BONNE R, EDMUND, Bishop of London, was born at Hanley in Worcestershire, and is supposed to have been the natural son of one Savage, a priest ; 'though others affirm, that he was the legitimate son of one Bonner, a poor man, whose residence is still said to retain, in that part of the country, the name of Bonner's Place. About the year 1512, he enter. ed a student in Oxford ; add, in 1519, he was admit ted bachelor of the canon and of the civil law. He next entered into holy orders ; and, by the favour of Cardinal Wolsey, he, at one and the, same time, en joyed the several ecclesiastical livings of Blaydon and Cherry Burton, in Yorkshire; Ripple, in Worcester shire ; East Dercbam, in Norfolk ; prebend of St Pies ; and the archdeaconry of Leicester. Being more distinguished by his ability in conducting busi ness than by his learning, Wolsey next appointed him his commissary for the Faculties ; and he Aras with that prelate at Cawood, when he was arrested for high treason. After Wolsey's death, he found means to ingratiate himself with Henry VIII., who appointed him one of his chaplains ; a favour which he afterwards repaid to that monarch, by promoting his divorce from Queen Catharine of Spain, and by his assistance in abrogating the pope's supremacy in England. He was also 'a great favourite of Lord Cromwell, the secretary of state ; by whose recom mendation be was sent as ambassador to several courts. Being a man of a bold temper, he was, in 1532, chosen as a fit person to go to Rome, along with Sir Edward Karne, to apologise for Henry's non-appearance upon the pope's citation ; and, in the following year, he was again sent to Rome, to deliver his sovereign's appeal to the next general council, from a sentence of excommunication pronounced by the pope against Henry on account of his divorce. On that occasion, Bonner demanded an audience of the pope, and executed his sovereign's commission so rudely, that the pope threatened to cause him to be thrown into a cauldron of melted lead : upon which he thought proper to make his escape. Having re turned to England, and being at that time in high favour with the reformers, he was, upon their appli cation, promoted, first to the see of Hereford, and next to that of London ; which they found reason afterwards deeply to regret, when he became a most violent enemy of the Reformation.
He was ambassador at the court of Charles V., in 154.7, when Henry died ; and although, during that reign, he had appeared very zealous against popery, and had strenuously supported all the measures of his sovereign for abrogating the pope's supremacy, yet his subsequent conduct showed, that he had had his own preferment solely in view ; for, in that same year, on the accession of young Edward VI., he re fused to take the oaths of abjuration and allegiance, and entered a protest against the king's injunction, and against the homilies. For this he was committed to Fleet prison ; but having submitted and 'recanted, he was released. He now saw, that it would be ne cessary for him to give a public compliance with the measures taken to advance the Reformation, while, privately, he did every thing in his power to counter act them. He was summoned before the privy' council, and admonished ; but, as his after conduct clearly evinced, that he supported the church of Rome, and that he despised the king's authority, commissioners were appointed to proceed against him • and, after a long trial, he was committed to ' the ; and deprived of his bishoprick. Bi
shop Burnet remarks, that, on his trial, he behaved more like a madman than a bishop.
On the accession of Queen Mary, in 1553, he was restored to his bishoprick ; and, the following year, he.was created vicegerent and president of the vocation, in the room of Archbishop Cranmer, who was committed to the Tower. The persecution which arose against the reformers, now gave him an opportunity of gratifying his cruel and vindictive temper ;. and he directed all his power and influence against them in the most malignant and violent man ner. He obtained a commission for searehhig out and punishing all heretics, and for erazing from the public records all the proceedings of. Henry VE1I. against the pope, and , particularly the accounts of the visitations of the monasteries, and the renunciation of the papal authority by the monks. He dismissed many of the reformed bishops ; and set up mass in St Paul's, even before the act for restoring it was passed. In the short space of, about three years, from the beginning of the ,year 1555 to the year 1553, it is said, that he caused no fewer than two hundred persons to be committed to the flames ; be sides many who, by his orders, were imprisoned, publicly whipped, and cruelly tortured. • After Elizabeth succeeded to the crown, in ,1553, the face of affairs, with regard to religion, was com pletely Bonner, however, (although it was well known that Elizabeth would espouse, the cause of the Reformation,) had the impudence to go with the Protestant bishops to congratulate her upon her accession ; but, she received him, with that cool re serve which lie so justly deserved. For some months he was allowed to remain unnoticed ; but, 1559, being called before the privy council, and, hav,ing,m, fused to take the oaths of allegiance,and supremacy, he was again deprived of his bis'boprick, and thrown into Marshalsea, where he died in 1569. His body was interred by his friends, in the• most private man ner, during the night, lest any indignity should have been offered to it by an enraged populace.
Bonner's temper was violent, .and his disposition cruel: It is also said, that he was addicted. to swear ing, and that he .sorngtirnes made a prophane use of the Holy Scriptures. His ruling principle was am bition, W_hich led-him to sacrifice every thing for the advancement of his temporal interest. Destitute of merit, he raised himself, during the reign of the im petuous Henry, by offering his services to those who were in power, and by making the will of his prince the rule of his conduct ; and, in the short but bloody reign of Mary, he persecuted the Protestants with a will for, ,ever render his character and his memory detectible. It has been justly remark ed, that it is a clear proof of the lenity of the reform ed church, that such a man was permitted to end his days in a, prison.
,„ Further particulars of his life may ry, History of England, during the, reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI., , and ,Mary.. See also .Biog.
Brit. and Burnet's History of the Ihformation.
( A. F.