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…

This is a notable argument / there must be some superior among men: ergo, one minister must be superior to an other. Again / there must be in the ecclesiastical functions / some degrees: Ergo, there must be an archbishop over the whole province / or a bishop over the whole diocese. And all be it M. doctor taketh great pain to prove that which no man denieth / yet he doth it so evil favouredly / and so unfitly / as that if a man had no better proofs then he bringeth / the degrees of the ecclesiastical functions / might fall to the ground. For here to prove the degrees of the ecclesiastical functions / he bringeth in that / that Chrysostom saith / there must be magistrate and subject / him that commandeth / and him that obeyeth.

Thys is a notable argument / there must be some superior among men: ergo, one minister must be superior to an other. Again / there must be in the ecclesiastical fūctions / some degrees: Ergo, there must be an archbishop ouer the whole prouince / or a bishop ouer the whole diocese. And all be it M. doctor taketh great paine to proue that whych no man denyeth / yet he doth it so euill fauoredly / and so vnfitly / as that if a man had no better proufes then he bringeth / the degrees of the ecclesiasticall functions / myght fall to the ground. For heere to proue the degrees of the ecclesiasticall functions / he bryngeth in that / that Chrysostom sayth / there must be magistrate and subiect / hym that commaundeth / and hym that obeyeth.

The most therefore that he can conclude of this / for the ministry / is / that there must be minister that shall rule / and people that shall be obedient / and hereby he can not prove that there should be any degrees amongst the ministers / and ecclesiastical governors / unless he will say peradventure / that as there are under Magistrates / and a king above them all / so there should be under ⟨p. 109⟩ministers / and one minister above them all. But he must remember that it is not necessary in a common wealth / that there should be one over all / for that there are other good common wealths / wherein many have like power and authority. And further / if because there is one king in a land above all / he will conclude there should be one archbishop over all: I say / as I have said / that it is not against any word of God which I know (although it be inconvenient) but that there may be one Cesar over all the world / and yet I think M. Doctor will not say / that there may be one archbishop over all the world.