¶The fourth Session agaynst Boner Byshop of London before the kinges Commissio∣ners in the great Hall at Lambeth the eight of September.
AFter this declaration being sent downe and receyued from the Kyng, the Byshop of London (according to the Commissioners assignement the Monday before.) ap∣peared agayne before them vpon Wednesday, the xviij. of September, in the great Hall at Lambeth. Where vnder his wonted Protestation,* 1.1 first he declared that althoughe he had already sufficiently aunswered all thinges: yet fur∣ther to satisfy the terme assigned vnto him, to shewe cause why he ought not to be declared pro confesso, vpon the Ar∣ticles theretofore ministred agaynst him, and to the which he had not fully aunswered, he had then a matter in wri∣ting to exhibite vnto them,* 1.2 why he ought not so to be de∣clared, which he read there openly. Wherin first vnder his accustomed vnreuerent termes of pretensed, vniust, & vn∣lawfull processe and assignation, he said he was not bound by the law (for good & reasonable causes) to obey the same, especially theyr assignation.
And first, for that the same was onely pronounced by Syr Thomas Smith, one of the pretensed Commissio∣ners, without the consent of his pretensed Colleagues? or at the least he as a Commissioner did prescribe the Actuary what to write, whiche he ought not to haue done, because by law he ought not to haue intermedled therein, for that his Colleagues did the first day begin to sit as Iudges a∣gaynst him the Bishop, without the presence of the sayde Syr Thomas Smith.
And secondly because his aunsweres, aswell vnto the pretensed denounciation,* 1.3 as also vnto all the articles there¦tofore obiected agaynst him, were as full and sufficient, as the law required (or at least wyse there was nothyng good in law apparant to the contrary) and therfore he was not enforced by lawe farther to aunswere without farther allegation.
* 1.4And because also, that all theyr procedings therto were so extraordinarily done, that they had confounded all ma∣ner of lawfull processe, sometimes proceding ad denuncian∣dū sometimes ex officio mero,* 1.5 and sometimes ex officio mix∣to, contrary vnto the kinges Ecclesiasticall lawes, and cō∣trary also vnto theyr Commission in that behalfe.
And likewise because diuers of the Articles pretensed were superfluous and impertinēt, not reuealing though they were proued,* 1.6 conteyning in them vntruth and falsity, some obscure and vncertaine, some depending vpon other articles, either denyed, or at the least qualified, some capti∣ous and deceitfull to bring the aunswere into a snare, and some also beyng Articles of the lawe, in such sort, as by the Ecclesiasticall lawes of this Realme the kinges subiectes were not bound to make aunswere thereunto.* 1.7
And lastly, because that Syr Thomas Smith Secre∣tary to the kinges Maiesty,* 1.8 when that the Byshop was last with the Counsell in the Counsell Chamber at White Hall, after the departure of the Lorde Protectour and the rest of the counsell, did himselfe alone (without any other) write certayne Articles or Iniūctions (amongest the whi∣che was that of the kinges authority in his minority) and afterward did copy the same at a table within the sayd coū∣sell Chamber, and so himselfe did deliuer them vnto hym. By reason whereof that is not true, which in the Cōmis∣sion, denunciation and Articles was deduced and obiected agaynst him.* 1.9
When these fonde and friuolous obiections were thus read, the archbishop seing his inordinate and vntollerable contempt towardes them, charged him very sharply say∣ing: My Lord of Londō, if I had sittē here onely as Arch∣bishop of Canterbury, it had bene your part to haue vsed your selfe more lowly, obediently & reuerently towardes me then ye haue: but seing that I with my Colleagues sit here now as Delegates from the kinges Maiesty, I must tell you plaine, you haue behaued your selfe to to much in∣ordinately. For at euery time that we haue sittē in cōmissi∣on, you haue vsed such vnseemely fashions without all re∣uerence and obedience, geuing taūtes and checkes, aswell vnto vs, with diuers of the seruants and Chaplaynes, as also vnto certayn of the auncientest that be here,* 1.10 calling thē fooles and Dawes, with such like, as that you haue geuen to the multitude an intolerable exāple of disobediēce. And I ensure you my Lord, there is you and one other Bishop whō I could name, that haue vsed your selues so contēp∣tuously & disobediently, as the like I think hath not before bene heard of or sene: whereby ye haue done much harme.
At which wordes,* 1.11 the grosse Byshop (a Beast a man might iustly terme him) sayd scornefully to the Archbishop you shew your selfe to be a meete Iudge.
The Archbishop then proceeding, ••ayde to his charge how vndiscreetly the last day in the Chappell he had called all the the people Woodcockes.* 1.12
Whereunto he aunswered, that the last Session Wil∣liam Latimer one of the denouncers beyng there present,* 1.13 had practised with the audience that when he lifted vp his hand to them, they shoulde (and did as it were by a token geuen them) say as he sayd, and doe as he did: as one tyme vpon the lifting vp of his hand, they cryed nay, nay, and at an other time yea, yea, & laughed they could not tell wher∣at, with such like fashions.
Unto which wordes Latimer seing his vayne suspiti∣on, replied,* 1.14 saying that he lifted not vp his hād at any time but onely to cause them hold theyr peace.
Then Secretary Smith sayd to the Bishop, that in all his writinges and aunsweres that he had hitherto layd in,* 1.15 he would not once acknowledge them as the kings Com∣missioners, but vsed alwayes Protestations with diuers incke horne and naughty termes, calling them pretensed Commissioners, pretensed Delegates,* 1.16 pretensed Commis∣sion, pretensed articles, pretensed proceedinges, so that all thinges were pretensed with him. In deede (sayde he) such termes the Proctors of churches vse, to delay matters for theyr Clientes when they will not haue the truth known▪ But you my Lord to vse vs the kinges maiestyes cōmissi∣oners wt such termes, you do therin very lewdly & naugh¦tely. And I pray you what other thing did the rebels.
For when Letters or Pardons were brought them from the King and his Counsell,* 1.17 they woulde not credite them, but sayd they were none of the kinges or his Coun∣selles, but Gentlemens doings, and made vnder a bushe, with such like termes. But now my Lord, because hither∣to we can not make you confesse whether in your Sermon that you preached, ye omitted the Article touching ye kings maiestyes authority in his tender age or not, but still haue sayd that ye wil not otherwise answere then ye haue done, and that ye haue already sufficiently aunswered (with ma∣ny such like delayes) so as we canne by no meanes induce you to confesse playnely what you did, yea or nay: therfore I say, to the intent we may come to the truth, we haue di∣lated the matter more at large, and haue drawne out other Articles whereunto you shall be sworne, and then I trust you will dally with vs no more as you haue done. For al∣though you make your answeres in writing, yet you shall be examined by vs and make your aunsweres by mouth to the same Articles, or els you shall do worse. In deede I do not (as I sayd) discommende your Protestations and termes of law, if it were in a young Proctour that woulde helpe his Clientes cause: but in you it may not be suffered so to vse the kinges Commissioners.
Then did the Delegates minister vnto him certayne new Articles and Iniunctions,* 1.18 and did there onerate him with a corporall othe in forme of law to make a full & true aunswere thereunto. The Byshop notwithstanding still (according to his wonted maner) vnder his former Pro∣testation protested of the nullity and inuadility of these ar∣ticles, Iniunctions, & processe, desiring also a Copy ther∣of, with a competent time to aunswere thereunto.* 1.19 To whō the Iudges decreed a Copy, commaunding him to come to his examination to the Archbishop the next day at 8. of the clocke before noone.
Then the Commissioners did receiue for witnesse,* 1.20 vp∣on those new Articles nowe ministred vnto the Byshop, Syr Iohn Mason, Syr Thomas Chalenor Knyghtes, Maister William Cicill, Armygell Wade, and Wylliam Hunninges Clerkes to the Kinges Maiesties Coun∣sell, whom they onerated with a corporall othe in the pre∣sence of the Bishoppe, who still protested of the nullity of theyr receiuing and swearing, obiecting agaynst them and theyr sayinges: and therwith repeating his Interrogato∣ries already ministred, sayde he had moe to minister by to morow at 8. of the clocke.