The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

Therefore when all cometh to all / the reason is nothing else / but he is a member off the church / ergo he is fit to be a minister off the church / which is very absurd. For by this means all good order off discipline is troubled / in house / and in common wealth. The master which hath been deceived off his servant / which he most put in trust (as for example in the office off stewardship) if he give good tokens off repentance / must off necessity restore him to his place. For will he seclude him from his stewardship / ⟨p. CLXXII⟩whom Christ doth receive into his kingdom? and shall not we think him / to be a meet officer in his masters house / albeit he have committed adultery with his mistress: which is a member off the elect church off Christ? And this reason standing / common wealths must goo upside down. for besides that all those laws are condemned / which debar men from certain freedoms / and honours / which have been stained with especial vices: as he that is once convinced off perjury / from bearing witness at any time / &c. there may none either traitor / or murderer / be put to death / if he be repentant. For his pardon is caselie pleaded by the Answ. rule / that if he be meet to dwell in heaven / he is meet to remain upon earth / and if the lord give him everlasting life / should we deny unto him this transitory life? And not that only / but if he had had an office before / it is meet he should be restored to it again. If this be an absurd / and anabaptisticall kind off reasoning / in the discipline off the house / and government off the common wealth: how is it not the same / in the discipline of the church?

Therfore when all commeth to all / the reason is nothing els / but he is a membre off the church / ergo he is fit to be a minister off the church / which is very absurd. For by this meanes all good order off discipline is troubled / in howse / and in common wealthe. The maister which hath bene deceiued off his seruant / which he moste put in trust (as for example in the office off stewardship) if he giue good tokens off repentance / must off necessitie restore him to his place. For will he seclude him from his stewardship / ⟨p. CLXXII⟩whom Christ dothe receiue into his kingdome? and shall not we think him / to be a meete officer in his maisters howse / albeit he haue committed adulterie with his mistres: which is a membre off the electe churche off Christ? And this reason standing / common wealthes must goo vpside downe. for besides that all those lawes are condemned / which debarre men from certeine freedomes / and honours / which haue bene stained with especiall vices: as he that is once conuinced off periurie / from bearing witnesse at any tyme / &c. there maie none either traitor / or murtherer / be put to death / if he be repentante. For his pardon is caselie pleaded by the Answ. rule / that if he be meete to dwell in heauen / he is meete to remaine vppon earth / and if the lord giue him euerlasting liffe / should we denie vnto him this trāssitorie liffe? And not that onely / but if he had had an office before / it is meete he shoulde be restored to it againe. If this be an absurde / and anabaptisticall kind off reasoninge / in the discipline off the howse / and gouernment off the common wealth: how is it not the same / in the discipline of the church?