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.

Io. Whitgifte.

Chrysostome in that place maketh degrées in the ministerie, and placeth the Bi∣shop in degrée aboue the minister, which vtterly ouerthroweth your equalitie. As for your distinction of degrées it hath a small grounde in the scripture to warrant it, as can be, and in déed it is but your owne inuētion. For the Pastor, doctor, and elder in office are all one, as the most & best writers thinck. Howsoeuer it is, you haue them not thus distinguished in the Scripture, that the Pastor should be firste, the Doctor next, the Elder third, & the deacon last: and it is strange that you will inuent a new order of ministers, without the expresse warrant of Gods worde, misliking the same so muche in other.

This superioritie that Chrysostome talketh of, ouerthroweth that part of the Ad∣monitiō that I confute, for they do not only disallow the office of the Archbishop, but of the Bishop also, & would haue a mere equalitie amōg the ministers: this I refel, as well as the other: and indéede the ouerthrow of this, is the ouerthrow of the other. And therefore this place of Chrysostome serueth my turne very well, and aptly.

Chrysostom vpon that. 3. chapter of the first to Timothie, giueth asmuch superiori∣tie to the Bishop as I doe: and maketh asmuch difference betwixt him and the mi∣nister: for I graunt that quoad ministerium, they be all one, but y^t there be degrees of dig∣nitie, and so sayth Chrysostom, that there is little difference betwixta Byshop and a priest, but that a Byshop hath authoritie to ordaine priests, and all other things that the Byshop may do, the priest also may do, that excepted: so that Chrisostome here speaketh only of the ministerie of the Byshop, not of his authoritie, in the ecclesiasti∣call gouernment, for of that he spake in the place before alledger, where he sayth that* 1.1 there is one degree of the Byshop, and other of the minister. &c. which distinction of de∣grées was long before Chrysostomes time, as I haue declared.

To proue these degrées of superioritie among ministers, is to proue y^e which both the Admonition, & you denie, & which is the grounde of this controuersie: & therfore

I haue not herein gone about to kill a dead man except you count the grounde of your assertion dead.

If there must be superioritie amongst men, and that equalitie of all men alyke confoundeth all, and ouerthroweth (as you confesse, and is most true) then equalitie of ministers con∣foundeth all among them: and therefore it is requisite, that in that state also there be supe〈1 line〉〈1 line〉iours to auoyde confusion: whiche being graunted, what haue you to saye, eyther against Archbishops or Bishops, except you haue some newe deuise of your owne? which is not vnlyke, bicause nothing doth please you but your owne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In: 20. Math.