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. 1. Diuision.

Admonition.

Let vs come now to the third part, which concerneth ecclesiasticall discipline: the officers that haue to deale in this charge, are chiefly three, Ministers, Preachers, or Pastours, of wheme be∣fore. Seniors or Elders, and Deacons. Concerning Seniors, not only their office, but their name also is out of this English Church vtterly remoued. Their office was to (q) 1.1 gouerne the churche with the reste of the Ministers, to consulte, to admonish, to correcte, and to order all things apper∣teyning to the state of the congregation.

Ansvvere to the Admonition. Pag. 112. Sect. 3.

What Scripture haue you to proue that such Seniors as you meane, & Deacons had any thing to do in Ecclesiasticall discipline?

I thinke the only discipline that we haue in the whole new testamēt (except you will make admonition & exhortation a part of it) is Excō∣munication: and the execution of that is only committed to the mini∣sters of the worde. Math. 16. Iohn. 20. Examples hereof wee haue* 1.2 1. Cor. 5. 1. Tim. 1. & ad Titum. 3.

T. C. Pag. 146. Sect. 2.

Now I returne back againe to excommunication, which M. Doctor thinketh to be y^e only disci∣pline in the church, but he should vnderstande, that beside y^• part of priuate discipline (which is ordi∣narily & daily to be exercised by euery one of y^e pastors & elders, as admonition & reprehension) there are thre principal partes which are exercised of thē ioyntly & together, wherof the first is the election or choise, & the abdication or putting out of ecclesiastical officers. The seconde is in excommunication of the stubborne or absolution of the repentant. The thirde is the decision of all such matters as doe rise in the church, either touching corrupt manners or peruerse doctrine.

Io. Whitgifte.

I speake of y^e publike discipline of y^e church, not of priuate admonition & reprehen∣sion, which may be called by y^e name of Discipline, but neither are they properly, nor vsually so called, except you wil also say y^e publike preaching & reading of y^e scriptures is discipline: these be things annexed to discipline, but vnproperly termed by y^e name* 1.3 of discipline. Your partition of discipline into those three parts, in my poore iudgemēt, is very vnskilful: for discipline cōsisteth in punishing & correcting of vice: neither yet is the deciding of controuersies in matters doubtfull, properly called discipline, for dis∣cipline is exercised in punishing & correcting y^e persons, not decioing y^e causes. Wher∣fore I thinke you haue forgottē your self, & in steade of y^e part, haue deuided y^e whole, that is, you haue made a diuision of gouernment, wheras you tooke vpon you to deuide discipline, which is but a part of ecclesiasticall pollicie or gouernment.

Reade the generall confession, of y^e Christian churches in Heluetia, & tell me what it differeth from any thing y^e I haue said. Call to your remēbrance that which your selfe* 1.4 haue spoken, pag. 14. where you call other censures of the church, but forerunners to excommu∣nication, but this is a contention only about words, & therfore inough is said of it.

Notes

• (q) 1.1

  Act. 14. 4. 1. Cor. 1〈1 line〉〈1 line〉. 28.
• * 1.2

  Onely 〈◊〉〈◊〉 misters may excōmunicate▪
• * 1.3

  Wherin disci∣pline cōsisteth
• * 1.4

  Pag. 1. 4. li〈1 line〉〈1 line〉. 9