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.

T. C. Pag. 149. Sect. vlt.

In Augustines tyme it appeareth also, that the consent of the Churche was required: for in* 1.1 the thirde booke against the epistle of Parmenian, he sheweth that if the multitude of the church be not in that fault, for whyche one is to bee excommunicated: that then it helpeth much to make the partie bothe afrayde and ashamed, that hee bee excommunicated or anathematised (as hee cal∣leth it) by all the churche, and in his bookes de Bap. contra Donatistas, in diuers places, hee is so farre from permitting the excommunication to one man that he seemeth to fall into the other ex∣tremitie, which is to make the estate of the churche to popular, and the people to haue to greate a sway. For there he sheweth, that if the moste of the people be infected with the faulte, whyche is to be punished by excommunication, that then no excommunication oughte to bee attempted, for (a) 1.2 bycause a sufficient number of voyces will not bee obteyned for the excommunication. By which testimonies, besydes the institution of God, and the practise of the churches in the Apo∣stles tymes, appeareth manifestly what hath ben the vse of the churches touching excommunicati∣on, as long as there was any puritie in the churche.

Io. Whitgifte.

Augustine in that third booke contra epistolam Parmeniani, sayth, that he would haue* 1.3 excōmunication then vsed, when the vse therof can make no schisme in the churche. that is, when the cryme for the which a man is excommunicated, is such, as al men for the moste parte, do abhorre and detest: so that the offender can not haue so many* 1.4 fautours as are able to make a schisme in the church: for then (sayth S. Augustine) may this discipline be executed without the breache of peace and vnitie, and withoute the hurt of the people, when the multitude of the congregation of the church is free from that crime, that is excōmunicated. For then (the multitude) helpe rather the Bishop reprouing, than the wicked partie resisting, than it profitably absteineth from his companie, so that no man doth so muche as eate with him, not for raging enuie, but for brotherly correction and then also is the partie himselfe stricken with feare, and healed through shame, when as (see∣ing himself accursed of the whole churche) he can fynde no companions amongst the mul∣titude, with whom he might reioyce in his sinne, and insult ouer good men.

Wherby it is euident that S. Augustine meaneth him to be excommunicated of the* 1.5 whole churche, not whome the whole churche doth ex officio excommunicate, but whose Excommunication the whole Churche dothe well lyke of, whose facte

the whole Churche dothe deteste, and whose companie and fellowshippe the whole Churche doth auoyde and eschue. Surely if a man marke the woords of Augustine diligently, he may well perceyue that Sainct Augustine giueth Ius excommunican∣di, to the Bishop: for else why shoulde he saye, that when the people be frée from that cryme: they rather helpe the Bishop correctyng, than the wicked person resistyng: But the discrete Reader may soone vnderstande howe farre Sainct Augustine is in this place from confirming your assertion.

S. Augustine wryteth seuen bookes De baptisme contra Donatistas, and will you not vouchesafe to name one of them vnto me? nor yet to recite his words, that I might knowe wherevppon you ground this popular kinde of gouernment falsely ascribed vnto him? it may be that Augustine in your vnderstandyng, attributeth more to the people than he doth in déede: and it is not vnlyke, but that lacke of diligent rea∣ding hath driuen you into this iudgemente of him. But I will giue you a medicine* 1.6 for this disease, euen out of these bookes that you name. In the sixte Booke and fourth Chapter, he séemeth to giue authoritie to all Christian people to remit and to retayne synnes, and these wordes of Chryst: Si cui dimiseritis peccata, dimittuntur ei. &c. To whom soeuer you forgiue sinnes, they are forgiuen vnto him. &c. to be spoken to all Christians, but he openeth his owne meaning, and teacheth you howe to vn∣derstande all suche lyke kynde of speaches: for thus he sayeth in the same Booke and chapter. VVhen sinnes are remitted vnto him that is truely conuerted vnto God,* 1.7 they are remitted by those, to whom he is ioyned by his true conuersion, for the same ho∣lye spirite dothe forgiue them, whiche is giuen to all Sainctes, ioyned in loue among them selues, whether they knowe one an other corporally or not: lykewyse when any mannes synnes are reteyned, they be reteyned of those from whome hee that hath his sinnes retey∣ned, dothe separate himselfe by dissimilitude of lyfe, and wickednesse of hearte, whether they knowe him corporally, or knowe hym not. Here you may learne what Sainct Augustine meaneth by his popular state, and howe hée is to be vnderstanded, when he sayeth, that eyther the whole Churche, or the people do excommunicate, or absolue.

I woulde you had noted vnto mée, where I might fynde this saying of Sainte Augustine, that if the moste of the people be infected with the faulte which is to be pu∣nished by excommunication, that then no excommunication oughte to bee attempted, for bicause a sufficient number of voyces will not be obteined for the excommunication. For I promise you I can not as yet come to the sight of it in those bookes of S. Augustine by you named: neyther can you tell me (as I thynke) where to fynde it: but this is your vsuall maner and custome.

In déed in his thirde booke contra Epist▪ Parmeniani, and second chapt. he hath a place* 1.8 somethyng lyke to this of yours, but it is from your purpose, neither doth it tende to any suche ende as you alleadge it, for the wordes be these: Re vera si contagio peccan∣di multitudinem inuaserit, diuinae disciplinae seuera misericordia necessaria est, nam consilia se∣parationis & inania sunt, & perniti〈1 line〉〈1 line〉sa, atque sacrilega, quia & impia & superba fiunt, & plus perturbant infirmos bonos, quàm corrigunt animosos malos, Verily if the contagion of synne hath infected the multitude, the seuere mercie of godlie discipline is necessarie, for the pur∣pose of separation is both vaine, pernicious and sacrilegious, bicause they are bothe wicked and presumptuous, and doe more trouble the good that be weake, than correcte or amend the euill that be stubborne. Sainct Augustine doth not here alleadge this for a cause, that sufficiente voyces can not be obteyned for excommunication. as you pretende: but he thinketh Excommunication to be altogether in vayne, where the infection is ge∣nerall.

But that it maye further appeare the doctrine that I affirme touchyng the au∣thoritie* 1.9 of Bishops in excommunicating to be true, and to haue bene the vsuall practise of the Churche in the beste tyme and state of it: I thoughte good in thys place to adde to my former testimonyes and answeres, the authoritie of certaine Councels, wherin the practyse of the Churche doth euidentely shew it selfe.

And fyrst to begynne with the Canons attributed to the Apostles, and so ofte alleadged by T. C.

In the. 32. or as it is in some bookes the. 33. of those Canons, it is thus decréed:* 1.10 If any Priest or Deacon bee excommunicated of his Bishop, it maye not bee lawfull for any other to receiue him, but only the partie that hath separated him, except that Bishop dye whiche hath excommunicated him: in this Canon power to excommunicate, and also to absolue, is in plaine wordes committed to the Bishop alone.

The fifte Canon of the Councell of Nice speaketh of this matter in these wor∣des:* 1.11 Concernyng those that are separated from the Communion, be they Clearkes or lay menne, by the Bishops whiche are in euerie prouince, Lette the sentence stande accor∣ding to the canon whych doth pronounce those that are eiected of some, not to be admit∣ted of other. But lette it bee examined whether the parties be excommunicated through the indignation, or contention, or frowardnesse of the Bishop: and for this cause, that the examination may be duly had, let there be in euerie Prouince a Synode celebrated twice in the yeare. The wordes be manyfeste: and what néede suche pr〈1 line〉〈1 line〉sion for to exa∣mine the dooings of the Bishoppe, if hée hadde not authoritie to Excommuni∣cate alone?

The sixte Canon of the Councell of Antic〈1 line〉〈1 line〉he is this: If any man hath bene ex∣communicated* 1.12 of his owne Bishop, lette him not bee receyued of any other, before he bee absolued of his owne Bishop, or shall defende himselfe in a Synode, and (the Synode beeing persuaded) receyue an other sentence. The same decree is to bee obserued a∣gaynst laye men, and Priests and Deacons, and those that be in the number of the Clear∣gie: Why shoulde the Councell saye? 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ee that is excommunicated of his owne Bi∣shop. &c. if the authoritie and power of excommunicatyng did not belong to the Bishop alone?

In the seconde Councell of Carthage, Canon. 8. it is lykewyse determined, That* 1.13 if a Priest beyng excommunicated or punished by his owne Bishop, shall presume to cele∣brate, he shall be accurssed.

In the sixte Councell of Carthage Can. 10. the same is affirmed.* 1.14

In the Councell holden at Sardica Can. 13. (or as it is in s〈1 line〉〈1 line〉me 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ookes. 16.) it is in lyke manner decréed: That if a De〈1 line〉〈1 line〉con or a Priest, or any of the 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉leargie be excommu∣nicated* 1.15 of his owne Bishop, and shall flee to an other Bishop, vnderstanding that he is ex∣communicated of his owne Bishop, he may not giue vnto hym the communion, dooyng therby iniurie to his brother and fellowe Bishop.

By all these Canons and auncient Councels it is euident, that from time to time euen in the best and purest state of the church, Bishops alone haue had authoritie to excommunicate.

And least T. C. shoulde here flée to his olde shifte, and newly deuised distinction,* 1.16 that this is attributed to the Bishop, bycause he was the chiefe of the action, and did moderate it, and not bycause the authoritie and power of excommunicatyng remayned in him alone, althoughe the manyfest woordes of the Councells ouer▪ throwe it, and it is not to be iustifyed by any learning or good authoritie, yet that the* 1.17 Reader may the better vnderstande the vanitie of it, I will recite the. 14. Canon (or* 1.18 as it is in some bookes the. 17. canon) of this Councell of Sardica, wherein it dothe plainly appeare, that the Bishop alone did excommunicate. The canon is this: If there shall be founde a Bishop prone to anger (which ought not to be in such a man) and being soone moued against a Priest or a Deacon, shall caste him out of the churche, or ex∣communicate him, it must be foreseene, that he be nor rashly condemned and excommu∣nicated: therfore lette him that is cast out, haue libertie to complain to the Metropolitane of the same Prouince: if he be absent, then to the next Bishop. &c. and that Bishop which hath iustly or vniustly secluded him, must be contente to haue his doings examined, and his sen∣tence either confirmed or corrected, &c. What néed these affections be seared in the Bi∣shop, if he could not excōmunicate without the consent of a Seigniorie, or of the peo∣ple? For the Seigniorie might wel inough withstand this his hastynesse. Wherfore it is playne that the Bishop alone may excommunicate.

But yet to cutte off all further cauilling, I woulde haue you to vnderstande that I doo not so giue the authoritie of Excommunicating to the Bishop alone,* 1.19 or to any one manne, that I thynke hée maye excommunicate when he lyste, withoute iuste cause and due proofe of the same: my meanyng is not to make hym bothe accuser aud Iudge: I doe not thinke that he oughte to excommunicate any before the partie be orderly and lawfully conuicted of suche crime or crimes, as are to be punished by that Censure. And that you maye knowe that I affirme no∣thing herein but the verie same that Saincte Augustine hath affirmed before me,* 1.20 and to the intente the worlde maye sée that my opinion in this poynte is not straunge or voyde of sufficiente authoritie, I will sette downe his woordes, as I fynde them in his booke De vtilitate & necessitate poenitentiae, and reported of Beda in* 1.21 his Commentaries vpon the fyrste Corinth. 5. Althoughe some thinges be true, yet the iudge muste not beleeue them, vnlesse they bee sufficiently proued. And wee can forbidde no man from the communion (although thys prohibition be not mortall but me∣dicinable) excepte he eyther willingly confesse it, or be accused and conuicted, eyther in some secular or ecclesiasticall courte: for who dare take vnto hymselfe to be both accu∣ser and iudge? And this is my iudgement of the authoritie of Bishops in excommu∣nicating.

The abuses crept into this Church in the executing of it, I doe not defende (as it is manyfeste in my Answere) but wishe them by due order and authoritie with spéede reformed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  3. Lib. con∣tra epi. Par∣men.
• (a) 1.2

  An vntruth.
• * 1.3

  When excom∣munication should be v∣sed.
• * 1.4

  Aug. lib. 3. contra episto. Parm.
• * 1.5

  How y^e whole church is said to excommu∣nicate.
• * 1.6

  Howe Augu∣stine is to bee vnderstode in ascribing bin∣ding and l〈1 line〉〈1 line〉∣syng to the people.
• * 1.7

  August. lib. 6. contra Dona∣tist. cap. 4.
• * 1.8

  August. lib. 3. con〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉p. Par men. cap. 2.
• * 1.9

  Ex〈1 line〉〈1 line〉mmuni∣cation by bi∣shops proued by the practise of the primi∣〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 churche.
• * 1.10

  Can. Apost. 32.
• * 1.11

  Con. Nicae. can. 5.
• * 1.12

  Con. Anti〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ch. Can. 6.
• * 1.13

  Con. Carthag. 2. can. 8.
• * 1.14

  Con. Carthag. 6. can. 10.
• * 1.15

  Con. Sardic. Can. 13.
• * 1.16

  The Bishop did excommu∣nicate alone, not as 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉∣rator of the action.
• * 1.17

  Con. Sard.
• * 1.18

  can. 14.
• * 1.19

  The authori∣tie of excom∣munication ascrided to the Byshop not in〈1 line〉〈1 line〉nite, but l〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ces.
• * 1.20

  The practise in Augustins time.
• * 1.21

  Augustinus. To. 10. ho. 50.