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.

T. C. Pag. 22. Sect. 3.

After you define what it is to take from, and put to the word of God, wherin not to speake of your wonderfull * 1.1 dexteritie in defining, which can define two thinges, and those contrarie (put∣ting to, and taking fro) with one difference, which Zeno him self could neuer do, you leaue out that which Moses especially ment to comprehende, which is, not to do more, nor to do lesse than he hathe commanded. And as for your diuision, it hath as euill successe here, as in other places, for when it is a great fault in diuiding to haue either too muche or too little, you fault in bothe, for where as you say, they adde, which teache or decree. &c. Besides that you leaue out, whiche Moses mente, you forget also that, whiche your selfe had sayde, whiche had placed adding too, not onely in teaching and decreeing, but in thinking or beleeuing.

And wheras you make foure parts of your diuision, the three last are found to be all vnder the first member, which is to make things of fayth and ceremonies, contrarie to the worde, and so your diuision is not onely faultie, but no diuision at all. * 1.2 The which thing I could haue easily forgiuen you, and passed by as a thing not very commendable to trauell to shew the pouertie of those things, which do sufficiently of themselues (as it were) proclayme their owne shame: but that it grieued me to see a booke lengthened with first, seconde, thirde, last, as though euery one of them conteyned some notable newe matter, which needed an Oyes before it, to stirre vp the attention of the reader, when there is nothing but a many of words without matter, as it were a sort of fayre emptie apo∣thecaries boxes, without any stuffe in them. And for that you are so harde with other men for their Logike, I will desire the reader to pardon me, if I pursue these things more narrowlier than some peraduenture will like of, or I my selfe delight in. And so for any definition or diuision that I can perceiue, it standeth fast, that nothing is to be done in the Church of God, but by his cōmandement and word directing the s〈1 line〉〈1 line〉me. It is true in deede, if they be not agaynst the worde of God, and pro∣fitable for the Churche, they are to be receyued, as those things which God by the Churche dothe commaunde, and as grounded of the worde of God. But there is the question, and therefore you taking this as a thing graunted alwayes, do alwayes fall into that whiche you charge other with, of the failacion of Petitio principij.

Io. Whitgifte.

There is neither definition nor diuision here that can please you: but what remedy? when you iestes be vttered, and you a little sported your selfe, & the matter commeth to trial, there appeareth very slēder corrections: I haue after my rude & simple maner declared what it is to adde to the word of God, or to take from it, and haue* 1.3 not sought for any exacte definition. But yet (by your leaue) two contraries may be defi∣ned by one generall difference, when we talke of those things which be common to them bothe, and do not séeke to separate them from among them selues, but from all other thinges, that be not of the same kinde. So is vertue and vyce, by this difference sensìm acquiri, & sensìm amitti, separated from al other that be not sub habitu: As Homo and brutum by this difference sensibile, be separated from all other creatures that be not vnder Animal. It is a common rule, that the definition of that whiche is called genus, doth agrée to euery part & member vnder it, which we call species, be they con∣trarie, repugnant, or otherwise disagréeing the one from the other, howsoeuer. Ther∣fore declaring generally what it is to adde to the worde, or to take from the worde, I say it is to thinke otherwise, or to teache otherwise of God, than he hath in his worde reuealed. Whiche in genere dothe aptly ex∣pounde them bothe. For as well he that addeth to the worde, as he that taketh from the worde, doth thinke or teach of God otherwise than he hath in his worde reuealed. So you sée that a man of small dexteritie, in defining may do that, whiche you thought Zeno himselfe could not performe.

But what néeded all this pastime of yours? do I not immediatly after seuerally de∣clare both what it is to adde to the worde, & what also to take from it? are you able to proue that the expositions whiche I set downe be not true? can you better

them? Will you still more and more declare your quarell to be rather agaynst the person, than the cause? You saye I leaue oute that whiche Moyses especially mente to comprehende, which is, not to doe more, nor to doe lesse than hee hathe commaunded. Surely if you were disposed to deale modestly and sincerely as it behoueth you in so weigh∣tie a matter, you woulde not thus wittingly and willingly séeke occasion of qua∣relling: whether that whiche you saye is lefte oute, muste not of recessitie be in∣cluded in those words that I haue spoken of adding to the worde, and taking from it, or no, I leaue to the indifferent reader to consider.

Touching my diuision, I say as I did of the definition. I am not curious in diui∣ding, but I playnely and after my rude manner tell howe many wayes a man may adde to the worde of God. Neyther dothe he alwayes diuide, that sheweth howe ma∣ny wayes a thing maye be done, and yet is there nothing lefte oute necessarie to be expressed. For this that you speake of thinking and beleeuing, is included in the third kinde of adding to the worde. The three laste kyndes are not founde to be vnder the fyrst▪ for it is not all one to teache or decree any thing contrarie to the worde: to make anye thyng necessarie to saluation not contayned in the worde: to put any religion or opinion of merite in any thing that men them selues haue inuented besides the worde: and to forbyd that as vnlawfull which God doth not forbid.

In the firste kinde is inuocation of Sainctes, worshipping of Images. &c. whiche be directly contrarie to the expresse worde of God. In the seconde is that decrée of Pope Boniface, whiche maketh it necessarie to saluation to be subiecte to the By∣shop of Rome, and suche lyke, whereof there is no mention in the Scriptures. In the thirde kinde are all outwarde Ceremonies inuented by man, wherein any opinion of worshipping or merite is put: as holy breade, holy water, and o∣ther Ceremonies of that sorte. In the laste parte is the decrée of Pope Nicho∣las, Dist. 22. omnes, where it is decréed, that he whiche infringeth the priuiledges of the Churche of Rome, is an heretike. And in this sorte doe those adde also to the worde, which condemne the vse of things indifferent as vnlawful, for in so doing they make that sinne, which the word of God dothe not make sinne.

Agayne that there is a great difference in the partes of my diuision, and that they are not confounded, you might haue perceyued if it hadde pleased you with bet∣ter aduyse to haue weighed them: for things may be decréed contrarie to the worde, and yet not made necessarie vnto saluation. Things may be made as necessarie to saluation, which of them selues are not contrarie to the word, and yet not conteyned in the worde: Men may haue an opinion of Religion and merite in suche thinges as they thinke not to be of necessitie to saluation. To be shorte, men may make that sinne, whych the worde of God maketh not sinne, as all those doe whiche forbid the vse of indifferent things, and make the same vnlawfull as I haue sayde before. You sée nowe that there is no one parte of this diuision (as you call it) which dothe not in∣clude something not conteyned in the other partes: and therfore all those vnséemely and immodest tauntes and words mighte haue bin forborne.

I aske no forgiuenesse of you for any thing that I haue wrytten: But I beséeche God forgyue you your outrageous contemptes, and vnchristian floutes and iestes, where with your booke is more pestered, than any of Hardinges is, where he she∣weth him selfe moste scurrilous. But I will omit them all, and onely desire the Reader to consider of what spirite they come, and in bothe our writings to respecte the matter, not the person.

Touching the exposition of the places of Deut. let the learned Reader compare it with the expositions of the learned Interpreters, and then iudge of my vnskilfull* 1.4 diuiding and defyning.

Here now I wold gladly know what T. C. hath proued agaynst the thing y^t I haue here writtē, or how he hath iustified y^e propositiō of y^e Admonition which I haue refel∣led: for the sūme of al is this. The authors of the Admonitiō say, that those things onely

are to be placed in the Churche, which God him selfe in his worde commaundeth. This I con∣fesse to be true in matters of saluation and damnation. But I saye it is vn∣true in matters of ceremonies, rites, orders, discipline, and kinde of go∣uernmente: which béeing externall matters, and alterable, are to be altered and chaūged, appoynted and abrogated, according to time, place, and person, so that no∣thing be done agaynst the worde of God. And T. C. confesseth page. 15. that* 1.5 certayne things are lefte to the order of the Churche, bicause they are of that nature, which are va∣ried by tymes, places, persons, and other circumstances, and so could not at once be set downe and established for euer, and yet so lefte to the order of the Churche, as that it doe nothing agaynst the rules aforesayde. The same dothe he affirme in effecte in this place. Nowe I pray you tell me, what difference is there in our wordes? he saythe: that certayne thinges are lefte to the order of the Churche. &c. so that nothing bee done agaynst the rules aforesayde: And I saye, that the Church hath authoritie to appoynt orders, rites, ceremonies. &c. so that nothing be done agaynst the worde of God. In déede he goeth muche further in this matter than I doe, for where I saye, The Scripture expresseth all things necessarie to saluation, he affirmeth, that many things are bothe commaunded and forbidden. &c. as I haue before noted, and is to* 1.6 be séene page. 13. of his booke.

But to ende this matter, I haue iustified my assertion by the scriptures. 1. Cor. 14. Act. 6. and. 15. 1. Cor. 11. Also by the testimonies of Iustinus Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertul∣lian, Cyprian, Ambrose, Basill, Augustine, &c. Likewise by the practises of Councels, the reporte of Historiographers, as Socrates and Sozomenus. Finally by the iudge∣ment of late writers, M. Caluin and Bucer. Now will I also adde a fewe wordes for the further confirmation of the same, and so ende this question.

Notes

• * 1.1

  There is no great dexteritie required to per∣forme this.
• * 1.2

  All this is spo∣ken in contempt of the person, not in defense of the cause.
• * 1.3

  Two contra∣ties may be defined with one differēce.
• * 1.4

  The Replier hath spēt ma∣ny wordes in confuting that which he him selfe cōfesseth.
• * 1.5

  Pag. 15. Sect. 5.
• * 1.6

  Pag. 13. Sect. 2.