MarginaliaIohn Philpot cōmaunded to Lolars Tower by D. Story.Marginalia1555. Decemb.lardes Tower come in, and haue him away.

The Keeper. Here sir.

Story. Take this man with you to the Lollards Tower, or els to the Bishops Colehouse.

Phil. Sir, if I were a dogge, you coulde not appoint me a worse and more vile place: but I must be content with what soeuer iniurie you do offer me. God geue you a more mercifull hart: you are very cruel vppon one that hath neuer offended you. I pray you M. Cholmly, shewe me some frendship, that I be not caried to so vile a place. And he called me aside, and saide:

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MarginaliaCholmley talketh with M. Philpot apart.Cholm. I am not skilful of their doinges, neither of their lawes: I can not tel what they meane. I would I coulde do you good.

Phil. I am contente to goe whither you wyll haue me. There was neuer man more cruelly handled, then I am at your handes, that without any iust cause knowen, shoulde thus be entreated.

Story. Shal we suffer this heretike thus to reproue vs? haue him hence.

Phil. God forgeue you, & geue you more mercifull hartes, & shew you more mercy in þ^e time of neede: Et quod facis, fac citius.  

Do quickly that you haue in hand.

Story. Do you not heare how he maketh vs Iudasses?  

Phil. That is after your owne vnderstanding.

After this, I with foure other moe wer brought to the Keepers house in Pater noster Rowe, where we supped, and after supper I was called vp to a chamber by the Archdeacon of Londons seruant, and that in his masters name: who offred me a bed for that night. To whō I gaue thankes, saying: that it shoulde be a griefe to me to lie well one night, and the next worse: wherfore I wil begyn (said I) as I am like to continue, to take suche part as my felowes do. And with that we were brought through Pater noster row, to my lorde of Londons Colehouse:MarginaliaM. Philpot layd in Byshop Boners Colehouse. vnto the whiche is ioyned a litle blind  

house, with a great payre of stocks appoynted both for hād & foot (but thanks be to God we haue not plaied of those orgaines yet, although some before vs had tried them) & there we found a MarginaliaThis godly man was Thomas Whittell, whose story followeth.Minister of Essex, a maried priest, a man of godly zeale, with one other poore man. And this Minister (at my cōmyng) desired to speake with me, & did greatly lament his owne infirmitie, for that through extremitie of imprisonment, he was constrained by writing to yeelde to the Bishop of London: whereupon he was once set at libertie, MarginaliaExample what an vnquiet conscience doth.and afterwarde fealt such a hell in his conscience, that he could scarse refraine from destroying him selfe, and neuer could be at quiet vntyl he had gone vnto the Bishoppes Register, desiring to see his Byll againe, MarginaliaThomas Whittell after his recantation repenteth and tare his subscription.the which, as soone as he had receiued, he tare it in peeces: and after he was as ioyfull as any man might be. Of the which when my lorde of London had vnderstanding, he sente for hym, and fell vppon hym like a Lion, and like a manly Bishop buffeted hym well, so that MarginaliaB. Boner pluckt away a great part of Whittells beard, and made his face blacke and blewe.he made his face blacke and blewe, and pluckt away a great peece of his beard: but now thankes be to God, he is as ioyfull vnder the Crosse, as any of vs, & very sory of his former infirmitie.   I write this because I would all men to take heede how they do contrary to their conscience: which is to fal into the paines of hel. And here an ende.

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MarginaliaThe first appearing of Iohn Philpot before Byshop Boner.THe Bishop sent vnto me, M. Iohnson, his Register, with a messe  

of meate and a good pot of drinke, & bread, saying that my lorde had no knowledge erst   of my being here, for whiche he was sory: therefore he had sent me and my felowes that meate, knowing whether I would receiue the same.

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MarginaliaB. Boners charitie sent to Iohn Philpot.I thanked God for my lordes charitie, that it pleased hym to remember poore prisoners, desiring almighty God to encrease the same in hym and in all others: and therefore I would not refuse his beneficence, and therwith tooke the same vnto my brethren, praysing God for his prouidence towardes his afflicted flocke, that he stirred our aduersaries vp to helpe the same in their necessitie.

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Iohnson. My Lord would knowe the cause of your sending hyther (for he knoweth nothing therof) and wondreth that he shoulde be troubled with prisoners of other Dioces then his owne.

Philpot. I declared vnto hym the whole cause. After the which he said, my lordes wyl was that I shoulde haue any frendship I would desire, and so departed.

Within a while after, one of my lords Gentlemen commeth for me, and I was brought into his presence, where he sat at a table alone, with three or foure of his Chapleines waiting vpon hym, and his Register.

Boner. M. Philpot, you are welcome, geue me your hand.

Phil. With that, because he so gently put forth his hande, I to render curtesie for curtesie, kissed my hand, & gaue hym the same.

MarginaliaB. Boner enterteyning M. Philpot.Boner. I am right sory for your trouble, and I promise you, before it was within these two houres, I knew not of your being here. I pray you tell me what was the cause of your sending hither: for I promise you I knowe nothing thereof as yet, neither I woulde you shoulde thinke, that I was the cause thereof: and I marueile that other men wyl trouble me with their matters. MarginaliaB. Boner made the common Inquisitor agaynst his will.but I must be obediēt to my betters: and ywis,  

men speake otherwise of me then I deserue.

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Phil. I shewed hym the summe of the matter: that it was for the disputation in the Conuocation house, for the which I was against al right molested.

Boner. I marueile that you should be troubled, therefore, if there was none other cause but this. But peraduenture you haue mainteined the same since, and some your freendes of late haue asked, whether you doo stande to the same, and you haue said yea: and for this you might be cōmitted to prison.

Phil. If it shall please your Lordship, I am burdened none otherwise then I haue tolde you, by the Commissioners, who haue sent me hether, because I would not recant the same.

Boner. A man may speake in the parlament house, though it be a place of free speach, as he may be imprisoned for, as in case he speake woordes of high treason againste the king or queene: & so it might be that you spake otherwise then it became you, of the Church of Christ.

Phil. I spake nothing whiche was out of the articles whiche were called in question, and agreed vppon to be disputed by the whole house, and by the Queenes permission and the Counsaile.

Boner. Why,MarginaliaOr els why were the questions there propounded. may we dispute of our faith?

Phil. Yea that we may.

Boner. Nay, I trow  

not, by the law.

Phil. In deede by the Ciuil law I know it is not lawful, but by Gods law we may reason therof. For S. Peter saith: Marginalia1. Peter 3.Be ye ready to render accompt vnto all men of that hope which is in you, that demaund you of the same.

Boner. In deede saint Peter saith so. Why, then I aske of you what your iudgement is of the Sacrament of the aultar?

Phil. My lord, saint Ambrose saith, that the disputation of faith ought to be in the cōgregation, in the hearing of the people, and that MarginaliaNo man is bound to render acompt of his fayth priuately, vnles it be to edifie.I am not bounde to render accompt thereof to euery man priuately, vnlesse it be to edifie. But nowe I can not shewe you my mynde, but I must runne vppon the pikes in daunger of my life therfore. Wherefore, as the saide Doctor said vnto Valentinian the Emperour, so say I to your lordship: MarginaliaAmbros. ad Valentinianum.Tolle legem, & fiet certamen:  

Take away the law, and I shall reason with you. And yet if I come in open iudgement, where I am bound by the lawe to answeare, I trust I shal vtter my conscience as freely as any that hath come before you.

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MarginaliaOne Church.Boner. I perceiue you are learned. I woulde haue such as you be about me. But you must come & be of the church, for there is but one Church.

Phil. God forbid I should be out of the Churche. I am sure I am within the same: for I knowe, as I am taught by the scripture, that there is but one Catholike Church, Vna Columba, vna Sponsa, vna Dilecta: One Doue, one Spouse, one beloued Congregation, out of the whiche there is no saluation.

Boner. How chanceth it then, that you go out of the same, and walke not with vs?

Phil. My Lorde, I am sure I am within the boundes of the Churche whereupon shee is builded, whiche is the worde of God.

Boner. What age are ye of?

Phil. I am foure and fourtie.

Boner. You are not now of the same faith your godfathers and godmothers promised for you, in the whiche you were baptised.

Phil. Yes, that I thanke God I am: MarginaliaThe fayth promised by his godfathers was the fayth of Christ, after his Creede onely.for I was baptised into the faith of Christ, which I now hold.

Boner. How can that be? there is but one faith.

Phil. I am assured of that by saint Paul, saying: That there is but one God, one faith, and one baptisme, of the which I am.

Boner. You were. xx. yeare ago of an other faith then you be nowe.

Phil. In deede (my lorde) to tell you playne, I was then nullius fidei,. Of no faith, a neuter, a wicked liuer, neither hot nor colde.

Boner. Why, doo you not think that we haue nowe the