A Second Reply to an Answer Made by Doctor Whitgift Part 2, Part 2 · Chapter 9
THE IX CHAPTER, OF THE ſecond part of thys Treatis: of the name of Priest, page 721.
THat yt skilleth by what names thinges, eſpeciallyIn the first book pa. 61 ſect. 3 & 4. & pag. 62. ſect. 1. & 2. alſo in the former part of this booK, page 408. l. 37. eccleſiaſtical, be called: I hauehave a shewed. To the vnmeetnes of calling a Minister vuith vsus, Prieſt, conſidering that our translations of the byble hauehave vſually noted the ſacrificing Priests by that name: he oppoſeth, the auncient writers, which vſed the word of Sacerdos and Presbyter for al one. But their abuſe herein, may eaſely appear, in that, in this to great liberty of ſpeach, they alſo vſed to cal the holy ſupper of the lord, a ſacrifice, and the Communion table, an altar: yf he alow of one, he muſt alſo of the other. But yf theſe kinde of ſpeaches, hauehave giuen occaſion of falling vntounto many: then yt is manifeſt, that this defens is nawght. For, that they called the Miniſters of the goſpel, by the ſame word which is proper to ſacrificers onelyonly, appeareth cpage 411.otherwhere. That the beſt of English writers in our dayes, vſe yt, is more excuſable, in that they doe yt of conſtraint: partly in translating the elder writers which ſpake ſo, partly for that they had to doe with aduerſaryes which vſed that language: to whome, that yt might be better vnderſtood which was written, they applyed them ſelues. Of his want which he vttereth in this behalf page 785, let the reader iudg.
Thus, what matter ſoeuer is in controuerſy, ether perteyning to the diſcipline or ceremonies of the church, is anſwered: in other by matters, yt is enowgh once to hauehave noted the D. inſufficiency or other misbehauiour, and ſo to commit them to the readers iudgment.
Althowgh the learned know, what a colowrable defens I might bring owt of the diuers iudgmēts of writers, for that I ſayd the vuriter of the Apocalyps concealed his name: yet that I pas not my faut withowt confeſsion, as the D. vſeth, I confes a faut, which I alſo amended in the ſecond aedition. Likewiſe in that I charged hym with leauing owt ſome part of his book, albeit yt may be trw: yet towching the places which I ment, I perceiue that there is ſum iniury doen to hym. For not fineding thē where I looked for them, and where they owght of moſt right to hauehave bene: I found them notwithſtanding tranſported to other places.
His anſwers in the end of the book, to the moſte plain and clear teſtimonyes of the writers in our age, concerning the matters in controuerſy: I wil not towch. For what remedy againſt hym, which denieth that the ſnow ys white: or what fear is there, of being deceiued by hym, which cometh in to the ſtage without a viſard? And verely, the ſon of thoſe places is ſuch, that yt would not ſuffer hym, to hauehave ſo much as a little peinting to diſguiſe hym ſelf with: inſomuch, that I would deſire the reader, vponupon the shameful bouldnes which he vſeth in that part, to eſteme of his fidelity and truſt, in the reſt of his book. Beſide that, for the moſte part, the ſame matters, by other ſentences in the ſame writers: hauehave bene in this work confirmed.