210 ADDITIONS. 



practise any advice or agreement that was contrary to any 

 law in the land. Whereunto Mr. Dr. Bancroft replied, that 

 authority they had none, and therefore could not use it; 

 and compulsion needed not, seeing every one, received to 

 their conferences, must subscribe to be obedient to all orders 

 he and others should set down ; so far as if they should set 

 down the sense or interpretation of a place of Scripture, it 

 should not be lawful for any to depart from that ; which, 

 said he, is deposed by three or four. But, said Mr. Cart- 

 wright, he might have ecclesiastical jurisdiction of reproof, 

 suspension, excommunication, degradation, as they had been 

 openly, but most untruly, charged to have done, if either, 

 or others with him, had thought it lawful for them so to do. 

 And for the other point, of their requiring subscription by 

 any that was admitted, much less such a subscription as 

 Mr. Dr. Bancroft spake of, he protested that neither had 

 he so done, nor any that he knew : and that he was ready 

 to make that also good upon his oath. 



And when Further, Dr. Lewin moved Mr. Cartwright to take the 

 moved oath, and then assured himself that the company would 

 again to take at his hands any reasonable answer. To whom Mr. 

 oath. Cartwright answered, that he could not conveniently give 

 any other answer than that which was before them. To 

 whom when the Bishop replied, that then they would tell 

 him where his answer was short, and required further an 

 swer : so, said Mr. Cartwright, shall not the oath make an 

 end of the controversy ; which notwithstanding is the proper 

 use of an oath. Against which Mr. Dr. Bancroft excepted, 

 saying, that an oath tended indeed to make an end of a 

 controversy ; but that it was strange that Mr. Cartwright 

 said, that it should wholly end a controversy ; albeit Mr. Cart 

 wright therein alleged no interpretation, but the plain text. 

 Bancroft But, (said Mr. Dr. Bancroft,) Mr. Cartwright, think you 

 danger of thus to go away in the clouds, or to have to deal with men 

 the disci- o f so small judgment, as not to see what is your drift? Do 

 not we know from whom you draw your discipline and 

 Church-government? Do not we know their judgments and 

 their practice ? which is to bring in the further reformation 



