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. 2. the. 5. Diuision.

T. C. Pag. 141. Lin. 11. & Sect. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Furthermore S. Paule hauing entreated throughout y^e whole first epistle to Timothie, of y^e or∣ders which ought to be in y^e church of God, & of the gouernmēt, as himselfe witnesseth in the 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉hird* 1.1 chapter of that Epistle, when he saith he wrote that Epistle to teach Timothie how he should be∣haue himselfe in the house of God) and hauing set foorth both Byshop, & Elder, and Deacons, as ministers and officers of the Church, in the shutting vp of his Epistle he for the obseruation of all the orders of that Epistle, adiureth Timothie, & with the inuocation of the name of God straight∣ly chargeth him to obserue those things which he had prescribed in that epistle, I charge thee saith he) before God which quickn〈1 line〉〈1 line〉th all things, and before Iesus Christ which witnessed vnder Pon∣tius Pilate a good profession, that thou keepe this commaundement without spot or blemish, vntil the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ. The weight of which sentence for the obseruing of those things which are mentioned in this epistle, that it may be the better vnderstanded, I will note the words seuerally.

First therfore it is to be noted, that he saith (I denounceor I charge) he doth not say (I ex∣hort or giue counsell) leauing it to the libertie of Timothie.

Secondarily it is to be noted, that he calleth (*) 1.2 the whole Epistle a commaundemēt, and ther∣fore it is no permission, so that it may be lawfull for the churches to leaue it, or to keepe it.

Thirdly, when he maketh mention of 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e liuing God, & of Christ which witnessed a good pro∣fession vnder Pontius Pilate, he sheweth that the things conteyned in this Epistl are such, as for the maintenance thereof we ought not to doubt to giue our liues, and that they be not suche as we ought to keepe, so that we haue them without strife & without sweate, or easely, but such as for the keeping of them, if we haue them, and for the obteyning of them if we haue them not, I will not say 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ur honours, or our commodi〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ies and wealth, but as I haue sayd, our liues oughte not to be deare vnto vs. For therefore doth he make mention of the confession of Christ vnto death that he might shew vs an example, and foorthwith speaketh of God, whiche rayseth from the dead, that by thys meanes he might comfort Timothie if he should be brought into any trouble for the de〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ense of any of these things.

Fourthly, if we referre those words without spot or blemish vnto the commaundement (as I for my part thinke they ought to be) then there is a waight in these wordes not to be passed ouer, whiche is, that the Apostle will not only haue the rules here conteyned, not troden vnder the feete, or broken in peeces, but he will not haue them so much as in any one smal point or specke neglected. But I see how M. Doctor will wipe away all this, and say that these thinges, or some of them were to be obserued thus necessaryly and precisely vntill there were christian princes and peace in the church, but the print is deeper than that it wil be so washed away, and therfore it is to be obser∣ued, what he sayth in the latter end of the sentence, where he chargeth Timothie, and in him al, that he should keepe all these things, not vntill the time of peace, or to the times of christian princes, but euen vntil the comming or appearing of our sauioure Christ, which is as long as the world lasteth. And therefore I conclude that the Seigniors or Elders of the Church (being a part of that order and gouernment of the Churche, which S. Paule appointeth in this Epistle) are necessary, perpe∣tuall, and by no meanes to be chaunged.

Io. Whitgifte.

Al this is but to blind y^e eies of the Reader, being indéede without all pith & gr〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ūd.* 1.3 For first wher hath the Apostle in al that Epistle spokē one word of the office of your Seniors, which you distinguish frō a minister of y^e word? wher doth he giue any such cōmandemēt cōcerning his office? Wher doth he prescribe any such for me or kind of gouernmēt? if he kéepe silēce in this matter thr〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ugh y^e whole epistle, how dare you presume to say that to be cōmanded which is not mentioned, & to make so much adoe about nothing? surely if this kind of gouernmēt had bin so necessary, & for euer to be 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉bserued, S. Paule wold not haue omitted it in this Epistle especially. You say that he hath set foorth, in that Epistle the office of an elder: if by an elder you meane a Bishop or a Pastor, it is true. If you meane your own elder, such as must gouern only & nei∣ther preach nor minister the sacramēts, it is very vntrue: and you haue no cōscience in speaking vntruth: for he speaketh not one word of that senior or of his office. If you reply or obiect that which is written. 1. Tim. 5. qui bene praesunt 〈◊〉〈◊〉. &c. I answer as I did before, that by presbyter in that place he meaneth such as be in the ministerie, and no other. If he do meane any other, yet doth he not describe the office of that Se∣nior, neither giueth any precept of his continuāce, or rule of any such kind of 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉∣mēnt: & therfore cannot be included in that precept which you so greatly amplify: for the wordes of the Apostle be these, vt serues hoc praeceptum, so that you haue laboured much to proue a thing that is not, and therefore you haue laboured in vaine. Se∣condly,* 1.4 you cannot extend these words of the Apostle to the whole Epistle, as though it were gyuen generally of the whole, and of euery thing therein contein〈1 line〉〈1 line〉d: for then muste you of necessitie bring in widdowes and their office into the Churche

again: bicause the Apostle doth not only describe their office in that epistle, but also giueth direct precepts of them, & so doth he not of your Seniors. Likewyse his pre∣cepte of drinking wine, whiche he giueth there also, must of necessitie be obserued of all ministers, whiche haue the lyke infirmitie. These and suche other grosse absurdities must of necessitie followe, if you will haue all things in that Epistle ne∣cessarily for euer to be obserued, and the whole epistle to be that commaundement, that the Apostle here enioyneth to Timothie. cap. 6.

Neyther can I perceiue that any learned interpreter doth referre this comman∣dement* 1.5 to any other things conteined in this Epistle, than to those only that do ap∣pertaine to the pastorall office of Timothie: and some there be, that restrayne it to those things onely which are before spoken of in this. 6. chapter, & especially to y^e pre∣cept against couetousnes. Chrysostome expounding this place sayth thus: VVhat is it to kepe the cōmaundement pure? Vt ne{que} vitae, ne{que} dogmatū gratia aliquid maculae contra〈1 line〉〈1 line〉as,* 1.6 That neither in respect of lyfe or doctrine thou haue any spot. To conclude M. Caluin in∣terpreting it, sayth on this sort: By this word cōmaundement, he signifieth those thinges which he had hitherto spokē of the office of Timothie: wherof this is the sum, that he shuld shew himself a faithful minister to Christ & to the church. For what need is there to extēd this to the whole law? except peraduenture some m〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 had rather to take this simplye for the function cōmitted vnto him: for whē we are appointed ministers of the churche, God doth therwith prescribe vnto vs what he would haue vs to do. So that seruare mandatum, to keepe the comaundement is nothing else, but faithfully to execute the office cōmitted vnto him: surely I do wholly refer it to the ministerie of Timothie. Wherby it is euidēt, that vnder this cōmaūdement euery thing in this epistle is not conteined, but y^t only which doth appertain to y^e office of Timothie. That which foloweth (immaculatus & irreprehensibi∣lis) according to the most and best interpreters, is referred to Timothie, & not to the cōmaundement, cōtrarie to your iudgement: wherfore I also conclude, that nothing in this Epistle maketh one iote for your Seigniorie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Tim. 6.
• (*) 1.2

  This cannot be true as shall be declared.
• * 1.3

  The office of Seniors not mentioned in the. 1. Tim. much lesse commanded.
• * 1.4

  The whole epistle to 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉. 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉s not that com∣mandement.
• * 1.5

  Wherevnto that comman∣dement is re∣ferred.
• * 1.6

  Chrysostome. Caluine.