go search him better." Which I hearing, conveyed mine examination I had written into a place beside my bed, and took all the letters I had in my purse, and was tearing of them when he came again, and as he came I threw the same out of my window, saying that I heard what he said; wherefore I prevented his searching again, whereof I was right glad. God be praised, that gave me that present shift to blind their eyes from the knowledge of my writings, which if they had known, it would have been an occasion for straiter keeping and looking unto, although they look as narrowly as they can.

The eighth Examination of John Philpot, before the bishop of London, the bishop of St. David's, Master Mordant, and others, in the bishop's chapel.

THE next day after, my keeper came before day in the morning to call me down, and so I was brought down into his wardrobe, where I was left with a keeper, and there continued all the day. But after dinner I was called down into the chapel, before the bishop of London, the bishop of St. David's, Master Mordant, one of the queen's council, master archdeacon of London, and before a great many more: and the bishop spake unto me in this manner.

Lon. Sir, here I object and lay unto you in the presence of my lord of St. David's, and of Master Mordant, and of these worshipful men, these articles here in this libel contained. And he read them openly.

When I would particularly have answered to some of his blasphemies, he would not permit me, but said, I should have leisure enough to say what I would, when he had said all, adding, " and to these I add another schedule. Also I require thee to answer as to the catechism set forth in the schismatical time of king Edward. Also I will thee to answer to certain conclusions agreed upon both in Oxford and Cambridge. And I here bring forth these witnesses against thee, in thine own presence, namely my lord of St. David's, Master Mordant, and Master Harpsfield, with as many of you as were present in the disputation he made in the convocation-house, willing you to testify (by your oaths taken upon a book) his stubborn and irreverent behaviour he there used against the blessed sacrament of the altar. Give me a book," and

receiving one, he opened the same, saying, "I will teach him here one trick in our law, which he knows not; that is, my lord of St. David's, because you are a bishop, you have this privilege, that you may swear by looking on the gospel book without touching the same." And so he opened the book in his sight, and shut it again, and caused the others to put their hands on the book and take their oaths, and willed them to resort to his registrar, to make their depositions when they might be best at leisure; and afterwards he turned to me, and said, “Now, sir, you shall answer but two words, whether you will answer to these articles which I have laid unto you, directly, yea, or nay?”

Phil. My lord, you have told a long tale against me, containing many lying blasphemies, which cannot be answered in two words. Besides this, you promised me at the beginning, that I should say what I could for my defence, and now you will not give me leave to speak. What law is this?

Lon. Speak, yea or nay; for you shall say no more at this time. The cause was, as I guess, that he saw so many there gathered to hear.

Phil. Then my two words you would have me speak, shall be that I have appealed from you, and take you not for my sufficient judge.

Lon. Indeed, Master Mordant, he has appealed to the king and to the queen; but I will be so bold with her majesty, as to stay that appeal in mine own hands.

Phil. You will do what you list, my lord; you have the law in your hands.

Lon. Wilt thou answer, or no?

Phil. I will not answer otherwise than I have said.

Lon. Registrar, note his answer.

Phil. Knock me on the head with a hatchet, or set up a stake and burn me out of hand, without further law. You may do so as well as do what you do, for all is without order of law; such tyranny was never seen, as you use now-a-days. May God of his mercy destroy your cruel kingdom. And whilst I spake this, the bishop went away in haste.

St. David's. Master Philpot, I pray you be quiet, and have patience.

Phil. My lord, I thank God I have patience to bear and abide all your cruel intents against me: notwith

standing I speak this earnestly, being moved thereto justly, to notify your unjust and cruel dealing with men in corners, without due order of law.

After this, at night I was conducted again by three or four into the coalhouse.

The ninth Examination of Master Philpot, before Bonner and his chaplains.

In the morning of the next day I was called betimes by my keeper, and brought again into the wardrobe, where I remained until the bishop had heard his mass, and afterwards he sent up for me into his inward parlour, and there he called for a chair to sit down, and brought his infamous libel of his forged articles in his hand, and sat down, willing me to draw near unto him, and said:

Lon. I am this day appointed to tarry at home from the parliament house, to examine you and your fellows upon these articles, and you stand dallying with me, and will neither answer to nor from. All your exceptions will not serve you. Will it be a fair honesty for you, think you, that when thou comest before my lord mayor and the sheriffs, and other worshipful audience, when I shall say before them all, that I have had thee these many times before me, and before so many learned men, and thou couldest say nothing that thou standest in, notwithstanding all thy brags of learning, neither wouldest answer directly to any thing?

Phil. My lord, I have told you my mind plain enough; but yet I do not intend to lose the privilege the law gives me. Which is free choice to answer where I am not bound, and this privilege will I cleave unto, until I be compelled otherwise.

Lon. Well, I perceive you will play the obstinate fool. Lay thine appellation when thou comest into judgment, and answer in the meanwhile to these articles.

Phil. No, my lord, by your leave, I will not answer to them until my lawful appeal is tried.

Lon. Well, thou shalt hear them.-And with that he began to read them.

I shrunk back into the window, and looked on a book; and after he had read them over, he said unto me:

Lon. I have read them over, although it has not pleased you to hear me. I marvel, in good faith, what thou meanest to be so wilful and stubborn, seeing thou mayest do well enough if thou list. It is but a singularity. Dost thou not see all the realm against thee?

Phil. My lord, I speak unto you in the witness of God, before whom I stand, that I am neither wedded to my own will, neither stand upon my own stubbornness or singularity, but upon my conscience instructed by the word of God; and if your lordship can show better evidence than I have for a good faith, I will follow the same.

Lon. What, thou wilt not for all that! Well, all that is past shall be forgotten, if you be conformable unto us. Thou mightest find as much favour as thou wouldest de

sire.

Then I perceiving that he fawned so much upon me, thought it good to give him some hope of my relenting, to the intent I might give him and his hypocritical generation openly a further foil, perceiving that they dare reason openly with none, but with such as are unlearned, and for lack of knowledge not able to answer, or else with such as they have a hope that for fear or love of the world will recant. I said, “ My lord, it is not unknown to you, that I have openly, in the audience of a great number, stood to the maintenance of these opinions I am in, and by learning offered to defend them; therefore, my lord, I would it might openly appear to the world, that I am won by learning, or else what will they say, but that either for fear or love of the world, without any ground, I am turned from the truth. But if I hear any kind of learning openly showed, I shall be as conformable as you may require me."

Lon. Yea, marry, now you speak somewhat like a reasonable man. You might have had a great deal more favour and liberty in my house than you have had; and you shall lack nothing that is within my house; call for it and you shall have it. And what is it that you would openly be satisfied in by learning, tell me?

Phil. My lord, I have openly said, and believe it also, that your sacrifice of the mass is no sacrament.

Lon. What, do you deny the presence of Christ in the sacrament?

Phil. No, my lord, I deny not the presence of Christ in the sacrament, but I have denied the sacrament of the altar, as it is used in your mass, to be the true sacrament

of Christ's institution; and first it must be proved a sacrament, ere any kind of presence can be granted.

Lon. Why, do you deny the mass to be a sacrament? I pray you, what is a sacrament? Is it not a sign of a holy thing, as St. Augustine doth define it?

Phil. Yes, verily, that it is.

Lon. Then I make this argument unto you. A sacrament is a sign of a holy thing-But the mass is a sign of a holy thing-Therefore it is a sacrament.

Phil. You must add this to your major or first proposition, as St. Augustine means, that a sacrament is the sign of a holy thing instituted of God and commanded; for otherwise it can be no sacrament, for all men cannot make a sacrament.

Lon. I grant that, and such a sign of a holy thing is the mass of Christ's institution.

Phil. I deny that, my lord.

Lon. I will prove this by St. Augustine by and by. I will go show you the book, and you shall have any book I have that you will demand. Ho! who is without there? Call me Master Doctor Chadsey, Master archdeacon, Master Cosins, and other chaplains, hither.

One answered, Here, my lord. Master Doctor Chadsey is gone to Westminster, and Master archdeacon was here

even now.

Lon. Master Cosins, I pray you examine him upon these articles, and write the answer he makes to every one of them. I will go and examine his fellows, and send you St. Augustine by and by. I find this man more conformable than he was before.

Cosins. I trust, my lord, you shall find him at length a good catholic man. Why here are a sight of heresies. I dare say you will hold none of them, neither stand to any of them. How say you to the first?

Phil. Master Cosins, I have told my lord already, that I will answer to none of these articles which he has objected against me; but if you will with learning answer that which is in question between my lord and me, I will gladly hear and commune with you.

Cosins. Will you? Why, what is it then which is in question between my lord and you?

Phil. Whether your mass is a sacrament or no.

Cosins. What, whether the mass is a sacrament? Who ever doubted thereof?

PHILPOT.

28

317