Marginalia1556. March.tion of Rome can lacke no credit (I trowe) wyth such, which seeke what they can to discredit what soeuer maketh not wyth their phantasied religion of Rome.  

After the disputations done & finished in Oxford betwene þ^e Doctors of both Vniuersities & the three worthy bishops D. Cranmer, Ridley, & Latimer, ye heard then how sentence cōdemnatory immediatly vpon the same was ministred agaynst thē by D. Weston & other of the vniuersitie:MarginaliaOf this condemnation, read before pag. 1631.col. 1.wherby they were iudged to be heretickes, and so committed to the Maior and Sheriffes of Oxford. But forasmuch as the sentence geuen them, was voyd in law (for at that tyme the authority of the Pope was not yet receiued into the land) therefore was a new Cōmission sent fromRome, and a new processe framed for the conuiction of these reuerende and godly learned men aforesayd. MarginaliaDoctour Brokes, Doctour Martyn, D. Story, Commissioners against the Archb.In which cōmission first was Doct. Iames Brokes Byshop of Glocester the Popes Subdelegate, wyth Doct. Martin, and Doct. Story Cōmissioners in the king & Queenes behalfe, for execution of the same. Of the which 3.  

Commissioners aboue named, as touching D. Martin, this by the way is to be vnderstand,MarginaliaDoctour Martyn not so bitter in this persecutiō as other commissioners were. that although hee was vsed for an instrument of the Popes side, to serue a turne (whose booke also is extāt against þ^e lawfull mariage of Priests   ) yet notwithstāding neither was he so bytter an enemy in this persecution, as other Cōmissions were, & also in this time of Queene Elizabeth, where diuers other Doctors of the Arches refused to be sworne against the Pope, he denied not þ^e oth: and yet notwithstāding not altogether here to be excused. But to the purpose of this story. Whereof first it shall be requisite to declare the circumstance, and the whole state of the matter, as in a generall description, before we come to their Orations, accordyng as in a parcell of a certayne letter touching the same, it came to our handes.

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In primis here is to be vnderstand, that the cōming downe of the foresayd Cōmissioners, which was vpon Thursday, the xij. of Septēber, an. 1555. in the church of S. Mary,MarginaliaThe order of setling & placing the Commissioners. and in the East end of the sayd Church at the high aultar, was erected a solemne Scaffold for Bishop Brokes aforesaid, representing the Popes person, ten foote hye. The seate was made that he myght sit vnder the Sacrament of the aulter. And on the right hand of the Popes Delegate beneath hym sat Doctor Martyn, and on the left hand sat Doct. Story the kynges and Queenes Commissioners, which were both Doctours of the Ciuill lawe, and vnderneath them other Doctours, Scribes and Phariseis also, wyth the Popes Collector and a rablement of such other lyke.

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And thus these Bishops being placed in their Pontificalibus,  

the bishop of Canterbury was sēt for to come before them. He hauyng intelligence of them that were there, thus ordered him selfe. MarginaliaThe apearinge of the Archb. of Cant. before the Commissioners.He came forth of the prison to the church of S. Mary, fet forth wyth bylles and gleues for feare least he should start away, being cloathed in a fayre blacke gowne, wyth hys hoode on both shoulders, such as Doctors of Diuinity in the Vniuersitie vse to weare. Who after hee was come into the church, and dyd see them sit in their Pontificalibus, hee dyd not put of hys cap to none of them, but stood styll till that he was called. And anon one of the Proctors for the Pope, or els his Doctor, called: Thomas Archb. of Canterbury, appeare here and make aunswere to that shall be layd to thy charge: that is to say, for blasphemy, incontinency, and heresie: make aunswere here to the B. of Worcester representing þ^e Popes person.

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Vpon thys be beyng brought more neare vnto the scaffold, where the foresayd Bishops sat, hee first well viewed the place of iudgement, and spying where the kyng and Queenes maiesties Proctors were, puttyng of hys cap, he first humbly bowing his knee to þ^e groūd, made reuerence to the one, and after to the other.

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That done, beholding the bishop in the face, he put

MarginaliaThe Archb. geueth reuerence to the Cōmissioners.on hys bonet agayne, making no maner of token of obedience towards him at all.MarginaliaD. Cranmer sheweth no reuerence to the Popes Delegate. Whereat the Byshop being offended, sayd vnto hym, that it might be seeme him right well, waying the authoritie he did represent, to do hys dutie vnto hym. Whereunto Doctour Cranmer aunswered and sayd, that he had once taken a solemne othe, neuer to consent to the admittyng of the Byshop of Romes authority into this Realme of England agayne, and that he had done it aduisedly, and ment by Gods grace to keepe it, and therfore would commit nothyng either by signe or token, which might argue hys consent to the receiuyng of the same, and so hee desired the sayd Byshop to iudge of hym, and that he dyd it not for any contempt to hys person, which hee could haue bene content to haue honored as well as any of the other, if hys Commission had come from as good authoritie as theirs. Thus aūswered he both modestly, wisely, prudently, & patiently, with hys cap on hys head, not once bowyng nor making any reuerēce to hym that represented the Popes person, which was wonderously of the people marked, that was there present and saw it, and marked it as nye as could be possible.

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WHen after many meanes vsed, the perceyued that the Archbyshop would not moue hys bonet, the Byshop proceded in these wordes folowyng.

MarginaliaThe oration of Bish. Brokes.My Lord, at this present we are come to you as Commissioners and for you, not intrudyng our selues by our own authoritie, but sent by Commission partly from the Popes holynes, partly from the Kyng & Queenes most excellent Maiesties, not to your vtter discomfort, but to your comfort if you wil your selfe. We come not to iudge you, but to put you in remembraunce of that ye haue bene and shalbe. Neither come we to dispute with you but to examine you in certaine matters: whiche beyng done, to make relation therof to hym that hath power to iudge you. The first beyng well taken shall make the second to be well taken. For if you of your part be moued to come to a conformitie, then shall not onely we of our syde take ioy of our examination, but also they that haue sent vs.

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And first, as charitie doth moue vs, I would thinke good somewhat to exhort you, and that by the second chapiter of S. Iohn in the Apocal: Memor esto vnde excideris & age pœnitentiam & prima opera fac. Sin minus. i.  

MarginaliaApoc. 2.Remēber from whence thou art fallē, and do the first workes. Or if not, and so as ye know what foloweth. Remember your selfe from whence you haue fallen. You haue fallen from the vniuersall and Catholicke Church of Christ, from the very true and receaued fayth of all Christendome, and that by open heresie. You haue fallen from your promise to God, from your fidelitie and alledgeaunce, and that by open preachyng, Mariage and adultery.MarginaliaHeresy, adultery, treason, layde to Doct. Cranmer. You haue fallen from your soueraigne Prince & Queene by open treason. Remember therfore from whence you are fallen. Your fall is great, the daunger can not be sene. Wherfore when I say remember from whence you haue fallen, I put you in mynde not onely of your fall, but also of the state of were in before your fall. You were sometyme as I and other poore men, in a meane estate. God I take to witnes I speake it to no reproch or abasement of you, but to put you in memory how God hath called you from a low to an hygh degree, from one degree to an other, from better to better, and neuer gaue you ouer till he had appointed you Legatum natum, Metropolitanum Angliæ, Pastorē gregis sui.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

Brooks

Foxe text Latin

Legatum natum, Metropolitanum Angliae,
Pastorem gregis suae.

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2003)

His (born?) Legate, Metropolitan of England, Shepherd of his flock.

MarginaliaThe high estate of Doct. Cranmer, sometyme Archb. of Canterbury.Such great trust dyd he put you in, in his Church. What could he do more? for euen as he ordayned Moyses to be a ruler ouer hys Churche of Israell, and gaue hym full authoritie vpon the same: so did he make you ouer his Church of England. And when dyd he this for you? forsoth when you gaue no occasion or cause of mistrust either to hym or to hys Magistrates. For although it be coniectured that in all your tyme ye were not vpright in the honor and fayth of Christ, but rather set vp of purpose as a fitte instrument whereby the Church might be spoyled and brought into ruine, yet may it appeare by many your doynges otherwise, and I for my part, as it behoueth

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