Transcribed from the 1883 Cassell & Co. edition ,email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk.
Hugh Latimer, a farmer’s son, was born about the year 1491,at Thurcaston, in Leicestershire. He was an only son, with sixsisters, who were all well cared for at home. He was a boy offourteen when sent to Clare College, Cambridge. When about twenty-fouryears old, he had obtained a college fellowship, had taken the degreeof Master of Arts, and was ordained Priest of the Roman Church at Lincoln. In 1524, at the age of about thirty, he proceeded to the degree of B.D.,and on the occasion of his doing so he argued publicly for the Pope’sauthority against opinions of Melancthon. Thomas Bilney went afterwardsto Latimer’s rooms, gave him his own reasons for good-will tothe teaching of Melancthon, and explained to him his faith as a Reformerin a way that secured Latimer’s attention. Latimer’sfree, vigorous mind, admitted the new reasonings, and in his after-lifehe looked always upon “little Bilney” as the man who hadfirst opened his eyes.
With homely earnestness Latimer began soon to express his new convictions. His zeal and purity of life had caused him to be trusted by the Universityas a maintainer of old ways; he had been appointed cross-bearer to theUniversity, and elected one of the twelve preachers annually appointedin obedience to a bull of Pope Alexander VI. Now Latimer walkedand worked with Bilney, visiting the sick and the prisoners, and reasoningtogether of the needs of Christendom. The Bishop of the diocesepresently forbade Latimer’s preaching in any of the pulpits ofthe University. Robert Barnes, prior of the Augustinian Friarsat Cambridge, a man stirred to the depths by the new movement of thought,then invited Latimer to preach in the church of the Augustinians. Latimer was next summoned before Wolsey, whom he satisfied so well thatWolsey overruled the Bishop’s inhibition, and Latimer again becamea free preacher in Cambridge.
The influence of Latimer’s preaching became every year greater;and in December, 1529, he gave occasion to new controversy in the Universityby his two Sermons on the Card, delivered in St. Edward’s Church,on the Sunday before Christmas, 1529. Card-playing was in thosedays an amusement especially favoured at Christmas time. Latimerdoes not express disapproval, though the Reformers generally were opposedto it. The early statutes of St. John’s College, Cambridge,forbade playing with dice or cards by members of the college at anytime except Christmas, but excluded undergraduates even from the Christmasprivilege. In these sermons Latimer used the card-playing of theseason for illustrations of spiritual truth drawn from the trump cardin triumph, and the rules of the game of primero. His homely parablesenforced views of religious duty more in accordance with the mind ofthe Reformers than of those who held by the old ways. The Priorof the Dominicans at Cambridge tried to answer Latimer’s sermonon the cards with an antagonistic sermon on the dice: the orthodox Christianwas to win by a throw of cinque and quatre—the cinque, five textsto be quoted against Luther; and the quatre the four great doctors ofthe Church. Latimer replied with vigour; others ranged themselveson one side or the other, and there was general battle in the University;but the King’s Almoner soon intervened with a letter commandingsilence on both sides till the King’s pleasure was further declared. The King’s good-will to Latimer was due, as the letter indicated,to the understanding that Latimer “favoured the King’s cause”in the question of divorce from Katherine of Arragon.
In March, 1530, Latimer was called to preach before Henry VIII.,at Windsor. The King then made La