The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

There are but two communities / one Anabaptisticall which ¹maketh equality off all things / which is / and ever was unlawful; the other Christian / which provideth for need of those / which have not wherewith to find them selves / which is / and ought to be perpetual / amongest all Christians. Therefore you can not escape with this circuit of words / for either that community in the Acts / was such as ought to be amongest us / which you deny / and propound as an absurd thing: or else it was Anabaptisticall / which is blasphemous against the spirit off God.

There are but two communities / one Anabaptisticall which ¹maketh equalitie off all thinges / which is / and euer was vnlawfull; the other Christiā / vvhich prouideth for neede of those / vvhiche haue not vvherwith to finde them selues / vvhich is / and owghte to be perpetuall / amongeste all Christians. Therfore yow can not escape vvith this circuit of vvordes / for either that communitie in the Actes / vvas suche as owghte to be amongeste vs / vvhiche yow denie / and propounde as an absurde thinge: or els it vvas Anabaptisticall / vvhich is blasphemous againste the spirite off God.

1. 1Divis. 4, pag, 161,Diuis. 4, pag, 161,

Although men may be good Christians without selling their lands, and distributings of the price off them unto those which have need: yet they can not be good Christians / if for necessary relief of the poor of the church whereof they are / they be not content to sell (the need so requiring) even their lands. And such was the estate of the church off Jerusalem / where there were so many poor / and so few rich / that the want of those which had not / with much a do was supplied by sale off lands / and houses off them / that had such possessions. Which extreme poverty may easily be seen in other places / where not able to be furnished of the rich of that church / it was fain to be supplied by divers other. Unto