¶A Note concerning Doctor Cranmer in his disputation.
THat day wherein Doctour Cranmer late Bishoppe of Caunterbury aunswered in the diuinity schoole at Oxford there was alledged vnto him by Doctor Weston that he the sayd Cranmer in his booke of the Sacrament falsely falsified the saying of the Doctours,* 1.1 and specially the saying of S. Hilary in these wordes Vero for Vere, she∣wing a print or two thereof to haue defaced his doinges therein, but Doctor Cranmer with a graue and fatherlye sobriety aunswered that the print of S. Hylaryes works whereout he tooke his notes was verbatim according to his booke, and that coulde his bookes testify if they were there to be sene. Saying further that he supposed Doctor Smith in that order rehearsed it in his booke of the Sa∣cramēt, to the which Doctor Smith there present (though he were demaunded the aunswere thereof) stood in silence As Canis mutus non valens latrare. But by and by Doctour Weston without shame, to shadow Doctor Smithes si∣lence, spitefully sayde to Cranmer: belike you tooke your learning out of M. Doctor Smithes booke.
All this already is testified. pag. 1437.
IT chaunced ••t that present to be in the schole one Willi∣am Holcot gentleman thē a soiourner in the Uniuersi∣ty Colledge, he hearing the same vntruth, & remembring that he had amongest his bookes in his study the said book of Doctor Smith. At his returne to his sayde study desi∣rous to see the truth therein, found it agreable to the wri∣ting and affirmation of Doctor Cranmer. And the sayde Holcot then and there better remembring himselfe found emongest his bookes the booke of Stephan Gardiner in∣tituled the Deuilles Sophistry. In which booke the sayde saying of S. Hylary alledged by the said Stephen verbat. both in Latine and English according to Doctor Cran∣mers confirmation. Then the sayd William Holcot sup∣posing (for the manifest opening and tryall of the trueth therein) to haue deliuered the sayde Gardiners booke to Doctour Cranmer, brought it to Bocardo the Prison of Oxford, where Doctor Cranmer then remayned, but ther in the deliuery thereof he was apprehended by the Bay∣liefes, and by them brought before Doctor Weston & his Colleagues then at diner at Corpus Christi Coledge, who strayt wayes layd treason to the charge of the sayd Willi∣am Holcotte, for the maynteinaunce of Cranmer (in his naughtines as they called it) and so vpon strayt examina∣tion, to know who were priuy to his doinges in deliuery of the sayd Gardiners booke, committed him to the sayde prison of Bocardo where he soiorned & slept in the straw that night.
And in the morrow in the morning, Doctor Cole yet aliue, then Deane of Paules, and Doctor Ieffrey, two of thē then Uisitours, further examined the sayd Holcotte of that his doinges: Threatning him to lay treason to hys charge, and so to send him for the triall thereof to the then Lord Chauncellor Stephen Gardiner, willing him pre∣sently to subscribe to the Articles then in question, but he refused desiring respite vntill the lawes of the realme had determined the same. And so was he againe committed to the sayd Prison. And after three dayes Doctor Weston & the residue of the Uisitours solemnely in Saynt Maryes Church pronouncing sentence agaynst the late Bishops, Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer. Amongest other called ther before them the sayd Holcot willing him to subscribe to theyr three Articles, he demaunding them then these de∣maundes, first whether they thought in theyr consciences that the articles whereunto they willed him to subscribe▪ were according to the scriptures, and that the religiō that they went about to plant were the true religion of Christ: they aunswered all with one voyce, yea, yea. Then asked he them whether they thought themselues able to aun∣swere and would aunswere before God for him if he sub∣scribed thereunto as they willed him: And they likewyse aunswered yea, yea. And so he the sayd Holcot through feare and frayltye of the fleshe (As Neophitus) vpon theyr threates subscribed. Then they with many fayre flattering wordes deliuered him, but would not let him haue again his book brought to Bocardo, least (as it semed) he should shew it to theyr shame. And they priuily willing the mai∣ster and the felowes of the sayd Uniuersity colledge to see the sayd William Holcot forth comming: And if they with in a fortnight after did not heare frō the then L. Chaun∣cellour what should be done with him, that then they at the fortnightes end to expell him out of the said Colledge▪ which they would haue done, if the then Uicechauncellor had not willed thē to the contrary. Which Holcot though then an Apostata, is yet now a penitent preacher.