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.

¶The forme and tenour of the Articles ministred vnto the Byshop of London, by the Kyngs Commissioners.

MOnday the xvj. of September, the Archbish. associa∣ted with the Bishop of Rochester,* 1.1 Secretary Smith▪

and Doctor May Deane of Paules, sat iudicially▪ within his Chappill at Lambeth: before whom there and then ap∣peared the Byshop of London according as he was assig∣ned in the last Session; at which time he exhibited vnto the Commissioners in 〈…〉〈…〉 his answeres vnto the last for∣mer Articles.* 1.2

But before the same were there read, the Archbyshop sayd vnto him, that his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a••••sweres made y^e 13. of Sep∣tember vnto the denunc••a••••••••, were very obscure, & ther∣with also conteined much matter▪ of slaunder agaynst La∣timer and Hooper, and much vntruth, and therfore they de¦sired there to purge themselues. Whereupon Latimer first obe••••ing leaue to speake, sayd, that the Byshop of Londō had most falsely, vntruely, and vncharitably accused him, ••aying to his charge many fayned and vntrue matters in his former aunsweres to the denunciation, and such as he should neuer be able to proue. For wherei•• his sayd aun∣swere he alleadged that Hugh Latimer and Iohn Hooper with other heretickes conspiring agaynst him, did the first day of September after the Bishoppes Sermon assemble themselues together vnlawfully against the sayd Bishop, that saying of his was most vntrue.* 1.3 For neyther that day, nor yet before that day, nor vntill certayne dayes after, he euer knew or spake with Hooper. And as touching hys owne preaching there openly accused by the Byshoppe, he sayd he neuer helde,* 1.4 taught; or preached any thing concer∣ning the blessed Sacrament, otherwise then he ought to do, nor otherwise then according to the Scriptures, & true Catholicke fayth of Christes Church: and therefore offered▪ himselfe to be tryed by the Archbishop or other suche lear∣ned men as it should please the Kings Maiesty, or the said Commissioners to appoynt: and farther to suffer to be hā∣ged, drawne, and quartered, if the Byshoppe coulde iustly proue true the thinges that he had there shamefully layde to his charge. Then M. Hooper vpon like 〈◊〉〈◊〉 obteined, sayd to this effect.

* 1.5This vngodly man (pointing to the Bishop) hath most vncharitably and vngodly accused me before your grace & this audience, and hath layd to my charge that I am an he∣reticke. Whereas I take God to recorde, I neuer spake, read, taught, or preached any heresy, but only the most true and pure word of God. And where he sayth I frequēt the company of heretickes, I doe muche maruell of his so say∣ing, for it hath pleased my Lord Protectours Grace, my singuler good Lord and Mayster, and my Ladyes Grace to haue me with them, and I haue preached before them, and much vsed theyr company,* 1.6 with diuers other worship¦full persons, and therefore I suppose this man meaneth them. And farther, where as he sayth that I haue made he∣reticall bookes agaynst the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ, calling it Mathematicall, I perceiue that this man knoweth not what this word Mathemati∣call there meaneth, and therefore vnderstandeth not my booke: which I take God to my Iudge, I haue made true∣ly and sincerely, and according to his holy word: and by the same his holy worde and Scriptures I am alwayes & shall be ready to submit my selfe to your Graces iudgemēt and the superiour powers to be tryed: with many suche more wordes of like importance.

Which ended, the Archbishop to shorten this matter, asked the bishop how he could proue that Hooper and La∣timer assembled together agaynst him the first of Septem∣ber, as he had alleadged, seing they now denyed it, and ther¦fore willed him to aunswere forthwith thereunto.

The Byshop then aunswered that hee woulde duelye proue it,* 1.7 so that he might be admitted to do it according to lawe, and with that hee pulled out of his slieue certayne bookes, saying: I haue this Uarlets bookes whyche hee made agaynst the blessed sacrament, which you shal heare. Then as he was turning certayne leaues thereof, Hooper beganne agayne to speake,* 1.8 but the Byshop turning hym∣selfe towardes him, tauntingly sayd, put vp your pypes, you haue spokē for your part, I wil meddle no more with you, and therewith read a certayn sentence vpon the book. W••ich done, he sayd: Lo here you may see his opinion, and what it is.

At which wordes the people standing behind, and see∣ing his vnreuerent and vnsemely demeanor and raylyng,* 1.9 fell sodenly into great laughing. Whereat the Bishop be∣ing moued, and perceiuing not the cause wherfore they did so laugh, turned him towardes thē in a great rage saying: ah Woodcockes, woodcockes.

* 1.10Then sayd one of the Commissioners, why say you so my Lord mary (quoth he) I may wel cal them Woodcocks that thus will laugh, and know not wherat, nor yet heard what I sayd or read.

Well my Lord of London, sayd the Archbyshop, then I perceiue you would perswade this audience y^t you wer called hither for preaching of your beliefe in the Sacramēt of the aultar, and therefore you lay to these mens charge (meaning Hooper and Latimer) that they haue accused you of that. Howbeit, there is no such thing layd to your charge, and therefore this audience shal heare openly read the denunciation that is put vp agaynst you, to the intent they may the better perceiue your dealing herein. And therewithall he sayd vnto the people: My Lord of Londō would make you beleue that he is called hyther for decla∣ring and preaching his opinion touching the sacrament of the aultar,* 1.11 but to the intent you may perceiue how he go∣eth about to deceiue you, you shall heare the denunciation that is layd in agaynst him read vnto you,* 1.12 and therupō he deliuered the denunciatiō vnto Syr Iohn Mason knight who there read it openly. Which done, the Archbishop said agayne vnto the audience: Loe, here you heare how the bi∣shop of London is called for no such matter as he woulde perswade you.

With this the Bishop being in a raging heate, as one cleane voyd of all humanity,* 1.13 turned himselfe aboute vnto the people saying: Well, now heare what the Byshop of London sayth for his part. But the Commissioners seing his inordinate contumacy, denyed him to speak any more, saying that he vsed himselfe very disobediently: with moe like wordes.

Notwithstanding he still persisting in his vnreuerent maner of dealing with the Commissioners,* 1.14 pulled out of his slieue an other booke, and then sayde vnto the Archby∣shop: My Lord of Caunterbury, I haue here a note out of your bookes that you made touching the blessed Sacra∣ment, wherein you do affirme the verity of the body and bloud of Christ to be in the sacramēt, and I haue an other booke also of yours of the cōtrary opiniō: which is a mar∣uellous matter.

To which the Archbishop aunswered, that he made no bookes contrary one to another,* 1.15 and that he would defend his bookes, how be it he thought the Byshop vnderstoode them not: For I promise you, quoth he, I will finde a boy of ten yeares old, that shal be more apt to vnderstand that matter then you my L. of London be.

Thus after much multiplying of like words, the Com∣missioners thinking not good to spend any more wast time with him, willed him to shewe forth his aunsweres vnto the Articles obiected the last day agaynst him. Whereupon he hauing them ready, did read the same openly vnto thē.* 1.16 Wherein after many woordes of his former Protestation recited, with a maruellous lamentation, to see that one of his vocation, at the malicious denunciation of vile here∣tickes, should be vsed after such a straunge sort, hauing ne∣uerthelesse done the best he could to declare his obedience vnto the kinges Maiesty for the repressing and discoura∣ging of rebellion and all Rebels, and also for the aduance∣ment of the verity of Christes true body and his presence in the Sacrament of the aultar, for which onely the mali∣cious denouncers with theyr complices had studied to mo¦lest and trouble him,* 1.17 he then commeth to aunswering the Articles and sayth, that to the first, second, and fourth hee hath already in his former aunsweres to the denounciati∣on sufficiently aunswered, and therfore was not bound by law to answere any further.

As to the thyrd and fift he sayd, he began to write hys Sermon, but being soone wery, did onely make certayne notes therof without help of any other, sauing that he she∣wed them to his Chaplaynes requiring them to put hym in remembraunce therof: amongest the which for the better setting forth of the kinges Maiestyes power and authori∣ty in his minority, he had collected aswell out of historyes, as also out of the Scriptures, the names of diuers young kinges, who notwithstanding theyr minority,* 1.18 were faith∣fully & obediently honored & reputed for very true & law∣full kinges. As Henry 3. being but 9. yeares olde, Edw. 3. being but 13, yeares, Rich. 2. being but 11. yeares. Henry 6. being not fully one yere, Edw. 5. being but 11. yeres. Hen 8. being but 18. yeares of age. And out of the old Testament, Osias & Achas, who were but 16. yeares olde,* 1.19 Salomon & Manasses being but 12. yeares, Iosias, Ioachim & Ioas, being but 8. yeres of age whē they entred their raignes. Al which notes w^t many other he had purposed to declare if they had come vnto his memory, as indeed they did not be¦cause y^e same was disturbed partly for lacke of vse of prea∣ching, & partly by reasō of a bill y^t was deliuered him frō y^e kings counsell,* 1.20 to declare the victory then had against the rebels in Northfolke & Deuonshyre, which being of some good length confounded his memory: & partly also for that his book in his Sermon time fell away from him, wherein were diuers of his notes whiche hee had collected for that

purpose: So that he could not remember what he would, but yet in generality he perswaded the people to obediēce to the kinges Maiestye, whose minoritye was manifestly knowne to them and all other.

Then as to the 6. he sayd he knew not the rebels opi∣nion,* 1.21 and therfore could not answere therunto. And as for aunswere to the 7.8.9. and 11. Articles which touched hys pastoral office, he sayd that notwithstanding his manifold and great troubles, aswel by his owne busines and his fa∣milies sicknes, as also by vncharitable informatiōs made agaynst him, yet he hath not failed to geue order vnto his officers straitly to look vnto such matters, and such as he hath knowne, which were very few or none, he caused to be punished according to the lawes. Al which answeres w^t other, written with his owne hand here vnder folow.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.2

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.3

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• * 1.4

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• * 1.5

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• * 1.6

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• * 1.7

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• * 1.8

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.9

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 people 〈…〉〈…〉 to 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.10

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.11

  The wordes of the Archb. to the people.
• * 1.12

  Syr Iohn Mason readeth the de∣nunciation vnto the people.
• * 1.13

  Boner in a rage. Boner for his contumacy not suffered to speak to the people.
• * 1.14

  Boner chargeth the Archb. with cōtrarietie in his owne bookes.
• * 1.15

  The Archb pur∣geth himselfe & his bookes.
• * 1.16

  Boner commaū∣ded to aunswere to the Articles.
• * 1.17

  Boner' aunswe∣reth to the Arti∣cles.
• * 1.18

  Examples of kinges that were young, and yet sufficient kinges▪
• * 1.19

  Boner, excuseth his obliuion. A good Prelate that had lost his memory for lack of Preaching.
• * 1.20

  Boners booke of notes fell from him at his Ser∣mon, as he excu∣seth·
• * 1.21

  Boner knew not the rebells opi∣nion if ye will beleue him.