The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

Thirdly it is to be observed / how unequally the comparison is made. for in steed that he should have compared the corruptions off the bishops off one province / with the corruptions off ours: to make our bishops Sun to shine / he matcheth it with the clouds off errors / assembled out off all the world / and that by the space off 450. years / as is to be seen. To this consideration ¹doth pertain / the errors off some before noted / the unsincere preaching of some others / partly by allegories / wherein they are as fond as the fondest off the ancient: partly by vain pomp and ostentation / that was not in them / which although they were studied in all good letters / yet in their homilies to the people / behaved them selves as if they had known nothing but Jesus Christ. Lastly so many of them as shall be found to maintain all the errors in this pack of the D. I dare will pronounce that they are deeper plunged in error then any of those old bishops / which keeping the foundation erred in the rest off the building whereof (upon that alleged off both parts) let the judgement be the readers. What their honesty off life is, which is another point wherein he compareth ours with the elder bishops / I will not further ²meddle: especially seeing that whether there life be good or bad can hardly be hidden. Although for any imperfections he showeth that way in the fathers: he might as well have made ours equal with the apostles them selves / amongest whom there was contention as amongest the old bishops. That the 5. Canon of the 2. Council of ³Tyron he stumbled one is against me, and my likes which leave our calling, ⟨p. DCLIIII⟩is from the purpose / and untrue as hath been showed. That my collector deceived me in the council, because it is nether the first nor second, is mere trifling: seeing my allegation is maintained / if it be (as it is in deed) the third: this fault being by all likelihood some others then mine / Considering that I found it truly noted in my paper book from whence I toke it. I may rather say that his deceived him / and was herein somewhat to well skilled in Greek: which for Hierapolis a City in Phrygia / whereof Papias was bishop / told him that he was of Jerusalem.