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…

page / constrained / by Ambrose authority / confesseth it in plain words / yet because he requireth it to be showed / and maketh a jest at those places which are alleged out of the scripture to prove it / some thing must be spoken thereof. The first place is in the Acts / which is / that Paul & Barnabas did appoint by election / elders in every congregation / but it is not like they did appoint divers ministers or bishops / which preached in every congregation / which were not to be had for such a number of congregations as were ¹then to be preached unto: therefore in every congregation there were besides those that preached / other elders which did only in government assist the pastors which preached. And what should we follow conjectures here / when S. Paul doth in the place before alleged declare / what these elders are. But M. Doctor ²sayeth that there is no mention made of the office of such an elder: therefore that place maketh nothing to prove that there should be such elders in every congregation. So M. Doctor write / he careth not what he write. Belike he thinketh the credit of his degree of Doctorship / will give weight to that which is light / and pith to that which is froth / or else he would never answer thus. For then I will if this be a good reason say / that for so much as S. Luke doth not in that ³place describe the office of the pastor or bishop which preacheth the word / therefore that place proveth not that in every congregation there should be a bishop or a pastor. Besides that / M. Doctor taketh up the authors of the Admonition for reasoning negatively of the testimony of all the scriptures / and yet he reasoneth negatively of one only sentence in the scripture. For he would conclude that for so much as there is no duty of a senior described in that place / therefore there is no duty at all / and consequently no senior.

page / constrayned / by Ambose authoritie / confesseth it in playne wordes / yet because he requireth it to be shewed / and maketh a iest at those places which are alledged out of the scripture to proue it / some thing muste be spoken thereof. The first place is in the Actes / whych is / that Paule & Barnabas dyd appoynte by election / elders in euerie congregation / but it is not lyke they dyd appoynt dyuers ministers or bishops / which preached in euery congregation / which were not to be had for suche a number of congregations as were