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…

Besides therefore that I have before showed the unlawfulness generally of ministering the sacrament in private places / seeing that the custom of ministering this supper unto the sick / rose upon corrupt causes and rotten foundations / & considering also (God be praised) in these times there are none driven by fear to renounce the truth / whereupon any such excommunication should ensue / which in the extremity of sickness should be mitigated after this sort (for no man now that is in extreme sickness / is cast down or else assaulted with this temptation that he is cut of from the church) I say these things considered / it followeth that this ministering of communion in private houses & to the sick is unlawful / as that which rose upon evil grounds: & if it were lawful / yet that now in these times of peace / & when the sick are not excommunicated / there is no use of it. And so it appeareth / how little the custom of the old church doth help M. Doctor in this point.

Besides therfore that I haue before shewed the vnlawfulnesse generally of mynistring the sacrament in priuate places / seeing that the custome of mynistring thys supper vnto the sicke / rose vpon corrupt causes and rotten foundations / & considering also (God be praysed) in these times there are none dryuen by feare to renounce the truth / whereupon any such excommunication should ensue / which in the extremitie of sicknesse should be mitigated after thys sort (for no man now that is in extreame sicknesse / is cast downe or else assaulted with thys temptation yt he is cut of from the church) I say these things considered / it followeth that thys mynistring of communion in priuate houses & to the sicke is vnlawfull / as that which rose vpon euil groundes: & if it were lawfull / yet that now in these times of peace / & when the sicke are not excommunicated / there is no vse of it. And so it appeareth / how little the custome of the olde church doth helpe M. Doctor in thys poynt.

And as for that he saith Peter Martyr & Bucer / do allow the communion exhibited to the sick persons / when he showeth that / he shall have answer. For where he saith he hath declared it in an other treatise / either the Printer hath left out the treatise / or M. Doc. wonderfully forgetteth him self / or else he meaneth some odd thing / that he hath written / & laid up in some corner of his study. For surely there is no such saying in all his book before / nor yet after / so far as I can find.