The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

And although after time of the Nicene Council / there is no doubt but that as the Bishops had more occasions of enlarging their bounds / through the disordered zeal off the godly Emperors / so they let not slip those occasions: yet if we consider the estate off the church / what it was about 400. years after Christ: we shall find that bishops were not the tenth part so thin sown / as ours be now. If a bishop ran in to any slander / and the slander pressing him he could not assemble a great number of bishops: to the end he should not remain in that ¹slander / the Council off Carthage was off advise / that his cause should be heard off twelve bishops / and his own bishop. ⟨p. DXIX⟩And an other / that if an elder were accused / he might call 6. bishops from the places hard by / and likewise a deacon three: which ²together with their own bishop should have authority to hear / and determine the causes in debate. Now if for every accusation of a bishop / there were assembled 12. bishops at the least / and that when the matter required haste: for every accusation of an elder six / and off a Deacon three / beside their own bishop: and that those might be taken in places hard by: all men may understand / that there was more neighbourhood in bishops then is now / and that it behoved that those bishops dwelt within no great compass / which might be assembled with such commodity. For if we should imagine the same condition off bishops then / which is now: how evil advised should the Council have been / to cause so many bishops to come so far / with so great charges / with such long absence from their churches / with such delay / and suspense off the purgation off them / whose speedy dispatch stood so greatly upon the glory off God / and edification of their churches? Hereof it may easily be seen / that this blessing and gift of God in having off a bishop / rained not only upon great cities / and great towns: but even over little boroughs / and villages where there was a sufficient congregation / able to maintain this ministry off the word.

And althowgh after time of the Nicene Councell / there is no dowbt but that as the Bishops had more occasions of enlarging their boundes / throwghe the disordered zeale off the godlie Emperours / so they let not slip those occasions: yet if we consider the estate off the churche / what yt was abowte 400. yeares after Chryste: we shall finde that bishops were not the tenth parte so thyn sowen / as ours be now. If a bishop ranne in to any slaunder / and the slaunder pressing him he coulde not assemble a greate nomber of bishops: to the ende he shoulde not remaine in that