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. Page 108. Sect. 2.

And wheras you alledge the petition of the Lordes prayer (deliuer vs from euill) to proue this prayer against thunder, &c. besydes that, all the commodities and discommodities of this lyfe are prayed for, and prayed against in that petition, whereby we desyre our dayly bread, it is very strange to apply that to the thunder, that is vnderstanded of the Deuill, as the article 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth declare, and it is a marueylous conclusion that for so much, as we ought daylye and ordinarily, and publikely desyre to be deliuered from the Deuill, Ergo we ought dayly, & ordinarily, & publikely d〈1 line〉〈1 line〉∣syre to be deliuered from thunder: it is one thing to correct Magnificat, and an other thing to shewe the abuse of it. And therefore I fee no cause why you should vse this allusion betwene Magnificat and significat, vnles it be for that you purposing to set out all your learning in this booke, would not so much as forget an olde rotten prouerbe, which trotted amongst the monkes in their cloysters, of whome I may iustly saye which Tully sayd in an other thing, Nec quicquam ingenium potest mo∣nasterium: that is, the cloyster could neuer bring forth any wittie thing, for here although there bee Rythmus, yet it is sine ratione.* 1.1

Io. VVhitgift.

All men may sée that you hunt for contention and strife, and not for the truthe,* 1.2 otherwise you would be more vpright and sincere in your dealing. The effect of my Answere to the Admonition is, that for asmuch as this worde malum in the last pe∣tition of the Lordes prayer, doth conteyne all kinde of euill, whether it perteyne to

the body or to the minde, therefore all such prayers as are for our deliuerance, from externall perilles and daungers, being grounded vpon that petition, are lawfull, whe∣ther they be daylie vsed or otherwise, in whiche sorte and kinde those prayers are, wherein we desire to be deliuered from thundring and lightning, the daungers ther∣of beyng so frequente, and so terrible.

And whereas you say, that the worde Euill, doth there signifie the Diuell, & there∣fore not aduersitie, & externall euill that happeneth to the bodie, you shall vnderstand your errour, by the expositions both of the olde and new wryters. Cyprian in his ex∣position vpon the Lordes prayer interpreting these wordes sayeth thus. In the laste* 1.3 place we put. But deliuers vs from euill: comprehending all kinde of aduersities, vvhich the enimie vvorketh agaynst vs in this vvorlde. And a little after: But when we say, deliuer vs from euill, there remayneth nothing which ought further to be de∣sired, seyng we pray at once for the protection of God agaynst euill, which being obteyned, we stande secure and safe, against all thinges which the worlde and Deuill worketh.

Augustine likewise in his Epistle ad Probam viduam in number. 121. and Cap. 11. ex∣poundeth* 1.4 the same wordes in like sorte. VVhen we say deliuer vs from euill: we admo∣nish to consider that we are not as yet in that good (estate) where we shall suffer no euill: and this which is last placed in the Lordes prayer, is extended so farre, and so playnely, that a Christian man moued with any kinde of tribulation, may in this petition sigh, in this shedde his teares, beginne herein, continue herein, and end his prayer herein.

M Bucer expounding the same wordes in his Commentaries vpō the. 6. of Ma∣thew,* 1.5 sayth. Satan is therefore called a tempter, bicause he doth tempte and exercise vs: especially labouring for this, that he may withdrawe vs from a right fayth in God: but if he cannot bring that to passe (such is his hatred) then he doth reioyce in afflicting and mole∣sting vs, with externall euils, as we reade that he hath done against Iob and other holy men. And a little after: VVherefore for as much as Satan is (as it were our tormenter, by whose ministerie God doth also outwardly exercise vs) in this respect, the prayer, to be deliue∣red from bodily euils, is included in this last petition. In like manner doth Musculus expounde the same: and do you thinke that these men did not vnderstand their Pater noster? You see therefore that although the worde signifie the Diuell, yet it nothing hindreth my interpretation, but maketh much for it, bicause the Diuell is the Author of all euill, that cōmeth either to the body or to the soule, and therfore beyng deliuered from him, there is no cause why we should be any longer carefull.

There is no abuse of Magnificat as yet shewed, but there is a very vnlearned rea∣son in the Admonition put, why it should not be vsed, to the Answere whereof you haue not replied, and therefore I may iustly say of their correcting of Magnificat, that which I haue sayde: and the Prouerbe is méete for such vnskilfull persons: but your childish or rather prophane iestes and scoffes be not séeming for a Diuine, and him that would he counted so greatly learned and mortified.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ryme with∣out reason.
• * 1.2

  The interpre∣tation of the last petition.
• * 1.3

  Cyprian.
• * 1.4

  Augustinus.
• * 1.5

  Bucer.