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…

An other objection M. doctor hath out of the .16. of S. Matthew / and the 20. of John / in which places because he giveth power to the .xij. to bind and to lose / M. Doctor will conclude that they only have power to bind and to lose. Solomon sayeth that the just man is first the accuser of himself / and therefore it ¹behoved M. doctor or ever he should have accused the authors of the Admonition of dallying and unreverent handling of the scriptures / to have first of all spoken to him self / and have stricken him self upon the thigh. For if this be not to abuse the scriptures / I know not what is to abuse them / for to let pass that some and of the ancient writers do expound the place of S. Matthew of every member of Christ / and of as many as have faith to confess Christ to be the some of God / and so by that means to have power of excommunication / I say to let that go / M. doctor might easily know if he would / that in that pla•e our saviour Christ speaketh of the binding and losing which ••y the preaching of the word of God / standing in threats and promises / and therefore that binding pertaineth only unto the ministers / to whom the preaching doth only belong. But in the .18. of S. Matthew where he speaketh of the binding and losing by excommunication and receiving to the church again / there he attributeth this power unto the church. He hath an other objection out of S. Paul to Timothy / where for that it is said that s. Paul did excommunicate Hymineus and Alexander / he concludeth after his old manner / that therefore he only excommunicated. But for so much as I have proved that both the rule of Christ / & the practise of S. Paul according to that rule / be otherwise / it can not be that S. Paul did excommunicate him self alone those persons: for then he should disagree both with our saviour Christ and with him self. But as I have showed before in other ecclesiastical actions and exercises of discipline / that one man is said to do that which was done of many / for because one was moderator of that action or exercise: so s. Paul here sayeth that he did excommunicate / not that he did it by him self alone / but because he was president & chief in that action. And although it should be granted (which can not) that S.

An other obiection M. doctor hath out of the .16. of S. Mathew / and the 20. of Iohn / in whych places because he giueth power to the .xij. to bynde and to lose / M. Doctor will conclude that they only haue power to binde and to lose. Salomon sayeth that the iust man is first the accuser of himselfe / and therfore it