Bishop of WORCESTER,

1xxxvii

"berty fo to do, but should also have the bene"fit of a fubject, and have his life." To whom Bishop Ridley thus replied, "Well, fo long as the "breath is in my body, I will never deny my "Lord Chrift, and his known truth; God's will "be done in me; we commit our caufe to al"mighty God, which shall indifferently judge "all." To all which Master Latimer heartily and fincerely affented. Whereupon they were commanded immediately to make themselves ready for the stake. The attention of the spectators, at length, burst into tears, when they faw these two venerable men now preparing themfelves for death. When they confidered, as Mr. Fox obferves, their preferments, and places of honour they held in the commonwealth, the favour they stood in with their Princes, their great learning, and greater piety, they were overwhelmed with forrow to fee fo much dignity, fo much honour, fo much eftimation, fo many godly virtues, the study of fo many years, and fo much excellent learning, about to be confumed in one moment.

Mafter Latimer now fuffered the keeper to pull off his prifon-garb, and then he appeared in a fhroud; and "whereas before, fays Mr. Fox, "he feemed a withered and crooked old man,he now flood bolt upright, as comely a father as

one might any were behold." Being ready, he fervently recommended his foul to God, and then delivered himself to the executioner, faying to the Bishop of London thefe prophetical words: "We fhall this day, my Lord, light fuch a can"dle inEngland,as thall never be extinguished." He went through this his last suffering with that composure and stability of mind, which nothing

but

Ixxxviii The Life of Mafter HUGH LATIMER but a found faith and a good confcience could produce.

On whofe exit Mr. Fox thus remarketh, "And "thus much, faith he, concerning the end of "this old and bleffed fervant of God, Master "Latimer, for whofe laborious travels, fruit"ful life, and conftant death, the whole realm "hath caufe to give great thanks to almighty "God."To which may be added, That we of this nation, next under God, in a particular manner, owe to him the many and great bleffings of the Reformation.

In his profeffion, as a Preacher of God's word, he was indefatigable; he had a noble fimplicity, and in his fermons arraigned the vices of great finners with a plainnefs, which, unadorned with human eloquence, found away to their hearts, and made the Felixes of the age tremble before him. One illuftrious robber made reftitution into his hands of money ftole from the public, or the treasury, moved by one of his discourses on reftitution, which pierced his confcience, and obliged him to facrifice gain to godliness. At length, he finished a life, which, through a courfe of eighty-five years, and in the corruption of the last ages, preferved the piety, fimplicity and integrity of the firft. In a literal fenfe, he imitated his great Mafter, daily and hourly going about and doing good; he fought all opportunities to benefit mankind.

One thing I think redounds greatly to his honour, that the church of England has received and established every one of those doctrines he preached, and for the truth of which he fuffered the most cruel death.

SERMON

SERMON I.

By Mafter HUGH LATIMER,

At the time of the Infurrection in the North; which was in the twenty feventh year of the reign of King Henry VIII. 1535. on the Epistle for the twenty first Sunday after Trinity.

may

EPHESIANS VI. IO, &c.

My brethren, be ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of bis might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye be able to ftand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, &c.

S

Aint Paul the holy apoftle writeth this epiftle unto the Ephefians, that is, to the people of the city of Ephefus. He writeth generally, to them all and in the former chapters he teacheth them feverally, how they should behave themselves in every eftate, one to another: how they fhould obey their rulers; how wives should behave themselves toward their husbands; children toward their parents; and fervants toward their mafters: and how hufbands, N° I. parents

B

parents and masters should behave them, and love their wives, children and fervants; and generally each to love other.

Now cometh he forth and comforteth them, and teacheth them to be bold, and to play the men, and fight manfully. For they muft fight with valiant warriors, as appeareth afterward in the text. And against they come to fight he comforteth them, faying, My brethren:" He calleth them brethren; for though he taught them before to be fubject to kings and rulers, and to be obedient to their fuperiors, yet he teacheth them that in Chrift we be all brethren, according to the faying in the fame chapter, "God ❝is no accepter of perfons. My brethren, faith he, "be ye comforted, be ye ftrong;" not trufting to yourselves; no, but be bold, and comforted by our Lord, and by the power of his virtue: not by your own virtue, for it is not of power to refift fuch affaults as he speaks of hereafter. "Put on, or apparel you with the armour of God: " Armour is an apparel to clothe a man, and maketh him feemly and comely; fetteth forth his body, and maketh him ftrong and bold in battle. And therefore Saint Paul exhorteth generally his brethren to be armed and as the affaults be ftrong, and not fmall, fo he giveth ftrong armour, and not fmall; "Put on, faith he, "the armour of God." He fpeaketh generally of armour, but afterwards he fpeaketh particularly of the parts of armour, where he faith, be armed complete, whole, be armed on every part with the armour of God; not borrowed, nor patched, but all godly. And as armour fetteth forth a man's body, fo this godly armour maketh us feemly in the fight of God, and açceptable in his wars.

Be ye therefore armed at all points with the armour of God, that ye may stand strongly against the affaults of the devil. "That ye may ftand," faith he: Ye must ftand in this battle, and not fit, nor lie

along;

along; for he that lieth is trodden under foot of his enemy. We may not fit, that is, not reft in fin, or lie along in fluggishness of fin, but continually fight against our enemy, and under our great Captain and Sovereign Lord Jefus Chrift, and in his quarrel, armed with the armour of God, that we may be strong. We cannot be ftrong unless we be armed of God. We have no power of ourselves to stand against the affaults of the devil. There St Paul teacheth what our battle is, and wherefore we must be thus armed.

For, faith he, "we have not wrestling or ftrife against flesh and blood;" which may be understood, against certain fins, which come of the flesh only: but let us take it as it ftands, " against flesh and blood," that is, against any corporal man, which is but a weak thing in comparison, and with one stroke deftroyed or flain: but we have to do with ftrong, mighty princes and potentates, that mighty prince, that great conqueror, this world, the devil, yea alfo a conqueror: for though our Saviour Jefus Chrift conquered him and all his, by fuffering his bleffed paffion, yet is he a conqueror in this world, and reigneth over a great multitude of his own, and maketh continual affaults against the rest, to fubdue them alfo under his power: which, if they be armed after the manner of St Paul's teaching, fhall ftand ftrongly against his affaults. "Our battle, faith St Paul, is against princes and potentates;" that is, against devils. For after the common opinion, there fell from heaven of every order of angels, as of potentates. He faith alfo, "against worldly rulers of thefe darkneffes:" For, as Doctors write, the fpirits that fell with Lucifer have their being in the air, and in darkness, and the rulers of this world, by God's fufferance, to hurt, vex and affault them that live upon the earth. For their nature is, as they are damned, to defire to draw all mankind into like damnation, fuch is their malice. And though they