The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

Because you busy your self so much to prove / that this was not decreed by authority of the word of God / although it be not that which I took in hand to prove: yet the words off that decree prove it fully. And albeit he said not according to the rules of the Apostles, yet he saith that in effect. For in saying that the church should use that election in the name, and authority off ⟨p. CCLIIII⟩god: what is it else / but that god hath so ordained: And in that he calleth it the honour of the church, which he giveth not him self / but assenteth unto: he declareth it incident to the church. And what a reason is this / The emperor for bad that any man should spoil the churches of their elections: therefore it was in the Emperors power, to take away the election from the churches? Which is in this division for fear of forgetting / four times repeated: and unworthy once to be confuted / as I have before declared. And as that which the A. allegeth off the rest of the decree / maketh nothing to prove / that the election off the church is in the Emperors power: so that which immediately followeth / which he hideth in (&c.) doth manifestly prove / that he held it for grounded of the word off God / that the churches should have the election off their ministers. For he addeth / Because we have been taught by the holy fathers, that this thing (that is to say the taking away off the election from the church / as the D. himself expoundeth it) is most grievous sin. If therefore it be grievous sin to spoil the church ¹of this honour / and sin is defined the breach of the law off god: it followeth that the Emperor toke it for a law of God / that the church should choose her minister.

Because yow busie yowr selfe so much to proue / that this was not decreed by autoritie of the vvord of God / althowgh yt be not that vvhich I tooke in hand to proue: yet the wordes off that decree proue yt fully. And albeyt he saied not according to the rules of the Apostles, yet he saith that in effect. For in saing that the church should vse that election in the name, and authoritie off ⟨p. CCLIIII⟩god: what is yt els / but that god hath so ordeined: And in that he calleth yt the honor of the church, which he giueth not him selfe / but assenteth vnto: he declareth yt incident to the church. And what a reason is this / Thēperour for bad that any man shoulde spoile the churches of their elections: therfore it was in the Emperours powre, to take awaie the election from the churches? Which is in this diuision for feare of forgetting / fowre times repeted: ād vnworthy once to be cōfuted / as I haue before declared. And as that which the A. alledgeth off the rest of the decree / maketh nothing to proue / that the electiō off the church is in the Emperours powre: so that which im̄ediatly foloweth / vvhich he hydeth in (&c.) doth manifestly proue / that he helde yt for grounded of the vvord off God / that the churches should haue the election off their mynisters. For he addeth / Because vve haue bene tavvght by the holie fathers, that this thing (that is to saie the taking awaie off the election from the church / as the D. himselfe expoundeth yt) is most greuous synne. If therfore it be greuous synne to spoile the church