MarginaliaAn. 1549.
A good Prelate that had lost hys memorye for lacke of preaching.come vnto his memory, as in dede they did not bycause the same was disturbed partly for lacke of vse of preachyng, and partly by reason of a Bill that was deliuered him from the kynges Counsell, to declare the victory then had agaynst the rebels in Northfolke and Deuonshyre, whiche beyng of some good length confounded his memory: MarginaliaBoners booke of notes fell frō hym at hys Sermon, as he excuseth.and partly also for that his booke in his Sermon tyme fel away from him, wherin were diuers of his notes whiche hee had collected for that purpose: So that he could not remember what hee would, but yet in generalitie hee persuaded the people to obediēce to the kynges Maiestie, whose minoritie was manifestly knowen to them and all other.

Then as to the vj. he sayd he knew not the rebels opinion, and therfore could not aunswere therunto.MarginaliaBoner knew not the rebels opinion if ye will beleue hym. And as for aunswere to the vij. viij. ix. and xj. articles which touched his pastorall office, he sayd that notwithstandyng his manifold & great troubles, aswell by his own busines & his families sicknes, as also by vncharitable informations made agaynst him, yet hee hath not failed to giue order vnto his officers straitly to looke vnto such matters, & such as hee hath knowen, which were very few or none, hee caused to bee punished accordyng to the lawes. MarginaliaRead more hereof in the Boke of Actes and Monumentes of the former edition. pag. 705.All which aūsweres with others do appeare at large in the olde booke of Actes and Monumentes of the Church in the. 705. page of the same.

MarginaliaThe v. article insufficiently aunswered of Boner.When he had ended the reading of these aūsweres, the Commissioners sayd vnto him that he had in the same very obscurely aunswered vnto the v. Article ministred the 13. of September: wherefore they willed him there expressely to aunswere by mouth, whether he had according to the Iniunctiōs deliuered vnto him, declared þ^e Article beginnyng thus: You shal also set forth in your sermon that our authoritie. &c. Wherunto he agayne aūswered, that he had already made a full and sufficient aunswere in writyng, as hee was bounde to make by law.MarginaliaBoners obscure and indirecte aunswere.The Iudges then replyed, that the aunsweres already made in that part were obscure and insufficient, so that it appeared not certeinely whether hee had preached in dede accordyng to the same Iniunction or not: and therfore they eftsoones willed him (as before) directly to aunswere whether he had so accordingly preached or no, the Bishop still yet aunsweryng as before. The Iudges agayne demaunded of him, whether hee would otherwise aunswere or no. To þ^e which he sayd no, vnles the law did cōpell him. Then they asked him whether he thought þ^e law did compell him to aūswere more fully or no? Hee aūswered no: adding farther that he was not bound to make aūswere to such positions.

MarginaliaBoners froward contumacie noted.The Commissioners then seyng his froward contumacie, told him plainly that if he persisted thus in his frowardnes, and would not otherwise aunswere, they would according to law, take him pro confesso, and ex abundanti receaue witnes agaynst him, and therewithall did agayne recite vnto him vj. of the first & principall Articles, demaundyng his finall aunswere therunto. Who sayd (as before) that he had already fully aūswered them by writyng, but where they requested to haue his notes, whiche he sayd he had made of his Sermon, they should haue them if they would send for thē. And whereas in his aūswere to the vj. Article he doubted what the opinion of the rebels was, the Iudges declared vnto him, that their opinion was: MarginaliaThe rebells trayterous opiniō touching the kinges power in hys minoritie.That the kings maiestie before his grace came to the age of xxj. yeares, had not so full authoritie to make lawes and statutes, as when he came to farther yeares: and that his subiectes were not boūd to obey the lawes and statutes made in his young age. Wherunto the Byshop aunswered that hee was not of the opinion of the rebels mencioned in that Article, as did well appeare by his aunsweres aswell vnto the denunciation, as also vnto the v. Article obiected agaynst him.

MarginaliaWitnesses agaynst Boner.Which ended, they perceauyng his scornefull carelesnes, presently did admit for witnes vpō the Articles obiected agaynst him, M. Iohn Cheke, Henry Markeham, Ihon Ioseph, Iohn Dowglas, and Richard Chābers, whom also they onerated with a corporall othe vpon the holy Euangelistes, truly to aunswere and depose vpon the same Articles in the presence of the Byshop, MarginaliaProtestation & obiections of Boner against the witnesses.who vnder his former Protestation, like a wilye Lawyer, protested of the nullitie of the receauyng, admittyng, and swearyng of those witnesses, with Protestation also to obiect agaynst the persons and sayinges of the witnesses for the tyme and place conuenient: demaundyng also a competent and lawfull tyme to minister Interrogatories agaynst them, with a copie of all the Actes to that day. Wherewith the delegates were well pleased, and assigned him to minister his Interrogations agaynst M. Cheke on that present day, and agaynst the rest the next day before noone. MarginaliaFor Boners Interrogatoryes & positions against the witnesses, read in the Booke of Actes and Monumentes of the former edition, pag. 708.All which Interrogatories, bycause they are already at full set forth in the late booke of Actes & Monumētes of the Church, and also do but conteine many vayne and friuolous positions and obiections, more to delay tyme then importing any matter of waight, for breuitie sake I thought good here to omit, referring the reader to the 708. page of þ^e same booke, where they are all (as I sayd) at large.

After this the Iudges delegate assigned the Bishop to appeare agayne before them vpon Wedensday then next ensuing, betwene the houres of seuen and eight of the clocke before noone, in the hall of the Archbyshops maner of Lambeth, there to shew cause why he should not bee declared pro confesso, vppon all the Articles wherunto he had not then fully aunswered, and to see farther processe done in that matter: MarginaliaBoner againe protesteth agaynst the witnesses.and so (he stil protestyng of the nullitie and inualiditie of all their procedynges) they did for that present departe.

MarginaliaThe Commissioners certifie the kyng of Boners demeanour.In this meane while the Commissioners certified the kyngs Maiestie and his Coūsell of the Byshops demeanour towardes them, and what obiections hee had made agaynst their procedynges, makyng doubtes and ambiguities whether by the tenour of his Maiesties Commission the Cōmissioners might procede not onely vpon the denunciation, but also of their mere office: and also whether they mought aswell determine, as heare the cause. Whereupon his Maiestie by aduice aforesayd, for the better vnderstandyng thereof, did the 17. of September send vnto the Commissioners a full and perfect declaration and interpretation of his will and pleasure in the foresayd Commission, giuyng thē hereby full authoritie to procede at their owne discretions, as appeareth more at large by the tenour therof ensuyng.

MarginaliaLeaue geuen by the king to the Commissioners to determine agaynst Boner.EDward the syxt by the grace of God King of Englād, Fraunce and Ireland, defendour of the fayth and of the Church of England and also of Ireland in earth the supreame heade, to the most reuerende Father in God Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, Metrropolitane and Primate of all England, the right reuerende Father in God Nicholas bishop of Rochester, our trusty and ryght welbeloued Counsaillours Sir William Peter and Syr Thomas Smyth Knightes our two principall Secretaries, and William May doctor of lawe Ciuill and Deane of Paules, greeting. Where wee of late, by the aduice of our most entierly beloued vncle Edward Duke of Somerset, Gouernor of our persō, & Protector of our realmes, dominions and Subiectes, and the rest of our priuye Counsayle, haue addressed vnto you. v. iiij. iij. of you our letters patentes of Cōmission bearing date at Westminster the. viij. day of September, in the third yeare of our raigne, wylling you by force thereof to heare the matters and cause of contempt therein expressed, and calling before you, aswell the denouncers thereof, as also the right reuerende father in God Edmund B. of London, agaynst whom such denunciation is made as in our sayd letters of commission more at large doth appeare, we be nowe credibly enformed that vpon the sayd Commission diuers doubtes and ambiguities hath and maye arise: