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…

And if it be said / that it may not be / least the number of ceremonies should be to too great / it may be easily answered / that these which we have may be taken away / and those set in place of them. And therefore although the surplice have a black spot / when it is whitest / yet is it not so black as you make it with your white significations / nor the cause so evil as you defend it. If you press me with M. Martyrs / and M. Bucers authority / I first say they were men / & therefore (although otherwise very watchful) yet such as slept some times. And then I appeal from their Apocryphas / unto their known writings / and from their private letters / unto their public records. M. Doctor proceedeth to prove that they are signs and shows of good / and not of evil / as the authors of the admonition allege. To the proof whereof / although (according to his manner) he repeateth divers things before alleged / yet the sum of all he hath comprehended in an argument / which is / that for so much as the ministers are good which wear them / therefore they are also good: and because the ministers whereof the apparel are notes / and marks be good: therefore those be good notes and good marks: so the reason is they are notes / and notes of good ministers / therefore they be good notes of the ministers. So I will prove the names of idols / to be fit and convenient names for good men to be called by. Beltshaser / Shadrach / ¹Meshach / and Abed-nego were names of Daniel and his three companions / and they were the names of good men / therefore they are good names of men. And so the names of the Babylonian Idols / are by this reason of M. Doctor / justified to be good names. Again / the golden calf was a sign. Also it was a sign of the true God: therefore it was a true sign of God. Concerning the notes of ⟨p. 81⟩²civill professions / and what difference is between those and this cause / I have spoken before.

And if it be sayde / that it maye not be / least the number of ceremonies shoulde be to too great / it may be easely answeared / that these whych we haue may be taken away / and those set in place of them. And therefore althoughe the surplice haue a blacke spot / when it is whitest / yet is it not so blacke as you make it wyth your white significations / nor the cause so euill as you defend it. If you pres me with M. Martyrs / and M. Bucers authoritye / I first say they were men / & therefore (although otherwise very watchfull) yet such as slept some times. And then I appeale from their Apocryphas / vnto their knowne wrytings / and from their priuate letters / vnto their publike recordes. M. Doctor proceedeth to proue that they are signes and shewes of good / and not of euill / as the authors of the admonition alleage. To the proufe wherof / although (according to his manner) he repeateth diuers things before alleaged / yet the summe of all he hath comprehended in an argument / whych is / that for so muche as the ministers are good whych weare them / therfore they are also good: and because the ministers whereof the apparell are notes / and markes be good: therefore those be good notes and good markes: so the reason is they are notes / and notes of good ministers / therefore they be good notes of the ministers. So I will proue the names of idolles / to be fit and conuenient names for good men to be called by. Beltshaser / Shaddrake /