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 fourth in. 45. page.

I see that when a man is out of his way / the further he goeth / the worse. Before you placed in the church whoremongers and drunkards / as filthy swine in the Lords courts / now you bring in Papists / and Idolaters / and Atheists / which are not only filthy / but also poisoned and venomed beasts. I am not ignorant of that distinction / which saith that there be in the church / which are not of the church / and those are hypocrites as is before said: but I would gladly learn of you / what scripture there is to prove / that Idolaters and Papists / and Atheists are in the church / when S. Paul calleth all such without ¹the church / and with whom the church had nothing to do / nor they with ⟨p. 51⟩the church. You might as well have placed in the church / Wolves / Tigres / Lions / and Bears / that is Tyrants and persecutors. For those ye speak of / are (in the judgement of men and of the church) as well shut out of it / as they in the eye of the Lord: they may in time be of the church / and so may and are sometimes the persecutors themselves: so it appeareth that the election of the church / is not / nor ought not / to be hindered by those / that have nothing to do with it. But now I hear you ask me / what then shall become of the Papists and Atheists / if you will not have them be of the church? I answer that they may be of / & in the common wealth / which neither may / nor can be of / nor in the church. And therefore the church having nothing to do with such / the magistrate ought to see / that they join to hear the sermons in the place where they are made / whether it be in those parishes where there is a church / and so preaching / or where else he shall think best / and cause them to be examined / how they profit / and if they profit not / to punish them / & as their contempt groweth / so to increase the punishment / until such times as they declare manifest tokens of unrepentantnes and then as rotten members / that do not only no good / nor service in the body / but also corrupt and infect others / cut them off: And if they do profit in hearing / then to be adjoined unto that church / which is next the place of their dwelling.