Marginalia1556. March.MarginaliaCauses mouing the Archb. why he could not admit the Popes authoritye.the eight, accordyng to the lawes of Englande: Secondly, because I knewe the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome, which he vsurpeth, to be agaynst the crowne, customes, and lawes of this Realme of Englande, in so muche, that neyther the kyng can be crowned in this Realme, without the moste greeuous crime of periurie, MarginaliaThe Popes authoritie cannot be admitted in this Realme without periury.nor maye Bishops enioy their Bishoprikes, nor iudgementes be vsed accordyng to the lawes and customes of this Realme, except by the Bishop of Romes authoritie be accursed both the kyng and Queene, the Iudges, writers, and executors of the lawes and customes, with all that consent to them. Finally the whole Realme shalbe accursed.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe 5. cause.5. Moreouer, that heynous and vsurped authoritie of the Bishop of Rome, through reseruations of the Bishoprikes Prouisions, Annuates, Dispensations, Pardonnes, Appellations, Bulles, and other cursed Marchaundise of Rome, was woont exceedyngly to spoyle and consume the riches and substaunce of this Realme,MarginaliaInconuenience to this Realme in receiuing the Popes authoritie. whiche all thynges shoulde folowe agayne by recognising and receyuyng of that vsurped authoritie vnto the vnmeasurable losse of this Realme.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe 6. cause.6. Finally, it is most euident by that vsurped authoritie, not onely the Crowne of Englande to be vnder yoke, the Lawes and customes of this Realme to be throwen down and troden vnder foote: but also the moste holy Decrees of Councels, together with the preceptes both of the Gospel, and of God.
[Back to Top]When in tymes past the sonne of righteousnesse beyng rysen in the world, Christian Religion, by the preachyng of the Apostles beganne to be spread very farre abroade and to floorish, in so much that their sounde went out into all the world: innumerable people, which walked in darknes, sawe a great light, Gods glory euerywhere published dyd florish, the onely carke and care of the Ministers of the Churche was, MarginaliaThe primatiue state of the Church of Rome sincere and pure.purely and sincerely to preache Christe, the peoples, to imbrace and folow Christes doctrine. Then the Church of Rome, as it were Lady of the world, both was, & also was coūted worthyly the mother of other churches, for as much as thē shee first begat to Christ, nourished with the foode of pure doctrine, dyd helpe them with their riches, succoured the oppressed, and was a Sanctuary for the miserable, shee reioyced with them that reioyced, and wept with them that wept. Then by the examples of the Bishops of Rome, riches were despised, worldly glorye and pompe was troden vnder foot, pleasures and ryot nothing regarded. Then this fraile & vncertaine lyfe, being ful of al miseries, was laughed to scorne, whiles thorow the example of Romish martyrs mē dyd euerywhere presse forthward to þe lyfe to come. MarginaliaThe Church of Rome how and where it began to alter.But afterwarde the vngratiousnes of damnable ambition neuer satisfied, auarice and the horrible enormitie of vices had corrupted and taken the See of Rome, there folowed euerye where almost, MarginaliaDeformities of the church of Rome, infecting all other churches.the deformities of al Churches, growing out of kynd, into the maners of the church their mother, leauing their former innocencie and puritie, and slippyng into foule and heynous vsages.
[Back to Top]For the foresayd and many other griefes and abuses (which I intende to proue, and doo profer my selfe in tyme conuenient, to proue hereafter) since reformation of the aboue mentioned abuses, is not to be looked for of the Bishop of Rome, neyther can I hope by reason of his wicked abuses and vsurped authoritie,MarginaliaThe B. of Rome no equall iudge in his owne cause. to haue hym an equall iudge in his owne cause: therefore I doo challenge and appeale in these writynges, from the Pope, hauyng no good counsell, and from the aboue named pretenses, Commissions, and Iudges, from their Citations, Processes, and from all other thynges that haue or shall folow thereupon, and from euery one of them, and from all their sentences, censures, paynes, and punishmentes of cursing, suspension, and interdictyng, and from all others, what soeuer, their denouncynges and declarations (as they pretend) of schisme, of heresie, adulterie, depriuation, disgradyng,by them or by any of them in any manner wise attempted, done, and sette forewarde, to be attempted, to be done, and to be set foorth hereafter (sauyng alwayes their honours and reuerences) as vnequal and vnrighteous, meere tyrannical and violent, and from euerye griefe to come, whiche shall happen to me, as well for my selfe as for all and euery one that cleaueth to me, or wyll hereafter be on my side, MarginaliaAppellation from the Pope to a generall Councell.vnto a free generall Councel, that shal hereafter lawfully be, and in a sure place, to the whiche place I or a Proctour deputed by me, maye freely and with safetie come, and to hym or them, to whom a man maye by the lawe, priuiledge, custome, or otherwise challenge and appeale.
[Back to Top]And I desire, the first, the seconde, and the thirde tyme, instantly, more instantly, and most instantly, that I maye haue *Marginalia* Letters of protection and defence. messengers, if there be any man that wyll & can geue me them. And I make open promise of prosecuting this myne appellation, by the way of disanullyng, abuse, inequa-
[Back to Top]litie, and vnrighteousnes, or otherwise as I shalbe better able: choyse and libertie reserued to me, to put to, diminish, chaunge, correct, & interpretate my sayings, and to reforme al thinges after a better fashion, sauyng alwayes to me euery other benefite of the lawe, and to them that eyther be, or wyl be on my part.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaDefence of his doctrine.And touchyng my doctrine of the sacrament, & other my doctrine, of what kynde soeuer it be, I protest that it was neuer my mind to write, speake, or vnderstād any thing cōtrary to þe most holy word of God, or els against the holy catholike church of Christ, but purely & simply to imitate and teach those things onely, which I had learned of the sacred scripture, & of the holy catholike church of Christ from the beginning, & also according the exposition of þe most holy and learned Fathers and Martyrs of the Church.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe Archb. no hereticke and why.And if any thing hath peraduenture chaunced otherwise then I thought, I may erre: but heretike I can not be, for as muche as I am ready in all thynges to folowe the iudgement of the most sacred worde of God, and of the holy Catholike church, desiryng none other thyng, then meekely and gently to be taught, if anywhere (which God forbyd) I haue swarued from the truth.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaHe protesteth him selfe to be Catholicke.And I protest & openly confesse, that in al my doctrine & preaching, both of the Sacrament, and of other my doctrine what soeuer it be, not onely I meane & iudge those things, as the catholike church, & the most holy fathers of old wt one accord haue ment & iudged, but also I would gladly vse the same words that they vsed, & not vse any other words, but to set my hand to al & singular their speches, phrases, wayes & formes of speach, which they do vse in their treatises vpon the sacramēt, & to keepe styl their interpretatiō. But in this thing I only am accused for an heretike, because I allowe not þe doctrine lately brought in, of the sacramēt, MarginaliaNew termes of the Sacrament brought in by the Pope vnknowen to the scripture and olde doctours.& because I cōsent not to wordes not accustomed in scripture & vnknowen to the ancient Fathers, but newly inuented & brought in by men, and belonging to the destruction of soules, and ouerthrowing of the pure and old religion. Yeuen. &c.
[Back to Top]This Appeale beyng put vp to the Bishop of Ely, he sayd: My Lorde, our Commission is to proceede agaynste you, Omni appellatione remota: and therfore we can not admit it.
MarginaliaTalke betwene D. Thurlby and the Archb. about the appeale.Why (quoth he) then you doo me the more wrong: for my case is not as euery priuate mans case. The matter is betweene the Pope and me immediatè, and none otherwise: and I thinke no man ought to be a iudge in his own cause.
Well, (quoth Ely) if it may be admitted, it shall, and so receyued it
I.e., Cranmer's appeal.
This formula was first printed in 1563, dropped because of lack paper in the1570 edition and finally reprinted in the 1583 edition. Foxe showed a considerable interest in depicting the degradation ceremonies for martyrs who had been clerics: other notable examples of this occur in his accounts of John Hooper, Rowland Taylor and Nicholas Ridley. Emphasizing the degradation inflicted on the martyrs served to emphasize that their suffering was akin to that of Christ and and also to emphasize their stoic response to rituals designed to humiliate them.
[Back to Top]Here then to be short, when they came to take of his Pal (which is a solemne vesture of an Archbish.) then said he: which of you hath a Pall, to take of my Pall? Which imported as much as they being his inferiours, could not disgrade hym. Whereunto one of them sayd, in that they were but bishops, they were his inferiors, & not competent Iudges: but being the Popes Delegates, they might take his Pall, and so they dyd: and so proceeding, tooke euery thyng in order from hym, as it was put on. Then a Barbar clipped his heare round about, and the Bishop scraped the tops of his fingers where he had ben annoynted, wherin Bishop Boner behaued hym selfe as roughly and vnmanerly, as the other Bishop was to hym soft and gentle. Whiles they were thus doing, all this (quoth the Archbishop) needed not: I had my self done with this geare long ago.
In his own quiet, dignified way Cranmer is subverting a process designed to humiliate him as, in their different ways, John Hooper, Rowland Taylor and Nicholas Ridley had subverted their degradations.
Last of al, they stripped hym out of his gowne into his Iacket, and put vpon hym a poore yeoman Bedles gowne, full bare and nearely worne, and as euyl fauoredly made as one might lightly see, & a townes mans cap on his head, & so deliuered hym to the secular power.
After this pageant of degradation and al was finished, then spake Lorde Boner, saying to hym: Now are you no