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…

Now if I would say the one is as impossible as the other / & for proof thereof allege that which the Philosophers say / that as there are no degrees in that which is infinite / so that of things which are infinite / one thing can not be more infinite then an other / so there are no degrees in impossibility / that of things which are impossible / one thing should be more impossible then an other: If I should thus reason / I think I should put you to some pain. But I will not draw the reader to such thorny and subtle questions / it is enough for us / that the one and the other be impossible / although one should be more impossible then the other. And that it is impossible for one man to be bishop over a whole province / or over a whole diocese / I leave it to be considered of that which is before said in the description of the office of a bishop / pastor / or minister / where I speak of the necessity of the residence of the bishop in his church.

Now if I wold say the one is as impossible as the other / & for proofe thereof alleage that which the Philosophers say / that as there are no degrees in that which is infinite / so that of thinges which are infinite / one thing can not be more infinite then an other / so there are no degrees in impossibilitie / that of thinges which are impossible / one thyng shoulde bee more impossible then an other: If I shoulde thus reason / I thincke I shoulde putte you to some payne. But I will not draw the reader to suche thorney and subtile questyons / it is enough for vs / that the one and the other be impossible / although one shoulde bee more impossible then the other. And that it is impossible for one man to bee byshoppe ouer a whole prouince / or ouer a whole dyocese / I leaue it to bee considered of that which is before sayde in the discription of the office of a byshoppe / pastor / or minister / where I speake of the necessitie of the residence of the byshop in hys church.

As a Prince may rule a whole realm / such as France / or England / so may he rule the whole world by officers and magistrates appointed underneath him: And there have been divers Princes / which have had as many lands under their power / as the Pope hath had churches / and although it be somewhat inconvenient / yet I know not why they might not so have / coming lawfully by them. Now I would gladly hear whether you would say the same of a bishop / and if you dare not / then why do you bring the similitude of the government of a Prince over a land / to prove that an archbishop may be over a whole province. M. Doctor dare boldly say / that there may be one bishop over a whole province / but he dare not say that there may be a bishop over the whole Church. But what better warrant for the one / then for the other? Again / if the whole church be in one province or in one realm / which hath been / and is not impossible to be again / if there may be now one bishop over a realm or province / then there may be one bishop over all the church / so that in travailing with an archbishop / he hath brought forth a Pope.