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. Pag. 133. Sect. 1. 2.

Unto that whyche is conteyned in the two next sections in the. 103. and a peece of the. 104. pages, I haue answered before, partly particularly, & partly when I noted the general faults of the Seruice booke, especially seeing that M. Doctor wyll not defende the pyping and Organes, nor no other synging than is vsed in the re〈1 line〉〈1 line〉rmed Churches, which is, in the synging of two Psalmes, one in the beginning, and an other in the ending, in a playne tune, easy both to be song of those whych haue no arte in singing, and vnderstanded of those, whych bicause they can not reade, can not sing with the rest of the Churche.

For that whiche is in the. 105. page, and concerneth the surplesse, I haue answered before.

Io. Whitgifte.

To the moste of it you haue not answered any where, and the substance of it you* 1.1 haue left vntouched, that is, whether these things be of that weight, or no, that in any respect they can contaminate the sacramentes, or make them impure, as they b〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 nowe vsed. Neyther haue you proued, or can proue that the sacraments are not ministred in this Church of Englande in all poyntes of any moment, euen as Christ deliuered them, the Apostles vsed them, & the primitiue* 1.2 Churche continued them. Touching singing, piping (as you cal it) surplesse & cope wearing. I answere with Oecolampadius, These things be free vnto Christians, whiche holy or godly Bishops may eyther adde, if it seeme vnto them conuenient, and profitable for the people, or take away if there be any abuse, as the time requireth: euen as they may also doe

in other ceremonies. VVe haue made no contention for externall things: those things that be indifferent are not repugnant to the worde of God.

I haue hearde no reasons as yet to improue the manner of singing vsed in this* 1.3 Churche of England, neyther do I say that I allow no other singing than is vsed in other reformed Churches. For I woulde not haue any Churche to arrogate that perfection vnto it selfe, that it should thinke all other Churches to be bounde vnto it: it was the originall cause of the pryde of the Churche of Rome. I haue onely sayde that other reformed Churches allow singing, which is true.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The sacra∣ments purely ministred.
• * 1.2

  Oecolamp. in Epist. apud Gastium. li. 2. de erro. Cata∣baptist.
• * 1.3

  The originall cause of the pryde of the Romishe churche.