haue chosen one into Iames his roome, when he was slayn, as they did, when they supplyed the place of Iudas, by choosing Matth〈1 line〉〈1 line〉s, and so euer as they had dyed, the other would haue put other in their places. So it appeareth that this function of the Apostles is ceased.
Io. Whitgifte.
The foresayd authors of the storie called Magdelburgica, do also recken these two among the Apostles, euen as they do Paule & Barnabas. M. Caluin vpon that place to the Romaines sayth, that the name of an Apostle there doth extende to all those whiche teache not one Churche onely, but many. &c. and séemeth to accompte Andronicus and Iunius such. M. Beza in the same place writeth thus: Inter Apostolos. &c. i quorum no∣men inter Apostolos viget, vel qui & ipsi sunt insignes Apostoli, 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ic enim accipitur interdum 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉oc no∣men in genere pro bis, qui Christi nomine funguntur legatione, That is, whose name is famous among the Apostles, or whiche are themselues notable Apostles: for so is this name some∣tyme generally taken for those, which are sent in embassage in the name of Christe. Bul∣linger doth think yt they wer in the number of the. 72. disciples. Peter Martyr vpon that place, They are called notable amongst the Apostles: not bicause they were of the colledge of the twelue Apostles, but bicause (as it is credible) they had spread the Gospell through manie places, and had planted many Churches. And a little after speaking of your in∣terpretation, he sayeth, This sense doth not displease me, if the wordes themselues bee not contrarie thervnto. So that he séemeth to doubte whether the wordes will beare your interpretation or no. Gualter and Bullinger also suppose it not to be vnlykely〈1 line〉〈1 line〉, that they were the first planters of Christian religion at Rome. And I can reade of none that doubteth whether they had any function Ecclesiasticall or no, as you do.
I brought them in before pagina. 47. to proue that some may be chosen to preach the woorde whiche haue no certaine cure, and you to auoyde a direct answere, haue shifted them of to this place, and now you say, that belyke. I bring them in to proue that we may haue more Apostles, which thing in déede they proue manifestly, but I brought them in to declare that a man may be admitted to preach, though he haue no certaine cure, and to that you haue not answered.
There is nothing expressed in Scriptures, whether the Apostles did choose any into the roome of Iames or no: but I am persuaded they did not, neyther was it ne∣cessarie. For who euer sayd, that there muste continually be twelue Apostles, and neyther more nor lesse?
I tolde you before out of M. Caluine, that this worde Apostle, in his proper and v∣suall signification comprehendeth only the twelue Apostles appoynted by Christe. Wherfore in this signification there are nowe no Apostles, neyther was there anye since that tyme: but it signifieth also generally such as preache the Gospel in sundry places, and although they go not through the whole worlde, as the twelue did, yet are they not bounde to any one place certainly. And according to this signification, there both hath be〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e and are Apostles.