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…

Now I would ask who be meant by the church here / if he say by the church are meant all the people / then I will ask how a man can conveniently complain to all the whole congregation / or how can the whole congregation conveniently meet to decide of this matter. I do not deny / but the people have an interest in the excommunication / as shall be noted hereafter / but the matter is not so far come / for he must first refuse to obey the admonition of the church / or ever they can proceed so far. Well / if it be not the people that be meant by the church / who is it? I hear M. Doctor say it is the pastor / but if he will say so / and speak so strangely / he must warrant it with some other places of scripture where the church is taken for one / which is as much to say as one man is many / one member is a body / one alone is a company. And besides this strangeness of speech / it is clean contrary to the meaning of our saviour Christ / and destroyeth the sovereignty of the medicine which our saviour Christ prepared for such a festered sore / as would neither be healed with private admonition / neither with admonition before one or two witnesses. For as the fault groweth / so our saviour Christ would have the number of those before whom he should be checked and rebuked / likewise grow. Therefore from a private admonition he riseth unto the admonition before two or three / & from them to the church / which if we should say it is but one / then to a daungerouser wound should be laid an easier plaster: and therefore our saviour doth not rise from two to one / (for that were not to rise but to fall / nor to proceed but to go backward (but to many. Seeing then that the church here is neither the whole congregation / nor the pastor alone / it followeth that by the church here he meaneth the pastor / with the ancients or elders. Or else whom can he mean? And as for this manner of speech / wherein by the church is understanded the chief governors and elders of the church / it is oftentimes used in the old Testament / from the which our saviour borrowed this manner of speaking / as in Exodus it is said. That Moses wrought his miracles before the people / when mention is ¹made before / only of the elders of the people / whom Moses had called together.

Now I would aske who be meant by the church heere / if he say by the church are meant all the people / then I will aske how a man can conueniently complayne to all the whole congregation / or how can the whole congregation conueniently meete to decide of thys matter. I doe not deny / but the people haue an interest in the excommunication / as shall be noted heereafter / but the matter is not so farre come / for hee must first refuse to obey the admonition of the church / or euer they can proceede so farre. Well / if it be not the people that be meant by the church / who is it? I heare M. Doctor say it is the pastor / but if he will say so / and speake so straungely / he must warrant it wyth some other places of scripture where the church is taken for one / which is as much to say as one man is many / one member is a body / one alone is a company. And besydes thys strangenes of speach / it is cleane contrary to the meaning of our sauiour Christ / and destroyeth the soueraignitie of the medycine which our sauiour Christ prepared for such a festered sore / as would neyther be healed with priuate admonition / neyther with admonition before one or two witnesses. For as the fault groweth / so our sauiour Christ woulde haue the number of those before whome he shoulde be checked and rebuked / lykewise grow. Therefore from a priuate admonition he ryseth vnto the admonition before two or three / & from them to the church / which if we should say it is but one / then to a daungerouser wound should be layde an easier plaister: and therefore our sauiour doth not ryse from two to one / (for that were not to ryse but to fall / nor to proceede but to goe backward (but to many. Seeing then that the church heere is neyther the whole congregation / nor the pastor alone / it followeth that by the church here he meaneth the pastor / with the auncients or elders. Or else whome can he meane? And as for thys manner of speach / wherein by the church is vnderstanded the cheefe gouernours and elders of the church / it is oftentymes vsed in the olde Testament / from the which our sauiour borowed thys maner of speaking / as in Exodus it is sayde. That Moses wrought hys myracles before the people / when mention is