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. Page. 31. Sect 4.

Unto the place of the. 2. epistle to the Corinthians, and. 8. chapter, you aske what maketh that to the election of the ministers? But why do not you say here as you did in the other place, that the Apostle meaneth nothing else but the putting on of the handes of them which ordayned? For the same word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is here vsed, that was there, and this place doth manifestly and without all contradiction conuince your vayne signifycation that you make of it in the other place, and the vntruth wherein you say that the scripture vseth this word for a solemne manner of ordering mi∣nisters, by putting on of handes. For heere it is saide, that he that was ioyned with Paule, was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by the Church, and it is manifest that the impositiō of hāds, was not by the Church and people, but by the elders and ministers, as it appeareth in S. Paule to Timothie.* 1.1

Now to come to that which you make so light of: for say you, how followeth this: The Church chose Luke or Barnabas to be companion of Paules iourney: Ergo the Churches must choose their ministers? It followeth very well, for if it were thought meete that S. Paule shoulde not choose himselfe of his owne authoritie, a companiō to help him, being an Apostle, is there any Arch∣bishop that shall dare take vpon him to make a minister of the Gospell, being so many degrees (both in authoritie and in all gifts needefull to discerne, and trieout, or take knowledge of a sufficient mi∣nister of the Gospell) inferioure to S. Paule.

And if S. Paule would haue the authoritie of the Church to ordayne the Minister, that should ayde him in other places, to the building and gathering of other Churches, howe much more dyd he thinke it meete, that the Churches should choose their owne Minister, which shoulde gouerne them: & which things may be also said of the election in the first of the Acts. For there the* 1.2 Church first chose two, whereof one should be an Apostle, which should not be minister of that Church but should be sent into all the world, so that always the Apostles haue shunned to do any thing of theyr owne willes, without the knowledge eyther of those Churches, where they instituted any gouer∣nours, or if it were for the behoofe of those places where there were no Churches gathered, yet woulde they ordayne none, but by the consente of some other Churche, whiche was alreadye e∣stablished.

Io. Whitgifte.

Of the acceptation of this worde in the. 14. of the Acts, I haue spoken sufficiently This place is not one whit contrary to any thing that is said in that matter: for in the 14. of the Acts it is referred to the appointing of ministers of the worde, and in thys place of the secōd. Cor. 8. it is applyed to the sending of some with Paule to gather the beneuolence of the Churches, and to carrie the same to the poore Saints. Now though 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 may signify the imposition of hands, or the whole action of ordering mini∣sters, when it is referred to that matter, yet doth it not follow, that it should alwayes signify so, to whatsoeuer it is applyed. But take it as you list, it is as well spoken of one alone, as of many, as the place Act. 10. manifestly declareth: and therfore doth not of necessitie signify an election made by the people, except some other word be ioyned with it, to expresse the same, as there is in this. 2. Cor. 8. For thus the Apostle saithe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which addition should not haue néeded, if this worde* 1.3 alone had of necessitie signifyed in the scripture any such election, as you woulde haue it to do.

In the argument there is no sequele at all, for it was very conuenient and méete,* 1.4 for the auoyding of suspicion of priuate gayne, or corrupt dealing, that such as shoulde haue to do in gathering and distributing almes, shoulde be chosen by a common con∣sent: and it is manifest, that it was Paules owne request to haue them in this busi∣nesse, by the consent of the Churches, ioyned with him, for the stopping of the mouths of such as would otherwise haue bin ready to suspect Paules integritie in that money matter: and that this is true, these words declare, declinantes boc nè quis nos carpat in bat* 1.5 exuber antia quae administratur à nobis, procurantes bonesta. &c. Auoyding this, that no man should blame vs in this abundance that is ministred by vs, prouiding for honest things, not only before the Lord, but also before men: as though he would say, therefore haue I pro∣cured that by the consent of the Churches some might be ioyned with me in this col∣lection, least any man should take occasion to suspecte me of corrupt dealing, or to re∣port, that in this businesse I robbed the Church to enrich my selfe.

Now therefore how any thing can be gathered of this place, to proue that mini∣sters of the word ought to be chosen by a common consent of the people, let the reader iudge. Paule might haue chosen thē himselfe if he would, but he desired the Churches to choose them, that his vpright dealing in collecting and distributing of the almes,

might not be brought into suspicion, as I haue said before. And therefore an Archbi∣shop may dare take vpon him to make a minister of the Gospell. &c. for any thing that is in this place to the contrary. In déede if an Archbishop should be appoynted to collecte, and to distribute almes, then were it fitte (for his owne credite sake, and to auoyde the slaunderous speaches of those that be quarrelous) that he should desire some to be ioyned with him, by the common consent of those of whome he should collect. And this is the only thing that may be gathered of this place, touching any election.

It is vntrue, that in the first of the Acts the Church did first choose those two, that stoode in the electiō for the Apostleship: the Apostles only did propound them to the church, as M. Beza truly saith in these words, apparet cum eligendus esset qui in Iudae proditoris lo∣cum* 1.6 succederet, fuisse multitudini propositos ab Apostolis eos, quos maximè idoneos censebant. It ap∣peareth, when he was to be chosen, which should succeede in the roome of Iudas the tray∣toure, that they were propounded vnto the multitude by the Apostles, whom they thought most meete. Neyther were the Apostles chosen by men, but immediatly by God, as al writers confesse, whiche was the cause why matthias was there chosen by lot, and not by the voyces of men.

Why in the Apostles time it was conuenient to require the consent of the people in some things, and yet not conuenient now so to do, is declared afterwards.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 1.
• * 1.2

  Vntr〈1 line〉〈1 line〉.
• * 1.3

  2. Cor. 8.
• * 1.4

  Why the com panions of Paule were chosen by con∣sent.
• * 1.5

  2. Cor. 8.
• * 1.6

  Beza. li. confe. cap. 5.