The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

And where the A. saith / that neither Aug. nor he say, that any thing not contained in the scripture is so necessary, that it may not be altered (upon just occasion) by such as have authority: he can not mock the world after that sort / with fast and loose at his pleasure. For if they be statutes off the Apostles / and commended unto the churches: what authority is there upon earth / which can displace them which the apostles have placed? and if it be madness (as he saith afterward out off Augustin) not to observe them / or once to reason off them: how can they take order in them? And this answer is overthrown / by the words off Augustin which follow immediately. But other things (saith he) which are varied by regions (as that some fast upon the sabbath day, some do not, &c. ⟨p. LXXXVI⟩are at liberty to be observed: neither is there any better rule to a Christian man in thes, then to do as the church doth where he cometh. Where it is manifest / that he opposeth the tradition off the Apostles / and there statutes received by tradition: unto those things / which are in the churches power to ordain / and to those wherein it is safe for us to apply our selves / to the order off the church. They being therefore in this opposed / the one being in the churches power / the other are nor the one being of that sort / that off which side soever the church determine off them / a man may safely obey / the other must needs be off that sort / that if the church would otherwise ordain of them / then the Apostles: that a man may not safely obey. And in the next sentence / the things which he opposeth those statutes off the Apostles unto / he calleth indifferent: and thereby giveth to understand / that he took them for unindifferent. and hitherto pertaineth / that he allegeth out off August. in Zuinglius name / and is ¹found in his book against the Donatists / where it is said / that they are to be holden as given by Apostolical authority. Which is more then if he had said / given by the Apostles: considering that there are things given off the Apostles as counsels / and left at the churches order to change upon occasion as were the traditions / which M. Calvin speaketh off / but they were never left unto the church / with an Apostolical authority.

And where the A. saithe / that neither Aug. nor he say, that any thinge not conteined in the scripture is so necessarie, that it may not be altered (vpon iust occasion) by suche as haue autoritie: he can not mocke the worlde after that sorte / withe faste and loose at his pleasure. For if they be statutes off the Apostels / and commended vnto the churches: what autoritie is there vppon earthe / whiche can displace them which the apostels haue placed? and iff it be madnes (as he saith afterward owte off Augustin) not to obserue them / or once to reason off them: how can they take order in them? And this answer is ouerthrowne / by the wordes off Augustin whiche folow immediatly. But other things (saith he) vvhich are varied by regions (as that some faste vpon the sabbothe daye, some doo not, &c.