IN Moste humble wise Co~playnyth
vnto your highnes / that
wher as this noble realm off England /
hath of long tyme out of mynd
bene the most fre contre in all Christe~dome /
Now is lyke to be brought in
to bo~dag and slauery of such a nacyon
as all the world both hatyth and abhoryth.
The only accasion ther off is our vntha~kfulnes / as
our preachers a~d true prophetes declarid vnto vs
in the tyme off your brother / that most vertues
prynce king Edward the vj. That yff we wold
not be thankful for that great benyfyte off godes
holy worde / then truly preachyd among vs. God
wold take away our sayd vertues king / and set vp
a strang king to raygne ouer vs / for our vnrepentant
hartes / who shuld bring in agayn / popery /
ydolatry / and all abhomynacyons / as it is com to
passe this day. For when that blessyd word off
god was truly preachyd among vs / we folowyd
it not in lyvyng / but dyd as the Iwes whych folowyd
christ / becawse they eat off hys bread and were
fyllyd. Euen so dyd the most part off euery state
and degre in the como~ Weal / hear the gospel preachyd
not because they sought the glory off god only /
and so to haue framyd them selues to lyue ther
after / as they owght to do. But lyuyd as in the tyme
off ther former darknes / in euell lust / vsyng extorcyon
couetusnes / and brybery? Nether sowght
they the true lyberty off the gospel / to set ther conscie~ces
fre fro~ syn~ a~d supersticio~. Which now alas
apperyth by ther so redy mutabylyte / prouoking
godds heuy Ire and wrath wyth ther semyng to
alowe Idolatry: which Passyth all the former euel.
So that it is to be drad / godes Iustes doth
ponyshe one synn by another / which off al is most
perelouse / and dangeruse / as apperyth by them
which be geue~ vp off god / becawse they seke not to
gloryfye god / accordyng to the knoweldg he hath
offryd vnto the~ but Wanndryng in the vanyties
off ther own reasons / and ymagynacyon off ther
own hartes: become at last to be confyrmid in errour
wyth strong illusyons / becawse they haue
had no more ernest desyre to the truth / as the holy
appostle doth most playnly declare. On the other
syde / some were wylful / stubburn a~d herd hartyd /
and wold not receyue the gospel off the glory off
god / but wyth desyre to ther old ydolatry / hastenyd
the vegeance off god. And therfore are thes
plages Iustly com vpon vs becawse off our vnthankfulnes /
and not knowyng the tyme off our
vysytacyon. For godes holy boke doth shew thes /
to be the very a~d in fallyble causes off the ouerthrowe
of kingdomes a~d como~ weales / specyally wher
god off his mercy / hath offryd the knowledg off
hym selff / and cawsyd hys worde to be truly preachyd.
Wherfore your grace may call to remembrance
the great and manyfold benyfytes that ye haue
receyuyd at the handes of allmyghty god / who by
hys permissyo~ hath so quyetly sett you in your estate
and honour that ye be in at this tyme / and hath

A ij

also contrary to mens expectacyon geue~ you frute
in your body / as it is reportyd. And according to
serteyne off your preuy cunsell setting forth to the
world in print / wyth ther hands at it / and as the
acte off perlyament doth pronunce and declare /
prouydyng for the same. besydes many other gyfftes
he hath indwed you wyth all. Wherfore looke
to betymes / least ye be founde vnthankfull for all
those benyfytes that god off hys mercy so rychly
hath pouryd apon you / now that you see those plages
Iustly com apon the realm / that god plagyd
other realmes wyth all for ther vnthankfulnes.
We haue a notable example off the Iwes / who
were gods elect a~d chosen people whom god with
Amyghty hand delyueryd out of the bondage of
Egypt brought them thorow the red see / fede the~
wyth heuenlye bread xl yeres in the wyldernes /
gaue them in possessyo~ many kingdomes / a~d droue
out many nacyons before them / so that quyetly
they enioyed ther contres and domynyons. And
for all those benyfytes / god requyryd no more off
the~ but to loue hym wyth all ther hartes / a~d to kepe
hys commandments / and in no wyse to serue
any strang godes made off sylver or gold wood or
stone et c. lyke as the nacyons had done / who~ god
cast out before them for the same offencys. This
not wythstondyng / they forgate god that had done
so many benyfytes for the~ / a~d worshypyd stra~g
gods / lyke as the hethen dyd. then god sent vnto
the~ hys holy prophetes to warn the~ to forsake ther
abhominable ydolatrie / but they wold not obay
goddes holy prophetes but murtheryd them as
playnly apperyth lyke as our bysshopes will murther
gods true preachers a~d prophets now adays
which haue preachid the lyke message of god but
what folowid for ther vntha~kfulnes / dyd not god
plage them by sending stra~gers amo~g the~ / whych
dystroyed many hu~dryd thousands in ther former
tymes off her captyuytes and changes off ther
comon weale / and at the last vtter dyssolucyon:
namely at the destruccyon off Ierusalem / by Titus
and Vespacianus the emprours / and also dystroyed
ther gooly cytes / caryed them out off ther own
contres / wher they be now scateryd abrode / made
flaues / dyspysyd / and abhorryd off all nacyons as
it is manifest and playne at this day. This is a
goodly example for your grace and for all chysten
prynces to marke a~d to haue all wayse before your
eyes / least ye and they be found vnthankful: And
know ye this suerly / that yff god sparyd not the
Iwes / which were hys elect and chosen people /
mych lesse wyll he sparse you / yff ye anger hym with
strange worshyppyng a~d seruyng of stra~ge gods /
and settyng vp habomynacyons / lyke as they dyd.
I haue hard many tymes that ye do it off a zeal
that ye haue to Relygyo~ / yea but your zeal is not accordyng
to knowledg of gods holy worde / for god
did forbid his people / the chyldern of Israel to do
that they thought good in ther own eyes: but wyllyd
them to do that only which he coma~dyd them.
Nadab and Abyw the sonnes off Aaroy / offryd
strang fyre before the lord that he comandydn them

A iij

not / a~d therfor were co~sumyd wyth the same fyre.
Likwise king Saul co~trary to gods comandme~t /
off a good intent reseruyd sartein off the best off
the oxen and shepe / as he sayd to do sacryfyce to
the lord / what folowyd off it? was he not therfore
deposid from his Kingdom. This is also a goodly
exa~ple for your grace to marke / a~d to beware how
ye enterpryse to do things off a good inte~t / hauing
no warrentyse of gods reuelyd will in hys worde /
but his word manifestly agaynst you. Your grace
therfore before ye had done any thyng in the chaung
off relygyon / owght fyrst to haue known yff gods
worde wold haue permittyd you / as in the first co~uocacio~ /
ye began well to haue had the matter ope~ly
dysputyd: but the more pyte / the thing was not
indyffere~tly ha~dlyd / for the cheff off the lernid men
being maryed according to the lawes both of god
and also off the realm / cold not be suffryd the same
time to dispute / and yet those few lernid me~ which
were ther vnmaried / were nor indifferentlie herd /
but things procedid clene co~trary to that / those fewe
prouid by good lerni~g / as all me~ that were ther
present can testefye. A lame~table case / that gods
worde / hys trwe relygyon / and hys mynysters /
must be so condempnyd / not being indyfferently
herd? but no great meruayle / for christ hym selff /
and all his appostells a~d prophetes / were so herd /
and so condempnyd: and the lyke hath comonly
bene vsyd sens the world began.
For euer more the wyckyd persecutyd the good
and godly: as kayn persecutyd hys brother Abell
euen to the death / and Esawe persecutyd hys brother
Iacob / and euer the false Prophetts / and
Prestes / haue persecutyd the trwe Prophetts
and Preachers off god to death. And here off we
haue a notable example in the scrypture / the
which I wold desyre your grace to read / and to
marke the same well. In the / 22. chapter off the
thyrd book off Kings / when king Achab was going
to warr agaynst the Syryans / he callyd for all
hys prophets / to know of them whether he should
go to warr or not / and hys false prophets co~selyd
hym to go / sayeng that he should prosper agaynst
them. And when only gods true prophet in deed /
was callyd / the prophet Micheas / he sayeng the
truth / contrary to the great nomber off the false
prophets which were in nomber / 400 / was smytten
therfore / which was his reward. Then he
sayd here the worde off the lord / I saw the lord
sitt on his seat / a~d all the host of heaue~ stood about
hym / on his right hand and on hys left. And he sayd
who schall perswade King Achab that he
may go to warr / and fall before hys henemyse / a~d
ther came forth a serteine spiryt a~d stode before the
lord / and sayd I wyll perswade hym: and the lord
sayd to him wher with / and he sayd I wyll go out
and be a false spirite in the mouth of his prophets /
and he said thou shalt perswade hym / go forth the~
and do eue~ so: And the prophet Micheas sayd behold
the lord hath put a lyeng spryte in the mouth
off all thes thy prophets &c. And for hys sayeng
the truth he was smytten and cast in pryson / and
king Achab folouing the cou~sel of hys great nomber

A iiij

off false prophets / we~t to the warres and was
slayne. And here may your grace see also / that the
truth standyth not in the multytude and nomber.
This example I wold desyre your grace to marke
well / and geue not so mych credence / to your false
bysshoppys and clergye / which wyth ther lyes deceyuyth
you as that multytude off false prophets
deceiuyd King Achab to hys dyscructyon a~d cawsith
the trwe preachers and prophets / which haue
preachyd gots worde truly to be put in preson / a~d
yff your grace help them not / they wyll murther
a~d distroy the~ / lyke as ther predysessors haue alwais
done. And here I may specyaly make me~cio~ to
your grace of that vertwes a~d lernid ma~ Thomas
Cramner Archbisshop of Ca~terbury / who hath sauid
your graces liff / and put him self in Ieoperdi
for your graces cawse / as it is wel known Bisome
off hys enemise / that were off Kinge Edwards
con~sell and I doubt not but that your grace knowith
of it / and ther fore I trust your grace will requite
him with merci / and not suffer that wickid
bisshope off winchester / to haue his wicked will
and purpose off him.
We read also in the 18. chapter off the third booke
off the kings / affter that allmighty god at the
praier off the prophet Elias / had shut the heuens
that it rainid not in thre yeres and six monithes /
and king Achab meting with the prophet Elias /
he sayd to him: thou art he that troblest all Israel
like as steue~ gardener bisshop off winchester and
his feloues / saith to the pour preachers and professors
of Christes gospell now a days but Elias
words shall answere hym / wherwith he answerid
king Achab. It is he and hys co~plices / that haue
forsake~ the liuing god / and do go a whoring after
strang gods / as the matter shall plainly appere
when god will / like as it did appere by Elias / with
the 400. false prophets / which false prophets had
seducid the quene Iesabell / and had cawsid her to
sley and distroy all gods holy prophetts like as
our false and cruell bisshopps intendith to do so
that the prophet Elias was fain to fly in to the wildernes /
to saue his liff / wher god appointid A Rauen
to feed hym: but what was the ende both of
the quene and of all those false prophetts / Read
the text / and you shal plainly perceiue that the quene
was cast down out of a window wher she brake
her neke a~d was eate~ vp of dogs / as the prophet
of god had before said / and all here false prophetts
and preastes were vtterly distroied.
Lett this greuous example moue your grace do
beware be tymes of your false bysshopps and clergye /
specyally of steuen gardener bysshop of wynchester /
who now this thyrd time hath reca~tyd as
your grace knowyth: first he sware to the pope but
by all lyklyhode he played the fox / and faynyd hym
selff to be a slepe / or dremyd when he so dyd / after
that he sware to your noble father R. H. 8. and more
playnly declaryd the same by hys bocke / de vera
obedientia. Which was made of hym wyth great
aduysement and delyberacyon / as apperyth here

A v

after by bisshope bonner / in hys prolog to the same
booke. Here I wold make a supplycacyon to your
grace / besechyng you for our saueyour Iesus Christes
sake / that you wyll wyth good delyberacyon /
cawse to be read before you / the sayd booke which
he namyd the trwe obedyence / yf it please your grace
at my humble request / so to do / as your dwtye is
before god: you shall playnly perceyue wyth what
scrypture and reasons / he throughly co~futyth the
vsurpyd pour and auctoryte of the bysshopp of Rome /
and in hys booke that he made agaynst the hu~tyng
of the fox lykewyse. And in the same booke de
vera obedientia for to flatter your noble father he
doth therin proue the maryage betwene hym. And
your mother quene kateryne / not to be good nor
lawfull / to your great reproch and sla~der / as mych
als in hym laye / ffor thes be hys wordes.
To make mencyon of certeine of the morall
preceptes / for I mind not to reherse all which be
in the old lawe conserning mariages which be forbidden /
and mariages which be incestius / those
preceptes which be comandid / and pertein to chastite
and purite of mariages / wherin is conteinid
the hole course of mans liff / and the beginning of
the bringing forth of Issue consistith: those laws /
though Leuiticall / haue euer bene countid as those /
which in deed were first geuen vnto the Iwes /
becawse they were expou~did to the setting forth of
the lawe of nature / but perteinid therfore to all ma~kind
for euer / In which without doubt both the
voice of nature / and gods comandment agreing
in one / haue forbidde~ that which should be differing
for ether of them. but among thes perceptes /
seing that comandment is co~teinid / which is that
the brother shold not mary the brothers wiff:
What other thing owght or cold the kings most
excele~t Maiestie do / then that he hath done / with
the full consent of the people / and with the Iudgement
of his church / that being deuorsid from vnlawfull
bonds or co~uenants to enioie lawfull and
permittid copulacion / and obeieng to the preceptes
as it was mete to leue herre which nether
law nor right did permitt to kepe / and to geue him
selff to chast and lawfull matrymonye. In the
which thing / wher as the sentence of gods / word
had bene sufficient vnto the which all ought to
obey / wythout stop or steye yett was hys most sacrid
roiall Maiestie contentid to Ioyn ther vnto /
the voices of most graue men / and the determinate
Iudgmentes of the most famous vniuersites in
the world / namelie that he might be Iudgid to haue
done those things moste rightfullie / by the alowance
or sente~sis of the best lernid and most godly
me~ / which otherwyse he both might and owght
to do / and that it might appere / he did therin shew
obedience as the truth of gods worde doth require
of euery godly and good man / so that it may be sayed
of him worthelie / that he hath obeied god / and
obeyed in dead / of whom seing I haue begone to
speake / I cold not wyth scilence passe ouer that
which offryd it selff / fulye and mete for this place /
&c.
Wherly your grace and all other / may lern to
know hym and hys like / by hys saiengs then and
his doings now. More ouer in his said booke de
vera obediencia he pretendith such constancy against
the vsurpid auctorite of the bisshop of Rome /
that therin he saith / that yf euer he chaunge or
vary / from hys saiengs in the said booke against
the see of Rome / that then he willith all men to
call hym what they liste / so that yf any man call
hym false periurid heretike / bloud soper / dissembler
traitor to god and to the hole Realm of England /
he owght not to be angry with them / because he
hath geue~ hys awn Iudgme~t apon hym selff / and
willid all men so to do / as apperith by hys own
wordes in hys own booke / And now again sens
that time / is fallen from god / and worshippith the
beast of Rome. Owght ther any credence to be geuen
to such a periurid person? for gods sake beware
of hym betimes / least ye be pertaker of hys wikidnes /
and so both you and the hole Realme repe~t
it / and com to vtter distructio~. For hys doings declare
that he is at a point with hym selff and hath
made co~uenan~te with death and hell / Esa. 28. and
beleuith that ther is no resurrection of the flesche
nor liff after this: and therfore what carith he yf he
help to bring this noble realm in to bondage and
slauery / seing he thinkith ther is no nother waye /
to maintein hys pomp / pride / and vainglory with
all / And therfore the greater shalbe hys dampnacion /
besids gods great plages which shall com
apon hym sodenlie / when he thinkith all is well /
and in quiet / them shall sode~ly com hys confucion
and vtter distruction / becawse all his doings be so
directly against god / and all right / as his own co~sciens
knowith the same / to his dampnacion / yf he
haue any conscience or feling of god / and therfore
beware that ye be not partaker with hym.
Doth not your grace thinke / or at the least I do
beleue it / that the complaint and crie of widows
and fatherlesse childern / is assendid in to the eares
of all mighty god / and that only by his meanes
so many honest men haue bene deuorsid from ther
lawfull wiffs who hath bene lawfully maried
both by gods law / and the laws of this Realm /
who is able to dissalow it / non but Martin doctor
of lies I wold haue said of laws with his ignorant
foly / who gredely seking to com to promocion /
hath made a slau~derus booke with the help
of his maister gardener against such maried pristes /
and contrary to all honesty / hath shamfully
lied apon the old doctors / which he aledgith to
maintein his folishe enterprise. Oh haw many
basterds and herlotts / wold he cawse to be made /
which were both begotte~ and born in lawfull matrimony?
Your grace may perceiue by his said booke /
de vera obediencia / that he did his diligence / to
haue done the like with you / with the help of boner
bisshop of London / doth not your grace thinke
that god wilbe aduengid of this great Iniury /
allthough ye do it not ye I beleue that the crie of
thes / besids the blasphemy that he hath done to
god / and Iniury to your hole Realm / will bring
him to A shamful end / onles he dispaire / and so
murther him self / as hys predessessor thomas wolfe
late cardinal dyd / so a~d cast both body and soule
in to hell. yf che cry of one pour widow dyd bring
the skin~ of the wickid Iudge ouer hys eares / how
mich more / schall the crye of thes pour men wome~
and childern / which crye daily to god for Iustice /
whose vengea~ce against hym / shall co~ apo~ hym.
A notable example he hath yf any grace were
in hym of willm La~gshape / who was bisshop of
Elye / and lord chaunseler of England / and hauing
the hole rule a~d gouernan~ce of the Realm in
his own hand / like as steue~ gardener now hath
who in those dais with his felous the bisshoppes
and clargie according to ther comon practisis / se~t
the king ouer the see A pilgremage / whose name
was king Richard cure de lion / to fight against
the great turke for Ierusalem / in the meane season
this bisshop wounderfully oppressid the comons /
abusing the Kings auctorite / and aduaunsid his
own pompe and vain glori / like as steuen gardener
doth And Rood with a thousand horsys co~tinualli /
so that the noble mens son~es were gladd
to become his slaues / And with the best barons
and earles &c. maried he his cussins / neces / and
Kinswomen / I will not say hys dowghters a~d
for all that hys grau~dfather was but a pour plowman /
and hys father a cowherd? And hauing so
tirannuslie abusyd hys office / fearing least he should
haue bene caulid to hys examinacio~ / fled with
a few of hys trusty seruants to douer castell / mynding
to haue stolle~ ouer the see / and coming in the
night in a womans apparell / with a pece of cloth
vnder his arme / and a meteyard in his ha~d apon /
suspicio~ as god wold haue it being known what
he was / his kercher was pullid of his head / his balams
marke / or shaue~ croune apperid on his head:
And then was he draune / a long by the see on the
sands / with a great woundering of all the people /
some ratid hym / some reuilid hym / some byspatelid
hym / some drawing hym by the armes /
some by the legs from place to place / hys own seruants
not being able to help hym / at last they brought
hym to a darke seller / wher they couerid hym
with shame ynowgh / till the counsell of the Realme
sent for hym and after was brought to the towre
of London / emprisonid examinid / depriuid / and
banisshed the Realme and so endid his lyff.
Here before I haue mencionid of the prologe
that Edmond bonner now bisshop of London made /
being the~ but archdeacon of leiceter / for to com
to promotion / wherby he obtainid his bisshoprik /
made this prolog before the said steuen gardeners
bock de vera obedientia / And for bycawse the same
prolog is / but short and pithye / I will recite it
here again tra~slated in to Englische word for worde /
as be cawsyd it to be printid in lattin at Hamburg
1536.
Edmond Bo~ner archdeacon of leiceter / the king
of Engla~d his most excele~t Mai. embassadour
in Denmark / to the sincere gentill hertid and
godly reder.
FOR Asmuche as ther be some doubtles
euen at this present as it hath all waise
bene the wonte of mens Iudgments to be uariable
and diuers / which thinke the contrauersie that
is betwene the King of England and of france /
his most Riall maiestie / and the bisshop of Rome /
consistith in this point / becawse the kings said
Maiestie / hath taken the most excelent / and most
noble Lady An~e to his wief. Wheras in uery dede
notwith stonding / the matter is feer other wise /
and nothing so. Wherfore to thentent all that hartely
fauere the gospel of christ / which that most
godli and most vertues prince doth with all diligence
endeuour / and in eueri place aduaunce to
the honoure of allmighty god / and that hate not
but loue the truthe / which euery where Iustly
claimith the vpperhand / and to hate all things /
though thei strugle with here neuer so mich in the
beginning / yet obeie and geue place at length as
mete it is thei should mai the more fulli vndersta~d
the cheff point of the controversie / and becawse
thei schall not be ygnora~t / what the hole voice a~d
resolute determinacion / of the best and greartist
lernid bisshoppes / with all the nobles and como~s
of England is not onli in that cawse of matrimoni /
but also in the defending the gospells doctrine.
This oracion of the bisshop of winchester a ma~ excele~tlie
lernid in all kind of lerni~g entitled DE VERA
OBEDIENTIA, that is co~serning trwe obedience /
which he made lateli in England / shalbe
published but as towching this bisshops worthi
prayses / ther shalbe nothing spoken of me at this
time / not only becawse they are infinyte / but becawse
they ar ferr better known do all Christendome /
the~ becomith me here to make rehersal. And
as for the oracion it selff which as it is most lernid /
so it is most elegant / to what purpose shold I make
any words of it seing it praisiyh it selff ynowgh
and seing good wyne nedith no tauern bus he to
vtter it. But yett in this oratio~ who so euer thou
art most gentill reader: thou shalt beside other matters /
se it notably and lernidly handlid / of what importance
a~d how inuincible the powr a~d excelencie
of gods truth is: which as it mai now a~d the~ be
pressid of henemyes / so it cannot possible be oppressid
after such sort / but it comith againe at length
after banishment / more glorius and more welcome.
Thou shalt se also touching obedience / that
it is subiecte to truth / and what is to be Iudgid
true obedience. Besids this of mens traditions /
which for the most parte be most repungna~t agaynst
the truth of gods law. And ther by the waye /
he speakith of the kings sayde highnes maryage /
which by the right Iudgment auctorite and pyruiledg /
of the most and principall / vniuersites of
the world / and then with the consent of the hole
church of England / he contractid with the most
clere / and most noble lady. QVENE ANNE.
After that towching the Kings Maiesties title
as perteining to the supreme head of the church
of England.
Lastlie of all / of the false prete~sid supremacie of the

B

the bisshop of Rome / in the realm of Engla~d / most
Iustly abrogatid: and how all other bisshoppes
being felow like to hym in ther function ye and in
some pointes aboue hym within ther own prouinces /
were before time bound to hym by ther othe.
But be thou most surely perswadid of this good
reader / that the bisshope of Rome / though ther were
no cawse els / but this maryage / will easilie content
hym selff / specally when ther is one morsel or
other laid to hym to chawe. But when he seith so
mighty a King / being a right vertues / and a great
lernid prince / so syncerly and so hertelie fauour
the gospell of christ / and perceiuith the yerely rauenous
praye ye so large a pray / that it comith to
asmich almost as all the kings reuenus snappid
out of hys hands / and that he could no lenger exercise
hys tiranie in the kings mai. realm alas it
hath bene to cruel / a~d bitter all this while nor mak
laws as he hath done many / to the contumelie / a~d
reproch of the maiestie of god / which is euident
that he hath done in time past / vnder the title of
the catholike church and the autorite of peter and
Paule / when not withstonding he was a uery rauening
wolff dressid in shepes clothing calling
him selff seruant of seruants to the great domage
of the christen comon welth: Thear off arose the co~plaintes:
Then came thes discords / thes deadly
malices / and so great trublous bustling. For yf it
were not thus / no man could beleue/ but that this
Iupiter of Olimpius which hath falsely take~ apo~
hym poure / with out comtrollme~t / a~d to be aboue
all laws wold haue done hys best that this good
and godly /and right gospelike prince / shold be falsely
betraied to all the rest of monerches a~d pri~ces.
Nether lett it moue the / ge~til reader / that the bisshope
of winchester / did not before now apply to this
opinion / for he hym selff in this oracio~ shewith the
cawse / why he did it nott. And if he had said neuer
a worde / yet thou knowest well what a witty part
it is for a ma~ to suspe~d his Iudgme~t / and not to be
to rashe in geui~g of iudgeme~t. It is a~ old said sawe:
Mary Magdalene profitted vs lesse in here quike
beleue that Christ was rise~ / tha~ Thomas that was
lo~ger in doubt. A ma~ may rightly call hym Fabius
that with his aduisid taking of leisour / restorid the
matter: Although I speake not this as though
wynchester had not boultid out this case secretlye
with hym selff before ha~d for he boultid it out lo~g
ago~ eue~ to the bran~ out of doubt but that run~yng
faier and softly / he wold first with his painfull studie/
pluke the matter out of the darke / although of
it selff it was founde ynowgh / but by Reason of
sondry opinions / it was lappid vp and made darke /
and the~ did he debate it wittely to and fro / and
so at last after long and great deliberacion had in
the matter becawse ther is no better cou~seler the~ leisore
and time / he wold resolutlie with his lernid
and consumate Iudgement confirm it.
Thou shouldest gentell reader esteme his censure
and auctorite to be of more weightye credence /
in asmich as the matter was not rashlie / and at all
aduentures / but with Iudgement as thou seist

Bij

and wyth wisdome examinid and discussid: And
thys is no new exa~ple to be against the bisshop of
Rome. seing that not only this man / but many
me~ many times yea a~d right great lernid me~ / afore
now haue done the same / eue~ in writing / wherin
they both paintyd him out in hys colors a~d made
his sleites / falshed / frawdes / and disseytfull wiles /
openly known to the world. Therfore yf thou
at any time here to fore / haue doutyd ether of trwe
obedience / or of the Kings maiesties mariage / or
title / ether elles of the bisshop of Romes false prete~sid
supremacie / as if thou haddest a good smelling
nose and a sound Iudgment / I think thou didest
not / yet hauing read ouer thys oracion / which yf
thou fauoure the truth / and hate the tiranie of the
B. of Rome / and hys deuelishe fraudulent falshed /
shall dowbtles wu~derfully contente the throw
down thine erroure / and acknowledge the truth /
now frely offrid the at length / considring with thy
selff / that it is better late to do so / then neuer to repente.
Fare thou hartely well most gentle reader /
and not only loue this most valyant king of England
a~d of Fraunce / who vndowbtidly was by the
prouidence of god / borne to defend the gospell / but
also honoure hym and serue hym most obedie~the:
As for this winchester / who was long agoe without
doubt reputyde among the greatist lernide
men / geue hym thy good worde with Highest comendacions.
The ende of bisshop bonners prologe.
HEre before I haue discribid to your grace / two
of your false and dissembling bisshops / to say
steue~ gardener bisshop of winchester / a~d Edmond
Bon~er bisshop of Londo~. the third is dreming Tu~stall
bisshop of Durram / as plainlie aperith by his
booke of the sermo~ that he made before your noble
father K. H. 8. on palm sonday. 1539. Wherin he also
clerli co~futith / the vsurpid pouer of the bisshops
of Romes auctoryte / and here I wil make rehersal
of perte of hys sermon worde for worde as he cawsid
it to be printid / which be these.
What shall we saie of those whom god hath creatid
to be subiectes / coman~ding them by hys
worde / to obey princes and gouerners? who not
only do refuse to obey gods coma~dment / but contrary
to hys worde / wilbe aboue ther gouernours /
in refusing to obey the~ / a~d further more will haue
ther princes prostrat apon the gru~d / to whom they
owe subiection / to Adore them by godly honoure
vpon the earth / and to kisse ther fete / as yf they were
god / wher they be but wrechyd men / a~d yet they
looke that ther princes should do it to them / and
also al other Christen men / owing them no subiection /
shold of dutie do the same. Do not thes as ye
thinke folowe the pride of lucifir ther father? who
make them selues fellous to god contrary to hys
worde. but who I pray you be thes / that me~ may
know them? suerly the bisshops of Rome be those /
whom I do meane. Who do exalt ther seat aboue
the sterres of god / a~d do assende aboue the cludes
and wilbe like to all mighty god.

B iij

And the bisshopp of Rome of late / to sett
forth his pestile~t malis the more hath alurid to his
purpose a subiecte of this Realm Rainold pole / comen
of a noble bloude / and therby the more arrant
traitoure / to go about from prince to prince / and
from co~try to co~try styre the~ to warr against this
Realme / and to distroy the same / being his natiue
countre. Whose pestilent purpose / albe it the princes
that he brake it vnto / haue in mich abhominacio~ /
both for that the bisshope of Rome who being
a bisshop should procure peace is a stirere of warr
and becawse this most arra~t and vnkind traytourre /
is his minister / to so deuelishe a purpose / to distroy
the countre / that he was borne in: which any
heathen man wold abhore to do / but for all that
with out shame he still goith one / exorting ther
vnto all princes that will here him. Who do abhorr
to see such vnnaturalnes in any man / as he
shamlesse doth sett forwardes / whose pernicious
treasons / late secretly wrought against this realm
haue bene by the worke of allmightye God / so
meruelusly detectid / a~d by his owne brother without
loking therfore / so disclosid / and condingne ponischme~t
enswid / that here after god willing / they
shall not take any more such Rote / to the noyance
of this Realme. And wher as all nacions of gentils /
by reason and by law of nature / do preferre
ther countre / before ther parents / so that for ther
countre / they wil die against ther parents beinge
traitors / this pestilent man worse then a pagant /
is not asshamid to distroie yf he could his natiue
con~tre. And whereas Curtius a hethen man / was
content / for sauing of the cite of Rome / wher he
was borne / to leape in to a gaping earth / which by
the yllusions of the deuell / it was answerid should
not be shute / but that it must first haue one. This
pernicicus man is contente to rune hedling in to
hell / so that therby he may distroie his natyue contre
of England / being in that behalff in comparison
worse then any pagant. And besids his pestile~t
treason / his vnkindnes against the kings Maiestie /
who brought him vp of a child and promotid
both him / and restorid his bloude being attaintid /
to be of the peres of this realme / and gaue him mony
yerly out of his coffers / to find hym honorably
at studie / makith his treason mich more detestable
to all the world / and hym to be reputid more wild
and cruell then any Tigure. But for all this thou
englishe ma~ / take good corage vnto the / thou hast
god on thy side / who hath geuen this realme to
the generacion of Englishmen / to euery man in
his degre / after the lawes of the same / thou hast
A noble victorius a~d vertues king / hardy as alyo~ /
who will not suffer the to be so deuourid / by such
wild beastes: only take En anglishe hart vnto the /
and mistrust not god but trust firmlie in him. And
suerly the ruine entendid against the / shall fall in
ther own neckes that inte~d it. a~d feare not though
the deuell and his dysciples be against the. for god
they protectore / is stronger then he and they / and
shal by his grace geue hym and them a fall.
All this with mich more / be the very wordes of

B iiij

the said B. of Durrams sermon / preachyd before
king h. 8. as in the sayd booke / of hys sermon apperith
more at large / the which I wold desire your
grace also to Read: And I wold hope in god after
that your grace wold well know how to beware
of thes thre false dissembling bisshoppes /
which haue not only preachid against the B. of Romes
vsurpid auctorite / but also cawsyd the same to
be printid for a perpetuall memory wher as now
thei rune with the world to the contrarie. And as
for doctor westone that baudie ruffian of his shamelesse
and abhominable liuing / it is not vnknoun.
And whether he were wont to go in mumeries
and maskes / among the merchants of London /
he hym selff cannot deny it / or at the least his
companions that were in his company at those tymes
can testefie. Is he mete to be A comyssioner
in matters of weight / or to be the prolocutore in
the conuocacion howse? who would thinke that
our bisshopps / wold suffer so vile a man / in such a
Rome / yff they had any honestie in them. ffor gods
sake / beware of thes false / craftie and dissembling
bisshopps / least the hole realme come do distruction.
Is not this A lamentable case / to marke
how thes false dissemblynge bisshopes in the tyme
of your noble father / how ernestlie / they both
preachid and wrote agaist the vsurpid pour of the
bisshops of Rome. And also against Cardinal Pole /
calling hym errant traitore and worse then a pagant /
as before is rehersid / for his vnnaturallnes
against his own countre / which god hath geuen
to the generacion of Englishme~ &c. And yet marke
here thes false traitors and dissemblers / ther vn /
naturallnes towerd this noble Realme And nowe.
euen as euell and worse the~ they countid / Cardinall
Dole / for they go about with out dowbt / to
bringe this hole Realme of Engla~d in to the ha~ds
of strangers.
Wherfore yf your grace wold call to remembrance
what a great charge it is / to be the ruler
of a Realme / ye wold neuer haue folowyd so
mich your wickid bisshopps / who seke not your
welth / nor the welth a~d quietnes of the realm but
to exalt ther god the pope / which is for ther priuate
proffit. Wherfore the prophet Dauid saith in the
2.psalme. be ye wise therfore. oh ye Kings / and lernid
ye that be Iudges of the earth / least the lord
being angrie with you / ye perish from the ryght
waie / for be ye assurid that right sharpe Iudgment
and sore torment shalbe done to them that
are in auctorite as the wiseman saith. Remember
how your pour como~s assistid and helpid you /
when ye were in your greatist / necessite and daunger /
with out whose help ye had neuer come to the
dignite / that ye now be in: oh Remember them /
and geue them not ouer / in to the hands of your
bisshops and clergie / ther henemies to be deuourid
and murtherid. For ther kingdom can neuer be
stablisshed with out shedi~g of blude. I wold your
grace wold be as good to them / whose blude your
bisshops seke as ye haue bene to strangers and to

B v

banishe the~ your Realm / a~d suffer the~ in a serteine
space to departe wyth bag and bagage / as ye dyd
the strangers / in the fyrst yere of your Reigne. A lamentable
case and yff they haue ther wickid purpose /
what shall folowe / euen ther own distruction /
and the distruction of the hole Realme.
We haue examples manifestlie ynowgh / what
folowid in the tyme of your predecessors / king he~ry
the. 4. and 5. in whose time fyrst those cruell actes
were inuentid by the clergie / which now be
renewid only to the distruction of noble me~ / and
of a great sorte of godly and lernid men / which in
those dais suffrid most cruel death / as the lord cobham /
and many other knightes and gentillmen /
the thing is so plaine that it cannot be denied / but
what plages folowid therof? was ther not many
felds fowght within this realm / wher were slaine
allmost all the noble and gentill men / besides many
thousands of the como~s / as our own cronicles
plainli declarith? was not the clergie al the hole occasio~
of this / first by putti~g downe the good king
Richard the second and setting vp .K.H. the .4.
vnder whom / they made that most vngodly acte /
ex officio / and the~ becawse the ki~gs a~d noble men /
should not serch for the knowledg of gods verite /
set them in hand to clayme titles / in Fran~ce and
other places and then likewise other noble men at
home / euer to sett them so a worke / about warres
a~d wordly matters / like as they shortly will practise
the same except god shorten ther time and in
the meane season that they might as they dyd
then and now intend to do the same / burn and
distroye all those that professe Crist and hys verite /
But it helpid them as litle as it helpid the scribes
and parises in the time of Christ / when they had
put Christ to death / they thought then that all had
bene well / a~d that he with hys doctrine / had bene
suppressid but what folowid / the third day he rose
agayne from death as a valiant conqueroure / a~d
sent hys holy sprite among hys power appostels /
who declarid hys wyll and gospell through out al
the world / as it is manifest at thys daye / a~d after
that sent Tytus and Vespacianus themprours /
who vtterlye distroied hys henemies / and scaterid
them thorow the hole world wher they be both hatid
and abhorrid of all nacions as it is affore said.
Thys were a notable exa~ple and / lesson for your
clergie / to make them beware how they / persecute
Christ in hys power members / but I fear me god
hath hardenid ther hartes / as he dyd the vnhappy
pashure a~d hys felous / a~d as he dyd the hert of
king Pharoe who for all the miracles and wounders /
that god wrought before him by the hands
of moses and Aaron / wold not suffer the childern
of Israell gods electe people / to go out of hys cou~tre /
but plagid them the more / but what was hys
rewarde / was not he with all hys hoste drownyd
in the rede see? Euen so what folowid all the persecucio~s
and wickid laws that they made / to kepe
gods verite vnder foote / what helpid it them / did
it not still the more florishe a~d Increase? And did
not your noble father / in the perliament holden in
the 25 yere of hys reigne / at the supplicacio~ of the
comons / in the said perliament / for thes cawses
folowing / breake the said most wickid lawe ex officio /
which the wickid clergie had obtainid in the
said.2. yere of K.H.the.4. That is to say? becawse
the ordinarie by vertue off that wickide lawe /
might as they dyd opon ther suggestion / arest or
Impryson any persone or persons / whom they
thought defamid or suspecte of heresie / and them
to kepe in ther prisons / tyll they were purgid ther
of / or abiured / or comittid to the lay poure to be burnid /
and yet in no parte of the same wickide laws
be declarid any serteigne cases of heresie / so that
the most experte a~d best lernid men of the realme /
diligently lieng in waite / vpon hym selff / can not
auoyde or esthwe / the penaltie of the sayd act / yf he
should be examinid epon such captius interogations /
as it hath be~ accustomid to be ministrid bi the
ordinaris of this Realme / in cases wher they will
suspecte any perso~ of heresye: And ouer this forasmich
as it stondith not wyth the right order of
Iustice nor good equite that any person shold be
conuicte or put to losse of hys lyff / good name or
goods / onlesse he were by dwe occasion and witnes
or by persentment / verdite / confession / or processe
of outlarye &c. Wherfore it is not reasonable
that any ordinarie / by any suspection conceiuid of
hys own fa~tasie / with out dwe accusacion or presentment /
shold put any subiecte of thys Realme
in any infamy or slander of heresy / to the perell of
lyff / lose of name or goods &c. Thys with mich more
is declarid in the said statude of 25.H.8. Which
was the occasion that the said most wickid lawe of
ex officio / was borken.
More ouer your said noble father perceiuid how
many honest men in his tyme / were distroied and
murtherid by his said clergie / as Ioha~ hune / and
many other honest men / which liuid both quietlye
and honestlie among ther neibours / this is so plaine
that they are not able to deny it. wherfore I
most humbly besech your grace to consider thes
things / for it is not ynough for your grace to geue
ouer your pour and auctorite / to your wickid bisshoppes
and clergie / and so thinke to charge them
and to discharge your selff / nay not so? for euery
one shall beare hys own burthen as the holy appostle
pronouncith / and as gardener saith in hys
booke de vera obediencia likewise / god hath sett
you in auctorite / and it is you your selff that shall
geue an accompt to a Iudge that is aboue you /
whose seat is the heauen / and the earth is hys foot
stole / the which by his holy worde made all thi~gs /
and by the same worde shall distroye all Antichristes /
which sekith the distruction of hys kingdom /
who dwellith in the light that no man can attaine /
whom no man hath seen nor can see to him only
be geuen all honoure and glory for euer more.
Furthermore may it please you to knowe that
themprour and diuers other princes and magistrates /
haue for the paiment of a litle monie / suffrid
a~d doth suffer the wickid Iwes a~d also the cursid
turkes / to dwell sauely in the co~tres a~d Cities /
and to kepe and hold ther faith and ceremonies as
they lifte / with out any troble or vexacion for the same /
and yett the same turkes and Iwes / so dispise
and abhore vs Christians / a lake for pyte / that ther
shalbe more mercie and pyte shewid to / Iwes and
turkes / the~ to vs pour Christians / which do beleue
to be sauid only / by the death / and passion of our
saueyour Iesus Christ both god and man: Is
not this also a lamentable case / that pour English
men cannot be suffrid to liue quietlye and in sauetye
with out danger of ther lyues in ther own contres /
but must be forcide to trauell / and seke from
contre to contre / wher they may serue god quietly
with a good conscience? oh that your grace wold
permite the first booke of comon prayer made in
Englishe in the time of your vertues brother K. E.
vi. to be vsid to as many as wold: vnto the which
booke / all the hole clergie of the Realme did subscribe /
and affirmid it to be good and catholike doctrine /
yea they that now do perswade your grace to
the contrarie: And as for the Englishe procession /
what good and godly prayes be therin / and how
it was vsid to the great compfort and edifieng / of
as many as came to the church / to here it / all men
can reporte / but that cannot your bisshoppes and
clergie now abyde / becawse it shamith and condempnith
all ther latyn seruice / which is expressly
against gods worde / for s. Paule in the 14. chapter
of the first epistle to the Corinthiance / wold haue
all thinges done to edifienge / and wold haue .v.
wordes spoken in the co~gregacion / in a language
that they vndersta~d / rather the~ .x. M. words that
they vnderstode note: for saith he / how shall the vnlernid
say Amen / to thy blessing of tha~ks geuing /
whe~ he wotith not what thou sayest / he can~ot tell
whether thou doest blesse or course / a~d comau~dith
plainly saie~g: they that speak i~ a la~guag vnknown /
lett the~ hold ther peace in the co~gregacio~: read the
said chapter / a~d you shall perceyne the matter more
plainly / wherby you or any Chrystia~ harte may be
fidlid with godly Zeale agai~st such Antichristia~s /
which do so directlie / against the holy appostles
plaine commandment.
Now to make an ende of this my supplicacion /
I haue read a godly example of the conuercion of
s. Paule / who being brought vp ffrom his youth
at the feete of Gamaliell / being a pharise / of a Zeale
that he hade to mainteine the phareiseycall doctrine
of the pharises became also a persecutor with the
pharisies for a space / which pharises / had wholie
coruptid the law of god geuen by Moses. And as
they had aduaunsid ther own tradicions / deuisid
by ther rabins / which both Christ and hys appostles /
comonly rebukid tawght and preachid ther
against / and therfore they slawndrid hym and hys
apostles and neuer left persecuting of the~ / till they
had murtherid them: Euen so our trwe preachers
in thes days / which haue preachid against the abuse
both of prayeng / fasting / and also of allmose
dedes like as Christ hym selff dyd our bisshopes
persecute to the death / falsly belieng them / saieng /
that they preachid against prayer / fasting / and allmose
deades &c. when they dyd preach / but only
against the supersticious abuse / as ther maister
Christ did / which preachid against the abuse theroff /
but the seruant is not aboue hys maister and
lorde / for yf they haue callid the lord of the howse /
belsebub / how mich more shall they call hys howsold
seruants. Also like as the scrybes a~d pharises /
falsely belyed and slaunderid our saueyour Christ /
eue~ so do our bisshoppes and clergie / belye and slaunder
our trwe preachers and prophetes of gods
holy worde / when they preach not against the sacraments
and ceremonis / but against ydolatrie countid
a sacrame~t and the abuse of the ceremonies:
ffor to wryte of the abuse of the sacraments and cemonies
a greate booke wold scarsely suffice / and
therfor I will turne againe to my matter of the co~uercion
of s. Paule / who as I haue said / of a Zeale
that he had to the doctrine of the pharises / persecutid
Christes poure members / and cawsid many
to be bound and cast in to pryson. But becawse he
did it ygnorantly / he obtainid mercy as he hym
selff confessed / not being worthy to be callid an
apostell becawse he persecutid the congregacion
of Iesus Christ &c. Euen so I think that your grace
doth this ygnora~tlie / that ye haue done / and being
therto perswadid by your false dissembling bisshopes
and clergie: Whom now that your grace hath
warning / what they are: beware from hence forth
that ye folowe ther counsel no more in persecuting
Christes poure me~bres / which haue bene the trwe
preachers of his holy and blessid worde / but do ye
as s. Paul dyd when he was callid / And submitt
your selff / vnder the mighty hand of god / and turne
to the lord our god who is able a~d wyll receyue
you to grace and mercye as he dyd .S. Paul / of ye
repent a~d do as he dyd / wherby you shall saue your
selff and the whole Ralme fro~ Ruyne and vtter distruccio~.
But yf you wyll not submitt your selff vnder
the mighty ha~d of god / a~d turn to the lord our
god vnfainidlie / and folowe no more / the wyckid
cousell of your bloudy bisshoppes a~d clergie / in persecuting
Christes pour members / and wyll not receyue
and knowledge the time of your visytacion.
Then be ye assuryd / that lyki as it happenyd to the
Iwes / for persecuting christe and hys pour members /
so shall it happen to you and the whole Realme /
as in the beginnyng of this supplicacion is
declaryd at large. The which I pray god defend
yff it be hys holy wyll and plasure / whom I besech
to open the eyes of your hart / that ye may receiue
hys worde / and vnfallyble veryte / which may saue
your soule in the great day of the lord / whom I besech
to graunt you grace thus to do / for his deare
sone Iesus Christes sake amen.