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.

Chap. 3. the. 38. Diuision.

T. C. Pag. 83. Lin. 8.

But what helpeth it you that there was a Bishop of Alexandria, which vrge an Archbishop, or what auantageth it you, that there was one chief, called a Bishop in euery seuerall congrega∣tion, which wold proue that there ought to be one Bishop chief ouer a thousand congregations? What coulde haue bin brought more strong to pull downe the Archbishop out of his throne, then that which Ierom faith there, when he affirmeth that the Bishop of the obscurest village or ham∣let, hath as great authoritie and dignitie as the Bishop of Rome? Erasmus did see this, and sayd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, * 1.1 testingly, that Hierome spake that of the Bishops of his tyme, but if the had seene howe the Metropolitanes of our age excell other Bishops, he woulde haue spoken o∣therwise. And what could haue ben more fit to haue confuted the large dominion and superioritie of our realme, than that that Ierome sayeth, when he appointeth the Bishops sea in an vplan∣dish town, or in a poore village or hamlet, (a) 1.2 declaring therby that in euery town there was a Bi∣shop, and that the Bishop that he speaketh of, differeth nothing at all from an elder, but that the Bishop had the ordeyning of y^e ministers, whervpon it doth appere (which I promised to shew) that by this place of Ierome, there is neither name of Archbishop, nor so much as the shadowe of his authoritie, and that the Bishoppes whiche are nowe, haue besides the name, no similitude almoste with the Bishopes that were in Ieromes tyme. As for his reason ad Luciferanos, it is the same which he hath ad Euagr. and to Titus, and is alreadie answ〈1 line〉〈1 line〉red.

Io. Whitgifte.

If this be true that you say, why haue you then hitherto sought so to deface this worthie writer? why did you not in the beginning tell vs, that this saying óf Ierome made nothing against you, bicause he only speaketh of Pastors in seuerall parishes, and not of one to haue charge and gouernment ouer one whole dioces? But full* 1.3 well knew you the vanitie of this your fansie, & how vnlyke it is to stande with Ie∣romes words: For in his cōmentaries vpon y^e epistle to Titus, he sayth that Post{que} v∣〈1 line〉〈1 line〉usquis{que} eos quos baptizauerat. &c. After that euery one did think those to be his, & not Chri stes, whom he had baptized, it was decreed throughout the whole world, that one of the mi∣nisters being chosen should be set ouer the rest, vnto whome the whole care of the churche should aperteyn, and the seeds of schismes be taken away. Do you thinke y^t this is ment of the Pastor of euery towne? To what purpose shoulde Ierome saye so? For the pa∣stor of euery seueral towne, had from the beginning his a〈1 line〉〈1 line〉thorite ouer his flocke, without any such constitution. Moreouer, there are not in euery seuerall congregatiō many pastors or priestes, ouer whom one shold be placed as chief. But Ierome spea∣keth of a Bishop that must gouerne the other Priestes, and procure that vnitie bée kept among them, and therfore his iurisdiction must of necessitie extend to many pa∣rishes, bicause it is ouer many pastors. He sayth lykewise, that the care of the whole was cōmitted vnto him. In his epistle ad Euagrium, he vttereth his meanyng as plainly, For he sayeth, That the Priests did choose one among themselues, whome they placing* 1.4 in a higher degree called a Bishop: Wherby it apeareth y^t he had authoritie ouer many Pastors, and therfore ouer many congregations, for you will not denie but that e∣uery presbyter, that is minister of the worde had his seuerall flocke. This he decla∣reth more euidently by the examples there vsed, of souldiers choosing their Captain, for though the Captain before was a common souldiour, yet now being 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉hus prefer∣red, he ruleth and gouerneth the reste of the souldiers, euen so the Bishop being before a minister equall with other, yet being chosen to that degrée, he is their guide and gouernoure, a gouernour I say of those that did elect him, that ist of Priests or ministers, & therfore of diuers congregations.

This dothe yet more euidentely appeare in these woordes of the same Epistle, That one was afterwardes chosen to rule the reste, it was a remedie against schismes, least euerie one drawing to himselfe the Churche, shoulde breake the same. And in his booke* 1.5 contra Luciferianos, he sayeth that except the chief authoritie were giuen to one, tot es∣sent schismata quot sacerdotes, there would be as many schismes as priests. By which places

it is certain that Ieromes meaning is to haue some one in a prouince or dioces ouer the rest (proprely called a Bishop) who should haue chief authoritie, least euery man in his owne seuerall parish being permitted to do what he list, might in the end fyll the Church with schismes, vt tot essent schismata quot sacerdotes. And surely it is vnpos∣sible to expounde Ierome otherwise.

But you aske me, what this helpeth for the Archbishop. &c? very much. For if it be so necessarie to haue one Bishop ouer diuers Priests in euery seuerall dioces, for the auoyding of schisme and cōtention, it is also necessarie in euery prouince to haue an archbish〈1 line〉〈1 line〉p for the direction of diuers Bishops, & the auoyding of schisme amōg them. And therfore sayth Ierome again in his epistle ad Rusticū monachū, euerie ecclesiasticall* 1.6 order is subiect to hir gouernours.

You aske what could haue ben brought more strong to pull downe the Archbishop out of his throne, than that which Ierom sayth there, when he affirmeth that the bishop of the obscurest vil∣lage or hamlet, hath as gret authority & dignitie as the bishop of Rome? I answer, that this no∣thing at alderogateth frō the Archbishop. For it is not denied, but that euery bishop, & euery minister are equal quoad ministerium, but not quoad ordinem & politiam: & this is that which Ierome saith, eiusdem sunt meriti & sacerdotij, they be of the same merite and priesthod y^t is, their ministerie & office in preaching the word, & administring y^e sacra∣ments, is al one. And their authoritie also toward such as were vnder their iu〈1 line〉〈1 line〉isdicti∣on:* 1.7 but he doth nor say, y^e one Bishop hath not more ample & large iurisdictiō thā the other, for the contrarie of that is manyfest. And in S. Ieroms tyme there wer Me∣tropolitanes, Archbishops. &c. as you may read in the defe〈1 line〉〈1 line〉se of the Apol. edit. 2. pag. 121.

These obscure townes doe derogate nothing from the authoritie of a bishop: for we see it oftentimes come to passe, y^t the Bishops seate is but in obscure towns, as it is in diuers places of England: & yet is the bishops iurisdiction in his dioces no whit the lesse. If we respect the places, Canterburie is far inferior to London. And therefore Ieroms meaning is, y^t the place neither addeth any thing, or taketh any thing away from the worthinesse, authoritie, and office of a Bishop. Wheresoeuer a Bishop is in citie or in towne, he is of the same authoritie and worthinesse.

Erasmus in his Scholies vpon that epistle of Hierome hath these words: Certè Me∣tropolitanus* 1.8 habet aliquid dignitatis &c. Surely the Metropolitane hath some dignitie & iuris∣di〈1 line〉〈1 line〉tion aboue the other bishops, therfore that he here maketh the Bishops of base cities e∣qual with the rest, it is to be referred vnto the deacons, which in some places were preferred before the ministers, whom he doth in a maner make equall with Bishops. And in an other place he sayeth, that the ministers, succede into the place of the Apostles, the Byshop into the place of Christ. In this thing therefore are Byshoppes and ministers equall, that where∣soeuer they are, they are to be preferred before Deacons. Here Erasmus speaketh in good earnest howsoeuer he iested before. He she weth that these obscure villages or hamlets (as you terme them) were cities, and no doubt, as good as eyther Ely, or Pe∣terborough: but in the respect of Rome, contemptible, as these be in respect of Lontō. And yet the Bishops of euery one of them eiusdem meriti & sacer dotij. of the same merite, priesthood & authoritie. Erasmus also here telleth in what respect he hath made this cōparison betwixt Bishops and other ministers, in the respect of Deacons. For both Bishops & Priests are to be preferred equally before Deacons, bicause of their mi∣nisterie & office, which is aboue the office of a Deacon. Nam ex Diacono ordinatur presby∣ter. For a minister or priest is made of a Deacon, not ex presbytero diaconus, the Deacon of the priest. It is most euident (neither can it be so vnknown vnto you) y^e Ierome in al these places meaneth to haue one bishop gouernour of many priests. And therefore this interpretation of yours is without all probabilitie, or shadow of truth, that Hie∣romes meaning is to haue suche a Bishop in euery towne.

I trust the reader will note with what vaine reasons you first went about to shake* 1.9 the credit of this wryter: Then, how without reason, you tooke vpon you to answer his reasons: and now in the ende, how vnpossible an interpretation you feine of his words: which if he well consider, he shall note in you great audacitie, smal iudgemēt, and no truthe. For the author is of greate learning and worthynesse, his reasons

strong, and his wordes playne and euident for the authoritie of the Bishop ouer the rest of the Cleargie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  But in the same place spea∣king in earnest he a〈1 line〉〈1 line〉firmeth a〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 muche as I r〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 quire.
• (a) 1.2

  Vntrue.
• * 1.3

  Ieromes bi∣shop differeth from an elder in dignitie and rule. Hier. in Tit. 1.
• * 1.4

  Idē ad Eu〈1 line〉〈1 line〉gr.
• * 1.5

  Ibidem. Idem contr〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 Lucifer.
• * 1.6

  Hiero ad Ru∣sticum.
• * 1.7

  Metropoli∣tanes &c. in Ierome his tyme.
• * 1.8

  Erasmus.
• * 1.9

  The shift of T. C. in his answer to Hierom.