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 if you will not grant this manner of reasoning in the scripture / in matters pertaining to the government of the church / which are all comprehended in the scripture / how would you reason of a common story / which neither can / nor doth profess to speak all those things which fall into that matter which it writeth of? But what if so be it be proved that Ambrose did not this of his own authority / but by the authority also of others / will you then confess that he is commended of all those which write stories for so doing / and confess that the use and practise of the primitive church was far from this that is now? For proof whereof I will give you a place which Ambrose the best witness of this matter hath in one of his epistles / where he showeth that as soon as the murder which Theodosius had caused to be done at the city of Thessalonica was ¹heard / by and by the bishops of France came and there was holden a Synod: where also Ambrose sayeth / that his communicating with Theodosius / could ²not absolve him (for that as it might appear) the bishops in that synod had in excommunicating him / ordained that he should not be absolved until such time as he had done repentance / which he did afterward with confession of his fault before the congregation / and asking forgiveness of it. So it appeareth that that which he did / he did it by the sentence of the synod / and not of his own authority alone. In the. 220. & 221. pages / he speaketh of this thing a fresh / but hath no new matter / but maketh a bare rehearsal of the places of the admonition / asking after his accustomed manner of confuting / what maketh this or what proveth that? only whereas he said before / and proved (as he thought) that the minister had only to do with excommunication / being pressed there / by the admonition either to defend or renounce his Chancellors. &c. he had rather deny both the truth and himself / then he would have any of that horrible confusion and profanation of the holy discipline of God (brought in by popery threatening the overthrow of the whole church / & serving for nothing but for the nourishing of the ambition and idleness of a few) driven out of the church.

And if you will not graūt thys manner of reasonyng in the scripture / in matters pertaining to the gouernment of the church / whych are all comprehended in the scripture / how would you reason of a common story / whych neither can / nor dothe professe to speake all those things whych fall into that matter whych it wryteth of? But what if so be it be proued that Ambrose did not this of hys owne authoritye / but by the authoritye also of others / will you then confesse that he is commended of all those whych wryte stories for so doing / and confesse that the vse and practise of the primitiue church was far from thys that is nowe? For proufe whereof I will geue you a place whych Ambrose the best wytnes of thys matter hath in one of his epistles / wher he sheweth that assone as the murther whych Theodosius had caused to be done at the citye of Thessalonica was