VI. A. D. Edward defender of the faith, and of the church of England and also Ireland (next and immediately under God here on earth) supreme head, and unto his court of chancery or parliament, as the laws, statutes, and ordinances of this realm will suffer and bear in this behalf; desiring instantly, first, second, and third, according to the laws, letters reverential, or dimissories, to be given and delivered unto me in this behalf, with all things expedient, requisite, or necessary in any wise. 1519. The arch clareth in En And thereupon also the said bishop required the public notary or actuary, William Say, to make an instrument, and the witness aforesaid and others present to record the same: to whom so appealing, and requiring as before, the said judge's delegate said, that they would declare and signify to the king's majesty what was done in this matter; and thereupon would defer or not defer to his said appellation, according as his grace's pleasure and commandment should be given to them in that behalf. And after all this, the said bishop of London said to them, "Jam functi estis officio. What will your grace do with me now, touching my imprisonment? will ye keep me still in prison? shall I not now be at liberty to prosecute mine appeal?" To whom the archbishop answering, said, that they perceived now more in that matter than they did at first, and that this matter was greater rebellion than he was aware of; and therefore they said that as yet they would not discharge him. And thereupon they committed him again to his keeper in prison. This talk finished, the archbishop, considering that most of the bishop de- audience there present did not understand the meaning of the senBonner's tence, being read in the Latin tongue, said to them, "Because there sentence be many of here that understand not the Latin tongue, and so you cannot tell what judgment hath been here given, I shall therefore show you the effect thereof:" and therewith he did declare in English the causes expressed in the sentence, adding thereunto these words: glish. Bonner and un "Because my lord of London is found guilty in these matters, deprived therefore we have here, by our sentence, deprived him of our bishoped. bishopric of London; and this we show unto you, to the intent that from henceforth ye shall not esteem him any more as bishop of London." His dis dainful words to mission Then Bonner desired the archbishop to declare likewise what he had done, and how he had appealed. But the other, seeing his the com- froward contempt, refused it, saying, you may do it yourself. Whereupon very disdainfully again he said, " Jam functi estis officio. What will your grace do with me touching my imprisonment? will you keep me still in prison ?" ers. Bonner again com er. To whom the commissioners answered, that they perceived now more in the matter than they did before, and that his behaviour mitted to was greater rebellion than he was aware of. And therefore they his keep would not discharge him, but committed him again to his keeper to be kept in prison; where he most justly remained until the death of that most worthy and godly prince king Edward VI.; after which time he wrought most horrible mischief and cruelties against the saints of God, as appeareth hereafter throughout the whole reign of queen Mary. From the executing of the which like tyranny, the Lord of his great mercy keep all other such, Amen! VI. 1549. Now, immediately after his deprivation he writeth out of the Edward Marshalsea other letters supplicatory unto the lord chancellor, and the rest of the king's council, wherein he thus complaineth, that by A.D. reason of the great enmity which the duke of Somerset and sir Thomas Smith bare unto him, his often and earnest suits unto the king and his council could not be heard. He therefore most humbly desired their lordships, for the causes aforesaid, to consider him, and to let him have liberty to prosecute his matter before them; and he would daily pray for the good preservation of their honours, as appeareth by the words of his own supplication hereunder following. Thus after the commissioners had finished with Bonner, he, being now prisoner in the Marshalsea, leaving no shift of the law unsought how to work for himself as well as he might, drew out a certain supplication, conceived and directed to the king's majesty, out of the said prison of the Marshalsea. A Supplication made and directed by Edmund Bonner, late Bishop of London, to the Privy-Council. To the right honourable, my lord chancellor of England, with all the rest of the most honourable privy-council: Please it your most honourable good lordships, with my most humble commendations, to understand, that albeit heretofore I have made such suit, and to such persons as I cannot devise to make more, or to more higher; this is to wit, to the king's most excellent majesty, and his most gracious person in divers sorts, and also unto your most honourable good lordships being of his privycouncil, for redress of such notable and manifest injuries and extremities as have been, contrary to all law, honesty, and good reason, inflicted upon me by my lord of Canterbury, my lord of Rochester, Dr. Smith, and Dr. May: yet, because the said Dr. Smith, being a minister to the duke of Somerset, and they both, my deadly enemies, hath sundry ways studied and laboured my ruin and destruction, staying and letting heretofore all my lawful remedies and suits, having therein help and furtherance of these two other aforesaid persons, being ready at foot and hand to accomplish all their desires and pleasures, I shall at this present (having for a time forborne to trouble, for good respects, your most honourable good lordships with any my suits, and especially for your other manifold great affairs in the king's majesty's business, myself yet, the mean while, neither wanting good will, nor yet just cause, being where I am, to make such suit) renew my suit, and most humbly beseech your most honourable good lordships to give me leave to make most humble supplication again to your said lordships, for honest and lawful liberty to prosecute my appellation and supplication heretofore made to the king's most excellent majesty; and, according to the law, to make my suit for redress of the said great and manifest injuries, extremities, and wrongs, done against me by the said persons. And your said lordships, over and besides the furtherance of justice many ways herein to me and others, and the collection of the king's majesty's subsidy now to be levied of the clergy in my diocese, which hitherto hath been and is stayed by reason of the premises, shall also bind me most greatly and entirely to pray daily for the good preservation of your said most honourable good lordships; in all honour, felicity, and joy, long to continue and endure unto God's pleasure. Written in the Marshalsea the 26th of October, 1549. Your lordship's most faithful and assured beadsman, Substance of a Supplication made and directed by Edmund Bonner, late Bishop of London, to the King's Majesty, out of the Prison of the Marshalsea. In this supplication, first, after the used form of style, he prayed for the prosperous estate of the king long to reign. Then he showed that his Edward faithful heart and service to him hath, is, and shall be, as it was to his father before. VI. A. D. Then he declared how he had been belied of evil men, and misreported not 1549. to bear a true heart to his grace, but a rebellious mind, in denying his royal power in his minority; whereas indeed, he saith, his grace should find him always, during life, both in heart, word, and deed, to do and acknowledge otherwise, and to be most willing to show, &c., and to do all other things for his grace, as willingly as any other subject, or as those that were his denouncers, who, he thought, were not sent of his grace, but pretensed commissioners, &c. Further, he complained of his denunciation by certain commissioners (who said they were sent by his grace), alleging the same not to be lawful; and of his long and sharp imprisonment; and that the commissioners observed neither law nor reasonable order, but extremity. And whereas he had made appeal to his grace, and he could not have it; he desired to have law to prosecute and sue his appeal for his remedy, and that he (considering his vocation) might not be shut up and put from liberty, which his meanest subjects have. Then he desired his grace's letters of Supersedeas against the commissioners, and that the matter might be heard before the council; and then he doubted not but to be found a true faithful man, and herein to have wrong. So in the end he concluded, that this (prostrating himself even to the very ground, and humbly kissing his grace's feet) was the only thing which he humbly desired, &c. This done, and the supplication perused, the king eftsoons giveth in charge and commandment to certain men of honour and worship, and persons skilful in the law, as to the lord Rich, high chancellor, the lord treasurer, the lord marquis Dorset, the bishop of Ely, lord Wentworth, sir Anthony Wingfield and sir William Herbert, knights, Dr. Richard Wootton, Edward Montague lord chief justice, sir John Baker knight, with judge Hales, John Gosnold, Dr. Oliver, and also Dr. Leyson, that they, scanning and perusing all such acts, matters, and muniments of the said Bonner by him exhibited, produced, propounded, and alleged, with all and singular his protestations, recusations, and appellations, should, upon mature consideration thereof, give their direct answer upon the same, whether the appellation of the said Bonner were to be deferred unto; whether the sentence defined against him stood by the law sufficient and effectual, or not: Bonner's who, eftsoons, after diligent discussion, and considerate advisement appella had of all and singular the premises, gave their resolute answer, that found to the pretensed appellation of Edmund Bonner aforesaid was naught sonable. and unreasonable, and in no wise to be deferred unto; and that the His sen- sentence by the commissioners against him, was rightly and justly Just and pronounced. And this was the conclusion of Bonner's whole matter and deprivation for that time. tion be unrea tence, lawful. (1) The editor subjoins the decision of these parties who determined upon the execution of the sentence of Edmund Bonner, bishop of London: they are quoted from the first edition of the Acts and Monuments, pp. 724-726. An Instrument made and drawn of the Judgment and Sentence of certain noble Personages, with the Assent of divers Lawyers, why the Appeal of Bonner, made from the Sentence of his Deprivation, ought not in any effect or force to stand. In Dei nomine, Amen. Præsentis publici instrumenti serie cunctis evidenter appareat, quòd anno Domini juxta supputationem ecclesiæ Anglicanæ millesimo quingentesimo quadragesimo nono, Regnique illustrissimi et serenissimi in Christo principis et domini nostri Edwardi ejus nominis Sexti, Dei gratia Angliæ Franciæ et Hiberniæ regis, fidei defensoris, ac in terra ecclesiæ Anglicanæ et Hibernicæ supremi capitis, anno quarto, mensis vero Februarii die tertio :-In mei (notarii publici Regiæque Majestatis) ad clausas ecclesiasticæ registriæ infra-scripti, testiumque inferius nominatorum, præsentia; honorandi et illustres viri domini-Richardus Ryche miles, dominus Ryche, summus cancellarius Angliæ; Wilhelmus dominus Sanctus Johannes, præclari ordinis Gartheri miles, comes Wiltoniæ, magnus thesaurarius Angliæ; Henricus Marchio Dorset, ejusdem præclari ordinis Gartheri miles; ac reverendus pater Thomas Eliensis episcopus; Thomas dominus Wentworth; Antonius Thus then, leaving Dr. Bonner awhile in the Marshalsea with his Edward keeper, we will proceed (the Lord permitting) further in the course Wingfield, præclari ordinis Gartheri miles, hospitii ejusdem domini nostri regis contrarotulator; Breve regium de certiorari directum regiis commissariis, ad transmittendum in curiam cancellariæ Cancellaria, una cum tenore sententice deprivationis predictæ. [To the King's most excellent Majesty in his High Court of Chancery.] Excellentissimo et invictissimo in Christo principi et domino nostro, domino Edwardo Sexto, Dei gratia Angliæ Franciæ et Hiberniæ regi, fidei defensori, et in terra ecclesiæ Anglicanæ et Hibernicæ VI. A. D. 1549. 1549. Edward of our story, as the order of years and time requireth. And although VI. the trouble of the lord protector' falleth here jointly with the deA. D. privation of Dr. Bonner, yet, because he was shortly again delivered out of the same through the Lord's mighty working, I will therefore delay the tractation thereof, till the time of his second trouble, which was two years after; and so, in the mean time returning again into our discourse, intend, by the Lord's leave, to collect and continue the matters begun, touching the king's godly proceedings for reformation of religion in the aforesaid year of our Lord concurring-the year Disputa tion of 1549. And here first a note would be made of Peter Martyr and of his Peter learned travails and disputation in the university of Oxford the said Mary present year with Dr. Chedsey and others, about the matter of the Chedsey. Sacrament; which was, that the substance of bread and wine was not Act of ment for changed in the sacrament, and that the body and blood of Christ were not carnally and bodily in the bread and wine, but united to the same sacramentally. In like manner, some touch or mention here also would be made parlia of the ecclesiastical laws,2 for the gathering and co i'ing whereof compiling thirty-two persons were assigned by act of parliament the said present tical laws. year, 1549. But because these be rather matters of tractation, than historical, I mean (God willing) to defer the further consideration thereof unto the end of the history of this king's days, and so to pass forward to other matters in the mean while. supremo capiti, vestri humillimi oratores Thomas, permissione divina Cantuariensis archiepiscopus, totius Angliæ primas et metropolitanus, Nicholaus Roffensis Episcopus, et Gulielmus May legum doctor, ecclesiæ cathedralis divi Pauli Londini decanus, omnimodo obedientiam et reverentiam tanto excellentissimo principi et domino nostro supremo debitam, cum humillimæ subjectionis honore! Quum itaque a serenissima Majestate vestra literas mandatorias præsentibus annexas receperamus, quibus Celsitudinem vestram de sententia sive finali judicio vel decreto, versus Edmundum Episcopum Londini (virtute literarum vestrarum commissionalium nobis et aliis in ea parte directarum) per nos lato sive promulgato, certiorem reddere in mandatis habuimus: Nos hujusmodi mandato vestro regio juxta officii nostri debitum quam humillime obtemperantes, scrutinium in registro vestro regio (penes ejusdem causæ registorem et actuarium remanente) pro promissis fieri curavimus; ex quo inter alia ejusdem causæ acta, exhibita, et munimenta liquido apparet, quòd, primo die mensis Octobris, anno Dominicæ incarnationis 1549, regnique vestri florentissimi anno tertio, coram nobis commissariis sive delegatis antedictis-in aula manerii archiepiscopalis Cant. apud Lambehithe in comitatu Surrey, in prædicta causa (vigore delegationis nobis a Majestate vestra factæ, in præsentia notarii publici subscripti, nostri in eadem causa actuarii, testiumque inferius nominatorum), judicialiter et pro tribunali sedentibus et legitimè cognoscentibus-comparuit personaliter præfatus Edmundus Londini Episcopus: in cujus præsentia nos archiepiscopus antedictus, de et cum expresso consensu pariter et assensu dicti reverendi patris Roffensis episcopi, Thomæ Smith militis, ac præfati Gulielmi May legum doctoris, collegarum nostrorum una nobiscum judicialiter et pro tribunali sedentium, sententiam nostram definitivam, sive nostram finale decretum sive judicium, tulimus legimus et promulgavimus in scriptis, sub eo, qui sequitur, verborum tenore : 'In Dei nomine, Amen, &c. Præsentibus tunc ibidem Gulielmo Saieo notario publico ejusdem causæ actuario, necnon magistris Gulielmo Cooke, Johanne Cooke, et Richardo Lyal viris doctoribus, Hugone Latymero theologiæ professore, Johanne Josepho sacræ theologiæ baccalaureo, et multis aliis testibus ad hoc speciatim accersitis et ad præmissa audienda rogatis. Quæ omnia et singula nos archiepis. episcop. et decanus, vestræ Majestatis delegati sive commissarii antedicti, vestræ Celsitudini in almam vestram cancellariæ curiam certificamus et significamus per præsentes. In quorum omnium et singulorum fidem et testimonium nos archiepiscop. episcop. et decanus antedicti sigilla nostra præsentibus apponi curavimus. Datum quoad sigillationem predictam octavo die Februarii, anno Domini juxta supputationem ecclesiæ Anglicanæ 1549 et regni vestri florentissimi quarto.' [The historical date is 1550.-ED.] (1) The first trouble of the lord protector was about the month of October, 1549. END OF VOL. V. LONDON-R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD-STREET-HILL. |