Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

Articles obiected and ministred by Boner, a∣gainst William Branch, alias Flower, late of Lam∣beth, in the Countie of Surrie.

* 1.1FIrst, that thou being of lawful age and discretion, at the least of 17. yeare old, wast professed a Monke in the late Abbey of Ely, wherin after thy profession thou remainedst vntill the age of 21. yeares, vsing all the meane tyme, the habit and religion of the same house, and wast reputed and taken notoriously for such a person.* 1.2

Item, that after the premisses, thou wast ordered and made prieste, according to the laudable custome of the Ca∣tholike Church, and afterward thou didst execute and mi∣nister as a priest, and was commonly reputed, named, and taken for a priest.

Item, that after the premisses, thou forgetting God, thy conscience, honestie, and the laudable order of the Ca∣tholike church, diddest contrary to thy profession and vow, take as vnto thy wife, one woman, commonly called Alice Pulton, in the parish churche of Tewkesbury, in the Dio∣ces of Gloucester, with whom thou haddest mutuall coha∣bitation and carnall copulation, as man and wife, and be∣gatest of her two children.

Item, that thou being a religious man and a Priest, diddest contrary to the order of the ecclesiastical lawes,* 1.3 take vpon thee to practise in diuers places within the dioces of London, Phisicke and Surgerie, when thou wast not ad∣mitted, expert, nor learned.

Item, that vpon Easter day last past, that is to witte, the 14. day of thys present moneth of Aprill, within the pa∣rish Church of S. Margarets at Westminster, wythin the Countie of Middlesex and Diocesse of London, thou dydst maliciously, outragiously, and violently pul out thy wea∣pon, that is to wit, thy Woodknife or hanger. And wheras the priest and minister there called sir Iohn Cheltam, was executing his cure and charge, especially in doing hys ser∣uice, and ministring the sacramēt of the aultar to the com∣municants, then didst thou wickedly & abhominably smite with thy said weapon the said priest, first vpō the head ve∣ry sore, & afterwards vpon his hands or other parts of his b / dy, drawing bloud abundantly vpon him: the sayd priest then holding the sayd sacramēt in his hand, and geuing no occasion why thou shouldest so hurte him: the people gree∣uously being offended therwith, and the said church pollu∣ted thereby, so that the inhabitantes were compelled to re∣paire to an other Churche to communicate, and to receyue the sayde sacrament.

Item, that by reason of the premisses, thou wast and art by the ecclesiastical lawes of the churche, amongst other penalties, excommunicate and accursed, ipso facto, and not to be companied withal, neither in church, nor otherwhere but in speciall cases.

Item, that thou concerning the veritye of Christes na∣turall body and bloude in the sacrament of the aultar, haste ben by the space of these yeares. 20.19.18.17.16.15.14.13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2. and 1. or any one of them, and yet art at this present of the opinion: that is to say, that in the sayd sacrament of the aultare,* 1.4 after the wordes of consecration, there is not really, truely, and in very dede, contained (vn∣der the formes of bread) the very true and naturall body of our sauiour Iesus Christ.

Item, that thou for the hatred and disdaine that thou hadst & didst beare against the said sacrament, and the ver∣tue thereof, and against the said priest ministring the same, (as before) did smite, wound, and hurte him in maner and forme as before is declared.

Iem, that thou ouer and besides the paynes due vnto thee for the doing of the cruell facte, art also by the order of the ecclesiasticall lawes of the churche, and the laudable cu∣stome & ordinaunce of the same, to be reputed, taken, & iud∣ged (as thou arte in deede) a very heritike, and to be puny∣shed by and with the pains due for heresie, by reason of thy sayd heresie and damnable opinion.

Item, that al the premisses be true, manifest, and noto∣rious and famous, and that vpon the same, and euery part thereof, there was and is wythin the sayd parish of Saint Margaretes and other places thereabout, a publike voice and fame

The answeare of William Flower, made to the articles aforesayde.

TO the first article, he answereth and confesseth the same to be true in euery part thereof,* 2.1 except that he sayth and confesseth that he neuer consented and agreed in hys heart to be a Monke.

To the second article he answeareth,* 2.2 and confesseth the same to be true in euery part therof. Howbeit he saith, that he neuer did, nor yet doth esteme y^e said order of priesthoode, according to the said order of the Catholike church, because he was offended therewith in his conscience.

To the thirde article he answeareth, and confesseth that he intending to liue in godly matrimonie, & not forgetting God,* 2.3 did mary with the saide Alice Pulton named in thys article, wherein he beleueth that he did well, and according to Gods lawes. Further, confessing and beleeuing, that al the time when he was professed Monke, and made priest, he did therby vtterly forget God: but when he did so mary the sayd Alice Pulton, and in continuing with her, did be∣get three children, he did remember God, as he sayeth, and beleeueth that he did then lawfully.

To the fourth article he answeareth, and beleeueth the same to be true in euery part thereof.

To the fifth article hee answeareth, and confesseth that hys cōscience being greatly offended with the said sir Iohn Cheltam priest, for ministring of the sacrament of the altar to the people at the place and time specified in this article, he did smite and strike the same priest wyth hys hanger or woodknife, as wel vpon his head, as vpon other partes & places of his body, which he remembreth not, whereby the bloud ran out, and was shed in the saide Church, as he be∣leueth, hauing, as he sayth, none other cause or matter so to doe, but onely that his conscience was offended and gree∣ued, in that the same Priest did so geue and minister the sayd Sacrament to the people: which people he beleeueth was greatly abashed and offended with his saide facte and doyng, and were enforced and compelled to goe out of the Churche, and to repaire to an other to receiue the sayde sa∣crament. And further, being then demaunded and exami∣ned, whether he did then minde and intende to haue killed the said priest, or not? he said he would not answeare there∣unto. And being further examined whether he did well or euil in striking the sayd priest? he would make no answere thereunto, as he sayd.

To the sixt he answereth & saith, that whether he be so excommunicate or accursed, as is conteined in this article, he referreth him selfe herein to the Ecclesiasticall lawes.

To the seuenth he aunsweareth and sayeth, that by the space of sixe and twentie yeares now past, he hath alwaies bene, and yet is of this opinion touching the saide Sacra∣ment of the aultare, as followeth: videlicet, that in the Sa∣crament of the aultar, after the words of consecration, there is not really, truely, and in very dede contained vnder the forme of breade, the very true naturall body of our sauiour Iesus Christ.

To the eight he answeareth, and beleeueth the same to be true in euery part thereof.

To the ninth he answeareth, & herein he referreth hym selfe to the said lawes, custome, and ordinaunce specified in this article, that is to say, the Canonicall lawes.

To the last he answeareth & beleueth, that those things before by him confessed be true, and those which he hath de∣nied, be vntrue: and that the said common voyce and fame, hath and doth only labor and go vpon those things by him before confessed.

By me William Flower, alias Branch.

After this examination done, the bishop began after the best sort of his fine Diuinitie to instruct him,* 2.4 and to exhort him to returne againe to the vnitie of his mother the Ca∣tholike church, with such reasons as he is commonly wōt to vse to others, promising many faire things if he woulde so do, besides the remitting of that was past.

To this William Flower answearing againe, thanked him for hys offer: and where it was in his power to kill or not to kil his body, he stode therwith contented,* 2.5 let him do therein what he thought: yet ouer his soule he had no suche power, whych being once separated from the bodye, is in the handes of no man, but onely of God, eyther to saue or spill. As concerning his opinion of the sacrament, he sayd, he would neuer goe from y^t he had spoken, do he wyth him what he would.

Then the B. assigned him againe to appeare in y^e same place at after noone, betwixte 3. or 4. In the meane time to aduise himselfe of his former answeres, whether he would stand to the same his opinions or no? which if hee so did, he would further proceede against him. &c.

At after noone the sayd William Flower appeared a∣gayne before the sayd B. the houre and place appoynted. To whome the B. sittyng in his Consistorie, spake these wordes. Branch, ye were this forenoone here before me, and made aunswer to certaine articles:* 2.6 and thereupon I respited you till now, to the intent you shoulde consider and weigh with your selfe your state, and to remember while you haue tyme, both your abhominable act, and al∣so that euill opinion which ye haue conceyued touchyng the veritie of Christes true natural body in the sacrament of the aultar.

To whom the sayd Branch answered agayne, and said as followeth:* 2.7 That which I haue sayd, I will stand too: and therfore I require that the lawe may proceed agaynst me. Wherupon the Bish. commanded his Notary (Har∣ward by name) to read to him agayne his articles, as be∣fore. Which beyng read, the said W. Flower persistyng in his godly sentence, answered to all partes of the articles, as in the forenoone before, saue onely that he requested the B. concernyng the fift article, he might alter somthing his answer therein, after this tenor and maner of wordes: to wit. And moreouer confesseth and sayth, that where as he strake the priest on Easter day last past, in S. Margarets church in Westminster, he hath since that tyme, & yet doth mislike hymselfe in that doyng, and doth now iudge and beleue that the same his act was euill and naught. How∣beit he saith and beleueth, that as for the matter and cause wherfore he so stroke the said priest (which was for mini∣string of the sacrament of the aultar,* 2.8 which he taketh and iudgeth abhominable) he did nor doth not mislike hymself at all therein.

Moreouer, he desireth of the said B. licence to be gran∣ted him, to alter and take out somewhat of the ix. Article, & in place therof, these words to be placed: to wit, Herein he referreth himselfe to the lawes, custome and ordinance specified in this article,* 2.9 &c. At which request, Boner gran∣ted to the altering of both the articles according as he de∣sired, and so put in the actes.

After this, the B. turning agayne to his old maner of exhorting, went about with words (and words onely) to perswade him to submit himselfe to the Catholike church, and to the faith therof. Which all his perswasiōs notwith∣standing, Wil. remained stil in the constancy of his sentēce, saying, that he would not be remooued from that hee had spoken, to die therfore. Whereupon the Bish. assigned him the next day (being the xx. day of Aprill) to appeare in the same day and place, betwene the houres of 8. and 9. before noone, there and then to heare the sentence pronounced, in case he would not relent, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Articles obiec∣ted agaynst W. Flower by B. Boner.
• * 1.2

  In the latter dayes certayne shall depart frō the ••ayth, for∣bidding mari∣age and eating of meates. 1. Tim. 4.
• * 1.3

  A great heresie.
• * 1.4

  His fayth in the Sacrament.
• * 2.1

  Flower ••••••swere t•• the 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪
• * 2.2

  Flower made 〈◊〉〈◊〉 agaynst will.
• * 2.3

  Flower ••••••••fesseth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 matrimon•• to be ho••nest and lawfull▪ W. Flo•••••• more d••••uout to being in state of ••••••trimony thē 〈◊〉〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 striking Priest 〈◊〉〈◊〉 aultar. Note 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the say•• Flower ••••••terward his next ••••••pearau•••••• correct•••• reforme•• this aun••swere. Flower will no•• aunswe•• whethe•• he inten•• to kill th•• Priest.
• * 2.4

  W. Flo•••••• exhorte•• to recan••▪
• * 2.5

  W. Flo•••••• refuseth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 reuoke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fayth an•• doctrine.
• * 2.6

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 2.7

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 2.8

  ••••••wer ••••••liked his 〈…〉〈…〉 Priest.
• * 2.9

  ••••••wer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his ••••swere to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 9. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.