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.

Where do I say that the consent of the Church in the choise of their minister, cannot stande with the time of a Christian magistrate? I haue said that howsoeuer in the Apostles time, that kind of electing ministers was conueniente, now in thys state of the Churche it were pernitious and hurtfull: whiche to be moste true, the differences of the times before by me alleadged, do proue. The ciuill magi∣strate may committe this election to such as he liketh best, and may vse that maner and kind of choise, which he thinketh to be most conuenient for that Church, whereof* 1.1 he hath the chiefe care next vnto God: And these proofes that you here bring in to iu∣stify your cause, in my opinion do quite ouerthrow the same. For it appeareth to haue bin in the power of Emperours and ciuill magistrates, to appoynte the maner and forme of suche elections: why else shoulde they haue néeded to make any lawes or constitutions for that matter? It is true that Musculus Lo. com. tit. de magistra. speaking of the ciuill Magistrate sayth, Prudenter autem & magna. &c. But he muste wisely and ve∣rie* 1.2 warilye order the election of ministers, seeking nothyng else but that the flock of the Lorde might be prouided for. He shall choose not only suche men as are holie, but such as are also able to teach. He shal flee simonie more than a dog or snake But he shal vse that ma∣ner of election, which may be most profitable for the Churches: And, for somuche as hee is not able of himselfe to doe all things which perteine herevnto, he shall vse the helpe, and aide of faithfull men, and of those that feare God, vppon whose shoulders he may laye the care or burthen, whether they bee within the order of the ministerie of the woorde or of an other profession, but notwithstanding in suche sorte, that he him selfe doe know them whiche are chosen, and if they seeme meete do by his authoritie and power confirme them.

But to come to your authorities. The words that you do alleadge in codice Iustini∣ani,* 1.3 must somewhere else be sought for, I thinke your authoure Illiricus is deceyued in quoting that place: for surely I cannot vnderstand that they are to be founde in that booke. But from what authoure soeuer they come, you haue subtillie left out the words that expound his meaning and make directly against you. Wherefore I will recite them worde for word as they are reported in Illiricus, the authoure, out of whome you haue borowed them: Sequentes igitur doctrinam. &c. Folowing the doctrine

of the holy Apostles, in that, that most pure and vncorrupt Priests ought to be chosen, which are appoynted for that cause chiefly, that by their prayers they might obtayne the fauoure of the most mercifull God towardes common wealthes: we do decree by this present consti∣tution, that as often as it shall happen the roome of any priest to be voyde, the inhabitants of the same citie shall giue their voyces of three, which in true faith, holynesse of life, and in all other good things are approued and allowed of, that of these, he whiche shall be moste meete, might be chosen Byshop. The Emperoure saith that he followeth the doctrine of the Apostles in this, that they prescribe what maner of men are to be chosen (sci〈1 line〉〈1 line〉inte∣gerrimi & incorruptissimi most pure and most vncorrupt.) not in the maner or kinde of e∣lecting, as you would séeme to make the Reader beléeue in noting these words only (folowing y^e doctrine of the holy Apostles) and leauing out that which foloweth, & decla∣reth wherein he meant to folow their doctrine, namely (de eo quòd debeant eligi integer∣rimi: in that that they whiche are most pure ought to be chosen. &c.) For else why dothe he adde and saye, sancimus we haue decreed: and not rather, they haue decréed? But the words that follow are most playne: quoties sacerdotalem sedem &c. as oft as it shall happen that the roome of a Priest shall be voyd, the inhabitants of that citie shall giue their voices of three. &c. for where did the Apostles euer appoint, that thrée should stand in the e∣lection? or what example haue you of it in the whole scripture? so that you sée héere no one prescript rule or example of the Apostles in all poynts folowed, but that order to be taken, and law made by the Emperoure, whiche he thought for that state and time of the Church to be most conuenient.

In Nouellis he séemeth to declare what is meant by the inhabiters of that citie: for* 1.4 thus it is written: Sequentes igitur ea. &c. Folowing therefore those thinges whiche are decreed in the holy Canons, wee make this pragmaticall lawe, by the whyche we de∣cree, that as ofte as it shall be necessary to ordeyne a Byshop, the Cleargie and pri∣mates of the citie, for the whiche the Byshop is to be ordeyned, shall assemble togyther, and the Euangelies being layde before them, shall agree and determine vppon three per∣sons: And euery one of them shall sweare by the holy word of God (and that to be enrol∣led with their determination) that they haue not chosen these men, eyther for rewarde, or for promise, or for friendship, or fauour, or for any other affection, but only bycause they know them to be of the true and catholike faith, and of honest conuersation, and that they are aboue fiue and thirtie yeares olde. So that it is plaine, that by the inhabitants of the citie, he meaneth the Cleargie, and the chiefe persons of the citie. It followeth in the same constitution: Vt ex tribus illis personis, quae d〈1 line〉〈1 line〉cretis hoc modo eliguntur, melior or∣dinetur, electione & iudicio eius, qui ordinandi ius habet. That of those three which are in this sort chosen, the best may be ordeyned, by the election and iudgement of him, that hath the authoritie to ordeyne. And this last clause may be an interpretation also of the mea∣ning of that constitution, ex codice: that is, that the inhabitants choose thrée, of whome the Metropolitane should choose one to be Byshop: for it is euident that the Metropo∣litane had ius ordinandi, and that lawe in codice, differeth not one whit from this con∣stitution.

The words of Carolus Magnus, make with me rather than against me, for in that he saith secundùm statuta canonum de propria dioecesi: according to the statutes of the Canons of that diocesse; he plainly signifyeth that in sundry diocesse, there be sundry kinds and maners of elections, else would he haue said, secundùm statuta canonum Apost. according to the statutes of the canons of the Apostles, or sacrae scripturae, of the holy scripture, or such like. But that which followeth in the same law maketh the matter manifest. Praeci∣pimus etiam omnibus. &c. we will also and commaund all those which are subiect to our iu∣risdiction, that no man attempt to spoyle the priuiledges of the Churches, Monasteries, or the Churches themselues. &c meaning no doubt touching elections.

That of Ludouike dist. 63. declareth also that it was in the Emperoures power to alter the manner of elections, or to establishe them: for else, to what purpose were these lawes and Confirmations made? All this verifyeth my assertion, and proueth playnely, that the manner and forme of calling and electing Ministers, is, and hathe bene, in the power of the ciuill Magistrate to order,

as shall be moste expedient for the present state of the Churche: if the Prince thinke it conuenient that the people shoulde haue voyces in suche elections, they maye so haue: if not, there is no lawe of God dothe bynde them to it: and that doe all those lawes of Emperours manifestly proue.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The proofes of T. C. im∣proue his purpose.
• * 1.2

  Muscul.
• * 1.3

  T. C. subtilly concealeth the words of his author that make agaynst hym.
• * 1.4

  Constitutio〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 123.