Then haue you not redde muche diuinitie: for if it be true that the Apostle Saincte Paule in the fourth to the Ephesians dothe make a perfecte platforme of a Churche, and a full rehersall of the offices therein conteyned (as you say he dothe) then can I not vnderstande howe you can make those offices rather temporall, than the office of the Pastors and Doctors. And forasmuche as you so greatly contemne authori∣tie, and woulde haue all thinges proued by Scripture, lette mée heare one worde of the same, that dothe but insinuate these offices to be temporall. The place it selfe séemeth to importe a continuance of these functions, vntill the comming of* 1.2 Christe. For he sayeth: He therfore gaue some to be Apostles, and some Prophetes, and some Euangelistes, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the gatheryng together of the Sainctes, for the woorke of the ministerie. &c. vntill wee all meete together in the v∣nitie of faithe and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfecte man, and vnto the measure of the age and fulnesse of Christe. &c. I am perswaded that you can not shew any lyke place, whiche dothe so playnely importe the abrogatyng of them, as thys* 1.3 dothe make for their continuaunce. I haue besyde that place to the Ephesians, the twelfth of the firste to the Corinth. and the. 14. where he speaketh of Prophets, as of perpetuall ministers in the Churche of Christe.
I knowe that there were certayne thynges in the Apostles, whiche were pro∣per vnto themselues, as theyr callyng, whyche was immediatly from God, their commission to goe into the whole worlde, the power of woorkyng miracles, to bée witnesses of the Resurrection and of the Ascention. &c. but to preache the woorde of God in places where néede requireth, (though the same be not peculiarly commit∣ted to them) or to gouerne Churches alreadie planted, I sée no cause why it shoulde not be perpetuall.* 1.4
Lykewise the office of the Euangelist, if it be taken for the writing of the gospell, then it is ceased. But if it be taken for preaching to the people playnely and simply, as (a) 1.5 Bullinger thinketh: or generally, for preaching the gospell: as (b) 1.6 Musculus suppo∣seth, in whiche sense also Paule sayde to Timothie. 2. Timo. 4. doo the worke of an Euangelist: Or for preaching more feruently and zealously than other, as (c) 1.7 Bucer say∣eth: then I see no cause at all why it may not still remaine in the Church.
Moreouer Prophetes, if they be taken for suche as haue the gifte of foreshe∣wyng things to come, then be they not in all tymes of the Churche: but if they be* 1.8 suche as Saincte Paule speaketh of. 1. Corin. 14. such (I saye) as haue an especiall gyfte in interpretyng the Scriptures, whether it bée in expoundyng the myste∣ries thereof to the learned, or in declaryng the true sense thereof to the people: I vnderstande not why it is not as perpetuall as the Pastor or Doctor.