¶ An Epitaph, vpon the life and death of D. Bonner, who died the v. of September. 1569.
Amen.
An Epitaph, or rather a short discourse made vpon the life & death of D. Boner sometimes vnworthy Bisshop of London, whiche dyed the v. of September in the Marshallie.
¶ Imprinted at London at the long Shop adioyning vnto S Mildreds Church in the Pultrie by Iohn Alide
An. do. 1569. Sep. 14.
Amen.
A Commemoration or Dirige of Bastarde Edmonde Boner, alias Sauage, vsurped Bisshoppe of London.
Compiled by Lemeke Auale.
Episcopatum eius accipiet alter.
Anno Domini.
1569.
¶ Imprinted by P. O.
MAtters beyng yet in doubt, maie with questions and reasons, bee brought out of doubt: but thinges beyng without doubt, ought not with the subteltie of wordes, bee broughte into doubte. As without all doubte Edmonde Boner late vsurped bishop of London, was a bastarde, and also the soonne of a Bastarde: that is a Bastarde in grosse, and a Bastarde can not, neither maie not bee a bisshop. Boner was a Bastarde, ergo no bishop; and this is a true conclusion. This is not true said an old Dunsticall felowe, sittyng at the table with a graue learned Lawier of the common Lawe, and an eloquente Ciuilian, that were all three together: the one frouned, the seconde did bite his lippe, the third in a greate rage saied: men maie saie what thei will now a daies, & belye the truthe as you haue doen, he was a blessed confessor, although a bastard, and a true bishop, bothe by Gods Lawes, the Canonicall lawes & the lawes of this realme of Englande. To this thei saied all Amen. Proue you the cōtrary saied thei, and we wil yelde vnto you: will you: he, then will I proue hym no bishop, when he liued, whiche you graunt to [...] bastarde by these thrée Lawes. [Page] Make proffe saied these three, I will by Gods grace quod he, proue that neither Tunstall, nor Boner, were any bishoppes of London, but vsurped, bicause thei twoo were bastardes: and all bastardes bee vnder the same predicament. For the booke of Wisedome in the. iiij. Chapit. makyng a difference betwene twoo generations of the lawfull, and vnlawfull. Of the lawfull it is saied: O quam pulcra, & casta generatio. &c. O how faire is a chaste generation with vertue: the memoriall therof is immortall, for it is knowen with God, and with men: when it is presente, men take example thereat, and if it goe awaie, yet thei desire it: it is alwaies crouned, and holden in honor, and winneth the rewarde of the vndefiled [...]. But the other generation, that is vnknowen emong men, that are called the children of the people: thus muche is spoken of in the same booke. Multigena autem impiorū multitudo non erit vtilis, & spuria vitulamina non dabunt radices altas, nec stabile fundamentum constituit. That is. The multitude of the vngodly children, are vnprofitable children, and the thynges that are planted with whoredome, shall take no depe roote, nor laie any fast foundation, though grene for a tyme in the braunches, yet thei shalbe shaken with the winde, [Page] for thei stande not fast, and through the vehemencie of the windes, that is Gods vengance thei shalbe rooted out, for the vnperfite braū ches shalbe broken, the fruicte shalbe vnprofitable and sower, mete for nothyng. For why beyng demaunded of their parentes, that is, who were their fathers, or mothers, doe witnesse against them, and declare their abhomination, and dooe disclose their synnes, as did that wicked Cham, the sonne of Noe, whiche [...] his fathers secretes, for whiche cause, Noe asked vengeaunce vpon the offenders sonne, that therby the offender might bee more greued, then with his owne mishappe. Therfore the lawe that punisheth thoffēders issue, dooeth more prohibite synne, then that whiche plageth the offender [...]: by this it maie be cōsidered, with what zeale the law of Englande abhorreth vnlawfull coniunctions, depriuyng them not onely of lawfull parentes, but also of Ecclesiasticall dignitie, and tē porall inheritaunce. The Ciuill Lawe, speakyng of the birth of children, saieth: Quod non potest arbor mala fructus bonos facere. &c. An euil tree, saie thei, can not bring forth good fruite: nor a good free beare euill fruites, and by the consente of the lawes it is agreed, that euery plante yeldeth to the nature of the grounde, [Page] wherein it is planted. The childe also hath Leges [...] dicūt [...] tuū [...] filium [...]. muche more certaine, and sure knowledge of the mother, then of the father. Therfore saith the Ciuill Lawe, your naturall or bastarde soonne, is the soonne of the people: and when suche a bastarde is, hauing no certain, or knowen assured father at the birthe, [...] it is daily seen, and so iudged by lawe. Now can he come by a father after: as example. If one woman should beare twoo children, of twoo fornicatours, and one of these fornicatours, after doe marie with this woman, whiche of these children should this mariage make legitimate: This would partly help [...] by the Ciuil [...] a Bastarde. lawe, bicause his father reconsiled his mother into mariage but lōg after his birth: this is not Boners case (whose father was neuer maried to his mother) fātasy would som what perswade: but reason can not finde, seyng the tyme was ones, when bothe these children were bastardes, and the [...] of the people, and did not knowe their fathers: it wer therfore against all reason, that a child after ward Genes. 16. borne in the same Matrimonie, being lawfully [...]. 4. borne, should lose the inheritaūce, and place the bastardie in the same, as lawfull heire. The lawes of Englande agreeth with the scriptures. Ismael did not inherit with [...]: [Page] So no bastardes doe inherite lawfully, by the lawes of Englande, neither is equall to the lawfull begotten in the inheritaunce, whiche by the Ciuill lawes can be deuided, but onely emong the male children. Saincte Augustine in lib. xvi. de Ciuitate dei, saieth, Abraham gaue all his substaunce vnto Isaac his soonne; but vnto the soonnes of the Concubines, he gaue giftes, and sente them awaie from Isaac his soonne. Wherevpon he ment that to bastardes, there is no inheritaunce due, but onely necessary liuyng, and vnder the name of a bastarde. Sainct Augustine vnderstande all vnlawfull issues, and so doeth holie scripture also, and [...] no small difference betwene Et eccle [...] sacris repellit ordi nibus. &c Et si tale [...] rit non [...] tum permittit [...] bere in [...] dei the succession of the lawfull begotten, and the bastarde in tēporall thynges, or worldly inheritance, muche lesse in the churche of Christ, in that, that it admitteth them not into holie Orders: and that is proued in the Popes Lawes, againste [...] bastardly Papistes: and if the Pope [...] with suche a one, yet he permitted not hym to haue a dignitie, or preheminence in the Churche, as to bee a bishoppe. Therefore it is conuenient, that mannes lawes should cutte them shorte, in the benefite of worldly succession. When the Churche doe iudge thē vnworthy of orders, of ministerie, [Page] of [...] dignitie: [...], whom the holie scripture do thrust doune, and greatly embace for though some, that is, one, emong a thousande is good, yet most are not onely giuen to wickednesse, and persecution. &c. Example of Ismael, some to murder. Example of Abimelech, [...]. ix. the bastarde soonne of Gedion, whiche Gedion had lawfull begotten sonnes. lxx. and but one bastarde, whiche bastarde Abimelech with one stone, traiterously killed al his brethren, one excepted. So there is more abominatiō in one bastard, then in. lxix. lawfull sonnes. Many examples I can bryng for the of histories, repugnant to bastards, of their filthinesse of life, whoredome, idolatrie, extortion, treasō, murder, glottonie. &c. For it is thought [...]. that theidoe drawe a certain staine from the volupteous lust, mutuall of bothe their filthie parētes, whiche in lawfull chaste mariage taketh no place: and then knowing them selues to be bastardes, hateth all them that are lawfully borne, inuentyng mischief against them as traitors would haue all men traitors: this [...] borne Bocher Boner, like Abimeleche, hath [...] a great nōber of the legitimate chil [...] of God: whose blood asketh the same crewell vengeaunce, that holie Abels doe still in the [...] of God, against his brother Cain. [Page] So you shall not doubte, but by Gods lawes, the lawes of Englande, and also the Canonicall lawes, that bastardes are all depriued of lawfull parentes, therefore of inheritaunce Temporall: also not lawfull to take Orders, therefore no ministers of Spiritnall dignitie, Ergo. therfore no bishops. Iudge of this your selues, Ergo. and then make answere, when it shall please you. Sir, we will depart, quod thei, referryng this matter till an other tyme. Here is one, quod he, with plaine Musicke Dirge like, in the next chamber, singeth to a dull base Lute I praie you let vs heare him, it will not hurt [...], my thinke he singeth of D. Boner, some merie vanitie, of that vain man, whiche spēt his daies in vain Papistrie: we are cōtent said thei, to heare this matter, and then to depart hence, when he hath doen: we praie God it be mery, for we haue talked of sad matters, peace a little, silence my maisters, quod he, agreed saied thei. Then the fellowe on the other side of the walle, reade in the Bible to hymself alone, and that beyng dooen, he songe in rude rime, against rude Boner, the Papist bastard.
The fellowe doe read.
I will sende a curse vpon you, and I will Malach. [...] curse your blessynges, yea curse them will I, if ye doe not take hede: beholde I shall corrupt Dente. 26 [Page] your seede, and cast dunge in your faces, euen Markerehell, marke Papiste. the donge of your solemne feastes, and it shall cleaue fast vpon you. You are cleane gone out of the waie, and haue caused the multitude to be offended at the lawe of the lorde. You haue broken the couenaunt of Leui, saith the lorde of the hoste, therefore also I will make you to Ezech. 13. be despised, and to be of no reputation emong Jerem. 8. the people, bicause that you haue not kept my waies. My handes shall come vpon the false Prophetes, that looke out vaine thinges, and preache lyes: thei shall not be in the counsaill of my people, nor written in the boke, bicause Ezech, 34. thei haue deceiued my people. The beste (that is the martyres) haue ye slain, the flocke haue you not nourished: but churlishely and cruelly haue you ruled them. Therefore woe and vengeaunce be vnto you, saith the lorde God. All these places of holie writynges, crieth out against Boner asmuch as to any false pastor, that euer hath made spoile like a Wolfe in Christes flocke: & the soules of the slain, whō Apoca. 6. he burned for the woorde of God, and for the testimonie whiche thei had: doe still crie with a loude voice, saiyng: Howe long tariest thou lorde, holie and true, to iudge and auenge our blood on thē, that dwell on the yearth? Well ones it will fall out thus: That the righteous [Page] shall stande in greate stedfastnes, again suche [...]. 5. as haue dealt extremely with them, and takē awaie their labours, when Boner with his wicked companions shall se it (as thei shall in deede) thei shalbee [...] with horrible feare, and shall wonder at the hastines of the sodain health, gronyng for verie distresse of mynde, and shall saie within them selues, hauyng inwarde sorowe, and mournyng for verie anguishe of mynde. These are thei, whom wee [...] had in derision, and [...] vpon, we fooles thought their liues verie madnes, and their ende to be without honor. But loe, how thei are compted emong the children of God, and their portion emong the [...]? Therefore we haue erred from the waie of truthe, and the light of righteousnes haue not shined vnto vs. Tedious waies haue wee gone, the waie of the lorde we haue not knowen: what profit haue our pompe brought vs: suche wordes shall suche as haue [...] their brethren speake in helle. Lette the [...] marke this well. Well, well.
¶ Boner speaketh.
Boner ende.
Parce michi domine.
Tedetanimam meam.
Manus tue dn̄e fecerunt me.
Quantis habuit iniquitas.
Homo natus.
Quis michi hoc tribuat.
Spiritus meus.
Pelle mei consumptus.
Quarede vulua. S. rede it.
¶ The'nde of Boners Dirige. Per ironiam Erat vir ille simplex & rectus, ac timens deum, & recaedens amalo.
¶ Bastarde Edmonde Sauage, beyng a [...] lubberly scholer, was supposed to be the the soonne of one Boner.
whiche also in the captiuitie of Babilon, did beare three brethren. Simon Magus, [...], and Mahomette, by Antichriste the sonne of the Deuil, of iniquitie, and perdicion the cause of al ignoraunce, infidelitie, Simonie, Treason, Idolatrie, persecution, Rebellion, Tumulte, wicked assemble, and finally euerlasting damnation.
ALmightie and eternall god the father, the soonne, and the holie spirite one God in trinitie, and the trinitie in vnitie, whiche art alwaies more readier to heare, then wee are apte to praie: and [...] giue vnto vs, more then we can desire, or deserue. We moste humbly praie thee, to haue mercie vpon vs, accordyng to thy great mercie, and perdon vs good Lorde for our sinnes: that we haue rebelled against thy diuine Maiestie, in thought, woorde, and deede, [...] thee to cast vpon vs sondrie plagues for [...] offences: As pestilence, dearthe, rebellion with other greuous calamities, vnto our [...] bodies. But oh my good Lorde God, hou haste taken greater [...] vpon [...], the whiche with mortall eyen cā not well [...] seen, but felt: that is, the ignoraunce of thy [...] will and commaundemente. [...] oh Lorde GOD, the guide and pathe [...] to all deadly synnes, death, and finallie [...], banishement from thy glorious [...], worlde without ende. Haue mercie [Page] aue mercie and pitie, oh Iesus Gods onely [...] vpon thy flocke, thou greate Shepherd of the Shepe. Regarde thy folde, defende thy flocke, whom thou hast redemed in thy moste precious bloud. Deliuer thy Uineyard of Englande, from the Bore of Roome, and thy Lambes, from the mouthe of Wolues, as bloudie Boner was Oh lette God a rise, and let his enemies be scattered, lette them also that hate hym flie before him: so that we that are the Shepe of his pasture, maie in the [...] of his worde, be fedde in the pleasaunt fieldes of his holy scriptures, to life euerlastyng: Through Iesus Christ our lorde.
Amen.