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…

Last of all / to prove that there ought to be no seniors in the church under a Christian prince / he citeth Ambroses authority both in the. 114. and. 132. pages / which sayeth that the synagogue or church of the Jews / & after that the church of the christians had seniors / without whose counsel nothing was done in the church: whereupon he concludeth / that for as much as they were not in Ambrose time / therefore they were not under a christian prince. And here M. doctor hath in one sentence proclaimed both his great ignorance in the whole story of the church / and withal either a marvellous abusion / and suffering him self to be misled by some unadvised prompter / or subtle fox that thought to deceive him / or else a notable evil conscience / which wrestleth against the truth. His ignorance doth appear partly in that he sayeth / that because there were no seniors in Amb. church / and in those churches about him / therefore there was none at all: but most manifestly in that he sayeth / for so much as there were no seniors in Amb. time / therefore there was none under a christian Prince / as though there were not many years before Amb. time christian Emperors / when as between the time of S. Ambrose being bishop / and the time of Phillip successor of Gordias the first christian Emperor / there is more then a. 150. years / and between the time of Constantine the Emperor / and the time of Ambrose being bishop / there be above. 80. years. And if M. Doctor had ever red the ecclesiastical stories / he mought have found easily the eldership most flourishing in Constantine's time / and other times / when as the peace of the christians was greatest.

Last of all / to proue that there ought to be no senyors in the church vnder a Christian prince / he citeth Ambroses authority both in the. 114. and. 132. pages / whych sayeth that the sinagogue or church of the Iewes / & after that the church of the chrystians had senyors / wythout whose counsell nothyng was done in the church: whervpon he concludeth / that for as much as they were not in Ambrose tyme / therfore they were not vnder a christian prince. And heere M. doctor hath in one sentence proclaimed bothe hys great ignorance in the whole storye of the churche / and wythall eyther a maruellous abusion / and suffering hym selfe to be misled by some vnaduysed prompter / or subtile foxe that thought to deceyne him / or else a notable euill conscience / whych wrastleth agaynst the truthe. Hys ignorance doth appeare partly in that he sayeth / that because there were no senyors in Amb. church / and in those churches about hym / therefore there was none at all: but moste manifestly in that he sayeth / for so much as there were no senyors in Amb. time / therefore there was none vnder a christian Prince / as though there were not many yeres before Amb. tyme christian Emperors / when as betwene the tyme of S. Ambrose being byshop / and the tyme of Phillip successor of Gordias the first christian Emperor / there is more then a. 150. yeares / and betweene the time of Constantine the Emperor / and the tyme of Ambrose being byshop / there be aboue. 80. yeares. And if M. Doctor had euer red the ecclesiasticall storyes / he mought haue founde easely the eldershyp moste flourishyng in Constantines tyme / and other tymes / when as the peace of the chrystians was greatest.