O Lorde God, who would haue thought that maister. M. hadde bene so impotent, that he woulde not beare a godlye monition for the wealthe of his soule? I haue in vse to commit suche trespasses many times in a yeare with your betters by. ii. or thre degrees, both Lords and Ladyes, of the best in the Realme. And yet hitherto I haue not hearde, that anye of them haue sayd in their displeasure, that they wil not beare it at my hand. Are you yet to be taught, what is the office, libertye, and priuiledge of a precher? What is it els but euen Marginalia1. To rebuke the world of synne.arguere mundū de pecato,  

without respecte of persons, Marginalia2. Which thyng vndoutedly is the peculiar office & duty of the holye ghost in the church of god, so that it be practised by lawful preachersquod quidem ipsum est ipsius spiritus sācti peculiare in ecclesia munus et officium sed non nisi per predicatores legitimos exequēdum.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

A letter from Latimer to a certain gentleman.

Foxe text Latin

quod quidem ipsum est ipsius spiritus sancti peculiare in ecclesia munus et officium sed non nisi per predicatores legitimos exequendum.

Foxe text translation

Which thyng vndoutedly is the peculiar office & duty of the holye ghost in the church of god, so that it be practised by lawful preachers[marginal note].

You coulde but yll beare belike to here your faulte openlye reproued in the pupite, which cannot beare the same in a secrete sealed vp letter, written bothe frendly, charitably, & truly, MarginaliaVnles perhaps to rebuke synne sharpely, be now to lacke al charity, frendship and truth.nisi forte acriter reprehendere peccata, sit iam omni charitate, amicitia, veritate carere.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

A letter from Latimer to a certain gentleman.

Foxe text Latin

nisi forte acriter reprehendere peccata, sit iam omni charitate, amicitia, veritate carere.

Foxe text translation

Vnles perhaps to rebuke synne sharpely, be now to lacke al charity, frendship and truth[marginal note].

But maister M. if you wil geue me leaue to be playne with you, I feare me you be so plunged in worldlye purchasinges, & so drowned in the manifolde dragges of this deceyuable worlde, that I wene you haue forgotten your cathechisme. Read therfore agayne the opening of the first commaundemente, & then tell me whether you of me or I of you haue iuste cause to complayne. &c.

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Item, sir, you saye further that I am wonderfully abused by my neyghbour, &c. how so, good maister M? wherin? or how wil ye proue yt to be true? and when? So you sayde that he had abused you, and geuē you wronge informacion: but the contrarye is foūd true by good testimony of mayster Cham. which harde as well as you what my neyghbour saide, and hath testified the same, both to you and against you, ful like him selfe. maister M. to forge and faine, which argueth an yll cause, that is one thinge: but to proue what a man doth saye, þ^t is a nother thinge. As though you were priuileged to outface pore men, and beare them in hand what you liste, as may seme to make some maintenaunce for your naughty cause. Truste me masiter M. I was but very little acquainted with my neyghbour, when thys matter beganne: but now I haue found hym so conformable to honesty, vpright in his dealinges, and so true in his talke, that I esteme him better, than I do some other, whom I haue perceyued and found otherwaies. For I will flatter no man, not yet clawe his backe in his folly, but esteme al men, as I finde them, allowinge what is good, & disalowing what is badde Marginalia1. Not esteemed of the children of this world, amōg al mē, either frendes or enemyes, according to Paules precept: hate you, saith he, that which is euyl, & cleaue fast to that whyche is good. And let vs not at any tyme for the fauor of men, cal good euil, & euyll good, as the chyldren of thys world are cōmonlye wont to do, as it is euerye where to be seene.In omnibus hominibus, siue amicis, siue inimicis, iuxta præceptum Paulinū a filiis huius seculi in pretio non habitum: Sitis odio, inquit, prosequentes quod malum est, adhæren  

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tes autem ei, quod bonum est, neque bonum malum, et malum bonum, in gratiam hominum, affirmemus vnquā, id quod filu huius seculi vulgo faciunt, vt est videre vbique.  

And nowe what manner of man do you make me, maister. M, when you note me to be so muche abused by so ignorante a manne, so simple, so playne, and so farre without all wrincles? Haue I liued so long in this tottering world, and haue I bene so many wayes turmoyled and tossed vppe and downe, and so muche, as it were seasoned with the pouder of so many experiences to and froo, to be now so farre bewitched, & alienated frō my witts, as though I coulde not discerne chese from chalke, truth from falshood, but that euery sely soule, and base witted man mighte easely abuse me, to what interprise he listed at his pleasure? well I saye not naye, but I maye be abused. But why do you not tell me howe your brother abused me, promsing before me and many mo that he woulde stand to your awardship, and now dothe denye it? why do you not tell me, howe those two false faithles wretches abused me, promysing also to abyde your award, and doth it not? yea, why do you not tell me, how you your self haue abused me, promising me to redresse the iniury and wronge that your brother hath done to my neyghbour, and hath not fulfilled your promise? These notable abuses be nothing with you, but only you muste nedes burthen me with my neyghbours abusing of me, which is none at all, as farfurth as euer I coulde perceyue, so God helpe me in my nede. For if he had abused me, as you and the other haue done, I shoulde be soone at a point with him, for any thing further doing for him. &c.

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Item, sir, you saide further, that I shall neuer be able to proue that either your brother, or the two tenaunts agreed to stand to your award. &c. No sir? maister M. you saye belike as you would haue it to be, or as your brother with his adherentes haue perswaded you to thinke it to be, so inducing you to do theire request to your owne shame and rebuke, if you perseuer in the same, beside the perill of your soule, for consenting at least way to the maintenaunce by falshod of your brothers iniquity. For in that you would your awardship shuld take none effect, you shew your selfe nothing inclinable to the redresse of your brothers vnright dealinge wyth an honeste poore man, which hath bene redye at your request to doo you pleasure with his things, or els he had neuer come into this wrāgle for his own goods with your brother.

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Ah maister. M. what maner of man do you shewe your selfe to be? or what maner of conscience do you shewe your selfe to haue? For firste as touching your Brother you knowe