The defense of the aunsvvere to the Admonition against the replie of T.C. By Iohn VVhitgift Doctor of Diuinitie. In the beginning are added these. 4. tables. 1 Of dangerous doctrines in the replie. 2 Of falsifications and vntruthes. 3 Of matters handled at large. 4 A table generall.

Io. Whitgifte.

Conuicta impietas dum non habet quod respondeat, conuertit se ad conuitia. Vngodlynesse be∣ing conuicted, when she is destitute of a good answere, turneth hir selfe to reprochefull wordes: but your heate of wordes, and forgetfulnesse of dutie and reuerence, I passe ouer with silence. The multitude of liuings which I haue, I do enioye by law, and may retayne (I thanke God) with a farre better conscience, than T. C. did one liuing for the space of certayne yeres, and would haue done still with all his heart, if he mighte haue bin winked at, thoughe it were expresly agaynst his othe. My pompe is very small, my pride of men is but according to my calling, it were more for my profite if I had fewer. My delicate fare is very simple: I haue witnesses inowe of it, perad∣uenture if you were kept to that diet, it would not be with you as it is. If my iuris∣diction be vnlawfull, I am content it be reformed, it is according to the statutes of the Colledge where I am (to the which T. C. hathe bin sworne) and to the lawes of the Realme. What I heereafter looke for, it is harde for you to iudge: But I most humbly thanke my heauenly father, that in all this storming of yours, wherein you haue blowne out agaynst me what you could possibly imagine, you haue only vttered your boyling stomacke, and not touched me in any thing, whereof I néede to be ashamed, which surely you would haue done if you could.

I whet the sworde no otherwise agaynst you, than christian charitie and the state of* 1.1 the Church requireth. It is neither the sworde that taketh away life, nor fire that consumeth the body, which I moue vnto, but it is the sworde of correction and discipline, which may by sundrie other meanes be drawne out, than by shedding of bloud. That sword of discipline, I call for still, and say wyth Zuinglius: If it be permitted that euery* 1.2 man may freely defend his errors, and spread abrode in the Church false doctrine, there wil be more contentions, sectes and discorde among Christian Churches, than euer there was a∣mong Infidels. And again, If euery man may without controlment preach among the peo∣ple his own priuate phansie and opinion, contrary to the determination and authority of the Church, it will shortly come to passe that we shall haue more errors than Christians.

If I haue accused any man vniustly, there is a lawe, whervnto I am subiecte: but your words are not of that weight, neither your defense suche, that therefore they please or satisfie wise men, bicause you speake them. If they can say no more for them selues than you haue sayd for thē, then they must remayne still in the same suspicion.

If there be any iust cause why ye shoulde haue the good abearing agaynst any man, if you will come foorthe, and orderly require it. I am sure you may haue it. But oh the mildnesse, the patience, and the quietnesse of this spirite of yours.

To the godly Readers, grace and peace from God, &c.

TWo treatises ye haue heere ensuing (beloued in Christ) which ye muste reade without a 1.3 parcialitie or blinde affection. For otherwyse you shall neither see their meaning: nor refrayne your selues from rashly condemning of them with∣out iust cause. For certayne men there are of great countenance, whiche will not lightly like of them, bicause they principally concerne their persons and vniust dea∣lings▪ whose credite is great, and whose friends are many, we meane the lordely Lords, Archbishops, Bishops, Suffraganes, Deanes, Doctors, Archdeacons, Chauncellours, and the rest of that proude generation, whose kingdome muste downe, holde they neuer so harde: b〈1 line〉〈1 line〉cause their tyrannous Lordship can not stande b 1.4 with Christes kingdome. And it is the speciall mischiefe of our Englishe Churche, and the chiefe cause of backwardnesse, and of all breache & dissention. For they whose authoritie is c 1.5 forbidden by Christ, wil haue their stroke without their felow seruants, yea, though vngratiously, cruelly and Popelike they take vp∣pon them to d 1.6 beate them, and that for their own childish Articles, beeing for the most part against the manyfest truthe of God: First, by experience their rigour hathe too playnely appeared euer since their wicked raigne, and specially for the space of these fiue or sixe yeres last past togither. Of the enormities, whiche with suche rigour they maynteine, these treatises do in parte make men∣tion, iustly crauing redrèsse thereof. But the matters do require a larger discourse. Onely the au∣thors of these, thoughte it their partes to admonishe you at this time, of those inconueniences whiche men seeme not to thinke vpon, and whiche without reformation, can not but increase fur∣ther dissention: the one parte beeing, proude, pontificall, and tyrannous: and the worde of God for the other parte expresse and manifest, as if it pleased the state to examine the matters, it woulde be euident. And woulde to God, that free conference in these matters might be had. For howsoe∣uer learned and many they seeme to be, they should & may in this realme find inowe, to match them and shame them too, if they holde on as they haue begonne. And out of this realme they haue all the best reformed Churches throughout Christendome agaynst them. But in a fewe wordes to say what we meane. Either muste we haue a right e 1.7 ministerie of God, and a right f 1.8 gouern∣ment of his Churche, according to the Scriptures set vp (both which we lacke) or else there can be no right religion, nor yet for contempt thereof can g 1.9 Gods plagues be from vs any while dif∣ferred. And therefore though they linke in togither, and sclaunderously charge poore men (whome they haue made poore) with grieuous faults, calling them Puritans, worse than the Donatists, exasperating & setting on such as be inauthoritie agaynst them, hauing hitherto miserably handled thē with r〈1 line〉〈1 line〉uilings▪ depriuations, imprisonments, banishments, & suche like extremities, yet is these poore mens cause neuer the h 1.10 worse: nor these chalengers the better: nor God his i 1.11 hand the further of to linke in with his agaynst them: nor you (christian brethren) must neuer the rather without examination k 1.12 condemne them. But thankfully take this taste whiche God by these treatises offereth you, and weigh them by the worde of God, and do your endeu〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ur, euery man in his l 1.13 calling, to promote his cause. And let vs all with more m 1.14 earnest prayer than we are wont, earnestly commende it to God hys blessing, and namely that it will please him by his spirite to lighten the heart of our most gracious Soueraigne, and the rest in authoritie, to the benefite of his small flocke, and the ouerthrowe of their proude enimies, that godlinesse may by them proceede in peace, and God his glory through Iesus Christ, be throughly aduaunced. Whiche we call God to witnesse, is our onely labour and suite. And so presently we leaue you: hartily beseeching God to graunt it.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The sword of discipline ne∣cessarily cal∣led for.
• * 1.2

  In his Epi∣stle before his booke called Ecclesiastes.
• a 1.3

  1. Thes. 5. 21 Iam. 1. 19. 20 Iam.▪ 2. 1.
• b 1.4

  Math. 15. 23 Luc. 16. 15.
• c 1.5

  Mat, 20. 25. 26. Mat. 23. 8. 9 10. Mar. 10. 42. 43. Luc. 22. 15. &c.
• d 1.6

  Mat. 24 48 49.
• e 1.7

  Math. 9. 37. 38. Ephe. 4. 11. 12.
• f 1.8

  Mat. 18. 15. 16. 17.
• g 1.9

  Pro. 29. 18. Amos. 8. 11. 12. &c. Ma. 21. 23. &c. 1. Cor. 11. 30
• h 1.10

  Mat. 10. 16. 26.
• i 1.11

  Esai. 59. 1.
• k 1.12

  Exo. 23. 1. 2. Mat. 7. 1. 2. Iam 4. 11. 12
• l 1.13

  1. Cor. 5. 20 1. Cor. 7. 27
• m 1.14

  Psal. 50. 15. Mat. 7. 7. 1. Tim. 2. 1. 2