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.

Admonition.

Where as immediately after the last Parliament, holden at Westminster, begon in Anno. 1570. and ended Anno. 1571. the ministers of Gods holy worde and sacraments were called before hir Maiesties highe Commissioners, and enforced to subscribe vnto the Articles, if they would keepe their places and liuings and some for refusing to subscribe, were vnbrotherly and vncharitably en∣treated, and from their offices and places remoued: May it please therfore this honorable and high Court of Parliament in consideration of the premises, to take a view of suche causes as then dyd withholde, and nowe dothe the foresayde Ministers, from subscribing and consenting vnto those foresayde Articles, by way of purgation to discharge themselues of all disobedience towards the Churche of God, and their Soueraigne, and by way of moste humble entreatie, for the remouing away and vtter abolishing of all suche corruptions and abuses, as withhelde them, through which this long time, brethren haue bin at vnnaturall warre and strife among them selues, to the hinde∣rance of the gospell, to the ioy of the wicked, and to the griefe and dismay of all those that professe Christian religion, and labour to atteyne Christian reformation.

Ansvvere to the Admonition. Pag. 146. 147. 148.

You complayne muche of vnbrotherly and vncharitable entrea∣ting* 1.1 of you, of remouing you from your offices, and places. Surely in this poynt I must compare you to certayne Heretikes that were in Augustines time, who moste bitterly by sundry meanes afflicting and molesting the true ministers of the Churche, yet for all that cried out, that they were extremely dealt with, and cruelly persecuted by them: or else vnto a shrewde and vngratious wyfe, which beating hir husbande, by hir clamorous complaynts, maketh hir neighbours* 1.2 beleeue that hir husbande beateth hir: or to him that is mentioned in Erasmus collequies, that dyd steale and runne away with the Priestes purse▪ and yet cried alwayes as he ranne, stay the theefe, stay the theefe, and thus crying escaped, and yet he was the theefe him selfe. You are as gentlye entreated as maye be, no kinde of brotherly persuation omitted towards you, most of you as yet keepe your liuings, though some one or two be displaced, you are offered all kinde of friendlynesse, if you could be content to conforme your selues, yea but to be quiet and holde your peace. You on the contrary side moste vnchristianly, and moste vnbrotherly, bothe publikely and priuately rayle on those, that shewe this humanitie towards you, slaunder them by all meanes you can, and moste vntruely reporte of them. seeking by all meanes their discredite. Agayne they as their* 1.3 allegiance to the Prince, and duetie to lawes requireth, yea and as some of them by othe are bounde, doe execute that discipline whiche the Prince, the lawe, and theyr othe requireth: you contrarie to all obedience, duetie, and othe, openly violate, and breake those lawes, orders, and statutes, whiche you ought to obey, and to the whiche* 1.4 some of you by othe is bounde. If your doings proceede in deede from a good conscience, then leaue that liuing and place, which byn∣deth you to those things that be agaynst your conscience, for why shoulde you striue with the disquietnesse, bothe of your selues and

others, to keepe that liuing which by lawe you can not, excepte you offend agaynst your conscience? Or what honestie is there to sweare to statutes and lawes, and when you haue so done, contrary to your othe to breake them, and yet still to remayne vnder them, and enioy that place which requireth obedience, and subiection to them? For my parte I thinke it muche better, by remouing you from your ly∣uings to offende you, than by suffering you to enioy them, to offende the Prince, the lawe, conscience, and God. And before God I speake it, if I were persuaded as you seeme to be, I woulde rather quietly forsake all the liuings I haue, than be an occasion of strife, and con∣tention in the Church, and a cause of stumbling to the weake, and reioycing to the wicked. I knowe God woulde prouide for me, if I did it, bona conscientia: yea surely I woulde rather dye, than be an author of schismes, a disturber of the common peace, and quietnesse of the Church and state. There is no reformed Churche that I can heare* 1.5 tell of, but it hath a certayne prescript and determinate order, aswel touching ceremonies, and discipline, as doctrine, to the whiche all those are constrayned to giue their consent, that will liue vnder the protection of it: and why then maye not this Churche of Englande haue so in like maner? Is it meete that euery man should haue his owne phansie, or liue as him liste? Truely I knowe not where∣vnto these your dooings can tende, but eyther to Anabaptisme, or to meere confusion. But nowe to the reasons that moue you, not to subscribe to those Articles ministred vnto you, by hir Maiesties highe Commissioners.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Complaynte of persecution without cause
• * 1.2

  Persecution of the tongue.
• * 1.3

  Disobediēce.
• * 1.4

  A token of a good consci∣ence.
• * 1.5

  Euery church hath a deter∣minate order of ceremonies