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…

The reply unto the next section in the. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. pages.

The reply vnto the next section in the. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. pages.

Whereas unto the Admonition proving out of the third of S. Matthew / that preaching must go before the ministering of the sacraments / you answer first / that it is against all Logic to conclude a general rule upon a particular example: you shall understand that that which John did in that point / he did it not as a singular person or as the son of ʒacharie / but as the minister of the gospel / and therefore it appertaineth as well to all other ministers as unto him. For as it is a good conclusion / that for so much as Peter in that he is a man / is borne to have / and by common course of nature hath two legs / therefore John and Thomas and all the rest have so: even so for so much as John by reason of his ministry had need first to preach / then to baptise / it followeth / that all others that have that ministry committed unto them must do the like. Secondarily you say / that it doth not appear that he preached immediately before he baptised them with water. And yet S. Matthew after that he had showed that he preached repentance (which the other Evangelists call the baptism of repentance) he addeth that then the people were baptised of him / which also may appear in the Acts / where S. Paul noteth this order to have been ¹kept. For although between the story of his preaching and that which is said of his baptising / there is interlaced a description of his diet and of his apparel / yet these words (then came unto him. &c.) must needs be referred unto the ⟨p. 158⟩time which followed his preaching. And where as you say / that it is manifest that our saviour Christ was baptised without preaching: I would know of you what one word doth declare that / when as the contrary rather doth appear in S. Luke / which seemeth to note plainly that our saviour Christ was baptised /