The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

He saith / that it can not be gathered off S. Math. that S. John preached immediately before he baptized and yet the first reason I alleged / ¹that he baptized after he had preached, he clean passeth by: the other off the Acts / he understandeth not how it can be gathered. Although the interpretation I noted was not commonly known / as that which touched off some few / was not seen of divers writers off name: yet when I pointed him to it / I supposed ⟨p. CCCL⟩he would have understanded. But I presumed the ••che off his understanding / and yet not knowing what I would note / he condemneth the sense I have followed / as tending to Anabaptistry or Papistry, or I know not what. S. Paul meaning to refer the gifts off the holy ghost / which the twelve disciples at Ephesus / were to receive by putting on off hands / unto the performance ²off the truth off the promise figured by baptism / and so to join the sign with the thing signified: in the fourth verse showeth how John preached, that his disciples should believe in Jesus Christ which came after him. After in the 9. vers. he showeth ³that those disciples off John, and not (as is commonly supposed) those twelve disciples off Ephesus / having heard Johns preaching, and not (as is also supposed) Pauls / were baptized into ⁴the name off the lord Jesus. Which interpretation as it floweth / and hath plain proof off the two conjunctions / which have relation one to an other / and can not without violence be severed: so off all other it most stoppeth the mouth off the Anabaptists, and Papists, taking all colour off Argument from them: and withal noteth the order I alleged it for / that after they had heard John preach, they were baptized.

He saith / that it can not be gathered off S. Math. that S. Iohn preached immediatly before he baptized ād yet the first reason I alledged / ¹