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. 46. Sect. 2. 3.

You aske further, that if a man shoulde not preache before he haue a pastorall charge, what they will answere vnto Philip and Epaphroditus, wherby your meaning is belike, that although they beno Pastours, yet they may be Euangeli〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ts, whiche goe aboute the countrey here & there. But this office is ceassed in the Churche, as the Apostles is, sauing that sometymes the Lorde doth rayse vp some extraordinarily, for the building vp of the Churches, whyche are falne down, and pulled vp by the foundations, as I haue shewed somwhat before. And that it is ceased, it may appeare by these reasons.

Fyrst, for bicause all those that the Scripture calleth precisely Euangelistes (which are only Philipan〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 Timothie) had their callings confirmed by miracle, and so it is lyke that Titus and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉pollos, and if there were any other, had their vocations after the same maner* 1.1 confirmed, but there is no suche miraculous confirmation nowe, therefore there is no suche vo∣cation.* 1.2

Io. Whitgifte.

I haue declared both before by Scripture, reason, & other authoritie, that though the name of an Euangelist bée chaunged, yet the office remayneth. The Scripture no where calleth Tunothie an Euangelist, onely. 2. Ti. 4. S. Paule willeth him to doe* 1.3 the woorke of an Euangelist, whiche is, to preache the Gospell. But of this matter I haue at large spoken in an other place.

It passeth to sée howe boldely you doe abuse the Scripture. Where doe you reade that eyther 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or Philippe, were ordeyned or confirmed Euangelistes, by miracle? There can be no such thing imagined: in the. 39. verse Acts. 8. the wordes* 1.4 be these: And as soone as they (that is Philippe and the Eunuche) were come oute of the water, the spirite of the Lorde caught away Philip, that the Eunuche sawe him no more &c. Was this the miracle that confirmed Philip an Euangelist? Lorde God what meane you? This was rather done to confirme the Eunuche: As for Philip it is ma∣nyfest that before this miracle he was an Euangelist: for in the same chapter we reade that before this tyme Philip had preached in Samaria, and conuerted them, béeing be∣fore seduced by Simon the sorcerer: and that he had also baptised them. Moreouer he had conuerted the Eunuch, and baptized him before this miracle was shewed: wher∣fore it could not be a confirming of his Euangelistship.

That in the. 1. Ti. 1. vers. 18. insinuateth, that dyuerse Prophecies had gone be∣fore of Timothie, whereby it was reuealed that he shoulde bée a woorthye Mini∣ster of the Churche, or as Caluine sayeth, which had commended him to the churche: although there be sundry interpretations of that place more lyke to bée true than that. But howe proueth it that hée was made an Euangelist, by miracle? First Ti∣mothie was nowe a Bishop, as hereafter is proued. Secondly, here is no mention made of any calling to an Euangelist ship. Thirdly, a Prophecie is not a miracle. Last of all, though this were true bothe in Philip and Timothie (as it is in neyther) yet dothe it not followe, that whosoeuer is called to be an Euangelist, must also be con∣firmed by miracle, for particular examples make no generall rule: Timothie was ordeyned minister of the Gospell, per impositionem manuum, by the laying on of han∣des,* 1.5 1. Ti. 4. 2. Ti. 1. And therfore his vocation was ordinarie, and néeded no such con∣firmation* 1.6 by miracle.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Act. 8. 39.
• * 1.2

  1 Tim. I. 18.
• * 1.3

  2. Tim. 4.
• * 1.4

  Act. 8.
• * 1.5

  1. Tim. 4.
• * 1.6

  2. Tim. 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉.