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. 1. the. 4. Diuision.

Admonition.

Let vs come now to the third part, which concerneth ecclesiasticall discipline: the officers that haue to deale in this charge, are chiefely three, Ministers, Preachers or Pastors, of whom before. Seniors or Elders and Deacons. Concerning Seniors, not only their office, but their name also is out of this English Church vtterly remoued. Theyr office was to (q 1.1) gouerne the church with the reste of the Ministers, to consulte, to admonish, to correct, and to order all thinges apperteyning to the state of the congregation.

Ansvvere to the Admonition. Pag. 113. Somevvhat past the midst.

To proue that the office of Seniors was to gouerne the Churche with the rest of the ministers, to consulte, to admonish, to correct and to order al things apperteyning, to the state of the congregation, you alleage Act. 14. & the. 1. Corinth. 12. In the 14. of the Actes it is writtē that Paule & Barnabas ordeyned Elders at Antioche in euery Churche, but there is not one worde spoken of their office, & therefore that text serueth not your purpose. You haue alleaged this selfe same place twice before, to proue that no minister of the worde ought to be placed in any congregation, but by consent of the people, & that the election of ministers ought to be by the con∣gregation: now you alleage it to proue the office of your Seniors: can it both be meant of Seniors, and of the ministers of the worde, being as you say, distinct offices? will you thus dally with the scrip∣ture, and make it a nose of waxe (as the Papistes terme it) to wreast and wryth it which way you list? here you must needes confesse ey∣ther contradiction in your selues, or falsification.

T. C. Pag. 138. Tovvardes the ende.

But M. Doctor sayth that there is no mention made of the office of such an Elder: therefore that place maketh nothing to proue that there should be such Elders in euery congregation: so M. Doctor write, he careth not what he wryte. Belike he thinketh the credite of his degree of Doc∣torship, will giue waight to that which is light, and pith to that which is frothe, or else he woulde neuer answere thus. For then I will, if this be a good reason, say, that for so much as S. Luke doth not in that place, describe the office of the Pastor or Bishop which preacheth the worde, there∣fore that place proueth not that in euery congregation there should be a bishop or a Pastor. Besides

that M. Doctor taketh vp the Authours of the Admonition for reasoning negatiuely of the testi∣monie of all the Scriptures, and yet he reasoneth negatiuely of one only sentence in the Scripture. (*) 1.2 For the would cōclude, that for so much as there is no duety of a Senior described in that place, therefore there is no duetie at all, and consequently no Senior.

Io. Whitgifte.

The Authors of the Admonition Fol. 112. to proue that the office of the Senior was, to gouerne the Churche with the rest of the ministers, to c〈1 line〉〈1 line〉nsulte, to admonish, to correct and to order all thinges apperteyning to the state of the congregation, alleage the. 14. of the Actes, vers. 4. 1. Cor. 12. vers. 28. I declare in mine Answere how vnaptly these places are al∣leaged for that purpose, beyng not one woorde there spoken of any such office of Se∣niors: as it may appeare in the woordes themselues, beyng placed before. Nowe whether I make any suche reason as you frame in my name, or no, let the Reader iudge. The places be quoted in the Admonition to proue the office of Seniors, and not to proue that there were Seniors in euery congregation: and you being not able to salue that their vnskilfulnesse, make M. Doctor speake what you please, and shifte of the matter after your accustomed manner. I make not that conclusion you charge me with: if I do, set downe my woordes & conuince me: if I do not, who hath taught you to speake vntruly? my woordes I haue expressed: lette the Reader consider of them, and here also take a note of your truth and honestie.

Notes

• q 1.1

  Act. 14. 4. 1. Cor. 12. 28.
• (*) 1.2

  An vntruth, for he maketh no such conclu∣sion.