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…

And that the presbytery or eldership endured in the church after Ambrose time / and in the time of peace / and as it is very like in Amb. time / although not where he was / it may be showed plainly by Jerome (which followed Ambrose ¹immediately) who in his third chapter upon Isaiah / sayeth that they had also the presbytery or eldership in the church. The same might be showed by divers other testimonies / which I omit / because that it may appear by the former treatise touching the election of the minister / that this order of eldership continued in the church divers hundred years after Ambrose time / even as long almost as there was any sound part of the church / from the head to the heel. Now I have showed the ignorance / it remaineth to show how that either M. Doctor was marvellously him self abused / or else desireth to abuse other. For if whereas he toke half Ambrose sentence / he had taken the other half with him / and had not suddenly stopped his breath that he should speak no more / in stead of a false witness against the eldership / he should have brought forth as clear and as flat a witness for the proof of them / as a man could desire out of an ancient writer. The whole sentence is this / speaking of this office of the elders / (although not upon so good occasion) thus he sayeth: Whereupon the synagogue / and ²after the church had elders / without whose counsel nothing was done in the church / which Elders I know not by what negligence they are worn out / onles it be through the slothfulness of the doctors / or rather through their pride / whilst they only would seem to be somewhat.

And that the presbyterie or eldershyp endured in the church after Ambrose tyme / and in the tyme of peace / and as it is very lyke in Amb. tyme / although not where he was / it may be shewed plainly by Ierome (whych folowed Ambrose ¹immediatlye) who in hys third chapter vpon Esay / sayeth that they had also the presbyterie or eldershyp in the church. The same myght be shewed by diuers other testimonies / whych I omit / because that it may appeare by the former treatise touchyng the election of the mynister / that thys order of eldershyp continued in the church diuers hundreth yeares after Ambrose tyme / euen as long almoste as there was any sound part of the church / from the head to the heele. Nowe I haue shewed the ignorance / it remayneth to shewe howe that eyther M. Doctor was maruellously hym selfe abused / or else desyreth to abuse other. For if wheras he toke halfe Ambrose sentence / he had taken the other halfe wyth hym / and had not sodenly stopped hys breath that he should speake no more / in steade of a false wytnes agaynst the eldershyp / he should haue brought forthe as cleare and as flat a witnes for the proofe of them / as a man coulde desire out of an auncient wryter. The whole sentence is thys / speakyng of thys offyce of the elders / (although not vpon so good occasyon) thus he sayeth: Whervpon the sinagoge / and