believe, and therefore he was damned; the fault being in him only, and in nobody else." Notwithstanding this explicit declaration for the universality of Christ's atonement, a modern Calvinist of great ability has endeavoured to pervert it, by a gloss which reflects more honour upon his ingenuity than his candour. After quoting the passage respecting Judas, the late Mr. Toplady says, "Not that Christ actually died for Judas (whose death was prior to that of Christ himself), but that the Mediator's blood was as much sufficient (so infinite was its value) to have redeemed even Judas, as to have redeemed any other person, had it been shed for that purpose." Now Latimer made no such subtle distinction, he says positively, that Christ actually did die for Judas, but that Judas by rejecting that blood of atonement which was shed for him, thereby sealed his own eternal condemnation.

On the awful doctrine of the divine decrees, the opinion of Latimer was equally clear. "We need not," says he, "go about to trouble ourselves with curious questions of the predestination of God, but let us rather endeavour ourselves that we may be in Christ, for when we be in him, then are we well, and then we may be sure that we are ordained to eternal life. But you will say, how shall I know that I am in the book of life? How shall I prove myself so elected of God to everlasting life? I answer, first, we may know that we be one time in the book, and another time come out again, as appeareth by David, which was written in the book of life but when he sinned, he at the same time was out of the book of the favour of God, until he had repented, and was sorry for his faults. So we may be in the book one time, and afterwards, when we forget God and his word, and do wickedly, we come out of the book, that is, out of Christ."

But though Latimer and Calvin differed totally in what were subsequently called the quinquarticular articles, the two reformers agreed in one point of another description, and that was the actual descent of the soul of Christ into the place of torment, for the purpose of completing our redemption, by enduring the sufferings due to our original and actual transgressions.

This fearful position, however, the English divine advanced with a more cautious reserve than Calvin, who was but too apt to dogmatize on doubtful subjects, and to be most peremptory where scripture is silent.

As a preacher, Latimer obtained an extraordinary degree of popularity, and he well deserved it, by the use which he made of his talents and influence. He spoke from the heart, and though his eloquence was of the most fervid character, it was totally free from rant and enthusiasm. He never meddled with mystical subjects, nor made use of language, unintelligible to ordinary understandings.

His eloquence was perfectly evangelical, and constantly tended to the personal improvement of his hearers; not to excite their wonder and admiration.

If he occasionally intermingled strokes of pleasantry with severe dehortation and grave arguments, it was to expose vice, and shame delinquents, without any respect of persons and the most caustic of his discourses were those which he delivered in the presence of corrupt judges, rapacious courtiers, and negligent prelates.

To sum up his character in a few words; profession and practice, zeal and holiness, distinguished him through the whole course of his long, active, and well-tried life. For many years did his light shine with undiminished lustre, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, and the termination of his course was, as the setting of the sun, "full of immortality."

SERMON S.

THE FIRST

OF

MASTER HUGH LATIMER'S TWO SERMONS

OF THE CARD,

Preached at Cambridge, in Advent, about the year 1529..

JOHN i. 19.

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem, to ask him, Who art thou?

TU QUIS ES? Which words are as much as to say in English, "Who art thou ?" These be the words of the Pharisees, which were sent by the Jews unto St. John Baptist in the wilderness, to have knowledge of him, who he was; which words they spake unto him of an evil intent, thinking that he would have taken on him to be Christ, and so they would have had him done of their good wills, because they knew that he was more carnal, and given to their laws, than Christ indeed should be, as they perceived by their old prophecies: and also, because they marvelled much of his great doctrine, preaching and baptizing, they were in doubt whether he was Christ or not: wherefore they said unto him, "Who art thou?" Then answered St. John, and confessed that he was not Christ.

Now here is to be noted, the great and prudent answer of St. John Baptist unto the Pharisees, that when they required of him who he was, he would not directly answer of himself, what he was himself, but he said he was not Christ: by the which saying he thought to put the Jews and Pharisees out of their false opinion, and belief towards him, in that they would have had him to exercise the office of Christ, and so declared farther unto them of Christ, saying, "There standeth

VOL. I.

B

one among you, whom ye know not; he it is who coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoes' latchet I am not worthy to unloose." By this you may perceive that St. John spake much in the laud and praise of Christ his master, professing himself to be in no wise like unto him. So likewise it shall be necessary unto all men and women of this world, not to ascribe unto themselves any goodness of themselves, but all unto our Lord God, as shall appear hereafter, when this question aforesaid, "Who art thou?" shall be moved unto them: not as the Pharisees did unto St. John, of an evil purpose, but of a good and simple mind, as may appear hereafter.

Now then, according to the preacher's mind, let every man and woman, of a good and simple mind, contrary to the Pharisees' intent, ask this question, "Who art thou?" This question must be moved to themselves, what they be of themselves, on this fashion, What art thou of thy only and natural generation between father and mother, when thou camest into this world? What substance, what virtue, what goodness art thou of by thyself? Which question if thou rehearse oftentimes unto thyself, thou shalt well perceive and understand, how thou shalt make answer unto it: which must be made on this wise; I am of myself, and by myself, coming from my natural father and mother, the child of the ire and indignation of God, and the true inheritor of hell, a lump of sin, and working nothing of myself, but all towards hell, except I have better help of another, than I have of myself.

Now we may see in what state we enter into this world, that we be of ourselves the true and just inheritors of hell, the children of the ire and indignation of Christ, working all towards hell, whereby we deserve of ourselves perpetual damnation, by the right judgment of God, and the true claim of ourselves: which unthrifty state that we be born unto is come unto us for our own deserts, and proveth well this ensample following.

Let it be admitted for the probation of this, that it might please the king's grace now being, to accept into his favour a mean man, of simple degree and birth, not born to any possession; whom the king's grace favoureth, not because