MarginaliaAnno. 1549. lawes and statutes no lesse to be feared and obeyed, then if your hyghnes were. L. or C. yeare olde, (the whiche thyng not onely is most certeinly true, but also at this tyme most necessary to be taught, especially when diuers rebelles haue openly declared, that they would not obey your hyghnes lawes, nor acknowledge the Statutes made by your Maiestie to be auaylable till ye come to the age of xx. yeares) and this not onely beyng so, but the same thyng beyng commaūded by your sayd Maiestie amongest other Iniunctiōs and Articles geuen in writyng to the sayd Edmund Boner, to be preached in his last Sermon, as by the same Iniunctiōs may appeare, of the whiche the true copye we haue when neede is to be shewed:MarginaliaBoner left out of hys Sermon the Article of the kinges authoritie. yet all this notwithstandyng, the sayd Boner , of what zeale or mynde we cannot tell, whether fauouryng the opinion of the sayd rebelles, or contemnyng your hyghnes commaundement declared to hym, hath not onely left out to declare the sayd Article, which we most & chiefly expected and looked for, but also in all the rest of his Sermons dyd not so fully and apertly declare the sayd Iniunctions and Articles as to our iudgement dyd appeare they ought to haue ben declared, and was of no light grounde looked for, intreatyng of other farre distant and diuers from the Articles vpon the whiche he was commaunded to entreate, and such as most should moue and styrre vp the people to disorder and dissension, willyngly leauyng out those thyngs which should haue made quyet and obedience. Wherfore not moued of any malice, grudge, enuy, or euill will to the person of the Byshop, but constreined by the loue & zeale which we beare towardes your highnes, and of our duety & allegeance to your Maiestiy, whose honour and sauetie with tranquilitie, quietnesse and good gouernaunce of this your Realme, we do most desire, and for the discharge of our most bounden dueties, to auoyde all the daungers that might ensue of the concealment therof, we most humbly do denounce and declare the same to your hyghnes, to the intent that your Maiestie by the aduise aforesayd, may, if it please your hyghnes, at this our humble denuntiaton call the sayd Byshop to aunswere to the premisses, the whiche we are ready to auowe and proue, and then your highnes to take further order herein as to your Princely wisedome shal seeme most conuenient: whose long lyfe and most prosperous gouernement, God almighty long continue, for the which we shall pray duryng our liues.

The kynges Maiestie hauyng thus by the information of these two credible persons, perfect intelligence of the contēptuous & peruerse negligence of this Byshop in accomplishyng his hyghnes commaundement geuen hym by Iniunction, thought it most necessary withall conuenient speed (for the auoidyng of farther inconueniences) to looke more seuerely vnto the due punishment of such daungerous rebellious obstinacie, and MarginaliaCommission directed downe by the king agaynst Boner. therfore by the aduise of the Lord Protectour and the rest of his honorable Counsaile, immediatly he directed forth his Commission vnder his broad Seale, vnto the Archbyshop of Canterbury, the Byshop of Rochester, and to other graue and trusty personages and Councellers,MarginaliaCommissioners appointed. appointyng & authorising all thē, or certaine of them, by vertue of the same, to call before them, aswell the Byshop of London, as also the foresayd denouncers, & vpon due examination & proufe of the premisses, or any other matter otherwise to be obiected, farther to proceede agaynst hym summarely & de plano, accordyng to law and Iustice, either to suspension excommunication, committing to prison, or depriuation (if the qualitie of the offence so required) or otherwise to vse any other censure Ecclesiasticall, whiche for the better hearing & determining of that cause, might to their wisedomes seeme more pertinent, as appeareth more amply by the tenour of the Commission here ensuyng.

MarginaliaThe Copye of the kinges Commission for Boners examination. EDwarde the sixt. &c. To the most reuerent father in God Thomas Archbyshop of Canterbury, Metropolitane and Primate of all England, the right reuerend father in God Nicolas Byshop of Rochester, our trusty and right welbeloued Counsellers Syr William Peter and Syr Thomas Smith Knightes our two principall Secretaries, and William Maye Doctour of the Law Ciuile and Deane of Paules, greetyng. It is come to our knowledge, that where we by the aduise of our most entirely beloued Vncle Edward Duke of Somerset, gouernour of our person, and Protectour of all our Realmes, dominions and subiectes, and the rest of our priuy Counsaile, did giue to the right reuerend father in God Edmund Byshop of London, vpon certaine complaintes before made vnto vs and other great considerations, certaine Iniunctions to be folowed, done, and executed, and in a Sermon appointed to hym to preach by vs with certaine articles, and for the more sure knowledge, keepyng, and obseruyng, dyd exhibite the same in writyng vnto him by the hāds of our sayd Vncle, in the fulfillyng of our Counsell: all this notwithstandyng the sayd Byshop hath in contempt of vs (as it may appeare) ouerslipped and not obserued certeine of the said things so by vs enioyned, and other so peruersely and negligently done that the thinges mynded of vs to reformatiō and for a good quyet of our subiectes and our whole realme, be conuerted by the wilfull negligence or peruersitie of him to a great occasion of sclaūder, tumulte and grudge amongest our people, as it hath bene denounced to vs in writyng by certeine honest and discrete persons and otherwise called. The whiche thynges if they be so, we tendryng the wealth, quietnes, good order and gouernement of our people haue not thought conuenient to be let past vnpunished and vnreformed, and therefore by the aduise aforesayd haue appointed you fiue, foure, or iij. vpon whose fidelities, wisedomes, dexterities and circumspections we haue full confidence, to call before you, aswell the denouncers of the said faultes, as also the sayd Byshop, and with due examinations and processe, accordyng to the law and Iustice, to heare the sayd matter and all other matters of what kinde, nature, or condition so euer they shalbe, that shalbe obiected agaynst the sayd Byshop, summarely [and de plano,] or otherwise as to your discretions shalbe thought most meete, with full power and authoritie to suspend, excommunicate, commit to prison or depriue the sayd Byshop, if the offence shall so appeare to merite, or to vse any other censure Ecclesiasticall which for the better hearyng and determinyng of the cause, shalbe requisite and apperteine, any law, statute, or act to the contrary notwithstandyng. In witnes wherof we haue caused these our letters to be made patentes. Witnes our selfe at Westminster the viij. of Sep
tember in the thyrd yeare of our reigne.

MarginaliaThe Commssion deliuered. This Commission beyng sealed with the kynges broad seale, was by his highnes Counsaile forthwith deliuered at the Court vnto the Archbyshop of Cāterbury, and the rest of the Commissioners mētioned in the same, beyng there all together present. Who vppon the receipt therof, determined by vertue of the same, to sit at the Archbyshoppes house at Lambeth the Wednesday then next ensuing, which was the tenth day of that present moneth of September, & therfore appointed the Byshop of Londō to be sommoned to appeare before them, as at that tyme and place. The maner of whose behauiour at his appearaunce, because it both declareth the froward nature and stubborne condition of the person, and also what estimation and authoritie he thought the Commissioners to be of, I thought not vnmeete first, before I enter into the processe, somewhat to note and describe vnto you.

MarginaliaThe stubborne behauiour of Boner before the Commissioners. At his first entry into the place within the Archbyshops house at Lambeth, where the Archbyshop and other of the Commissioners sat, he passed forth directly by them with his cap vpon his head (makyng as though he saw thē not) vntill one plucking hym by the sleeue, willed hym to do reuerence vnto the Commissioners. Whereat he laughyngly turned himselfe, & spake vnto þ^e Archbishop on this wise: what my Lord, are you here? By my trouth I sawe you not. No, sayd the Archbyshop, you would not see. Well (quoth he) you sent for me: haue you any thing to say to me? Yea sayd the Commissioners, we haue here authoritie from the kynges hyghnes to call you to accompt for your Sermon you made lately at Paules crosse, for that you dyd not there publish vnto the people the article which you were commaunded then to preach vppon. At which wordes the Byshop, either for that he did not greatly lyke to heare of that matter, or els because he would make his friends beleue that he was called to accompt onely for his opinion in Religion (as afterwardes in the sequell of thys processe it more playnly appeareth) began to turne his talke vnto other matters, and said vnto the Archbishop: In good fayth my Lord, I would one thyng were had in more reuerence then it is. What is that, sayd the Archbishop?MarginaliaBoner speaketh for the Masse. The blessed Masse, quoth he. You haue written very well of the Sacrament: I maruaile you do no more honour it? The Archbyshop of Canterbury therewith perceiuing his subtiltie and seyng his grosse blyndnes to commend that which was vtterly contrary to his opinion, sayd vnto him againe:MarginaliaThe Archbishop. If you thinke it well, it is because you vnderstand it not. The other then adding vnto his former grosse ignoraunce an obstinate impudēcie, aūswered:MarginaliaBoner. I thinke I vnderstād it better then you that wrote it. Vnto whiche wordes the Archbyshop replyed:MarginaliaThe Archbishop. truely I will easely make a childe that is but ten yeares olde vnderstand therein as much as you: but what is this to the matter?