Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] 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.

Doctor Thurlby and Doctor Boner comming with a new Commission to sit vpon the arch∣bishop the 14. day of February.

THis letter or sentence difinitiue of the Pope was da∣ted about the first day of Ianuary,* 1.1 and was deliuered here in Eng. about the middest of February. Upon the re∣ceit of which letters an other session was appoynted for y^e Archbishop to appeare the 14. day of February, before cer∣tayne Commissions directed downe by the Queene, the chiefe wherof was the Bishop of Ely Doctour Thurlby.* 1.2 Concerning which Doctour Thurlby, by the way here is to be noted, that albeit he was not the sayde Archbishops housholde Chapleyne, yet he was so familiarly acquayn∣ted with him, so dearely beloued, so inwardly accepted and aduaunced of hym (not like a Chapleyne, but rather lyke a naturall brother) that there was neuer anye thinge in the Archbishops house so deare, were it plate, Iewell, Horse,* 1.3 Mappes, books, or any thing els, but if Thurlby dyd ne∣uer so little commend it, (a subtle kinde of begging) the Archbishop by and by, either gaue it to him, or shortly sent it after him to hys house. So greatly was the Archbishop inamored with him, that whosoeuer would obtayne any thing of hym, most commonly would make theyr way be∣fore by D. Thurlby. Which by matter of the sayd Doctour Thurlby, I thought here to recite, not so much to rebrayd the man with the voyce of vnthankefulnes, as chiefly and onely for this, to admonishe him of old benefites receiued whereby he may the better remember hys old benefactor, and so to fauour the cause and quarrell of hym whome he was so singularly bounden vnto.

With the sayd Doctor Thurlby bishop of Ely, was al∣so assigned in the same Commission Doctour Boner By∣shop of London,* 1.4 which two comming to Oxford vpō S. Ualentines daye, as the Popes delegates, with a newe commission from Rome, by the vertue thereof commaun∣ded the Archb. aforesayd to come before them, in the quier of Christes Church before the high aultar, where they sit∣ting (according to theyr manner) in their pontificalibus, first began as the fashion is, to reade theyr Commission: wherein was conteined, how that in the Court of Rome all thinges being indifferently examined, both the articles layd to hys charge, with the aunsweres made vnto them and witnesses examined on both partes, and counsel heard as well on the king and Queenes behalfe his accusers, as on the behalfe of T. Cranmer, the party giltye, so that hee wāted nothing appertayning to his necessary defense. &c. Which foresayd Commission, as it was in reading, O lord sayd the Archbishop what lyes be these, that I being con∣tinually in prison,* 1.5 and neuer could be suffered to haue coū∣sell or aduocate at home, should product witnesse and ap∣poynt my councell at Rome? God muste needes punishe this open and shamelesse lying. They read on the Com∣mission which came from the Pope, Plenitudine potestatis, supplying all manner of defectes in lawe or processe, com∣mitted in dealing with the Archbishop, and geuing them full authoritie to proceede to the depriuation and degrada∣tion of him, and so vpon excommunication to deliuer him vp to the secular power, Omni appellatione remota.

When the commission was read thus,* 1.6 they proceeding thereupon, to his degradation, first clothed and disguised him: putting on hym a surplis, and then an Aulbe: after y^t the vestiment of a Subdeacon, and euery other furniture, as a Priest ready to Masse.

When they had apparelled him so farre: What, said he, I thinke I shall say Masse: Yea, sayd Cosins one of Bo∣ners Chapleynes, my Lord, I trust to see you say Masse, for all this. Do you so, quoth he? y^t shall you neuer see, nor I will neuer do it.

Then they inuested him in all manner of Robes of a Bishop and Archbishop, as he is at his installing, sauyng that as euery thing then is most riche and costly, so euerye thing in this was of Cāuas and olde cloutes, with a Mi∣ter and a Pall of the same sute downe vppon hym in

mockery, and then the crosier staffe was put in hys hand.

This done after the Popes pontificall forme and ma∣ner, Boner, who by the space of many yeres had borne, as it seemed, no great good will towardes him, and nowe re∣ioyced to see this day wherein he might triūph ouer him,* 1.7 and take hys pleasure at full, began to stretch out hys elo∣quence, making hys Oration to the assemble, after thys maner of sort.

Thys is the man who hath euer despised the Popes holines, and nowe is to be iudged by him. Thys is y^e man who hath pulled down so many churches, & now is come to be iudged in a church. This is the man that contemned the blessed sacrament of the altar, and nowe is come to be condemned afore that blessed sacrament hanging ouer the aultar. This is the man y^t like Lucifer sate in the place of Christ vppon an aultar to iudge other, and nowe is come before an aultar to be iudged him selfe.

Whereunto the Archbishop interrupting hym, sayde: that in that he belied him,* 1.8 as he did in many other things: For that which he would now seeme to charge him with∣al, was his owne fault, if it was any, and none of his. For the thing you meane off, was in Paules church (sayde he) where I came to sit in Commission: and there was a scaf∣fold prepared for me and others, by you & your Officers, & whether there were any aultar vnder it, or not, I could not perceiue it, nor once suspected it: wherfore you do wit∣tingly euill to charge me wyth it.

But Boner went on still in hys Rhetoricall repetiti∣on, lying and railing against the Archbyshop, beginning euery sentence wyth, This is the man, this is the man, til at lengthe there was neuer a man but was wearye of the vnmannerly vsage of hym in that time and place:* 1.9 In so much that the bishop of Ely aforesaide, diuers times pul∣led him by the sleeue to make an ende, and sayd to hym af∣terward when they went to dinner, that he hadde broken promise with him: for hee had entreated him earnestly to vse him wyth reuerence.

After all this done & finished, they began then to bu∣stle toward his disgrading, and first to take from him hys Crosiar staffe out of his hands, which he held fast, and re∣fused to deliuer, & withall imitating the example of Mar∣tin Luther, pulled an Appeale oute of his left sleeue vnder the wrest, which hee there and then deliuered vnto them, saying:* 1.10 I appeale to the next general Councel: and herein I haue comprehended my cause and forme of it, whych I desire may be admitted: and praied diuers of the standers by, by name to be witnesses, and especially M. Curtop, to whom he spake twise. &c.

The Copie of whych his Appellation, because it was not printed before, I thoughte heere to exhibite, ad rei me∣moriam, as in forme heere followeth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A new Cō∣mission sent downe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Rome a∣gaynst the Archbish.
• * 1.2

  D. Thurlby, D. Boner, Commissi∣oners.
• * 1.3

  The olde benefites & familiaritye betweene the Archb. and Doct. Thurlby.
• * 1.4

  A new sitting of the Popes delegates in Christes Church a∣gaynst the Archb. of Cant.
• * 1.5

  The Popes Commissiō groundeth vpon ly••••.
• * 1.6

  The order of Archbi∣shops de∣gradation.
• * 1.7

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.8

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.9

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.10

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉