It is not denyed, but the testimonie that a noble man whiche professeth the truth dothe gyue, ought to be weighed according to his degree, and place which he hath in the common welth, but where you thinke, that the testimonie of one wise man, learned, and godly, is sufficient warrant to proceede to an election of a Minister, you considered not well the circumspection which S. Paule vsed, who when he admitted Timothie into his company, to be a companion in his iourney, to cut off all occasion of euill speach, receyued him not*but vpon commendation of the brethren, both in Ly∣stra* 1.1 and Iconium.
I know that the testimonie of many godly and wise men, is of more weight, than the testimonie of one only, but this is no answer to that which I haue said. The place of Paule and Timothie Act. 16. declareth how well Timothie was thought of, and commended vnto Paule, but it followeth not, that Paule would not also haue recey∣ued him, if he had bin commended vnto him but by some one. Howsoeuer it is, this your argument is nothing worth: nunquàm licet (saith Zuinglius) nequè in diuinis nequé in* 1.2 profanis, à facto ad ius argumentari: it is neuer lawful, neither in diuine nor in prophane mat∣ters to argue (*) à facto ad ius. Neyther is the text as you report it, for the words do not* 1.3 signify that Paule would not haue takē him with him, vnlesse they had al giuen such testimonie of him, neither can there be any such sense truly gathered out of that place. And it is manifest that the Apostles receiued Paule into their company, at the testi∣monie and commendation of Barnabas only.* 1.4