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.

Admonition.

Then the sentence was tempred according (h) 1.1 to the notoriousnesse of the fact. Nowe on the one 〈◊〉〈◊〉 eyther hatred agaynst some persons carrieth men headlong into rash and cruell iudgement: or else fauour, affection or money mitigateth the rigour of the same, and all this commeth to passe bicause the regiment lefte of Christ (i) 1.2 to his Churche, is committed into one mans hands, whome alone it shall be more easie for the wicked by bribing to peruert, than to ouerthrow the fayth & pietie of a zelous and godly companie, for suche maner of men in deede (k) 1.3 should the Seniors be.

Ansvvere to the Admonition. Pag. 130. Sect. vlt. & Pag. 131. 132. & Pag. 133. Lin. vlt. & Pag. 134. Sect. 1.

You say, all this commeth to passe bicause the regiment left of Christ to his Church, is committed vnto one mans hands: and for the proofe of this, you note in the margent the. 18. of Mat. the. 12. of the first to the Corin. the. 12. to the Rom. the. 5. of the first to Timoth. the. 15. of the Acts, whiche places beeing examined, let the discrete Reader iudge howe aptly they serue for your purpose.

In the. 18. of Math. Christ sayeth on this sort: If thy brother tres∣passe agaynst thee, go and tell him his fault betvveene him and thee alone, &c. In the which place it is by the consent of all interpreters mani∣fest, that Christe prescribeth a rule of correcting priuate and secrete sinnes, and not of suche as be open and knowne to others. For he would not haue pryuate and secrete sinnes blased abroad & publike∣ly reprehended, before the partie offending be in this order first pri∣uately admonished: this maketh nothing for your purpose, it taketh away authoritie of iudging and condemning from priuate men, and not from publike magistrates.

In the. 12. of the first to the Corinth. verse. 28. these be the words of the Apostle: And God hath ordeyned some in the Churche: as first A∣postles, secondly Prophetes, thirdly teachers, then them that do miracles, after that the gifte of healing, helpers, gouernours, diuersitie of tounges. How can you gather of these wordes, that all this commeth to passe (that is, hatred, fauour, corruption by money, and affection in iudge∣ment) bycause the regiment lefte of Christe to his Churche, is com∣mitted to one mans hands? In these wordes the Apostle declareth that Christ hath lefte in his Churche gouernours, and thereof you may well conclude, that in the Churche there muste be some whiche shoulde haue authoritie ouer the reste. The Apostle dothe not here* 1.4 say that in euery particular congregation Christ hath left many go∣uernours, no more than he sayeth that he hath left many pastors for one flocke: but in his Churche he hath ordeyned gouernours.

The gouernement of the whole vniuersall Churche, is not by Christe committed to one Bishop, or one Prince, nor the gouernment of the whole worlde, to one Emperour: for no one man can discharge such a cure, and therefore he hath appoynted in his Churche diuers Bishops, diuers Princes, many gouernours. But one Prince may suffise to gouerne one kingdome, and one Archbishop one Prouince, as chiefe and principall ouer the reste, one Byshop one Diocesse, one Pastor one parishe, neyther doth the Apostle speake any thing to the contrarie.

In the. 12. to the Romaines it is thus written: he that ruleth vvith diligence. What maketh this for your purpose, or how cā you wring it to your assertion?

In the. 5. of the. 1. to Timothie. The Elders that rule vvell are vvor∣thy of double honour. &c. Paule sheweth in these wordes that suche are worthy theyr stipende & reward, which rule well in the Church, and do their duties diligently: But what is that to your assertion?

The places alledged out of the fiftenth of the Actes, be of the like sorte. Wheresoeuer mention is made in the Scriptures of go∣uernours* 1.5 or Elders, that you alledge to improue the gouernment of one man, wherein you shewe a great wante of iudgement. And yet there is no one person in this Realme (the Prince only excepted) which hath such absolute iurisdiction, as you would make your dis∣ciples beleue. But your meaning is, that Christe lefte the whole go∣uernment of his Churche to the Pastor, and to some foure of fiue of

the Parish besides, which you are not able to proue; & your places of scripture alleged signifie no such matter. In those places y^t be gouer∣ned by many, do you not see what cōtention there is? what enimitie? what factiōs? what partes taking? what cōfusion? what little good order obserued? what carelesnesse & dissolutnesse in al māner of beha∣uiour? I could make this manifest by examples, if I were disposed.

In the. 18. of Exodus, which (place you quote to proue that Se∣niors ought to be zelous and godly) Iethro giueth Moses counsell not to weary himselfe in hearing all matters that be brought vnto him, but rather to commit the hearing and determining of smaller matters to others: And therefore verse. 21. he sayeth: Prouide thou a∣mong all the people, men of courage, fearing God, men dealyng truly, ha∣uing couetousnesse, and appoynt suche ouer them to be rulers ouer thou∣sands, rulers ouer hundredes, rulers ouer fifties, and rulers ouer tennes. &c. This maketh nothing for Seniors: Moses here was chiefe, these were but his vnder officers placed by himselfe. This place serueth well for the gouernment of one Prince ouer one whole realme, and giueth him good counsell what vnder officers he ought to choose. To the same effect and purpose is that spoken and written whiche you cite out of the first of Deuteron. verse. 13.

Notes

• (h) 1.1

  1. Ti. 1. 20.
• (i) 1.2

  Mat. 18. 7. 1. Co. 12. 28 Rom. 12. 8. 1. Ti. 5. 17. Act. 15. 2. 4 6. 22. 23.
• (k) 1.3

  Exod. 18. 21 Deut. 1. 13.
• * 1.4

  An vnperfect reason.
• * 1.5

  Lacke of dis∣cretion in al〈1 line〉〈1 line〉∣ging of scrip∣tures.