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…

Another exception against the favourers of this cause / is taken / for that they propound it out of time / which is that the Jews said / that the time was not yet come to build the Lords house: but it is known / what the * Prophet answered. ¹And if no time were unseasonable / in the kind of material building / wherein there be some times (as of summer) more opportune and fit then others: how can there be any untimely building / in this spiritual house / where as long / as it is called to day / men are commanded to further this work. And as for those which say we come to late / and that this should have been done in the beginning / and cannot now be done / without the overthrow of all / for mending of a piece: they do little consider / that * S. Paul compareth that which is good in the building ²unto gold / and silver / and precious stones / and that which is evil laid upon the foundation / unto stubble / and hey / and wood. Likewise therefore / as the stubble and the hey / and the wood be easily by the fire consumed / without any loss unto the gold / or silver / or precious stones: so the corrupt things in this building / may be easily taken away / without any hurt / or hinderance unto that which is pure / and found. And if they put such confidence in this similitude / as that they will thereby / without any testimony of the word of God / stay the further building / or correcting the faults of the house of the Lord (which by his manifest commandment ought to be done with all speed) then besides that they be very uncunning builders / which can not mend the faults / without overthrow of all / (especially when as the fault / is not in the foundation) they must remember / that as the mean / which is used to gather the children of God / is called a building / so is it called a planting. And therefore as dead twigs / riotous / and superfluous branches / or whatsoever hindereth the groweth of the vine tree / may be cut of / without rotting up the vine: so the unprofitable things of the church / may be taken away / without any overthrow of those things / which are well established.

Another exception against the fauorers of this cause / is taken / for that they propoūd it out of time / whych is that the Iewes sayd / that the time was not yet come to build the Lordes house: but it is knowen / what the * Prophet answeared. ¹