The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

And where you ask what if they agree not amongest them selves? Even the same that is done in other elections: that the election be esteemed off the most voices. And I beseech you / what is here that may not be said off all other elections off offices in the common wealth / which pass by the voices off many? So that in going about / to drive the church from this election: you infer a necessary change / off the whole state off the common wealth. And except the last off these questions / which is touching contention amongest the people (which is a great deal more tolerable / then when one bishop without resistance / sendeth forth such vermin amongest the people as we have to great experience off) there is never a one / but may fall into the election made by a bishop. For what if he be unlearned / as divers Bishops be in Ireland? What if they be corrupt in religion / as some in England? What if a gift blind their eyes / that they can be content to wink / at the manifest faults off him which is to be admitted? What if they be overruled off some noble man / of whom they stand in fear / or from whom they look for some pleasure? You vvill say / all thes be beside the book: so are all these which you reckon up / beside all laws of elections that ever were made / either civill / or ecclesiastical. And it is a very unequal / and (as of one that feareth the insufficiency of his cause) altogether a cowardly match / thus to compare the least disordered (for orderly I can never call them) elections / which the bishop maketh: with the least orderly / and most troublesome elections off the people.

And wher yow aske what if they agree not amongest them selues? Euen the same that is donne in other elections: that the election be estemed off the moste voices. And I beseche yow / what is here that may not be said off all other elections off offices in the com̄on wealth / which passe by the voices off many? So that in going abowt / to driue the church from this election: yow inferre a necessarie change / off the whole state off the common wealth. And excepte the last off these questions / which is touching contention amongest the people (which is a great deale more tolerable / then vvhen one bishop vvithowt resistance / sendeth foorth suche vermin amongest the people as vve haue to great experience off) ther is neuer a one / but may fall into the election made by a bishop. For vvhat if he be vnlerned / as diuers Bishopes be in Ireland? What if they be corrupte in religion / as some in England? What if a gift blinde their eies / that they can be content to winke / at the manifest faultes off him which is to be admitted? What if they be ouerruled off some noble man / of vvhom they stand in feare / or from vvhom they looke for some pleasure? Yow vvill saie / all thes be besyde the booke: so are all these vvhich yow recken vpp / beside all lawes of elections that euer vvere made / either ciuill / or ecclesiasticall. And it is a verie vnequall / and (as of one that feareth the insufficiencie of his cause) altogither a cowardly matche / thus to compare the least disordered (for orderlie I cā neuer call them) elections / which the bishop maketh: with the least orderly / and moste troublesome elections off the people.