Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 18 · Examination 12
The ninth examination of M. Philpot before Boner and his Chaplaines.
IN the morning the nexte daye I was called downe betunes, by my keper,The 9. examination of Iohn Philpot before the Bishop and his Chapleyns. and brought againe into the Wardrobe, where I remained vntil the Byshop had heard hys Masse, and afterwarde he sent vp for me into his inwarde Parlour, and there he called for a chaire to sit downe, and brought his infamous Libell of his forged Articles in his hande, and sate downe, willing me to drawe neare vntounto him, and saide:
Lond.
I am this day appoynted to tarry at home from the Parlament house, to examine you and your fellowes vponupon these Articles, and you stande dalying with me, and will neither answere to nor fro. Ywis al your exceptions will not serue you. Will it not be a faire honestie for you, (thinke ye) that when thou commest afore my Lorde Maior and the Sheriffes, & other worshipful audience, when I shall say before them all, that I hauehave had thee these many times before me, and before so many learned men, and then thou couldest saye nothing for that thou standest in, for all thy bragges of learning, neither wouldest answere directly to any thing.
Phil.
My Lord, I hauehave told you my mind plaine enough:Iohn Philpot still standeth to his former plea to aunswere before his owne Ordinary. but yet I do not intend to lose that priuiledge the law geueth me, the which is free choise to aunswere where I am not bound, and this priuiledge wil I cleaue vntounto, vntil I be compelled otherwise.
Lon.
Well, I perceiue you will playe the obstinate foole. Lay thine appellation when thou commest in iudgement, and answere in the meane while to these articles.
Phil.
No, my Lord, by your leaue I wil not answeare to them, vntill my lawfull appeale be tried.
Lon.
Wel, thou shalt heare them, and with that he began to reade them.
Phil.
I shranke backe into the windowe,Iohn Philpot will not heare his articles read. and looked on a booke, and after he had read them ouer, he said vntounto me.
Lon.
I hauehave read them ouer, although it hath not pleased you to heare mee. I marueile (in good faith) what thou meanest to be so wilful and stubborne, seeing thou mayest doe wel enough if thou list. It is but a singularitie. Doest thou not see all the realme against thee?
Phil.
My Lord, I speake vntounto you in the witnes of God, before whom I stand, yt I am neither wedded vntounto mine owne will, neither stand vponupon mine owne stubbernesse or singularitie, but vponupon my conscience instructed by Gods word: and if your Lordship can shew better euidence then I hauehave for a good faith, I will folowe the same.
Lon.
What, thou wilt not (loe) for all that. Well, all that is past shall be forgotten: and be conformable vntounto vsus. Iwis thou mightest find as much fauour as thou wouldest desire.
Phil.
Then I perceiuing that he fawned so muche vponupon me, thought it good to geue hym some comfort of relēting, to the end I might openly geue him and his hypocriticall generation, openly a further foyle, perceiuing that they dare reason opēly with none, but with such as be vnlearned; and for lacke of knowledge not able to aunsweare, or els with such as they hauehave a hope, that for feare or louelove of the worlde, will recant. I sayde: My Lorde, it is not vnknowen to you, that I hauehave openlye in the audience of a great number, stand to the maintenance of these opinions I am in, & by learning did offer to defende them: therefore my Lord) I would it might openly appeare to the world, that I am wonne by learnyng, or els what wyll they say, but that eyther for feare or louelove of the worlde, I am without any ground turned from the truth? and if I hauehave any kinde of learning openly shewed, I shalbe as conformable as you may require me.
Lond.
Yea mary, now ye speake somwhat like a reasonable man. I wis you might hauehave had a great deale more fauour in my house and libertie then you hauehave had: and you shall lacke nothing that is within my house, call for it, and you shall hauehave it. And what is it that you woulde openly by learnyng somewhat be satisfied in, tell me?
Phil.
My Lord, I hauehave openly sayd, and do beleeue it also, that your sacrifice of the Masse is no Sacrament.
Lond.
Talke of the Sacrament.What, doe you deny the presence of Christe in the Sacrament?
Phil.
No, my Lorde, I deny not the presence of Christ in the Sacrament, but I hauehave denyed the Sacrament of the Alter, as it is vsed in your Masse, to be ye true Sacrament of Christes institution. And first it must be proued a sacrament, ere there can be any kind of presence graunted.
Lond.
Why, do you deny the Masse to be a Sacrament? I pray you what is a Sacrament? Is it not a signe of a holy thyng, as saint Austine doth define it?
Phil.
This argument in the 2 figure concluding aff…matiuely doth not holde by Logyke.Yes verily that it is.
Lond.
Then I make this argument vntounto you. A Sacrament is the signe of a holy thing: but the Masse is a signe of a holy thing: Ergo, it is a Sacrament.
Phil.
You must adde this to your Maior or fyrst proposition, as saint Austine doth meane, that a Sacrament is the signe of a holy thing instituted of God, and commaunded: for otherwise it can be no Sacrament, for all men can not make a Sacrament.
Lond.
I graunt that, and such a signe of a holy thyng is the Masse of Christes institution.
Phil.
I deny that, my Lord:
Lond.
The Bishop being brought to a narrow straite, is fayne to call for more helpe.I will proue this by S. Austine by and by. I will go shew you the booke, & you shall hauehave any booke I hauehave that you wyll demaund. Hoe, who is without there? call me M. Doct. Chadsey, M. Archdeacon, M. Cosins, and other Chapleynes hyther.
Here, my Lorde, Maister Doctour Chadsey in gone to Westminster, and Maister Archdeacon was here euen nowe.
Lond.
M. Cosins, I pray you examine him vponupon these Articles, and write his aunswere he maketh to eueryevery one of them. I will go examine his felowes, and sende you S. Austine by and by. I finde this man more conformable then he was before.
Cosins.
I trust my Lord, you shall finde him at length a good Catholicke man. Mary here be a sight of heresies: I dare say, you will hold none of them, neither stand in any of them. How say you to the first?
Phil.
M. Cosins, I hauehave tolde my Lord already, that I will aunswere to none of these articles he hath obiected against me: but if you will with learning aunswere to that which is in question betweene my Lorde and me, I wyll gladly heare and common with you.Whether the Masse be a Sacrament.
Cosins.
No wyll you? Why, what is that then which is in question betweene my Lord and you?
Phil.
Whether your Masse be a Sacrament or no?
Cosins.
What, the Masse to bee a Sacrament? who euer doubted thereof?
Phil.
If it be an vndoubted trueth, you may the sooner proue it: for I doubt much thereof.
Cosins.
Why, I wyll prooue it. It is the signe of a holy thing: Ergo, it is a Sacrament.
Phil.
I deny your antecedent.
Cosins.
What, wyll you so? then there is no reasoning with you.
M. Cosins geueth ouer in the playne field.Thus master Cosins gaue ouer in the plaine fielde for want of further proofe. And then the morowe Masse Chaplein began to speake for his occupation, & with that M. Harpsfield came out from my Lord with S. Austines Epistles, saying:
Harps.
My Lorde hath sent you here S. Austine to looke vponupon, and I pray you looeke what he sayth in a certayne Epistle which he writeth. I wyll reade ouer the whole. Here may you heare the celebration of the Masse, & howe he reproueth them that went a haukyng and huntyng before the celebration of the same, on the Sabboth and holy dayes.
Phil.
I perceiue the contentes of this Epistle, and I see nothing herein against me, neither nothing that maketh for the profe of your Sacrament of the Masse.
Harps.
No, doth he not make mention of the Masse, & the celebration thereof? what can be spoken more playne?
Phil.
S. Austine meaneth of the celebration of the Communion, and of the true vse of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ, and not of your priuate Masse,The … of S. … alledg… for con…mation of the Masse, aunswered how it … deriued. which you of late yeares hauehave erected in the steede thereof. For this worde Masse hath bene an old terme attributed to the Communion, euen from the Primitiue Churche. And I pray you tell me what Missa doth signifie. I thinke not many that say Masse, can well tell.
Cosins.
No can? that is maruell.
Phil.
Then tel, if you can. But M. Cosins & my morow masse Chaplaine were dumbe, looking vponupon M. Harpsfield for helpe, and at length he spake.
Harps.
You thinke it cōmeth of the Hebrue word Massah, The … Missa.as though none were seene in the Hebrue but you.
Phil.
I hauehave not gone so long to Schole, to deriue the signification of Missa, which is a Latine worde out of Hebrue: but I hauehave learned to interprete Greeke wordes by Greeke, and Latine by Latine, and Hebrue by Hebrue. I take the Communion to be called Missa á mittendo, of such thinges as at the celebration of the Communion were sent by such as were of abilitie, to the reliefe of the poore, where the rich brought after their deuotion & abilitie, and required the Minister in the celebration of the Communion, to pray vntounto God for them, and to accept their common almes, whiche they at suche times did sende for the helpe of their poore brethren and sisters: and for this cause was it called Missa, as learned men doe witnesse. At the which celebration of the Masse, all that were present did communicate vnderunder both kindes, accordyng to Christes institution, as they dyd in Saint Augustines tyme. But vnlesse you can shew that your Masse is vsed as thē was, ye shall neuer by the name of Masse (which saint Austine attributed to the true vse of the Communion) proue your priuate Masse to be a Sacrament, vnlesse ye can proue the same nowe to be in your Masses as was then, whiche is cleane contrary.
Harps.
What, deny you the Masse to be a Sacrament?The Masse is a sacrifi… quoth Harpsfield. For shame speake it not.
Phil.
I wyll not be ashamed to denye it, if you can not proue it.
Har.
Why, it is a sacrifice, which is more thē a sacrament.
Phil.
You may make of it as muche as you list: but you shall neuer make it a Sacrifice, as you imagine thereof, but first it must be a Sacrament, for of the Sacrament you deduce your Sacrifice.
Harps.
Why, doth not Christe say: This is my body? and doth not the Priest pronounce the same that Christ did?
Phil.
The pronunciation is not only enough, vnlesse the wordes be therewithall applied to the vse,A Sacrament is no Sacrament with…out his vse▪ as Christ spake them to. For though you speake the wordes of Baptisme ouer water neuer so many tymes, yet there is no Baptisme vnlesse there be a Christian person to be baptised.
Harps.
Nay, that is not lyke: for, Hoc est corpus meum, is an indicatiue proposition, shewing a working of God in the substance of bread and wine.
Phil.
It is not onelyonly an indicatiue proposition, but also imperatiue or commaundyng. For he that sayd: Hoc est corpus meum. i. This is my body, sayde also: Accepite, manducate. i. Take ye, eate ye. And except the former part of the institution of Christes Sacrament be accomplished accordyng to the Communion, the latter, This is my body, can hauehave no verification, take it which way you wyll, and how you wyll.
Morowmasse Chap.
Why, then you wyll make the Sacrament to stand in the receiuing, and that receiuing maketh it a Sacrament.
Phil.
I do not say,Receauing maketh not the Sacrament, ye… the Sacrament of the Lords Supper without it be receiued is no Sacrament. that the receiuing maketh it the Sacrament onelyonly: but I say, that a common receiuing must needes be con…urrent with the true Sacrament, as a necessary member, without the which it can not be a Sacrament, because Christe hath made this a principall parte of the Sacrament, Take ye, eate ye, whiche you doe not in your Masse accordyng to Christes institution: wherefore it can be no Sacrament, for that it wanteth of Christes institution.
Cosins.
We do forbyd none to come to it, but as many as lyst, may be partakers with vsus at the Masse, if they require it.
Phil.
Nay, that they shal not, though they require it. You wyll minister but one kinde vntounto them, which is not after Christes institution. Besides that, you ought before you go to Masse, to exhort al that be present, to make a Sacrifice of thankes geuing for Christes passion with you,What the Priestes ought to do at their Masse. and to exhort them to be partakers with you, accordyng to Christes commaundemet, saying vntounto all that be present: Take ye, eate ye: and likewyse by preaching shew forth the Lordes death, which you do not.
Cosins.
What and if al things be done euen as you would hauehave it, and whilest the Minister is about to minister the Sacrament before any hauehave receyued it, there rise a sodain onelyonly burly, that the communicants be compelled to go away: is it not a sacrament for all that none hath communicated beside the priest?
Phil.
In this case where all thyngs are appoynted to bee done according to gods word, if incident necessity had not let, I can not say, but it is a sacrament, and that hee which hath receiued, hath receiued the true sacrament. After this the morowmasse priest made this apish reason.
The morowmasse priest.
If the sacrament of the masse be no Sacrament, vnlesse all do receiue it, because Christ sayde: Take ye, eate ye, then the sacrament of Baptisme is no Sacrament, where there is but one baptised, because Christ sayd to his Apostles: Go preach the Gospell to all creatures, baptising all nations in the name of the father. &c.
Phil.
In that saying of Christ: Baptising all nations, is a cō maundement to the Apostles, to baptise all sorts of men, & to exclude none that do beleeue, be he Gentile or Iew, not meanyng all at once,The Sacra… …. for that were impossible. And there are many examples, that baptisme may be singularly ministred to one person, as we hauehave example in Christ baptised o… Iohn, and in the Eunuch baptised of Phillip, with many mo such like: but so hauehave you not of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ, but contrarywise by the expresse wordes of S. Paule you are commaunded to vse it in a Communion and participation of many together,The Sacrament of the …. the 11. to the Corinthians: Quoties conuenitis ad manducā dum, alius alium expectate: As ofte as ye come together to eate (meanyng the Lordes supper) tary one for an other. And also the Minister in the celebration of the sacrament, speaketh vntounto all that be present in Christes behalfe, to cō municate with hym, saying: Take ye, and eate ye. Wherfore, as many as bee present and doe not communicate, breake Gods commandement in not receiuyng the same, and the minister is no iust minister that doth not distribute the sacrament as Christ did,… the … Suppe… all that … present …. to all that are present, and where Gods word is transgressed, there is not Christ present, & consequently it is no Sacrament.
Harps.
What, would you hauehave it no sacrament without it be a Communion?
Phil.
I make it not so, but gods expresse word teacheth me so, yea, also all the auncient writers: as S. Chrysostome writing vponupon the Epistle to the Ephesians saith:…. in … Ep…e. … Sacrament without it be a communion▪ Co…ins and the Chapl…ne geue … their …. That the oblation is in vayne, where as none doth communicate with the priest. If by his iudgement the action of the priest alone is in vayne, where is no Communion, how can that be a sacrament which he calleth a vayne oblation, and a vayne standyng at the aultar?
Cosins.
You are such another fellow as I hauehave not heard, that will not hauehave the Masse to be a sacrament: you are no man for me to reason withall. Come, let vsus go, poyntyng to the morrowmasse Chaplaine: we will leaue you (maister Archdeacon) and him together: and so they went away. Afterward the Archdeacon fell into earnest perswasions with me, saying:
Harps.
M. Philpot you and I hauehave bene of olde acquaintance a long tyme. We were schoolefellowes both in Winchester and in Oxford many yeares. Wherefore I must wish you as well to do as my selfe, & I pray you so thinke of mee.
Phil.
I thanke you for your good will towards me. But if you be deceiued (as I am sure you are) I shall desire you not to wish me deceyued with you.… M. … & … Arch…eacon. For afore God I tell you plainly you are highly deceiued, and maintain fals religiō, and be not those men you take your selues for: and if you do not repent, & leaue of your persecuting of Christes truth, you will go to the deuill for it. Therefore consider it in time, I geue you warning: for in ye day of iudgement, els I shall be a witnes agaynst you, that I told you this here talkyng together.
Harpsfield.
Fie, that is but your owne vayne singular opinion. I perceyue you are still now that man you were in Oxford.
Phil.
I trust you can report no notorious euill that euer you knew by me there.
Harpsfield.
I can say no euill of your conuersation, but I knew you to be a studious man. Marry, if you remember when we mette in disputation in Paruis, you would not lightly geue ouer, and for that cause I speake that I hauehave sayd.
Phil.
M. Harpsfield, you know in the Schooles at Oxford, when we were young men, we did striue much vpō vaine glory, and vponupon contention, more then for the truth: but now our yeares and our riper learnyng teach vsus to fall to a truth, which must bee our portion for euer. And if I was then, in my tyme of ignorance earnest in myne owne cause, I ought now to be earnest in my Maister Christes cause, and in his truth. I knowe now that nothyng done vponupon vayne glory and singularitie, can please God, hauehave it neuer so goodly a shew: wherfore I pray you iudge not so of me now.
Harps.
What, will you thinke your selfe better learned, thē all the learned men in this realme?
Phil.
My faith hangeth not vponupon the learned of the world,M. Harpsfield standeth vponupon number and multitude. but vponupon the learned of Gods word.
Harps.
Well, I will talke with you no more as nowe, but pray to God to open your hart.
Phil.
I pray God open both our harts, to do more his wil then we hauehave done in tymes past.
Harps.
Ho Keper, take hym away with you.
Phil.
I pray you Maister Harpesfield, tell me what this Pronounce (Hoc) doth demonstrate and shew in this Indicatiue proposition, as you call it: Hoc est corpus meum: What this Pronoune [Ho…] doth d…monstrate.This is my body.
Harpsfield.
It doth demonstrate the substaunce of breade, which by the words spoken by the Priest, and by the omnipotencie of God, is turned into the substance of Christs very body.
Phil.
Is the substaunce of the bread (as you say) turned into Christes body?
Harps.
Yea that it is.
Phil.
Why,That is agaynst the opinion of Winchester, read before in the tractation of Winchesters Sermon. then Christes body receyueth daily a great increase of many thousand pieces of bread into his body, and that is his body become now, which was not before, and by this you would seeme to make, that there is an alteration in Christes glorified body, which is a wicked thing to thinke.
Harps.
Then he set about agayne, and remembryng better hymselfe,M. Harpsfield in a double tale. and seyng the inconuenience of his first assertion of the transubstantiation of bread into Christes body, hee sayd, that the substance of bread after the words spoken by the priest, was euacuated or vanished away by the omnipotencie of God.
Phil.
This is another song then you sang first. And here you may see how contrary you are to your selues. For in deed your scoolemen do holde, that the very substaunce of bread is really turned into the substance of Christes body. And now you perceiuyng of late the inconuenience which is obiected against you in that opinion,Contrariety in popish doctrine. you are driuen to imagine a new shift, and say, the substance of bread is cuacuated, contrary to that your church hath first beleued and taught. O what contrarietie is there among you, and all to deface the sincere truth?
Harps.
Is not God omnipotent? and cannot he doe as hee hath sayd?
Phil.
But his omnipotencie wil not do as you say,Pretence of Gods omnipotencye. contrary to hys word and to hys honour. It is not Gods honor to include hym bodily in a piece of bread, and of necessitye to tye hym therto. It is not gods honour for you to make a piece of bread God and man, which you see before your face doth putrifie after a certaine tyme. Is not Gods omnipotency as able to geue his body with the Sacramentall bread, as to make so many turnyngs away of ye bread, as you doe, and that directly against the Scripture, which calleth it bread many tymes after the consecration? Are you not ashamed to make so many alterations of ye Lords holy institution as you do,The substanciall partes of the Sacrament takē away by the Papistes. and to take away the substantiall partes of the Sacrament, as, Take ye, eate ye, drinke ye all of this. Do ye this in remembraunce of me: & to place in their steades, Heare ye, gase ye, knocke ye, worship ye, offer ye, sacrifice ye for the quicke and the dead? If this be not blasphemy to God and hys Sacrament, to adde and to pluck away in this sort, and that contrary to the mynd of all ancient writers, and contrary to the example of Christ & hys Apostles, tell me.
Harps.
I know you hauehave gathered the sayings of the Doctors together, which make for your purpose. I wyll talke no longer with you.
Phil.
I pray God open both our harts, to do more his wil then we hauehave in tymes past.M. Harpsfield geueth ouer for lacke of good matter.
Harps.
O Keeper, take hym away with you.