A reply to an answer made of M. Doctor Whitgifte Against the admonition to…A replye to an ansvvere made of M. Doctor VVhitgifte Against the admonition to…

But for so much as the Lord God / determining to set before our eyes a perfect form of his church / is both able to do it / and hath done it / a man may reason ⟨p. 26⟩both ways necessarily. The Lord hath commanded / it should be in hy• church: therefore it must. And of the other side / he hath not commanded: therefore it must not be. And it is not hard to show / that the Prophets have so reasoned negatively. As when in the person of the Lord the Prophet saith / * whereof I have not spoken / and which never entered into my heart: and as where he ¹condemneth them / * because they have not asked counsel at the mouth of the Lord. But you say / that in matters of faith and necessary to salvation it holdeth / which things you oppose afterwards and set against matters of ceremonies / orders / discipline and government: as though matters of discipline and kind of government were not matters necessary to salvation / and of faith. The case which you put / whether the bishop of Rome be head of the church / is a matter / that concerneth the government / and the kind of government of the church / and the same is a matter that toucheth faith / and that standeth upon our salvation. Excommunication / and other censures of the church / which are forerunners unto excommunication / are matters of discipline / and the same are also of faith and of salvation. The sacraments of the Lord his supper / and of baptism are ceremonies / and are matters of faith and necessary to salvation. And therefore you which distinguish between these / and say / that the former / that is matters of faith and necessary to salvation may not be tolerated in the church / unless they be expressly contained in the word of God or manifestly gathered: But that these later which are / ceremonies / order / discipline / government in the church / may not be received against the word of God / and consequently received if there be no word against them (although there be none for them) you I say distinguishing or dividing after this sort / do prove your self to be as evil a divider / as you showed your self before an expounder / for this is to break in pieces / and not to divide.

But for so muche as the Lord God / determyning to set before our eyes a perfecte fourme of hys church / is both able to doe it / and hath done it / a man may reason ⟨p. 26⟩