The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

What ether godliness / or honesty is in him / which dare so bare faced deny / things so openly untrue: I will leave to be judged ¹of that which is said / touching that the election doth not belong unto the bishop alone / but unto the church. Here I will show that not so much as the ordination / can by the testimony of the ancient fathers / or councils agree unto one bishop only: which is another point that he would have the reader believe / and therefore ought ether to have showed it / or else to have holden his peace: seeing none ever denied / that the bishop hath to do in the ordination. First it appeareth in Cyprian / that both in the province where he was / and in all other provinces almost / the next ²bishops off that place where there was a minister to be chosen / came to ordain him whom the people chose. The great council off Nice / decreed that he should be ordained off all the bishops off the province / at the least of three. Moreover August. showeth / that when the Donatists accused Caecilian / for that being chief bishop off the Province off Carthage / he waited not ³to be ordained off the chief bishop off Numidia: the Catholics did answer / that it was the custom of the Catholic church / that the bishop of Num. should not ordain the bishop of Carthage / but the bishops which were next. And in an other place of the same book / he showeth that it was the custom that 12. bishops should be at the ordination off him / which was chosen bishop / and pastor off any church. Which appeareth in the same book to have been observed / in the ordination off Caecilian.

What ether godlines / or honesty is in him / which dare so bare faced denie / thinges so openly vntrwe: I will leaue to bee iudged ¹of that which is saide / towching that the election doth not belonge vnto the bishoppe alone / but vnto the church. Here I will shewe that not so much as the ordination / can by the testimonie of thauncient fathers / or councelles agree vnto one bishop onely: which is another poinct that he would haue the reader beleue / and therfore owght ether to haue shewed yt / or els to haue holdē his peace: seing none euer denied / that the bishop hath to doo in the ordinacion. Firste yt appeareth in Cyprian / that both in the prouince where he was / and in all other prouincs almost / the nexte