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. 42. Sect. 4.

The reason is of greater force than you woulde seeme to make it, for as the. xij. place was to Mathias, so is a certain Church vnto a Pastor or Minister, & as the Apostles ordeined none vnto that place before it was voyd, so ought not the Bishop ordeyn any vntil there be a Churche voyde and destitute of a pastor. And as the Apostles ordeined not any Apostle, further than they had te∣stimonie* 1.1 of the word of God, as it appeareth that S. Peter proceedeth by that rule to the election, so ought no Bishop ordeyn any to any function, which is not in the scripture appointed. But there are by the word of God, at this tyme no ordinarie ministers Ecclesiastical, which be not local, and tyed to one congregation, therfore this sending abrode of ministers whiche haue no places, is vn∣lawfull.

Io. Whitgifte.

As theyr reason is farre from good reason, so are your similitudes farre from pro∣uing the same: & the Logitians say, Soluitur sunilitudo, ostensa dissimilitudine. First, ther is great difference betwixte the office of an Apostle, and the office of a Pastor, as you must néedes confesse. Then is there also difference in the number: for the Apostles whiche were chosen of Christe to be witnesses of his Resurrection, were twelue, and therfore the number certain: but the number of Preachers and Pastors is not limi∣ted, but the mo the better: Thirdly, there was one chosen in the place of Iudas, that the Scripture might be fulfilled as Peter saith Act. 1. but there is no such thing in the election of Pastors & other ministers. Moreouer it was the twelfth place in number that Mathias was chosen vnto, and not any locall place, such as pastors take charge of. Wherfore except you can make a certayn number, and no certain number: a local prescript and definite cure, and a generall charge without prescription of any certain place, all one, or at the least verie like: this argument, Mathias was chosen into the place of Iudas: ergo, no man muste bee admitted into the ministerie, excepte he haue a Cure,

muste of necessitie be a very childishe and fonde argument. And how ofte shall I tell you, that to reason àfacto ad ius, of an example to make a generall rule, is a very vnskil∣full kinde of rasoning, excepte there be some generall rule and commaundement ac∣cording to that example.

But was not Paule added to the number of the Apostles, though there were no* 1.2 place voyde? Were not also Barnabas Act. 14. Epaphroditus Phil. 2. Andronicus and Iunia, Rom. 16. called Apostles? I might therefore as wel reason thus, Paule, Barnabas. &c. were called to be Apostles when there was no place voyde, Ergo some maye be called to the preaching of the Gospell, though they haue no certayne cure. But let vs sée how you will iustifie this assertion, that there are no ordinarie ministers ec∣clesiasticall, which be not locall, and tyed to one congregation. &c. For I vtterly denie it, in that sense that you speake it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Act. 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉. 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉▪
• * 1.2

  Some admit∣ted to the mi∣nisterie, a place beeing not voyde.