lege; and Henry Taylor, of Lincoln college, B. A. were admitted M. A.

Saturday the 17th, the last day of A&t Term, Meff. William Henry Mofeley, of St. Mary hall, and Peter Rainier, of Oriel college, M. A. were admitted Bachelors and to practise in Medicine. The Rev. Samuel James Goodenough, and the Hon. and Rev. Pierce Meade, B. A. of Wadham college, were admitted M. A. Mr. Frederick Hamilton Carrington, of the fame college, was admitted B. A. The number of Regent Masters this year was 110.

On Friday morning laft in full convocation the honorary degree of D. C. L. was conferred on the Right Hon. Vif count Nelfon of the Nile, Duke of Bronti, and on the Right Hon. Sir William Hamilton, Knight of the Bath, to which they were feverally presented by Dr. Blackstone, Vinerian Profeffor of Law. And at the fame time, the Rev. William Nelson, of Chrift's college, and D.D. in the univerfity of Cambridge, was admitted to the fame degree in this univerfity, to which he was prefented by Dr. Collinfon, Lady Margaret's Profeffor of Divinity.

July 31. On Friday the 23d inftant the Right Hon. Lord Francis Almaric Spencer was admitted a Common Council Man of the Borough of New Woodftock, in the room of Lord Viscount Bateman, deceased.-At the fame time

James. Blackstone, Efq. L.L. D. was elected Recorder of the faid Borough, in the room of Francis Burton, Esq. who has refigned.

On Tuesday laft the Rev. Capel Whitmore Blaskfield, B. A. and Scholar of Jesus College, was elected fellow of that fociety.

The Lord Bishop of Salisbury has collated the Rev. Herbert Hawes, B. D. chaplain to the Earl of Malmesbury, to the Rectory of St. Edmund's, Salisbury, vacant by the ceffion of the late incum

bent.

Tuesday laft came on the election at Merton college, when Mr. John Oglander, A. B. Mr. Thomas Raymond Barker, and Mr. Lawrence Pleydell Bouverie, were elected Fellows of that society.

The Rev. W. Keate, of Laverton, has been prefented by the Bishop of Salisbury to the valuable Rectory of Winfrith, near Wareham, Dorset.

The Lord Bishop of Hereford has been pleased to collate the Rev. Richard Valond, A. M. his Lordship's Domestic Chaplain, to the Dignity of Treasurer, founded in that Cathedral Church, vacant by the death of the Rev. Dr. Parker.

The Rev. R. Ellis Aitkins, M. A. of Trinity college, and late Curate of Deritend Chapel, Birmingham, is nominated to the Curacy of Hanley, Staffordshire.

ADDRESS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

IN O our next Number-Queries addreffed to the Clergy.-A North Briton's Letter. -T. C. S. is under confideration.

We have to acknowledge the receipt of two long Articles from our Friend of Creech St. Michael, to which proper refpect will be paid.

We feel ourselves obliged to the Epifcopalians of Scotland, who have answered our enquiries refpecting the prefent ftate of Epifcopacy in North Britain.

Our good Friend the LONDON CURATE, will fee that in the present state of affairs, his excellent paper on the French Revolution, must, for prudential reasons, be omitted.

The communication on the Septuagint does not fuit us; befides the compiler lays too much stress upon the authority of Arifteas, and confequently magnifies the authority of the verfion itself, beyond what will be generally allowed.

Our valuable Correfpondent INSPECTOR'S Communication on the 110th Pfalm, is come to hand.

Secularis, in our next.

J. S. in defence of the Theophilanthropists, must have a wonderful conceit of his abilities, in expecting that we should defile our Magazine, by the infertion of such an impertinent and nonfenfical rhapsody as his Letter. He has read Paine's works with much attention, but if he would condescend to take a little humble advice from us, we would recommend him to study the Proverbs of Solomon, as good correctives of the poifon he has fo unhappily imbibed.

THE

ORTHODOX

CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE,

For SEPTEMBER, 1802.

The noble Army of MARTYRS praife thee.

TE DEUM.

THE LIFE OF BISHOP LATIMER.

HUGH LATIMER, Bishop of Worcester, was born of mean parents at Thurcafton, in Leicesterlhire, about the year 1475, who gave him a good education, and fent him to Cambridge; where he fhewed himself a zealous Papift, and inveighed much against the Reformers, who began to make fome figure in England. But converfing frequently with Thomas Bilney, the moft confiderable perfon at Cambridge of all thofe who favoured the Reformation, he faw the errors of Popery, and became a zealous Proteftant. He himself fays, " Mafter Bilney, or rather, St. Bilney, who fuffered death for God's word fake, was the inftrument whereby God called me to knowledge. For I may thank him, next to God, for that knowledge I have had in the word of God: for I was an obftinate Papist, as any was in England, infomuch, that when I fhould be made Bachelor of Divinity, my whole oration went against Philip Melancthon, and his opinions. Bilney heard me at that time, and perceiving that I' was zealous without knowledge, came to me in my ftudy, and defired me for God's fake to hear his confeflion: I did fo; and I learned more

than afore in many years. So from that time forward, I began to

fmell the word of God, and forfake the fchool of doctors, and fuch fooleries."

Latimer thus converted, laboured both publicly and privately to pro- . mote the reformed opinions, and preffed the neceflity of a holy life, in oppofition to thofe outward performances, which were then thought the effentials of religion. This rendered him obnoxious at Cambridge, then the feat of ignorance, bigotry, and fuperftition. However, the unaffected piety of Mafter Bilney, the chearfulness and natural eloquence of honeft Latimer, wrought greatly upon the junior ftudents, and increased the credit of the Proteftants fo much, that the Papift clergy were greatly Vol. III. Churchm. Mag. Sept. 1802. R alarmed,

alarmed, and, according to their usual practice, called aloud for the fecular arm.

Under this arm Bilney fuffered at Norwich. But his fufferings far from shocking the Reformation at Cambridge, infpired the leaders of it with new courage. Latimer began to exert himself more than he had yet done and fucceeded to that credit with his party, which Bilney had so long fupported. Among other inftances of his zeal and refolution in this caufe, he gave one which was very remarkable: He had the courage to write to the King [Henry the VIIIth] against a proclamation, then just publifhed, forbidding the ufe of the Bible in English, and other books on religious fubjects. He had preached before his Majesty once or twice at Windfor; and had been taken notice of by him in a more affable manner, than that Monarch ufually indulged towards his fubjects. But whatever hopes of preferment his Sovereign's favour might have raised in him, he chose to put all to the hazard, rather than omit what he thought his duty. His letter is the picture of an honest and fincere heart: he concludes in thefe terms, "Accept, gracious Sovereign, without difpleasure, what I have written; I thought it my duty to mention these things to your Majefty. No perfonal quarrel, as God thall judge me, have I with any man: I wanted only to induce your Majefty to confider well, what kind of perfons you have about you, and the ends for which they counfel. Indeed, great prince, many of them, or they are much flandered, have very private ends. God grant your Majefty may fee through all the designs of evil men, and be in all things equal to the high office, with which you are intrufted. Wherefore, gracious King, remember yourself; have pity upon your own foul, and think, that the day is at hand, when you shall give account of your office, and the blood which hath been flied by your sword: in the which day, that your Grace may stand stedfaftly, and not be afhamed, but be clear and ready in your reckoning, and have your pardon fealed with the blood of our Saviour Chrift, which alone ferveth at that day, is my daily prayer to him, who fuffered death for our fins. The fpirit of God preferve you."

Lord Cromwell was now grown up into power, and being a favourer of the Reformation, he obtained a benefice in Wiltshire for Latimer, who immediately went thither and refided, discharging his duty in a very confcientious manner, though perfecuted much at the fame time, by the Romish clergy; who at length carried their malice fo far as to obtain an archiepifcopal citation for his appearance in London. His friends would have had him fly; but their perfuafions were in vain. He fet out for London in the depth of winter, and under a fevere fit of the stone and cholic; but he was most diftreffed at the thoughts of leaving his parish expofed to the Fopith clergy. On his arrival in London, he found a court of Bithops and Canonifts ready to receive him; where, inftead of being examined, as he expected, about his fermons, a paper was put into his hands, which he was ordered to fubfcribe, declaring his belief in the efficacy of mafles for the fouls in purgatory, of prayers to the dead faints, of pilgrimages to their fepulchres and reliques, the Pope's power to forgive fins, the doctrine of merit, the feven facraments, and the worthip of images; which when he refufed to fign, the Archbishop, with a frown, begged he would confider what he did. "We intend not, faid he, Mr. Latimer to be hard upon you; we dismiss you for the prefent; take a copy of the articles; examine them carefully, and God grant, that at our next

meeting

meeting we may find each other in better temper.' The next, and feveral fucceeding meetings, the fame fcene was acted over again. He continued inflexible, and they continued to diftrefs him. Three times every week they regularly fent for him, with a view either to elicit fomething from him by captious queftions, or to teaze him at length into compliance. Tired out with this ufage, after he was fummoned at laft, inftead of going, he fent a letter to the Archbishop, in which, with great freedom, he tells him, "That the treatment he had lately met with, had fretted him into fuch a diforder, as rendered him unfit to attend that day; that in the mean time he could not help taking this opportunity to expoftulate with his Grace for detaining him fo long from his duty;-that it feemed to him most unaccountable, that they, who never preached themfelves, fhould hinder others;-that, as for their examination of him, he really could not imagine what they aimed at; they pretended one thing in the beginning, and another in the progrefs;-that if his fermons were what gave offence, which he perfuaded himself were neither contrary to the truth, nor to any Canon of the church, he was ready to anfwer whatever might be thought exceptionable in them; that he wifhed a little more regard might be had to the judgment of the people; and that a diftinction might be made between the ordinances of God and man ; — that if fome abuses in religion did prevail, as was then commonly fuppofed, he thought preaching was the beft means to difcountenance them; - that he wifhed all paftors might be obliged to perform their duty; but that, however, liberty might be given to thofe who were willing--that as to the articles propofed to him, he begged to be excufed fubfcribing them; while he lived, he never would abet fuperftition; and that, laftly, he hoped the Archbishop would excufe what he had written; he knew his duty to his fuperiors, and would practife it; but in that cafe, he thought a ftronger obligation laid upon him."

The Bishops, however, continued their perfecutions, but their schemes were fruftrated in an unexpected manner; Latimer being raised to the fee of Worcester, in the year 1533, by the favour of Anna Boleyn, then the favourite wife of Henry, to whom, most probably, he was recommended by Lord Cromwell. And now he had a more extenfive field to promote the principles of the Reformation, in which he laboured with the utmost pains and affiduity. All the hiftorians of those times, mention him as a perfon remarkably zealous in the difcharge of his new office; and tell us, that in overlooking the clergy of his diocefe, he was uncommonly active, warm, and refolute, and prefided in his ecclefiaftical court with the fame spirit. In vifiting, he was frequent and obfervant; in ordaining, ftrict and wary; in preaching, indefatigable; and in reproving and exhorting, fevere and perfuafive.

In 1536 he received a fummons to attend the parliament and convocation, which gave him a further opportunity of promoting the work of Reformation, whereon his heart was fo much fet. Many alterations were made in religious matters, and a few months after the Bible was tranflated into English, and recommended to a general perufal, in October, 1537.

In the mean while the Bishop of Worcester, highly fatisfied with the profpect of the times, repaired to his diocefe, having made a longer ftay in London than was abfolutely neceifary. He had no talents, and he pretended to have none for ftate affairs. His whole ambition was to dif

charge the paftoral functions of a Bishop, neither aiming to display tho abilities of a statesman, nor those of a courtier. How very unqualified he was to fupport the latter of thefe characters, the following ftory will prove. It was the custom in those days for the Bishops to make presents to the King on New-year's day, and many of them would prefent very liberally, proportioning their gifts to their expectancies. Among the reft, the Bishop of Worcester, being then in town, waited upon the King, with his offering; but inftead of a purfe of gold, which was the common oblation, he prefented a New Teftament, with a leaf doubled down in a very confpicuous manner, to this paffage; "Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."

In 1589 he was fummoned again to attend the parliament: The Bishop of Winchester, Gardiner, was his great enemy; who, upon a particular occafion, when the Bithops were with the King, kneeled down and folemnly accufed Bishop Latimer of a feditious fermon preached at court. Being called upon by the King, with fome fternnefs, to vindicate himself, Latimer was fo far from denying and palliating what he had faid, that hẹ boldly juftified it; and turning to the King, with that noble unconcern, which a good confcience infpires, "I never thought myself worthy, faid he, nor did I ever fue to be a preacher before your Grace; but I was called to it, and would be willing, if you miflike it, to give place to my betters: for I grant, there may be a great many more worthy the room than I am. And if it be your Grace's pleasure to allow them for preachers, I can be content to bear their books after them. But if your Grace allow me for a preacher, I would defire you to give me leave to discharge my confcience, and to frame my doctrine according to my audience. I had been a very dolt indeed to have preached fo at the borders of your realm, as I preach before your Grace." The greatness of this anfwer baffled his accufer's malice; the feverity of the King's counte nance changed into a gracious fmile, and the Bishop was difmiffed with that obliging freedom, which this Monarch never ufed but to those he efteemed.

However as the Bishop could not give his vote for the act of the fix Papiftical articles, drawn up by the Duke of Norfolk, he thought it wrong to hold any office in a church where fuch terms of communion were required, and therefore he refigned his Bishopric, and retired into the country, where he purpofed to live a fequeftered life. But in the midst of his fecurity, an unhappy accident carried him again into the tempeftuous weather which was abroad: He received a bruife by the fall of a tree, and the contufion was fo dangerous, that he was obliged to feek out for better affiftance than could be afforded him by the unikilful furgeons of thofe parts. With this view he repaired to London, where he had the misfortune to fee the fall of his patron, the Lord Cromwell; a lofs which he was foon made fenfible of. For Gardiner's emiffaries quickly found him out in his concealment, and fomething, which he had been heard to fay, against the fix articles, being alledged against him, he was fent to the Tower; where, without any judicial examination, he fuffered through one pretence or another, a cruel imprisonment for the remaining fix years of King Henry's reign.

Upon the death of Henry, the Proteftant interest revived, under his fon Edward; and Latimer, immediately on the change of the government, was fet at liberty. An addrefs was made by the parliament to the Pro

tector,