MarginaliaAn. 1556. Aprill.from him to the Byshop of Winchester, and so from him to the Kyngs Bench, & then was Maister Tyrrels rage seased with thē that were in the woods at the Sermōs. So M. Tyrrel tooke away Gyes coate, & gaue it to Ioh. Traiford, & sent hym to S. Tosies to see good rule kept there.

MarginaliaWill. Tyms brought and examined before B. Boner and the bishop of Bath.When Tymes came before the Byshop of Lōdon, there was at that tyme the Byshop of Bathe, & there was William Tymes examined of his fayth before them both, So mightely God wrought with this true harted man, that he had wherewith to aunswere them both, for the Constables did say that brought him before the Byshop, that they neuer heard the lyke. Then the Bishop (as though he would haue had Tyms to turne from the truth) sayd to the Cōstables: I pray you (sayd he) geue him good counsaile, that he may turne from his errour. My Lord, sayd the Constables, he is at a poynt, for he will not turne.

Then both the Byshoppes waxed weery of him, for he had troubled them about a sixe or seuen houres. Then the Byshops began to pitie Tyms case, and to flatter hym saying: Ah good fellow (sayd they) thou art bold, and thou hast a good fresh spirite, we would thou hadst learnyng to thy spirite. I thanke you my Lordes sayd Tyms, and both you be learned, and I would you had a good spirit to your learning. So thus they broke vp, & sent Tyms to þ^e Byshop of Winchester, and there were Edward Hedge and Iohn Iames the Constables aforenamed discharged, and Tyms was cōmaunded to the Kynges Bench, whereas he was mightely strengthened with the good men that he founde there.

And thus hetherto ye haue heard, first vppon what occasion this William Tyms was apprehended, how he was entreated of M. Tyrrell the Iustice, & by him sent vp to the Ordinary of the Dioces, which was Byshop Boner: who after certaine talke & debating he had with the said Tyms, MarginaliaW. Tyms sent from B. Boner, to the Byshop of Winchester.at length directed him to the Byshop of Winchester, beyng then Lord Chauncellor, and yet liuyng, and so was commaunded by him vpon the same to the Kynges Bench.

Here by the way is to be vnderstanded, that Tyms as he was but a Deacon, so was he but simply or at least not Priestly apparelled, for as much as he went not in a gowne, but in a coate: and his hosen were of two colours, the vpper part white, and the neather stockes of sheepes russet. Whereupon the proude Prelate sendyng for him to come before him, and seyng his simple attire, began to mocke him saying: MarginaliaTalke betwene the Byshop of Winchester, and W. Tyms.Ah syrha, are you a Deacon? Yea my Lord that I am, quoth Tyms. So me thinketh sayd the Byshop, ye are decked like a Deacō. My Lord said Tyms, my vesture doth not so much varie from a Deacon, but me thinketh your apparell doth as much varie frō an Apostle.

So then there spake one of the Byshops Gentlemen: My Lord (sayd he in mockadge) geue him a chaire, a toste, and drinke, and he will be lusty. But the Byshop bad, haue him away, and commaunded him to come before him agayne the next day at an houre appointed.

But Winchester for lacke of laysure, or because of sicknes growyng vppon him, or for what cause, elles I know not, either would not, or could not attende vnto him, but returned him agayne to his Ordinary Byshop from whence he came. So William Tyms beyng put of againe to Byshop Boner, was placed together and coupled with the other fiue Martyrs aboue named,MarginaliaThese 5. Martyrs were, R. Drakes, Tho. Spurge, Rich. Spurge, Cauell, Ambrose. and with them brought together to publicke examination before the Byshop, the xxi. day of March, first in the Byshops Palace of London: MarginaliaTheir examinations before the Byshop of London.where the sayd Byshop after his accustomed maner proceedyng agaynst them, enquired of them their fayth vppon the Sacrament of the aultar. MarginaliaSacrament of the altar.To whom they aunswered, that the body of Christ was not in the Sacrament af the aultar really and corporally after the woordes of consecration spoken by the Priest, of the which opinion they had bene of longe tyme, some later, some sooner, euen as God of his mercy dyd call them vnto the knowledge of his Gospell.

Then the Byshops Chapleyns began to reason with thē, but with no great authorities either of the Scriptures, or of the auncient fathers (ye may be sure) as other their large conferences with the learned do already declare.

¶ An other examination of Tyms and Drakes, and the rest, before the Byshop.  

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This examination, first printed in 1570, is not based on official records, but was sent to Foxe by an eyewitness, William Aylesbury.

Marginalia
March. 23.
Drakes and W. Tyms with the rest agayne examined.THe xxiij. day of the same moneth next after, the Byshop sent agayne for Tyms and Drakes, and Ex officio did obiect vnto them certaine Articles, the summe and maner wherof ye may read before in the pag. 1585. And the xxvj. day of the same moneth, he sent for the other foure, ministryng vnto them also the same generall Articles. Vnto the which they all in effect aunswered in matters touchyng their fayth, as did the sayd Bartlet Greene and the rest. Other appearynges they had, as þ^e Byshops cōmon maner of proceedyng was, more (as I haue often sayd) for order and forme of law, then for any zeale of iustice.

MarginaliaMarch. 28.But in cōclusiō, the xxviij. day of this moneth of March, William Tyms and Rob. Drakes with the other 4. aboue named, were brought to the open Consistory  

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Note how Foxe toned down this description. In 1563, this was the 'bloody seat of Bonner's consistory'.

The Byshop first began in this or lyke sorte: MarginaliaB. Boners wordes to W. Tyms.Tyms, quoth he, I will begyn with thee first, for thou art and hast bene the ryngleader of these thy cōpanions, thou hast taught them heresies, and confirmed them in their erroneous opinions, and hast indeuored as much as in thee lyeth, to make them lyke vnto thy selfe. If thy fault had not tended to the hurt of other, I would then haue vsed thee more charitably, and not haue brought thee to this open rebuke, I would accordyng to the rule of Christ in the xviij. of Mathew,MarginaliaMath. 18. haue told thee thy fault betwene me & thee: if thou wouldest not haue heard me, I would not so haue left thee, but I with two or three other, would haue exhorted thee: if that would not haue serued, thē would I haue told the Church. &c. But for that thy fault is open & manifest to the world, & thou thy self remainest stout in thine errour, this charitable dealyng is not to be extended towardes thee. I haue therfore thought good to proceede by an other rule, wherof S. Paule speaketh, 1. Tim. 5.Marginalia1. Tym. 5. Such as sinne, rebuke thē openly, that other may feare. For this cause art thou brought before me in the face of this people, to receiue iudgement accordyng to thy desertes. Let me see what thou canst say, why I should not proceede agaynst thee as thine Ordinary.

MarginaliaThe answere of W. Tyms to B. Boner.My Lord (quoth Tyms) will you now geue mee leaue to speake? yea quoth the Byshop. Then sayd Tyms: My Lord, I maruaile that you will begyn with a lye. You call me þ^e ringleader & teacher of this company, but how vntruly you haue sayd, shall shortly appeare: for there is none of all these my brethren, whiche are brought hether as prisoners, but when they were at libertie and out of prison, they dissented from you and your doynges, as much as they do at this present: and for that cause they are now prisoners.

So it is euident that they learned not their Religion in prison. And as for me, I neuer knew them, vntill such tyme as I by your commaundement was prisoner with them: how could I then be their ringleader and teacher? So that all the world may see how vntruly you haue spokē. And as for my fault which you make so greeuous, whatsoeuer you iudge of me, I am well assured that I hold none other religiō, thē Christ preached, the Apostles witnessed, the primatiue church receaued, & now of late the Apostolicall and Euāgelicall Preachers of this realme haue faythfully taught: for the whiche you haue cruelly burned them, and now you seeke our bloud also. Proceede on hardly by what rule you will: I force not, I do not refuse you for my Ordinary.

Then sayde the Byshop, MarginaliaB. Boners wordes.I perceaue thou wilt not bee counted their ringleader. How sayest thou, wilt thou submit thy selfe to the Catholicke Church as an obedient child: in so doyng thou shalt be receaued and do well inough, otherwise thou shalt haue iudgement as an hereticke.

Then one of the prisoners (whose name is not certainly knowen) sayd: my Lord, you are no vpright Iudge, for you iudge after your own lust. MarginaliaOne of the prisoners aunswereth to B. Boner.But if you will iudge vs accordyng to the holy Testament of Christ, whiche is the word of truth, we will accorde to your iudgement: for vnto that word we wholy submit our selues. But as for your iudgement without that truth, God shall condemne. And this prisoner was very earnestly in hand with the Byshop, that they might be iudged by the word of God.

With this the Byshop was offended, callyng him busie knaue, and commaunded hym to hold his toung, or elles he should be had away to a place of smaller ease.

Then Tyms aunswered and sayd: MarginaliaW. Tyms agayne aunswereth.My Lord, I doubt not but I am of the Catholicke Churche, whatsoeuer you iudge of me. But as for your Church, you haue before this day renounced it, and by corporall oth promised neuer to consent to the same. Contrary to the which you haue receaued into this Realme the Popes authoritie, MarginaliaB. Boner charged with periury, and inconstancy.and therfore you are falsely periured and forsworne all the sort of you. Besides this, you haue both spoken and written very earnestly agaynst that vsurped power, and now you do burne mē that will not acknowledge the Pope to be supreme head.

Haue I, quoth the Bishop? Where haue I written any thyng agaynst the Church of Rome?

My Lord, quoth Tyms, the Byshoppe of Winchester wrote a very learned Oration intituled De vera obedientia, which contayneth worthy matter agaynst the Romish authoritie. MarginaliaBoners preface to Winchesters booke De obedientia.Vnto the which booke you made a Preface, inueying largely agaynst the Byshop of Rome, reprouyng his tyranny and falsehode, callyng his power false and pretēced. The booke is extant, and you can not deny it.

Then was the Byshoppe somewhat abashed, and looking vpō such as were present, spake very gētly saying: MarginaliaB. Boner excuseth himselfe by feare.Lo, here is a Goodly matter in deede. My Lord of Winchester being a great learned man, did wryte a booke agaynst the su-