The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

Where I confess that nether the Adm. nor I hold for a ¹thing simply necessary / that the word be preached immediately before the Sacraments: he saith that there is then no cause to contend, it being agreed off the convenience. If it be very convenient that preaching be immediately before the Sacraments: then the custom off reading only / is not sufficient: which is that he found fault with in the Adm. for at the least a great convenience is wanting to that sufficiency. And seeing the scripture commendeth things convenient / as it forbiddeth the contrary: the order of preaching immediately before the Sacraments / even in this respect / ought (onles it be rare / and upon great causes) to be observed. Where I say the life off the sacraments dependeth upon the the word preached: the D. saith it is a foul error. no marvel according to his black divinity. But how cometh it so foul? because the life off the Sacraments dependeth upon the promises in the word. I grant / and nether upon preaching, nor reading. that is utterly false. for when baptism belongeth not unto infants / but in that their ancestors in the covenant / and those no otherwise in covenant / then by faith which cometh are preaching: it followeth / ²that the parents having no Fruit off the covenant but by preaching by ⟨p. CCCLII⟩/ can much less have profit off the Sacrament without it I grant their infants salvation / dependeth upon the election off God: yet that they may be partakers off baptism / dependeth on that the promise preached was received (at least in the churches judgement) off those off whom they are descended. Thus the doctrine foul in the D. judgment / is beautiful in the scriptures.

Where I confesse that nether the Adm. nor I hould for a ¹thing simply necessary / that the word be preached immediatly before the Sacramentes: he saith that there is then no cause to contend, yt being agreed off the conuenience. Yf it be very conuenient that preaching be immediatly before the Sacramentes: then the coustome off reading onely / is not sufficient: which is that he found fault with in the Adm. for at the least a great conuenience is wanting to that sufficiency. And seing the scripture commendeth thinges conuenient / as it forbiddeth the contrary: the order of preaching immediatly before the Sacramentes / euen in this respect / owght (onles yt be rare / and vppon great causes) to be obserued. Where I say the life off the sacramentes dependeth vppon the the vvord preached: the D. saith yt is a fowle error. no meruaile according to his black diuinitie. But how cometh it so fowle? because the life off the Sacramentes dependeth vpon the promisses in the word. I graunt / and nether vpon preaching, nor reading. that is vtterly false. for when baptisme belongeth not vnto infantes / but in that their ancesters in the conuenant / and those no otherwise in conuenant / then by faith which cometh are preaching: yt followeth /