MarginaliaBoners preface before Winchesters booke of obedience.FOr asmuch as some there be, no doubt (as the iudgements of men be alwaies variable) which thinke the controuersie which is betweene the Kings roiall Maiestie, and the Bishop of Rome consisteth in this point, for that his Maiestie hath taken the most excellent and most vertuous Lady AnneMarginaliaQueene Anne. to wife, which in very deede is farre otherwise, and nothing so: to the intente therefore that all true harty fauourers of the Gospell of Christ, which hate not, but loue the truth, may the more fully vnderstand the chiefe point of the controuersie, and because they shall not be ignoraunt what is the whole voice and resolute determination of the best and greatest learned Bishops, with all the nobles and commons of England, not only in that cause of Matrimony, but also in defending the doctrine of the Gospell:MarginaliaThe doctrine of the Gospell. heere shall be published the Oration of the Bishop of Winchester  

(a man excellently learned in all kinde of learning) entituled DE VERA OBEDIENTIA, that is, concerning true obedience. MarginaliaSee how these clawbackes can clung togeather in truth and in false hood, and al to fashiō thēselues to the world and the time present.But as touching this Bishops worthy praises, there shall be nothing spoken of me at this time, not only because they are infinite, but because they are farre better knowne to all Christendome, then becommeth me heere to make rehearsall. And as for the Oration it selfe (which as it is most learned, so it is most elegant) to what purpose should I make any words of it, seeing it praiseth it selfe inough, and seeing good wine needeth no tauerne bushe to vtter it? But yet in this Oration, whosoeuer thou art, most gentle Reader, thou shalt beside other matters, see it notably and learnedly handled of what importaunce, and how inuincible the power and excellencie of Gods truth is: which as it may now and then be pressed of the enemies, so it can not possibly be oppressed and darkened after such sorte, but it sheweth it selfe againe at length, more glorious and more welcome. Thou shalt see also touching obedience, that it is subiect to truth, and what is to be iudged true obedience. Besides this, of mens traditions,MarginaliaMens traditons. The contents of Winchesters booke De vera obedientia. which for the most parte, be most repugnaunt against the truth of Gods law. MarginaliaThe kinges mariage with Queene Anne.And there by the way, he speaketh of the Kings said highnes mariage, which by the ripe iudgemente, authoritie and priuiledge of the most and principall Vniuersities of the world, and then with the consent of the whole Church of England, he contracted with the most excellent, and most noble Lady Queene Anne. After that, touching the Kings Maiesties title, as perteining to the supreme headMarginaliaSupreme head. of the Church of England. Lastly of all, of the false pretenced supremacie of the Bishop of Rome in the Realme of England,MarginaliaThe Bishop of Roomes pretensed supremacy. most iustly abrogated: and how all other Byshops being felowlike to him in their function, yea and in some points aboue him within their owne prouinces, were before time bound to the King by their othe.

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But be thou most surely perswaded of this, good Reader, that the Bishop of Rome, if there were no cause else but onely this mariage, would easely content himselfe, specially hauing some good morsell or other geuen him to chaw vpon.MarginaliaBonner knewe well what morsell would best please his father of Rome, & that mony & bribes would soone stoppe his mouthe. But when he seeth so mighty a King, being a right vertuous and a great learned Prince, so sincerely and so hartely fauour the Gospell of Christ, and perceiueth the yearely and great pray (ye so large a pray, that it came to as much almost as all the Kings reuenues) snapped out of hys hands, and that he can no longer exercise his tyranny in the Kings Maiesties Realme (*Marginalia* Seeing thou knewest the Pope to be such a cruell tirant, why then wouldest thou against thy knowledge, become his slaughter man? alas heeretofore, too cruell and bitter) nor make lawes as he hath done many to the contumelie and reproch of the Maiestie of God, which is euident that he hath done in time past, vnder the title of the Catholicke Church, and the authoritie of Peter and Paule, (when notwithstanding he was a very rauening Wolfe, dressed in sheepes clothing, calling himselfe the seruaunt of seruaunts) to the great damage of the Christen common wealth: heere, heere began all the mischiefe, thereof rose these discords, these deadly malices, and so great and terrible bustling. For if it were not thus, could any man beleeue that this Iuppiter of Olympus (which falsely hath arrogated vnto himselfe an absolute power without controlment) woulde haue wrought so diligently by all meanes possible, to stirre vp all other Kings and Princes so traiterously against this so good and godly and so true a Gospellike Prince, as he hath done? Neyther let it moue thee (gentle Reader) that Winchester did not before now, apply to this opinion, for he himselfe in this Oration sheweth the cause, why he did it not. And if he had sayd neuer a word, yet thou knowest well what a witty part it is for a man to suspend his iudgemente, MarginaliaWint. wryteth against the pope with aduised iudgement.and not to be too rash in geuing of sentence. It is an olde sayd sawe: Mary Magdalene  

profited vs lesse in her quicke beliefe that Christ was risen, then Thomas that was longer in doubt. A man may rightly call him Fabius   , that with his aduised taking of leasure, restored the matter. Albeit I speake not this as though Winchester had not boulted out this matter secretly with hymselfe before hand (for he without doubt tried it out long ago) but that running faire and softly, he woulde firste with his paynefull study, plucke the matter out of the darke, although of it selfe it was cleare enough, but by reason of sondry opinions, it was lapped vp in darkenes, and then did he debate it wittely too and fro, and so at last after long and great deliberation had in thematter, because there is no better counseller then leasure and time, he would resolutely with his learned and cōsummate iudgement confirme it.

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Thou shouldest gentle Reader, esteeme his censure and authoritie to be of more weighty credence, in as much as the matter was not rashly and at all aduentures, but with iudgemente (as thou seest) and with wisedome examined and discussed. MarginaliaNo newe matter, to write against the Byshop of Rome.And this is no new example, to be against the tyrany of the Byshop of Rome, seeing that not only this man, but many men often times, yea and right great learned men afore now, haue done the same euen in writing, whereby they both painted him out in his right colours, and made his sleightes, falshoode, fraudes, and deceiptfull wyles, openly knowne to the world. Therefore if thou at any time heeretofore haue doubted either of true obedience, or of the Kinges Maiesties mariage, or title, either else of the Bishop of Romes false pretensed supremacy, as if thou haddest a good smelling nose and a sound iudgemente, I thinke thou diddest not: yet hauing read this Oration, (which if thou fauour the truth, and hate the tyranny of the Byshop of Rome, and his Sathanicall fraudulente falshode, shall doubtles wonderfully content thee) forsake thyne errour, and acknowledge the truth now freely offered thee at length, considering with thy selfe, that it is better late so to doo, then neuer to repent.MarginaliaNote. Fare thou hartily well most gentle Reader, and not only loue this most valiant King of England & of France, who vndoubtedly was by the prouidēce of God, borne to defend the Gospell, but also honor him and serue him most obediently. As for this Winchester, who was long ago without doubt reputed among the greatest learned men, geue him thy good word wyth highest commendation. The end of Byshop Boners Prologue.

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MarginaliaThe inconstant mutabilitye of Wint. and Boner.What man reading and aduising this booke of Winchester De vera obedientia, with Boners Preface before the same, would euer haue thought, any alteration coulde so worke in mans hart, to make these men thus to turne the catte (as they say) in the panne, and to start so sodenly from the truth so manifestly knowne, so pithely proued, so vehemently defended, and (as it seemed) so faithfully subscribed. If they dissembled all this that they wrote, subscribed, and sware vnto: what periury most execrable was it before God and man? If they meant good fayth, and spake then as they thought, what pestilent blindnes is this so sodenly fallen vpon them, to make that false nowe, whiche was true before, or that to be now true, which before was false? Thus to say & vnsay, & then to say againe, to doe and vndo, & as a mā would say, to play fast or loose with truth, truly a man may say, is not the doing of a man, whiche is in any case to be trusted, whatsoeuer he doth or saith. But heere a man may see what man is of himselfe, when Gods good humble spirit lacked to be his guide.

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MarginaliaThe sermon of Tonstall before the king, made on Palme Sonday.Furthermore, to adde vnto them, the iudgement also  

and argumentes of Tonstall Bishop of Duresme, let vs see how he agreeth with them, or rather much exceedeth, them in his Sermon made before King Henry vpon Palmesonday, remayning yet in print. In the whiche Sermon, disputing against the wrongfull supremacie of the Bishop of Rome, he proueth by manifest groundes most effectuously, both out of the Scripture, auncient Doctors, and of Councels, not only that the Bishop of Rome hath no such authoritie by the worde of God committed to him, as hee doth chalenge: but also in requiring & chalēging the same, he reproueth & condemneth him with great zeale & ardent spirit to be a proude Lucifer, disobediente to the ordinarie Powers of God set ouer him, contrary to Christ and Peter, and finally in raising vp warre against vs for þ^e same: he therefore rebuketh and defieth him, as a most detestable sower of discord, and murtherer of Christian men.

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FIrst by the scripture he reasoneth thus & proueth,MarginaliaThe popes and Byshops ought to be subiecte to theer soueraigns. that all good mē ought to obey the potestates, & Gouernors of þ^e world, as Emperours, Kings & Princes of all sortes, what name soeuer the sayde supreme powers do beare or vse for theyr countreys in whiche they be, for so S. Peter  

doth playnely teach vs I. Pet. 2. Marginalia1. Pet. 2.sayeng: Be yee subiect to euerye humane creature for Gods cause, whether it be Kyng as chiefe head, or Dukes or Gouernours, &c. So that S. Peter in his Epistle commaundeth all worldly Princes in their office to be obeyed as the Ministers of God, by all Christian men. And according vnto   the same, S. Paule Ro. 13. saith: Let euery liuing man be subiect to the high powers, for the high powers bee of God, and who soeuer resisteth the high powers, resisteth the ordinaunce of God,MarginaliaWhosoeuer resisteth the high powers, resisteth God. The Pope resisteth the highe powers: Ergo, the Pope resisteth God. and purchaseth thereby to himselfe damnation, &c.

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And in the same place of Tonstall, it foloweth: and least men should forget their duetie of obedience to their Princes, it is thrise repeated: that they be the ministers of God, whose place in their gouernance they represent: so that vnto them all men must obey Apostles, Patriarches, Primates, Archbyshops, Bishops, Priestes, and all of the Clergy, &c. And therefore (saith he) the Bishop of Rome

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