such as then were in authority, of theyr duty, and assi∣sted them with his godly counsell.
As the diligence of this man of God neuer ceased all the time of king Edward, to profite the Church both pub∣lickely and priuately, so among other doings in him to be noted, this is not lightly to be ouerpassed, but worthye to be obserued, that God not onely gaue vnto him his spirite plenteously and comfortably to preache his word vnto hys Churche, but also by the same spirite hee did so euidentlye foreshew and prophecye of all those kindes of plagues be∣fore, which afterward ensued, that if England euer had a Prophet he might seeme to be one. And as touching hym∣selfe, he euer affirmed that the preachinge of the Gospell would cost him his life, to the which he no lesse cheareful∣ly prepared himselfe, then certaynely was perswaded that Winchester was kept in the Tower for the same purpose, as the euent did to truelye prooue the same. For after the death of the sayde blessed King Edwarde, not long after Queene Marye was proclaymed, a Pursiuant was sente downe (by the meanes no doubt of Winchester) into the countrey, to call him vp, of whose comming although M. Latimer lacked no forewarning being premonished about sixe houres before by one Iohn Careles (whose story here after foloweth) yet so farre of was it that he thought to e∣scape, that he prepared himselfe towards his iorney before the sayd Pursiuant came to his house.
At the which thing when the Pursiuant maruelled, se∣ing him so prepared towardes his iourney, he sayde vnto him: My frend, you be a welcome Messenger to me. And be it knowne vnto you, and to the whole world, that I go as willingly to Londō at this present, being called by my Prince to render a reckoning of my doctrine, as euer I was at any place in the worlde. And I doubt not but that God, as he hath made me worthy to preache his word be∣fore two excellent Princes, so he wil able me to witnes the same vnto the thyrd, either to her comfort or discomfort e∣ternally. &c. At the which time the Pursiuant, whē he had deliuered his letters, departed, affirming that he had com∣maundement not to tary for him. By whose sodein depar∣ture it was manifest that they would not haue him appere but rather to haue fled out of the realme. They knewe that his constancy should deface them in theyr Popery, and cō∣firme the godly in the truth.
Thus Mayster Latimer being sent for, and comming vp to London through Smithfield (where merely he sayd that Smithfielde had long groaned for him) was brought before the Counsell, where hee pacientlye bearing all the mockes and tauntes geuen him by the scorneful Papistes, was cast agayne into the Tower, where he being assisted with the heauenly grace of Christ, susteined most pacient imprisonment a long time, notwithstanding the cruel and vnmercifull handlinge of the Lordlye Papistes, whyche thought then theyr kingdome would neuer fall: yet he she∣wed hymselfe not onely pacient, but also chearefull in and aboue all that which they could or woulde worke agaynst him: yea such a valiaunt spirit the Lord gaue him, that he was able not onely to despise the terriblenesse of prisons & tormentes, but also to deride and laugh to scorne the do∣inges of his enemies. As it is not vnknowne to the eares of many, what he aunswered to the Lieuetenaunt beynge then in the Tower. For when the Lieutenauntes man v∣pon a time came to him, the aged Father kept without fire in the frosty winter, and well••ye starued for colde, merely bad the man tell his Mayster, that if he did not looke ye bet∣ter to him, perchaunce he would deceiue him.
The Lieutenaunt hearing this, he thought hymselfe of these wordes, and fearing least that in deede he thought to make some escape, beganne to looke more straightly to his Prisoner, and so comming to him, beginneth to charge him with his wordes, reciting the same vnto him whiche his man had told him before: how that if he were not bet∣ter looked vnto, perchaunce he would deceiue them. &c. Yea Mayster Lieutenaunt, so I sayd (quoth he) for you looke I thinke that I shoulde burne: but except you let me haue some fire, I am like to deceiue your expectation, for I am like here to starue for cold.
Many such like answeres and reasons, mery, but saue∣ry, comming not from a vayne minde, but from a constant and quiet reasō, proceded from that man, declaring a firme and stable hart, litle passing for all this great blustering of theyr terrible threates, but rather deriding the same.
Thus Mayster Latimer passing a long time in the to∣wer, with as much pacience as a manne in his case coulde do, from thence was transported to Oxforde, with Doctor Cranmer Archbishop of Caunterbury, and Mayster Rid∣ley Byshop of London, there to dispute vpon Articles sent downe from Gardiner Bishop at Winchester as is before touched, the maner and order of whiche disputations be∣twene them and the Uniuersitye Doctours is also before sufficiently expressed. Where also is declared, how and by whome the sayd Latimer with his otherfelow Prisoners, were condemned after the disputations, and so committed agayne to the Prison, and there they con••umed from the Moneth of Aprill aboue mentioned, to this present Mo∣neth of October: where they were most godly occupied, either with brotherly conference, or with feruent prayer, or with fruitfull writing.
Albeit M. Latimer by reasō of the feblenes of his age, wrote least of them all in this latter time of his imprison∣ment: yet in prayer he was feruently occupyed, wherin of∣tentimes so long he continued kneeling, that hee was not able to rise without helpe: and amongst other things, these were three principall matters he prayed for.
First, that as God had appoynted him to be a preacher of his worde, so also he woulde geue him grace to stand to his doctrine vntill his death, that he might geue his harte bloud for the same.
Secōdly, that God of his mercy would restore his go∣spell to Englande once agayne, and these wordes once a∣gayne, once agayne, he did so inculcate & beat into ye eares of the Lord God, as though he had sene God before hym, and spoken to him face to face.
The third matter was, to pray for the preseruation of the Queenes Maiesty, that now is, whome in his prayer he was wont accustomably to name, and euen with teares desired God to make her a comfort to his comfortles real∣me of England. These were the matters he prayed for so earnestlye. Neither were these thinges of him desired in vayne, as the good successe thereof after following did de∣clare: for the Lord most graciously did graunt all those his requestes.
First concerning his constancy, euen in the most extre∣mity the Lord graciously assisted him. For when he stoode at the stake without Bocardo gate at Oxford, and the tor∣mentors about to sette the fire to him, and to the learned and Godly Byshop Mayster Ridley, he lifted vp his eyes towardes heauen with an amiable and comfortable coun∣tenaunce, saying these wordes: Fidelis est Deus qui non sinit nos tentari supra id quod possumus: God is faythfull, whiche doth not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength: and so afterwarde by and by shedde his bloude in the cause of Christ, the whiche bloud ranne of his hart in suche aboun∣daunce that all those that were present, being godly, dyd maruell to see the most part of the bloud in his body to bee gathered to hys hart, and with such violence to gush out, his body being opened by the force of the fire: by the whi∣che thing God most graciously graunted his request, whi∣che was that he might shed his hart bloud in the defence of the Gospell.
How mercifully the Lord heard his second request, in restoring his Gospell once agayne into this Realme, these present dayes can beare record. And what then shall Eng∣land say now for her defence, whiche being so mercifullye visited and refreshed with the word of God, so slenderlye and vnthankfully considereth either her own misery past, or the great benefite of God nowe present? The Lorde be mercifull vnto vs. Amen.
Agayne, concerning his third request, it seemeth like∣wise most effectuously graūted, to the great praise of God, the furtherance of his Gospell, and to the vnspeakable cō∣fort of this Realme. For whether at the request of his prai∣yr, or of other Gods holy Sayntes, or whether God was moued with the cry of his whole Church, the truth is, that when all was deplorate and in a desperate case, and so des∣perate that the enemies mightily florished and triumphed, Gods word was banished, Spanierdes receiued, no place left for Christes seruauntes to couer theyr heades: sodenly the Lord called to remembraunce his mercye, and forget∣ting our former iniquity, made an end of al these miseries, and wroughte a maruellous chaunge of thinges, at the chaunge whereof the said Queene Elizabeth was appoin∣ted and annoynted, for whome this graye headed father so earnestly prayd in his imprisonment: through whose true, naturall, and imperiall Crowne, the brightnesse of Gods word was set vp agayne to confound the darcke and false visoured kingdome of Antichrist, the true temple of Christ reedified, the Captiuitye of sorowfull Christians released, which so long was wished for in the prayers of so manye good men, specially of this faythfull and true seruaunt of the Lord, M. Latimer.
The same God which at the requestes of his holy and faythfull Sayntes hath poured vpon vs such benefites of his mercy, peace and tranquility, assiste our most vertu∣ous and Christian Princesse: and her Subiectes, that wee may euery one in his state and calling to serue hys glory, & walke in our vocation, that we lose not that which they