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…

You come after to the council of Nice / wherein I will not stick with you / that you say it was holden the .CCC. xxx. year of the Lord / when as it may appear by Eusebius his Computation / that it was holden. Anno Domini CCC xx. and here you take so great a leap / that it is enough to break the archbishops neck / to skip at once .CCC. years / (that is / from the time of the apostles / until the time of the council of Nice) without any testimony of any / either father / or story of faith and credit / which maketh once mention of an archbishop. What no mention of him in Theophilus / bishop of Antioch? none in Ignatius? none in Clemens Alexandrinus / none in Justin Martyr / in Ireneus / in Tertullian / in Origen / in Cyprian / none in all those old Historiographers / out of the which Eusebius gathereth his story? Was it for his baseness and smallness / that he could not be seen amongst the bishops / elders / and deacons / being the chief and principal of them all? can the Cedar of Lebanon be hid amongst the box trees? Aristotle in his Rhetoric ad Theodecten, sayeth / that it is a token of contempt / to forget the name of an other / belike therefore if there were any archbishop / he had no chair in the church / but was as it seemeth / digging at the metals. For otherwise they that have filled their books with the often mentioning of bishops / would have no doubt remembered him. But let us hear what the council of Nice hath for these titles.

You come after to the councel of Nice / wherin I wil not sticke with you / that you say it was holden the .CCC. xxx. yeare of the Lorde / when as it maye appeare by Eusebius hys Computation / that it was holden. Anno Domini CCC xx. and heere you take so greate a leape / that it is enoughe to breake the archbishoppes necke / to skippe at once .CCC. yeares / (that is / from the tyme of the apostles / vntill the time of the councell of Nice) wythout any testimony of any / either father / or storie of faithe and credite / whych maketh once mention of an archbishop. What no mention of hym in Theophilus / byshop of Antioche? none in Ignatius? none in Clemens Alexandrinus / none in Iustin Martyr / in Ireneus / in Tertullian / in Origine / in Cyprian / none in all those olde Historiographers / out of the whych Eusebius gathereth hys story? Was it for his basenes and smalnes / that he could not be seene amongst the byshops / elders / and deacons / being the cheefe and principall of them all? can the Ceder of Lebanon be hid amongst the boxe trees? Aristotle in his Rhethorike ad Theodecten, sayeth / that it is a token of contempt / to forget the name of an other / belike therefore if there were any archbishop / he had no chaire in the church / but was as it semeth / digging at the metalles. For otherwise they that haue filled their bookes wyth the often mentioning of bishops / would haue no doubt remembred him. But let vs heare what the councell of Nice hath for these titles.