The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

In the last section 45. pag. unto the places off Saint Paul (whereby I prove that it is no breach off true Christianity to alter in judgement) he answereth / that the Apostles meaning is not that men should be daily altering their judgement, and broaching new opinions, which is no answer to the question. For although we may not daily broach new opinions: yet we ought to correct our old errors / as often as we are made understand them. So that unless he will say / that those which believe the gospel are without the danger off error / in things pertaining to the government off the church / &c. or that when they know their errors they should not amend them (both which are absurd): it must needs follow / that he goeth about to abuse the reader / which upon that we have changed Judgement / would draw us into the suspicion off lightness and unconstancie. And seeing the church off England changed the book of common prayer twice or thrice / after it had received the knowledge of the gospel / and ⟨p. XLII⟩always corrected some thing off that which it held for good before: either the answerer must condemn those alterations as childish and unconstant / or else he must confess that a whole church lightened with the knowledge off the gospel / and established in a certain order off government / may with out fear off suspicion off that lightness which he doth surmise / displace the former order and place an other. Unto the 4. next I answer nothing / saving that where the gloss chargeth me with contrariety: I desire the reader to consider what contrariety or what colour off contrariety there is / between thes sayings / the church can not long continue without common wealths, and the church may be established without a Christian magistrate. If I had said that the church might be established without a magistrate: then there had been some likelihood off the contrariety he surmiseth. But he should understand / as long as their be magistrates / although they be not only unchristian / but Tyrannical and persecuting: yet the blessing which the lord giveth unto his own ordinance / so overcometh all their malice: that there ceaseth not come even from that disordered government / some thing to the preservation of the church.

In the laste section 45. pag. vnto the places off Saint Paul (vvherby I proue that yt is no breache off trew Christianitie to alter in iudgement) he answereth / that the Apostles meaning is not that men shoulde be dailie altering their iudgement, and broching new opinions, which is no answer to the question. For althowghe we maie not dailie broche newe opinions: yet vve owght to correcte our oulde errors / as often as we are made vnderstande them. So that vnles he will saye / that those which beleue the gospell are vvithowte the daunger off error / in thinges perteining to the gouernement off the churche / &c. or that when they knowe their errors they shoulde not amende them (boothe which are absurde): it muste needes folowe / that he goeth abowte to abuse the reader / vvhiche vppon that vve haue chaunged Iudgement / vvoulde drawe vs into the suspition off lightnes and vnconstancie. And seing the churche off Englande chaunged the booke of common praier twise or thrise / after yt had receiued the knowledge of the gospell / and