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. 4. the. 2. Diuision.

Ansvvere to the Admonition. Pag. 111. Sect. 3. & Pag. 112. Sect. 1.

I knowe not what you meane when you saye (That in the absence of* 1.1 the parentes some one of the congregation knowing the good behauiour and sound faithe of the Parentes, may both make a rehersal of their fayth: and also if their faith bee sounde and agreable to holy scriptures, desire in the same to be baptised) what if the parētes be of euil behauiour? what if it be the child of a drūkard, or of an 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ar∣lot? what if y^e parentes be Papistes? what if they be heretikes? what* 1.2 if they erre in some point or other, in matters of fayth? shall not their children be baptised? herein you haue a further meaning than I can vnderstande, and I feare fewe do perceiue the poyson that lieth hid vnder these wordes: may not a wicked father haue a good childe? may not a Papiste or heretike haue a beleuing sonne? wil you seclude for the Parentes sake (being himselfe baptised) his seede from bap∣tisme? Surely your fantasies, naye your daungerous errours wyll burste out one daye in more playne manner.

This reformatiō you seeke for and desire, were rather a deformatiō nay a confusion: and whylest you will nothing to bee done but that, for the whiche there is expresse warrant in Gods worde, you your selues prescribe that whiche is not to be founde in all Gods worde.

Admonition.

Howe conuenient it were, seyng the chyldren of the faythfull onely are to be baptised, that the father should and myght, if conueniently, offer and present his chylde to be baptised, makyng an o∣pen confession of that fayth, wherein he would haue his chylde baptised, and how this is vsed in well ordered Churches.

Ansvvere to the Admonition. Pag. 193. Sect. 2.

But I knowe not wherto this tendeth that followeth: that is, How cōuenient it were, seeing that the children of the faithfull only are to be baptised. &c. Do you not comprehende those vnder the name of faithfull, which be baptised? for else it passeth mans vnderstanding, to knowe who bee faythfull in deede, bicause the vnbeleuers maye make a confession of* 1.3 faythe in wordes: and in this worlde it can not certainly by man be determined, who among Christians be faithfull, who be vnfaithfull. I praye you answere me this one question: If a chylde bee founde whose father and mother be vnknowen (as it hath happened some∣times in our remembrance) will you not baptise it bicause the Pa∣rentes be not forth comming, to make a confession of their faith? or bi∣cause the sound faithe of the Parentes is vnknowen? but hereof I haue spoken in another place.

T. C. Pag. 137. Sect. 1.

After that M. Doctor hath cast him selfe in derision, at the feete of the authours of the Admo∣nition, and desired to be taught of them whome he hath so contemptuously condemned as vnlear∣ned, he doth by and by rayse vp himself into his ch〈1 line〉〈1 line〉yre, and there sitteth doctorally, 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉pposing the au∣thors of the Admonition, as if they were his schollers: and vpon occasion of the sounde faythe and good behauiour of y^e parentes of the infant, mentioned by y^• Admonitiō, asketh first of al, what if the infant be the childe of a drunkarde? what if he be of a harlot? shall not sayth he, the infant be bapti∣sed? If it were not that M. Doctor in asking these questions, doth also answere them, & answereth thē farre otherwyse than y^e truth doth su〈1 line〉〈1 line〉fer, I would not be drawē from the causes which we haue in hande by these rogyng questions: nowe I can not leaue them vnanswered, bicause I see that M. Doctor doth make of the holy Sacrament of baptisme (which is an entri〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 into the house of God) and whereby onely the family of God must enter, a common passage whereby he will haue cleane and vncleane, holy and prophane, as well those that are without the couenan〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e, as those that bee within it, to passe by: and so maketh the churche no housholde, but an Inne to receyue whosoeuer commeth.

Io. Whitgifte.

All this is but a declaration of your modestie, and a signification of the mildenesse of your spirite, and therefore I wyll passe it ouer and leaue it to the Reader to be con∣sidered of. Onely I must tell you, that I make the holy Sacrament of baptisme no other kinde of passage, than God him selfe hath made it, and the Church of Christe hath euer vsed it. Good and euill, cleane and vncleane, holy and prophane, must néedes passe by it, excepte you will in déede in more ample and large manner tye the grace of God vnto it, than euer did the Papistes, and saye that all that be baptised be also saued: or else ioyne with the Anabaptistes in this, that after baptisme a man cannot sinne.

Who can tell whither he be holy or vnholy, good or euill, cleane or vncleane, elect or reprobate, of the housholde of the Churche, or not of the Churche, that is baptised, be he infant, or at the yeares of discretion? I tell you playne this assertion of yours sa∣uoureth very strongly of heresy in my opinion: but let vs come to your reasons if you haue anye.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the saythe a〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ood be∣〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 of the Parentes. &c.
• * 1.2

  Whether the chi〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 of a wic∣ke〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 man may be baptised.
• * 1.3

  No man knoweth who 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉, who is n〈1 line〉〈1 line〉.