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…

In the. 191. and. 192. pages / he speaketh of this again / but he doth nothing else but repeat in both places / that which is here / only he saith / that it is a mocking of God to use the place of the Galatians (God is not mocked) against ¹this abuse / and his reason is / because s. Paul speaketh there against those that by feigned excuses / seek to defraud the pastor of his living / as who should say s. Paul did not conclude that particular conclusion (thou shalt not by frivolous excuses defraud the minister) with this general saying (God is not mocked) for his reason is / God is not mocked at all / or in any matter / therefore he is not mocked in this. Or as who should say / because our saviour Christ saying that it is not lawful to separate that which God hath joined / speaking of divorce: it is not lawful to use this sentence / being a general rule / in other things / when as we ²know it is as well and properly used against the papists / which sever the cup from the bread / as against the Jews which put away their wives for every small and trifling cause. And as for this questioning / it can be little better termed / then a very trifling and toying. For first of all / children have not / nor can not have any faith / having no understanding of the word of God / I will not deny / but children have the spirit of God / which worketh in them after a wonderful fashion. But I deny that they can have faith which cometh by hearing / & understanding which is not in them. Secondarily / if children could have faith / yet they that present the child / can not precisely tell / whether that particular child hath faith or no / and therefore can not so absolutely answer that it believeth? Because it is comprehended in the covenant / and is the child of faithful parents / or at the least of one of the parents / there is warrant unto the presenters to offer it unto baptism / and to the minister for to baptise it. And further we have to think charitably / and to hope / that it is one of the church. But it can be no more precisely said that it hath faith / than it may be said precisely elected (for in deed it is all one to say that it is elect / and to say it believeth) and this I think the authors of the admonition do mean / when they say that they require a promise of the Godfather / which is not in them to perform.

In the. 191. and. 192. pages / he speaketh of thys agayne / but he doth nothing els but repeat in both places / that whych is here / only he sayth / that it is a mocking of God to vse the place of the Galathians (God is not mocked) against