this I haue said I wil stand, & referre all other controuersies, I stand now against you, & wil put my hand therto, if you mistrust my word.

Boner. I pray you mayster Philpot, what faithe were you of xx. yeares ago? Thys man wyl haue euery yeare a new faith.

phil. My Lord, to tel you plaine, I thynke I was of no faith. For I was then a wycked lyuer, and knewe not God then, as I ought to do. God forgeue me.

Boner. No were? that is not so. I am sure you were of some faith.

Phil. My Lord, I haue declared you on my conscience what I then was, and iudge of my selfe. And what is that to the purpose, of the thing I desire to be satisfied of you?

Boner. Maister Doctor Cole, I praye you say your mynde to hym.

Cole. What wyl you say, if I can proue that it were decreed by an vniuersal coūcel in Athanasius time, that all the Christen Churche should folow the determination of the church of Rome? But I doo not nowe remember where.

Phil. If you maister doctour can shew me the same graunted to the sea of Rome, by the authority of the scripture, I wyl gladlye harken thereto. But I thinke you be not able to shew any suche thing: For Athanasius was President of Nicene counsel,  

and there was no such thing decreed, I am sure.

Cole. Though it were not then, it myght be at an other tyme.

phil. I desire to see the proofe therof. And vpon this maister Harpesfield, Chauncellour to the bishop of London, brought in a boke of Ireneus, with certaine leaues turned in, & layd it before the Byshops, to helpe them in theyr perplexity, if it might be. The which after the bishops of Bath and Glocester had red together, the bishop of Glocester gaue me þ^e booke.

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Gloc. Take the booke maister Philpot, and looke vpon that place, and there may you see how the church of Rome is to be followed of all men.

Phil. I tooke the booke, and red the place. The which after I had red, I sayd it made nothing against me, but against the Arians and other heretiks, against whom Ireneus  

wrote, prouinge that they were not to bee credited, because they dyd teache and folowe after straunge doctrine in Europa, and that the chiefe churche of the same was founded by Peter and Paule, and had to hys tyme continued by faithful successiō of the faithful bishops, in preaching the true Gospell as they had receiued it of the Apostles, and nothing lyke to the late sprong heretiks. &c. Wherby he cōcludeth against them, þ^t they wer not to be heard, neither to be credited. The which thing if you my lords be able to proue now of the church of

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Rome, thē had you as good authority against me in my cause now, as Ireneus had against those heretiks. But the church of Rome hath swarued from þ^e truth & simplicity of the Gospell, whiche it mayntained in Ireneus tyme, and was vncorrupted from that whiche it is now. Wherefore your Lordships cannot iustlye applye the authoritye of Ireneus to the church of Rome now, which is so manifestlye corrupted from the primatiue church.

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Boner. So wil you say stil, it maketh nothing for the purpose, what so euer authoritye wee bryng, and wyl neuer be satisfied.

phil. My Lorde, when I doo by iust reason proue, that the authorities which be brought against me do not make to the purpose, as I haue already proued, I trust you wyll receiue myne answer.

VVorc. It is to be proued most manifestlye by al auncient wryters, that the sea of Rome hath alwayes folowed the truthe, and neuer was deceiued, vntil of late certaine heretikes had defaced the same.

phil. Let that be proued, and I haue done.

VVorcest. Nay, you are of such arrogancie, singularitie, and vayne glorye, that you will not se it, be it neuer so well proued.

Phil. Ha my Lordes, is it now tyme (thinke you) for me to folow singularity or vayne glorye, since it is nowe vpon daunger of my life and death, not only presently, but also before God to come? and I knowe, if I dye not in the true faith, I shall dye euerlastingly, & againe I knowe, if I do not as you woulde haue me you will kil me, & many thousandes mo. Yet had I lieffer perish at your handes, then to perishe eternally. And at this tyme I haue loste all my commodities of this worlde, and nowe ly in a Colehouse, where a man would not lay a dogge, with the which I am wel contented.

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Cole. Where are you able to proue that the churche of Rome hath erred at any tyme? and by what historye? certayne it is by Eusebius, that the church was stablished at Rome by Peter and Paule, and that Peter was Byshop xxv. yeres at Rome.

Phil. I knowe well that Eusebius so writeth: but if we compare that which saint Paule writeth to the Galathians the first, it wil manifestly appeare the contrary, that he was not halfe so longe there. He liued not past. xxxv. yeares after hee was called to bee an Apostle. And Paule maketh mention of his abydinge after Christes death more then. xviii. yeares.

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Cole. What, did Peter write to þ^e Galathiās?

Phil. No, I saye Paule maketh mention of Peter, writing to the Galathians, & of his abidyng. And further, I am able to proue, bothe by Eusebius and other Historiographers, that the church of Rome hath manifestly erred, and at thys present doth erre, because she agreeth