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. 5.

But that there be no controuersie lefte in this poynte, what is (*) 1.1 a flocke? S. Paule de∣fineth it playnely, when he saythe: appoynt Pastors, or Elders, or Bishops (for these wordes are indifferently vsed) throughe, not euery Shire, or Prouince, or Realme, but throughe euery Citie, or Towne. And least that any man shoulde heere take occasion to conclude, that then it is lawfull for one man to bee Bishoppe or Pastor of a whole Citie, suche as London, or Yorke. &c.

S. Luke in the Actes dothe declare the meaning of this place, where he sayth that they ap∣poynted Elders throughout euery congregation, so that if the Citie or Towne be great, and the professours of the Gospell in it, be more than will make conueniently a congregation, then there muste bee, by the rule of God (*) 1.2 more Pastours and Bishops. Wherevpon it appeareth that bothe no Pastour or Bishoppe oughte to bee made without there be a flocke, as it were a voyde place for him, and that a flocke is not a Realme, or Prouince, or Diocesse (as we now call a Dio∣cesse) but so many as may conueniently meete in one assemblie or congregation. And that this is the meaning of Sainct Paule, it appeareth by the practise of the Churches from tyme to tyme, whiche haue bothe decreed agaynst, and founde faulte wyth these wandering and rouyng ministeries.

Io. Whitgifte.

It is manyfest that S. Paule willed Titus to appoynte presbyteros (for that* 1.3 worde he vseth) in euery Citie, for so dothe he also saye. But what can you heereof conclude? What sequele is there in this argument: Sainct Paule willed Timothie to appoynt Ministers in euery Citie, Ergo, there muste be none admitted to the ministerie of the worde, but suche as haue some certayne cure? or therefore one man maye not haue the ouersighte and direction of many cures? In déede if S. Paule had sayde to Ti∣tus, thou shalte appoynte no Ministers of the worde, or Seniors, but to a certayne cure, or admitte none to preache the Gospell, except he haue some one place certenly appoynted vnto him: then your reason had bin something. But now it hath no shew of any argument.

The place Act. 14. tendeth to the same purpose, neyther is there one worde there to proue that suche maye not preache the worde, as haue no certayne charge com∣mitted vnto them: but the contrarie rather: for Paule and Barnabas, thoughe they dyd appoynte in euery Churche Ministers, yet dyd they preache themselues also. And I heare no reason yet, why bothe these maye not be true, that euery Churche shoulde haue a Pastour, and yet that some may be admitted to preache the worde, that haue no seuerall churches. This I am sure was vsuall in the Apostles time, and it is nowe most profitable, neither is there one title in the whole scripture against it. And you your selfe haue bin in that case euer since you were preacher, and remayne so still for any thing that I knowe.

Notes

• (*) 1.1

  No man dou∣teth what a flocke is, and yet you haue inuen∣ted a straunge definition.
• (*) 1.2

  You haue no worde of God for this, and the practise of the primitiue Chur∣che doth cōfute it, as it is proued Tract. 8.
• * 1.3

  Tit. 1.