offences; the said former statute, made in the said first and second year of our Mary. said sovereign lord and lady notwithstanding: whereby your said orator shall not only be set at liberty, and divers others now remaining in prison; but also A.D. the blood of divers of the queen's majesty's true and faithful subjects preserved. 1555.

THE CONDEMNATION OF THE WORTHY MARTYR OF GOD,
JOHN PHILPOT.

These books, letters, supplications, and other matters being thus read, the bishop demanded of him, If the book intituled, "The true Report of the Disputation," etc. were of his penning, or not? Whereunto Philpot answered, that it was a good and true book, and of his own penning and setting-forth.

The bishops, waxing now weary, and being not able by any sufficient ground, either of God's word, or of the true ancient catholic fathers, to convince and overcome him, fell by fair and flattering speech to persuade with him; promising, that if he would revoke his opinions, and come home again to their Romish and Babylonical church, he should not only be pardoned that which was past, but also they would with all favour and cheerfulness of heart, receive him again as a true member thereof. Which words when Bonner saw would take no place, he demanded of master Philpot (and that with a charitable affection I warrant you), whether he had any just cause to allege, why he should not condemn him as a heretic." "Well," quoth master Philpot, “your idolatrous sacrament, which you have found out, ye would fain defend; but ye cannot, nor ever shall."

of con

against

In the end the bishop, seeing his unmovable stedfastness in the sentence truth, did pronounce openly the sentence of condemnation against demnahim. In the reading whereof, when he came to these words, "Teque tion read etiam tanquam hæreticum, obstinatum, pertinacem, et impœniten- Philpot. tem," etc. master Philpot said, "I thank God that I am a heretic, His words out of your cursed church; I am no heretic before God. But God it. bless you, and give you once grace to repent your wicked doings, and let all men beware of your bloody church.”

my

Moreover, while Bonner was about the midst of the sentence, the bishop of Bath pulled him by the sleeve, and said, “My lord, lord, know of him first whether he will recant or no.' Then Bonner said (full like himself), "O let him alone;" and so read forth the

sentence.

in reading

delivered

And when he had done, he delivered him to the sheriffs; and so Philpot two officers brought him through the bishop's house into Paternoster- to the row, and there his servant met him, and when he saw him he said, "Ah! dear master."

Then master Philpot said to his man, "Content thyself, I shall do well enough; for thou shalt see me again."

sheriffs.

brought

man per

And so the officers thrust him away, and had his master to New- Philpot gate; and as he went, he said to the people, "Ah! good people; to Newblessed be God for this day." And so the officers delivered him to gate: his the keeper. Then his man thrust to go in after his master, and one mitted to of the officers said unto him, "Hence, fellow! what wouldst thou with him. have?" And he said, "I would go speak with my master." Master

(1) of this book of Disputation in the convocation, read before, [Vol. vi. p. 395. En.]
(2) Ah, my lord, what needed this question, when no reasonable answer could be allowed?

enter

Mary. Philpot then turned him about, and said to him, "To-morrow thou shalt speak with me."

A. D. 1555.

tween

Philpot

ander the

Good

66

Philpot you

loaden

with irons

he would

ander's

Alexander taketh

66

Then the under-keeper said to master Philpot, "Is this your man?" Talk be- and he said, "Yea." So he did license his man to go in with him; and master Philpot and his man were turned into a little chamber on and Alex- the right hand, and there remained a little time, until Alexander the keeper. chief keeper did come unto him; who, at his entering, greeted him with these words; "Ah!" said he, "hast not thou done well to bring thyself hither?" "Well," said master Philpot, "I must be content, for it is God's appointment: and I shall desire you to let me have your gentle favour; for you and I have been of old acquaintance." "Well," said Alexander, "I will show thee gentleness and favour, so thou wilt be ruled by me." Then said master Philpot, pray you show me what you would have me to do." He said, “If would recant, I will show you any pleasure I can." Nay," said master Philpot, "I will never recant, whilst I have my life, that because which I have spoken, for it is most certain truth; and in witness not recant hereof I will seal it with my blood." Then Alexander said, "This at Alex is the saying of the whole pack of you heretics." Whereupon he bidding. commanded him to be set upon the block, and as many irons upon his legs as he could bear, for that he would not follow his wicked mind. Then the clerk told Alexander in his ear, that master Philpot had given his man money. And Alexander said to his man, What Philpot's money hath thy master given thee ?" He answered, "My master from his hath given me none." "No!" said Alexander, "hath he given thee none? That I will know, for I will search thee." "Do with me what you list, and search me all that you can," quoth his servant: he hath given me a token or two to send to his friends, as to his brother and sisters." "Ah!" said Alexander unto master Philpot, "thou art a maintainer of heretics: thy man should have gone to some of thine affinity; but he shall be known well enough." "Nay," said master Philpot, "I do send it to my friends: there he is, let him make answer to it. But good master Alexander, be so much my friend, that these irons may be taken off." Well," said Alexander, “give me my fees, and I will take them off: if not, thou shalt wear them still." Then said master Philpot, "Sir, what is your Alexr the fee?" He said four pound was his fees. "Ah," said master Philpot, cruel I have not so much; I am but a poor man, and I have been long requireth in prison." "What wilt thou give me then," said Alexander? Sir," said he, "I will give you twenty shillings, and that I will send my man for; or else I will lay my gown to gage. For the time is not long (I am sure), that I shall be with you; for the bishop said I should be soon dispatched."

tokens

man.

ander

keeper

four pounds of Philpot

for his irons.

Philpot

limbo.

"What is that to me ?”

Then said Alexander unto him, And had into with that he departed from him, and commanded him to be had into limbo. And so his commandment was fulfilled; but before he could be taken from the block, the clerk would have a groat.

Then one Witterence, steward of the house, took him on his back, and carried him down, his man knew not whither. Wherefore master Philpot said to his man, "Go to master sheriff, and show him how I am used, and desire master sheriff to be good unto me." And so his servant went straightway, and took an honest man with him.

sheriff, a

sendeth

And when they came to master sheriff (which was master Macham), Mary. and showed him how master Philpot was handled in Newgate, the A.D. sheriff, hearing this, took his ring off from his finger, and delivered 1555. it unto that honest man which came with master Philpot's man, and Master bade him go unto Alexander the keeper, and command him to Macham, take off his irons, and to handle him more gently, and to give his good man, man again that which he had taken from him. And when they came sending again to the said Alexander, and told their message from the sheriff, to take off Alexander took the ring, and said, "Ah! I perceive that master irons, and sheriff is a bearer with him, and all such heretics as he is: therefore the man's to-morrow I will show it to his betters." 1 Yet at ten of the clock tokens. he went in to master Philpot, where he lay, and took off his irons, and gave him such things as he had taken before from his servant.

Philpot's

to restore

warned

by the

sheriff's to

Upon Tuesday at supper, being the 17th day of December, there Philpot came a messenger from the sheriffs, and bade master Philpot make him ready, for the next day he should suffer, and be burned at a prepare stake with fire. Master Philpot answered and said, "I am ready; him God grant me strength, and a joyful resurrection." And so he went the next into his chamber, and poured out his spirit unto the Lord God, day giving him most hearty thanks, that he of his mercy had made him worthy to suffer for his truth.

against

day to the

brought to

In the morning the sheriffs came according to the order, about eight of the clock, and called for him, and he most joyfully came down unto them. And there his man did meet him, and said, "Ah! dear master, farewell." His master said unto him, "Serve God, and he will help thee." And so he went with the sheriffs to the Philpot place of execution; and when he was entering into Smithfield, the the place way was foul, and two officers took him up to bear him to the stake. of marThen he said merrily, "What! will ye make me a pope? I am content to go to my journey's end on foot." But first, coming into Smithfield, he kneeled down there, saying these words, "I will pay my vows in thee, O Smithfield !”

tyrdom.

words go

stake.

And when he was come to the place of suffering, he kissed the Philpot's stake, and said, "Shall I disdain to suffer at this stake, seeing my ing to the Redeemer did not refuse to suffer a most vile death upon the cross for me ?" And then with an obedient heart full meekly he said the Philpot's 106th, the 107th, and the 108th Psalms. And when he had made prayers. an end of all his prayers, he said to the officers, "What have you the offidone for me?" and every one of them declared what they had done; and he gave to every of them money.

Then they bound him to the stake, and set fire unto that constant martyr, who the 18th day of December, in the midst of the fiery flames, yielded his soul into the hands of Almighty God, and full like a lamb gave up his breath, his body being consumed into ashes.

He giveth

cers mo

ney.

examina

John Phil

Thus hast thou, gentle reader, the life and doings of this learned The wriand worthy soldier of the Lord, John Philpot; with all his exami- tings and nations that came to our hands: first penned and written with his tions of own hand, being marvellously preserved from the sight and hand of pot, by the his enemies; who by all manner of means sought not only to stop dence of him from all writing, but also to spoil and deprive him of that which Almighty he had written; for the which cause he was many times stripped and served.

(1) Note the spitefulness of this keeper.

Provi

God, pre

Mary. searched in the prison, of his keeper: but yet so happily these his A. D. writings were conveyed and hid in places about him, or else his 1555. keeper's eyes so blinded, that, notwithstanding all this malicious purpose of the bishops, they are yet remaining, and come to light.

A godly prayer to the time

be said at

of mar

A Prayer to be said at the Stake, of all them that God shall account worthy to suffer for his sake.

Merciful God and Father, to whom our Saviour Christ approached in his fear and need by reason of death, and found comfort; gracious God and most bounteous Christ, on whom Stephen called in his extreme need, and received strength; most benign Holy Spirit! which in the midst of all crosses and death tyrdom. didst comfort the apostle St. Paul with more consolations in Christ, than he felt sorrows and terrors, have mercy upon me miserable, vile, and wretched sinner, which now draw near the gates of death, deserved both in soul and body eternally, by reason of manifold, horrible, old and new transgressions, which to thine eyes, O Lord, are open and known. O be merciful unto me, for the bitter death and blood-shedding of thine own only Son Jesus Christ. And though thy justice doth require (in respect of my sins), that now thou shouldst not hear me,measuring me in the same measure with which I have measured thy Majesty, contemning thy daily calls-yet let thy mercy which is above all thy works, and wherewith the earth is filled, let thy mercy (I say) prevail towards me, through and for the mediation of Christ our Saviour. And for whose sake, in that it hath pleased thee to bring me forth now as one of his witnesses, and a record-bearer of thy verity and truth taught by him, to give my life there-for (to which dignity I do acknowledge, dear God, that there was never any so unworthy and so unmeet, no not the thief that hanged with him on the cross): I most humbly therefore pray thee that thou wouldst accordingly aid, help, and assist me with thy strength and heavenly grace, that with Christ thy Son I may find comfort, with Stephen I may see thy presence and gracious power, with Paul, and all others, which for thy Name's sake have suffered affliction and death, I may find so present with me thy gracious consolations, that I may by my death glorify thy holy Name, propagate and ratify thy verity, comfort the hearts of the heavy, confirm thy church in thy verity, convert some that are to be converted; and so depart forth of this miserable world, where I do nothing but daily heap sin upon sin, and so enter into the fruition of thy blessed mercy; whereof now give and increase in me a lively trust, sense, and feeling, wherethrough the terrors of death, the torments of fire, the pangs of sin, the darts of Satan, and the dolours of hell, may never depress me, but may be driven away through the working of that most gracious Spirit; which now plenteously endue me withal, that through the same Spirit I may offer (as I now desire to do in Christ by him) myself wholly, soul and body, to be a lively sacrifice, holy and acceptable in thy sight, dear Father! whose I am, and always have been, even from my mother's womb, yea even before the world was made; to whom I commend myself, soul and body, family and friends, country and all the He pray- whole church, yea even my very enemies, according to thy good pleasure; eth for re- beseeching thee entirely to give once more to this realm of England the blessing the gospel of thy word again, with godly peace, to the teaching and setting forth of the O dear Father! now give me grace to come unto thee. Purge and so purify me by this fire in Christ's death and passion through thy Spirit, that I may be a burnt-offering of a sweet smell in thy sight, which livest and reignest with the Son and the Holy Ghost, now and for evermore world without end, Amen.

storing of

and peace same. in Eng

land.

LETTERS OF MASTER PHILPOT.

A Letter which he sent to the Christian Congregation, exhorting them to refrain from the idolatrous Service of the Papists, and to serve God after his Word.

It is a lamentable thing to behold at this present in England the faithless departing both of men and women, from the true knowledge and use of Christ's. sincere religion, which so plentifully they have been taught, and do know, their

own consciences bearing witness to the verity thereof. If that earth be cursed of God, which, eftsoons, receiving moisture and pleasant dews from heaven, doth not bring forth fruit accordingly; how much more grievous judgment shall such persons receive, which, having received from the Father of Heaven the perfect knowledge of his word by the ministry thereof, do not show forth God's worship after the same? If the Lord will require in the day of judgment a godly usury of all manner of talents which he lendeth unto men and women, how much more will he require the same of his pure religion revealed unto us (which is of all other talents the chiefest and most pertaining to our exercise in this life), if we hide the same in a napkin, and set it not forth to the usury of God's glory, and edifying of his church by true confession? God hath kindled the bright light of his gospel, which in times past was suppressed, and hid under the vile ashes of man's traditions, and hath caused the brightness thereof to shine in our hearts, to the end that the same might shine before men to the honour of his name.3

It is not only given us to believe, but also to confess and declare, what we believe in our outward conversation. For as St. Paul writeth to the Romans,* "The belief of the heart justifieth, and to acknowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe." It is all one before God, not to believe at all, and not to show forth the lively works of our belief. For Christ saith, "Either make the tree good and his fruits good; or else make the tree evil and the fruits evil: because a good tree bringeth forth good fruits, as an evil tree doth evil fruits." So that the person which knoweth his master's will, and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. And "Not all they which say, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of God, but he that doth the will of the Father." And "Whosoever in the time of trial is ashamed of me," saith Christ, "and of my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed before his Father." 118 After that we have built ourselves into the true church of God, it hath pleased him, by giving us over into the hands of the wicked synagogues, to prove our building, and to have it known as well to the world as to ourselves, that we have been wise builders into the true church of God, upon the rock and not on the sand; and therefore now the tempest is risen, and the storms do mightily blow against us, that we might notwithstanding stand upright, and be firm in the Lord, to his honour and glory, and to our eternal felicity. There is no new thing happened unto us, for with such tempests and dangerous weathers the church of God hath continually been exercised. Now once again, as the prophet Haggai tells us, 10 "The Lord shaketh the earth, that those might abide for ever, which be not overcome."

Mary.

A. D.

1555.

See

Appendix.

flesh not

Therefore, my dearly beloved, be stable and immovable in the word of God, Wisdom and in the faithful observation thereof, and let no man deceive you with vain of the words, saying, that you may keep your faith to yourselves, and dissemble with to be antichrist, and to live at rest and quietness in the world, as most men do, yield- hearkening to necessity. This is the wisdom of the flesh; but the wisdom of the flesh ed unto.j is death and enmity to God, as our Saviour for ensample aptly did declare in Peter, who exhorted Christ not to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the passover, and there to be slain, but counselled him to look better to himself.11

912 66

Likewise the world would not have us to forsake it, neither to associate ourselves to the true church, which is the body of Christ, whereof we are lively members, and to use the sacraments after God's word with the danger of our lives. But we must learn to answer the world as Christ did Peter, and say, "Go behind me, Satan; thou savourest not the things of God." Shall I not drink of the cup which the Father giveth me?"'13 For it is better to be afflicted and to be slain in the church of God, than to be counted the son of the king, in the synagogue of false religion.14 Death for righteousness is not to be abhorred, Death for but rather to be desired, which assuredly bringeth with it the crown of everlast- righting glory. These bloody executioners do not persecute Christ's martyrs, but bringeth crown them with everlasting felicity: we were born into this world to be wit- felicity. nesses unto the truth, both learned and unlearned.

Now since the time is come that we must show our faith, and declare whether we will be God's servants in righteousness and holiness, as we have been taught,

(1) Heb. vi.

(5) Matt. xii. (9) Matt. vii. (12) Matt. xvi.

(2) Matt. xxv.
(6) Luke xii.
(10) Haggai ii.
(13) Ibid.

(3) Matt. v.
(7) Matt. vii.
(11) Rom. viii.
(14) Heb. xi.

1 Cor. vi. Psal. xvi.

4) Rom. x. (8) Luke ix.

Matt. xvi.

eousness