Story "Do you not hear how he maketh us Judases?" Mary. A. D. 1555. laid in After this, I, with four others more, were brought to the keeper's house in Paternoster-row, where we supped; and after supper I was called up to a chamber by the archdeacon of London's servant, and that in his master's name, who offered me a bed for that night. To whom I gave thanks, saying, that it should be a grief to me to lie well one night, and the next worse: "wherefore I will begin," said I, “as I am like to continue, to take such part as my fellows do." And with that we were brought through Paternoster-row to my lord of Philpot London's coal-house; unto the which is joined a little blind house, with a great Bonner's pair of stocks, appointed both for hand and foot. But, thanks be to God, we coalhave not played of those organs yet, although some before us had tried house. them. And there we found a minister of Essex, a married priest, a man of godly zeal,' with one other poor man. And this minister, at my coming, desired to speak with me, and did greatly lament his own infirmity, for that through extremity of imprisonment he was constrained by writing to yield to the bishop of London: whereupon he was once set at liberty, and afterward felt such a Examples hell in his conscience, that he could scarce refrain from destroying himself, and what an never could be at quiet until he had gone unto the bishop's registrar, desiring conscito see his bill again, the which as soon as he had received, he tore it in pieces; ence doth. and after, he was as joyful as any man might be. Of the which when my lord Bonner plucketh of London had understanding, he sent for him, and fell upon him like a lion, away a and like a manly bishop buffeted him well, so that he made his face black and great part blue, and plucked away a great piece of his beard: but now, thanks be to God, of w he is as joyful under the cross as any of us, and very sorry of his former infir- beard,etc. mity. I write this, because I would all men to take heed how they do contrary to their conscience; which is, to fall into the pains of hell. And here an end. The Manner of my Calling first before the Bishop of London, the second Night of mine Imprisonment in his Coal-house. unquiet Whit The bishop sent unto me master Johnson his registrar, with a mess of meat, Bonner's and a good pot of drink, and bread, saying, that my lord had no knowledge charity erst of my being here, for which he was sorry: therefore he had sent me and Philpot. my fellows that meat, knowing whether I would receive the same. I thanked God for my lord's charity, that it pleased him to remember poor prisoners, desiring Almighty God to increase the same in him and in all others; and therefore I would not refuse his beneficence. And therewith took the same unto my brethren, praising God for his providence towards his afflicted flock, that he stirred our adversaries up to help the same in their necessity. Johnson :-" My lord would know the cause of your sending hither (for he knoweth nothing thereof); and wondereth that he should be troubled with prisoners of other diocese than his own." sent to I declared unto him the whole cause. After the which he said, My lord's will was, that I should have any friendship I would desire: and so departed. Within a while after, one of my lord's gentlemen cometh for me. And I Bonner was brought into his presence, where he sat at a table alone, with three or four of his chaplains, waiting upon him, and his registrar. Bonner :-66 Master Philpot, you are welcome; give me your hand.” With that, because he so gently put forth his hand, I, to render courtesy for courtesy, kissed my hand, and gave him the same." entertain ing Phil pot. common Bonner:-"I am right sorry for your trouble, and I promise you before it Bonner was within these two hours, I knew not of your being here. I pray you tell made the me what was the cause of your sending hither; for I promise you I know inquisitor nothing thereof as yet, neither would I you should think, that I was the cause against thereof. And I marvel that other men will trouble me with their matters; but must be obedient to my betters; and I wis men speak otherwise of me than I deserve." I showed him the sum of the matter: that it was for the disputation in the convocation-house, for the which I was, against all right, molested. Bonner:-"I marvel that you should be troubled there-for, if there was (1) This godly man was Thomas Whittle, whose story followeth. his will. Mary. none other cause but this. But, peradventure, you have maintained the same since, and some of your friends of late have asked whether you do stand to the same, and you have said, 'Yea;' and for this you might be committed to prison." A. D. 1555. No man to render account of his Philpot :-"And it shall please your lordship, I am burdened none otherwise than I have told you, by the commissioners, who have sent me hither, because I would not recant the same." - Bonner :—“ A man may speak in the parliament-house, though it be a place of free speech, so as he may be imprisoned for it; as in case he speak words of high-treason against the king or queen. And so it might be that you spake otherwise than it became you of the church of Christ." Philpot:- "I spake nothing which was out of the articles, which were called in question, and agreed upon to be disputed by the whole house, and by the queen's permission and the council." Bonner:-"Why, may we dispute of our faith?" Philpot :-"Yea, that we may.' ניי Bonner:-"Nay, I trow not, by the law." Philpot :-"Indeed, by the civil law I know it is not lawful, but by God's law, we may reason thereof. For St. Peter saith, 'Be ye ready to render account unto all men of that hope which is in you, that demand you of the same.' Bonner:-" Indeed, St. Peter saith so. Why then, I ask of you, what your judgment is of the sacrament of the altar?" Philpot:-"My lord, St. Ambrose saith, that the disputation of faith ought is bound to be in the congregation, in the hearing of the people, and that I am not bound to render account thereof to every man privately, unless it be to edify. But now I cannot show you my mind, but I must run upon the pikes, in danger faith pri- of my life there-for. Wherefore, as the said doctor said unto Valentinian the emperor, so say to your lordship: "Take away the law, and I shall reason with you. 112 And yet if I come in open judgment, where I am bound by the law to answer, I trust I shall utter my conscience as freely as any that hath come before you." vately, unless it be to edify. One church. The faith promised by his godfathers was the faith of Christ, after his creed only. Bishop Bonner offended me. I Bonner ::-"I perceive you are learned: I would have such as you be about But you must come and be of the church; for there is but one church." Philpot ::-" God forbid I should be out of the church, I am sure I am within the same; for I know as I am taught by the Scripture, that there is but one catholic church, one dove, one spouse, one beloved congregation,3 out of the which there is no salvation." Bonner :-" How chanceth it then, that you go out of the same, and walk not with us?" Philpot:-"My lord, I am sure I am within the bounds of the church whereupon she is builded, which is the word of God." Bonner :- "What age are ye of?" Philpot "I am four and forty." Bonner:-"You are not now of the same faith your godfathers and godmothers promised for you, in the which you were baptized.' " Philpot :-"Yes, that I thank God I am: for I was baptized into the faith of Christ which I now hold." Bonner:- "How can that be? there is but one faith." Bonner :—" You were twenty years ago of another faith than you be now." · Bonner :-"Why, do you not think that we have now the true faith?" Philpot. "I desire your lordship to hold me excused for answering at this time. I am sure that God's word thoroughly, with the primitive church, and with John all the ancient writers, do agree with this faith I am of." Philpot's singing in prison. Bonner:-"Well, I promise you I mean you no more hurt, than to mine own person: I will not therefore burden you with your conscience as now, I marvel that you are so merry in prison as you be, singing and rejoicing, as the (1) Or else why were the questions there propounded? (2) "Tolle legem, et fiet certamen." [Epist. lib. v. 32.] (3) (4) "Nullius fidei." (5) And why then began you so hastily with him in the sacrament of your altars? prophet saith, rejoicing in your naughtiness." Me thinketh you do not well Mary. herein; you should rather lament and be sorry." Philpot:-"My lord, the mirth that we make is but in singing certain A.D. psalms, according as we are commanded by St. Paul, willing us to be merry in the Lord, singing together, in hymns and psalms:' and I trust your lordship cannot be displeased with that." Bonner:-"We may say unto you, as Christ said in the gospel, 'tibiis cecinimus vobis, et non planxistis.' Here my lord stumbled, and could not bring forth the text, and required his chaplains to help, and to put him in remembrance of the text better; but they were mum and I recited out the text unto him, which made nothing to his purpose, unless he would have us to mourn, because they, if they laugh, sing still sorrowful things unto us, threatening faggots and fire. Philpot:-"We are, my lord, in a dark comfortless place, and therefore it behoveth us to be merry, lest, as Solomon saith, sorrowfulness eat up our heart. Therefore I trust your lordship will not be angry for our singing of psalms, since St. Paul saith, 'If any man be of an upright mind, let him sing. And we therefore, to testify that we are of an upright mind to God (though we be in misery), do sing." Bonner:-"I will trouble you no further as now. If I can do you any good, I will be glad to do it for you. God be with you, good master Philpot, and give you good night. Have him to the cellar, and let him drink a cup of wine." 1555. talk with Thus I departed, and by my lord's registrar I was brought to his cellar door, The end where I drank a good cup of wine. And my lord's chaplain, master Cousins, of his first followed me, taking acquaintance, saying, that I was welcome, and wished that I would not be singular. Philpot:-"I am well taught the contrary by Solomon, saying, Woe be to him that is alone." After that I was carried to my lord's coal-house again, where I with my six fellows do rouse together in straw, as cheerfully (we thank God) as others do in their beds of down. Thus for the third Fyt3 The Fourth Examination of Master Philpot, had in the Archdeacon's house of London, the said month of October, before the Bishops of London, Bath, Worcester, and Gloucester. Bonner:-"Master Philpot, it hath pleased my lords to take pains here today, to dine with my poor archdeacon; and in the dinner time it chanced us to have communication of you, and you were pitied here of many that knew you in the New College in Oxford. And I also do pity your case, because you seem unto me, by the talk I had with you the other night, to be learned. Ånd therefore now I have sent for you to come before them, that it might not be said hereafter, that I had so many learned bishops at my house, and yet would not vouchsafe them to talk with you, and at my request (I thank them) they are content so to do. Now therefore utter your mind freely, and you shall with all favour be satisfied. I am sorry to see you lie in so evil a case as you do, and would fain you should do better, as you may if you list." Bath:-" "My lords here have not sent for you to fawn upon you, but for charity's sake to exhort you to come into the right catholic way of the church." Worcester:-" Before he beginneth to speak, it is best that he call to God for grace, and to pray that it might please God to open his heart, that he may conceive the truth."4 With that I fell down upon my knees before them, and made my prayer on this manner : Bonner. er of Phil pot before "Almighty God, which art the giver of all wisdom and understanding, I The praybeseech thee of thine infinite goodness and mercy in Jesus Christ, to give me (most vile sinner in thy sight!) the spirit of wisdom to speak and make answer the in thy cause, that it may be to the contentation of the hearers before whom I bishops. stand, and also to my better understanding, if I be deceived in any thing." (2) "Væ soli.' (1) "Exultantes in rebus pessimis." Mary. Bonner:-"Nay, my lord of Worcester, you did not well to exhort him to make any prayer for this is the thing they have a singular pride in, that they can often make their vain prayers, in the which they glory much. For in this point they are much like to certain arrant heretics, of whom Pliny maketh mention, that did daily sing Antelucanos Hymnos,''Praise unto God before against dawning of the day.'" A. D. 1555. Bonner prayer. Philpot Philpot :-"My lord, God make me and all you here present such heretics as those were that song those morning hymns: for they were right Christians, with whom the tyrants of the world were offended for their well doing." Bath:-"Proceed to that he hath to say. He hath prayed I cannot tell for what." Bonner :-"Say on, master Philpot, my lords will gladly hear you." Philpot :-"I have, my lords, been this twelvemonth and a half in prison complain without any just cause that I know, and my living taken from me without wrongful any lawful order, and now I am brought (contrary to right) from mine own imprison territory and ordinary, into another man's jurisdiction, I know not why. eth of his ment. Philpot called in no suffi cient as sembly, and therefore to put Wherefore, if your lordships can burden me with any evil done, I stand here before you to purge me of the same. And if no such thing may be justly laid to my charge, I desire to be released of this wrongful trouble." Bonner:-"There is none here goeth about to trouble you, but to do you good, if we can. For I promise you, ye were sent hither to me without my knowledge. Therefore speak your conscience without any fear." Philpot: :—“ My lord, I have learned to answer in matters of religion, in ecclesia legitime vocatus, in the congregation being thereto lawfully called: but now I am not lawfully called, neither is here a just congregation where I ought to answer." Bonner:-"Indeed this man told me the last time I spake with him, that not bound he was a lawyer, and would not utter his conscience in matters of faith, unless to answer it were in the hearing of the people; where he might speak to vain glory." whereby Philpot :-"My lord, I said not I was a lawyer, neither do I arrogate to himself myself that name, although I was once a novice in the same, where I learned in danger. something for mine own defence, when I am called in judgment to answer to any cause, and whereby 1 have been taught, not to put myself further in danger than I need; and so far am I a lawyer, and no further." Bishop Bonner not law Bath:-"If you will not answer to my lord's request, you seem to be a wilful man in your opinion." Philpot :-"My lord of London is not mine ordinary before whom I am bound to answer in this behalf, as master doctor Cole (which is a lawyer) can well tell you by the law. And I have not offended my lord of London wherefore he should call me.' I Bonner :-"Yes, I have to lay to your charge that you have offended in my diocese, by speaking against the blessed sacrament of the altar and therefore may call you, and proceed against you to punish you by the law." Philpot "I have not offended in your diocese: for that which I spake of the sacrament was in Paul's Church in the convocation house, which (as I understand) is a peculiar jurisdiction belonging to the dean of Paul's, and therefore is counted of your lordship's diocese, but not in your diocese." Bonner:-" Is not Paul's Church in my diocese? Well I wot, it costeth me a good deal of money by the year, the leading thereof." Philpot: -"That may be, and yet be exempted from your lordship's jurisdiction. And albeit I had so offended in your diocese, yet I ought by the law ful ordi- to be sent to my ordinary, if I require it, and not to be punished by you that are not mine ordinary. And already (as I have told you) I have been convented of mine ordinary for this cause, which you go about to inquire of me." Bonner:-"How say you, master doctor Cole? may not I proceed against him by the law, for that he hath done in my diocese?" nary to Philpot. (1) "Antelucanos hymnos." "Merito ad honorem majorum nostrorum trahimus, quod ad eorundem opprobrium maledicus Jesuita Strada scripsit: (de Bello Belgico, p. 78, edit. Romæ, 1640). Deserta a catholicis ea (Maroti nimirum et Beza) hymnorum translatio atque damnata, mansit obfirmato studio apud hæreticos: mosque canendi Psalmos Gallicâ linguâ, ad modos Genevatum in cœtibus, in triviis, in officinis, propria exinde nota hæreticorum fuit. Ita papistæ inde hæreticos dignoscunt, unde antiqui Christianos." Witsii in Symb. Apost. exercit. xi. § 27.-ED. (2) Bishop Bonner here seemeth more skilful in his law than in church stories. (3) Wilful, because he will not put himself wilfully into the wolf's mouth. (4) This offence was for speaking in the convocation house with public liberty in the parliament. Cole: "Methinketh master Philpot needeth not to stand so much with your Mary. lordship in that point as he doth, since you seek not to hinder him, but to further him therefore I think it best that he go to the matter that is laid against him of the convocation, and make no longer delay." "Philpot :-"I would willingly show my mind of the matter; but I am sure it will be laid against me to my prejudice when I come to judgment." Cole:"Why then you may speak by protestation." Philpot ::-"But what shall my protestation avail in a cause of heresy (as you call it), if I speak otherwise than you will have me; since that which I spake in the convocation house, being a place privileged, cannot now help me?" Bonner:-" But master doctor Cole, may not I proceed against him for that offence he hath done in my diocese ?''1 A.D. 1555. Cole:-"You may call him before you, my lord, if he be found in your diocese." Philpot:-" :-"But I have by force been brought out of mine own diocese to Philpot my lord's, and require to be judged of mine own ordinary: and therefore I again apknow master doctor will not say of his knowledge, that your lordship ought from to proceed against me." And here master doctor would say nothing. Worcester:-"Do you not think to find before my lord here as good equity in your cause, as before your own ordinary?" Philpot:-"I cannot blame my lord of London's equity, with whom (I thank his lordship) I have found more gentleness since I came, than of mine own ordinary (I speak it for no flattery) this twelvemonth and this half before, who never would call me to answer, as his lordship hath done now twice. man is forbid to use his own right due unto him. But I ought not to be forestalled of my right; and therefore I challenge the same for divers other considerations.' No Bonner:-"Now you cannot say hereafter but that you have been gently communed withal of my lords here, and yet you be wilful and obstinate in your error, and in your own opinions, and will not show any cause why you will not come into the unity of the church with us." Philpot :-"My lords, in that I do not declare my mind according to your expectation, is (as I have said) because I cannot speak without present danger of my life. But rather than you should report me, by this, either obstinate or selfwilled without any just ground, whereupon I stand; I will open unto you somewhat of my mind, or rather the whole, desiring your lordships, which seem to be pillars of the church of England, to satisfy me in the same: and I will refer all other causes in the which I dissent from you, into one or two articles, or rather to one, which includeth them both; in the which if I can by the Scriptures be satisfied at your mouths, I shall as willingly agree to you as any other in all points." Bonner:-"These heretics come always with their 'ifs,' as this man doth now, saying, 'If he can be satisfied by the Scriptures:' so that he will always have this exception, I am not satisfied,' although the matter be never so plainly proved against him.' But will you promise to be satisfied, if my lords take some pains about you?" Philpot:-"I say, my lord, I will be satisfied by the Scriptures in that wherein I stand. And I protest here, before God, and his eternal Son Jesus Christ my Saviour, and the Holy Ghost, and his angels, and you here present that be judges of that I speak, that I do not stand in any opinion, of wilfulness or singularity, but only upon my conscience, certainly informed by God's word, from the which I dare not go for fear of damnation: and this is the cause of mine earnestness in this behalf." Bonner:-"I will trouble my lords no longer, seeing that you will not declare your mind." Philpot:-"I am about so to do, if it please your lordship to hear me speak.' pealeth bishop Bonner to his ordi nary. Bath:-"Give him leave, my lord, to speak that he hath to say." Philpot::—“ My lords, it is not unknown to you that the chief cause why The you do count me, and such as I am, for heretics, is because we be not at unity chiefest with your church. You say you are of the true church: and we say, we are of (2) Sed nemo prohibetur uti jure suo. (1) Note how these men hunt for innocent blood. contro versy in |