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. 5. Diuision.

Admonition.

Againe in the olde Church euery (w) 1.1 congregation had their Deacons.

Ansvvere to the Admonition. Pag. 120.

O how aptly you haue alledged the scriptures to proue that euery congregation had their Deacons? In the first to the Philip. these be* 1.2 the wordes: Paule and Timotheus, &c. to all the Saincts vvhiche are at Philippi, vvith the Bishops and Deacons. Paule & Timotheus salute the Bishops and Deacons which are at Philippi: Therfore in those dayes euerie congregation had their Deacons: a straunge kinde of reasoning: you might well haue thus concluded, Ergo at Philippi there was Deacons: But surely this argument is to much out of* 1.3 square, there was Deacons at Philippi, therefore euerie congrega∣tion had their Deacons.

In the. 13. of S. Iohn. verse. 27. these be the wordes. And after the soppe, Sathan entered into him, then sayde Iesus vnto him, that thou doest, do quickly. After Supper Satan entered into Iudas, and Iesus sayde vnto him, that thou doest, do quickly: Therefore euerie Cōgregation had their Deacons. No maruel though your margent be pestred with Scriptures, when you take libertie to make ex quolibet quidlibet. Peraduenture you meane that Iudas was a Deacon (as he was not, but an Apostle) bycause he caryed the bagge, and that some of the Apostles thought, that Christ had bid him giue some what to the poore: belike whosoeuer giueth a pennie to the poore at his ma∣sters commaundement, is with you a Deacon.

In the sixt of the Actes we learne that there were chosen seuen Deacons, but there is not one worde to proue, that euery congrega∣tion had their Deacons.

In the thirde of the first to Timothie S. Paule sheweth what qualities and conditions a Deacon ought to haue, but not one worde of Deacons being in euery Congregation. This is great audacitie, thus manifestly to wring the Scriptures, without all colour or shewe of reason.

T. C. Pag. 152. Sect. vlt.

The second point is touching that there were Deacons in euery Church, which is wel proued of the Admonition, both by the place of the Philippians, and of the Acts, for although it be not there sayd, that the deacons were in euery church, yet forsomuch as the same vse of thē was in all Chur∣ches whiche was in Ierusalem and at Philippes, and for that the Apostles (as hath beene before touched) labouring after the vniformitte of the Church, ordeyned the same officers in all Churches, the proofe of one is the proofe of all, and the shewing that there were Deacons in one Church, is the shewing in all. The place which they alledge out of the first to Timothe, is of all other most pro∣per〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 for S. Paule there describing not how the Church of Ephesus, but simplie and generally how the Church must be gouerned, reckeneth there the order of Deacons, whereunto may be added the

continuall practise of the Church long after the Apostles tymes, which appeareth by the often su∣perscriptions and subscriptions in these wordes: the Bishop, Elders, and Deacons, of suche a Church, and vnto the Bishops, Elders, and Deacons of such a Church. And by that it is so often∣tymes sayde in the councels where the Churches assembled, that there were so many Bishops, so many Elders, so many deacons.

Io. Whitgifte.

And I say againe, that they be most vnapt reasons: for the Deacons office was not so troublesome, but that the Deacons of one Citie, might serue all the Churches and congregations belonging vnto the same: neyther haue you read eyther in scrip∣ture, or any auncient wryter (except I be greatly deceyued) that Deacons were pla∣ced any where, but in Cities: and yet it is not to be thought, but that there were Churches also, in meaner Townes. And surely no man without blushing can de∣fend this argument: there were Deacons at Ierusalem, and at Philippos, Ergo there were in euerie congregation Deacons. It is like vnto this: there be Preachers in Cambridge and London: therefore in euerie parish in England, there be preachers.

This is also vntrue, that the Apostles ordeyned the same officers in all Churches. For in chiefe and principall Cities they ordeyned Bishops to guide and gouerns the rest of the ministers, which were in townes belonging to those cities, as it is manifest by the examples of Iames, Timothie, and Titus, but they did not ordeyne any such Bishops in euery congregation: for further proofe of this, I referre the reader to that* 1.4 which I haue spoken of Archbishops and Bishops.

The first to Timothie, the third, is as violently wrested to serue their purpose. For S. Paule doth not speake one worde there of Deacons, being in euery congregation, onely he telleth what maner of man they ought to be. And you are not able to shewe (as I haue sayde) by the practise of the Church, that there were Deacons in euerie congregation. These superscriptions and subscriptions that you talke of, were then vsed, when letters were sent to the Bishoppe, Ministers, and Deacons of chiefe Cities, where all these commonly remayned: and therefore cannot proue that euerie con∣gregation had their Deacons. The Deacons named in Councels were resident in Cities, not in euerie congregation.

But among all these slender defenses of yours, you leaue out the. 13. of S. Iohn:* 1.5 vers. 27. belike the Authors of the Admonition must answere that themselues, as they must do many other places, which you by silence passe ouer vnto them.

Notes

• (w) 1.1

  Phil. 1. 1. Iohn. 13. 27 Acts. 6. 5. 1. Tim. 3. 8.
• * 1.2

  Whether dea∣cons were in euery congre∣gation.
• * 1.3

  Unapt argu∣ments.
• * 1.4

  Tract. 8.
• * 1.5

  The Admo∣nitors left to their own de∣fense.