¶The fourth examination of M. Philpot in the Archdeacons house of London, the sayd moneth of October, before the Bishops of London, Bath, Worcester, and Glocester.
Mayster Philpot, it hath pleased my Lordes to take paines here to day,* 1.1 to dine with my poore archdea∣con, and in the diner time it chaunced vs to haue commu∣nication of you, & you were pitied here of many that knew you in the new Colledge in Oxforde: and I also doe pitty your case, because you seeme vnto me by the talke I hadde with you the other night, to be learned, & therefore now I haue sent for you to come before them, that it might not be sayd hereafter, that I had so many learned Bishops at my house, and yet would not vouchsafe them to talk with you, and at my request (I thanke them) they are content so to do. Now therfore vtter your mind freely, & you shal with all fauour be satisfied. I am sory to see you lye in so euill a case as you doe, and would fayne you should do better, as you may, if you list.
My Lordes here haue not sent for you to fawn vpō you, but for charities sake to exhorte you to come into the right catholicke way of the church.
Before he beginneth to speake,* 1.2 it is best that he call to God for grace, and to praye that it might please God to open his hart, that he may conceiue the truth.
With that I fell downe vpon my knees before them, and made my prayer on this maner.
Almighty God, which art the geuer of all wisedome, and vn∣derstanding, I beseech thee of thine infinite goodnes and mercye in Iesus Christ, to geue me most vile sinner in thy sight, the spirite of wisedome to speake and make answere in thy cause, that it may be to the contentation of the hearers before whom I stand & also to my better vnderstanding, if I be deceiued in any thing.
Nay, my Lorde of Worcester, you did not well to exhort him to make any prayer. For this is the thing they haue a singular pride in, that they can oftē make their vain prayers in the which they glory much. For in this poynt they are much like to certayne errant heretickes,* 1.3 of whom Pliny maketh mention, that didde dayly sing antelucanos Hymnos: Prayse vnto God before the dawning of the day.
My Lord, God make me & all you here present suche hereticks as those were yt soong those morning himnes: for they were right christians, with whom the tyrantes of the world were offendeh for their well doing.
Proceede to that he hath to saye. He hath prayed I can not tell for what.
Say on, M. Philpot: my Lordes will gladly heare you.
I haue, my Lordes, bene this tweluemoneth and an halfe in Prison without any iust cause, that I knowe,* 1.4 and my liuing taken from me without any lawfull order, and now I am brought (contrary to righte, from myne owne Territory and Ordinary, into another mans iuris∣diction, I know not why. Wherfore, if your Lordships cā burden me with any euill done, I stand here before you to purge me of the same. And if no suche thing may bee iustly layd to my charge, I desire to be released of this wrongful trouble.
There is none here goeth about to trouble you, but to do you good, if we can. For I promise you, ye were sent hither to mee without my knowledge. Therefore speake your conscience without any feare.
My Lord, I haue learned to aunswere in matters of Religion, In Ecclesia legitimè vocatus: In the Congregation being thereto lawfully called:* 1.5 but nowe I am not lawfullye called, neither is here a iust congregation where I oughte to answere.
In deede this man tolde mee the last time I spake with him, that he was a Lawyer, and woulde not vtter his conscience in matters of fayth, vnlesse it were in the hearing of the people, where hee mighte speake to vayne glory.
My Lord, I sayd not I was a Lawyer, neither do I arrogate to my selfe that name although I was once a no∣uice in ye same, where I learned something for mine owne defence, whē I am called in iudgement to answere to any cause, & whereby I haue bene taught, not to put my selfe further in daūger then I neede, and so farre am I a Law∣yer, and no further.
If you will not answere to my Lordes request, you seme to be a * 1.6 wilfull man in your opinion.
My Lorde of London is not mine Ordinarye before whom I am bound to answere in this behalfe, as maister D. Cole (which is a Lawyer) can well tell you by ye lawe. And I haue not offended my Lord of Londō wherfore he should call me.
Yes, I haue to laye to your charge, that you haue offended in my dioces by speaking agaynst the blessed sa∣crament of the aultar, and therefore I may call you & pro∣ceed agaynst you to punish you by the law.
I haue not offended in your Dioces. For that whi∣che I spake of the Sacrament was in Paules Churche in the Conuocation house,* 1.7 which (as I vnderstand) is a pe∣culiar iurisdiction belonging to the Deane of Paules, and therefore is counted of your Lordships Dioces, but not in your Dioces.
Is not Paules Churche in my Dioces? Well I wote, it costeth me a good deale of money by the yeare, the leading thereof.
That may be, & yet be exempted from your lordships iurisdiction. And albeit I had so offended in your Dioces, yet I ought by the law, to be sent to mine Ordinarye, if I