MarginaliaAnno. 1555. October.wordes aboue mencioned, and partly by his owne letters hereafter folowyng may better appeare.

In these so hard and daungerous straites, and such snares of the Bishops, harde it had bene for hym and impossible to haue escaped and continued so long, had not the almighty helping hand of the highest, as he stirred hym vp, so haue preserued hym through the fauour and power of his Prince: MarginaliaMaster Latymer rescued by the King.who with much fauour embraced him, and with his mere power sometime rescued and deliuered hym out of the crooked clawes of his enemies. Moreouer, at lēgth also, through the procurement, partly of D. Buttes, partly of good Cromwell, (whose story ye had before) he auaunced him to the degree & dignity of a Bishop, MarginaliaMaster Latymer aduaunced to the Bishoprikes of Worcester by the King.making him the Bishop of Worcester, which so cōtinued a few yeares, instructing his Dioces, accordyng to the duty of a diligent and vigilant Pastor with wholsome doctrine and example of perfect conuersation duly agreyng to the same. It were a long matter to stand particularly vpon such thynges as myght here be brought to the commendation of hys paines, MarginaliaThe pastorall diligēce of M. Latymer in his dioces.as study, readines and continual carefulnes in teachyng, preaching, exhorting, visityng, correctyng and reformyng, either as his abilitie could serue, or els the tyme would beare. But the daies then were so daungerous and variable, that he could not in al things do that he would: yet what he might doe, that he perfourmed to the vttermost of hys strength, so that although he could not vtterly extinguish al the sparkling relikes of old superstition, yet he so wrought, that though they could not be taken away, yet they should be vsed with as litle hurt, and with as much profit as might be.MarginaliaThe time vnstable for B. Latymer to worke in. As (for example) in this thyng, as in diuers other it did appeare, that when it could not bee auoyded, but holy water and holy bread must needes be receaued, yet hee so prepared and instructed them of his Dioces, with such informations and lessons, that in receauyng therof superstition should bee excluded, and some remembraunce taken thereby, teachyng and charging the Ministers of his Dioces, in deliueryng the holy bread and holy water, to say these wordes followyng.

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Remember your promise in Baptisme,
Christ hys mercy and bloud sheedyng,
By whose most holy sprinkelyng,
Of all your sinnes you haue free pardonyng.

Of Christes body this is a token,
Which on the crosse for our sinnes was broken,
Wherefore of your sinnes you must be forsakers,
If of Christes death you will be partakers.

By this it may be considered what the diligent care of this Bishop was in dooyng the duety of a faithfull Pastour among his flocke.MarginaliaThe behauiour of Byshop Latymer in his office. And moreouer it is to bee thought that he would haue brought more thinges els to passe, if the tyme then had aunswered to his desyre: for he was not ignoraunt, how the institution of holy water and holy bread, not onely had no ground in scripture, but also how full of prophane exorcismes and coniurations they were, contrary to the rule and learning of the Gospel. Thus this good man behaued him selfe in his Dioces: but, as before, both in the vniuersity, and at his benefice he was tost & tormoiled by wicked and euill disposed persons, MarginaliaThe troubles of Master Latymer in his Bishopricke.so in his Bishopricke also he was not all cleare & voyde of some that sought his trouble. As among many other euill willers, one especially there was, and that no small person, whiche accused him then to the King for his Sermons. The story because he sheweth him self in a Sermon of hys before King Edward, I thought therefore to vse his owne wordes which be these.

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MarginaliaEx verbis Latimeri, pro concione.In the Kings daies that dead is, a great many of vs were called together before hym, to say our mindes in certaine matters. In the ende, one kneleth downe and accuseth mee of sedition and that I had preached seditious doctrine.MarginaliaB. Latimer accused to K. Hēry for his preaching.A heauy salutation, and a hard point of such a mans doyng, as if I should name, ye would not thinke it. The King turned to me and said: What say you to that syr?

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Then I kneeled doune, & tourned me first to my accuser, and required him: MarginaliaM. Latymer answereth his accuser.Syr what forme of preaching would you appoynt mee? in preachyng before a King would you haue mee preach nothyng as concernyng a King in þ^e Kings Sermon? haue you any cōmission to

appoint me what I shal preach? besides thys I asked hym diuers other questions, and he would make mee none answere to any of them all: he had nothing to say.

Then I tourned me to the King, and submitted my selfe to his grace, and sayd: MarginaliaThe words of B. Latymer to the King.I neuer thought my selfe worthy, nor I neuer sued to be a Preacher before your grace, but I was called to it, and would be willyng (if you mislike mee) to geue place to my betters: for I graunt there bee a great manye, more worthy of the roome then I am. And if it be your graces pleasure so to allowe them for preachers, I could bee content to beare their bookes after them. But if your grace alow me for a preacher, I would desire your grace to geue me leaue to discharge my conscience, geue me leaue to frame my doctrine according to my audience. I had bene a very dolte to haue preached so at the borders of your realme, as I preach before your grace.

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And I thanke almighty God (whiche hath alwayes bene my remedy) that MarginaliaThe Kings hart reserted toward B. Latymer.my saiynges were well accepted of the King, for lyke a gracious Lorde he tourned into an other communication. It is euen as the Scripture saith: Cor Regis in manu Domini. i.  

The Lord directed the Kinges hart. Certaine of my friends came to mee with teares in their eyes, and told mee they looked I shoulde haue bene in the Tower the same night.

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Besides this, dyuers other conflictes and combattes this Godlye Bishop sustained in his owne countrey and Dioces, in taking the cause of right and equity agaynst oppression and wrong. As, for an other example, there was at that tyme not far from the Dioces of Worceter a certaine Iustice of peace, whom here I will not name, being a good man afterward, and now deceased. This Iustice in purchasing of certaine land for his brother, or for hym selfe, went about to wrong or damnify a poore man, who made his complaynt to M. Latimer. MarginaliaB. Latymer taketh þ^e poore mans part agaynst his oppressour.He first hearing, then tendering his rightfull cause, wrote his letter to the Gentleman, exhortyng hym to remember hym selfe, to consider the cause and to abstaine from iniury. The Iustice of peace not content withal (as the fashion of men is when they are tolde of their fault) sendeth word agayne, in great displeasure, that he would not so take it at his hāds, with such threatning wordes. &c. M. Latimer hearyng this, aunswered againe by writing: the copy whereof among his letters, in the firste edition is to be seene, pag. 1359.

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It were a large and a long processe to story out all the doinges, trauailes and writings of this Christian Bishop, neither yet haue we expressed all that came to our handes: but this I thought sufficient for this present. Thus he cōtinued in this laborious function of a Bishop the space of certeine yeres, till the commyng in of the vi. Articles. MarginaliaBishop Latimer at the cōming in of the sixe Articles resigned his Bishopricke.Thē beyng distressed through þ^e straitnes of tyme, so that either hee must lose the quiet of a good cōscience, or els must forsake his Bishopricke, he dyd of his owne free accord resigne his Pastorship. At which time Shaxton then Bishop of Salisbury resigned likewyse with hym his Bishopricke.  

And so these two remained a greate space vnbishopped, keepyng silence till the time of king Edward of blessed memorie.MarginaliaMaster Latymer kept silence till the time of King Edward. At what time he first put of his Rochet in his chamber among his frēdes, sodeinly he gaue a skip in the floore for ioy, feelyng his shoulders so light, & being discharged (as he said) of such an heauie burden. Howbeit neither was he so lightned, but that troubles and labours folowed him where soeuer he went.MarginaliaThe whole life of M. Latymer full of tribulations. For a little after he had renounced his Bishopricke, firste hee was almost slaine, but sore brussed with the fall of a tree.MarginaliaM. Latymer almost slayne with the fall of a tree. Then cōmyng vp to London for remedy, he was molested and troubled of the Bishops, wherby he was againe in no litle daunger, & at length was cast into þ^e Tower,MarginaliaM. Latymer cast into the tower. where he cōtinually remained prisoner,   till the time that blessed K. Edward entred his crowne, by meanes whereof the goldē mouth of this preacher, long shut vp before, was now opened againe. And so he beginnyng a fresh to set forth his plough again,   continued all the time of the said king, laboryng in the lords haruest most fruitfully, MarginaliaM. Latymer restored by K. Edward to liberty of preaching.dischargyng his talent, as well in diuers other places of this Realme, as in Stamford, and before the Duches of Suffolke (whose Sermons be extant and set forth in Print) as also at London in the conuocatiō house: and especially before the kyng at the Court,MarginaliaDiuers Sermons of M. Latymer in K. Edwardes time.in the same place of the inward garden which was before applied to lasciuious and courtly pastimes, there hee dispensed the fruitfull word of the glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ, preachyng there before the kyng and his whole Court, to the edification of many.

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