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. 70. Diuision.

Ansvvere to the Admonition. Pag. 74. Sect. 1.

Caluine in his Institutions sayth on this sort, that euery prouince* 1.1 had among their Bishops an Archbishop, and that the Councell of Nice did appoynt Patriarches vvhich should be in order and dignitie aboue Archbi∣shops, it vvas for the preseruation of discipline: Therfore for this cause espe∣cially vvere those degrees appoynted, that if any thing shoulde happen in a∣ny particular Church vvhich could not there be decided, it might be remo∣ued to a prouinciall Synode: If the greatnesse or difficultie of the cause re∣quired greater consultation, then vvas there added Patriarches togither with the Synodes, from vvhom there vvas no appeale but vnto a general Coūcel▪ This kind of gouernment some called Hierarchiam, an improper name and not vsed in the scriptures: for the spirit of God vvil not haue vs to dreame of dominion and rule in the gouernment of the Church: But if (omitting the name) vve shall consider the thing it selfe, vve shall finde that these olde By∣shops did not frame any other kinde of gouernment in the Church, frō that vvhich the Lorde hath prescribed in his vvorde. Caluine here mislyketh this name Hierarchia, but he alloweth the names and authoritie of Patriarches and Archbishops, and thinketh the gouernment of the Church then vsed, not to differ from that which God in his worde prescribeth.

T. C. Pag. 89. Sect. vlt. & Pag. 90. Sect. 1. 2.

M. Caluine first is cyted to proue those offices of Archbishop, Primate, Patriarch: The names whereof he cannot abyde, and as for him he approueth onely, that there should be some, which when difficult causes arise, which cannot be ended in the particular Churches might referre the matters to Synodes and prouinciall Councelles, and which might do the offices whiche I haue spoken of before of gathering voyces. &c.

But that he liketh not of those dominations and large iurisdictions, or at all of the Bishops or Archbishops, which we haue nowe, it may appeare plainly ynough both in that place, when as he will haue his wordes drawen to no other than the olde Bishops, shutting out thereby the Bishops that now are, as also in other places, and namely vpon the Philippians, where reasoning agaynst* 1.2 this distinction betwene Pastor and Bishop, and shewing that giuing the name of Bishop, to one man onely in a church, was the occasion why he afterwarde vsurped do〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ination ouer the rest, he sayth after this sort: In deede I graunt (sayth he) as the dispositions and maners of men are, order cannot stande amongst the ministers of the worde, vnlesse one be ouer the rest, I meane (saith he) of euerie seuerall and singular bodie, not of a whole prouince, much lesse of the whole worlde.

Now if you will needes haue M. Caluins Archbishop, you must not haue him neither ouer a Prouince nor Diocesse, but onely ouer one singular and particular congregation: how much better therefore were it for you to seeke some other shelter agaynst the storme than M. Caluins, which will not suffer you by any meanes to couer your selfe vnder his winges, but thrusteth you out al∣wayes as soone as you enter vpon him forceably.

Io. Whitgifte.

M. Caluine affirmeth directly, that euery prouince among their Bishops had* 1.3 an Archbishop, and that the Councell of Nice did a ppoynt Patriarkes: he sayeth that these degrées were appoynted for the preseruation of discipline, and by calling of Synodes to ende controuersies that arise in particular Churches he well lyketh this kinde of gouernment: onely he mislyketh the name (Hierarchia) what can bée plainlyer spoken both of the name and office of the Archbishop? As for your fonde de∣uise that it shoulde be his office onely to gather voyces, &c. it is singular to your selfe, you haue not one learned wryter (that I can read) with you.

The Bishops that now are in this Church, neyther haue, nor chalenge to haue more iurisdiction than the olde Bishops had, nay they haue not so much, as it is eui∣dently to be séene in the olde Canons: and therefore M. Caluine allowing of them, doth allow of ours also.

His place to the Philippians maketh agaynst you, for he alloweth one to be su∣periour amongst the ministers, and to rule the rest, and sayth. that as the nature and disposition of men nowe is, there coulde be no order except it were so: which doth vtterly ouer∣throw the equalitie that you and the Admonition dreame of. He saith that he speaketh de singulis corporibus. which he cannot vnderstand of particular parishes, for euery par∣ticular parishe hath not many ministers: so that of necessitie he must haue manie se∣nerall Churches to make the bodie he speaketh of: and therefore a Diocesse or a pro∣uince. I thinke M. Caluine did thinke Geneua, and the townes therevnto ad∣ioyning and belonging to be but one bodie: so doe I thinke London and the Diocesse therevnto perteyning to be but one particular bodie. And likewyse the Prouince of Canterburie, distinguished into diuerse partes and members, to be but one bodie in like maner. Neyther do I thinke that master Caluine euer shewed his mislyking of these degrées in this Churche as they be nowe vsed: for (as I sayde before) the great abuse of them vnder the Pope, made him more to mislyke of them, than hée woulde haue done, but in these wordes that I haue repeated of his, he testifyeth as* 1.4 much as I desire, that is the antiquitie and the cause, and vse of those offices, and (that which you omit and skip ouer) that herein the olde Bishops did frame no kinde of gouernment in the Church, diuerse from that which the Lord hath prescribed in his word: which neyther you nor your adherents can abide to heare of.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Caluin. Cap. 8. Sect. 54.
• * 1.2

  Phil. 1.
• * 1.3

  Caluine ac∣knowledgeth the names, 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉nd the end of thē, and alloweth the kinde of gouernment.
• * 1.4

  T. C. letteth that slip, that maketh a∣gainst him.