The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

Where he cometh to his old hole / that although the name be not there, yet the office is: I refer my self unto that written before ¹in that be half. Howbeit here it appeareth how he spake without book / saying all writers before the Nicene Council, make mention ⟨p. DXXXI⟩both off their names, and offices: when as Cyprian one off them / hath no word off them. Where he saith Cypr. speaketh off Cornelius, who had government off all the province: that is the question / which because he could not prove / he taketh granted. Where he addeth Cyprian had the charge, and oversight off all churches in Africa, and for proof allegeth the 4. book, 8. Epistle: he is abused / for Cyprian doth say no such thing. He speaking there off himself / and off his fellow bishops assembled in Council / saith in this sort: but because our province is spread forth larger, and hath both Numidia, and Mauritania joining. he saith not my province, but our province: which is manifestly referred unto all the bishops assembled / as the course off the epistle declareth. Nether doth he there speak off any jurisdiction / or oversight which he had more then an other Bishop: nether yet off two Mauritanias / as the D. sayeth / but off one only. It appeareth therefore that the water where he drew this / was troubled: and from whence soever he have it / Eusebius is off more credit in that matter. Who speaking of Cyprian's large dominion / shutteth him with in ²the precincts of Carthage: saying / he was bishop of the parish which was in Carthage. And although it be clear that Cyprian had no such jurisdiction / yet to the end this unfaithful dealing may better appear / let it be considered what was the estate off the church in Africa / about 150. years after: when there were Metropolitans which had oversight over Provinces / and this weed of Ambition had spread it self much further in the church. In the Council of Africa it appeareth / that Aurelius which long after succeeded Cyprian in the church of Carthage / had not ³him self any jurisdiction over ether Mauritania / or Numidia: for that as he was bishop off the first seat off that province wherein Carthage was: so Xantippus was Bishop of the first in Numidia / and Nicetius of the first in Mauritania. I omit that Mauritania was divided from Carthage by sea: so that (contrary to the D.