Chap. 1. the. 18. Diuision.
Neyther did God giue any Archdeacon to his Church therefore he cannot profyte ye Church. But it will be said that this argument followeth not, bycause no mention is made here of the dea∣con or of the elder, which notwithstanding are both necessary in the Churche, and therefore that there are functions profitable in the Church wherof no mention is made here. But how (*) 1.1 easily do all men know that the Apostle speaketh of those functions here only, whiche are conuersant in the worde, and haue to do with the preaching thereof: and therefore made hereno mention of the Deacon or elder. It is said agayne that in the epistle to the Corinthians, S. Paule speaketh only* 1.2 of Apostles, Prophets and Doctors, leauing out Euangelists and Pastors and yet Euangelists and Pastors necessary: and so although Archbyshops are not spoken o〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 in the place to the Ephe∣sians, yet they may not be therefore shut out as vnnecessary. But they that saye so, shoulde haue considered that the diuersitie of the matter which the Apostle handleth in these two places, bred a diuerse kind of speach. For in the epistle to the Corinthians, going about to condemne the ambiti∣on of men, whiche will thrust themselues into other mens callings, and take vpon them to do all themselues, and to be as it were eye, and eare, and hand and all: S. Paule proueth that the Church is a body wherein there are many members, and the same diuerse one from another, and that it is not one member only. And to proue that, it was sufficient to say that he placed some Apostles, some Prophets, some Doctors, without rehearsing al ye kinds of functions. But in the Epistle to the Ephesians, meaning to shew the liberalitie of our sauioure Christ in giuing those which shuld be able by doctrine and teaching to make perfect and absolute his Church, it was necessary that he should recken vp all those functions whereby that worke is done.
You haue in this place your selfe answered your former reasons touching the* 1.3 place to the Ephesians. For I haue tolde you that the names of Archbyshops and Archdeacon be names of iurisdiction and gouernmente, not of any newe ministerie and therefore suche byshops and ministers, as be so called to haue those names, not in the respect of the ministerie of the word, but of order and pollicie.
The obiection made of the place of the. 1. to the Corinth. Cap. 12. is of more weight than you can be able to remoue with all the might you haue. For the Apostle there as well declareth the diuersitie of offices in the Church, as he doth in that Epistle to the Ephesians: yea and more perfectly to, as the place it selfe and the very order that the Apostle kéepeth doth declare. your distinction is but in vaine inuented for a shift only, against both reason and authoritie: against reason bycause the Apostle hauing before made a perfect diuision of gifts in the Church, it is not like but now speaking of offices he doth the same. Moreouer he doth reherse them in order saying, firste A∣postles, then Prophets, thirdly Doctors. &c. Lastly he reciteth here more offices thā he doth there, for here he reciteth eight and there only fiue at the most. Authoritie both of learned writers, and of the manifest words of the Apostle himselfe is against it. Peter Martyr saith that in this place Recenset singulatim quas parteis habeat boc corpus he* 1.4 rehearseth particularly what parts this body hath, meaning the Church. And the Apostle himselfe recyting the diuerse parts of the body and functions of the same to declare the diuerse functions that be in the Church, doth no doubt make as perfect a diuision here as he doth in any other place, so that this shift cannot serue your turne, and if it did, yet haue you proued nothing by it, for you your selfe haue giuen the salution say∣ing That in the place to the Ephesians he only speaketh of suche functions as are conuersant in the word, which is true.