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.

Io. Whitgifte.

If their baptisme be so cut of, that it also taketh away the priuiledge from their children, howe can they be admitted agayne into the Churche without rebaptisation? S. Augustine in the place before recited, sayeth that Heretikes though they be cut of from the Churche yet they do retayne their Baptisme, whiche beyng true, there is no reason to seclude their children frō it. I cannot learne but that the Sonnes of Is∣maell were circumcised: for it is written of the Egyptians (as P. Martyr doth note)* 1.1 that they circumcided at. 14. yeares of age, bycause Ismael was then circumcised: Which tyme of circumcision the Arabians obserued in lyke manner. And therefore it is not vnlike but that the Posteritie of Ismael was circumcised. And as for the Sonnes of Esau it is not like that they were debarred from circumcision, seyng E∣sau himselfe receyued the signe of the couenant, notwithstanding he was before re∣iected.* 1.2 And that his posteritie were not so farre estraunged from the people of God as those that neuer were in the Churche, it may appeare by that which is written in Deutronomie, where the Israelites are willed to acknowledge them for their* 1.3 Brethren, and to admitte their children in the thirde Generation, into the congregation of the Lorde. And yet are not the Papistes like vnto Ismael and Esau: but rather the same with the Israelites vnder Ieroboam, &c. for as they professed the lawe of Moses, had circumcision, and were not in all poyntes straunge from the fayth of the Iewes: but yet ioyned therevnto Idolatrie, and the false worshipping of God: euen so the Papistes pretende the lawe of God, vse the Sacramentes, professe Chri∣stianitie, and are not in all poyntes straunge from Christian fayth, but yet haue cor∣rupted the same with idolatrous worshipping, and diuerse other kindes of supersti∣tion, and errours. Therefore sayeth M. Beza very well in the wordes before re∣cited,* 1.4 Papismus est Ecclesiae Christianae aberratio. Papisme is the erring of the Christian Churche: And Ecclesia est velut immersa in Papatu, quod de Turcis dici nullo modo potest, qui nunquàm Cbristo nomen dederunt: the Churche is as it were couered or drowned in Pa∣pisme, whiche can by no meanes be sayde of Turkes, whiche neuer gaue their names to Christe or professed Christianitie. Wherefore if you had made a right comparison, you should not haue compared them to Ismaell and Esau, but to the reuolting Isra∣elites, as M. Martyr dothe, saying thus expresly, Quales olim Israelitae, &c. Such are the* 1.5 Papistes at this day, if they be compared with the professours of the Gospell, as were the Israelites in respect of the Iewes. But full well you knewe that in so doing, your er∣rour would soone haue bene espied: for though the Israelites were separated from the true Churche, yet were not their children cut of from the couenaunt, or debarred from the signe thereof.

The poyson which (you say) we nowe see, and that lieth hid vnder these woordes, is,* 1.6 the debarring of children from Baptisme for their parentes offences beyng baptised, and rebaptisation: Both which you do in more playne manner affirme than the Ad∣monition doth, and therefore for triacle to cure these venemous diseases I sende you to the learned workes of S. August. Contra epist. Parmeniani: de Baptis. contra Donatistas: of M. Bullinger, Zuinglius, Caluine and others, which haue written against these poysoned poynts of the Anabaptistes and Donatistes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  P. Martyr in 4. Rom.
• * 1.2

  Rom. 9.
• * 1.3

  Deut. 23. vers. 7. 8. The papistes ly〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉o the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 v〈1 line〉〈1 line〉der Iero∣boani &c.
• * 1.4

  Beza Epist. 10.
• * 1.5

  Martyr. in. 3. cap. 1. Reg.
• * 1.6

  The poyson that is hidde in the Repli∣ers doctrine.