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. 3. The fyrst Diuision.

Admonition.

We speake not of the name of Prieste, wherwith he defaceth the minister of Christe, (bicause the Priest that translated it, would perhaps fame haue the minister of Christe to be ioyned wyth him) seyng the office of priesthood is ended Christ being the last Priest that euer was. To cai vs therfore Priests as touching our office, is eyther to call backe againe the olde priesthoode of the law, which is to denie Christ to be comen, or else to keepe a memorie of the popishe priesthode of abhomination stil amongst vs. As for the fyrst, it is by (d) 1.1 Chryst abolished, and for the seconde it is of Antichrist, and therfore we haue nothing to do with it. Suche oughte to haue (e) 1.2 no place in our Church, neither are they ministers of Christ, sente to preach his Gospell, but Priests of the Pope to sacrifice for the quick and the dead, that is, to treade vnder their feet the bloud of Christ. Suche ought not to haue place amongst vs, as the scriptures manifestly teache. Besydes that we neuer reade in y^e new Testament, that this word Priest, as touching office, is vsed in y^• good parte.

Answere to the Admonition. Pag. 183. Sect. 2.

The name of Priest neede not to be so odious vnto you, as you* 1.3 would seeme to make it. I suppose it cōmeth of this worde Presbyter, not of Sacerdos, and then the matter is not great.

T. C. Pag. 159. Sect. 2.

Althoughe it will bee harde for you to proue, that this woorde (Prieste) commeth of the Greeke woorde (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) yet that is not the matter, but the case standeth in thys, that for so muche as the common and vsuall speach of England is, to note by the word (Priest) not a minister of the Gospell, but a sacrificer, whiche the minister of the Gospell is not, therefore,

we ought not to call the ministers of the Gospell (priestes) and that this is the english speach, it ap∣pereth by all y^e english translations, which translate always (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) which were sacrificers (prie∣stes) and do not of the other side (for any that euer I read,) translate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a priest. Seing therfore a priest with vs, & in our tong, doth signifie both by y^e Papists iudgemēt in respect of their abhommable Masse, and also by the iudgement of the protestant in respecte of the beastes whyche were offered in the law, a sacrificing office, which the minister of the gospell neyther doth, nor can execute, it is manyfest, that it can not be without great offence so vsed.

Io. Whitgifte.

I am not greatly delightedwith the name, nor so desyrous to maynteyne it, but yet a truth is to be defended: I reade in the olde fathers, that these two names Sa∣cerdos and presbyter be confounded. I see also that the learned, and the best of oure English writers, such I meane as write in these oure dayes, translate this worde presbyter, so: and the verie worde it selfe, as it is vsed in our english tongue, soundeth the worde presbyter. As heretofore vse hath made it to be taken for a sacrificer, so wil vse nowe alter that signification, and make it to be taken for a minister of the Gospell. But it is méere vanitie to contende for the name, when wée agrée of the thing: the name may be vsed and not vsed without any great offence.

Notes

• (d) 1.1

  Heb. 5. 1. 6. Heb. 9. 11.
• (e) 1.2

  Eze. 44. 10 Ierem. 23. Heb. 5. 4.
• * 1.3

  The name of priste.