The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

And where you say / that I thereby give the reader to understand, that you affirm it is in power off the church, to appoint that there should be no public baptism: although I give no more to understand that / then that you affirm / that it is in her power to appoint that there should be no private baptism: yet all men see / that this is at the lest the weight off your words: that although the church should abuse her power in appointing always private baptism / yet that must be obeyed. For as when you say / that the scripture hath not determined, whether the communion should be celebrated sitting, standing, or kneeling, baptism in fonts, basins, rivers, &c. Your meaning is to affirm / that if the church will have the communion always received ⟨p. LXXIII⟩kneeling / or baptism always ministered in basin: that so it ought to be / and never either standing or sitting or in fonts: so in saying that the scripture hath not determined, whether the preaching off the word should be public, or private, &c. and that the church hath the ordering of this thing, you affirm / that if the church should always ordain / that preaching and baptizing should be private: that so it ought to be. If you had said / that it had been in the churches power / according to the former rules prescribed / to have ordered / whether preaching and administering the Sacraments should be in the town or in the field / in a church (as they call it) or in some one / mans house or other: I would have moved no question against you. but when you say / that it is in the power off the church / to ordain whether it should be public / or private / I can not abide you for even in the time of persecution / when it is preached in the house off a private man: I have showed / that the church assembling there / the meeting is public / whereunto you answer not a word.

And vvhere yow saye / that I therby giue the reader to vnderstande, that yow affirme yt is in power off the churche, to apointe that ther shoulde be no publicke baptisme: althowghe I giue no more to vnderstande that / then that yow affirme / that it is in her power to appointe that ther should be no priuate baptisme: yet all men see / that this ys at the leste the weight off your wordes: that althowghe the churche shoulde abvse her power in apointing alwaies priuate baptisme / yet that must be obeied. For as when yow saie / that the scripture hathe not determined, whether the communion shoulde be celebrated sitting, standing, or kneeling, baptisme in fontes, basons, riuers, &c. Your meaning is to affirme / that iff the churche will haue the communion alwaies receiued