The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

In the African Council / it appeareth that before a certain law made of the Emperor / wheresoever and in what diocese ¹soever there was a church off Donatists converted unto the Catholic church / that those proselytes / and converts had a Bishop of their own: and the Council there confesseth / that they deserved so to have. Whereupon it followeth / that how many churches so ever off the Donatists were converted: so many Bishops at the least / there might be in one only diocese. And if this were a good law and equal (as the Council confesseth): what cause can be assigned / why it should be taken away / as appeareth it was afterward? In the second Council of Carthage it was decreed / that those dioceses which had no bishops ²should have none: and those which had / should keep their proper Bishop Notwithstanding if the number off the faithful should increase in that diocese / that the people desiring a Bishop / if the bishop of the diocese consented thereunto / might have another bishop. Now in that the Council ordained that there should be no bishops in that diocese / where there had been none: it is apparent that their dioceses were not the twentieth part so large as ours. For is there any likelihood / considering the number off the bishops before proved / that the Council would decree that there ⟨p. DXXI⟩should be no bishop within 30. or 40. miles / as it is with us? And when it ordaineth that in that diocese where there was a bishop already / the number of the faithful increasing / there might be at the instance off the churches / and consent of the bishop other bishops ordained: it uttereth the cause why diverse parishes round about / were the diocese of one bishop: namely for that here and there / in this and that town / there was scarce gleaned out a sufficient number / off those which having given their names to the gospel / were able to make one sufficient congregation to maintain the ministry. And therefore ordained / that when the harvest of the faithful should be more plentiful in those places: then also counsel might be taken / off moe Bishops.

In the Africane Councell / yt appearethe that before a certeine lawe made of the Emperour / whersoeuer ād in what diocese ¹