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.

Ansvvere to the Admonition. Pag. 165. Sect. vlt. & Pag. 166.

Here is much a do about bare reading and single seruice saying: by like you lacke matter to make out your volume, when you iterate one thing so often. I tell you agayne, no honest, godly, or learned man,* 1.1 euer hither to did or will disallow readyng of the Scriptures in the Churche, or a prescript order of Common prayers. Shew any lear∣ned mans iudgement to the contrary, shewe the example of any Christian Churche of antiquitie, or of any late reformed Churche, wherein there is not both reading of the Scriptures in the publike congregation, and a prescripte order of Common prayers. Nay

shewe any one sillable in the Scriptures to the contrary. As for your places alleaged out of the 1. Corinth. 3. vers. 5. And 1. Corinth. 3. vers. 9, The one to proue that by the booke bare readyng is good tilling, the other that by the same booke, single seruice saying is excellent buyl∣dyng. &c. They shewe your intollerable audacitie (I will terme it no worse) in abusing the Scriptures. In that place to the Corin∣thes the Apostle sayeth thus. VVho is Paule then? vvho is Apollos?* 1.2 But the mynisters by vvhomeyee beleeued, and as the Lorde gaue to e∣uery man. Howe can you gather hereof that by the Communion booke bare readyng is good tilling, or how can you hereof conclude (that which I thinke you meane) that the sole and onely reading of the Scriptures is not tilling, or that the Scriptures may not be read in the open congregation by the Minister? what s〈1 line〉〈1 line〉quele call you this? Paule and Apollos be the ministers by whome you* 1.3 beleeued, as the Lord gaue to euery man: Therefore the readyng of the Scriptures edifie not, or it is not lawfull for them to be read in the Churche by the Minister. You come to soone from the vni∣uersitie to haue any great skill in Logike: but belyke bycause there is mention made of tylling in the nexte verse of that chapter, there∣fore you quote it in the margent, missing onely the lyne: for this is your vsuall manner, if you haue but one worde in a texte whiche you vse in your booke, you quote the place, as though it made for your purpose. This is neyther playne nor wise dealyng?

The examples of suche as haue bene conuerted by readyng of* 1.4 the Scriptures, and hearyng of them read, be infinite. I knowe not wherevnto this your bitternesse agaynst readyng of the Scrip∣ture tendeth, excepte it be to confirme an other opinion of the Pa∣pistes, touching the obscuritie and darkenesse of the Scripture, or diuerse senses and vnderstanding of the same. If you ioyne with them in that also, then I haue to say vnto you with S. Augustine: In his quae apertè in Scripturis posita sunt inueniuntur illa omnia quae cōtinent sidē, mores{que} viuēdi.* 1.5 In those things that be playne and manifest in the Scriptures, are all such things conteyned, vvhich perteyne to fayth and good manners. And with Hierom. in Psalme. 86. Sicut scripserunt Apostoli, sic & ipse Dominus, hoc est, per E∣uangelia* 1.6 sua locutus est, vt non pauci intelligerent, sed vt omnes. Plato scripsit in scriptura, sed non scripsit populo sed paucis, vix enim intelligunt tres homines. Isti verò, hoc est, principes E〈1 line〉〈1 line〉clesiae, & principes Christi non scripserunt paucis, sed vniuerso populo. As the Apostles vvrite so did the Lorde, that is, he spake by his Gospels, not that a fevve, but that all might vnderstand. Plato vvritte, but he vvritte to fevv, not to the people, for scarse three do vnderstand him: these, that is the Apostles vvritte not to fevv, but to the vvhole people. But I thinke you doubt not of this matter.

If the readyng of the scriptures edifie not, what needed Chry∣sostome* 1.7 writing vpon the third to the Coloss. so earnestly exhorte the people to get them Bibles, or at the least the new Testamēt, to be as it were a continuall maister vnto them to instruct them?

What needed the same Chrysostome Hom. 3. De Lazaro. with* 1.8 suche vehement wordes, haue moued the people to reade the Scrip∣tures, declaring not onely the commoditie of them, but the easinesse

also to be vnderstoode? Is not this saying, both auncient and true, That vvhen vvee reade the Scriptures God talketh vvith vs: vvhen vvee pray then vve talke vvith God? But touching this matter I referre you to that whiche I haue spoken before in the former parte of your Admonition. And also I beseech you take paynes to peruse the. 15. Article of that notable Iewell, and worthy Bishop late of Saris∣burie, wherein he of purpose intreateth of this matter agaynst M. Harding.

Notes

• * 1.1

  No godly mā 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rea∣ding in the churche.
• * 1.2

  1. Cor. 3.
• * 1.3

  Unskilfull Logicians.
• * 1.4

  Pag. 168. Sect. 1. 2. 3. Many con∣uerted by hea∣ring the scrip∣tures read.
• * 1.5

  August.
• * 1.6

  Hierome.
• * 1.7

  Chrysostome exhorteth the people to get Bibles.
• * 1.8

  Idem.