1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1887 
MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iuly.all, or thou shouldest be vnburned. Hence knaue hēce. And so were we repriued into our place againe, wythin the barre. And at night when iudgement of fellons, and all was done, we were called, and the Iudge sayd to the Gaoler: take them with you, and deliuer them to the Ordinary,MarginaliaM. Bland and his fellowes sent to the Ordinary by Syr I. Baker. and if they wyll not be reformed, let them be delyuered to vs againe, & they shal haue iudgement and execution. And one of our company said: my Lord, if we be killed at your handes for Christes sake, we shall lyue with him for euer.
[Back to Top]
CloseWhat follows is still part of Bland's letter to his father; this heading was only added in the 1570 edition.
THen came we to the Castel of Canterburye,MarginaliaM. Bland brought agayn to the castle of Caunterbury. and there we remained till the second day of March, at which day we were brought vnto the Chapterhouse of Crechurch, where were set the Suffragan of Canterbury, M. Collins, M. Mylles,MarginaliaThe Bishop of Douer. M. Collins. M. Milles. with other:
CloseThe heresy laws were re-enacted in January 1555 and now this is an official examination of Bland for heresy.
Bland. And I said: M. Webbe, ye haue no cause to suspect mee of heresye. I haue bene a prisoner thys whole yeare, and no matter proued against me I pray you wherefore haue I bene so long kept in prison?
Web. Leaue your arrogant askyng of questions, and aunswer to that that is layd to your charge.
MarginaliaThe Answers of Master Bland first to the Iustices.Bland. I doe so: for I say you haue no cause to suspect me of heresy.
Web. Yes: ye denied to Syr Iohn Baker to be conformable to the Queenes proceedings.
Bland. Is it a iust cause to suspect me of heresye, for asking a question with leaue? So wee had mo words there, then I well remember.
Then stood vp maister Petit and said: ye were cast into prison, because ye fled away from your Oidinary.
CloseThe ordinary was the bishop of the diocese in which an offender in an ecclesiatical trial resided. He alone had jurisdiction over the offender. In this case, Cardinal Pole, in his capacity as archbishop of Canterbury, was the ordinary of Bland.
CloseBland is saying that he is being unjustly accused of attempting to flee.
CloseFoxe's marginal note, saying that Cornwall was secretly 'dispatched' in prison, implies that Cornwall was mysteriously killed. All Bland is saying is that he does not know how Cornwall's case was resolved.
And thus hetherto passed the talke betwene Bland and the Iustices, and certaine Gentlemen of the shire. Nowe followeth the order of the reasoning betwene him and the Clergymen, before whom he was examined. But for as much as the chiefest doer and Iudge against him was the bishop of Douer or Suffragan of Canterbury called Doctor Richard Thornton, to the entent it may appeare what litle truth or cōstancy is in these catholicke persecuters, I thought here to exhibite by the way a certaine popish letter, written of a Papist vnto him.
CloseThis paragraph and the following letter were inserted by Foxe in the 1570 edition, interrupting Bland's account of his ordeals in his letter to his father. Foxe's reason for doing so was to embarrass Thornden by showing how Pole and his officials did not trust the suffragan because of his changes of religious allegiance.
[Back to Top]
CloseThis letter was a response to Thornden's request to Pole for the power to grant absolution to those who sought it for religious offences committed during the previous reigns. Thornden received this power, but it was accompanied by a stinging reprimand for Thornden's own conduct during Edward VI's reign. (Humiliatingly, Thornden was also informed that Nicholas Harpsfield, merely an archdeacon, had greater authority to give absolution than he did). Goldwell, later bishop of St Asaph, was a confidant of Cardinal Pole. How Foxe got this letter - this is the only known copy - is a mystery.
[Back to Top]RIght reuerend and my good Lord, after my hartye thankes for your good chere at my last being wyth your Lordship, this shall be to certify you, that as soone
as I arriued with my Lordes Grace,MarginaliaHe meaneth of the ariuall of Cardinall Poole into Englād: which was the 21. day of Nouem. 1554. pag. 1547. I gaue hym your letters, but I had much worke to obtaine any thing of hym for you. For there hath bene geuen very euil informations of you, and it hath bene sayd that you haue concurred with all maner of euill procedings the which haue these yeares past bene in England, as well against the holy Sacrament of the aultar, & agaynst the supreme authoritie of Christes Vicar in earth, as wyth the vse of the abominable late Communion, and with the mariage of Priestes, as well religious as secular:MarginaliaThornton Bishop of Douer, a great doer agaynst the Pope and Sacrament of the altar, in Kyng Edwardes time. and that you haue geuē orders to (I cānot tell how many) base, vnlearned, and euill disposed people, by reason of the which they haue taken vpon them to preach, and to doe much hurt in Kent. So that men thinke that yet if any newe mutacion (the which God forbid) shoulde chaunce, you woulde bee as ready to chaunge as any other. And in deede it maketh me to feare the same, by reason that notwithstanding it pleased almighty God to prouide that your absolution was sent vnto you (not looking I dare say for any such thing) of all maner of matters past, yet your Lordship (more regarding the vanity of the world then the offēce of God, the which he onely knoweth how much it greues me, for the due loue I beare vnto you) presumed to sing Masse in Pontificalibus the holy dayes immediately followyng,MarginaliaThe B. of Douer immediatly after his absolution without penance, said Masse in Pontificalibus. & also to ministrate to Children the sacrament of Confirmation, because that one (beyng a member of the Deuill) did somwhat comfort you so to do. Oh my Lord, what honour should it haue bene both to God and your selfe, and also edification to all good people (though all worldly men and heretickes would therefore haue laught you to scorne) if you considering your great offences toward God, & his goodnes againe toward you, would like as you haue offended in the face of the worlde to the damnation of many, likewyse haue shewed your selfe penitent in the face of the world, to the edification of many, and not onely to haue celebrate for vanitie Pontificaliter, but also for a time to haue abstained for reuerence totaliter from the aultar, accordyng to the old custome of the church. The which I haue also seene obserued of some honest men, not being therto inioyned of any man. But that which is past cannot be called againe. And I thought it not my part to leaue your lordship myne old friend and Maister in the myre. Wherfore I ceased not to solicite your cause with my Lords grace, till at the last I obtained of his Grace for your Lordship all the faculties, of the which I send you a copy here inclosed, partly for your owne consolation, and partly for other, desiring your Lordship so to vse them to the honor of God, that there come to me therof no rebuke: not publishing thē to any person, but to such that you know will gladly receiue them. MarginaliaPower to geue absolution graunted to the B. of Douer from the Cardinall.For hetherto there is neuer a Bishop in England, who hath graūted him so great authority concerning those the which bee vnder his cure. Onely Master Archdeacon hath the lyke, and in one thing more greater then be these your Lordships.
CloseAlthough politely worded, this is a humiliation of Thornden. Although suffragan bishop, his authority is inferior to an archdeacon.
CloseI.e., your lordship's servant.
Thomas Goldwell.
And thus much concerning the Byshop of Douer, by way of digression. Now to returne agayne
CloseBland's account, in his letter to his father, resumes here.
¶ Here followeth mine aunswer, as nye as I can call to remēbraunce, euery word and sentence: yet if any that was present can helpe to perfect it, I would be glad. But yet this dare I say, that there is neuer one sentence, but it was openly spoken, the ix. of March, in the Chapter house of Crechurch, in the presence of as many as they had chosen, the Maior of the Citie being called to bee aßistance and all other shut out.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe answers of Master Bland to the clergy men.MAster Collins said: Master Bland, ye knowe that ye are presented vnto vs, as one suspected of