The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

The 13. Canon / which provideth that it should not be permitted unto the people, to make election off the minister: agreeth well with the 16. Canon off the Council off Antioch. Which as it would not have a bishop put upon the churches otherwise froward / without their consent (as hath been showed): so vvill it not / that those which the churches had chosen without the judgment off the bishops round about / should stand in force. And if either Master Calvin / or Master Beza have any credit with you / you have their interpretation / that the meaning off the Council was not / to shut out the consent off the ¹church: but only to provide / that the ministers / and elders should have direction / as best able to judge off the fitness of him that should be chosen. If they have no credit with you / yet whether ye w•l• or no it may manifestly be showed / that the canons meaning was not to shut out the people / by other Councils / off Nice / off Constantinople / off Tolled / off Carthage / alleged in the former book. Whereof some going before / and some coming hard after / with such clear testimony off the peoples consent in the election: declare sufficiently / that the Council of Laodicea cannot be thought / to have had any such meaning / as you suppose. but that there be no controversy / I will add to them the testimony off such / whereby shall appear / not only what the judgment ⟨p. CCXX⟩off those Councils are: but what was both the custom off the churches / and the judgement off other Councils from time / to time in this behalf. In the Council off Paris it was thus decreed / ²And because in certain things the old custom is neglected, and the decrees off the Canons are broken: it is our decree that according to the old custom, the Canons off the decrees be observed. Let none be ordained bishop, against the vvill off the citizens: but he whom the election off the people, and off the clerks with most full consent hath required. Nether by the commandment off the prince, nether by any other condition, let him be thrust in against the vvill off the Metropolitan, and other the bishops of the same province. ³