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.

You haue certeyne common shiftes, to put of suche places as you can not an∣swere, among whiche thys is one, that you vse in thys place. But it wyll not serue, beyng grounded neyther vppon authoritie nor reason. These woordes of Saynte Paule in déede be not spoken to Timothie alone, but to all other By∣shops of lyke authoritie: for that whiche is prescribed to Timothie is also prescri∣bed to all other in the lyke function, whyche argueth that thys authoritie gyuen to Timothie ouer all the Ministers of the Churche of Ephesus, dothe perteyne al∣so to all other Byshoppes, ouer the Ministers of theyr seuerall Diecesse. But as Saynte Paule in these Epistles wryteth onely to Byshoppes, and Pastors, so are the preceptes gyuen therein properly perteyning to the offyce of Byshops and Pastors, and therefore not to be wrested to anye other. And howe can the Pa∣pistes more grossely abuse the Scriptures, in interpretyng them to serue their turne, and to shifte of theyr authoritie alleaged agaynste them, than you doe in thys and suche other places, agaynste the whole scope of the Epistle, and the playne and euidente wordes of the texte? for what is this, but to giue Timothie superioritie and gouernment ouer the other Ministers of Ephesus, to saye vnto hym, aduersus presbyterum, Agaynst a Minister receyue no occusation &c? and as thys au∣thoritie of Iudgement is not onely gyuen vnto Timothie, but to all Byshops, of like callyng, so that also of teachyng (that godlynesse is profitable to all thyngs. &c.) perteyneth to all Ministers of the worde generally, and not to Timothie alone. This is onely the difference, that the firste is common to Timothie wyth all other

Byshops of like iurisdiction: the other common to him with all other ministers of the worde.

You knowe that euery Pastor, or other Minister of the worde, hath not other Pastors and Ministers of the worde vnder hym, that it maye be sayde vnto hym ad∣uersus presbyteros. &c. as it is here sayde to Timothie, for I haue proued before that presbyter dothe signifie the Ministers of the worde and Sacramentes, and shall haue occasion to speake more of it hereafter.

You saye that there is an hundreth suche things in the Epistles of Timothie and Titus▪ I thinke that there is not one hundreth seuerall preceptes in all the thrée Epistles. These stoute and hyperbolicall bragges, wyth so manyfest resisting of the playne sense and meanyng of the Scriptures, argueth an euill conscience, and a mynde so addicted to errour, that it will not be reformed. Manye things in these Epistles perteyne to all Christians, many things be proper to Byshops, suche as Timothie was, and many common to all Ministers. But this aduersus presbyteros▪ &c. muste néedes to proper be those that haue vnder them other Ministers, committed to theyr gouernment, which euery Pastor hath not.