Weston giveth sentence against himself. The Arch just judgment of God Almighty, trusting to be present with Doctor Ridley. Although I be not of your company, yet doubt I not but my name is written in another place, whither this sentence will send us sooner than we should by the course of nature have come. Master Latimer. I thank God most heartily that he hath prolonged my life to this end, that I may in this case glorify God by that kind of death. Doctor Weston's answer unto Latimer. If you go to heaven in this faith, then I will never come thither, as I am thus persuaded. After the sentence pronounced, they were separated one bishop and from another; videlicet, the Archbishop was returned to prisoners Bocardo, Dr. Ridley was carried to the Sheriff's house, Mr. separated. Latimer to the Bailiff's. his fellow a [See the Letter which Cranmer wrote to the Council after his condemnation, vol. i. Letter ccxcv11.] [Examination at Oxford before Brokes, September, 1555.] p. 649. We mind now to proceed to Cranmer's final judgment Foxe, Acts, and order of condemnation, which was the 12th day of Sep- &c. vol. iii. tember, anno 1555, and seven days before the condemnation of Bishop Ridley and Master Latimer. The story whereof here followeth, faithfully corrected by the report and narration (coming by chance to our hands) of one who, being both present thereat, and also a devout favourer of the see and faction of Rome, can lack no credit, I trow, with such which seek what they can to discredit whatsoever maketh not with their phantasied religion of Rome, After the Disputations done and finished in Oxford between the doctors of both Universities and the three worthy bishops, Doctor Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer, sentence condemnatory immediately upon the same was ministered against them by Doctor Weston and other of the University; whereby they were judged to be heretics, and so committed to the Mayor and Sheriffs of Oxford. But forasmuch as the sentence given against them was void in law, (for at that time the authority of the Pope was not yet received into the land,) therefore was a new commission sent from Rome, and a new process framed for the conviction of these reverend and godly learned men aforesaid. In which commission, first was Doctor James Brooks, Bishop a [Foxe gives two accounts of this Examination, and a third is contained in the official report sent by Brokes to his principal, the Cardinal de Puteo, which was first printed by Mr. Todd in the Addenda to the Oxford edition of Strype, 1812. Both of Foxe's narratives, excepting a few omissions, are here reprinted in the text: and the chief parts of the official report will be found in the notes. But the best authority for the arguments used by Cranmer on this occasion, is the long letter which he addressed shortly afterwards to Queen Mary. See vol. i. Letter ccxcix.] Dr. Brooks, of Gloucester, the Pope's Subdelegate b, with Doctor Martin Commissioners against the Archbishop. At the coming down of the foresaid Commissioners, (which was upon Thursday, the 12th of September, anno 1555,) in the Church of St. Mary, and in the east end of the said Church, at the high altar, was erected a solemn scaffold for Bishop Brooks aforesaid, representing the Pope's person, The order ten foot high. The seat was made that he might sit under of setting the sacrament of the altar. And on the right hand of the and placing the Com- Pope's Delegate, beneath him, sat Doctor Martin; and on the left hand sat Doctor Story, the King and Queen's Commissioners, which were both Doctors of the Civil Law; and underneath them other doctors, scribes, and pharisees also, with the Pope's Collector, and a rabblement of such other like. missioners. The appearing of Commissioners. And thus these bishops being placed in their pontificalibus, the Bishop of Canterbury was sent for to come before them. He having intelligence of them that were there, thus ordered himself. He came forth of the prison to the the Arch- Church of Saint Mary, set forth with bills and glaives, for bishop of fear he should start away; being clothed in a fair black Canterbury before the gown, with his hood on both shoulders, such as Doctors of Divinity in the University use to wear. Who, after he was come into the Church, and did see them sit in their pontificalibus, he did not put off his cap to any of them, but stood still till that he was called. And anon one of the Proctors for the Pope, or else his Doctor, called, 'Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, appear here, and make answer to that shall be laid to thy charge; that is to say, for blasphemy, incontinency, and heresy; and make an'swer here to the Bishop of Gloucester, representing the Pope's person.' 6 6 Upon this, he being brought more near unto the scaffold, where the foresaid Bishop sat, he first well viewed the place 66 [The Delegate, or, as he is styled in the official document, "Judex ac Commissarius a sanctissimo domino nostro Papa specialiter depu"tatus," was the Cardinal de Puteo. Processus contra Cranm. p. 1069.] bishop of judgment, and spying where the King and Queen's Ma- The Archjesties' Proctors were, putting off his cap, he first, humbly giveth rebowing his knee to the ground, made reverence to the verence to the Queen's and after to the other. Commis one, sioners. eth no re That done, beholding the Bishop in the face, he put on Dr. Cranhis bonnet again, making no manner of token of obedience mer showtowards him at all. Whereat the Bishop, being offended, verence to said unto him, that it might beseem him right well, weigh- the Pope's Delegate. ing the authority he did represent, to do his duty unto him. Whereunto Doctor Cranmer answered and said, that he had once taken a solemn oath never to consent to the admitting of the Bishop of Rome's authority into this realm of England again; and that he had done it advisedly, and meant by God's grace to keep it; and therefore would commit nothing, either by sign or token, which might argue his consent to the receiving of the same; and so he desired the said Bishop to judge of him, and that he did it not for any contempt to his person, which he could have been content to have honoured as well as any of the other, if his commission had come from as good an authority as theirs. This answered he both modestly, wisely, and patiently, with his cap on his head, not once bowing or making any reverence to him that represented the Pope's person; which was wondrously of the people marked that was there present, and saw it, and marked it as nigh as could be possible. [Here follow in Foxe two Speeches, one by Brokes, the other by Martyn. Brokes, after stating to the Archbishop that they came neither to judge, nor to dispute, but to examine him in certain matters, and to make relation thereof unto him that had power to judge, exhorted him at great length to repent of his errors, and return to the bosom of the catholic Church. Martyn informed him, that the Pope, on the petition of the King and Queen, had ordered process to be made against him; that Brokes sat as high Commissioner from his Holiness, and that he (Martyn) and Story appeared as attorneys for their Majesties.] b Wherefore [he proceeded, addressing Brokes] here I offer to your good lordship our proxy, sealed with the broad seal of England, and offer myself to be Proctor in the King's Majesty's behalf. I exhibit here also certain articles, containing the manifest adultery and perjury: also books of heresy, made partly by him, partly set forth by his authority. And here I produce him, as party principal, to answer to your good lordship. Thus when Doctor Martin had ended his oration, the Archbishop beginneth, as here followeth. Cran. Shall I then make my answer? Mart. As you think good; no man shall let you. b [Subjoined is the official report of this Examination, extracted, with the exception of a few omissions, from the Processus contra Cranmerum, added by Mr. Todd to the Oxford reprint of Strype's Cranmer from a manuscript at Lambeth.] "Adveniente vero dicto die Jovis, xij°. viz. die prædicti mensis Sep"tembris annoque Domini indictione et pontificatu prædictis, Coram "nobis præfato Jacobo Glocestren' Episcopo ac Judice subdelegato "sive Commissario supranominato, in ecclesia parochiali divæ Virginis "Mariæ superius specificat' loco in hac parte assignat' et deputat' ju"dicialiter et pro tribunali seden', in prænominati magistri Johannis "Clerk Notarii publici et Scribæ nostri prædicti præsentia, præfatus "venerabilis vir magister Thomas Martyn exsuperhabundanti exhibuit procuratorium suum prædictum pro illustrissimis Rege et Regina præ"dictis et se partem fecit pro eisdem, ac eoruin nomine procuratorio "mandatum nostrum citatorium contra dictum dominum Thomam "Cranmerum realiter exhibuit; et contra præfatum dominum "Thomam Cranmerum tunc in judicio personaliter præsentem,_ex parte dictorum serenissimorum dominorum Philippi et Mariæ Re"gis et Reginæ prædict', ac procuratorio nomine pro eisdem de"nuo dedit articulos... atque in partem et subsidium probationis "articulorum hujusmodi et contentorum in eisdem, exhibuit libros "mentionatos in dictis articulis, vestræ reverendissimæ paternitati "originaliter una cum præsentibus transmissos, (qui quidem libri at(6 que articuli ac Subdelegatio et Mandatum nostrum citatorium præ"dict' in eorum formis originalibus tempore executionis nostri hujusmodi Mandati citatorii eidem Thomæ publice ostensi, ac ipsi seu "saltem veræ copiæ collationatæ eorundem ac signo et nomine præfati "domini Johannis Clerk Notarii publici nostrique actorum Scribæ an"tedicti signat', eidem domino Thomæ Cranmero de facto realiter tra"ditæ fuerunt et penes eum dimissæ, prout ex tenore certificatorii dicti e [See this document in Strype, Cranm. Addenda, Oxf. 1812. p. 1072.] |