MarginaliaAn. 1549.ted, vsing many reprochfull wordes agaynst sundry of the common people which stoode and spake to hym by the way as he went.

MarginaliaThe 6. Session or appearaunce of Boner.JT was assigned as ye heard in the 4. Acte prosecuted the. xviij. of September, that vppon Monday then next following, being the. 23. day of the same moneth, the bishop should againe appeare before the commissioners within the great Haull at Lambeth, then to shewe a fynall cause why he should not be declared pro confesso, vpon all the articles whereunto hee had not fully aunswered.

According to which assignement the same xxiij. day of September the bishop was brought before them by the vndermarshall (to whom for his disobedient and obstinate behauiour he was before that tyme committed) and there did first declare vnto them that his appearaunce at that time and place was not voluntarye, but coacted, for that he was against hys wyll brought thether by the keeper of the Marshalsey, and therewithall also vnder hys former protestation, recusation, and appeale, MarginaliaA generall recusation of Boners agaynst all the Cōmissioners.dyd then againe intimate a generall recusatiō of all the Commissioners, alledging the same, that because the Archbishop, with all hys Colleagues had neither obserued the order of their Commission, neyther yet proceded against him after any laudable or good fashion of iudgement, but contrarywyse had sondry times, aswell in hys absence as in his presence attempted many thinges vnlaufully against his person, dignitie, and estate, especially in committing hym to straite prison, and yet commaunding him to make aunswere: and farther, because that hee with the rest had proceded in commission with Syr Tho. Smith knight, supporting and mayntayning all his euyll doings (notwithstanding that he the same bishop had before iustly recused & declined from him) he therfore did also there refuse and decline from the iudgement of the sayd Archbishop and his Colleagues, and did except against their iurisdiction as suspect, and they thereby vnmeete persons to proceede against him, and therefore according to hys former appeale he intended to sybmit himselfe vnder the tuition, protection and defence of the kinges Maiestie, for whose honour and reuerence sake (he said) MarginaliaBoner still sticketh to hys former protestations & prouocations.
Read more hereof in the Boke of Actes and Monumentes of the former edition. pag. 721.they ought not to procede any further against him, but quietly suffer him to vse the benefite of all hys recusations, prouocations, and other laufull remedies before alledged: with other superfluous wordes at large to be seene in the. 721. page of the Actes and Monumentes.

Notwythstanding these recusations and former appellation, the Archbishop with the rest told him playne that they woulde bee styll his Iudges, and proceede agaynst hym according to the kings commission, vntyll they did receaue a Supersedeas, which if hee did obtayne, they would gladly obey.

MarginaliaAn othey appellation of Boner to the kyng.Then the bishop seing that they would still proceede against him, did there likewise intimate an other appellation vnto the kinges Maiestye, expressing therein in effect no other matter, but such as is already alledged in the two former recusations and appeale: sauyng that he requireth that letters dimissories or appellatories might be geuen him according to lawe, and that for hys better safegarde he dyd submyt himselfe vnder the protection of the King.

MarginaliaBoner standing vpon hys recusatiōs & appellations denyeth to make aūswere.The Commissioners for all thys, stucke styll vnto theyr Commission, and would not in any case deferre, but vrged hym straitly to make a more full aunswere to hys articles, then he had done.

To whom the bishop sayd, that he would stand vnto hys recusations and appellations before made, and would not make other aunswer.

Then the Delegates demaūded of him what causehe had to alledge why he ought not to be declared pro confesso, vpon the articles wherunto he had not fully answered: the bishop styll aunswering (as before) that he would adhere vnto hys appellation & recusation. MarginaliaBoner declared Contumax & pro confesso, that is, giltie.Wherupon the Archb. wyth consent of the rest, seyng hys pertinacie, pronounced hym Contumax, and in payne therefore declared hym pro confesso vpon all the articles which he had not answered.

This done, Maister Secretary Smyth shewed forth a letter, whych the bishop of London had before that tyme sent vnto the Lord Maior and the Aldermen of the Citie of London, the tenor whereof ensueth as foloweth.

MarginaliaBoners letter to the lord Maior & Aldermen of London.RIght honorable, wyth my very humble recommendations, where I haue perceiued of late and heard wyth myne eares, what vile beastes and hereticks haue preached vnto you, or rather like them selues prated and rayled agaynst the most blessed Sacrament of the aulter, denying the veritye and presence of Christes true bodye and bloud to be there, geuing you and the people liberty to beleue what ye list, teaching you detestably that faith in this behalfe must not be coacted, but euery man to beleue as hee wyll, by reason whereof, lest my presence and silence might vnto some haue bene sene to haue allowed their hereticall doctrine and geuing credite vnto them, betraying my flocke of the catholicke sort, MarginaliaBoner woulde not ta M. Hoopers Sermon.ye know I departed yesterday frō the hereticke praters vncharitable charitie, and so coulde haue wyshed that you and all other that be catholicke shoulde haue done, leauyng those there wyth hym that be already cast away, and wil not be recouered. For your tarying with hym stil, shall not onely hurt your selfe in receauing hys poysoned doctrine, but also shall geue a visage that their doctrine is tolerable, by reason that ye are contented to heare it, and say nothyng agaynst it. And because I cannot tell when I shall speake with you, to aduertise you hereof, therfore I thought good for mine owne discharge & yours, thus much to write vnto you, requyring and praying you agayne and agayne in Gods behalfe, and for mine owne discharge, that ye suffer not your selues to be abused with such naughty preachers and teachers in hearyng theyr euyll doctrine that ye shall perceaue them to go about to sow. And thus our blessed Lord long and well preserue you all wyth this noble City, in all good rest, godlynes, and prosperitie. Written in hast this Monday morning the. xvj. of September. 1549.

Your faythfull beades man and poore
Bishop Edmond Boner.

This letter being read, the Secretary demaunded of him whether he wrote it or not. To whom he would not otherwyse answer, but that he woulde styll adhere and stand vnto hys former recusations and appeales. MarginaliaBoner differed till the next Friday, and from that till Tewsday after.Whych the Commissions seing, determined to continue thys case in state as it was vntill Friday then next folowing, betwene the houres of viij. and. ix. of the clocke before noone, assigning the bishop to be thereat the same time and place, then to heare a finall decree of thys matter, hee styll protesting as before.

MarginaliaThe 7. Session or appearance of Boner.VPon Friday the Cōmissioners, for diuers vrgent causes letting them, did not sit in commission according to theyr appoyntment, but deferred it vntyll Tewsday the first of October then nexte following. Vppon which day the Bishop appearing before them, the Archbishop declared vnto hym, that although as vpon Friday laste they had appoynted to pronounce theyr finall decree and sentence in thys matter, yet for as much as they thought that that sentence (although they had iust cause to geue it) shoulde haue bene very sore agaynst him, they had not onely deferred the same vntill thys day, but minding to be more friendly to him