sations and appellations before made, and would not make other Edward answer. VI. Then the delegates demanded of him what cause he had to allege, A. D. why he ought not to be declared "pro confesso," upon the articles 1549. whereunto he had not fully answered; the bishop still answering Bonner (as before) that he would adhere unto his appellation and recu- answer. sation. denieth to declared Whereupon the archbishop, with consent of the rest, seeing his Bonner pertinacy, pronounced him "contumax," and in pain thereof declared guilty. him "pro confesso," upon all the articles which he had not answered. This done, master secretary Smith showed forth a letter which the bishop of London had before that time sent unto the lord mayor and the aldermen of the city of London, the tenor whereof ensueth as followeth. A Letter of Bonner to the Lord Mayor of London. "To the right honourable and my very good lord, the Lord Mayor of London, with all his worshipful brethren; my very dear and worshipful friends; with speed. Master Right honourable! with my very humble recommendations:-Whereas I have perceived of late, and heard with mine ears, what vile beasts and heretics have preached unto you, or rather, like themselves, prated and railed against the most blessed sacrament of the altar, denying the verity and presence of Christ's true body and blood to be there, giving you and the people liberty to believe what ye list; teaching you detestably, that faith in this behalf must not be coacted, but that every man may believe as he will! by reason whereof, lest my presence and silence might unto some have been seen to have allowed their heretical doctrine, and given credit unto them, betraying my flock of the catholic sort, ye know I departed yesterday from the heretic prater's uncharit- Bonner able charity, and so could have wished that you, and all other that be catholic, would should have done, leaving those there with him that be already cast away, and not tarry will not be recovered. For your tarrying with him still, shall not only hurt Hooper's yourselves in receiving his poisoned doctrine, but also shall give a visage that sermon. their doctrine is tolerable, by reason that ye are content to hear it, and say nothing against it. And because I cannot tell when I shall speak with you to advertise you hereof, therefore I thought good, for mine own discharge and yours, thus much to write unto you, requiring and praying you again and again, in God's behalf, and for mine own discharge, that ye suffer not yourselves to be abused with such naughty preachers and teachers, in hearing their evil doctrine that ye shall perceive them go about to sow. And thus our blessed Lord long and well preserve you all, with this noble city, in all good rest, godliness, and prosperity. Written in haste, this Monday morning, the 16th of September, 1549. Your faithful beadsman and poor bishop, Edmund Bonner. case de This letter being read, the secretary demanded of him whether he Bonner's wrote it not to whom he would not otherwise answer, but that he ferred. would still adhere and stand unto his former recusations and appeals; which the commissioners seeing, determined to continue this case in state as it was until Friday then next following, between the hours of eight and nine of the clock before noon, assigning the bishop to be there at the same time and place, then to hear a final decree of this matter, he still protesting as before. Edward VI. A. D. 1549. the com THE SEVENTH SESSION OR APPEARANCE OF BONNER ON TUESDAY THE FIRST OF OCTOBER, BEFORE THE KING'S COM MISSIONERS AT LAMBETH. Upon Friday the commissioners, for divers urgent causes letting them, did not sit in commission according to their appointment, but deferred it until Tuesday the first of October then next following. Upon that day the bishop appearing before them, the archbishop made this declaration unto him: That although as upon Friday last they had appointed to pronounce their final decree and sentence in this matter, yet forasmuch as they thought that that sentence (although they had just cause to give it) should have been very sore against him, they had not only deferred the same until this day, but, minding to be more friendly to him than he was to himself, and to use more easy and Friendly gentle reformation towards him, had also made such suit and means for him, words of that although he had grievously offended the king's majesty, and very dismission- obediently behaved himself, yet, if he would in the mean while have acknowledged his fault, and have been contented to make some part of amends in submitting himself according to his bounden duty, he should have found much favour; so the sentence should not have been so sore and extreme against him as it was like now to be; for which they were very sorry; especially to see the continuance of such stubborn disobedience, whereby they were then more enforced to give such sentence against him. ers to Bonner. The bishop, nothing at all regarding this gentle and friendly admonition and favour, but persisting still in his wonted contumacy, drew forth a paper, whereon he read these words following. A Declaration of Bonner before the Commissioners. I, Edmund bishop of London, brought in as a prisoner by his keeper, out of the Marshalsea, here before you my lord of Canterbury and your pretensed colleagues, do, under my former protestations heretofore by me made before you and remaining in your act, declare that this my presence here at this time is not voluntary, nor of mine own free will and consent, but utterly coacted and against my will; and that being otherwise sent for or brought before you than I am (that is as a prisoner), I would not, being at liberty, have come and appeared before you, but would have declined and refused to make any appearance at all, and would have absented myself from you, as lawfully and well I might have done; standing to, using and enjoying all and singular my lawful remedies and defences heretofore used, exercised and enjoyed, especially my provocation, and appellation heretofore interponed and made unto the king's most excellent majesty, to whom eftsoons, 'ex abundanti,' I have both provoked and appealed, and also made supplication, as appeareth in these writings, which, under protestation aforesaid, "I do exhibit and leave here with the actuary of this cause; requiring him to make an instrument thereupon, and the persons here present to bear record in that behalf; especially, to the intent it may appear, I do better acknowledge the king's majesty's Bonner authority even in his tender and young age, provoking and appealing to his pretend majesty as my most gracious sovereign and supreme head, with submission to his highness (as appeareth in my appellation and other remedies) for my tuition the king, and defence, than some other (I do mean you my lord of Canterbury and your said pretensed colleagues), who, by law and good reason, ought to have deferred and given place unto such provocation, appellation, and supplication, as heretofore lawfully have been by me interponed and made unto his majesty's most royal person and authority in this behalf. eth sub mission to As soon as the bishop had read these words, he did deliver as well that paper, as also two other, unto the actuary, the one containing an appellation, and the other a supplication unto the king's majesty; Edward which appellation beginneth thus: The Third Appeal made and put in by the Bishop of London. In the name of God, Amen.'-Wherein first he showed how naturally every creature declineth gladly from that thing which goeth about to hurt it; and also seeketh help and remedy to withstand such hurts and injuries.' Further, he showed that it is found by experience to be hurtful and dangerous to trust him that once hath hurt and beguiled, lest he might add more, rather than to take aught from.' Moreover he showed, that he had found heretofore, at the hands of the archbishop of Canterbury and the rest of the colleagues in this matter, much extremity and cruelty, injuries, losses, and griefs, contrary to God's law, and the laws and statutes of this realm, and against justice, charity, and good order; being well assured, if they were not stayed but proceeded, they would add more evil to evil, loss to loss, displeasure to displeasure; as (said he) their servants have reported, and they agreeably do show the same.' VI. A. D. 1549. Again in the said appeal he showed that the bishop of Canterbury, and the other commissioners, ought to have considered and done better in that matter for honour and obedience to the king's majesty, which hitherto they have not done (said he), in that they have not given place to his provocations and appellations heretofore made unto his grace justly and lawfully, and upon good and just causes; namely, for the unjust griefs they did against him, which (he said) do appear in the acts of that matter; as in pronouncing him contumacem unreasonably, without good cause; and further in assigning the term ad audiendum finale decretum, and in committing him to strait prison, as appeareth in their acts. Therefore he did not only, ex abundanti, ad omnem juris cautelam, decline and refuse their pretensed jurisdiction as before, but also, by these presents here showed, he did appeal from the said archbishop of Canterbury, and the rest, unto the king's majesty, asking also those letters of appeal which the Letters law doth admit; saying, he did not intend to go from his former provocations of appeal and appellations, but to join and cleave unto them in every part and parcel, Apostoli. submitting himself to the protection and defence of the king's majesty and he therein made intimation to the archbishop of Canterbury, and to his said colleagues, to all intents and purposes that might come thereof.' Furthermore, as touching the supplication above mentioned, which Bonner, as we said, put up in writing to the commissioners, the copy thereof hereunder likewise ensueth. The Supplication of Bonner to the Chancellor of England, with all the rest of the King's Majesty's most honourable Privy Council. Please it your most honourable good lordships, with my most humble recommendations, to understand, that albeit I have, according to the laws, statutes, and ordinances of this realm, made supplication, provocation, and appellation unto the king's most excellent majesty, from the unlawful and wicked process of the archbishop of Canterbury, the bishop of Rochester, master secretary Smith, and the dean of Paul's; as also as well from their unjust interlocutory, as also their definitive sentence, whereby in law I ought to have liberty to come abroad and prosecute the same, yet, such is the malignity of the judges against me, with bearing and maintenance of others, who sundry and many ways have sought my ruin and destruction, that I am here penned and locked up, used very extremely at their pleasure, and, for the contentation of the said master Smith, not suffered to find sureties, or to go abroad to prosecute and sue my said appellation. In consideration whereof, it may please your said good lordship to take some order and redress herein, especially for that it is now the time that the king's subsidy, now due, ought to be called upon, and justice also ministered unto his majesty's subjects; which, being as I now am, I cannot be suffered to do. A thus, without further extending my letter therein, considering that called VI. Edward wisdoms, experience, and goodness, can gather of a little, what is expedient and necessary for the whole, I do beseech Almighty God to preserve and keep well all your honourable good lordships. A. D. 1549. The archbishop's answer to Written in haste this seventh of October, 1549, in the Marshalsea. where Your honourable lordship's poor orator, and most bounden beadsman, These things ended, the archbishop said unto him, “ My lord! you say that you come coacted, or else you would not have Bonner. appeared, I do much marvel of you: for you would thereby make us and this audience here believe, that because you are a prisoner, ye ought not therefore to answer; which, if it were true, it were enough to confound the whole state of this realm. For I dare say, that of the greatest prisoners and rebels that ever your keeper there" (meaning the under marshal) "hath had under him, he cannot show me one that hath used such defence as you here have done." Bonner compared to the Devon shire. "Well," quoth the bishop, "if my keeper were learned in the laws, I could show him my mind therein." 66 Well," said the archbishop, "I have read over all the laws as well as you, but to another end and purpose than you did; and yet I can find no such privilege in this matter." Then master secretary Smith did very sore burden and charge him, how disobediently and rebelliously he had always behaved himself towards the king's majesty and his authority. Whereupon the bishop, under his protestation, answered again, that he was the king's majesty's lawful and true subject, and did acknowledge his highness to be his gracious sovereign lord, or else he would not have appealed unto him as he had; yea, and would gladly lay his hands and his neck also under his grace's feet; and therefore he desired that his highness's laws and justice might be ministered unto him. 66 Yea," quoth Master Secretary, "you say well, my lord: but I pray you what other have all these rebels both in Norfolk, Devonrebels of shire, and Cornwall, and other places done? Have they not said thus? We be the king's true subjects; we acknowledge him for our king, and we will obey his laws, with such like: and yet, when either commandment, letter, or pardon, was brought unto them from his majesty, they believed it not, but said it was forged and made under a hedge, and was gentlemen's doings; so that indeed they neither would nor did obey any thing." The peo "Ah sir," said the bishop, "I perceive your meaning; as who ple laugh- should say that the bishop of London is a rebel like them." "Yea, Bonner. by my troth," quoth the secretary. Whereat the people laughed. ing at Bonner with his taunts. Contemp. Then the dean of Paul's' said unto him, that he marvelled much, and was very sorry to see him so untractable, that he would not suffer the judges to speak. To whom the bishop disdainfully answered, Well, master dean! you must say somewhat." And likewise at another time as the dean was speaking, he interrupted him and said, "You may speak when your turn cometh." 66 "I Then said the secretary Smith," I would you knew your duty." tuous talk "I would," quoth he again, "you knew it as well as I:" with an infinite deal more of other such stubborn and contemptuous talk and of Bon ner. (1) Doctor May. VI. 1549. behaviour towards them; which the commissioners weighing, and Edward perceiving no likelihood of any tractable reason in him, they determined that the archbishop, with their whole consent, should at that A.D. present there openly read and publish their final decree or sentence definitive against him; which he did, pronouncing him thereby to be clean deprived from the bishopric of London, and further, as in the same appeareth in tenor as is hereunder to be seen; which sentence of deprivation ended, the bishop immediately did therefrom appeal by word of mouth, alleging that the same sentence there given against him, was lex nulla:' the tenor of whose words I thought here to express, according as they were by him uttered, in this wise as followeth : Bonner ‘I, Edmund, bishop of London, brought in and kept here as a prisoner against The my consent and will, do, under my former protestation heretofore made, and to words of the intent it may also appear that I have not, being so here in this place, con- appealing sented or agreed to any thing done against me and in my prejudice, allege and from the say that this sentence given here against me, is lex nulla; and so far forth as sentence it shall appear to be aliqua; I do say it 'is iniqua et injusta, and that therefore tive. I do from it, as iniqua et injusta, appeal to the most excellent and noble king Edward the Sixth, by the grace of God king of England, France, and Ireland, (1) Sententia Deprivationis lata contra Edmundum Londinensem Episcopum. In Dei nomine, Amen. Nos Thomas, miseratione divina Cantuariensis archiepiscopus, totius Angliæ primas et metropolitanus; Nicholaus, eadem miseratione Roffensis episcopus; Thomas Smith miles, illustrissimi in Christo principis et domini nostri domini Edwardi Sexti, Dei gratia Angliæ Franciæ et Hiberniæ regis, fidei defensoris, et in terris ecclesiæ Anglicana supremi capitis, secretariorum principalium alter; et Wilhelmus May, juris civilis doctor, ecclesiæ cathedralis divi Pauli decanus; dicti illustrissimi principis et domini nostri regis ad infra-scripta, una cum eximio viro domino Wilhelmo Petro milite, 'ejusdem serenissimæ Regiæ Majestatis etiam secretariorum principalium altero, commissarii sive judices delegati; cum ista clausa, videlicet,' Deputamus vos quinque, quatuor vel tres vestrum, &c., recte et legitime deputati contra te Edmundum, permissione divina Londini episcopum-in causa et causis, in literis commissionalibus dicta serenissimæ Pegiæ Majestatis expressis et specificatis, rite et legitime procedentes et judicialiter inquirentes, auditisque per nos et intellectis ac primùm examine debito mature discussis meritis et circumstantiis causæ et causarum inquisitionis ejusmodi, servatisque ulterius per nos de jure in hac parte servandis; in præsentia tui episcopi antedicti, judicialiter coram nobis constituti ac protestantis de coactione et de cæteris (prout in ultima protestatione hodie per te facta continetur);ad definitionem causæ et causarum hujusmodi prolationemque sententiæ nostræ, sive nostri finalis decreti, super eisdem ferendæ sic duximus procedendum, et procedimus in hunc qui sequitur modum. Quia (tam per acta, actitata, deducta, proposita, exhibita, allegata, probata, pariter et confessata, in causa et causis hujusmodi facta, habita, et gesta, quam per confessionem tuam propriam, factique notorietatem, et alia legitima documenta) evidenter invenimus et compertum habemus te præfatum episcopum Londini inter cætera (pro meliori officii tui pastoralis administratione) in mandatis habuisse, ut de his, qui duas aut tres uxores ut maritas in unum haberent aut qui externos et non probatos ecclesiæ ritus in hoc regno sequerentur (quibus rebus tua diocesis Londinensis præcipue erat infamata), inquireres, teque ea facere omnino neglexisse: Item expresse tibi per Regiam Majestatem præscriptum fuisse, ut ipse episcopus adesses concionibus ad crucem Pauli habitis, tam ut eas honestares tua præsentia quam ut possis eos accusare, si qui male ibidem concionarentur; te tamen contra non solum abiisse, sed etiam scriptis literis majorem Londini et aldermannos ut inde recederent admonuisse et exhortatum fuisse: Item, inter alia quoque per Regiam Majestatem tibi injuncta in mandatis tibi datum fuisse, quod articulum quendam-statum reipublicæ (tunc perniciosissima rebellione proditorum contra illum articulum sentientium gravissime perturbatæ) præcipue concernentem, et propterea supremum, necessarium, et specialiter tibi injunctum, (videlicet: Ye shall also set forth in your sermon, that our authority of our royal power is (as of truth it is) of no less authority and force in this our younger age, than is and was of any of our predecessors, though the same were much elder, as may appear by example of Josias and other young kings in Scripture. And therefore all our subjects to be no less bound to the obedience of our precepts, laws, and statutes, than if we were thirty or forty years of age.')— apud Crucem sive suggestum divi Pauli Londini, certo die tibi in ea parte præfixo et limitato, in publica tua concione tunc et ibidem populo recitares et explicares; teque modo et forma præmissa eundem articulum juxta mandatum et officii tui debitum recitare et explicare minime curasse, sed contumaciter et inobedienter omisisse, in maximum Regiæ Majestatis contemptum, ac in ejus regni præjudicium non modicum, necnon in subditorum suorum malum et perniciosum exemplum; contumaciamque et inobedientiam multiplicem, tam in hac nostra inquisitione quam alias, perpetrasse commisisse et contraxisse: Idcirco nos Thomas, Cantuariensis archiepiscopus primas et metropolitanus judexque delegatus, antedictus, Christi nomine primitus invocato, ac ipsum solum Deum oculis nostris præponentes, de et cum expresso consensu pariter et assensu collegarum nostrorum prædictorum una nobiscum assidentium, deque et cum consilio jurisperitorum cum quibus communicavimus in hac parte, te Edmundum Londini episcopum antedictum a tuo episcopatu Londinensi, una cum suis juribus et pertinentibus commoditatibus et cæteris emolumentis quibuscumque, deprivandum et prorsus amovendum fore de jure debere pronunciamus decernimus et declaramus, prout per præsentes sic deprivamus et amovemus per hanc nostram sententiam definitivam, sive hoc nostrum finale decretum, quam sive quod ferimus et promulgamus in his scriptis. defini |