Marginalia1555. Decemb.Boner. Why? do you not thinke that we haue now the true fayth?
Phil. I desire your Lordship to hold me excused for aunswering at thys time. I am sure that Gods word throughly with the primatiue church and all the ancient writers do agree wyth this fayth I am of.
Boner. Well, I promise you I meane you no more *Marginalia* And why then began you so hastely with him in the Sacrament of your altar. hurt then to myne owne person: I wyll not therefore burthen you with your conscience as nowe. I maruaile that you are so mery in prison as you be, singing and reioycing as the Prophet sayth: exultantes in rebus pessimis,
exultantes in rebus pessimis. reioycing in your naughtynes. [qui laetantur cum malefecerint] et exultant in rebus pessimis.
Phil. My Lord, the myrth that we make is but in singing certaine Psalmes, accordyng as we are commaunded by S. Paule, willing vs to be mery in the Lord, singing together in Hymnes and Psalmes: and I trust your Lordship can not be displeased with that.
Boner. We may say vnto you, as CHRIST sayd in the Gospell: Tibiis cecinimus vobis, & non planxistis.
Tibiis cecinimus vobis, & non planxistis. Not translated. We played on the pipes for you, and you did not beat your breasts. dicunt cecinimus vobis et non saltastis lamentavimus et non planxistis. [Clearly this passage in St. Matthew is being cited, but adapted to fit into the context of Bonner's words.]
Phil. Here my Lord stumbled, and could not bryng forth the text, and required hys Chaplaynes to helpe, & put hym in remembraunce of the text better: but they were mumme: and I recited out þe text vnto him, which made nothing to his purpose, vnlesse he would haue vs to mourne, because they, if they laugh, sing still sorowfull thinges vnto vs, threatning fagots and fyre.
[Back to Top]We are my Lord, in a darke comfortles place, and therefore it behoueth vs to bee mery, lest, as Salomon sayth, sorowfulnes eate vp our hart. Therfore I trust your Lordship wyll not bee angrye for our singing of Psalmes, since S. Paule sayth: If anye man bee of an vpright mynd, let hym sing. And we therefore, to testifie that we are of an vpright mynde to God (though wee be in misery) do syng.
[Back to Top]Boner. I wyll trouble you no further as nowe. If I can do you any good, I wyll bee glad to doe it for you. God be with you good master Philpot, & geue you good nyght. Haue hym to the Sellar, and let hym dryncke a cup of wyne.
MarginaliaThe end of his first talke with B. Boner.Thus I departed, and by my Lordes Register I was brought to hys Seller doore, where I dranke a good cup of wyne. And my Lordes Chaplaine master Cousyn folowed me, taking acquaintāce, saying that I was welcome, & wished that I would not be singular.
Phil. I am well taught the contrary by Salomon, saying: Væ soli,
Vae soli. Wo be to hym that is alone. vae soli [quia cum ruerit non habet sublevantem.] [Philpot attributes this to Solomon; the Song of Solomon is the next book in the O.T. Did Solomon have anything to do with the writing of Ecclesiastes?]
This is Philpot's note. A fyt is a section of a poem or a song; a canto [OED].
MarginaliaAn other examinatiō of Iohn Philpot before the Bishops.BOner. Master Philpot, it hath pleased my Lordes to take paines here to day, to dine with my poore Arch deacon, and in the Dynner tyme it chaunced vs to haue communication of you, and you were pitied here of many that knew you in the new Colledge in Oxford: and I also do pity your case, because you seeme vnto me by þe talke I had wyth you the other night, to be learned, and therefore now I haue sent for you to come before them, that it might not be sayd hereafter, that I had so many learned bishops at my house and yet would not vouchsafe thē to talke with you, and at my request (I thanke thē) they are content so to do. Now therfore vtter your mynde frely, and you shall with all fauour be satisfied. I am sory to see you lye in so euyll a case as you doe, and would faine you should do better, as you may if you list.
[Back to Top]Bath. My Lords here haue not sent for you to fawne vpon you, but for charities sake to exhort you to come into the right catholicke way of the church.
MarginaliaAnd why do not you Bishops yourselues pray also for them that are out of the way.Worcest. Before he beginneth to speake, it is best that he call to God for grace, and to pray that it might please God to open his hart, that he may conceiue the truth.
Phil. With that I fell downe vpon my knees before
them, and made my prayer on this maner:
MarginaliaThe prayer of Iohn Philpot before the Bishops.Almighty God, which art the geuer of all wysdome and vnderstanding, I besech thee of thine infinite goodnes and mercy in IESVS CHRIST, to geue me, most vile sinner in thy sight, the spirite of wysdome to speake and make aunswer in thy cause, that it may be to the contentation of the hearers before whom I stand, and also to my better vnderstanding if I be deceyued in any thing.
[Back to Top]Boner. Nay my Lord of Worcester, MarginaliaB. Boner against prayer.you did not wel to exhort hym to make any prayer. For this is the thyng they haue a singular pride in, that they can often make their vayne prayers, in the which they glory much. For in this poynt MarginaliaB. Boner here seemeth more skilfull in his law, thē in church storyes.they are much like to certaine arrant heretickes, of whom Pliny maketh mention, that dyd dayly syng antelucanos hymnos:
antelucanos hymnos [Not translated as such, but given in the context of:that dyd dayly syngantelucanos hymnos:prayse vnto God before the dawning of the day] [quod essent soliti stato die] ante lucem conuenire, carmenque Christo quasi deo dicere secum inuicem. [Clearly a reference to this passage in Pliny's well-known letter to Trajan about the Christians in Bithynia-Pontus, but not a direct quotation.]
If Bonner is being quoted correctly, this is a puzzling passage - he is apparently referring, as Philpot is assuming he is, to Pliny the Younger's famous letter (Ep. 97) describing Christians to the emperor Trajan.
Phil. My Lord, God make me and all you here present such heretickes as those were that soong those morning hymnes: for they were right Christians, wyth whom the Tirantes of the worlde were offended for their well doyng.
Bath. Procede to that hee hath to say. He hath prayed I can not tell for what.
Boner. Say on Master Philpot: my Lordes will gladly heare you.
MarginaliaM. Philpot complayneth of his wrongfull imprisonment.Phil. I haue, my Lordes, bene this tweluemoneth and an halfe in pryson without any iust cause that I know, and my liuing taken from me without any lawfull order, & now am I brought (contrary to right) frō myne own territory and Ordinary, into an other mās iurisdiction, I know not why. Wherefore if your lordships can burden me with any euyll done, I stand here before you to purge me of the same. And if no such thing may be iustly layd to my charge, I desire to be released of this wrongfull trouble.
[Back to Top]Boner. Ther is none here goeth about to trouble you, but to doe you good if wee can. For I promise you, you were sent hither to me without my knowledge. Therefore speake your conscience without any feare.
Phil. My Lord, I haue learned to aunswer in matters of religion MarginaliaM. Philpot called in no sufficient assembly, and therefore not bound to aunswere, wherby to put himselfe in daunger.In Ecclesia legitime vocatus,
In Ecclesia legitime vocatus In the Congregation being thereto lawfully called.
Boner. In deede thys man tolde mee the last tyme I spake wyth hym, that he was a Lawyer, and would not vtter his conscience in matters of faith, vnles it were in the hearyng of the people, where hee myght speake to vayne glory.
Phil. My Lord, I said not I was a Lawyer, neither do I arrogate to my selfe that name, although I was once a Nouice in the same, where I learned something for myne own defence when I am called in iudgement to aunswere to any cause, and whereby I haue bene taught, not to put my selfe further in daunger then I neede, and so farre am I a Lawyer and no further.
[Back to Top]Bath. If you wyll not aunswer to my Lordes request, you seeme to be a *Marginalia* Wilfull, because he will not put him selfe wilfully into þe Wolues mouth. wilfull man in your opinion.
Phil. My Lorde of London is not myne Ordinary before whom I am bound to aunswere in this behalfe, as master D. Cole (which is a Lawyer) can well tell you by the law. And I haue not offended my Lord of London wherefore he should call me.
Boner. Yes, I haue to lay to your charge, that you haue offended in my dioces by speaking against the blessed sacrament of the aultar, and therefore I may cal you, and procede against you to punishe you by the law.
Phil. I haue not offended in your dioces. MarginaliaThis offense was for speaking in the Conuocation house with publicke libertie of the Parlament.For that which I spake of the sacrament, was in Paules church in the Cōuocation house, which (as I vnderstand) is a peculiar iurisdiction belōging to the Deane of Paules and therefore is counted of your lordships dioces, but not in your dioces.
[Back to Top]Boner. Is not Paules Church in my dioces? Well I wot, it costeth me a good deale of money by the yeare the leaddyng therof.
Phil. That may be, and yet be exempted from your Lordships iurisdiction. MarginaliaB. Boner not lawfull Ordinary to Iohn Philpot.And albeit I had so offended in your dioces, yet I ought by the law, to be sent to myne