The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

Here will be no confession: it was not enough for the Answ. before to allege thes forged canons without correction / ¹yea with commendation: but even now also detected / rather then he will yield to the truth / the common enemy must have the advantage. He will not forsooth greatly stick in the defence of thes canons: then he will not give them quite over. There is no small controversy (he saith) about the number of canons of this council: and a little after / there is great difference in writers for the number of the canons. Let him name one (Papists excepted) that ever moved controversy about this number of 70 and 80. canons which he talketh off. Athanasius ⟨p. CCCCLXXXIX⟩in an Epistle that he as some think writeth, &c. what some are those? Pighius / Hosius / Harding / and their likes / and they do but say it: for that they did think so / there being nether colour / nor shadow off truth in that so cold a devise / it is hardly to be thought. He saith after / he hath done nothing strange in alleging thes canons. I grant: for he hath those spoken of before / to keep him company. And in the next divi. to make up the matter / he alleged not those canons as the undoubted canons of the council off Nice, but as probable. Is it in deed probable / that there was such filth in the church / in the time of the Nicene council / as those canons you alleged make mention of?

Here will be no confession: yt was not enowghe for the Answ. before to alledge thes forged canons withowt correction / ¹yea with commendation: but euen now also detected / rather then he will yeald to the trwth / the commē ennemy must haue the aduantage. He will not forsooth greatly sticke in the defense of thes canons: then he will not giue them quite ouer. There is no smale controuersie (he saith) abowte the number of canons of this councell: and a litle after / there is great difference in writers for the number of the canons. Let him name one (Papistes excepted) that euer moued controuersie abowte this number of 70 and 80. canons which he talketh off. Athanasius ⟨p. CCCCLXXXIX⟩in an Epistle that he as some thincke writeth, &c. what some are those? Pighius / Hosius / Harding / and their likes / and they doo but say yt: for that they did thincke so / there being nether coulor / nor shadow off trwth in that so kold a deuise / yt is hardly to be thowght. He saith after / he hath doone nothing straunge in alledging thes canons. I graunte: for he hath those spoken of before / to kepe him companie. And in the next diui. to make vp the matter / he alledged not those canons as the vndowbted canons of the councell off Nice, but as probable. Is it in deed probable / that there was such filthe in the church / in the time of the Nicene councell / as those canons you alledged make mencion of?