The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

This is no answer unto my reason. For if the church without ¹the Archbishop / and Archdeacon / be a body consisting of all the parts / comely knit together / wherein nothing wanteth / nor nothing is to much: then it followeth / that thes offices bring nether ornament / nor accomplishment to the church / but make only an unprofitable knob / and lump off flesh / to the both disfiguring / and hinderance off the growth off the body. And the ministry off order / and policy of the church / being one part off this body: if it be not whole / and complete / but need to be pieced out with archbishops / and Archdeacons: it must draw with it this absurdity / that there being one member unperfect without them / the body also off Christ is not perfect. And where it is said / that as in the Apostles times the church was not perfect without them, and Prophets, &c. so it is not now, meaning thereby (as both before / and after hath appeared) that the archbishops should supply the room off the Apostles: I answer that the Argument holdeth not. For considering that the perfection off the body / must be measured by the will off him whose the body is / that is Christ: as when he gave Apostles / Evangelists / &c. he made it appear that he would not have his body perfect without them: so when he took them away from his church / he made it known that the body was perfect without them. If Apostles / and Evangelists had been put down by authority of man: then it might have helped you / that as men put down Ministries / so they might supply them with other. But seeing they were taken away by the Lord: this your reason in effect (because God taketh away, therefore men may administeries) hath no strength in it. And where all this drift is / that you would have the archbishop's office come in for the Apostles / and therefore say that their authority over the pastors doth, and must remain in such places, as there be churches: besides my former answer unto this point / you are again taken in the words off ⟨p. CCCCLX⟩your own lips. For if it must remain: then the office off the archbishop which you make the vessel to receive this authority in / and whose office (you say) consisteth in the rule off other pastors, is not variable / and depending off circumstance off time / &c. but perpetual / and constant.

This is no answer vnto my reason. For if the church withowt