Marginalia1556. March.and especially considering by what meanes he must haue it, whiche was cleane against his conscience, whiche he could not vtter without great peryl and danger, deuised an excuse to the kyng of matter of great importaunce, for the whiche his longer abode there should be most necessary, thinking by that meanes in his absence, that the kyng would haue bestowed it vppon some other, and so remayned there by that deuise, one halfe yeare after the king had written for hym to come home. But after that no suche matter fell out, as he seemed to make suspition of, the kyng sent for hym againe. Who after his returne, vnderstandyng styll the Archbishoprike to be reserued for hym, made meanes by diuers of his best frendes, to shyft it of, desiryng rather some smaller liuyng, that he might more quietly folow his booke.

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To be briefe, when the kyng hym selfe spake with him, declarying his full intention for his seruice sake, and for the good opinion he conceyued of hym, was to bestow that dignitie vppon hym, after long disablyng of hym selfe, perceyuyng he coulde by no perswasions alter the kynges determination, he brake frankely his conscience with hym, most humbly crauyng first his Graces pardon, for that he should declare vnto his highnesse. Marginalia
D. Cranmer denyed that he tooke the Archbishoppricke at the Popes handes.
Cranmers Aunswere to K. Henry refusing to be Archbyshop.
First breaking of the matter of the Popes supremacie to K. Henry.Whiche obteyned, he declared, that if he accepted þ^t Office, thē he must receyue it at the Popes hande, whiche he neyther woulde, nor could doo, for that his highnesse was onely the supreme Gouernour of this Churche of England, as well in causes Ecclesiasticall as Temporall, and that the full right and donation of al maner of Bishoprikes and benefices, as wel as of any other Temporall dignities and promotions, apperteyned to his Grace, and not to any other forreine authoritie, what soeuer it was: and therefore if he might serue God in that vocation, hym, and his countrey, seeing it was his pleasure so to haue it, he would accept it, and receyue it of his maiestie, and of none other straunger, who had no authoritie within this Realme, neyther in any suche gyft, nor in any other thing. Whereat the kyng (sayde he) staying a whyle & musing, asked me how I was able to proue it. At which tyme I alledged many textes out of the Scriptures, and the fathers also, approuyng the supreme and highest authoritie of kings in their Realmes & dominions, disclosing therwithall the intollerable vsurpation of the Pope of Rome.

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Afterwards it pleased his highnes (quoth the Archb.) many and sundry tymes to talke with me of it, and perceyuyng that I coulde not be brought to acknowledge the authoritie of the B. of Rome, the kyng hym selfe called D. Oliuer, and other Ciuil Lawyers, & deuised with thē how he might bestowe it vpon me, inforcyng me nothing against my conscience. Marginalia
Cranmer sworne to the Pope vnder Protestation
Cranmer in swearing to the Pope did nothing without aduise of the best learned in this Realme.Who therupon informed hym, that I might doo it by the way of protestatiō, & so one to be sent to Rome, who might take the othe, and doo euery thyng in my name. Which when I vnderstood, I sayd, he should doo it Super animam suam:  

and I in deede Bona fide  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

Cranmer

Foxe text Latin

super animam suam ... bona fide

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2003)

above his spirit (?) ... in good faith

made my protestation, that I dyd not acknowledge his authoritie any futher, then as it agreed with the expresse word of God, & that it might be lawful for me at al times to speake against him, and so impugne his errors, when tyme and occasion shoulde serue me. And this my protestation dyd I cause to be enrolled, and there I thinke it remayneth.

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They obiected to hym also that he was maryed: which he confessed. Wherupon D. Martin said that his chyldren were bondmen to the See of Canterbury. MarginaliaThe Archb. aunswereth for his wyfe and children.At which saying the Archb. smiled, and asked hym if a priest at his Benefice kept a Concubine, and had by her bastardes, whether they were bondmen to the benefice or no, saying, I trust you wil make my childrens causes no worse.

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After this Doctour Martin demaunded of hym who was supreme head of the Churche of Englande? Mary, quoth my Lorde of Canterbury, Christe is head of this member, as he is of the whole body of the vniuersal church. Why (quoth Doctour Martin) you made kyng Henrye the eight supreme heade of the Churche. Yea (sayde the Archbishop) of all the people of England, as wel Ecclesiastical, as Temporal. And not of the Church, said Martin? No, said he, for Christ is onely head of his Churche, and of the fayth and Religion of the same. MarginaliaBecause there was offence taken at this word Supreame hed, it was declared in the Queenes style to be supreame gouernour.The kyng is head and gouernour of his people, which are the visible church. What (quoth Martin) you neuer durst tel the king so. Yes, that I durst (quoth he) and dyd, and in the publication of his Style, wherin he was named supreme head of the church, there was neuer other thyng meant. A number of other fond & foolish obiections were made, with repetition wherof I thought not to trouble the Reader.

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Thus after they had receyued his answeare to all their obiections,  

MarginaliaThe Archb. cited to appeare at Rome.they cited hym (as is aforesayde) to appeare at Rome within foure score dayes, to make there his personall aunsweares: which he sayd, if the Kyng and Queene would sende hym, he would be content to doo, and so thence was caryed to prison againe, where he continually remay-

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ned, notwithstandyng that he was commaunded to appeare at Rome.

Wherin al men that haue eyes to see, may easily perceiue the crafty practise of these Prelates,MarginaliaA poynt to be noted in the crafty practise of romish hipocrites. and the visured face of their Iustice, as though the Court of Rome would condemne no man before he answeared for hym selfe, as al lawe and equitie required. But the very same instant tyme, the holynes of that vnholy father, contrary to all reason and iustice, sent his letter executorye vnto the King and Queene to degrade and depriue hym of his dignitie: whiche thyng he dyd not onely before the. lxxx. dayes were ended, but before there were. xx. dayes spent. Futhermore, wheras the said Archbishop was fast deteyned in strayt prison, so that he could not appeare (as was notorious bothe in England and also in the Romish Court) and therfore had a lawfull and most iust excuse of his absence by al lawes, both popishe and other: yet in the ende of the sayd. lxxx. dayes was that worthy Martyr decreed Contumax, that is, sturdily, frowardly, and wylfully absent, and in payne of the same his absence, condemned, and put to death.

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As touchyng the foresaide executorye Letters of the Pope sente to the Kyng and Queene, begynnyng thus Paulus Episcopus seruus seruorum Dei, charissimo in Christo filio Philippo Regi, & charissimæ in Christo filiæ Mariæ Reginæ. &c.  

because the full tenour thereof is expresed in our firste impression of Actes, Pag. 1490.MarginaliaOf this letter of the Pope, read in the first booke, pag. 1490. it shall not be needeful to comber this volume in repeating the same againe.

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MarginaliaA new commission sent downe from Rome agaynst the Archbyshop.THis Letter or sentence difinitiue of the Pope, was dated the first day of Ianuary, and was deliuered here in England about the myddest of February. Vpon the receit of which letters an other Sessiō was appoynted for þ^e Archbishop to appeare the fourteenth daye of Februarye, before certayne Commissions directed down by the queene,MarginaliaDoct. Thurlby, Doct. Boner, Commissioners. the chiefe whereof was the Bishop of Ely Doctor Thurlby. Concernyng which D Thurlby, by the way here is to be noted, that albeit he was not the sayde Archbishoppes housholde Chapleyne, yet he was so familiarely acquainted with hym, so dearely beloued, so inwardly accepted aud aduaunced of hym (not like a Chapleyne, but rather like a natural brother)MarginaliaThe olde benefites and familiaritie betwene the Archbyshop and Doct. Thurlby. that there was neuer any thing in the Archbishops house so deare, were it Plate, Iewel, Horse, Mappes, bookes, or any thyng els, but if Thurlby dyd neuer so litle commende it, (a subtile kynde of beggyng) the Archbishop by and by, eyther gaue it to hym, or shortly sent it after hym to his house. So greatly was the Archbishop inamored with hym, that who soeuer woulde obtayne any thing of hym, most commonly woulde make their way before by Doctour Thurlby. Which bymatter of þ^e sayd Doctour Thurlby, I thought here to recite, not so much to rebrayd the man with the vyce of vnthankfulnes, as chiefly and onely for this, to admonish hym of olde benefites receyued, wherby he may the better remember his old benefactor, and so to fauour the cause and quarrell of hym whō he was so singularly bounden vnto.

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With the said Doctour Thurlby Bishop of Ely, was also assigned in the same Commission Doctor Boner Bishop of London, which two commyng to Oxford vppon S. Valentines day, as the Popes delegates, MarginaliaA new setting of the Popes delegates in Christes church agaynst the Archbyshop of Cabt.with a new commission from Rome, by the vertue thereof commaunded the Archbishop aforesayd to come before them, in the Quier of Christes Church before the high aultar, where they sittyng (according to their maner) in their pontificalibus, first begā as the fashion is, to reade their Commission: wherin was conteined, how that in the Court of Rome al thinges being indifferently examined, both the articles layde to his charge, with the answeares made vnto them, and witnesses examined on both partes, and counsel heard as wel on the kyng & queenes behalfe his accusers, as on þ^e behalfe of T. Crāmer, þ^e party gyltie, so that he wanted nothyng apperteynyng to his necessary defense. &c. MarginaliaThe Popes Commission groundeth vpon lyes.Which foresaid Cōmission, as it was in reading, O Lord, said the Archbish. what lyes be these, that I being continually in prison, and neuer could be suffered to haue counsell or aduocate at home, shoulde product witnes and appoynt my counsel at Rome? God must needes punish this open & shameles lying. They read on the Cōmission which came from the Pope, Plenitudine potestatis, supplying al maner of defectes in lawe or processe, cōmitted in dealing with the Archbishop, and geuing them ful authoritie to proceede to the depriuation and degradation of hym, and so vpon excōmunication to deliuer hym vp to the secular power, Omni appellatione remota.

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When the Commission was read thus, they proceedyng