The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-12-06 00:00:00

LECTURE ON "BISHOP LATI3IER."

A lecture on the above subject was given,
under the auspices of the Lye Young Men's
Mutual Improvement Association, at the Wes
leyan Chapel, Lye, on Monday evening last, by
the Rev. P. Pizey, President of the Associaticu.
Mr. D. Yardley occupied the chair. The pro-
ceedings were opened by the Rev. Knibbs,
of Briorley Hill, who offered up prayer, elter
which

Mr. Yardley said they had met together that
evening under the auspices of the Lye Young
" Men's Mutual Improvement Association to hear
a lecture from Mr. Pizey, on "'Bishop Latimer."
He was asked to take that position simply be-
cause he was the first honorary member a that
society. He congratulated those present on the
formation of a society of that kind amongst
them. He had no doubt that many of the
young men connected with it would have occa-
sion to feel grateful to Mr. Pizey to the last
days of their existence, for the intellectual
benefits they were receiving, and would in the
future receive at his hands. They lived in days
of progression, and he was very glad to think
that ,the stigma of ignorance and darkness,
which had been so long attached to the Lye,
was fast dying out amongst them. They we-e
once thought to be drunken and ignorant, but
he thanked God that times had changed, and
the cause for such charges as these were rapidly
passing away. Religion had of late years made
rapid strides amongst them, and wherever the
rays of true religion penetrated there was inva-
riably developed a thirst for knowledge. lie
hoped that institution would be the means of
bringing every one connected with it under its
benign influence, lie had never had the benefit
of a college training himself, but he felt proud
to say that his position at the present time was
owing to the little education he had received in
his early days. He thought education much
better than a fortune, for ifs man lost a fortune
who had no education, he would not .know how
to get it again; whilst education would enable
man to echieve a fortune for himself. He
polluted out how necessary it was that young
men should start well, in life and showed how
efficacious such associations as those were in I
enabling them to do thil. After a few other
remarks,
The Rev. P. Pizey rose, and said he bad nu-
dertakon to bring before thew that evening the I
name of a man who was one of the brightestl
lights of the Proteetant Reformation. it was al
remarkable fact, which was amply verified by
English history, that whenever the nztion
wanted for Ilion at any criaii—whetim; they
looked to science, politics, or religion—they
could alwaym find wen capable of meeting the
emergency. At the time of the Reformation
abuedance of such men were found, and lure.
most amongst those men was the subject of his
lecture —Hugh Latimer. When he started his
career Popery was at the zenith of its power.
Darkness and superstition covered the land like
a dense fog. The monks and friars revelled in,
licentiousness, whilst they bellowed their inso-
lent superstitious against any one who dared to
question their vile conduct. Lulled in the
gecurity of the superstition which was their
safeguard, every day made them bolder; but just
as the tempest breaks in upon the stillness of
the night, suddenly arousing the sleeping pearl-
ner to a sense of his danger, so there was a rude
awakening flow this night of slumber. John
Wickliffe arose. He itranslated the Bible, and
prepared the way for a brighter and a better
day. But this was not to last for long, and the
darkness was all the deeper for the brief gleam
of light which had been shed over it. But
short as had been the interval of light, it had
been sufficient to give the people an iusight into
the doings of their teachers. The character of
the priests, monks, and friars had been made
known, and was ringing throughout the length
and breadth of the laud, and hurried in the dawn
of that day of christian and religious liberty
which they now enjoyed. :Many helped unwit-
tingly in hastening ferward this great change.
Proud, arrogant, licentious olmey did some-
thing towards it. But it Was to Latimer and
others, who were too good for the times in which
they lived, to whom they were indebted for the
Reformation. Hugh Latimer was born in a
small town in Leicestershire, in the year 1472.
Of his early years little or nothing was known.
Just as in viewing a landscape, in the far dis-
tance they could only descry a faint outline, so
it was with regard to the knowledge they had
of the early days of Latimer; nothing was de-
finite. From his excellent sermons they knew
that he was his father's only son; but was
blessed with six sisters. His father was a toler-
ably well.te-do farmer, and a great portion of
Latimer's early days were occupied ni minding
sheep. He early seemed to nave discovered
some of that combativeness to the development
of which phreuulogists say a certain bump is
due, for when his lather was buckling on his
rusty armour preparing
.to defend the constitu-
tion of his cuutitiy against the attacks of the
lawless mobs, who were the frequent clause of
riot and bloodshed in those days, be expressed a
wish that he could go with him. His father was
a bright specimen of the yeomanry of that day.
'l' hey read that his home was ever open to bis
neighbours, and that he never closed his doors
against the poor. And there wad no doubt that
young Latimer might have lived and died un-
known, if it had not been fur Ina father. 'lhere
were numbers of people constantly dying in oh-
meurity—with quite as much talent as Lather
—but who were unable to rise simply because
they lacked opportunity. the lecturer heie
quoted weveral verses from Gray's beautiful
ELgy, commencing with—
Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid,''
He resumed : But his father saved hiru from this
destiny to win a nobler, if a more cruel fate.
Seeing the evident talent possessed by the boy
he determined to give him every opportunity for
cultivatiug it, and aceordingl suet Mai to Cam-
bridge e.heu he was fourteen years of age, lie
was here soon distinguished for his constant
application to study, and for .his fearless out-
spoken vindication of what he believed to be
right. Shortly after he went there, one of hie
fellow-students gave much umbrage to the
monks by singing a Latin couplet to the effect
that there was nothing better than being merry
and doing well. Latimer was surprised that
these apparently innocent words should give
offence ; hut he afterwards found out that
monkery was quite willing to be merry, but not
good. When lie was a Romanist he threw his
heart and soul into the cause of Rome, and wee
ready to defend it with his life. lie hail en aunt
who was a devoted believer in the mummeries
of Rome, and under her tuition he made rapid
strides in superstition. On one occasion she
eves teaching ate the rite of exorcism, and told
him they were to drive out the devil, and for
this purpose he was to take a certain paper, and
mike Vet sign of the cross. Ttey then went
through certain forms and prayers, :but the evil
spirit refused to be exorcised, and in utter years
Latimer found out that, "this kind goeth not
out, but with prayer mid fasting." Shortly after
this he boo tine a member of Clare College, and
a Ma,ter of Arts. Just it this time the heart
of England Wll,B st:rred by an event which
sugared ill for the Roman Catholics. A trans-
lation of tho New Testament was brought over
to this country. The commotion caused by this
was not lost upon a quiet Divine named Eras-
mus, and he set to work to give translations of
it himself. Erasmus was not, however, the man
for controversy, arid, seeing a storm gathering
around him, he retired to the continent. He
there mado a complete translation of the Bible
from the Greek a-id Latin Vulgate, thinking by
this means to reap the gratitude of the church,
and to effectually stop all the controversy that
wee taking place. But Popery does not love the
Bible, and let but the light of truth enter the
heart of man, and Popery will fade and die. To
his amazement, Erasmus was assailed on all
hands. "We must turn this man out of the
University," said one. "He is a forger," said
a third." "If we don't stop this it will sink the
ship," cried the whole body of the church an.
thorities in chorus. Whilst Erasmus was shiv-
ering with fear and agony, the book found its
way into the Universities, and into the hands
of a little Doctor of Divinity, named Dr. Bia.
ney. For some time he dared not open The
book, lest he should Incur the penalties hurled
against those who did so by the Church of
Rome. He at length, however, did so with fear
and trembling, and the first words his eye lighte4
upon were " Jesus Christ, by his death, saves
sinners. Here was no talk about purchasing in•
&deuces, or paving for prayers to be said to
get relatives out of purgatory. And the Doctor
seeing that-Paul called himself the " greatest of
sinners," said, "I am a sinner, too," and like
Paul he would go to Christ for forgiveness. Ha
did so, and found such peace as he had neves