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.

Pag. 10. Sect. 1.

Therefore all these, and whatsoeuer else wandring wordes, I shall meete with in thys booke, I ineane (by Gods grace) as deade things and nothing worthe, to burie with silence, and will answere to these things, which couch the matters that lye in controuersie betweene vs. And as for the vnlearnednesse, blind zeale, malice, intollerable pride, contempt of all good orders, and twen∣tie such more things, wherwith M. Doctor chargeth vs, if our life and conuersation doth not con∣fute them sufficiently, our wordes and profesiion of our selues will not doe it. And therefore we will first stay our selues, with the testimonie of our owne consciences, and then in the equitie of the iudgement of all those, which shall indifferently consider these things that we are charged wyth. And as for the sworde that is so hotly and hastily called for, we hope it be in their handes, whiche will vse it better than they are by you directed.

Io. Whitgifte.

I thinke those that shall reade my booke, with indifferent iudgement, will saye that I haue perfourmed my promise: and am as spare in words without matter, as conueniently I coulde be, and muche more sparing than you are, either in this place where you haue nothing but wor〈1 line〉〈1 line〉es, or in the reste of your booke. The vaiue of my booke, and the vnprofitablenesse of it, I referre to the iudgement of others. I haue done my dutie in it (as I am persuaded) and satisfied my conscience.

I doe inueighe agaynst the authors of the Admonition in no otherwyse and sorte, than modes〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ie, and the cause it selfe requireth: If I haue, shewe the particulars, note the places. I speake not of their knowledge and learning, otherwyse than it is vtte∣red in their booke. I neither despise them in suche sorte, nor magnifie my selfe: I leaue that to you and yours, and thereof I require the testimonie of this your owne booke.

I boast not of anye profounde skill in Schoole learning, (I thanke God for that whiche I haue) I refuse not the Uniuersities iudgement of me, from the time of my firste béeing Sophister vnto this day. I thinke it hathe béene, and is better persua∣ded of me than I am worthy, whiche appeareth in that it hathe layde vpon me (as muche as vpon any one man) from time to time, from my firste péeping out, vnto this day, all the publyke exercises in all sciences that I haue professed, without my séeking, nay agaynst my will: and I trust that I neither haue in dooing of them dis∣graced hir, nor shamed my selfe. But surely I am ashamed thus to brust out to the defense of my selfe, if I were not therevnto compelled by your vnciuill and oppro∣brious spéeches.

My excursions be necessarie. I pu〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 no o〈1 line〉〈1 line〉tener, nor in any other manner, nor at any other sworde of the Magistrate, than the state of the Churche, my office and vo∣cation, and charitie it selfe requireth: neither doe I meane the authors of the Admo∣nition onely, but their adherentes also. Surely I beléeue that by that meanes these controuers〈1 line〉〈1 line〉es woulde shortly be ended, and the Churche kept in great quietnesse and good order.

The confutation of the quotations was most necessarie, and it is that, that doth pinche* 1.1 you moste sharpely. True it is, that they be vayne, vnlearned, and to no purpose, and yet vsed as groundes of that Admonition, and the doctrine therein contayned. Wherfore the opening of the va〈1 line〉〈1 line〉itie and vnap〈1 line〉〈1 line〉nesse of them, is the ouerthrowe of that booke: which the common sorte thought to be all Scripture, and nothing else but Scripture,

and therefore the doctrine therein conteyned to be moste true, when as in déede the Scriptures be there as manifestly wrested, and vnfitly vsed as they be of the Pa∣pis〈1 line〉〈1 line〉es and Anabaptistes. And therefore thoughe they were vaynely alleadged of them, yet were they necessarily confuted by mée. M. Caluine in his booke against the Anabaptistes, sayth, That they winne credite with those that bee zealous, bycause* 1.2 they pretende the woorde of God, and haue it alwayes in their mouthe. And therefore* 1.3 though their allegations be friuolous, yet doth he spende muche labour in detectyng them: euen so saye I, you pretende the woorde of God in all thyngs, and thereby you doe deceyue the godlie and zealous people: wherefore it is expedient, that your groundes be layde open, to the intente it maye be knowne howe crookedly and euill fauouredly you buylde vpon them.

If you coulde mayntayne euery place, or manie of the places, I dare say you would, but surely I commende youre Khetorike. Those places that you woulde séeme to giue some countenaunce vnto, bewray your lacke of abilitie to defend eyther them, or the reste. For you answere not one woorde to the reasons, for the whiche I disal∣lowe them, nor to the true sense and meaning whiche I giue of them. Truely if you shoulde thus goe aboute to make them good, in so dooing you shoulde doe your cause no greate good. But here you haue wholly omitted, the. 15. of Mathewe, and the. 16. of Luke. The one whereof though it be corrected, yet it is in a maner as farre from the purpose as it was before, as it maye ap〈1 line〉〈1 line〉eare in the Additions and alterations, &c. at the ende of the fyrste booke. Your woordes of pleasure whyche folowe, by∣cause they bée but woordes, I wholly omitte them, as I will also doe in many other places, where I shall fynde nothyng else, least I make this Booke longer than is conuenient.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The bayne quotations were necessa∣rily confuted.
• * 1.2

  Caluin 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉duers.
• * 1.3

  Anabap.