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…

For reason teacheth that there is an easier mingling of those which are of one kind / then of those which are of divers kinds. Again / how can we justly reprove the papists for the use of both the swords / spiritual / and material / when as we are found in the same fault our selves? And surely howsoever long custom hath caused it to seem / yet in deed it is a very great and untollerable confusion / which may be the easelyer understanded / if so be we set before our eyes / how uncomely and disordered it is / in the like / or rather in the very same case. For let us imagine the Mayor or Bailiff of a town / or the King or Emperor of the land / to come into the pulpit / and make a sermon / afterward to minister the Sacraments / and from the Church to go with the sceptre in his hand unto the place of judgement: who would not be amazed to see this / and wonder at it / as at a strange and monstrous sight? assuredly the self same deformity it is / when as the Minister of the word / is made a Justice of peace / of Quorum / a Commissioner / an Earle / or any such like / to whom the judgement of matters pertaining to the court of the civill Magistrate is committed: especially seeing there are (God be praised) of the Nobility and gentry of the realm / that are able to discharge these offices much better / then these Ecclesiastical persons ⟨p. 209⟩to whom they are committed. And if so be that there fall out any question at any time which is to be decided by the word of God / and wherein the advise of the minister is needful / there the ministers help / may / and ought to be required. For thereof we have not only an example in Esra / where the Princes in a matter of difficulty / came & asked the counsel of Esra / but we have a plain ¹commandment in Moses by the Lord▪ who commanded that the cause of perjury should be heard before the Lord in the sanctuary / at the hearing whereof the high priest should be present / by which commandment the Lord doth not (by bringing this cause into the sanctuary) declare / that the judgement thereof did appertain unto the Ecclesiastical court / but because it being a matter which touched the glory of God very expressly / he would have the Princes which were judges there / to be the nearer touched / and the depelyer affected with the glory of God / whereof they saw the sacrament before their eyes.