The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

Although trial be made before admission / and off things past: yet is it done in respect off the ministry that shall follow. Therefore it agreeth well with the trial / That S. Paul should give warning / that they should no longer be suffered to Minister: then they remain such / as by trial they were supposed to be. And where you say / that it is spoken in that place off deacons: it is much more off Bishops. And if a Deacon falling away from the truth / ought to be put from the charge / or honour which he had in the church: much more a bishop. But I nothing doubt / but that the Apostle referred this sentence / unto both a bishop / and deacon. For having before spoken / off them both apart: he doth here join them together / in that which is common to them: ye• belonging rather to the bishop / then to the deacon. And it is as much as if the Apostle should say: I have set before thine eyes / what be the qualities / both off the bishop / and deacon: look now none be permitted to come unto these offices / which have not been tried before. And that this is so / it may appear / for that the next verse / which is touching the qualities off wives / is not only a description / what wives the deacons / but what wives also the Bishops / should have. Unless we will say / that S. Paul travailed in describing off the deacons wives / and left the bishops wives untouched: which how it soundeth in other mens ears / I can not tell / in mine it is absurd. Again if the 10. and 11. verses had been to be understanded off the Deacons trial / Paul ⟨p. CXLV⟩and their wives only: S. Paul would not have begun his 12. verse as he did / by a repetition of the name off Deacons. For it had been enough to have said / let them be the husbands of one wife: now when he saith (let the deacons, &c.) he declareth / that he had discontinued his proper treatise of deacons / which he resumeth again / by that manner off expressing the name off a deacon.

Althowgh triall be made before admission / and off thinges past: yet is it done in respecte off the ministerie that shall followe. Therfore yt agreeth well vvith the triall / That S. Paul should giue vvarninge / that they should no longer be suffred to Minister: then they remaine suche / as by triall they vvere supposed to be. And where yow saye / that it is spoken in that place off deacons: yt ys muche more off Bishops. And yff a Deacon fallinge awaie from the trewth / owght to be put from the charge / or honor vvhich he had in the church: muche more a bishop. But I nothing dowbt / but that the Apostel referred this sentence / vnto bothe a bishop / and deacon. For hauing before spoken / off them bothe aparte: he dothe here ioyne them together / in that vvhich is com̄on to them: ye belōging rather to the bishop / then to the deacon. And it is as muche as yff the Apostle should saie: I haue set before thine eies / vvhat be the qualities / bothe off the bishopp / and deacon: looke now none be permitted to come vnto these offices / vvhich haue not bene tried before. And that this is soo / it may appeare / for that the nexte verse / which is thouching the qualities off wiues / is not onely a description / what wiues the deacons / but what wiues also the Bishops / should haue. Vnlesse we will saie / that S. Paul trauailed in describing off the deacons wiues / and lefte the bishopps wiues vntouched: which how yt soundeth in other mens eares / I can not tell / in mine it is absurde. Againe if the 10. and 11. verses had bene to be vnderstanded off the Deacons trial / Paule