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 I say that the scriptures containe all things necessary vnto saluation, I doe* 1.1 not meane that it containeth those things onely, neither doe I denie but that the worde of God, so containeth generally the direction of all things pertayning to the Churche, or that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fall into any part of mans life, that nothing ought to be done in the Churche, or in the life of man contrarie to the word of God, or not according to the true intent and mea∣ning of the same. Yet doe I denie that the scriptures doe expresse particularly euerie thing that is to be done in the Church (which you your selfe afterward confesse) or that it doth set downe any one certaine forme and kynd of gouernment of the Churche, to be perpetuall for all times, persons, and places, without alteration, as I shall hereaf∣ter more particularly declare.

The place you do alleage out of the. 2. chap. of Salomons Prouerbes, doth not proue your purpose, for Salomon there teacheth the fruites and commoditie of wisedome, and in the person of hir, declareth what vnderstanding he shall haue in righteousnesse, iudgement, equitie, and euery good pathe, that harkeneth vnto wisedome, obeyeth hir commaundements, and giueth his hart to knowledge. But what is this to proue, that the scripture hath expressed euery particular ceremonie, or kind of gouernment in the Church? how followeth this reason, if Princes and such as be in authoritie, receiue the words of wisedome, and hide hir commaundements within them. &c. they shall vnder∣stand* 1.2 righteousnesse, iudgement, and equitie, and euerie good pathe. &c. therfore the scrip∣tures do expresse euerie ceremonie, order, discipline or kinde of gouernment that is to be vsed in the Church? surely except you take héede you wil wander as farre out of the way in aleaging the scriptures, as the authors of the Admonition did in quoting them. I graunt you that Princes muste giue them selues to the vnderstanding of wyse∣dome, and especially of the wisedome of God contained in his word, for so shall they vnderstande righteousnesse, iudgement, and equitie, and euerye good pathe. &c. But what is this to our question? Magistrates must be directed by the worde of God: Er∣go they must make no ciuill or ecclesiasticall lawe, or order, which is not expressed in the word of God: I deny this argument. Your other text is written in the. 1. Cor. 10. VVhither therfore we eate or drinke. &c. Whervpon you frame this argument: whatso∣euer* 1.3 we do, we must do it to the glory of God: but no man can glorisie God in any thing but by o∣bedience, and there is no obedience, but in respect of the commaundement and word of God. Ther∣fore it followeth, that the word of God directeth a man in all his actions: (to omit the vndigested forme of this argument, wherin the conclusion agréeth not with the 〈◊〉〈◊〉) this text is as farre frō the purpose as is the other, for what sequele is this, we must do all to the glory of God, we must obey the cōmandement & wordes of God: Ergo we must do nothing in our whole life, but that which is particularly expressed in the worde of God: Or, therfore the scripture expresseth euery particular ceremonie, or〈1 line〉〈1 line〉er, or kind of gouernment to be vsed in the Church? You may as well by this place conclude, that euery ciuil actiō, euery priuate actiō, euery ciuil kind of gouernment, is expressed in y^• word. For this rule of S. Paule is general, and pertaineth to all Christians, of what state, conditiō or degrée so euer they be. But the true meaning of S. Paule in y^t place is, that we seke y^e glory of God in all things, & do nothing that is against his word and commādement. He glori〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ieth God in meate & drinke which acknowledgeth God to be the giuer of them, and then is thankefull for them, and vseth them moderately, &c. the like is to be said of all other actions.

That whiche Saincte Paule (you say) sayde of meates and drinkes, that they are sanctified vnto vs by the worde of God. &c. It is true, but to what purpose doe you alledge that* 1.4 place? The woorde of God pronounceth all Gods creatures to bée good, and the vse of them to bée lawful (for al thyngs are cleane to those that bee cleane) the same are to* 1.5 be desyred by vs of hym, as the author and giuer of them, and when we haue them wée must be thankefull for them: But what is this to the proofe of any thing that wée haue nowe in controuersie?

But the place of Saincte Paule in the. 14. to the Romains (you saye) is of all other moste cleare. &c. Wherevpon you frame this argumente, Paule speaking of things which are called indifferent, sayeth that whatsoeuer is not of sayth, is synne, but faythe is not but in respecte of the woorde of God: therefore what soeuer is not doone by the woorde of God is synne: still I omitte the euill framing of your argumentes: For I respecte not the defacing of your skill, but the groundes of youre proofes. That sentence of Saincte* 1.6 Paule is also generall, and it is to be extended to all ciuill actions, as well as it is to Ecclesiasticall, and therefore if it proue that all Ciuill and Politike actions and kyndes of gouernmente muste bée particularlye expressed in the Scrptures: it proueth the same in Ecclesiasticall matters also: else not. But the meanyng of the Apostle is, that wée shoulde doe nothyng agaynste oure conscience, nothing but that whyche wée doe beléeue not to displease God, not to bée agaynste hys woord, or cōmaundement. For not to be of Fayth, hath dyuers significations. Fyrst, it signifieth that, that is contrarie to the perswasion of the faythe and iudgement of the conscience: Secondly it signifyeth, not to be taken as an article of Faith. If it be taken in the fyrst signification: Then it is not true that whatsoeuer can not be pro∣ued in the worde of God, is not of fayth, for then to take vp a strawe, to obserue manie Ciuill orders, and to doo a number of particular actions, were agaynste faythe, and so deadely synne: bycause it is not founde in the woorde of God, that wée shoulde doe them. The whyche doctrine muste néedes bryng a greate seruitude and bondage to the conscience, restrayne or rather vtterly ouerthrowe that parte of Christian libertie, whiche consisteth in the frée vse of indifferent thin∣ges, neyther commaunded nor forbidden in the worde of God, and throwe men headlong into desperation. For what man is able to shewe the woorde of God for all thyngs he dothe? If it bée taken in the seconde signification, then it is true, that that is not of Faythe, whyche can not bée proued by the woord. For nothyng is to bée beléeued as an article of faith, which cannot bée proued by the woord of God. In this. 14. to the Romaines, not to bée of Faythe is taken in the fyrste signifi∣cation, that is agaynste the persuasion of the faythe and iudgemente of the con∣science: as thoughe hée shoulde saye, whatsoeuer a man dothe agaynste his con∣science, that is synne. And thys to bée the true meanyng of thys place, the woor∣des* 1.7 goyng before, doe declare, where the Apostle sayeth, Blessed is he that condem∣neth not himselfe in the thyng whiche he alloweth, that is, whose dooyngs are not agaynste hys conscience.

Thys rule (I saye) of Saincte Paule, extendeth as well to Ciuill actions, as it dothe to Ceremonies and orders of the Churche, and therefore what you wil conclude of the one, that muste you also conclude of the other: But I thinke you will not saye, that euery ciuill action muste be expressed or commaunded in the woorde of God: wherefore neyther can you proue by these wordes of S. Paule, that euery ceremonie, order, or kinde of gouernmente in the Churche must be comman∣ded by the woorde of God.

But what néede I laboure so muche in a matter at the lengthe confes∣sed,* 1.8 by youre selfe: for you denye that you saye, That no Ceremonie. &c. maye bee in the Churche, excepte the same bee expressed in the woorde of God, but that in makyng orders and ceremonies of the Church, it is not lawfull to doe what men liste. &c.

Holde you here, and wée shall soone agrée. For neyther dothe that, that I haue hythertoo spoken in thys matter, nor that whyche I intende to speake héereafter, disagrée from thys: the whyche you myghte haue séene, yf it

it had pleased you, page. 22. and. 28. of the Answere to the Admonition, and in my* 1.9 whole discourse of that matter. Wherfore if you were constant, and not contrarie vnto your selfe, or at the least not desirous to haue shewed your selfe contrary to that which I haue in this point written (though you here confesse it to be true) you might haue both eased your selfe and me of this labour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Now 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 scrip∣ture 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the direction of all things belonging to the life of man. Page. 15.
• * 1.2

  Pro〈1 line〉〈1 line〉er. 2.
• * 1.3

  1. Cor. 10.
• * 1.4

  1. Tim. 4.
• * 1.5

  Tit. 1. 15.
• * 1.6

  The place in the. 14. to the Rom. expoū∣ded.
• * 1.7

  Rom. 14. vers. 22.
• * 1.8

  The matter in controuer∣sie is by T. C. confessed.
• * 1.9

  Pag. 22. sect. 2. Pag. 28. sect. 2.