The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

Affording you four witnesses, I allowed you one to many / ¹two off them being counterfeit. And if he will have part off those decrees lawful / and part bastard: he must show that this was off Samasus / out off some other then off this forger. Whether off thes true bishops was first / maketh nothing to this question: it is certain those you have alleged / are counterfeits. But because Jerome which lived in the true Samasus time / maketh mention off an archdeacon / let it be granted to the D. which he desireth: doth he think that Damasus mouth was so holy / that with once naming an Archdeacon / he could sanctify ⟨p. DII⟩the office for ever? yes for he was a virtuous, learned, and godly bishop. But I have showed that amongest men / the best ground beareth th•sseis. Yea what if the D. praise / whereof he is so liberal when it serveth his turn / be to high / and it be found that he was not so godly as he pretendeth? what if although the tyrant ny were not so great / as in his counterfeit Damasus time / yet this Damasus off whom he would father the archdeacon / spake in the Dragons voice: when he shameth not to write that the bishop off Romes sentence was above all other / to be attended ²for in a Synod? whereby still appeareth how dangerous it is / to fetch example off government from those times.

Affording yow fowre witnesses, I allowed yow one to many / ¹two off them being counterfaicte. And if he will haue parte off those decrees lawfull / and parte bastard: he muste shew that this was off Samasus / owt off some other then off this forger. Whether off thes true bishops was firste / maketh nothing to this question: yt is certein those yow haue alledged / are counterfaictes. But becawse Ierome which liued in the true Samasus tyme / maketh mention off an archdeacon / let yt be graunted to the D. which he desyreth: doth he thinke that Damasus mouth was so holy / that with once naming an Archdeacon / he could sanctifie ⟨p. DII⟩thoffice for euer? yes for he was a vertuous, learned, and godly bishop. But I haue shewed that amongest men / the beste ground beareth thsseis. Yea what if the D. praise / wheroff he is so liberall when yt serueth his tourne / be to highe / and it be found that he was not so godly as he pretendeth? what if althowgh the tyrā ny were not so great / as in his counterfaicre Damasus time / yet this Damasus off whom he would father tharchdeacon / spake in the Dragons voice: when he shameth not to write that the bishop off Romes sentence was aboue all other / to be attended