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…

Furthermore / if this distinction came up in the apostles time / and by them / how cometh it to pas / that they never mention it / nay / how cometh it to pas that even S. Paul in that very Epistle where these voices are found (I hold of Paul / I of Apollo / I of Cephas which are said to be the cause of the archbishop /¹) ordaineth a clean contrary to this that M. Doctor commendeth? For when two or three prophets have expounded the scriptures / he appointeth that all the rest that are there / should judge whether they have done well or no.

Furthermore / if this distinction came vp in the apostles time / and by them / how commeth it to pas / that they neuer mention it / nay / how commeth it to pas that euen S. Paule in that very Epistle where these voyces are found (I hold of Paule / I of Apollo / I of Cephas whych are sayd to be the cause of the archbyshop /¹) ordaineth a cleane contrary to thys that M. Doctor commendeth? For when two or three prophets haue expounded the scriptures / he appoynteth that all the rest that are there / should iudge whether they haue done well or no.

1. 11. Cor. 14. 29.

And how cometh it to pas that S. Paul being at Rome in prison / and looking every day when he should give up his last breath / commended unto the church a perfect and an absolute ministry / standing of .v. parts / wherein he maketh ¹mention / not one word of an archbishop: and sayeth further / that that ministry is able to entertain the perfect unity / and knitting together of the church? Do not all these things speak / or rather cry / that there was not so much as a step of an archbishop / in the apostles times? And if you will say / that the apostles did ordain archbishops (as you have in deed said / & do now again) when as there is not one word in the writings of them / I pray you tell us / how we shall hold out of the church / the unwritten verities of the papists? for my part / if it be true that you say / I can not tell what to answer unto them. For our answer is to them / the apostles have left a perfect rule of ordering the church written / and therefore we reject their traditions / if / for no other cause / yet because they are superfluous / and more then need. Now this degree of archbishop / being not only not mentioned in the scriptures / but also manifestly oppugned / it is too bold and hardy a speech (that I say no more) to fetch the pedigree of the archbishop / from the apostles times / and from the apostles them selves. But all this time M. Doctor hath forgotten his question / which was to prove an archbishop / whereas all these testimonies which he allegeth / make mention only of a bishop / and therefore this may rather confirm the state of the bishop in this realm / than the archbishop. But in the answer unto them it shall appear / that as there is not in these places so much as the name of an archbishop mentioned / so except