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…

Of infinite examples take one of the Eunuch / which although he had been ¹at Jerusalem / and returning home / was reading of the Prophet Isaiah / yet he believed not / until Phillip came and preached unto him / which I neither say to disallow reading of the scripture (which is very profitable) nor yet to strengthen the hands of the papists / which to banish the reading of the scriptures / object the hardness and difficulty of the scriptures / as M. Doctor doth most slanderously & unbrotherly surmise of the authors of the Admonition: but that it may appear / what a gross and a palpable error this is / that the reading of the scripture should be as effectual as the preaching of it / which God hath appointed to be the especial and singular means to save those / whom he hath appointed to salvation. And what is this else but to condemn the wisdom of God in ordaining pastors and doctors to be continual functions in the churches: and in so carefully commending them unto the church of the which notwithstanding there is no use / if reading be as good as preaching. And although this be very gross / yet in the. 163. page where he goeth about to show the profit of reading the scriptures in the church / he is yet more absurd. For there he sayeth / that it may be / that some men be more edified by the simple reading of the scriptures / then by sermons. In deed if a man sleep the sermon time / and wake the reading time / or be otherwise deaf at the one and attentive and heedy at the other / I will not deny / but he may be more edified at the simple reading / then at the sermon / unless it be in this and such like case / I know not how it may be tute that M. Doctor saith. And in deed it is as much to say that it may be / that the means that God hath ordained to be the fittest and meetest to call men to salvation / is not the fittest & meetest means / which a man should not once so much as think of / without trembling and shaking every joint of him. And now I think by this time M. Doctor knoweth his answer to his second question / which is whether reading / be not preaching. And if this be not sufficient that I have said / I would ask gladly of him / whether all readers be preachers / and whether whosoever readeth / preacheth:

Of infinite examples take one of the Enuche / which although he had bene ¹at Ierusalem / and returning home / was reading of the Prophet Esay / yet he beleeued not / vntill Phillip came and preached vnto hym / which I neyther say to disalow reading of the scripture (which is very profitable) nor yet to strengthen the handes of the papistes / which to banyshe the reading of the scriptures / obiect the hardnesse and difficultie of the scriptures / as M. Doctor doth most slaunderously & vnbrotherly surmise of the authors of the Admonition: but that it may appeare / what a grose and a palpable error thys is / that the reading of the scripture should be as effectuall as the preaching of it / which God hath appoynted to be the especiall and singulare meanes to saue those / whome he hath appoynted to saluation. And what is thys else but to condemne the wisdome of God in ordeyning pastors and doctors to bee contynuall functions in the churches: and in so carefully commending them vnto the church of the which notwithstanding there is no vse / if reading be as good as preaching. And although thys be very grose / yet in the. 163. page where he goeth about to shew the profite of reading the scriptures in the church / he is yet more absurde. For there he sayeth / that it may bee / that some men be more edifyed by the simple reading of the scriptures / then by sermons. In deede if a man sleepe the sermon tyme / and wake the reading time / or be otherwyse deafe at the one and attentife and heedye at the other / I will not deny / but he may be more edifyed at the simple reading / then at the sermon / vnlesse it be in thys and such lyke case / I know not how it may be tute that M. Doctor sayth. And in deede it is as much to say that it may be / that the meanes that God hath ordayned to bee the fittest and meetest to call men to saluation / is not the fittest & meetest meanes / which a man should not once so much as thinke of / without trembling and shaking euery ioynte of hym. And now I thinke by thys tyme M. Doctor knoweth hys answere to hys second question / which is whether reading / be not preaching. And if this be not sufficient that I haue said / I would aske gladly of hym / whether all readers be preachers / and whether whosoeuer readeth / preacheth: