The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

And the very testimony which the Ans. hath alleged / if it be weighed: doth sufficiently declare how far Dionysius ⟨p. DLIX⟩was / front that authority ever the churches off Pentapolis / which he imagineth. For there is showed / bow when he understood off certain bishops there / leavened with the heresy of Sabellius: he sent messengers to them to call them back from their heresy. And when they went yet forward more impudently: what jurisdiction doth he exercise against them? doth he cause them to appear before him? send out the sentence off excommunication / remove them from their charges / suspend them / at the least until some trial off their amendment? none off all thes: but saith / he was by this stubbornness off theirs, compelled to write against them. And yet if Dionysius might have used this authority / he would no doubt: and if he had / Athanasius would by no means have let it pass. For if he could have alleged / that Dionysius had ether deposed / suspended / or excommunicated those Sabellian bishops: it had been a singular means to have stopped the mouth off the Arians: which would have borne men in hand / that Dionysius favoured Sabellius heresy / and consequently also theirs. And touching the government off his own church in Alexandria: how far it was from that lordly ¹dominion / the bishops / and archbishop use now: may appear in that he calleth the elders off the church off Alexandria / his fellow elders.

And the very testimonie which the Ans. hathe alledged / yf yt be weighed: dothe sufficiently declare how farre Dionysius ⟨p. DLIX⟩was / front that antoritie euer the churches off Pentapolis / which he imagineth. For there ys shewed / bow when he vnderstoode off certeine bishops there / leauened with the heresie of Sabellius: he sente messengers to them to call them backe from their heresie. And when they wente yet forwarde more impudently: what iurisdiction doothe he exercise againste them? doothe he cause them to appeare before him? send owt the sentence off excōmunication / remoue them from their charges / suspende them / at the leaste vntill some triall off their amendement? none off all thes: but saith / he vvas by this stubbernes off theirs, compelled to vvrite againste them. And yet if Dionysius might haue vsed this autoritie / he woulde no dowbte: and if he had / Athanasius would by no meanes haue let it passe. For if he could haue alledged / that Dionysius had ether deposed / suspended / or excommunicated those Sabellian bishops: yt had bene a singular meanes to haue stopped the mouthe off the Arrians: which woulde haue borne men in hande / that Dionysius fauored Sabellius heresie / and consequently also theirs. And towching the gouernement off his owne churche in Alexandria: how farre yt was from that lordlie