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.

Chap. 1. the fourth Diuision.

T. C. Pag. 24. Sect. 7. 8. 9.

Fyrst, that the examination of hys doctrine, wholly, and partely of hys lyfe, is permitted to one man. For consyderyng of the one parte the greatnesse of the charge that is committed vnto the ministers, and the horrible pe〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ill that commeth vnto the Church by the want of those things that are required in them, and of the other parte weighyng the weaknesse of the nature of man, whyche although he seeth many things, yet is he blynd also in many, and that euen in those things whiche he seeth, he suffereth himselfe to be caryed away by his affection of loue, or of enuie. &c. I saye, consydering these things, it is verye daungerous to committe that to the vewe and search of one man, whyche maye with lesse danger and more safetie be referred vnto dyuers. For here∣in the prouerbe is true, Plus vident oculi quam oculus.

And almoste there is no office of charge in this realme whych lyeth in election, committed so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to any, as that vpon one mannes reporte of hys habilitie, all the rest whych haue interest in the election, will giue their voyces, so that if we were destitute of authoritie of the scrip∣ture, the verie lyghte of reason woulde shewe vs a more safe and waryer way.

But there is greater authoritie, for S. Luke in the fyrst of the Actes sheweth that Sainc〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e Peter woulde not take vpon him to presente two, as fitte for the place whiche was voyde, but sayth, they did present or set vp: wherby appeareth, that the examinatiō of their abilitie was comit∣ted to many. The same apeareth also in the. 6. of the Acts, when as the Apostles will y^e Church wherin there wer〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 so excellent personages, to loke out seuen full of the holy ghost & wisedome. &c.

They doe not there permitte the discernyng of theyr wysedome and other gyftes to one, but to manye.

Io. Whitgifte

Youre fyrste reason is partely grounded 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ppon bare coniectures, or rather common suppositions, that maye be supposed in the moste perfecte gouernment, partely vppon the place Acto. 1. eyther not vnderstoode, or wyllingly miscon〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ru∣ed, nothyng perteyning to the purpose. But fyrste it is vntrue, that the exa〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ina∣tion, eyther of doctrine, or lyfe, is in thys Churche wholly committed to one man: For the Booke committeth the examination of suche as are to bée admitted into the mini∣sterie, not onely to the Byshop, but to the Archedeacon also: to the Bishoppe in the begynnyng of the Beoke by playne and expresse woordes: to the Arched〈1 line〉〈1 line〉a∣con, bycause he muste presente them vnto the Bishoppe of hys knowledge, whi∣che he ran not doe truely, withoute diligente examination. But admitte it bée so, that the examination is committed to one man onely: what then? For soothe consyderyng on the one parte the greatnesse of the charge. &c. and of the other parte the wea∣kenesse of the nature of man. &c. it is more daungerous to committe that to the vewe of one man. &c. If you respecte the greatenesse of the charge that is committed to mi∣nistsrs. &c. Who is better able to consyder thereof than the Byshoppe, whyche bothe knoweth what suche a charge meaneth, and hathe hadde hymselfe long experience thereof: To whome also dyuerse seuerall charges doe, apperteyn, for the whyche it behoueth hym to foresée, that there bée méete ministers? If you speake of blynde affections, as loue, enuie. &c. who maye bée supposed to bée more voyde of them, than hée that is called to suche an hyghe office in the Chur∣che, that is so well instructed in the Scriptures, of so long tyme knowne bothe for hys lyfe, learnyng, Religion, and wysedome, méete to haue that credite com∣mytted vnto hym? Surely if anye one man, or moe, bée voyde of suche af∣fections, and bée thoughte méete to haue suche matters commytted vnto hym, it is the Byshoppe: And if hée bée méete and woorthye for that place and of∣fyce, then maye he also bée safely credyted, wyth all thynges incidente vnto the same.

But what haue you here sayde agaynste one man, in thys case, that may〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 not bée lykewyse sayde of an other man, in all other lyke cases? agaynste one Kyng, one Iudge: yea agaynste manie, euen the whole multitude, in whome not onely lacke of knoweledge and discretion in suche matters, but greate a∣bundaunce of affections, of wrathe, of hatred, of loue, of feare, of contention, &c. for the moste parte reygneth, as experience of all tymes and places declareth? But of thys matter occasion will be ministred to speake more hereafter.

The prouerbe, Plus vident oculi quam oculus, Manie eyes see more than one, is not alwayes, nor in all cases true: one man of wysedome, experience, learnyng, and discretion, maye sée more, knowe more, and iudge better in those thynges that hée can skyll of, than ten thousande other that bée ignorant, or that in such mat∣ters bée farre inferiour vnto him.

You saye, that almoste the〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 is no office of charge in thys Realme. &c. whyche is not so, for the offices of greatest importaunce and charge in the whole Realme, both〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 in the Ecclesiasticall and ciuill state, are in the onely Election of the Prince, and they bée beste bestowed and vppon the méetest and woorthyest persones. Those offices that bée commytted to the v〈1 line〉〈1 line〉yces of manie, eyther are bestowed of custome, or at the entreatie of some in authoritie, or by extreame suite and la∣boure made by some parties, or else is there greate contention stirred vp aboute them by some busie bodies. And in déede when are there more vnwoorthye men chosen to offices, when is there more stryfe and contention aboute elections, when doe partiall and sinister affections more vtter themselues, than when an election is committed to manie?

And where as you say, that vpon one mannes reporte all the rest whyche haue interest in the election, woulde not gyue theyr voyces so sieyghtly to any: Experience teacheth you cleane contrarie: for doe you not sée that in all suche Elections, for the moste parte, some one man ruleth the reste? Moreouer, where is the requeste of suche as bée in authoritie for any denyed in suche elections? I coulde bring you a number of examples.

If the Election of the minister shoulde bée commytted to euery seuerall Pa∣rish, doe you thynke that they woulde choose the méetest? shoulde not the Lorde of the towne or some other among them of countenaunce leade them as he liste? woulde they haue no respecte to theyr neyghboures chyldren, thoughe not the mée∣test? wōulde there be no contention among them? would they not haue lyke peo∣ple, lyke Pastoure? But of thys also more muste bée spoken in an other place.

That in the fyrste of the Actes, is nothyng for youre purpose, for there is no order of Election prescribed, but an extraordinarie callyng to an extraordina∣rie office, as I haue sayde before. Neyther dydde the multitude presente them, but onely the Apostles, as M. Beza sayeth, Lib. conf. cap. 5. titu. 35. Neyther were they examyned, as is also declared: and therefore that place altogether imper∣tinent.

To that in the sixte of the Actes I haue answered sufficientely: it proueth not examination. And M. Beza in the aforenamed booke and Chapter sayeth plain∣ly, that Luke hathe not sette downe what the Churche did obserue in the election of Deacons: and shortely after concludeth thus: Certam igitur regulam, non est quòd nimiùm curiosè quisquam hic praescribae, sed si recta fuerit conscientia facilè fuerit pro tempo∣rum & locorum circumstantia definire quid expediat, Therefore there is no cause why a∣nye man shoulde here ouer-curiously prescribe anye certayne rule: But if the consci∣ence be vpryght, it may be easy to determine, what is conuenient for the circumstance of tyme and place. And these woordes he speaketh of that place of the Actes. But I praye you answere mée this one question: if you will make these two places Act. 1 & Act. 6. rules whiche wée muste of necessitie follow in electing of ministers: howe will you ioyne them together béeyng in nothyng lyke? for Acto. 1. the Apostles presented two to the people, Acto. 6. The whole multitude did present seuen to the Apostles: Acto. 1. they caste lottes, Acto. 6. they layde on handes: Acto. 1. they prayed to God to shewe whether of the two he had chosen, Acto. 6. there is no suche thyng: Acto. 1. of two that were presented one was chosen, Acto. 6. all were chosen that were presented: so that there is great difference in the two places, and therefore no prescript rules for vs to follow.

Notes

• The reasons of T. C. against the booke of orde∣ring ministers.
• Manie eye〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 see more 〈◊〉〈◊〉 one.
• The first 〈◊〉〈◊〉 son of T. C. hath either a weake, or a false ground.
• The Byshop most meete to haue the exa∣mination.
• Beza lib. eonf. cap. 5.
• The elections Act. 1. & Act. 6. do nothing agree.