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. 5. the. 6. Diuision.

T. C. Pag. 114. Sect. 1.

And for as much as S. Paule sayth that a man cannot preach which is not sent, (*) 1.1 no not* 1.2 although he speake the wordes of the scripture and interprete them, so I cannot see how a man can baptise, vnlesse that he be sent to that end, although he poure water and rehearse the wordes which are to be rehearsed in the ministrie of baptisme.

Io. Whitgifte.

S. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in that 10. chapt. to the Rom. speaketh of the extraordinarie calling to the office of preaching, so sayeth M. Martyr in his Commentaries, vpon this place.* 1.3 And although Paule intreateth in this place of calling, and sending, and this is as I sayde ordinarie and extraordinarie: there is no doubt but that he nowe speaketh of the extraor∣dinarie calling, &c. And M. Caluine lykewise vpon the same place sayeth, that Paule* 1.4 doth not there speake, De legitima cuius que vocatione, of the lawfull calling of euery man. Wherefore if you will grounde any such reason vpon this place, it muste be thus: S. Paule sayth that a man cannot preach which is not sent, and he meaneth of an ex∣traordinarie sending, therefore no man may preach vnlesse he be extraordinarily cal∣led therevnto: and so consequently not minister baptisme, except he be called in like manner. If you will reason thus, then do you cōfirme the baptizing by laye men, who do it not ordinarily but extraordinarily vpon necessitie.

S. Paule doth not say, that a man cannot preach which is not sente, no not although he* 1.5 speaketh the wordes of the scripture, and interprete them. These wordes be so added by you, that the simple and ignorant, may thinke they be the woordes of S. Paule. He that speaketh the wordes of the scripture, and doth interprete them, preacheth, though he be not there vnto called, and it is the true woorde of God he preacheth, if he truly interprete, but he intrudeth himselfe into a vocation where vnto he is not called, and therefore* 1.6 offendeth God: but that doth derogate nothing from the woorde preached. The same reason is of the administration of the Sacramentes, for as the woorde of God, is the woorde of God, by whom so euer it be preached minister or other: so is the Sacra∣ment of Baptisme, true baptisme by whom soeuer it be celebrated: the vsurper of the office hath to answere for his intrusion, but the Sacrament is not thereby defiled.

It is no harde matter to shew that in the primitiue Church, laye men were suf∣f〈1 line〉〈1 line〉d* 1.7 to preach: you know that Euseb. sayeth that Origene being a lay man was sent into Arabia to preach the Gospell which he also did, both before & after in the Church of Alexandria, and likewise in Cesarea. And although Demetrius then Bishop of A∣lexandria, founde faulte that Origene beyng a laye man shoulde preache in the pre∣sence of Bishops at Cesarea. Yet is it manifest that he allowed laye men to preach, if Bishops were not present. And in the same chapt. by diuers examples it is shewed (as of Euelpis at Laranda, of Paulinus at Iconium, of Theodorus at Synada) that the custome of the Churches both then and before that time was, that laye men might preach euen in the presence of Bishops, so that you haue erred both in applying the place of S. Paule, and in saying that laye men may not preache the woorde vpon oc∣casion, and so consequently Baptise.

Notes

• (*) 1.1

  This is added to the text.
• * 1.2

  Rom. 10.
• * 1.3

  Martyr.
• * 1.4

  Caluine.
• * 1.5

  The Replier addeth to the text, and for what pur∣pose.
• * 1.6

  Usurpers both in prea∣ching and mi∣nistring the Sacraments offend God.
• * 1.7

  Lay men su〈1 line〉〈1 line〉∣fred to preach. Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 20.