ^e Kyng, to be considered. First his good conscience to God, hys good will to the kyng, the duety of a right Pastor vnto truth, his tender care to þ^e cōmon wealth, and especially to þ^e Church of CHRIST. Further we haue to consider the abuse of Princes Courts, how kynges many tymes be abused with flatterers and wicked counsellers about them, and especially we may note the subtile practises of Prelates, in abusing the name and authoritie of kynges to set forth their owne malignant procedynges. We may see moreouer, and rather marueile at in the said letter, the great boldnes and diuine stoutnes in this man,MarginaliaThe heauenly courage of M. Latymer in discharging hys conscience. who as yet beyng no Byshop, so freely and playnly without all feare of death aduentryng his owne lyfe to discharge his cōscience, durst so boldly, to so mighty a Prince, in such a daūgerous case against the kings law & proclamatiō set out, in such a terrible time, take vpon him to write, & to admonish that which no consaillour durst once speake vnto him, in defense of Christes Gospell. Whose exāple if the Byshops & Prelates of this Realme, for theyr partes likewise in lyke cases of necessitie would folow, (as in deede they should) so many thyngs peraduenture would not be so out of frame as they be, & all for lacke

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that the officers of Gods word do not theyr duety.

Finally, this moreouer in the sayd letter is to be noted, how blessedly almighty GOD wrought with his faythfull seruaunt, whose bold aduenture, & holesome coūsaile, though it did not preuaile through þ^e iniquitie of the tyme: MarginaliaThe King wel pleased with the playnes of M. Latymer.yet notwithstādyng God so wrought with his seruaunt in doyng hys duetie, that no daunger, nor yet displeasure rose to hym therby, but rather thankes and good wil of the Prince: for not long after the same he was aduaunced by the kyng to the Byshopricke of Worcester, as is aboue declared.

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Seing M. Latimer was so bold & plaine with þ^e king, (as is afore specified) no great maruell if he did vse like freedome and playnes toward other meaner persons in admonishyng thē of their misorder, especially if any such occasion were geuen, where truth and equity required his defense agaynst iniurie and oppression. For example wherof we haue an other letter of hys, written to a certein Iustice of peace in Warwickshire, who as he is long since departed, so he shalbe here vnnamed. The letter although it may seeme somewhat longe and tedious: yet I though here not to ouerpasse the same for diuers & sondry respectes: first that the vertue & faythfull conscience of this good Pastor may appeare more at large: MarginaliaExample for Bishops and all good Pastors to follow.also for that all other Byshops and Pastors by this example may learne with lyke zeale and stomacke to discharge their duety and conscience in reformyng thynges amysse and in pouderyng with the salt of Gods word the sores of þ^e people. Which thyng if euery Byshop for hys part within hys Dioces had done in kyng Edwardes dayes, in redressyng such corruption of that time with like diligence as this mā did, verely I suppose that the persecution of Queene Mary had not so plagued the Realme as it dyd: but where as neuer a man almost lyueth in due order, and yet neuer a Byshop will styrre to seeke redresse, what can become of the Realme? Item, an other respect is because of the Iustices and all other placed in roome and office, MarginaliaWarning to Iustices of peace.which may take heede hereby, not to abuse theyr authoritie to tread downe truth & beare down poore men with open wrong through extortiō or partialitie: & finally that all iniurious oppressours, what soeuer, by the sayd letter may take some fruit of holesome admonitiō. What the argumēt and occasion was of this letter, I shewed before pag. 1908. The tenor & purport therof, as it was written to the Gentleman, is this as foloweth.

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MarginaliaA letter of M. Latymer to a certayne gentlemā.RIght worshipfull, salutem in domino. And now Syr I vnderstand, that you be in grat admiratiōs at me, and take very greuously my maner of writing to you, adding thereunto that you will not beare it at my hand, no not and I were the best Bishop in England. &c.

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Ah Sir? I see well I may say as the common saying is: Well haue I fished and caught a Frog: brought little to passe with much ado. You will not beare it with me, you say. Why Syr, what will ye do with me? you wyll not fight with me, I trow. It might seme vnsemely for a Iustice of peace to be a breaker of peace. I am glad the doting time of my foolish youth is gone and past? What wyll you then do with me, in that you say you wyll not beare it at my hand? What hath my hand offended you? Perchaunce you wyll conuent mee before some Iudge, and call me into some court. Marginaliai. God turne it to good. I refuse no iudgemēt. Let vs accuse one an other, that one of vs may amend an other in the name of the Lord. Let iustice procede to iudgement.Deus bene vertat. Equidem non recuso iudicium vllum. Accusemus inuicem, vt emendemus alius alium in nomine domini. Fiat iusticia in iudicio.  

And then and there, do best haue best, for club half peny. Or peraduenture ye wyll set pen to paper, and all to rattle me in a letter, wherein confuting me you will defend your selfe & your brother against me. Now that would I see, quoth long Marginaliai. I cannot chuse but much alow such diligence.Roben, vt dicitur vulgariter. Non potero sane non vehementer probare eiusmodi industriam:  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

A letter from Latimer to a certain gentleman.

Foxe text Latin

[vt dicitur vulgariter.] Non potero sane non vehementer probare eiusmodi industriam.

Foxe text translation

[as it is commonly said.] I cannot chuse but much alow such diligence[marginal note].

For so should both your integrities and innocencies best appeare, if you be able to defēd both your own procedings, and your brothers doinges in this matter to be vpright. Marginaliai. And then will I gladly geue place, confessing my faut humbly, as one conquered with iust reasons.Et ego tum iustis rationibus victus, libenter cedam, culpam humiliter confessurus.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

A letter from Latimer to a certain gentleman.

Foxe text Latin

Et ego tum iustis rationibus victus, libenter cedam, culpam humiliter confessurus.

Foxe text translation

And then will I gladly geue place, confessing my faut humbly, as one conquered with iust reasons[marginal note].

But I thinke it will not be. But now first of all let me know what it is that ye wyll not

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