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.

When you say, That it i〈1 line〉〈1 line〉no small in〈1 line〉〈1 line〉urie that I doe vnto the worde of God to pinne it vp in so narrowe roome. &c. You doe but enlarge the volume of your booke with bare words that myght well be spared. I gy〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e that perfection to the worde of God, which the worde it selfe requireth, and all godly learned men consent vnto: and muche more doe I attribute vnto it than you do, in saying that many things are both commaunded and forbyddē of the which there is no expresse mentiō in the word, which are as necessary to be followed* 1.1 or auoyded, as those whereof expresse mention is made, which I take to derogate much from the perfection of the Scriptures, to be méere Papisticall, and quite contrarie to that, that you doe pretende. I also confesse, that in all other things we muste so be directed by the Scriptures, that we doe nothing contrarie to the true sense and meaning of them, no not in externall and in the leaste matters: neyther doe I otherwise write, teache, or speake of the perfec〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ion and authoritie of the Scriptures, than all other lea∣ne〈1 line〉〈1 line〉

men, and the reformed Churches, teache, write, and beléeue: wherefore I passe ouer your words and come to your reasons.

If I meane, say you, by matters of fayth and necessarie to saluation, those without the which a man can not be saued. &c. I can not but muse what you meane willingly to pretende ignorance. Is this thinke you a sounde argument: Diuers of the fathers of the Greeke Churche, which were greate patrons of free will, are saued, holding the foundation of the fayth which is Christ: Ergo The doctrine of free will is not a doctrine of saluation or damnation? you myght as well say, that many in the popishe Church which beléeued that the Pope was supreme head of the Church, that the Masse was a sacrifice for the quicke & the dead, and such like poynts of p••pisticall Religion be saued, Ergo these are no matters of saluatiō or damnatiō. Surely by the same reason al other kinde of sinnes (almost)* 1.2 might be without this compasse. But it may please you to vnderstand, that the mer∣cie of God in his sonne Iesus Christ is infinite, and that he pardoneth at his good will and pleasure, not onely misbeliefe procéeding of ignorance, but wilfull erreurs, and sinnes also, thoughe they be of themselues damnable: he also altereth the minde of man euen in a moment, and therefore as hys mercyes be infinite, so be his iudge∣mentes vnsearchable. Wherefore this your reason is vttered without due conside∣ration. The doctrine of free wyll bycause it is an enimye to the grace of God, must néedes be of it selfe a damnable doctrine, yet doth it not preiudice the mercie of God, nor finally shut oute repentance the gifte of God. And full well doe you knowe, that he can not hold y^e foundation of faith (that is Christ) perfectly, which is a mayntayner of free will. But leauiug the weight of such kind of argumentes to the consideration of the Reader: I come to the purpose. When I saye that an argument holdeth nega∣tiuely from the authoritie of the Scripture in matters of fayth and necessarie to sal∣uation, my meaning is manifest: which is this, that the Scriptures doe containe all things necessarie to be beléeued, and to saluation: and therfore whatsoeuer is taught vnto vs, as an article of fayth and necessarie to saluation, not contained in the scrip∣tures, that same to be false and vntrue, and therefore to be reiected. As for example, the doctrine of fre wyll, of Purgatorie, of praying for the dead, of praying to Saint〈1 line〉〈1 line〉, of the sacrifice of the Masse, &c. are not contayned in the Scriptures, and therefore they be not doctrines to be beléeued, nor necessarie to saluation, but damnable d〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ctrynes of themselues, and repugnant to saluation. Surely I thinke in this poynte that you neither vnderstande me nor your selfe: my meaning is plaine, that nothing is neces∣sarie to saluation, which is not plainely contained in the Scriptures.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pag. 13. Sect. 2.
• * 1.2

  The mercie of God infinite.