MarginaliaAn. 1555. December.Ordinary, if I require it, and not to bee punished by you that are not myne Ordinary. And already (as I haue told you) I haue bene conuented of myne Ordinarye for thys cause, which you go about to enquyre of me.

Boner. How say you M. Doct. Cole? may not I procede agaynst hym by the law, for that hee hath done in my Dioces?

Cole. Me thinketh M. Philpot needeth not to stand so much with your Lordshyp in that poynt as he doth, sithen you seeke not to hynder hym but to further hym: therefore I thinke it best that he go to the matter that is layd agaynst hym of the Cōuocation, and make no longer delay.

Phil. I would willingly shew my mynde of the matter, but I am sure it will be layd agaynst me to my preiudice when I come to iudgement.

MarginaliaNote how these men hūte for innocent bloud.Cole. Why, then you may speake by protestation.

Phil. But what shall my potestatiō auayle in a cause of heresie (as you call it) if I speake otherwise then you will haue me, since that which I spake in the Conuocation house, beyng a place priuileged, can not now helpe me?

Boner. But M. Doct. Cole, may I not procede agaynst hym for that offense he hath done in my Dioces?

Cole. You may call hym before you my Lord, if he bee found in your Dioces.

MarginaliaM. Philpot agayne appealeth from B. Boner to hys Ordinary.Phil. But I haue by force ben brought out of myne owne Dioces to my Lordes, and require to be iudged of myne owne Ordinary: and therefore I know Master Doctour will not say of his knowledge that your Lordshyp ought to proceede agaynst me. And here Master Doctour would say nothyng.  

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Worc. Do you not thinke to find before my Lord here as good equitie in your cause, as before your owne Ordinary?

Phil. I can not blame my Lord of Londons equity, with whō (I thanke his Lordshyp) I haue found more gentlenes since I came, then of mine owne Ordinary (I speake it for no flattery) this tweluemoneth and this halfe before, who neuer would call me to aunswere, as his Lordshyp hath done now twise. Marginaliai. No man is forbid to vse his owne right due vnto hym.Sed nemo prohibetur vti iure suo:  

but I ought not to bee forestalled of my right, & therfore I challenge the same for diuers other considerations.

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Boner. Now you can not say hereafter, but that ye haue bene gently communed withal of my Lordes here, and yet you be wilfull and obstinate in your errour and in your owne opiniōs, and wil not shew any cause why you wil not come into the vnity of the Church with vs.

Phil. My Lordes, in that I do not declare my mynd according to your expectatiō, is (as I haue said) because I can not speake without present daunger of my lyfe. But rather then you should report me by this, either obstinate or selfe willed, without any iust groūd, wherupon I stand: I will open vnto you somwhat of my mynd, or rather the whole, desiryng your Lordshyps, which seeme to be pillers of the Church of England, to satisfie me in the same: and I will referre all other causes in the which I dissent from you, vnto one or ij. Articles, or rather to one, which includeth them both: in the which if I can by the Scriptures bee satisfied at your mouthes, I shall as willingly agree to you as any other, in all pointes.

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Boner. These heretickes come alwayes with their yfs,MarginaliaNay rather these Catholicke Prelates will be satisfied with no reasonable offer. as this man doth now, saying: if he can be satisfied by the Scriptures: so that he wil alwayes haue this exception, I am not satisfied, although þ^e matter be neuer so plainly proued agaynst him. But will you promise to be satisfied if my Lordes take some paynes about you?

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Phil. I say (my Lord) I wil be satisfied by the Scriptures in that wherin I stand. And I protest here before God, & his eternall sonne IESVS CHRIST my Sauiour, & the holy Ghost, his Angels, & you here present that be Iudges of that I speake, that I do not stand in any opinion, of wilfulnes, or singularitie, but onely vppon my conscience, certainly informed by Gods word, frō the which I dare not go for feare of dānation: and this is the cause of myne earnestnes in this behalfe.

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Boner. I wil trouble my Lordes no longer, seyng that you will not declare your minde.

Phil. I am about so to do, if it please your Lordshyp to heare me speake.

Bath. Giue him leaue (my Lord) to speake that he hath to say.

Phil. My Lordes, it is not vnknowen to you, that the chief cause why you do count me and such as I am for heretickes, is because we be not at vnitie with your Church. MarginaliaThe chiefest controuersie in þ^e church of Christ now, is to know which is the true church of Christ.You say you are of the true Church: and we say we are of the true Church. You say, that who is out of your Church, is dāned: and we thinke verely on the other side, that if we depart from the true Church, wheron we are graffed in Gods word, we should stād in the state of damnation. Wherfore, if your Lordshyp can bring any better authorities for your Church, then we can do for ours, and proue by the Scriptures that the Church of Rome now (of the which you are) is the true Catholicke Church, as in all your Sermons, writynges, and Argumentes you do vphold, and that all Christen persons ought to be ruled by the same vnder paine of damnation (as you say) and that the same Church (as you pretend) hath authoritie to interprete the Scriptures, as it seemeth her good, and that all men are bound to folow such interpretations onely: I shalbe as conformable to the same Church as you may desire me, the which otherwise I dare not: therefore I require you for Gods sake to satisfie me in this.

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Cole. If you stand vppon this poynt onely, you may soone be satisfied if you lyst.

Phil. It is the thing that I require, & to this I haue sayd I will stand and referre all other controuersies wherin I stand now agaynst you, and will put my hād therto if you mistrust my word.

Boner. I pray you M. Philpot, MarginaliaS. Paul 20. yeare before his conuersiō, & S. Peter before hys calling, were of an other fayth then they were afterward: & yet it followeth not that they would haue euery yeare a new faith.what faith were you of xx. yeares ago? This man will haue euery yeare a new fayth.

Phil. My Lord, to tell you plaine, I thinke I was of no faith: for I was then a wicked liuer, and knew 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 consciēce what I then was and iudge of my selfe. And what is that to the purpose of the thyng I desire to be satisfied of you?

Boner. M. D. Cole, I pray you say your mynd to him.

Cole. What will you say, if I can proue that it was Decreed by an vniuersall Councell in Athanasius tyme: that all the Christen Church should folow the determination of the Church of Rome? MarginaliaThe determination of the primitiue church, and of the church of Rome as it is now, is not all one.but I do not now remēber where.

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Phil. If you Master Doctor, can shew me the same, graunted to the sea of Rome by the authoritie of the Scripture, I will gladly harken thereto. But I thinke you be not able to shew any such thyng: for Athanasius was President of Nicene Coūcell,  

and there was no such thyng Decreed, I am sure.MarginaliaAthanasius misalleged.

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

Phil. I desire to see the proofe therof. And vpon this M. Harpesfield Chauncellour to the Byshop of Londō, brought in a booke of Irenæus with certaine leaues turned in, and layd it before the Byshops to helpe thē in their perplexitie if it might be: the which after the Byshops of Bath and Glocester had red together, the Bishop of Glocester gaue me the booke.

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

Phil. I tooke the booke, and red the place,MarginaliaA place of Irenæus alledged. the which after I had red, I sayd it made nothyng agaynst me, but agaynst the Arians and other heretickes agaynst whom Irenæus  

wrote, prouyng that they were not to be credited because they did teach & folow after straūge doctrine in Europa, and that the chiefe Church of the same was founded by Peter and Paul, and had to hys tyme continued by faithfull succession of the faithfull

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