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.

Oflicences to preache.

Chap. 3.

Admonition.

And if any be 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉o well disposed to preache in their owne charges, they may not withoute my Lordes licence.

Ansvvere to the Admonition. Pag. 53. Sect. 1. 2. 3.

YOu here finde fault that if a preacher be disposed to preache in* 1.1 his cure, he may not do it without my Lordes licence.

Where the word of God is professed, & Christian magistrates go∣uern, there it is mete that no man should take vpon him any function except he be by the Magistrate, (to whom it doth appertein) thervn∣to admitted: And forasmuch as there be always in the church hypo∣crites, heretikes, schismatikes, & other euil disposed persons, whiche study for nothing more than to disquiet the state of the church, & to oc∣cupie the people with their factions, it is necessarie that none should be admitted to preache in any place, without he be thervnto licenced by the Bishop, who ought to haue a diligent care in that matter.

I suppose you are not of that mynd, that men maye nowe in this Church vnder Christian magistrates preach without licence: it hath always bin the opinion of wise, learned, & godlie men, that since the Apostles tyme, none wer ordinarily called to the office of preaching, but such as were called of God by man: only Anabaptists, and some other secte of heretikes teache the contrarie.

T. C. Pag. 51. Sect. 8. 9. & Pag. 52. Sect. 2.

What dealing is this to bring mē in suspition of y^t, which they neuer thought of, as though there were any word y^t founded to this, y^e a man should put himself into the office of preaching, without the approbation of those (*) 1.2 men, to whom it doth perteyne.

Their complaint is, that those which are ordeyned Pastors, and therfore to preach, can not do it without further licence: as if a man shoulde be charged to doe a thing forthwith, and then he that chargeth him, bindeth him hand & foote, that he can not do it vnlesse he will lose him.

The bishops inhable him to teach, & point him a place to teach in, & yet they wil not let him teath▪ vnlesse he haue a further licence. It h〈1 line〉〈1 line〉be an heretik or schismatike, or suspected of any such thing▪ why is he admitted, or being admitted, why is he suffred to be so much as a reader 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉n y^• churche〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉nd bicause you could not answer this, therfore you set vp a fansie of yours to confute. And thus you fight without an 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and you make triumphes, where there is no victorie.

They wil say vnto you, y^t not only vnder a godly magistrate, but not in y^e time of persecution any man ought to 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ake vpon him any function in y^e church▪ vnlesse he be ther vnto called by mē, except he haue a wonderful calling, which is rare, & must be 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉iligently examined by them, which haue it, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉nder pretence of the spirite of God, whom they make author of their calling, it fall out y^e 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be but their own he〈1 line〉〈1 line〉long affection that hath thrust thē in: so far they are from the frensy of Anaba〈1 line〉〈1 line〉tists, which you by a confutation of y^e, which they neuer affirmed, would seeme to staine them with.

Io. Whitgifte.

This Repl〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e cōsisteth partly of equiuocations, & partly of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 suppositiōs. For where you say, y^e no mā shuld put himself into the office of preaching, w^tout the approbation of those men, to whō it doth apertein: you speak ambiguously, & therfore you must explicate what you mean by those to whō it doth apertein: whether y^e people & seniors, as you cal them, or y^e bishops or y^e ciuil Magistrate, or such, to whō y^e ciuil Magistrat doth cōmit y^e iudging of such matters. For y^e Auabaptistes confesse y^e they must be called of their churches, but they deny y^e authoritie of the ciuil magistrat herein, & the authoritie of such also as he doth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for y^t end & purpose. Again, you here suppose, y^t no man may preach out of his owne cure, & therfore being once admitted 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉o preach there, he nedeth no fur∣ther licence▪ Likewise you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 suppose that none may be admitted to preache, except he haue 〈◊〉〈◊〉: to be 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉hort, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ heretikes, schismatikes, may be known foorth∣with, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 being suspected, by and by remoued out of the ministerie▪ all which suppositi∣o〈1 line〉〈1 line〉s bēe vntiue, and therfore this Replis full of greate absuraities. Their meaning is playne, that though there be iuste cause, why the Bishoppe should inhibite them from preachyng, bothe for theyr contentions, and also for their errours, yet woulde they preache whether the Byshoppe wyll or no, for the case is theyr owne. They were admytted to preache in theyr cures, and elsewhere, so long

as they vsed them selues modestlye, quietly, and taught sounde doctrine: but after they began to deuide the Churche, and make contention in it, they were restrayned from preachyng vntill suche tyme, as vpon their submission and reformation, they shoulde be there vnto admitted agayne: hinc illae lachrymae, this is the matter, and here∣to you answere, ne gry quidem.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Not to preac〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 without li▪ cence.
• (*) 1.2

  A doubtful〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 saying.