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…

Afterwards he sayeth / that for so much as this place hath been used to prove a pastor or bishop in every church / therefore it can not be used to prove these elders / so that (sayeth he) there must needs be either a contradiction or else a falsification. The place is rightly alleged for both the one and the other / and yet neither contradiction to them selves / nor falsification of the place: but only a must before M. Doctors eyes / which will not let him see a plain and evident truth / which is / that the word (elder) is general / and comprehendeth both those elders which teach and govern / and those which govern only / as hath been showed out of S. Paul. And whereas M. Doctor sayeth / that the place of the Corinthians ¹may be understanded of civil magistrates / of preaching ministers / of governors of the whole church / and not of every particular church / and finally any thing / rather then that whereof it is in deed understanded: I say first that he still stumbleth at one stone / which is / that he can not put a difference between the church and common wealth: and so between the church officers which he there speaketh of / and the officers of the common wealth / those which are ecclesiastical: and those which are civil. Then that he meaneth not the minister which preacheth / it may appear / for that he had noted them before in the word (teachers) and last of all he can not mean governor of the whole church / onles he should mean a Pope / and if he will say he meaneth an Archbishop which governeth a whole province / besides that it is a bold speech without all warrant / I have showed before that the word of God alloweth of no such office / and therefore it remaineth that it must be understanded of this office of Elders. The same answer may be made unto that which he sayeth of the place to the Romans / where speaking of the offices of the church / after that he had set forth ²the office of the pastor / and of the doctor / he addeth those other two offices of the Church / whereof one was occupied in the government only / the other in providing for the poor / and helping the sick. And if besides the manifest words ⟨p. 175⟩of the Apostle in both these places / I should add the sentences of the writers upon those places / as M. Calvin / M. Beza / M. Martyr / M. Bucer. &c. It should easily appear / what just cause M.