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. 80. Line. 7.

That there was none in the y^t Apostles times, thus it may appeare. If there were any they were either ordeined by the Apostles, & their authoritie, or else without and besides their authoritie. If there were any without & besides their authoritie; then they are therefore to be condemned y^t more, bicause in their time they starie vp without their warrant. And if the Apostles did ordeine them, there was some vse of them, to that whervnto they were ordeined, but there was no vse of them to that whervnto they were ordeined, therfore the Apostles did not ordeine them. The vse whervnto M. Doctor saith they were ordeined, was to compose controuersies and ende schismes, but to this they were not vsed: wherevpon it followeth, that if there were any they were vnprofitable. That they were not vsed to any such ende it shall be perceiued by that which followeth.

Io. Whitgifte.

This should be the proofe of your former Minor, if the argument had bene good: but be it as you would haue it, here is yet no sufficient proofe of your Minor. They are but only your owne bare words, which may as easily be reiected, as they be barely by you affirmed. But least the ignorant reader shoulde thinke that I shifte of matters wyth suche quidities as they vnderstand not, I will set a side the deformed face of your ar∣gument, and come to the matter, & (as I thinke) your meaning, which is this. Con∣trouersies were compounded in the Apostles time without an Archbyshop, Ergo they maye lyke∣wise be so now, so that there is no neede of any Archbishop. This is the controuersie, whe∣ther the Church be bound to the same kind of external gouernment at all times, that was vsed in y^e Apostles times. I haue proued hetherto that it is not. And more is to be* 1.1 said of the same afterwards. In the meane time this I giue you to vnderstand, that al∣thoughe the Apostles had not this name of Archbishop among them, yet they had the same authoritie and office. For they had the gouernment & direction of diuers Chur∣ches, both in matters of doctrin & discipline: they ended controuesies, repressed errors, kept them in quietnesse: ordeined them Bishops, & visited them, as appeareth Act. 14. 15. 18. 1. Cor. 3. 4. 5. 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉. & in the Epistle to Timothie & Titus. Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 23. declareth of Iohn the Euangelist, that after he returned from Pathmos, he visited & gouerned sundry Churches, & ordeined them Ministers. The like doth Epiphanius report of Pe∣ter in Pontus & Bithinia Lib. 1. Tom. 2. And what other office then those hath the Archbi∣shop. Therfore though the name of Archbishop was not among the Apostles, yet was his office & function. And notwithstanding that part of the office of the Apostles is cea∣sed which consisted in planting & founding of Churches, throughout y^e world: yet this part of gouernment & direction of Churches remaineth still and is committed to By∣shops. Therefore saith Ambrose in the. 4. ad Ephe. Apostoli Episcopi sunt, Apostles are By∣shops,* 1.2 bicause Bishops do succeede them in preaching the word, & gouerning y^e church.

Now if I shal also proue by good authoritie that among the Apostles themselues* 1.3 and in their tymes, there was one chiefe (though he were not called Archbishop) then I suppose that it will not seeme straunge vnto you, that in this state of the Church, it should be cōuenient to haue the like in euery Prouince or Diocesse. Ierome in his first* 1.4 booke aduersus Iouinianum sayth thus. Yet among the twelue one is chosen, that a head be∣ing appoynted, occasion of schisme might be remoued. And least ye should wipe this a∣way with your accustomed deprauing of the Authour, I will ioyne vnto him the testi∣monie of M. Caluine in his Institutions Cap. 8. who writeth thus. That the twelue* 1.5 Apostles had one among them to gouerne the rest, it was no marueyle, for nature requireth it, and the disposition of man will so haue it, that in euerie companie (although they be all equall in power) yet that there be one as gouernour, by whome the rest may be directed. There is no court without a Consull, no Senate without a Pretor, no Colledge without a president, no societie without a master. M. Bucer likewise in his booke, De regno Christi, hath these wordes. Now we see by the perpetuall obseruation of the Churches euen from* 1.6 the Apostles themselues, that it hath pleased the holy Ghost, that among the Ministers to whome especially the gouernment of the Church is committed, one should haue the chiefe eare, both of the Churches and whole ministerie, and that he shoulde go before all other in that care and diligence, for the which cause the name of a Bishop is peculiarly giuen to such chiefe gouernors of Churches, &c. Againe vpon the. 4. to the Ephe. he sayth as before is alledged. Paule in the Acts called the same men, Bishops & Ministers, whē he called for the* 1.7 Ministers of Ephesus to Miletum, yet bicause one among them did rule, and had the chief eare of the Church, the name of a Bishop did properly belong vnto him. Neither was his age alwayes considered, so that he were vertuous and learned, as we haue an example in Ti∣mothie being a yong man. Thus then you sée, that euen amongst the Apostles themsel∣ues, and in the Churches in their tymes, there were some, that had the chiefe autho∣ritie ouer the rest, and to this ende especially, that schismes and contentions might be compounded, and the rest might be directed, whiche are the chiefe partes of the Archbishops office: and therefore all this that you haue here sayde, falleth flat to the ground: And yet still I do affirme, that if it had not béene so in the Apostles time, yet might it haue bene both lawfully and necessarily, at other tymes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The office of an archbyshop in y^e Apostles. Ad. 4. 15. 18. 1 Cor. 3. 4. 5. 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉▪ l'tra{que} id tim. epi ad Tit. Euseb. lib 3. Cap. 23. Epibha. lib. 1. Tom. 2.
• * 1.2

  Ambro. in. 4. Ephe.
• * 1.3

  Superioritie among the Apostles.
• * 1.4

  Ierom. aduers. Ioni. lib. 1.
• * 1.5

  Caluine.
• * 1.6

  Bucer.
• * 1.7

  Idem.