The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

Likewise that which he bringeth / off the difference off the temporal meat soon digested, and off the spiritual which continueth for ever, ¹so oft repeated: and of that no man can take the sheep off God out of ⟨p. CCCXXXVIII⟩his hand, is a shameful abuse off the holy scripture. For to let pa• how many ways this feeding is through the malice off the devil / ²and corruption off mens natures / ether clean taken away / or turned to the hurt off the hearers: likewise not to stand in that the Pastor knoweth not what time the Lord calleth effectually / and giveth that meat that never consumeth / to those which are under his charge / which ought to keep him in a continual exercise off his function / and waiting for that hour when the Lord will touch their hearts: I say not to stand upon thes / the D. should have known / that as the Lord declareth / that none can take them out off his hand: so he hath disposed off the means / whereby he will hold them / which is the ministry off his word. And as he showeth the virtue of the word / in the hearts of those which are effectually called / to be perpetual: so he ordaineth y• should have that perpetuity / by that means off preaching / whereby it first took root: In watering that which is planted / feeding ³first with milk / then with whole meat / them which are once conceived by the immortal seed of the word preached / until such time as they come to their perfect growth / and stature off the ⁴full age off Christ. Ad hereunto / that thes places applied unto the use the D. putteth them / serve to prove that preaching off the word / is needles amongest those which have believed / and aswell that the pastor may be away without any deputy / as with one. For if the residence off the Pastor may be less / because the sheep off God can not fall from their calling / and because the spiritual food which they have once tasted of / endureth to life: the same coming to pass without any further instruction / it followeth by the D. reason / that they may be without all ministry off the word. And if this may diminish the continual residence off the Pastor / it may aswell abate the diligence off the hearers: so that after they feel them selves to have believed / they need not seek so carefully / the food off the word off God. But as sentence given by God that S.