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…

To the second difference.

To your second difference I answer / that in deed there be hypocrites in our churches now / and so were there then / but moe now / than then: I grant you that also / but there is no great danger in them / as touching the election of the minister or bishop / for that in such open and public actions that come into the eyes of all men / there is no good man will do so holily / as they will do / although it be feignedly. The hurt that they do / is in closer and secreter matters. But where you say our churches are full of drunkards and whoremongers: besides that / you utter or ever you be aware / how evil success the preaching of the gospel hath had here (for want of discipline and good ecclesiastical government) you bewray a great ignorance. For although there be hypocrites / which bear the face of godly men in the church / whose wickedness is only known to God / and therefore can not be discovered by men / yet in the churches of Christ there be no drunkards nor whoremongers / at least which are known. For either upon admonition of the church they repent / and so are neither drunkards nor whoremongers / or else they are cut of by excommunication (if they continue stubborn in their sins) and so are none of the church / and therefore have nothing to do in the election of the minister of the church. And me thinketh you should not have ben ignorant of this / that although there be * tares in the flour of ¹the church / which are like the wheat / & therefore being ground / easily mete together in the loaf / yet there are no acorns which are bread for swine. And although there be * goats amongst the flock of the church / because they have some likelihood ²with the sheep / feeding as they do / giving milk as they do / yet in the church of Christ / there are no swine / nor hogs. It pertaineth to God only / to severe the tares from the wheat / and the goats from the sheep / but the churches can discern between wheat and acorns / between swine and sheep.