were very thankful; when I read for them the sufferings of Jesus Christ, several of them lifted up their hands, and thanked God for sending his Son into the world to save sinners; for, said they, if Jesus had not died for us, we could never go to heaven. Then every one that could read, requested that I would get them Testaments; and said, we will pay you for them. I told them if I could get the books, I would require no compliment for them, but for each person, who had a Testament, to commit to memory six verses each day, while they were there: they all agreed to commit the verses, and said that if they could, they would commit double as much. So, according to promise, I went and brought eight Testaments, which they received with grateful thanks. —Pp. 36, 37.

Since I have been employed to read the Holy Scriptures, I have read them in the Irish language 'to those who live in mountains, bogs, and glens, in different cabins; for those who formerly knew but the wild Irish, now acknowledge that the word I read to them is the word of God.

Since my last I have been regularly employed every Sunday going from house to house reading the Irish Scriptures to my poor ignorant neighbours. I am happy to state that several persons who heretofore closed their doors and hearts against me, are now inviting me to their houses to read. I scarcely ever read a chapter in a man's house, who would not beg of me to read another; the more they hear, the better they ap pear to like the Divine Oracles. I have spent two Sundays since my last, in C- at the earnest request of the people, and was well attended by men, women, and children, who seemed well pleased, and deeply affected at having heard of the sufferings of the Saviour. I have also devoted whole days to reading in my own house, the people collecting early, and coming and going from morning to night.-P. 37.

I feel happy in having it in my power to communicate to you the great good which has resulted from the exertions of the London Hibernian Society in this part of the country, by establishing Free Schools for the education of poor children. Numbers would never have known a letter in the alphabet, were it not for the means afforded them by that institution; in addition to which, the

Scriptures have found their way into the houses of Roman Catholics, and are read by the children to their parents; and the good effects produced, are evident in numbers of instances. About eighty Catholic children attend at one of our Schools; and all the efforts of the Priest have proved ineffectual to withdraw them from it, although he partially succeeded at first by means of establishing an Opposition School, to which some parents, through dread of the Priest, sent their children.

In

I venture to affirm, that the Bible Schools have done more to tranquillize and restore peace to Ireland, than all the laws which have been enacted. short, if gentlemen who have property to preserve, had viewed the subject in the extent of its importance, Schools would be more numerous, and thereby a bond of union would exist between the parties, instead of the animosity that now too frequently prevails.-P. 40.

I have been directed to apply to you, to enable me to remunerate two poor men, from whom my masters engaged two houses, when persecuted, and turned out of the place the children then occupied. On my coming to reside in this country, nearly two years since, I established two Schools, in connexion with, and on the principles of your Society; nothing could equal their prosperity, until last March, when the Priest began his persecution and opposition. After cursing, and forbidding any of his parishioners to afford my Masters the most trifling accommodation, he turned them and their Scholars out of his Chapel. My Masters, therefore, have been glad to accede to the terms of those poor men, in whose behalf I now apply to you, as not one person but those could be found to admit the denounced Master and his Scholars inside their doors, so great was their terror of the Priest. Of course, I need not remark to you, that if those poor men had not opened their doors to my Masters, my Schools, circumstanced as they then were, would have ceased to exist. I am happy to say, that they are daily increasing in number, although the opposition of the Priests is as violent as ever. fore I conclude, allow me to remind you of the very great pecuniary inconvenience those poor people suffered, by admitting the Schools; of course, all their ordinary occupations, such as spinning, &c. were obliged to be stopped, otherwise the children could not learn.

Be

THE appointment of the new prelate was an important event in the ecclesiastical history of the day. He was remarkably zealous in the discharge of his office; active, determined, and vigilant. In writing, frequent; in ordaining, strict; in preaching, indefatigable; in reproving, severe; in exhorting, persuasive. But he had a very difficult part to act. While as a minister of God, he could faithfully proclaim his word; as a bishop of the national church, he was much perplexed, mourning over the retention of ceremonies not merely frivolous, but actually pernicious. At such a season, he could not entirely lay them aside, and yet their observance kept him in a spirit of bondage as his mind was enlightened. Under these circumstances, he every now and then inquired into their origin; and when he found any, that had been introduced into the worship of the church with some plausibility of reason or appositeness of signification, he endeavoured to purify their usage as much as possible from unmeaning superstition. He explained to the people the nature and character of the sacramental signs, warning them against considering holy bread or holy water as magical charms.

While his aims at partial reformation were thus confined to his diocese, he was called upon to exert ост. 1826.

them in a more public manner, by a summons to parliament and convocation in 1536. This session was regarded as very critical by the protestant party; as their chief, the Lord Cromwell, stood high in his Majesty's favour, supported by Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, the immediate successor of Warham, as well as the bishops of Ely, Rochester, Hereford, Salisbury, and St. David's, besides the wise and zealous diocesan of Worcester. On the other hand, the Romanists presented some powerful antagonists in the persons of Lee, metropolitan of York, with the prelates of Winchester, London, Durham, Chichester, Norwich, and Carlisle. The convocation met in June, and as the appointment of the preacher lay in the archbishop of Canterbury, he nominated Latimer, who took for his text, "The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." His known power of eloquence bespoke him the favourable attention of the Houses, while the simplicity of his matter made him generally preferred to more scholastic and refining theologians. Many warm debates passed in the course of the session between the two grand parties, in which Latimer took no leading part in public, however he might assist with his counsel in private.

3 A

The Lower House preferred sixtyseven Articles against ancient and modern heretics, which they sent to the Upper, requiring that preachers might be restrained from broaching sentiments contrary to the received doctrine of the Church and of the canons. Attempts were made to detach the King from the patrons of the reformation; but, by an overruling providence they were all frustrated. Cromwell was raised to the principal administration of ecclesiastical affairs; Cranmer was continued in favour; and by the royal command it was proposed, that the rites and ceremonies of the Church should be amended by the rule of scripture, nor any custom permitted, which might be shown to be contrary to the word of God; as it was absurd to refer rather to the opinions of pontiffs, than to the scripture itself, which alone contained the laws of religion. At length, certain regulations to this effect were signed by Cromwell, Cranmer, seventeen bishops, forty heads of conventual establishments, and fifty archdeacons and proctors. And though auricular confession was established, corporal presence in the sacrament allowed, and a qualified invocation of saints and homage of their statues retained; yet, a great point was considered to be gained on the part of the reformers in the recognition of Holy Scripture, to the depreciation of the vain traditions and fabulous legends of a preceding age.*

Latimer repaired to his diocese as soon as possible, having no desire to engage in state affairs.

On

that account Bishop Burnet speaks rather slightingly of his public character; but Latimer desired simply to discharge the office of an overseer of the church of Christ, according to the measure of grace given unto him, without entangling

*Fuller, L. v. Cent. 16. fol. 208-212. -Concil. Magn. Brit. v. p. 804, et seq.Burnet and Fox.

was not fitted by nature for a courtier, nor did he find any thing in the royal circle to induce a prolonged stay in the capital. While he doubtless rejoiced that Henry had so far sided with the reforming party, and that he had been made an instrument in the hand of Providence to purify in some measure the ecclesiastical constitution, yet he was not blind to the vices in the personal character of the monarch, as appears from the following anecdote. It was customary for the bishops to make presents to the King on new-year's day, and many of them were very liberal, in hope of reciprocal bounty. Among the rest, the diocesan of Worcester waited on his Majesty with his offering; but instead of a purse of gold, which was the usual offering, he presented a New Testament, with a leaf doubled down and pointing to the passage, Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." He must also have felt horror and disgust, when Henry formed a new attachment for Lady Jane Seymour, and, to make way for an union with that female, scrupled not to bring Queen Anne to the block, on the most improbable charges of incontinence.

In 1538 the Bible was published in English by royal authority, to the great satisfaction of our prelate, who had forwarded that measure by such influence as he possessed ; though the King discovered such vacillation in his policy between the two religious parties, that the effect was much neutralized. The next year, on the suppression of the monasteries, Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, with some other leading romanists, prevailed on the King to favour in some respects the old superstitions; while Latimer and his friends pressed Cromwell, as Ecclesiastical Administrator, to reserve a few houses in the different counties for preaching, study, and prayer. About this period, being

summoned to parliament, he took occasion to speak freely in a sermon preached at court on existing abuses; and when Henry had called together several bishops, to consult them on some theological matters, and the prelates had given their opinions, one of them knelt down, as they were on the point of separating, and accused Latimer of having dared to utter sedition in the royal pulpit. The King ordered him to vindicate himself, not without signs of evident displeasure. Latimer replied with firmness, but a becoming humility:"I never thought myself worthy, nor did I ever sue to be a preacher before your grace; but I was called to it, and would be willing, if you mislike it, to give place to my betters; for I grant there be a great many more worthy of the room than I am. And if it be your Grace's pleasure to allow them for preachers, I could be content to bear their books after them. But if your Grace allow me for a preacher, I would desire you to give me leave to discharge my conscience, and to frame my doctrine according to my audience. I had been a very dolt indeed to have preached so at the borders of your realm, as I preach before your grace." Henry was struck with the honesty and good sense of this answer; his countenance relaxed into a smile, and he dismissed the bishop with a tone and manner which indicated that he had not forfeited his favour.

much respect. The friar continued inflexible, and was sentenced to die in Smithfield. The lords of the council went to the place of execution, and offered him his pardon if he would recant; and Latimer preached a sermon, in which hẹ endeavoured to confute his errors, and entreated him to abjure them; but on his repeated refusal, he was fastened to a stake by a great chain and burned alive. Latimer, with eighteen other prelates, drew up and signed a declaration against the papal jurisdiction, which thus concluded: "That the people

ought to be instructed, that Christ did expressly forbid his apostles or their successors to take to themselves the power of the sword, or the authority of kings; and that if the Bishop of Rome, or any other bishop, assumed such power, he was a tyrant and an usurper of other men's rights, and a subverter of the kingdom of Christ."

Another declaration was also soon after subscribed by him and seven others to the effect:-That by the commission which Christ gave to churchmen, they were only ministers of his gospel, to instruct the people in the purity of the faith: but that, by other places of scripture, the authority of Christian princes over all their subjects, as well bishops and priests as others, was also clear. And that the bishops and priests have charge of souls within their cures; power to administer sacraments, and to teach the word of God: to the which word of God Christian princes acknowledge themselves subject; and that in case the bishops be negligent, it is the Christian prince's office to see them do their duty."

While, however, Latimer thus conscientiously opposed all who would on unscriptural grounds "lord it over God's heritage," he conceived it his duty, as a father of the poor of his diocese, to protect them by such means as he possessed against the oppression of