Marginalia1555. December.MarginaliaI find not in Eusebius that Peter should be Bishop of Rome. 25. yeares, but this is in Linus, Hierom. lib, de viris illust. and in Abdias. lib. 1. de vita Petri.the first, it wyll manifestly appeare the contrarye, that he was not halfe so long there. He liued not past. xxxv. yeres after he was called to be an Apostle: and Paul maketh mention of his abidyng at Hierusalem after Christes death more then. xviij. yeares.

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Cole. What did Peter write to the Galathians?

Phil. No, I say Paul maketh mention of Peter, writing to the Galathians, and of his abiding at Hierusalem. And further, I am able to proue, both by Eusebius & other Historiographers, that the church of Rome hath manifestly erred, and at this present dooth erre, because shee agreeth not with that which they wrote. The Primitiue Church dyd vse according to the Gospell, and there needeth none other proofe but compare the one with the other.

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Boner. MarginaliaMarke my Lordes wyse parable.I may cōpare this man to a certaine man I read of, which fel into a desperation, & went into a wood to hang hym self, and when he came there, he went vewing of euery tree, and could finde none on the which he might vouchsafe to hang hym selfe. But I wyl not apply it as I might. I pray you (M. Doctor) go forth with hym.

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Cole. MarginaliaNeyther you nor they are able in this case.My Lord, there be on euery side on me that be better able to answere him, and I loue not to fal in disputation, for that now adayes a man shall not but susteine shame and obloquie therby of the people. I had leuer shewe my mynde in writing.

Phil. And I had leuer  

that you should do so then otherwise, for then a man may better iudge of your woordes then by argument, and I beseeche you so to doo. But if I were a riche man, I durst wager an hundred poundes, that you shall not be able to shewe that you haue saide, to be decreed by a general Councel in Athanasius tyme. MarginaliaReason why it is not lyke that in Athanasius tyme al mē were bound to abyde the determation of Rome.For this I am sure of, that it was concluded by a generall Councell in Africa many yeares after, that none of Africa (vnder payne of excommunication) should appeale to Rome: the whiche Decree I am sure they would not haue made, if by the scriptures and by an vniuersal Councel it had ben decreed, that al men should abide & folow the determination of the church of Rome.

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Cole But I can shew that they reuoked that errour again.

Phil. So you say, M. Doctour, but I pray you shewe me where. I haue hitherto heard nothing of you for my contētation, but bare wordes without any authoritie.

Boner. What, I pray you, ought we to dispute with you of our faith? Iustinian  

in the law hath a title, De fide catholica, to the contrary.

Phil. I am certaine the Ciuil law hath such a constitution: but our fayth must not depend vpon the Ciuil law. For as saint Ambrose saith: MarginaliaNot the law, but the Gospell gathered the Church together. Ambrose.Non lex sed fides congregauit Ecclesiam:  

Not the lawe but the Gospel (sayth he) hath gathered the church together.

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Worcest. M. Philpot, you haue the spirit of pride wherwith ye be led, which wyl not let you to yeelde to the truth: leaue it for shame.

Phil. Sir, I am sure I haue thr spirite of faith, by the which I speake at this present: neither am I ashamed to stand in my fayth.

Glocest. What, do you thinke your selfe better learned thē so many notable learned men as be here?

Phil. Marginalia400. Priestes agaynst one Helias.Elias alone had the truth, when there were foure hundred priestes against hym.

Worcest. Oh, you would be counted now for Helias. And yet I tel thee he was deceyued: for he thought there had ben none good but hym selfe, and yet he was deceyued, for there were seuen hundred besides hym.

Phil. Yea but he was not deceyued in doctrine, as þ^e other seuen hundred were.

Worcest. By my faith you are greatly to blame, that you can not be content to be of the Church which euer hath ben of that faithfull antiquitie.

Phil. My Lord, I know Rome, & haue ben there, where I saw your Lordship.

Worcest. In deede I dyd flee from hence thither, & I remember not that I sawe you there. But I am sorye that you haue ben there: MarginaliaA good commendation for Rome by a Romanist.for the wickednes which you haue sene there, peraduenture causeth you to do as you do.

Phil. No my Lord, I doo not as I do, for that cause: for I am taught otherwise by the Gospel, not altogether to refuse the minister for his euyl lyuyng, so that he bring sounde doctrine out of Gods booke.

MarginaliaWhether the vniuersall church may be deceaued?Worc. Do you thinke that the vniuersal Church may be deceyued?

Phil. S. Paul to the Thessalonians prophesieth that ther shoulde come an vniuersall departing from the faith in the latter dayes before the cōmyng of Christ, saying: Marginalia
2. Thes. 2.
A defection prophesied of in the Church.Non veniet Christus nisi venerit defectio prius:  

that is, Christ shal not come, til there come a departing first.

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Cole. Yea, I pray you, how take you the departing there in saint Paul? It is not meant of faith, but of the depar

tyng from the Empyre: For it is in Greeke, Ἀποστασία.  

Phil. Mary in deede you (M. doctor) put me in good remembrance of the meaning of s. Paul in that place, for Marginaliaἀποςασία.Apostasia  

is properly a departing from the faith, and thereof commeth Marginaliaἀποςάτης.Apostata, whiche properly signifieth one that departeth from his faith: and saint Paul in the same place after speaketh of the decay of the Empire.

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Cole. Apostasia doth not onely signifie a departing frō the faith, but also from the Empire, as I am able to shew.

Phil. I neuer read it so taken, and when you shalbe able to shewe it (as you say in woordes) I wyll beleue it, and not before.

Worcest. I am sory that you should be against the Christen world.

Phil. The world commonly and such as be called Christians (for the multitude) hath hated the truth, and bene enimies to the same.

Gloc. Why, M. Philpot, do you thinke that the vniuersal church hath erred, and you only to be in the truth?

Phil. The church that you are of, was neuer vniuersal,MarginaliaThe Popes church which now is, was neuer vniuersall. for two parts of the world, which is, Asia an Africa neuer cōsented to the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome, as at this day they do not, neither do folow his decrees.

Gloc. Yes, in MarginaliaOf this Florentines Councell, which was about the yeare. 1432. read before pag 645. 675.Florentines Councel  

they did agree.

Phil. It was said so by false report, after they of Asia and Africa were gone home: but it was not so in dede, as the sequele of them al hitherto doth proue the contrary.

Gloc. I pray you, by whom wyl you be iudged in matters of controuersie which happen dayly?MarginaliaThe word or the church iudge in controuersies.

Phil. By the word of God. For Christ saith in s. Iohn: The word that he spake, shal be Iudge in the latter day.

Gloc. What if you take the woord one way, and I an other way: who shal be iudge then?

Phil. The Primitiue church.

Gloc. I know you meane the Doctors that wrote therof.

Phil. I meane verily so.

Gloc. What if you take the Doctors in one sense, and I in an other, who shalbe iudge then?

Phil. Then let that be taken which is most agreeable to Gods word.

Cole. My lordes, why doo you trouble your selues to answer hym in this matter? It is not the thing which is laid to his charge, but his error of the sacrament, and he to shift hym selfe of that, brought in an other matter.

Phil. This is the matter, M. Cole, to the which I haue referred al other questions, and desire to be satisfied.

Worc. It is a wonder to see how he standeth with a fewe against a great multitude.

Phil. We haue almost as many as you. For we haue Asia, Africa, Germanie, Denmarke, and a great parte of France,  

and dayly the number of the Gospel doth encrease: so that I am credibly infourmed, that for this Religion in the whiche I stande, and for the whiche I am like to dye, a great multitude dooth dayly come out of Fraunce through persecution, that the cities of Germanie be scarse able to receyue them: MarginaliaIohn Philpots prophesy of the increase of the Gospell.and therefore your Lordship maye be sure, the woord of God wyl one day take place, doo what you can to the contrary

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Worc. They were wel occupied to bring you such newes, and you haue bene well kept to haue suche resort vnto you. Thou art the arrogātest felow and stoutest fond felow that euer I knew.

Phil. I pray your lordship to beare with my hasty speach: for it is parte of my corrupt nature to speake somewhat hastily: but for al that I meane with humilitie to do my dutie to your lordship.

Boner. M. Philpot, my lordes wyl trouble you no further at this tyme, MarginaliaIohn Philpot put of to an other day.but you shall goe from whence you came, and haue such fauor as in the meane while I can shew you: and vpon Wednesday next you shalbe called againe to be hearde what you can say for the maintenance of your errour.

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Phil. My Lord, my desire is to be satisfied of you in that I haue required: and your Lorship shall finde me, as I haue said.

Worc. We wish you as wel as our selues.

Phil. I thinke the same (my Lords) but I feare you are deceiued, and haue a zeale of your selues, not accordyng to knowledge.

Worc. God send you more grace.

Phil. And also God encrease the same in you, and open your eyes that you may see to mainteine his truth and his true Church.

Then the bishops rose vp & consulted together, & caused a writing to be made, in þ^e which I thinke my bloud by thē was bought & sold, and therto they put their handes, and after this I was caried to my Colehouse againe.

¶ Thus endeth the fourth part of this tragedie.
God hasten the end therof to his glory. Amen.