“The” Acts and Monuments of the Church

further, we may perceive the immoral life and conversation of these unmarried priests of popery. The bishop shortly after his protestation, whether for fear, or for conscience, repenting himself, went to the king, where he submitted himself, and recanting his former protestation, craved pardon of the king for his demeanour toward his grace's commissioners. Which pardon although it was granted to him by the king, for acknowledging his fault, yet, for example, it was thought good that he should be committed to the Fleet.

The Form of Bonner's Recantation. "Whereas I, Edmund, bishop of London, have at such time as I received the king's majesty's injuctions and homilies of my most dread sovereign lord, at the hands of his highness's visitors, did unadvisedly make such protestation, as now upon better consideration of my duty of obedience, and of the evil example that might ensue unto others thereof, appeareth to me neither reasonable, nor such as might well stand with the duty of an humble subject: forsomuch as the same protestation, at my request, was then by the register of that visitation, enacted and put in record; I have thought it my duty not only to declare before your lordships, that I do now upon better consideration of my duty, renounce and revoke my said protestation, but also most humbly beseech your lordships, that this my revocation of the same may be likewise put in the same records for a perpetual memory of the truth, most humbly beseeching your good lordships, both to take order that it may take effect, and also that my former and unadvised doings may be, by your good mediations, pardoned by the king's majesty.

"EDMUND, London."

Thus we see how he, upon his humble submission, received his pardon of the king, and yet for example sake was commanded to the Fleet; where he did not long continue, but according to the king's pardon, was restored both to his house and living again, in the first year of the king, 1548.

It will be remembered how, in the second, and a great part of the third year of the king, he demeaned himself, not advancing the king's proceedings; and yet acting in such a way as that no advantage could be taken against him by law, both in swearing his obedience to the king, and in receiving his injunctions; also in confessing his assent and consent touching the state of religion then; and in directing out his letters, according to the archbishop of Canterbury's precepts, to Cloney his sumner, to the bishop of Westminster, and other bishops, for abolishing images, for abrogation of the mass, for bibles to be set up in the churches, and for administering the sacrament in both kinds, with such other matters of reformation; till at length hearing of the death of the lord admiral, the lord protector's brother, and afterwards of the insurrection of the king's subjects, he began somewhat to draw back and slack in his pastoral diligence, so that in many places of his diocese and in London, the people were not only negligent in resorting to divine service, but also frequented and haunted foreign rites of masses, and he also himself, contrary to his wonted manner, upon principal feasts refused in his own person to officiate. Whereupon being suspected and complained of, and brought before the king's council, (as was said before,) after sharp admonitions and reproofs, had certain private injunctions sent to him to compel him on certain days to preach at St. Paul's Cross.

The delivery of these injunctions and articles to the bishop (with the time of his preaching appointed) was soon after known among the citizens and commons within the city of London, so that every man expecting the the time, wished to hear the preaching. The time being come, the bishop, according to the injunctions, publicly preached at the cross of St. Paul's on the first day of September. However, as hypocrisy never lurks so secretly in the hearts of the wicked, but that at one time or another, God in his most righteous judgment makes it open to the world; so his long cloaked obstinacy, and hatred

against the king's godly proceedings, was most plainly manifested in his sermon.

For whereas he was commanded to treat only upon such special points as were mentioned in his articles; he, in order to withdraw the minds of the people as much as in him lay, from the right and true understand. ing of the holy sacrament admininistered in the holy communion then set forth by the authority of the king's majesty, (according to the true sense of the holy scripture,) spent most part of his sermon about the gross, carnal, and papistical presence of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament of the altar, and also not only slenderly touched on the rest of his articles, but with a rebellious and wilful carelessness utterly omitted the whole last article, concerning the lawful authority of the king's highness during his non-age; although he was by special command chiefly appointed to treat upon this, because it was the traitorous opinion of the popish rebels.

This contemptuous and disobedient dealing, as it greatly offended most of the king's faithful and loving subjects there present, so did it much displease that faithful and godly preacher, John Hooper, afterwards bishop of Worcester and Gloucester, and lastly a most constant martyr for the gospel of Christ, and also William Latimer, bachelor of divinity: and, therefore, they well weighing the foulness of the act, and their bounden allegiances to their prince, did thereon exhibit to the king's highness, under both their names, a bill of complaint or denunciation against the bishop.

The king's majesty having thus, by the information of these two credible persons, perfect intelligence of the contemptuous and perverse negligence of this bishop, in not accomplishing his highness' command, thought it necessary with all convenient speed to look more severely to the punishment of such dangerous and rebellious obstinacy; and therefore, by the advice of the lord protector, and the rest of his honourable council, he directed his commission under his great seal to the archbishop of Canterbury, the bishop of Rochester, and to other grave and trusty personages and counsellors, appointing and authorising them to call before them, as well the bishop of London, as also the denouncers, and, upon due examination and proof, to proceed against him summarily, according to law, either to suspension, excommunication, committing to prison, or deprivation.

The commission being sealed with the king's great seal, was by his highness's council forthwith delivered at the court to Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canter. bury, and the rest of the commissioners being there all together present; who, upon the receipt of it, determined to sit at the archbishop's house at Lambeth on the Wednesday next ensuing, which was the eleventh day of September, and they appointed the bishop of London to be summoned before them. The manner of his behaviour at his appearance, because it both declares the froward nature and stubborn condition of the person, and also what estimation and authority he thought the commissioners to be of, must be described.

At his first entry into the place within the archbishop's house at Lambeth, where the archbishop and the commissioners sat, he passed by them with his cap upon his head (as if he saw them not), until some one plucked him by the sleeve, desiring him to do reverence to the commissioners. He laughingly turned himself, and spoke to the archbishop on this wise: "What, my lord, are you here? by my troth I saw you not."-"No," said the archbishop, "you would not see."Well," said he, " you sent for me; have you any. thing to say to me?""Yes," said the commissioners, we have here authority from the king's highness to call you to account for the sermon you made lately at St. Paul's Cross, because you did not there publish to the people the article which you were commanded to preach upon." At which words the bishop, either because he did not like to hear of this matter, or else because he wished to make his friends believe that he was called to account only for his opinions in religion, be gan to speak of other matters, and said to the archbishop, "In good faith, my lord, I wish one thing were had in more reverence than it is."-" What is it?"

said the archbishop.-" The blessed mass," said he.— "You have written very well of the sacrament: I marvel you do not more honour it." The archbishop of Canterbury perceiving his subtlety, said to him again, "If you think it well, it is because you understand it not." The other then, adding to his ignorance an obstinate impudency, answered, I think I understand it better than you that wrote it." To which the archbishop replied, " Truly I will easily make a child that is but ten years old to understand therein as much as you. But what is this to the matter?"

When they began to enter the judicial prosecuting of their commission, and had called upon the denouncers to propose such matter as they had to object against him, he hearing them speak, fell to scorning and taunting them, saying to the one, that he spake like a goose; and to the other, that he spake like a woodcock, and utterly denying their accusations to be true. The archbishop seeing his peevish malice against the denouncers, asked him, whether, if he would not believe them, he would credit the people there present? And then (because many of those present were at the bishop's sermon at St. Paul's Cross) he stood up and read the article of the king's authority, saying to them, "How say you, my masters, did my lord of London preach this article ?” They answered, "No, no." At which the bishop, turning himself about, deriding said, "Will you believe this foolish people?"

Besides this, he used many irreverent, unbecoming, obstinate, and froward words towards the commissioners (in defacing their authority with the terms of pretended commissioners, pretended witnesses, and unjust, unlawful, and pretended proceedings, terming some of them daws, woodcocks, fools, and such like) which I will here omit, for they appear in the sequel of the history.

Upon Wednesday, the eleventh day of September, 1549, in the third year of the reign of King Edward VI., Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, metropolitan and primate of all England, with Nicholas Ridley then bishop of Rochester, Sir William Petre, knight, one of the king's two principal secretaries, and Master William May, doctor of the civil law, and dean of St. Paul's, by virtue of the king's commission, sat judicially, upon the examination of Edmund Bonner, bishop of London, within the archbishop's chamber of presence, at his house in Lambeth, before whom there then also personally appeared the said bishop. At which time the archbishop, in the name of the rest, declared to the bishop, that a grievous complaint had been heretofore made and exhibited against him in writing, to the king's majesty and his most honourable council, and that therefore his highness, with their advice, had committed the examination thereof to him, and his colleagues there present; and there shewed a bill of complaint, exhibited to the king by William Latimer, and John Hooper, ministers, which they requested Sir William Petre to read.

These things ended, the bishop, like a subtle lawyer, having secret intelligence before of these matters (whatever he pretended to the contrary) pulled out of his bosom a solemn protestation ready written, which he exhibited to the commissioners, requesting that the same might be openly read.

The protestation being read, he requested the commissioners that he might have the bill of complaint delivered to him. Which when he had well perused, he said, that the same was very general, and so general, as that he could not directly answer it. The archbishop answered, that the special cause of the complaint against him was, that he had transgressed the king's command, given to him by his council, in that he in his sermon made at St. Paul's Cross, did not set forth to the people the king's highness' royal power in his minority, according to the tenour of the article delivered to him for that purpose; and for proof thereof he called William Latimer and John Hooper, who had put up the bill of complaint to the king against him.

When the bishop had earnestly looked upon them, he said, "As for this merchant, Latimer I know him very

well, and have borne with him, and winked at his doings a great while, but I have more to say to him hereafter. But as to this other merchant, Hooper, I have not seen him before, however I have heard much of his naughty preaching. And then turning himself to the archbishop (on purpose, most like, to make his friends think that he was not called thither to answer for his contemptuous disobedience, but for matters of religion), said to him, "Ah, my lord, now I see that the cause of my trouble is not for the matter that you pretend against me, but it is because I preached and set forth in my late sermon the true presence of the most blessed body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ to be in the sacrament of the altar. For as for these my accusers, as they are evil, infamous, notorious, and criminal persons, so are they manifest and notable heretics and seducers of the people, especially touching the sacrament of the altar and most of all this Hooper. For whereas in my late sermon at St. Paul's Cross, I preached, that in the blessed sacrament of the altar, after the words of consecration, there is the true body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ, the self-same in substance that was hanged and shed upon the cross ;-he, the same day at afternoon, having a great rabble with him of his damnable sect, openly in the pulpit in my diocese, preached erroneously to the people against it; and maliciously inveighing against my sermon, denied the verity and presence of Christ's true body and blood to be in the sacrament, and also falsely and untruly interpreted and expounded my words. And especially, where I preached and affirmed the very true body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ to be in the sacrament, the self-same substance that was hanged and shed upon the cross, he, like an ass as he is an ass indeed-falsely changed and turned the word that into as, like an ass, saying, that I had said as it hanged, and as it was shed upon the cross."

The archbishop perceiving the bishop's drift, and hearing him talk so much of the presence of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament, said to him, "My lord of London, you speak much of a presence in the sacrament; what presence is there, and of what presence do you mean?" The bishop being somewhat stirred and moved in mind, as appeared by his choleric countenance, spake again to the archbishop very earnestly, and said, "What presence, my lord? I say and believe that there is the very true presence of the body and blood of Christ. What believe you, and how do you believe my Lord ?" The archbishop, minding to nip the gross absurdities of the papists, asked him further, "Whether he were there, face, nose, mouth, eyes, arms, and lips, with other lineaments of his body." bishop shaking his head, said, "Oh, I am right sorry to hear your grace speak these words," and boldly urged the archbishop to shew his mind therein. Who wisely weighing the presumption of the party, with the place and occasion of their assembly, refused to do so, saying, that their being there at that time was not to dispute of those matters, but to prosecute their commission committed to them by their prince, and therefore desired him to answer to such things as were objected against him.

The

Upon which Bonner required to have a copy both of the commission, and also of the denunciation, with time to answer. Which the commissioners willingly granted, assigning him to appear again before them upon Friday then next following, at eight o'clock before noon, and then to answer the tenor of the denunciation.

On Friday, the thirteenth of September, four commissioners, with Sir Thomas Smith Knight, the other of the king's two principal secretaries, and joint commissioner with them, sat judicially in the archbishop's chapel in his house at Lambeth; before whom appeared the bishop of London: to whom the archbishop, in the name of the rest, first said, "My lord of London, the last time you were before us, we laid certain articles and matter to your charge touching your disobedience to the king's majesty, and you have this day to make your answer: wherefore, now shew us what you have to say for your defence."

The bishop first asking the archbishop if he had said

all, and he again saying, "Yea," made this answer; "My lord, the last day that I appeared before you, remember there sat in the king's majesty's commission, your grace, you my lord of Rochester, you Master Secretary Petre, and you Master Dean of St. Paul's, but now I perceive there sits also Master Secretary Smith, who because he sat not at the beginning, nor took there the commission upon him, ought not to do so for by the law, they who begin must continue the commission." The archbishop answered, that he was no lawyer, and therefore could not shew what the law wills in that case, but, said he, if the law be so indeed, surely I take it to be an unreasonable law.

'Well," said the bishop, "there are here those that know the law, and yet I say not this to stand or stick much in this point with you, but to tell it you, as it were, by the way; for I have here mine answer ready."

Then said Master Secretary Petre to the bishop, "My lord, in good sooth, I must say to you, that although I have professed the law, yet by discontinuance and disuse thereof, and having been occupied a long time in other matters, I have perhaps forgotten what the law will do precisely in this point: but admit the law were as you say, yet yourself knows, my lord, that this is our certain rule in law, Quod consuetudo est juris interpres optimus, and I am sure you will not, nor cannot deny, but that the custom is commonly in this realm in all judgments and commissions used to the contrary; and in very deed we all together at the court, having the commission presented to us, took it upon us; and therefore you to stick in such trifling matters you shall rather in my judgment hurt yourself and your matter than otherwise."

"Truly, Master Secretary," said the bishop, "I have also of long while been disused in the study of law, but having occasion, partly by reason of this matter to turn to my books, I find the law to be as I say, and yet, as I said, I tell you hereof by the way, not minding to stick much with you in that point.'

At which words, Master Secretary Smith said also to the bishop, "Well, my lord of London, as cunning as you make yourself in the law, there are here that know the law as well as you: and for my part I have studied the law too, and I promise you these are but quirks invented to delay matters, but our commission is to proceed summarily, and to cut off such frivolous allegations."

"Well," said the bishop again, "look well on your commission, and you shall find therein these words, 'To proceed according to the law and justice:' and I ask both law and justice at your hands."

Then Master Secretary Petre desired him to stand no more thereupon, but to proceed to his answer. Whereupon he took forth a writing, wherein was contained his answer to the denunciation exhibited the day before by Latimer and Hooper, and delivering it to the archbishop, said, that it was of his own handwriting, and for lack of sufficient time written so hastily and cursorily, that it could scarcely be read by any other; and therefore he desired to read it himself; and so taking it again, read it openly.

The purport of his answer was, that Hooper and Latimier were heretics, and therefore infamous and not to be believed or admitted as witnesses; and, further, that the injunctions given to him were not sealed with the broad seal, or signed by the king, and that, notwithstanding, he did preach against rebellion and in behalf of the king's authority; alleging thus, that the witnesses were not to be believed, and that the charge was not true. Whilst he was reading the answer, objecting against his denouncers such causes, for which he would have had the denouncers repelled by the commissioners; the archbishop of Canterbury replied: "That if there were any such law, he thought it not to be a good or godly law, but a law of the bishop of Rome."

"No, sir," said the bishop of London, "it is the king's law used in this realm."

"Well, my lord," said the archbishop, "ye are too full of your law: I would wish you had less knowledge

in that law, and more knowledge in God's law, and of your duty."

With that, Secretary Petre desired the bishop to proceed in reading his answers; who did so, and when he had finished, Latimer delivered a writing to the archbishop and the rest of the commissioners; who then said to the bishop of London, "here are certain articles which we intend to administer unto you."

The commissioners assigned him Monday the sixteenth of September then next following, to appear before them, and to make his full answers to all the articles administered to him by them this day.

On Monday, the sixteenth of September, the archbishop, associated with the bishop of Rochester; Secretary Smith; and Dr. May, dean of St. Paul's,-sat judicially within his chapel at Lambeth: before whom there and then appeared the bishop of London, as assigned in the last session: at which time he exhibited to the commissioners, in writing, his answers to the articles.

But before the same were read, the archbishop said to him, that his late answers, made the thirteenth of September to the denunciation, were very obscure, and contained also much matter of slander against Latimer and Hooper, and much untruth, and therefore they desired to purge themselves. Whereupon Latimer, obtaining leave to speak, said, that the bishop of London had most falsely, untruly, and uncharitably accused him, laying to his charge many feigned and untrue matters, and such as he would never be able to prove. For, whereas, he alleged, that William Latimer and John Hooper, with other heretics conspiring against him, did, the first day of September, after the bishop's sermon, assemble them. selves together unlawfully against the bishop; that saying was most untrue. For neither that day, nor yet before that day, nor until certain days after, did he ever know or speak with Hooper. And as to his preaching there, he never held, taught, or preached any thing concerning the blessed sacrament, otherwise than he ought to do, nor otherwise than according to the scriptures, and true catholic faith of Christ's church; and therefore offered himself to be tried by the archbishop, or other such learned men as it should please the king's majesty, or the commissioners to appoint; and further, to submit to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, if the bishop could justly prove true the things that he had there shamefully laid to his charge. Then Master Hooper, upon like licence obtained, said to this effect.

"This ungodly man," pointing to the bishop, "has most uncharitably and ungodly accused me before your grace and this audience, and has laid to my charge that

am an heretic. Whereas, I take God to record, I never spoke, read, taught, or preached any heresy, but only the most true and pure word of God. And whereas, he says, I frequent the company of heretics; I do much marvel of his so saying; for it has pleased my lord protector's grace, my singular good lord and my lady's grace, to have me with them, and I have preached before them, and much used their company, with divers other worshipful persons, and therefore I suppose this man means them. And further, whereas he saith that I have made heretical books against the blessed sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, calling it mathematical, I perceive that this man knows not what this word mathematical there means, and therefore understands not my book which, I take God to be my judge, I have made truly and sincerely, and according to his boly word: and by the same his holy word and scriptures I am always and shall be ready to submit myself to your grace's judgment and the superior powers to be tried;" with many such more words of like importance. Which ended, the archbishop asked the bishop, how he could prove that Hooper and Latimer assembled together against him on the first of September, as he had alleged, seeing they now denied it, and therefore willed him to answer forthwith.

The bishop then answered that he would duly prove it, if he might be admitted to do it according to law; and with that he pulled out of his sleeve certain books, say | ing, "I have this varlet's books which he made against

the blessed sacrament which you shall hear." Then as he was turning certain leaves thereof, Hooper began again to speak: but the bishop, turning himself towards him, tauntingly said, "Put up your pipes, you have spoken for your part, I will meddle no more with you," and therewith read a certain sentence from the book. Which done, he said, "Lo, here you may see his opinion, and what it is." At which words, the people standing behind, and seeing his irreverent and unseemly demeanour and railing, fell suddenly into great laughing. Whereat, the bishop being moved, and perceiving not the cause why they laughed, turned him towards them in a great rage, saying, "Ah, woodcocks, woodcocks!"

Then said one of the commissioners, "Why say you so, my lord?" Indeed," replied he, "I may well call them woodcocks, that thus will laugh, and know not what at, nor yet heard what I said or read."

Well, my lord of London," said the archbishop, "then I perceive you would persuade this audience, that you were called here for preaching your belief in the sacrament of the altar, and therefore you lay to these men's charge (meaning Hooper and Latimer) that they have accused you of that. However, there was no such thing laid to your charge, and therefore this audience shall hear openly read the denunciation that is put up against you, to the intent that they may the better perceive your dealing herein." And therewithal he said unto the people, "My lord of London would make you believe, that he is called hither for declaring and preaching his opinion touching the sacrament of the altar: but to the intent you may perceive how he goes about to deceive you, you shall hear the denunciation that is laid in against him, read to you;" and thereupon he delivered the denunciation unto Sir John Mason, knight, who read it openly. Which done, the archbishop said again unto the audience," Lo, you hear how the bishop of London is called for no such matter as he would persuade you."

With this the bishop, being in a raging heat, as one void of all humanity, turned himself about unto the people, saying, "Well, now hear what the bishop of London saith for his part." But the commissioners, seeing his inordinate contumacy, forbid him to speak any more, saying, "That he used himself very disobediently."

Notwithstanding, he still persisting in his irreverent manner of dealing with the commissioners, pulled out of his sleeve another book, and said to the archbishop; "My lord of Canterbury, I have here a note out of your books that you made touching the blessed sacrament, wherein you affirm the verity of the body and blood of Christ to be in the sacrament; and I have another book also of yours of the contrary opinion; which is a marvelous matter."

To which the archbishop answered, that he made no books contrary one to another, and that he would defend his books; however, he thought the bishop understood them not; "for I promise you," said he, "I will find a boy of ten years old, that shall be more apt to understand that matter than you, my lord of London."

Thus, after a great many words, the commissioners, thinking it not good to spend any more time with him, desired him to shew his answers to the articles objected, the last day, against him. He, having them ready, read the same to them. Wherein he laments that one of his vocation, at the malicious denunciation of vile heretics, should be used after such a strange manner, having

nevertheless done the best he could to declare his obedience to the king's majesty for the discouraging of rebellion; and also for the truth of Christ's true body, and his presence in the sacrament of the altar; for which alone the malicious denouncers, with their accomplices, had studied to trouble him.

Then in reply to the charge of omitting to defend the authority of the king, during his minority, he said, for the better setting forth of the king's majesty's power and authority in his minority, he had collected as well out of histories, as also out of the scriptures, the names of several young kings, who, notwithstanding minority, were faithfully and obediently honoured, and reputed for very true and lawful kings; as Henry 111. being but nine

And

years old; Edward III. being but thirteen years; Richard II. being but eleven years; Henry VI. being not fully one year; Edward V. being but eleven years; Henry VIII. being but eighteen years of age. out of the Old Testament, Uzziah, who was but sixteen years old; Solomon and Manasseh being but twelve years; Josiah, Jehoiachim, and Joash being but eight years of age when they entered their reigns. All which notes, with many others, he had purposed to declare, if they had come to his memory, as indeed they did not, because he was disturbed; partly for lack of use of preaching, and partly by reason of a bill that was delivered to him from the king's council, to declare the victory then had against the rebels in Norfolk and Devonshire, which being of some length, confounded his memory; and partly also because his book in his sermon fell from him, wherein were his notes which he had collected for that purpose; so that he could not remember what he intended, but yet in general he persuaded the people to obedience to the king's majesty, whose minority was manifestly known to them and to all others.

When he had ended the reading of his answers, the commissioners said unto him that he had in the same very obscurely answered to the article beginning thus: "You shall also set forth in your sermon that our authority," &c. He answered, that he had already made as full and sufficient an answer in writing, as he was bound to make by law.

The judges again demanded of him, whether he would otherwise answer, or not? To the which he said, "No, unless the law did compel him." Then they asked him whether he thought the law did compel him to answer more fully, or not? He answered, "No;" adding further that he was not bound to make answer to such positions.

The commissioners then seeing his froward contumacy, told him plainly, that if he persisted thus, and would not otherwise answer, they would, according to the law, take him as if he had confessed it. He said, as before, that he had already fully answered them; but when they requested to have the notes, which he had made of his sermon, he said they should have them if they would send for them. And as in his answer he had stated that he did not know what the opinion of the rebels was, the judges declared to him that their opinion was, "That the king's majesty, before his grace came to the age of one-and-twenty years, had not so full authority to make laws and statutes, as when he came to further years; and that his subjects were not bound to obey the laws and statutes made in his young age." The bishop answered, that he was not of the opinion of the rebels mentioned in that article, as appeared by his answers, as well to the denunciation, as also to the fifth article objected against him.

Which ended, they admitted for witnesses upon the articles objected against him, Master John Cheek, Henry Markham, John Joseph, John Douglas, and Richard Chambers, whom they bound with an oath upon the holy evangelists, truly to answer and depose upon the same articles in the presence of the bishop, who, like a wily lawyer, protested against the receiving, admitting, and swearing those witnesses, demanding also a competent time to minister interrogatories against them, with a copy of all the acts of that day. With this the delagates were well pleased, and assigned him to administer his interrogatories against Master Cheek on that day, and against the rest on the next day.

After this the judges delegate assigned the bishop to appear again before them upon Wednesday then next ensuing, between the hours of seven and eight of the clock before noon, in the hall of the archbishop's manor of Lambeth, there to shew cause why he should not be declared pro confesso, upon all the articles whereto he had not answered, and to see further process done in the matter; and so (he still protesting against the validity of all their proceedings) they departed.

In the meanwhile the commissioners certified to the king's majesty and his council, of the bishop's demeanour, and what objections he had made against their proceedings, making doubts whether by the tenor of his ma

all, and he again saying, "Yea," made this answer; "My lord, the last day that I appeared before you, I remember there sat in the king's majesty's commission, your grace, you my lord of Rochester, you Master Secretary Petre, and you Master Dean of St. Paul's, but now I perceive there sits also Master Secretary Smith, who because he sat not at the beginning, nor took there the commission upon him, ought not to do so for by the law, they who begin must continue the commission." The archbishop answered, that he was no lawyer, and therefore could not shew what the law wills in that case, but, said he, if the law be so indeed, surely I take it to be an unreasonable law.

'Well," said the bishop again, "look well on your commission, and you shall find therein these words, 'To proceed according to the law and justice:' and I ask both law and justice at your hands."

Whilst he was reading the answer, objecting against his denouncers such causes, for which he would have had the denouncers repelled by the commissioners; the archbishop of Canterbury replied: "That if there were any such law, he thought it not to be a good or godly law, but a law of the bishop of Rome."

"No, sir," said the bishop of London, "it is the king's law used in this realm." ye are too

"Well, my lord," said the archbishop, " full of your law: I would wish you had less knowledge

in that law, and more knowledge in God's law, and of your duty."

The commissioners assigned him Monday the sixteenth of September then next following, to appear before them, and to make his full answers to all the articles administered to him by them this day.

But before the same were read, the archbishop said to him, that his late answers, made the thirteenth of September to the denunciation, were very obscure, and contained also much matter of slander against Latimer and Hooper, and much untruth, and therefore they desired to purge themselves. Whereupon Latimer, obtaining leave to speak, said, that the bishop of London had most falsely, untruly, and uncharitably accused him, laying to his charge many feigned and untrue matters, and such as he would never be able to prove. For, whereas, he alleged, that William Latimer and John Hooper, with other heretics conspiring against him, did, the first day of September, after the bishop's sermon, assemble themselves together unlawfully against the bishop; that saying was most untrue. For neither that day, nor yet before that day, nor until certain days after, did he ever know or speak with Hooper. And as to his preaching there, he never held, taught, or preached any thing concerning the blessed sacrament, otherwise than he ought to do, nor otherwise than according to the scriptures, and true catholic faith of Christ's church; and therefore offered himself to be tried by the archbishop, or other such learned men as it should please the king's majesty, or the commissioners to appoint; and further, to submit to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, if the bishop could justly prove true the things that he had there shamefully laid to his charge. Then Master Hooper, upon like licence obtained, said to this effect.

"This ungodly man," pointing to the bishop, "has most uncharitably and ungodly accused me before your grace and this audience, and has laid to my charge that I am an heretic. Whereas, I take God to record, I never spoke, read, taught, or preached any heresy, but only the most true and pure word of God. And whereas, he says, I frequent the company of heretics; I do much marvel of his so saying; for it has pleased my lord protector's grace, my singular good lord and my lady's grace, to have me with them, and I have preached before them, and much used their company, with divers other worshipful persons, and therefore I suppose this man means them. And further, whereas he saith that I have made heretical books against the blessed sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, calling it matbematical, I perceive that this man knows not what this word mathematical there means, and therefore understands not my book which, I take God to be my judge, I have made truly and sincerely, and according to his boly word and by the same his holy word and scriptures I am always and shall be ready to submit myself to your grace's judgment and the superior powers to be tried;" with many such more words of like importance. Which ended, the archbishop asked the bishop, how he could prove that Hooper and Latimer assembled together against him on the first of September, as he had alleged, seeing they now denied it, and therefore willed him to answer forthwith.

The bishop then answered that he would duly prove it, if he might be admitted to do it according to law; and with that he pulled out of his sleeve certain books, saying, "I have this varlet's books which he made against

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“The” Acts and Monuments of the Church: Containing the History and ...