1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 2011 
MarginaliaAn. 1555. December.Sauer. Men be able to aunswer hym if they lyst. And I praye you which of you haue aunswered Bishop Fyshers booke?
CloseJohn Fisher, Confutation Assertionis Luthernae (Antwerp: 1523).
Phil. Yes (maister Doctor) that booke is aunswered and aunswered agayne, if you lyst to seeke what hath bene written against hym.
MarginaliaD. Story commeth in.And after this D. Story came in. To whom I said: Master Doctor, you haue done me great iniurie, and wythout law haue straightly imprisoned me, more like a Dog then a man. And besides this, you haue not kept promyse with mee, for you promised that I should be iudged the next day after.
[Back to Top]Story. I am come nowe to keepe promyse wyth thee. MarginaliaHappy are you when they reuile you, and say all euil against you for my names sake. Math. 5.Was there euer such a fantasticall
CloseDeluded, given to fantasy.
Phil. Master Doctor, I am content to abide your railing
CloseInsulting, abusive.
Story. The word of God? forsoth the word of God. It is but a folly to reason with these heretickes, for they are incurable and desperate.MarginaliaThe Papistes will not be ruled by the scriptures without their owne iudge. But as I may reason wyth thee, not that I haue any hope to wyn thee, whom wylt thou appoint to be iudge of the word wherto þu standest?
[Back to Top]Phil. Verely the word it selfe.
Story. Do you not see the ignorancie of this beastly hereticke? He willeth the word to be iudged of the worde. Can the word speake?
Phil. If I can not proue that which I haue sayd by good authority, I wyl be content to be counted an hereticke & an ignorant person, & further what you please.
Story. Let vs heare what wyse authoritye thou canst bryng in.
Phil. It is the saying of CHRIST in S. Iohn: verbum quod locutus sum, iudicabit in nouissimo die.
verbum quod locutus sum, iudicabit in nouissimo die. The word which I haue spoken (sayth CHRIST) shall iudge in the last day. sermo quem locutus sum ille iudicabit eum in novissimo die. [Is Philpot translating from the Greek or recalling the passage from memory?]
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MarginaliaM. Doctor hauing not to answer, falleth to rayling.Story. What? you purpose to bee a stincking Martyr, and to sit in iudgement wyth CHRIST at the laste day to iudge the. xij. tribes of Israell.
Phil. Yea Syr, I doubt not thereof, hauing the promise of CHRIST, if I dye for righteousnes sake, which you haue begun to persecute in me.
Story. I tolde you it is but vayne to argue wyth thys hereticke: hee is drowned in hys heresies wythout all learning.
Phil. Syr, I haue brought you for that I haue said, good authority out of Gods booke, to the which you answer nothing, but go about styll to geue rayling iudgement against me without any cause.
Story. I will come to you by and by. When the Iudge in Westminster hall geueth sentence, doth the word geue sentence, or the Iudge? tell me.
MarginaliaGods iudgement, and ciuil iudgement not like.Phil. Ciuill matters be subiect to ciuill men, and they haue authority by the word to be iudge of them. But the word of God is not subiect to mans iudgement, but ought to iudge all the wisdome, thoughtes, and doings of men, and therefore your comparison disproueth nothing that I haue sayd, neyther aunswereth any whyt therto.
[Back to Top]Story. Wilt thou not allowe the interpretation of the Church vpon the scripture?
MarginaliaThe iudgement of the church, how far it serueth.Phil. Yes, if it be according to the word of the true Church: and this I say to you, as I haue sayd heretofoe, that if ye can proue þe church of Rome (whereof ye are) to be the true catholicke church which I ought to
follow, I wyll be as ready to yeld thereto (as long as it can be so proued) as you may desire me.
Story. What a fellow is this? He will beleue nothyng but what he lyst him selfe. Are we not in possession of the church? MarginaliaPrescriptiō of time.Haue not your forefathers these many hundred yeares takē this church for the catholicke church wherof we are now? And if we had none other proufe but this, it were sufficient: for prescriptiō of time maketh a good title in the law.
[Back to Top]Phil. You do well (M. Doctor) to alledge prescriptiō of many yeares, for it is all that you haue to shew for your selues. MarginaliaPrescription of time maketh no title in gods matters.But you must vnderstand, ex diuinis nulla occurrit præscriptio,
ex diuinis nulla occurit praescriptio that prescription hath no place in matters belonging to God
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Story. Well Syr, you are lyke to go after your fathers, Latimer the Sophister, and Ridley, who had nothing to alledge for him selfe but that hee had learned hys heresy of Cranmer. Where I came to him with a poore Bacheler of Arte, he trembled as though he had the palsey, as these heretickes haue alwayes some token of feare whereby a man may know them, as you may see thys mans; eyes doe tremble in his heade.
CloseThe purpose of the council of Florence (1438 - 1445) was to affect a re-union between the Greek and Latin churches. This re-union was theoretically achieved but the settlement was rejected by both the laity and clergy of the Greek church.
Phil. You haue the more to aunswere for, Master Doctor, as you shal feele in an other world, how much soeuer you do now triumph of your procedinges.
Story. I tell thee I will neuer be confessed therof. And because I cannot now tary to speake with my Lord, I pray one of you telll my Lord, that my comming was to signify to his lordship, that he must out of hand rid this hereticke away.
ClosePhilpot is counting all non-Roman catholic Christians, not only protestants, as followers of the Gospel.
Phil. I thanke you therefore with all myne hart: and God forgeue it you.
Story. What? doest thou thanke me? if I had thee in my study halfe an houre, I thinke I should make you sing an other song.
Phil. No M. Doctor, I stand vppon too sure a ground to be ouerthrowen by you now. And thus they departed all away from me one after an other, vntill I was left all alone.MarginaliaIohn Philpot left post alone. And afterwardes with my Keeper going to my Colehouse (as I went) I met with my Lord of London, who spake vnto me gently, as he hath hitherto in wordes, saying:
[Back to Top]London. Philpot, if there be any pleasure I may shew you in my house, I pray you requyre it, and you shall haue it.
Phil. My Lord, the pleasure that I will require of your Lordshyp is to hasten my iudgement which is cōmitted vnto you, and so dispatch me forth of this miserable world, vnto my eternall rest. MarginaliaThe strait handling of Iohn Philpot in prison, for all the Bishops faire wordes.And for all hys fayre speach I can not attaine hitherto this fortnight space, neither fire nor candle, neither yet good lodgyng. But it is good for a man to be brought low in this world, and to be counted among the vilest, that he may in tyme of reward receiue exaltation and glory. Therfore praised be God that hath humbled me, and geuen me grace with gladnes to be content therewithall.
[Back to Top]Let all that loue the truth say, Amen.
CloseThe notes are at the end of the examinations were written Philpot, not by Foxe.
CloseThis is the first of Philpot's examinations in which his interrogators are laymen not clerics. This examination is still relatively informal, and the goal is still Philpot's recantation, rather than his condemnation. But the presence of these peers is a significant indication of the importance of Philpot's case.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe sixte examinatiō of Master Philpot before certaine lordes and the B. of London.PHil. Before that I was called afore the Lordes, and whiles they were in sittyng downe, the Bishop of London came aside to me and whispered in myne eare, willyng me to vse my selfe before the Lordes of the Queenes Maiesties Counsel prudently, and to take heede what I sayd: and thus hee pretended to geue me counsaile because he wished me to do well, as I might
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