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Gilbert Bourne

(d. 1569)

Fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford (1531). Prebend of Worcester (1541). Bishop of Bath and Wells (1554 - 1560) [DNB]

Bourne preached a sermon at Paul's Cross on 13 August 1553, praising Bonner and criticising Edward VI. This so enraged his auditors that a dagger was thrown at him. At the request of Bourne's brother, Bradford quieted the mob; Bradford and John Rogers later escorted Bourne to safety. (Rerum, pp. 464 - 65; 1563, pp. 904 - 5; 1570, p. 1570; 1576, p 1339; and 1583, p. 1497 (recte 1409)).

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Bourne's sermon is briefly mentioned later by Foxe (1570, p. 1634; 1576, p. 1394; 1583, p. 1465).

He was created bishop of Bath and Wells (1570, p. 1636; 1576, p 1396; 1583, p. 1467).

He visited Walter Mantell repeatedly before his execution and unsuccessfully attempted to convert him to catholic teachings on confession and the Sacrament (1570, p. 1638; 1576, pp. 1397-98; 1583, p. 1468).

Together with Edmund Bonner and Henry Morgan, Gilbert Bourne condemned Thomas Tomkins on 9 February 1555. Before condemning Tomkins, Bourne exhorted him to recant. (1563, p. 1103; 1570, p. 1712; 1576, pp. 1461-62; 1583, p. 1535).

On 17 February 1555 Bonner, Bourne and others urged Thomas Higbed and Thomas Causton to recant. (1563, p. 1104; 1570, p. 1716; 1576, p. 1465; 1583, p. 1539).

On 13 August 1553 John Bradford saved Bourne from a riotous crowd when the bishop preached at Paul's Cross. 1563, p. 1173, 1570, p. 1780, 1576, p. 1520 , 1583, p. 1604.

During Bourne's sermon at Paul's Cross on 13 August 1553, he had a dagger thrown at him from the crowd. 1563, p. 1173. The dagger touched Bradford's sleeve. 1570, p. 1788, 1576, p. 1527, 1583, p. 1610. John Bradford took over from him in the pulpit and the crowd's wrath subsided. Bradford then protected him when they left the pulpit. 1563, p. 1173, 1570, p. 1788, 1576, p. 1527, 1583, p. 1610.

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On 14 February 1555 Percival Creswell, an old acqauintance of Bradford's, went to visit Bradford in prison. He offered to make suit for Bradford. He returned later, at 11 o'clock, with another man and gave Bradford a book by More, desiring him to read it. He told Bradford that the lords of York, Lincoln and Bath wished to speak with him. Then at 3 o'clock the same day, Dr Harding, the bishop of Lincoln's chaplain, went to see Bradford in prison. Harding talked of his fear for Bradford's soul, and that he himself had spoken against Peter Martir, Martin Bucer, Luther and others for their beliefs. 1563, p. 1200, 1570, pp. 1790-91, 1576, p. 1529, 1583, pp. 1612-13.

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Philpot's fourth examination was in John Harpsfield's house before Bonner, Bath, Worcester and Gloucester. 1563, pp. 1393-98, 1570, pp. 1965-68, 1576, pp. 1692-95, 1583, pp. 1799-1803.

John Philpot's final examination, on 16 December 1555, was before the bishops of London, Bath, Worcester and Lichfield. 1563, p. 1442, 1570, pp. 1997-98, 1576, p. 1719, 1583, p. 1827.

The certificate for Richard Lush's condemnation was discovered by Foxe in Gilbert Bourne's register (Bath and Wells). 1570, p. 2196, 1576, p. 1895, 1583, p. 2004.

Robert Farrer's examination was before the bishops of Durham and Worcester, Sir Robert Rochester, Sir Richard Southwell and Bourne. 1563, p. 1732, 1570, p. 2296, 1576, p. 1990, 1583, p. 2136.

Bourne was imprisoned in the Tower after the death of Mary. 1570, p. 2301, 1576, p. 1993, 1583, p. 2063.

MarginaliaAnno 1556. March.wrap not your selues againe in the yoke of bondage. But let vs alwayes be ready, looking for the comming of oure Lord & sauior Iesus Christ, which, as S. Peter sayth, will come as a theefe in the night. Marginalia2. Pet. 3.And as our Captayne Chryst sayth: If the good man of the house knew what houre the theefe would come, he would surely watche.MarginaliaMath. 24.

Therfore my deare harts, be of good comfort, although the worlde neuer rage so sore agaynst you. And for youre comfort make wel the great mercy of God, who according to his promise, for þ^e weaknes of our nature hath so asswaged the heate of the fire, that our deare brethren which are gone before vs, to the sight of all men, haue found it rather to be ioy then payne. And thinke you surely that God wil be as mercifull vnto you, as he hath bene vnto them: and say with S. Paule: Who shall seperate vs from the loue of God? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, eyther hunger either nakednes, either perill, either sword as it is written: for thy sake are we killed all the day long. &c.MarginaliaRom. 8.

Therfore my deare sisters, if to saue your liues, any dissembling Gospellers would haue you to go to the Idoles temple with them, say vnto them: No for my maister christ sayth: He that would saue his life, shall loose it. MarginaliaMath. 10.And in an other place to comfort vs he sayth: There shall not one heare fal from your head, without it be your heauenly fathers will. And therfore say you that you will not be of that sorte, that be neither hot nor cold, least God should spue you out of hys mouth. But make them this aunswere, saying. S. Paule sayth: Beare no straunge yoke with the vnbeleeuers. For what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes, what company hath light with darckenes, what concord hathe Christe wyth Beliall, either what part hath hee that beleueth, with an Infidell? How agreeth the temple of God with Images? And yee are the temple of God, as God sayth, I will dwell among them, walke among them and will be theyr God, and they shall be my people. Wherfore come out from among them, and seperate your selues (sayth the Lord) and touche no vncleane thing: so will I receaue you, and will be a father vnto you, and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters, sayth the Lord.Marginalia2. Cor. 6.

Thus mine owne bowels in the Lord, as I began, so make I an end, bidding you beware of your enemies, and take vp your Crosse and follow your captayne Christe in at the narrow gate here by persecution, and then you shal be sure to raigne and reioyce with him in his euerlastyng kingdome, whiche hee himselfe hath purchased with hys owne most precious bloud: to whom with the father and the holye Ghost, be all honour both nowe and for euer. Amen.

By me William Tyms.

An other letter of William Tyms, with an exhortation to all Gods faythfull seruauntes to eschew the societie of Idolaters, and Gods enemies.  

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This letter was printed before 31 January 1555.

MarginaliaAn other letter of W. Tyms to Gods faithfull seruāts.GRace be with you, and peace from God the father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ.

I thanke my God with al remēbraunce of you alwais in my prayers for you, and pray with gladnes, because of the fellowship which ye haue in the Gospell, from the first day that I knew you, vntill this day: and I am surely certified of this, that he whiche hath begon a good worke in you, shall go forth with it, vntill the day of Iesus Chryste, as it becommeth me to iudge of you: whom I haue in my heart, and as companions of grace with me, euen in my bondes. And thus I praye that youre loue may increase more and more in knowledge. Good brethrē, I most hartely desire God, that as you haue a willing minde to comfort my vile earthly body in this time of persecution, so he will strengthen you with his holy spirite, that my imprysonment do not discomfort, but rather strengthen and cōfort you, to see the goodnes of God shewed vnto me, in that being a man without learning, & brought before three such bishops concerning worldly wisedome, hee gaue me both mouth and wisedome: in somuch that the MarginaliaB. Boner went away from W. Tyms, belyke not able to make his part good.Byshop of London wēt away in a great hast from me, and after that he sent his man with a Bible, turning to the 9. chapiter to the Heb. and the bishop of Bath looking on it, sayd: What meaneth my Lorde? this maketh nothing for his purpose. Then I looked on it, and sayd: my Lord seeth that I was weake, and therefore he hath holpen me: for here hee hath condemned the sacrifice of your masse: for you say that you offer a dayly sacrifice in your Masse: both for the quicke & the dead: and here S. Paule sayth: Without bloudshedding there is no forgeuenes of sinnes: MarginaliaHeb. 9.therefore that is here condemned. MarginaliaGod geueth mouth and vtterance to his Saintes.He aunswered, Yea, sayth he so? So say all suche heretickes: and so forth with many like argumentes: whiche my neighbours that heard them, can declare, therefore I leaue them. Thus haue I written, that you shoulde not

be afeard, but call vpon God, as he hath commaunded vs to aske, and we shall haue: Seeke, and you shall finde, knocke and it shall be opened vnto you. Also hee hath commaunded vs to call on him in the day of trouble, and he hath promised to heare vs. Therfore if we haue not both mouthe and wisedome at his hand, the faulte is in vs, that eyther wee wil not repent vs of our wickednes, and amend our liues or els we bee vnfaythfull: and beleeue not the promises of God: and so wee oure selues are the cause that this wisedome is lacking in vs. Therefore let vs repente and amend our liues, and God is mercifull. And in any case, as I haue alwayes sayd vnto you, since I first knew you, so say I now: beware of Idolatry, and of your good intents if not, marke what hath followed vppon them that hathe left Gods commaundementes, and done theyr owne good intentes. Remember when the children of Israell hadde made them a golden calfe, did not God say they hadde mard all, and would haue destroyed them, had not Moyses earnestly prayed for them? I let manye other places alone that proueth the wrath of God to come vpon the people for Idolatry: therfore as we will auoyd the wrathe of God, let vs keepe vs vnstayned from it. You haue examples out of the old Testament, how loth the godly fathers were to be partakers with the wicked. And yet to see how little we regarded it, it would make any Christian mans hart to weepe. God send vs more grace. MarginaliaWarning to come away frō the wicked.First looke in the 11. and 12. of Genesis, Abraham, because he would not bee partaker of their Idolatry, fled from the people of Caldea being his natiue countrey. Also in the 19. of Genesis, Lot at the commandement of the aungels departed from Sodome, least he tarying with the Sodomites, shoulde haue bene consumed with them. In the 21. of Genesis, Sara would not suffer Ismaell whiche was geuen to mocking, to keepe company with her sonne Isaac, least hee shoulde also become a mocker. Looke in Num. the 16. Moyses at Gods appoyntment commaunded the people to departe from the dwelling places of Chore, Dathan, and Abiron, least they also should be all wrapped in their sinnes and to pearish among them. So do I, euen as Moyses commāded them that they should not keepe company with those wicked people, least þ^e vengeance of god shuld light on thē so do I geue you warning that you should not keep company with the Idolaters in theyr idolatrous temples, lest the wrath of God came vpon you to destroy you.

Looke what S. Paule sayth in his second Epistle, and the 6. chap. to the Corinth. Marginalia2. Cor. 6.Set your selues (sayth he) therefore at large, and beare no straunge yoke with the vnbeleeuers, for what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnesse? what company hath light with darckenes? what concord hath Chryste with Beliall? eyther what part hath he that beleueth, with an Infidell? How agreeth the temple of God with Images? And yee are the temple of God, as sayth God: I will dwell among them, & walke among them, and will be theyr God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from amonge them, and separate your selues (sayth the Lord) and touche no vncleane thing.

Good brethren, marke what commeth of keeping cōpany with the wicked. Syrach sayth: He that toucheth pitch, shall bee defiled wythall: and hee that keepeth companye with the proude, shall clothe himselfe with pride. MarginaliaSirach. 13.Euen so he that is familiare with Idolaters, can not be vnstained from idolatrie, except he do it to winne them to Christ, as there be but a few that doe: Yea it may not be where Idolatrye is openly committed, as for an ensample: Peter, so long as he continued wyth Christ and Christes disciples, he continued in the truth, preached the truthe, confessed openly Christe to be the sonne of the liuing God, and promised that he would not onely go to prison, but also to very death with him: MarginaliaWhat it is to be associate in ill company.but when he came once into the Court into the Byshops house, he straight way was strikē with such a feare, that a poore maiden and simple ruffin (MarginaliaA vyle seruaunt of B. Boners. suche a one as my L. of London hath, that sayd: By Gods bloud, if I meete with any of these vile heretickes, I will thruste an arrow in him:) when Peter (I say) was amongst them, he denied his maister, and swore that he neuer knew him, whom he, before he came there, boldly confessed before all men: and againe, after that he hadde repented him of hys wicked deede, he boldly preached to the beleuing Iewes, commanding them among other his godly exhortations, to saue them selues frō that vntoward generation. MarginaliaActes. 1.How many of our priests before this storme of persecution whē the Gospell was truely preached, were bolde, and coulde say, they would die rather, then denie their Maister? But whē they come once into the byshops houses, they preach no more Christe, but vtterlye denie him: therefore I praye GOD keepe them from thence, or else sende them more grace and strength. It is needefull to pray: therfore watch in prayer.

Paul, al the while he was among the Bishops, was a