Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 18 · Examination 13
¶The tenth examination of Iohn Philpot, before B. Boner, his Register, and others.
THe next day after diuer I was brought into my Lords vpper Hall,His tenth examination before the B. & others. and there he called me before hym and his Register, and before Doct. Chedsey in the presence of two homely Gentlemen and a Priest, which I knew not: at what tyme the B. sayd.
London.
I do here lay vntounto this man in your presence (requiryng you to be a witnesse against him, as much as you know in any of them) these articles, this booke of the Catechisme made in K. Edwards dayes, also these conclusions agreed vponupon both in Oxford and Cambridge: also I lay vntounto hym, that he hath despised the Censures of the Church, & hath stood accursed more then this twelmonth, and neuer required absolution thereof. How say you, wast thou not accursed by my L. Chancellor?
Phil.
I was excommunicated by him wrongfully, & without any iust cause and without order of law,Iohn Philpot accu…sed by St…. Gardiner, without orde… of lawe. beyng neuer personally cited.
Lond
Didst not thou tell me the other day, when I required thee to come to the masse, that thou wast excommunicated, & therfore by the law couldest not heare masse? How long hast thou …ene thus excommunicate?
Phil.
More then a xij. month and a halfe.
Lond.
Loe, you may heare what he sayth. Write it.
Phil.
But as you would hauehave written that I hauehave sayd, I hauehave bene thus long excōmunicated,Iohn Philpot required absolution of Winchester and was denyed it. so also let him write, that I did require of my L. Chauncellor that did excommunicate me, my absolution: but he would not geue it me saying that I was excōmunicatus ipso iure, because I was an heretike (as it pleased hym to call me) therefore accursed by your law, and so commaunded me to prison, where I remayne.
Gentleman.
Why do you not require absolutiō at my lords hands here now?B. Boner will needes be his Ordinary.
Phil.
Because hee is not myne Ordinary, neither hath by the law any thing to do with me of right.
Lond.
What an obstinate foole is this? I tell thee I will be thine Ordinary whether thou wilt or no.
Phil.
M. Philpot appealeth from the B. of London agayne.And because of this your vnrighteous force towards me, I hauehave appealed from you, & require you M. Register, that my appeale may be entred in writyng.
Lond.
HaueHave you heard such a froward fellow as this? hee seemed yesterday to be very tractable, & I had a good hope in hym. I tell thee thou art of my Diocesse.
Phil.
I am of Winchester Diocesse, and not of London Diocesse.
Lond.
I pray you may not a man be of two Diocesses at oute?
Phil.
No, that he cannot.
Lond.
Lo, wyll you see what an ignoraunt foole is this in the law, in that which he would seeme to be seene? I tell thee a man may be of three Diocesses at once:How one may be of three dioces at once. as if thou wer… borne in London, by reason therof thou shouldst bee of my dioces: or els, if thou wert not borne, but haddest a dignitie here, also thou art to be counted of my diocesse, or els by reason of thy habitation in my dioces.
Phil.
In none of these respects I am of your Lordshippes dioces. But for all that, this will not follow, that I dwellyng at Winchester, am at that present of London dioces.
London.
What will you lay thereof? wilt thou recant if I prooue it?
Phil.
But what shall I win, if you do not?
Lond.
I will geue thee my bishoprike, if I prooue it not.
Phil.
Yea, but who shall deliuer it me, if I win?
Lond.
Thou art an arrogant foole. Enter their othes, and take these witnesses depositiōs. I must be gone to the parliament house.
After this spake vntounto me a Priest standing by, askyng me whether I was kin to my L. Rich, or no?
Phil.
I sayd, he sayd so himselfe vntounto me the other day, but how, I know not.
Chadsey.
I heard him say, that he was his very nigh kinsman.
Baalamite.
Why, then you & I must be of kin, for hee is my nigh kinsman.His Baalamite kinsman. How chance it that you and I be of contrary iudgements?
Phil.
It is no meruail, for Christ prophesied, That the father shall be deuided agaynst the sonne, and the sonne against the father for my truths sake.
Baala.
You do hold (as I vnderstand) agaynst the blessed sacrament of the aulter, and agaynst the holy masse.
Phil.
If you can prooue it a Sacrament, I wil not hold agaynst you.
Baala.
Scripture hansomely applied.What prooue it a Sacrament quoth he? doth not S. Paul say: Quae oculus non vidit & auris non audiuit, ea praeparauit Deus diligentibus se? That such thinges as the eye hath not seene, neither eare heard, hath God prepared for them that louelove hym.
Phil.
That saying of S. Paule concerneth nothyng your sacrament, but is ment of the heauenly ioyes that bee prepared for all faythfull beleeuers.
Baala.
Why, then I perceiue you vnderstand not S. Paul. By God, you are deceiued.
Phil.
You ought not to sweare kinsman, if you will that I shall so cal you, & without disworship of our kinred, I vnderstand S. Paul as wel as you, and know what I say: and with that shewed hym a Greeke Testament with Erasmus translation, & with the old also, demaundyng him which text he was best acquainted withall.
Baala.
I knew Greeke too once, as well as you, I care not which you read.
Phil.
You knowe them then all alike: you vnderstand the one as well as the other. With this my Baalamite kinsman departed in a fury.
The next day after I was brought down againe after dinner, to the Chappel,… next … talke wi… the Bishop. and there my Baalamite kinsman (to verifie the scriptures, as a mans owne kinsfolks shall be hys enemies) came in with the B. as a witnes agaynst me: and there the B. caused another that came to hym about other matters, to sweare also to be a witnes against me, which was a priest also, saying.
London.
You shall sweare to depose all the truth of certain Articles you shall be enquired of concernyng this man:Witnes agayne sworn… … gaynst … Philpo… ▪ Iohn P…lpot … from … Bisho… & here I (accordyng to the lawe) do bryng them forth in thy presence.
Phil.
My Lord I doo not agree to the production of them but doo appeale from all these & others your proceedinges agaynst me: and require you, Maister Register, that my appeale may be entred, & I wil geue you for your labour.
Reg.
Your appeale shalbe entred at leasure. Whom doe you appeale vntounto? tell me.
I appeale to a higher Iudge, as to the Lieutenaunt of the Archbishopricke of Canterbury: for I know not who is bishop therof at this present. With that ye B. went away, and my Baalamite kinsman looking big vponupon me, but sayd neuer a woord.
Thus I hauehave in hast scribled out all myne examinations hetherto, that the same whiche hath bene done vntounto me in darke, myght come to lyght, & that the papistes vniust procedyngs and nakednes in their false religiō, might be known to their confusion. Iesus is Imanuel, that is, God with vsus, Amen. 1555.