Marginalia1549. Thomas Smith one of the kynges Secretaries, were neither signed with the kyngs owne hand, neither sealed with his hyghnes seale or signet, nor yet subscribed by any of his Counsaile. &c.

MarginaliaBoners vayne cauillation to no purpose. Where marke, I beesech you, the subtiltie of a disloyall Papist, who bycause the Articles were not sealed or signed by the kyng and his Counsaile, would make them therfore not to be of any such force, as that the breach thereof should cause him to incurre the daunger of contemptuous disobedience. But admit they were not signed nor sealed (of which thyng by the way in the denuonciation there is no mention yea or nay) yet is it manifest by the second Bill of Articles ministred vnto him by the Cōmissioners in the fourth Acte of this processe, that at such tyme as he was before the Coūsell, those Articles were by the commaundemēt of the Lord protectour openly there read vnto him by one of the Secretaries, and after addition of the Article concernyng the Kynges lawfull power and authoritie duryng his young yeares, were also deliuered vnto him by the handes of the Lord Protectour, in the presence of þ^e rest of the Counsell: who thus receiuyng thē, promised there faythfully to accōplish all the contentes therof. After which they were agayn deliuered vnto Secretarie Smith to amende such thynges therein as the Lord Protectour and the rest of the Counsell had there appointed. Which beyng accordyngly done (as the Byshop himselfe at the last recept therof confessed were finally deliuered vnto him by þ^e Secretary: & therfore was this but a poore shift.

MarginaliaBoners supposition. Now after this, he maketh a supposition: that in case it were true, that the Iniunctions were deliuered him accordyng to their information: yet was it vnture that he dyd omitte or refuse to declare the same for any such causes as they had alledged agaynst him, and that dyd well appeare in the discourse of his Sermon,MarginaliaBoner agaynst the rebelles. which tended principally (as he sayd) to the disalowyng and condemnation of all rebels, and chiefly of the rebels in Northfolke, Southfolke, Deuonshyre, and Cornewall, or els where within this Realme of England: who forgetting their allegeūce and duety vnto their Prince assigned them by Gods worde as their supreme head, their naturall loue and care for their countrey, wiues, children, and kynsfolke, did both deserue death bodily as traytors, and also accumulate vnto themselues damnation of body and soule, eternally with Sathan the father and first mouer of all rebellion and disobedience: and herewithall farther exclamyng agaynst the pretenses of those rebels, who amongest other thinges pretended the Masse and holy water with such like, which were neuer ordeined for the purpose, to colour and maintayne rebellion (as he sayd he then proued out of the 16. Nombers. 1. Reg. 15. Leuit. 10. and 4. Luke. 13. and Actes. 5. in best maner that he could as one not exercised greatly in preachyng, but restrayned therefrō) but hauyng humilitie of hart, innocencie of liuing, knowledge of God, loue to our neighbours, with obedience to Gods word, Ministers and superiour powers concurrent with them,MarginaliaExternall rites and ceremonyes. they beyng externall rites and ceremonies of þ^e Church, were exercises of Religion, & appointable by superiour powers: and yet that, whiche (standyng the law) might be good, was by pryde and disobedience made euill and vnprofitable.

And here he farther sayd, because he saw the people slacke in commyng to the Communion and diuine seruice set forth by the kyngs Maiestie, and to the entent he would make them haue a better opinion in the Sacrament then hee thought they had, hee then faythfullye dyd declare his beliefe therein. Wherewith his denouncers beyng offended, they vncharitably and vntruly deduced in their pretenced denunciation, that in his Sermon he did intreate of such thynges as most should sturre vp vnto dissension and tumult:MarginaliaAs iustly they myght, the same being hereticall & blasphemous agaynst the humanitie of Christ. whereby it appeared vnto him, that his denoūcers either tooke his CatholickeMarginaliaBoner flyeth still to the sacrament of the altar. assertion of þ^e veritie of Christs body and blood in the Sacrament of the aultar, or els his faythfull declaration made of the obedience of subiectes vnto the kynges Maiestie their supreme and soueraigne Lord, with the perill and daunger of rebellion committed agaynst him, to be the cause of disorder and dissention: for that (sayth he) of these two poyntes he chiefly spake, and especially of obedience to the kyng:MarginaliaBoners purgation of himselfe for hys sermon. Whose minoritie was more thē manyfestly knowen, aswell amongest the people of this Realme, as els where throughout þ^e world besides: which he woulde not haue done except he had beleued, that both all his subiectes were bounden to obey hym, euen as he then was and should be duryng his lyfe, and also that the rebellion of late committed agaynst him, was detestable and condemned by Gods word: and therfore he wished that his two denouncers, with all the rest of the newe Preachers, dyd meane as faythfully, obediently, and Catholickely towardes the kynges honor, royall power, and suretie of person, as he dyd, & had not more moued the people to tumultes & disobedience by their erroneous doctrine and teachyng, then he had at any tyme geuen any occasion thereunto.

Then finally he concluded and sayd, that where his denouncers surmise that it was of no light grounde looked for, as it appeared in their iudgementes, that he should more apertly haue declared the contentes of the Iniunctions and Articles then he did, that their iudgementes were in that behalfe corrupted and set to sclaunder and pickyng of quarrels: for he was well assured and credibly informed, that all his honest and Catholicke audiēce were fully satisifed, both touchyng their obedience to the kynges Maiestye in his tender age, & also concernyng the great penaltie and perill that the late rebels incurred by their disobedience. And besides that, when he was before the Lord Protectour & the rest of the Counsaile, after he made made his excuse, and alledged many impedimentes for his not preachyng at the Crosse, he dyd not then further promise, but to do the best he could: which, he hath of his fidelitie and conscience accomplished, not omittyng any thyng of purpose of euill will, that might satisifie the people in any point concernyng the premisses.

MarginaliaThe Archb. replyeth agaynst Boner. Whilest he was thus readyng these aunswers, obiectyng agaynst his denoūcers such causes and quarels as be afore alledged, for which he would haue earnestly had the denoūcers to be repelled of the Cōmissioners, the Archbyshop of Canterbury replyed,MarginaliaThe lawe of the B. of Rome reproued. that if there were such a law, hee thought it not to be a good or godly law, but a law of the Byshop of Rome. For sayd he, if my matter and case be good, what should I care who accuse me, yea, although he were the deuill of hell.

MarginaliaThe Popes law fathered vpon the kyng. No sir, said the Byshop of London, it is the kyngs law vsed in the Realme.

MarginaliaThe Archbyshop. Well, my Lord (sayd the Archbyshop) ye be to full of your law. I would wishe you had lesse knowledge in that law, and more knowledge in Gods law, and of your duety.

MarginaliaBoner. Well, aunswered the Byshop agayne, seyng your grace falleth to wishyng, I can also wishe many thynges to be in your person.

MarginaliaSecretary Peter. Then spake Secretary Peter to the Byshop as touchyng these denouncers: we are not so strayted in this matter, but that we may procede agaynst you, either at their promotion, or without them at our pleasure.

MarginaliaBoner. A Gods name (then sayd Boner) put them by, and then do as your pleasure shalbe, so you do me right, for I aske but right.

MarginaliaSecretary Smyth. Nay, sayd Secretary Smith, you aske you wot not what: you would haue vs folow your mynde in these quidities and quirkes: and all is nothyng els but to delay Iustice. And you do herein as theeues, murtherers, and traytors, not to haue the truth knowen.

MarginaliaBoner. Say you so to me, quoth the Byshop? I thanke you. Well, I could say somewhat to you also, were it not in the place ye be: but let it passe. As for my matter, I feare it not: it is not so euill as you make it, for I haue your owne hand writyng for my discharge, which when I shall see tyme, I shall shew forth.

MarginaliaSecretary Smyth. My hand? quoth the Secretary, Let me see it, & let it be read openly.MarginaliaBoner. So it shal, sayd the Byshop, when I see tyme.

MarginaliaSecretary Smyth. Then sayd M. Smith: you do vse vs thus to be sene a cunnyng Lawyer.

MarginaliaBoner.
Well craked M. Boner. In dede quoth the Byshop, I knew the law, ere you could read it.

With that Secretary Peter willed the Byshop to proceede in readyng of his aunsweres: who so dyd, and when he had finished,MarginaliaArticles deliuered vp agaynst Boner. Latymer deliuered vp a writyng in paper vnto the Archbyshop and the rest of the Commissioners: who then sayd vnto the Byshop of London, here be certaine Articles which we intend to minister vnto you.

MarginaliaBoner. The Byshop therewith sayd, do you minister them of your office, or at the promotion of these men? (poyntyng to Latymer and Hoper) for I perceaue they gaue thē vnto you.

MarginaliaSecretarye Peter. Nay, sayd Secretary Peter, we will Minister them vnto you, ex officio mero, and therupon tooke an othe of the Byshop de fideliter respondendo. MarginaliaBoner requireth respite to aunswere. Who desiryng a copie of the Articles, required also a competent tyme to be geuen vnto him to make aunswere thereunto.

MarginaliaSecretarye Peter. To whom Secretary Peter replied, saying: My Lord, here be certaine of the Articles touchyng your owne fact, which you may aunswere vnto forthwith: as whether you wrote your Sermon or not before you preached it.

MarginaliaBoner. Wherunto the Byshop aunswered that he wrote it not, but he drew certaine notes of it.

MarginaliaSecretarye Peter. Then, whose counsell (sayd he) and aduise vsed you in makyng your Sermon?

MarginaliaBoner. To which he also aunswered, that he had therein vsed his owne counsell and bookes, and yet my Chapleins (quoth he) be much suspected for my doynges in many thyngs, and sometymes I for theirs, when there is no cause why.

These wordes ended the Commissioners assigned him Monday the 16. of September then next, to appeare before