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. 70. Sect. vlt.

There are alleaged to proue the names of Archbishops, Patriarkes, Archdeacons, the. 13. 25. 26. and. 27. Canons of the Councell of Nice. For the. 25. 26. and. 27. there are no suche Canons of that Councell, and although there be a thirtenth Canon, there is no worde of Patriarke or Arch∣deacon there conteined. And I maruaile with what shame you can thrust vpon vs these (*) 1.1 coun∣terfeite Canons, which come out of the Popes mint: yea and which are not to 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e founde. Theodo∣rete saith, that there are but twentie Canons of the Councell of Nyce, and those twentie are in the 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ome of the Councels, and in those there is no mention of any Patriarke, Archbyshop, Archdeacon.* 1.2 Ruffine also remembreth. 22. Canons, very little differing from those other twentie, but in length, & in none of those are founde any of these names of Archbishop, Archdeacon, or Patriarke, and it is as (a) 1.3 lawfull for M. Harding to allcage the. 44. Canon of the Councell of Nyce to proue the Su∣premacie of the Pope of Rome, as it is for M. Doctor Whitgifte to alleage the. 25. 26. 27. to proue the name of Archbyshop, Archdeacon, Patriarke: for they are all of one stampe and haue lyke au∣thoritie.

Io. Whitgifte.

I will not greatly sticke in the defense of those Canons, the fixth & the seuenth Canō do sufficiently verifie all that I haue alleaged out of the other, as is declared not onely* 1.4 by the words of the Canons, but by the iudgement of those, whose learning & Religion was neuer as yet stained. I know that there is no small controuersie about the num∣ber of the Canons of that Synode. In the booke of the Coūcels there are only twentie, in Ruffine. 22. Athanasius in an Epistle that he (as some thinke) with the other By∣shops of Egypt writte to Marcus Byshop of Rome (if any credite is to be giuen vnto* 1.5 that Epistle) writeth that there were first. 80. and afterwards the same brought into 70. Canons. Isodorus in his preface to the Councell, sayth that in the decrées of Pope Iulius, there is mention made of. 70. Canons, so that for the number of the Canons there is great difference in the writers.

Concilium Arelatense the second, Canon the. 24. doth recite a Canon of the Councell of Nice, touching infamous libels, which is not to be founde among the. 20.

Hierome in his preface vpon the booke of Iudith sayth that the Councell of Nice did* 1.6 recken that booke in the number of the holy scriptures, and yet there is no such thing to be founde among those. 20. Canons.

Ambrose Lib. 10. the Epistle. 82. attributeth another Canon to the Councell of Nice* 1.7 concerning second Mariages in clarkes, I could recite more Canons alledged by good writers out of that Councell, which are not to be founde in those. 20. or. 22. but it shall not néede.

Wherefore though I haue alleaged moe Canons than are to be founde in the vo∣lume of Councels: yet I haue done nothing which is straunge, neither haue I allea∣ged any Canon that is not agréeable to the sixth and seuenth, wherof there is no doubt: and according to the true meaning of those two Canons, as they be interpreted by the* 1.8 best learned. And in very déede, the. 25. 26. 27. Canons by me alleaged are the verye same with the. 6. &. 7. differing onely in number, wherin I followed the author that so placed them. And in the. 13. Canon the name of Archbyshop is added, wherof more shal be spoken hereafter (God willing).

M. Hardings. 44. Canon is plaine repugnant to the sixth Canon, and therefore with∣out all doubt a counterfeite. But the Canons that I haue alleaged agrée both with the sixth and seuenth, and therefore not vnlike to be truely attributed to that Councell, in these poyntes wherein I haue alleaged them.

Notes

• (*) 1.1

  These Canons differ onely in number, and not in matter from, those that are not counterfeit.
• * 1.2

  Li. 1. cap. 8. Li. 1. cap. 6.
• (a) 1.3

  Not so, for that is repug∣nant to the true Canon〈1 line〉〈1 line〉; & ther∣fore coūterfeit.
• * 1.4

  Controuersie about the nū∣ber of y^e Ca∣nons conci. Niceni.
• * 1.5

  Canons as∣cribed to the Nicene coun∣cell, not found in the number extant. Con. Arelat.
• * 1.6

  Hieronymus.
• * 1.7

  Ambrose.
• * 1.8

  The. 25. 26. 27. Canons differ onely in number, not in substance from the true Canons.