8-English Reformed: John Philpott (1511-1555): Word of God

A photo of Philpott's sphere of labour before he get's roasted in flames.

Part Eight. 153ff.

The Examinations and Writings of John Philpott (Parker Society Series, 1842). Archdeacon of Winchester (1511-December 1555).

Free and downloadable at:
http://books.google.com/books?id=WhT67MqcFDIC&pg=PA319&dq=examinations+and+writings+of+john+philpott+parker+society&lr=&as_brr=1.
Observations:

1. The eleventh examination of (archdeacon) John Philpott (Winchester) begins and it’s a real show of elites.

2. Beside John Philpott we read of Bishops from Durham (N.T. Wright’s see), Chichester, Bath, London (our old friend Bonner), and Bath. Additionally, th Prolocutor, Master Christopherson, Dr. Chedsey, Master Morgan of Oxford, Master Hussey of the Arches, Dr. Weston, Dr. Harpsfield, Master Cosins (??), Master Johnson, and the registrar to the Bishop of London.

3. Time: St. Andrew’s Day, 1555.

4. Place: Bonner’s place, the palace. Real big and real rich.

5. Durham asks: “…will you now be a conformable man to the catholic faith, and leave all new fangled opinions and heresies? I wis [PV, sic], I was in Germany with Luther at the beginning of these opinions, and can tell how they begain. Leave them, and follow the catholic church throughout the whole world, as the whole realm now doth.”

6. We’ve seen the “numbas” or “numbers” argument used in earlier examinations by Bonner. The sense is: “Look, good man, the whole world is against you, recant man!” We’ve seen Philpott’s earlier and marvelous rejoinders. This is old ground for us, but new in this post.

7. It’s the same argument used by evangelicals, “Look, this is how church growth occurs, by diluting the message…`Let’s all love Jesus and forget the clear propositions in Scripture…then we can sign ECT.’” We get the same with Virtue’s enthusiasms with the ACNA, “Look, here’s where the `numbas’ are...Forget about the sovereign Bible.” These "numbas" arguments are quite common and exercise alot of influence today. It's the underlying principle of mega church thinking and CCM. That principle of the "numbas" isn't..again it isn't... Luther at Worms. It’s not Philpott throughout.

8. A wonderful response by Winchester’s archdeacon, Philpott: “My lord, I am in the catholic faith, and desire to live and die in the same. But it is not unknown to your lordship, that I with others these twenty years have been taught another manner of faith than you now go about to compel us unto: wherefore it is requisite that we have a time to weigh the same, and to hear how it agreeth with God’s word; for faith is at a sudden neither won, neither removed, but, as St. Paul saith, `Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word.”

Part Eight concluded. DV, to be continued.