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. 81. Sect. 1.

And if you will say, that the Apostles did ordeyne Archbishops (as you haue indeed sayd, and do now againe) when as there is not one worde in the writings of them, I pray you tell vs, howe we shall hold out of the Church the vnwritten verities of the Papists? For my part if it be true that you say, I cannot tell what to answere vnto them. For our answere is to them, the Apostles haue left a perfect rule of ordering the Church written, and therefore we reiect their traditions, if for no other cause, yet bicause they are superfluous and more than need. Now this degree of Archbishop being not only not mentioned in the scriptures, but also manifestly oppugned, it is to bold, & hard〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 a speech (that I say no more) to 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉et the petegree of the Archbishop from the Apostles times, and from the Apostles themselues.

Io. Whitgifte.

I must answere you still as Zuinglius answered the Anabaptists in the like ob∣iection, and as I haue answered you before: the Papists make their traditions neces∣sarie vnto saluation, and therefore they are to be reiected, bicause the worde of God conteyneth all things necessarie to saluation. I make those offices part of decencie, order, Ecclesiasticall gouernment and pollicie, whiche admitteth alteration as the tymes and persons require, and are not particularly expressed in the Scriptures, no more than diuerse other things be in the same kinde, as I haue prooued before. And that this may séeme no straunge matter, or any thing fauouring the Papists vn∣written verities, you may call to remembrance that which M. Caluin sayth of such tra∣ditions* 1.1 vpon these wordes. 1. Cor. 11. Quemadmodum tradidi vobis instituta tenetis. I do not denie (sayth he) but that there were some traditions of the Apostles not written &c. as I* 1.2 haue before recyted, speaking of Ceremonies not expressed in the worde. And you may sée that wise and learned men are not so scrupulous in Apostolicall traditions not written, so that they be not such as are made necessarie vnto saluation: neyther is any learned man of contrarie iudgement. And therefore Archbishops may well be brought from the Apostles tymes, without any daunger of admitting the vnwritten verities of the Papists. You haue not yet proued that eyther the name or office of Arch∣bishoppes is in any respect oppugned in the worde of God, and therefore that is but feyned.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Caluine.
• * 1.2

  Tract. 2.