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…

But here also may rise an other doubt of the former words of Moses in the book of Numbers / for seeing that he maketh this exception (if they be clean) it may be said / that those that depart / do not feel themselves mete to receive / and therefore depart / the other .iij. or .iiij. or moe / feel themselves meet and disposed for that purpose: whereupon it may seem that it is neither reason to compel those to come / which feel not themselves meet / nor to reject them that feel that good disposition and preparation in themselves. For answer whereunto / we must understand that the uncleanness which Moses speaketh of / was such as men could not easily avoid / and whereunto they might fall sometimes by necessary duty / as by handling their dead / which they were by the rule of charity bound to bury / sometimes by touching at unawares a dead body / or by sitting in the place where some unclean body had sitten / or by touching such things which the law judged unclean / which thing cannot be alleged in those that are now of the church. For as many as be of it / and withal of such discretion as are able to prove and examine themselves / can have no excuse at all / if they may be at the church / to withdraw themselves from the holy supper of the Lord. For if they will say that they be not meet / it may be answered unto them / that it is their own fault: and further / if they be not meet to receive the holy sacrament of the supper / they are not meet to hear the word of God / they are not meet to be partakers of the prayers of the church / and if they be for one / they are also for the other. For with that boldness / and with that duty or lawfulness (I speak of those which are of the church / and of discretion to examine themselves) I say with what lawfulness they may offer themselves to the prayers / and to the hearing of the word of God / ⟨p. 150⟩they may also offer themselves unto the Lords supper. And to whomsoever of them the Lord will communicate himself by preaching the word / unto the same he will not refuse to communicate himself by receiving of the sacraments. For whosoever is of Gods household and family / he need not be afraid to come to the Lords table / nor doubt but that the Lord will feed him there:

But heere also may rise an other doubt of the former wordes of Moses in the boke of Numbers / for seing that he maketh thys exception (if they be cleane) it may be sayd / that those that depart / do not fele themselues mete to receiue / and therfore depart / the other .iij. or .iiij. or moe / feele themselues meete and disposed for that purpose: whervpon it may seeme that it is neither reason to compell those to come / which feele not themselues meete / nor to reiect them that feele that good disposition and preparation in themselues. For answer whervnto / we must vnderstand that the vncleannes whych Moyses speaketh of / was such as men could not easely auoid / and whervnto they might fall sometimes by necessary duety / as by handling their dead / whych they were by the rule of charitye bound to burye / sometimes by touching at vnwares a deade body / or by sitting in the place where some vncleane body had sitten / or by touching such things whych the law iudged vncleane / which thing cannot be alleaged in those that are now of the church. For as many as be of it / and wythall of suche discretion as are able to proue and examine themselues / can haue no excuse at all / if they may be at the church / to withdraw themselues from the holy supper of the Lord. For if they will say that they be not meete / it may be answered vnto them / that it is their owne fault: and further / if they be not meete to receiue the holy sacrament of the supper / they are not meete to heare the woord of God / they are not meete to be partakers of the prayers of the church / and if they be for one / they are also for the other. For with that boldnes / and wyth that duetye or lawfulnes (I speake of those whych are of the church / and of discretion to examine themselues) I say wyth what lawfulnes they may offer themselues to the prayers / and to the hearing of the word of God /