The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

How be it / if there were the same manner off laying on off hands in the primitive church / which is in popery / and with us / ⟨p. CCIIII⟩where he that is chosen kneeleth on his knees / to receive the bishops laying on off hands: it is so far from any need to lift up his hand / or ever he can lay it on: that onles he carry his hands very unmannerly / like a pair off hanging sleeves: he must let them down / or ever he can can lay them on the head off him which is chosen. Therefore although an other might use this poor shift: yet you which have undertaken to defend whatsoever the bishops generally do in their elections / have (if I should deal hardly with you) lost this advantage.

How be it / if there were the same manner off layinge on off hādes in the primitiue churche / whiche is in poperie / and withe vs / ⟨p. CCIIII⟩where he that is chosen kneeleth on his knees / to receiue the bishopps layinge on off handes: yt is so farre from any neede to lifte vp his hand / or euer he can laie yt on: that onles he carie his handes verie vnmanerly / like a paire off hanging sleeues: he muste let them downe / or euer he can can laie them on the heade off him whiche is chosen. Therfore althowghe an other mighte vse this poore shifte: yet yow which haue vndertaken to defende whatsoeuer the bishops generallie doo in their elections / haue (if I shoulde deale hardly with yow) loste this aduantage.

It is nothing with the A. that the 70. interpreters off the old Testament / nor that S Paul / and Luke him self / utter the laying on off hands by other words. Thes are bare conjectures being alleged against him: but ye shall hear by and by / where he hath not half such a reason / the great bell go with certainly, and manifestly. Howbeit although thes seem bare conjectures to him: it must needs have weight with those / that have their senses well acquainted with the holy scripture. For they know that the writers off the new testament / frame them selves unto the manner off speech off the old / when they speak off the same things: and for the gentiles sake which had knowledge off the translation of the seventy interpreters / they keep them so carefully to that: that sometimes they use it / although it be not in every point so just / and so answerable unto the truth of the Hebrew / as might have been. Which thing done off all those especially / which laboured in the tillage off the gentiles / amongest whom S. Luke (S. Pauls Companion) was: whosoever considereth must needs confess / that this conjecture is not so bare as he maketh it.