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.

T. C.

WHat causes either pulled you forwarde, or thruste you backwarde, to write, or not to write, and how in this dispute with your selfe, in the end you were resolued to write in this sorte, I leaue it vnto the iudgement of the Lorde, who only knoweth the secrets of the hart, and wil in his good time vnseale them. But if there be any place of coniecture, the hatred of cōtention, which you set downe, as the first and principal cause, that beate you backe from writing, might wel haue bin put, as the last and least, or rather none at all. For if peace had bin so precious vnto you (as you pretend) you woulde not haue brought so many hard wordes, bitter reproches, e〈1 line〉〈1 line〉mylike speaches (as it were sticks and coales) to double and treble the heate of contention: If the sharp∣nesse of the Admonition misliked you, and you thinke that they outreached in some vehemencie of words, how could you more effectually haue confuted that, than to haue in a quiet and 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ide spirit set them in the way, which (in your opinion) had left it? Now in words condemning it, and appro∣uing it in your deedes, I will not say that you do not so muche mislike this sharpnesse, as you are* 1.1 sory, that you are preuented, and are not the first in it. But this I may well say vnto you, whiche he said: Quid verba audiam, cum facta videam? what should I heare words, whē I see the dedes? In the fourthe reason whereby you were discouraged to write, if by backbiters, and vnlearned tonges, viperous kind of men, not able to iudge of controuersies, caried away with affections and blind zeale, into diuers sinister iudgements, and erroneous▪ opinions, you meane al those that thinke not as you do in these matters, I answer for my selfe, and for as many as I knowe of them, that they are they, which first desire (so it be truly) to heare and speake all good of you. But if that bee not, through your perseuerance, in the maintenance of the corruptions of this Church (which you should help to purge) then the same are they, that desire, that both the euill whiche you haue done, and that which you haue yet in your hart to do, may be knowne, to the lesse discredite of the truthe and sinceritie, which you, with such might and maine, do striue against.

Touching our (a) 1.2 vnlearned tonges we had rather a great deale, they were vnlearned, than they should be as theirs, * which haue taught their tonges to speake falsly. And how vnlearned soeuer* 1.3 you would make the world beleeue that we, and our tongs be, I hope (through the goodnesse of God) they shall be learned ynough, to defend the truth, against all the learning that you shall be able to assault it with. If those be (b) 1.4 the generation of Christe, whiche you cal viperouse kinde of men,* 1.5 knowe you that you haue not opened your mouth against earth, but you haue set it agaynst hea∣uen, and for all indifferent iudgement, it will easily perceiue, that you are as farre from the spi∣rit of * John Baptist, as you are neere to his manner of speach, which you vse. whither it be affec∣tion,* 1.6 or blind zeale, that we follow, and are driuen by, it will then appeare, when the reasons of both sides, being laid out, shal be wayed indifferently. Wheras you say, that your dutie towards God, & the Queene hir Maiesty, moued you to take this labour in hād, it will fall out, vpon the discourse, that as you haue not serued the Lord God in this enterprise and work of yours, so haue you done nothing lesse than any godly dutie which you owe vnto hir Maiestie, so that the best that can be thought of you herein, is, that where in an euill matter, you could yeld no dutie, yet now you haue done that, which you thoughte a duetie, which iudgement, we will so long keepe of you, vntil you shall by oppugmng of a knowne truth, declare the contrary, which we hope will not be. What truth it is, that we impugne, and you defēd, let it in the name of God appeare, by our seueral proofs and answers of both sides. And as for the slanderous surmises, wherby in your third and last con∣sideration, you set the Papists of the one side of vs, and the Anabaptists of the other, and vs in the middest, reaching out our hands (as it were) to them both: first, it ought not to be straunge vnto vs, myserable sinners, seeing that the Lord hunselfe, without all sinne, was placed in the middest of two greeuous malefactours, as though he had bin worse than they both. Then for answer of these slanderous speaches, I will referre the Reader to those places, where these generall charges are giuen out in more particular manner.

Io. Whitgifte.

It is well that you are content to rest in his iudgement, vntill the time come: for so indéed ought we to do: as the Apostle admonisheth. 1. Cor. 4. Nolite ante tempus quic∣quam* 1.7 iudicare: Iudge not before the time, vntill the Lord come. &c.

Your coniecture is a méere coniecture in déede, for vndoubtedly these so many harde words of mine, bitter reproches. &c. would not haue bin kept so secret of you, if you coulde haue had them foorthcomming. But be it so, as you will néedes haue it, yet haue I not in like bitternesse of speach spoken against them, as Zuinglius, Bucer, Caluine, Bul∣linger, Gualter. &c. haue done against the like troublers of the Church: who had not∣withstanding all these pretences and clokes, to shadow their contentions with, which either you, or the Authours of the Admonition do alleadge: for they pretende the Glory of God, the Puritie of Religion, the safetie of the Church, as Master Bucer witnesseth in his Coment▪ vpon the Ephe. Cap. 4. Master Caluine in his booke aduersus Anabap.

Gastius in his booke de exordio & erroribus catabaptist. Zuinglius in his booke called Ec∣clesi. And Bullinger in his booke aduersus Anabaptist: as I haue by setting downe their very wordes more at large declared in the second edition of my answere to the Ad∣monition. But graunt, that for the loue of peace, and hatred of contention, and ear∣nest zeale that I beare to this Church of Christ in England, and dutifull affection to my souerayne, I haue sometimes passed the bounds of modestie (wherein I wil ney∣ther accuse, nor excuse my selfe) yet are my speaches in bitternesse farre inferiour to those opprobries, slanders, and disdainefull words vttered either in the first or se∣cond Admonition, or in your Replie. And where haue you learned to espie a mote in another mans eye, and not to sée the beame that is in your owne? or what poynte of Rhetoricke do you call it, to charge me in the beginning of your booke with that, that you yourselfe most outrageously fall into sundry times, almost in euery leafe? or how vnwise are you to giue vnto me that councell, which you yourselfe in no respect obserue? But of both our modesties, and manners of writing, we must be contente that other men iudge which shall reade our bookes: and therefore it is but in vaine ei∣ther for you to accuse, or me to excuse. God graunt vs both the spirit of modestie and humilitie.

In my fourth reason, by backbiters, I meane all such as are ready to heare e∣uill, and speake euill of all men that be not of their iudgement, and such as cease not continually to depraue those especially that be of any countenance and calling, the which vice doth aboundantly reigne (I will not say in all) but in a great sort of your sect, and those learned also. I could name some which go from place to place for that purpose especially, although vnder other pretences: and in this qualitie they agrée with the Anabaptists: as may appeare more plainly in the notes of the Anabaptists qualities, conteined in the seconde edition of my answere to the Admonition, to the which for breuities sake I referre you.

By vnlerned tongues, I meane such of the common people as you haue delu∣ded, who in déede are caried away by a blinde and preposterous zeale, and therefore the rather to be excused. I know there be some (both of the learned & vnlearned sorte) among you, that haue milder spirites than the rest, such I do not blante in this point, I would other would follow their modestie.

As for the good that you and other woulde so gladly speake of me, it euill appeareth in this booke, where you do but deuise how possibly you may deface me: in déede bothe you, and some others (if you considered your duties towardes mée, and my dealings towardes you, whilest you kepte your selues within your bondes) haue small occa∣sion to whisper of me in corners as you do, or otherwise to deale so vnchristianly with me. The euill that you know by me, vtter it and spare not, I desire no silence, so that it be done where I may come to the answering of it. And surely he that shall reade this your booke, cannot but conceiue, that if you knew any euill thing by me, it would not be concealed. But to all reproches I will answere, as they come in order, and proclayme defyance againste you, for any thing that you can iustly charge me with.

I intend not to mainteine any corruptions of this Church, I will séeke for the re∣dresse thereof as earnestly as you shall, and more orderly, and therefore I trust more effectually. But I neither can, nor may suffer that which is lawfully, and by due or∣der established, vnlawfully and out of order by you to be defaced. This your pretence of clensing the Church from corruptions, is but the accustomed excuse of the Noua∣tians, Donatists, and Anabaptistes, as you know welynough: and therefore before you condemne me to be a defender of the corruptions of this Church, you must first proue them to be corruptions: and when you haue so done, you must also declare them to be such corruptions, as deserue this stirre and hurly burly for them: for there were great corruptions in the Church of the Corinthes, and yet the Apostle greatly misliked such as stirred vp contentions for the same: so hath there bin always imperfections in the Church, especially in externall things: and yet such as therfore did breake the peace of it, were always counted as contentious, and condeinned as schismatiques: looke the

writers before of me mentioned in their bookes against the Anabaptists.

As I saide before, so I say againe, let the euill which I haue done, and that which you say I haue yet in my hart to do (wherein you take vpon you the office of God) be pro∣claimed at the standard in Cheape, or elsewhere (so it be done publiquely that I may answere it, and not in corners as it hath bin) and if I faile in my purgation, let me sustaine the paine due for the same. I aske no fauoure, I feare no accuser, I refuse no indifferent iudge. And if you haue any thing to say against me, do it orderly, do it law∣fully, not in corners, not in libels. This I speake not to iustify my selfe before God (for in that respect I know more imperfections in my selfe than I do in any other, bycause I know my selfe better than I know any man else) but before man, in doing my duety, in obseruing lawes, in walking in my vocation. &c.

I do not accuse you all, for lacke of learning, neither can you, or any man else ga∣ther any such thing of my words: God graunt you may vse your learning to better purpose, than to the disturbing of the Church, and stirring vp of contentions, where the Gospell is truly preached. This is but a slender collection to say that therefore I accuse you all of vnlearnednesse, bycause I say that I greatly suspected the slande∣rous reports of backbiters, and of the vnlearned tongue. Surely there be both learned and vnlearned tongues among you too muche giuen to backbiting, and slandering, as it is well knowne: and yet I accuse not all. Let them which finde this imperfection in them selues, in the name of God amende it, for it is a foule faulte.

In that they like vipers with slaunderous reports, sting men priuately, they be not the generation of Christ, but of Christes aduersary, howsoeuer otherwise they séeme to be godly and zelous: For Christ doth will them to loue their enimies, to pray* 1.8 for them that curse them. &c. so farre woulde he haue them from backbiting and slandering of their brethren, and of such as professe the name of Christe with them. He that speaketh against slanderous tonges, doth not open his mouth against Hea∣uen, but against that vice which is earthly, yea hellish: neither must you thinke that your Church is so pure, but that it hath in it a number such as well deserue this re∣prehension. And therefore these great speaches of yours mighte well haue bin for∣borne, your learning and reasons which you so oft boast of, must be left to the iudge∣ment of others.

What duty I haue performed towards God and hir Maiestie, lieth not in your po∣wer to iudge: I am fully perswaded, that I haue done that which my duty towardes them both requireth of me, and vrgeth me vnto in this behalfe: and I doubt not, but that therein I haue done good seruice to them both. Your iudgement of me I do not greatly regard, so long as you are affected as you are. I will die rather than impugne a knowne truth, neither will I cease from defending of that which I am fully per∣swaded to be a truth.

In my third and last consideration, all is true that I said, neither can you denie it. Most true it is that in defacing this present state of Religion, that is, the order of common prayers, the ministerie, the Sacramentes, the kynde of gouernment, you ioyne with the Papistes, although you vse in some poyntes contrarie reasons: and in disquieting the Churche for externall things, you ioyne with the Anabaptistes. And in opprobrious speaches and tauntes you are inferioure to neyther of them bothe. And yet I do not say that you be either Papistes or Anabaptistes. Proue that I here∣in speake vntruly of you, and I will willingly make you amends.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A charitable fi∣gure.
• (a) 1.2

  A manifest peruerting of the words and mea∣ning of the Epi∣stle.
• * 1.3

  Ierem. 9. 5
• (b) 1.4

  Slaunderous and cursed spea∣kers, be not the generation of Christe.
• * 1.5

  Esay. 53. 8.
• * 1.6

  Math. 3. 7
• * 1.7

  1. Cor. 4▪
• * 1.8

  Math. 5.