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. 9. Diuision.

T. C. Pag. 151. Sect. 2.

In the. 125. page to the Admonition desiring that these may be remoued and the eldership e∣stablished according to gods order, M. Doctor answereth, that that were to place in stead of wise, and discreete men, vnlearned, ignorant and vnapt to rule. Let M. Doctor take heede, lest in allo∣wing so well of the popish ceremonies, not onely as tollerable, but as fitte, and then acquainting himselfe with the papists manner of speaking, in saying that the people be ignorant and vnlearned, he fall or euer he be aware into some worse thing. Moses in Deuteronomy, and Salomon in hys* 1.1 Prouerbs, place the principall wisedome in keeping Gods commaundements and in fearing God.* 1.2 And Dauid sayth, that the secrets and the priute councell of the Lord, is knowen to those whiche* 1.3 feare him, and I haue shewed out of S. Paule, that he giueth to the spirituall man great discreti∣on* 1.4 and iudgement of things. If therefore there be in euery Church whiche feare God and keepe his commaundements, there are both wise and learned and discreete 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉en, and therefore not to be spoken of so contemptuously as M. Doctor speaketh. And God be praysed there are numbers in the Church, that are able to be teachers vnto most of the Chauncellours, in any matter perteyning to the Church, and are able to giue a riper iudgement in any ecclesiasticall matter, than the moste part of them can.

Io. Whitgifte.

Who knoweth not that the people for the most part be ignorant, vnlearned, and* 1.5 vnapt to gouerne? you know what Chrysostome sayth of them Hom. 2. in Ioh. And yet I do not take from them sufficient knowledge in things perteyning to their sal∣uation, nor that wisedome that Salomon or Dauid speaketh of: nor yet the discreti∣on that S. Paule meaneth. 1. Cor. 2. But is euery man that shall be saued, apt to rule

and gouerne? or doth Christ poure into them such gifts and graces miraculously as he did in the beginning of the Church? commeth learning, wisedome, aptnesse to go∣uerne, and suche like, by inspiration onely, and not by meanes? I knowe there are many of the people that feare God, and are sober and discréete, the Lorde in∣crease the number of them: but on the other side you must knowe, that some there be (and that not the smallest number) that thinke better of themselues than they deserue: And I suppose that no manne will denie the moste parte to be vnfit for such functions: and that euen of those that are godly, many are farre vnméete to* 1.6 gouerne. But if your reason be sound, then may the basest and simplest man keeping gods commaundements, and fearing him, be as apt to gouerne, as the wisest man, the most learned, and of best experience in a whole countrie, whiche is to greate an absurditie, and to popular an argument.

True it is, that to kéepe gods commaundementes, and to feare him, is requisite* 1.7 and necessary in a gouernoure: but yet (as I saye) not all those that feare God and kéepe his commaundements be apt and méete to gouerne. These be the chiefe points of heauenly wisedome, whiche bring saluation, and whiche teache a man to gouerne himselfe in those things that perteyne to eternall life: but there are other things also necessarily required in such as take vpon them the gouernment of others: except you will say with the Anabaptists, Christianis non est opus magistratu: Christians haue no neede of a magistrate. There may be therefore in euery Church, wise, learned, and discréete men, in matters perteyning to themselues, and to their owne saluation, and yet not méete to gouerne others: there may be also méete men to gouerne others, but yet per∣aduenture by the more part, (which is commonly euill disposed) put backe from the Seigniorie. In a word, God hath appointed the multitude how godly and learned* 1.8 soeuer they be, to obey and not to rule, vnlesse indéede you will make the state popu∣lar, to the which all your arguments tend.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Deut. 4.
• * 1.2

  Prou. 1.
• * 1.3

  Psa. 25.
• * 1.4

  1. Cor. 2.
• * 1.5

  The people for the most part vnap to gouern.
• * 1.6

  The absurdi∣tie of the Re∣pliers assertiō
• * 1.7

  Godlinesse re quired in go∣uernours, but all that be godly are not meete to go∣uerne.
• * 1.8

  All the Re∣pliers argu∣ments tend to popularitie.