The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

It remaineth only to see / whether the error off free will be amongest them which do not raze the foundations (as I have alleged) or no. And when as one which maintaineth free will / may hold the free remission off sins in the grace off god / and likewise hold / that that grace is showed unto him for Christs sake (these being the grounds off our salvation) it must needs follow / that free will doth not raze the foundations. For there is no necessity / that he who saith that the spirit off God / by the new birth hath given him power to die to sin / and to live unto righteousness: should also affirm / that it is given him off merit. In the opinion that S. Peter had of his own strength and ability to die for Christ / ¹entangled (as it may seem) with ignorance off this point off Religion / touching the bondage off mans will: he ceased not therefore / to have a true and justifying faith in the Son off God / whereunto our saviour Christ himself had given testimony. ⟨p. LV⟩And if their were not sufficient hold in this example off Peter / against the A: yet in the greek doctors / and some also off the latin / (as in Jerome especially / which did not by one act or two as Peter / but by arguments and open sayings / declare there liking of free will) this is manifest. for dare the. A. say / of all them that they believed not the free remission off sins For Jesus Christs sake / or held not the foundation of religion / all that time that they taught in the church of god / and held that opinion? And if he grant that they had faith: then I conclude that even then / when they held free will / they held the foundations. which is not so in the example off believing / that the mass is a sacrifice for the quick and the dead / which he unskilfully compareth with this error off free will: considering that that over throweth / and turneth upside down the material cause off our salvation / which is the sacrifice off the Son off god / that he once for ever in his own person / offered for the sins off the world. And therefore that error can not be / in any in whom there is faith.

It remaineth onelie to see / whether the erorr off fre will be amongest them whiche do not rase the foundations (as I haue alledged) or no. And when as one which mainteineth fre will / maie holde the fre remission off sinnes in the grace off god / and likewise holde / that that grace is shewed vnto him for Christes sake (these being the growndes off our saluation) it must needes folowe / that fre will dothe not rase the foundations. For there is no necessitie / that he who saithe that the spirite off God / by the new birthe hathe giuen him power to die to synne / and to liue vnto righteousnes: should also affirme / that it is giuen him off merite. In the opinion that S. Peter had of his owne strenght and habilitie to die for Christ /