A18078:382
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…
A reply to an answer made of M. Doctor Whitgifte Against the admonition to the Parliament. By T.C.A replye to an ansvvere made of M. Doctor VVhitgifte Against the admonition to the Parliament. By T.C.
printed by John Stroud?, 1573
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
IF you should beget / and be a father of many books / and all your children like their eldest brother / you would (without better advise) shake many grounds of our religion. For here again you wish that all pastors were able to teach / but that being unpossible (as the estate is now) you are content with pastors or ministers that can do nothing but read. You through out your whole book make this a marvellous good estate / and always turn the best side outward / and when men go about to urge the deformities thereof / to the end they might be remedied / then you lay open the shame and nakedness of it / and make it greater then it is in deed. For as I have showed before / the church standeth not so much in need of your reading ministers / as you would make the world believe. And although it be a great deformity and sore plague of the church which you here speak of and confess at unawares / yet you will let no man come near to heal it. There be some make a gain by sores / and sore legs / and therefore they have a medicine to keep their wounds always green / that they should not heal.
IF you shoulde begette / and be a father of many bookes / and all your children like their eldest brother / you woulde (without better aduise) shake manye groundes of our religion. For heere agayne you wyshe that all pastors were able to teache / but that being vnpossible (as the estate is nowe) you are content with pastors or ministers that can doe nothing but reade. You through out your whole booke make thys a maruellous good estate / and alwayes turne the best side outwarde / and when men goe about to vrge the deformities thereof / to the ende they mighte be remedyed / then you lay open the shame and nakednesse of it / and make it greater then it is in deede. For as I haue shewed before / the churche standeth not so muche in neede of youre reading ministers / as you would make the worlde beleeue. And althoughe it be a great deformitie and sore plage of the church which you heere speake of and confesse at vnwares / yet you will let no man come neare to heale it. There be some make a gayne by sores / and sore legges / and therefore they haue a medicine to keepe their woundes alwayes greene / that they shoulde not heale.
I hope you do not of purpose keep the church in this estate / but this I dare say / that the chief of your gain and of your honour consisteth and is grounded in the ruins of the church / and therefore I desire you to look unto it.