PLAYING THE MAN; OR, STANDING AT BAY
“Nor yet,
(Grave this within thy heart!) if spiritual things
Be lost through apathy, or scorn, or fear,
Shalt thou thy humbler franchise's support,
However dearly won or justly dear.
What came from heaven to heaven by nature clings,
And if dissevered thence its course is short.”
“The effect of earnest spiritual effort in the heavenly pilgrimage is, that the soul grows strong and elastic, by journeying upwards. The fatigue of one day fits it the better for the labors of the next." —CHEEVER
SENT FOR TO ANSWER FOR HIS PREACHING—BEHAVING HIMSELF STOUTLY—REASONS MERRY BUT SAVOURY —A KERCHIEF AND THREE CAPS ON HIS HEAD — I WILL STAND, WITH GOD'S HELP, TO THE FIRE.
LATIMER was in Warwickshire when the news of King Edward's death reached him, and he well knew that his own hours were numbered. The blind hatred of the Papal party would not allow them to take the prudent course which might have undone all the legislation of previous years. The rapacity of the nobles who had acceded to the Reformation for purposes of their own, the dissensions of the Reformers, and the gambling craving for change that at times makes a nation willing to surrender almost everything in hope of improvement, were all with Mary, and had she acted cautiously the nation might have settled down to the Papal rule, as it did after the Wycliffean revival. Mary and her advisers, fortunately for England, lit the fires of Smithfield, and the three hundred who, during three years, were burnt for their faith in Christ preached the Gospel most effectually to the nation. On the 4th of September 1553 the Council dispatched a pursuivant with a warrant to apprehend Latimer. It is thought that they hoped thereby to frighten Latimer, but they mistook stout Hugh Latimer if they supposed that he intended to fly. "My friend," he said to the messenger, "you be a welcome messenger to me. And be it known unto you, and to all the world, that I go as willingly to London at this present, being called by my Prince to render a reckoning of my doctrine, as ever I was at any place in the world. I doubt not but that God, as He hath made me worthy to preach His Word before two excellent Princes, so will He able me to witness the same unto the third, either to her comfort or discomfort eternally." The pursuivant started for London, leaving Latimer to follow at his leisure, a somewhat unusual method of proceeding, which it has been thought was intended to invite Latimer's escape. If so, Latimer took no advantage of the liberty which was thus given to him; on the 13th of September he appeared before the Privy Council, and was at once committed to the Tower. "He did behave himself stoutly in Christ's cause before the Council, and was content to bear most patiently all the mocks and taunts given him by the scornful and pestilent Papists," reports his servant. Foxe informs us that while Latimer was in the Tower "the lieutenant's man upon a time came to him, and Latimer, the aged father being kept without fire in the frosty winter, and well-nigh starved with cold, merrily bade the man tell his master that if he did not look the better to him, perchance he would deceive him. The lieutenant hearing this, bethought himself of these words, and fearing that indeed he thought to make some escape, beginneth to charge him with his words, reciting the same unto him which his man had told him before. ' Yea, Master Lieutenant, so I said,' quoth Latimer, ' for you look, I think, that I should burn, but except you let me have some fire, I am like to deceive your expectation, for I am like here to starve with cold.'
“Many such-like answers and reasons merry but savory, coming not from a vain mind, but from a constant and quiet reason, proceeded from that man, declaring a firm and stable heart little caring for all this great blustering of their terrible threats, but rather deriding the same. "It is a pity that the chronicler has not preserved a few more of these" merry but savory answers” for us.
Cranmer and Ridley were with Latimer in prison, and the three friends spent the winter together in mutual conference and study of the Bible. "We did together read over the New Testament," says Latimer, "with great deliberation and painful study." For two months this was permitted, and then they were put on their trial.
This was at Oxford on the 14th of April 1554, when the following questions were propounded to the three friends:—
1st. Whether the natural body of Christ was really in the Sacrament?
2nd. Whether any other substance did remain after the words of consecration than the body of Christ?
3rd. Whether in the mass there was a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of quick and dead“
Cranmer and Ridley answered first, and of course rejected these articles. “Last of all came in Master Latimer, with a kerchief and two or three caps on his head, his spectacles hanging by a string at his breast, and a staff in his hand, and was set in a chair, for so he was suffered by the Prolocutor. And after his denial of the articles, when he had Wednesday appointed for disputation, he alleged age, sickness, disuse, and lack of books, saying that he was almost as meet to dispute as to be captain of Calais. But he would, he said, declare his mind either by writing or word, and would stand to all they could lay upon his back. He complained, moreover, that he was permitted to have neither pen nor ink, nor yet any book but only the New Testament there in his hand, which he said he had read over seven times deliberately, and yet could not find the mass in it, neither the marrow-bones nor sinews of the same. At which words the Commissioners were not a little offended ; and Dr. Weston said ' that he would make him grant that it had both marrow-bones and sinews in the New Testament.' To whom Master Latimer said again, ' That you will never do, Master Doctor.' So forthwith they put him to silence ; so that, whereas he was desirous to tell what he meant by these terms, he could not be suffered. There was a very great press and throng of people, and one of the beadles swooned by reason thereof, and was carried into the vestry." Three days afterwards Latimer once more appeared in order to reply to these articles, and after a spirited refutation of them, he concluded his defense thus :—“Thus have I answered your conclusions as I will stand unto, with God's help, to the fire. And after this I am able to declare to the Majesty of God by His invaluable Word that I die for the truth. For I assure you if I could grant to the Queen's proceedings, and endure by the Word of God, I would rather live than die; but seeing they be directly against God's Word, I will obey God more than man, AND SO EMBRACE THE STAKE.”
It is painful to learn that during the utterance of these brave words Latimer was rudely interrupted and reviled. "Divers had snatches at him, and gave him bitter taunts, and he did not escape hissings and scornful laughing. He was very faint, and desired that he might not long tarry. He durst not drink for fear of vomiting.”
“The Queen's grace is merciful," said the Prolocutor at last, "if ye will turn.”
Latimer answered, "You shall have no hope in me to turn. I pray for the Queen daily, even from the bottom of my heart, that she may turn from this your religion.”