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. Pag. 43. Sect. 4.

Secondarily, for those that preache to haue a whole Diocesse, or Prouince, or Realme to be their flocke, or Citie to attende vpon, is contrarie to the pollicie or good husbandrie of all those that woulde eyther haue their Citie safe, or their flockes sounde. For who are they, whyche woulde appoynte one for the watche of a thousande townes or cities, when as all they, whiche loue their safetie, woulde rather haue for euery citie many watchemen, than for many cities one? Or what is he, that is so watchefull and circumspecte, whose diligence and watchefulnesse, one citie assaulted with enimies, will not wholly occupie and take vp? Or what is he, whose sighte is so sharpe, that he can see from one ende of the Diocesse, or Prouince, or realme, to the other ende thereof? Or what is he, that will committe the keeping of twentie thousande sheepe to one man, that looketh for any good or encrease of them? Howe shall all these heare his whistle, howe shall all knowe his voyce, when they can not heare it? Howe shall they acknowledge him, when they can not knowe him? howe shall they followe him, when they can not see him goe before? howe shall he heale their diseases, when he can not possibly knowe them? But some man will saye, that these are humaine reasons, and likelyhoodes, whiche may be ouerthrowne with other si∣militudes: These notwithstanding are Analogies drawne from the nature of those things, which the Ministers are likened vnto, and are of the moste parte vsed of the holy Ghost him selfe expressely.

Io. Whitgifte.

It is a great poynte of good husbandrie and pollicie also, to haue, besides the seuerall shepheardes ouer seuerall flockes, and sundry watchemen ouer sundry Ci∣ties, diuers other to féede the shéepe, as occasion serueth, and to admonishe the watchemen and the Cities of their dueties: else why dydde the Apostles after they hadde planted the Churches, and placed Shepheardes and watchemen ouer them, so diligentlye afterwardes vysite them, and so carefullye looke vnto them, as we reade Actes. 14. 15. 18? Was the watche thinke you the worse kepte, or the shéepe the negligentlyer looked vnto? The pollicie that Darius vsed Daniel. 6. when he appoynted a hundreth and twenty gouernours ouer all hys Realme, and ouer them thrée to ouersée them, and take an accompte of their do∣inges, is greatly commended: and why maye not this pollicie be necessarie in the Ecclesiasticall state also? But you héere runne smothely away with the matter, and suppose that there may not be for seuerall Cities, and seuerall flockes, seue∣rall watchemen and shepheardes, bicause there be some that haue a generall care ouer many flockes and Cities. If a thousande Townes or Cities haue a thou∣sande watchemen appoynted vnto them, to haue the particular care ouer them, and also one, two, or moe to haue a generall care bothe ouer the watchemen, and ouer the Cities also, doe you not thinke that all shall be in better order, and in muche more safetie?

But your similitudes fayle maruellously in sundrie poyntes, whiche I muste* 1.1 admonishe you of, bicause you glorie so muche in them, and thinke that you haue reasoned strongly, when you haue vsed the weakest kinde of argument that can be, to proue any thing: for as the Logitians saye, Similitudo rem illustrat, sed non pro∣bat: A similitude maketh a matter playne, but proueth it not. And it is easely ouer∣throwne by shewing the vnlikelyhoode: In this the similitude agréeth, that as euery Citie muste haue a watcheman, and euery flocke a shephearde, so euery Churche or Parishe muste haue a watcheman or a Pastour: and as the watchman and shephearde his office is to watche and to féede, and to haue a necessarie care o∣uer their charges, so muste also the Spirituall watcheman and shephearde haue a care ouer the people committed vnto them. All this is true, and neyther pro∣ueth nor improueth any thing that is in question. I mighte as well saye, that if the Citie be well watched, and the flocke carefully looked vnto, thoughe it be not by the watcheman or shephearde him selfe, but by his meanes and procurement,

there can be no iuste faulte founde with eyther of them. Likewyse, that when the shephearde hathe broughte his shéepe into a pasture where they maye bothe be sure from all daunger, and haue meate sufficient, then his presence is not so necessarie for them, so that he doe sometymes visite them. Also that there is no one watche∣man, that eyther dothe or can watche continually, but muste of necessitie haue his reste, so that some other supplie hys absence: and likewyse, that there is no master shephearde, but that he hathe some vnder him, eyther boye, or man, to supply his absence whylest he is aboute other matters. To be shorte, that one shephearde hathe care ouer sundrie mennes shéepe, sundrie flockes of sundrie Townes and Parishes, &c. Dyuers other suche similitudes of shepheardes and watchemen mighte I also vse, to proue many thinges contrarie to your meaning. I mighte also shewe vnto you the dissimilitude betwixte a temporall shephearde. and a spirituall shephearde: vnreasonable shéepe that can not féede them selues, or by any meanes prouyde for them selues, nor haue any charge so looke to them selues, and reasonable shéepe, suche as God hathe endued with knowledge, to whome hée hathe lefte hys wóorde, whyche conteyneth in it suffyciente to saluation, whome he hathe charged to reade it, and to heare it: who shall al∣so answere for them selues. &c. Finally▪ what difference there is betwixte tem∣porall meate and drinke, whiche is soone digested, and therefore dayly to be re∣newed: and spirituall foode whiche continueth, and whereof he that hath once suffi∣ciently tasted, shall not hunger or thirst. &c. These I saye, and a greate number of other dissimilitudes coulde I bring, to ouerthrowe all that you can buylde vpon these similitudes.

I mighte further saye, that in the Prophetes, and other places of the Scriptures, Kinges and mightie Princes that haue ample and large Dominions, be called* 1.2 bothe shepheardes and watchemen, as namely in Ieremy. 2〈1 line〉〈1 line〉. Ezechiell. 34. &c. and* 1.3 therefore all those your reasons mighte aswell be alleadged agaynst them, and of them also mighte you saye, What is he, whose sighte is so sharpe, that he can see from one ende of the Diocesse, Prouince, or Realme, to another? For these names be as com∣mon, and as vsuall to Kinges and Princes, as they be to Ministers of the worde and Bishops. And truely if these similitudes sinke once into the peoples heades, and bée applyed vnto ciuill gouernment, (agaynst whiche they bée as forceable, as agaynst the ecclesiasticall) they will as easily, and farre more easily stirre them vp, to séeke alteration in that also.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Similitudes are but weak arguments.
• * 1.2

  Ierem. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.3

  Ezech. 34.