The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, John Philpot
The Life of John Philpot, who died Ano Christi 1555.
JOhn Philpot was a Knight's son,His birth and education. and born in Hampshire, brought up at Schoole, and sent from thence to New-Colledge in Oxford, where he studied the Liberal Arts, and the Tongues, and afterwards the Civil-Law, for six or seven years space.His Character. He was of a pregnant wit, and singular courage, fervent in spirit, zealous in Religion, of nature apert, and far from flattery, hypocrisie, and dissimulation. From Oxford he travelled into Italy, where he was in some danger for his Religion:His travels. In King Edward the sixth's dayes he returned into England again,His return. and had many conflicts with Bishop Gardiner. He did much good in Hampshire, being Archdeacon of Winchester all King Edward's dayes.
Anno Christi 1553 (which was the first year of Queen Mary) a Convocation was assembled,A Convocation. wherein Doctor Weston was Prolocutor, in the beginning whereof a disputation was begunne between the Papists and Protestants; wherein Mr. Philpot was so earnest,Mr. Philpots zeal. that Doctor VVeston commanded him to hold his peace, whereto he replyed, You perceive that I have stuffe enough for you, whereby I am able to withstand your false positions, and therefore you command me silence.
If you will not give place (quoth the Prolocutor) I will send you to prison.
This is not (replyed Mr. Philpot) according to your promise made at first in this house; nor yet according to your brag made at Paul's Crosse, when you said, that men should be answered in this disputation, to whatsoever they could say, and now of a dozen arguments that I have, you will not suffer me to prosecute one: But I see that a sort of you here, which hitherto have lurked in corners, and dissembled with God and man, are now gathered together to suppresse the sincere Truth of Gods V Vord, and to set forth your false devices, which by the sacred Scriptures you are not able to maintain.
But six daies after came a Mandate from the Queen to break up the disputation;The Queen dissolves the Convocation. whereupon Doctor VVeston, who all along had used many unseemly checks and taunts to the Protestants, thus concluded: It is not the Queens pleasure that we should spend any longer time here; and ye are all well enough, for you have the Word, and we have the Sword. And shortly after Mr. Philpot was cast into Prison,He is cast into prison. where he lay a yeare and a half before he was examined. Then he was sent for by Doctor Storie, and after some captious questions proposed to him, was committed prisoner to the Bishop of London's Cole-house, unto which was adjoyned a little blinde-house, with a great pair of Stocks, both for hand and foot, but thankes be to God, saith he, I have not played of those Organs yet. There he found a godly Minister of Essex, Danger of Apostacy.who, desiring to speak with him, did greatly lament his infirmity; for through extremity of imprisonment, he had yeelded to the Bishop of London, and was set at liberty; whereupon he felt such an hell in his conscience, that he could scarce refrain from destroying himself; and could have no peace, till going to the Bishops Register, and desiring to see his Recantation, he tore it in peeces; whereupon the Bishop sending for him, buffeted him, pluckt off a great part of his beard,Popish cruelty and sent him to this Cole-house, where Mr. Philpot found him very joyfull under the Crosse.Joy after sorrow. Philpot being afterwards sent for to the Bishop, he asked him, amongst other things, why they were so merry in Prison, singing and rejoycing, as the Prophet saith,His conference with B. Bonner. Exultantes in rebus pessimis, Rejoycing in your naughtinesse. You do not well (said the Bishop) herein, you should rather lament and be sorry. To whom he answered; My Lord, the mirth which we make, is but in singing certain Psalms, as we are commanded by Saint Paul, to rejoice in the Lord, singing together in Hymns and Psalms; for we are in a darke comfortlesse place, and therefore we solace our selves with singing of Psalmes; lest as Solomon saith, Sorrowfulness eat up our heart: Therefore I trust your Lordship will not be angry, seeing the Apostle saith, If any man be of an upright mind, let him sing; and we, to declare that we are of an upright minde to God, though we be in misery, do solace ourselves with singing.
Then did he ask him what his judgement was about the Sacrament of the Altar? To whom he answered, My Lord, Saint Ambrose saith, that the Disputation about matters of Faith ought to be in the Congregation in the hearing of the people, and that I am not bound to render an accou…t of … to every man privately, unlesse it be to edifie. But now I cannot shew you my mind, but I must runne upon the pikes, and endanger my life: Therefore, as St. Ambrose said to Valentinian the Emperour, so say I unto you, Tolle Legem, & fiet certamen; Take away the Law, and I shall reason with you. And yet if I come in open judgement, where I am bound by the Law to answer, I trust I shall answer according to my conscience, as freely as any that hath come before you.
After other discourse (saith he) I was carried to my Lords▪ Cole-house again,A prison a palace. where I, with my six fellow-prisoners, do rouse together in the straw as chearfully, we thank God, as others doe in their beds of down.
A few dayes after he was called before Bonner, His conference with the bishops.with the Bishops of Bath, Worcester, and Gloucester, at which conference the bishop of Worcester said: Before we begin to speak to him, it's best that he call to God for grace, and to pray that God would open his heart, that he may conceive the Truth. Hereupon Mr. Philpot kneeling down said, Almighty God, His prayer.who are the giver of all wisdome, and understanding, I beseech thee of thine infinite goodnesse and mercy in Jesus Christ, to give me (most vile sinner) in thy sight, the spirit of wisdome to speak, and make answer in thy cause, that it may be to the contentation of the hearers before whom I stand, also to my better understanding, if I be deceived in any thing.
Nay my Lord of Worcester (quoth Bonner) you did not well to exhort him to make any prayer:Popish ignorance. For this is the thing they have a singular pride in, that they can often make their vain prayers, in which they glory much: For in this point they are like to certain arrant Hereticks of which Pliny speaks, that they daily sung antelucanos Hymnos, Praises to God before the dawning of the day. Then said Mr. Philpot, My Lord God make me, and all you here present, such Hereticks as they were: for they were godly Christians, with whom the Tyrants of the world were offended for their Christian practises and well doing. But all their conference proved to no purpose; for the Bishops would not dispute, and Mr. Philpot would not take their words without Scripture and Arguments, so he was returned to his Cole-house again.
And in another conference with Doctor Morgan, the Doctor asked him,His conference with Doctor Morgan. How he knew he had the Spirit of God, and not they?
Phil. By the Faith of Christ which is in me.
Morgan. Popish prophanesse.Ah, by Faith, doe you so? I ween it to be the spirit of the Buttery which your fellows had, which have been burned before you who were drunk the night before they went to their death, and I ween went drunken to it.
Phil. It appeareth by your speeches, that you are better acquainted with the spirit of the buttery then with the spirit of God:Mr. Philpots zeal. Wherefore I must now tell thee, thou painted wall, and hypocrite, in the name of the living Lord, whose truth I have told thee, that God shall rain fire and brimstone upon such scorners of his Word, and blasphemers of his people as thou art.
Morgan. What, you rage now?
Phil. Thy foolish blasphemics have compelled the spirit of God which is in me to speak that which I have said to thee, thou enemy of all righteousnesse.
Morgan. Why doe you judge me so?
Phil. By thy own wicked words I judge of thee, thou blinde and blasphemous Doctor; for as it is written, By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. I have spoken on Gods behalf, and now I have done with thee.
Morg. Why then I tell thee Philpot thou art an Heretick, and shalt be burned, and afterwards goe to hell fire.
Phil. I tell thee thou hypocrite, that I passe not a rush for thy fire and faggots; neither, I thank my Lord God, doe stand in fear of the same. But for the hell fire which thou threatnest me as my portion, it's prepared for thee, unlesse thou speedily repent, and for such hypocrites as thou art.
After sundry other examinations he was by the Bishop set in the stocks,He is set in the stocks. in a house alone, of which he writes: God bee praised that hee thought use worthy so suffer any thing for his names sake: letter it is to sit in the stocks in this world, then to sit in the stocks of a damnable conscience. At last he was condemned for an Heretick: whereupon he said, I thank God I am an Heretick out of your cursed Church, but I am no Heretick, before God. Being sent to Newgate, he spake to the people as he went, saying, Ah good people, blessed be God for this day: Having notice given on the over-night that the next day he should be burn'd,His condemnation. he said I am ready, God grant me strength, and a joyfull resurrection; and so he went to his chamber, pouring out his spirit unto the Lord in p…ayer,He prepa… for death. and giving him most hearty thanks for accounting him worthy to suffer for his Truth, Going into Smithfield, the way was very foul, whereupon two Officers took him up to bear him to the stake: then …e said merrily,He is carried into…mit field. Wh…t, will you make me Pope? Comming into Smithfield, he kneeled down, saying, I will pay my vows in thee O Smithfield: He kissed the stake, saying, Shall I disdaine to suffer at this stake, when my Lord and Saviour refused not to suffer a most vile death for me? His martyrdom.When the fire was kindled, with much meekness and comfort he resigned up his spirit unto God, Anno Christi 1555.
In a Letter which he wrote to John Carelesse then prisoner in the Kings-bench, he thus writes: Indeed, my dear Carelesse, I am in this world in hell, and in the shadow of death; but he that for my deserts hath brought me down into hell, shall shortly lift me up unto heaven, where I shall look continually for your comming, and others of my faithful brethren in the Kings-bench. And though I tell you that I am in hell in the judgement of the world, yet assuredly I feel in the same the consolation of heaven, I praise God: And this lothsome and horrible prison is as pleasant to me as the walks in the Garden of the Kings-bench.His wonderful joy in prison. And in a Letter that he wrote to his Sister, he thus concludes: My dissolution I look for daily, but the Lord knoweth how unworthy I am of so high an honour, as to die for the testimony of his Truth. Pray that God would vouchsafe to make me worthy, as he hath done of long imprisonment. Pray, and look for the coming of the Lord &c. In another Letter he writes thus, Commend me to Mr. Elsing and his wife, and thank them for providing me some ease in prison; and tell them that though my Lords Cole house be but very black, yet it is more to be desired of the faithfull then the Queens Palace. The world wondereth how we can be merry in such extream miseries but our God is omnipotent, which turneth misery into felicity: Beleeve me there is no such …oy in the world as the people of Christ have under the Crosse: I speak by ex…rence, therefore believe me, and fear nothing that the world can doe unto you, for when they imprison our bodies, they set our souls at liberty with God; when they cast us down, they life us up; yea when they kill us, then doe they send us to everlasting life; and what greater glory can there be then to be made confo…mable to our head Christ which is done by afflictions? O good God what am I, upon whom thou shoulde bestow so great a mercy? This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us rejoyce and be glad in the same; this is the way though it be but narrow, which is full of the peace of God, and leadeth to eternall blisse. Oh how my heart leapeth for joy that I am so near the apprehension thereof. God forgive me my unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great glory. I h…ve so much joy, that though I be in a place of darknesse and mourning, yet I cannot lament, but both night and day am so joyfull, as if I were under no crosse at all yea in all the daies of my life I was never so merry, the name of the Lord be praised for ever, and ever; and the Lord pardon my unth…nkfulness. Our enemies do fret, fume, and grash their teeth to see, and hear, that we under this grievous affliction can be so merry. Pray instantly that this joy may never be taken from us, for it passeth all the delights of this world, This is the peace of God which passeth all understanding: This peace, the more his chosen be afflicted, the more they feel; and therefore cannot faint neither for fire, nor water.
Whilst Mr. Philpot was prisoner in Newgate, He defends Infant baptsima dertaine friend of his that scrupled the Baptizing of Infants, wrote to him for his judgement about it, to whom he wrote a large and learned Answer, proving by Scripture, by Arguments, by testimony of the Fathers, and by the constant practise of the Primitive Church, from the Apostles daies, the lawfulnesse and necessity of the same, which you may read in the Book of Martyrs vol. 3. pag. 606. &c.