The seconde diuision.
T. C. Page. 128. Lin. 19. & Sect. 1.
After you say that Deacons are not permitted wyth vs to celebrate the Lords supper, and why then should they be suffered to minister baptisme? as if the one Sacrament were not as precious as the other. This is a miserable rending in sunder of those things whiche God hathe ioyned to∣gither, not onely to separate the ministery of the Sacraments from the worde, but also the mini∣stery of one sacrament from an other.
And what reason is there, that it shoulde be graunted vnto one that can not preache (beeing as they (a) 1.1 call him a minister) to minister bothe the sacraments, when as the same is not permitted vnto a Deacon (as they call him) whyche is able to preach? I doe not speake it, for that I would haue those whych be deacons in deede, that is, which haue charge to prouide for the poore of some one congregation, should eyther preache or minister the sacraments, but I say that it is agaynst all reason to permit the ministerie of the sacraments to those whych can not preache, and to deny it to those whych are able to preache.
I doe but in that poynte agrée with the Scriptures, and all other wryters, for the moste parte, bothe olde and newe, who testifie that Deacons dyd preache the worde, and minister the Sacrament of Baptisme. But I can not reade in any au∣thor, where they ministred the Communion, and therefore I am bolde to speake as I haue learned out of the holy Scriptures, and other godly wryters: neyther is this to rende in sunder eyther the Sacraments from the worde, or the Sacra∣ments from them selues: but to keepe the order vsed in the Churche in the Apostles time, and since their time.
No man that is able to preache, béeing for his other qualities also méete, is debar∣red from ministring the Sacraments, if he be in the ministerie: but no man be he neuer so able in all respectes, may presume to take an office vpon him, wherevnto he is not called. Therefore he that can not preache, and yet by the order of the* 1.2 Churche is admitted to minister the Sacraments, is a lawfull minister of the same: and he that can preache, excepte by order he be therevnto called, maye not in∣trude him selfe into any function of the ministerie. I haue also declared before, that euen from the beginning, the administration of the Sacramentes haue béene committed to some, to whome the preaching of the worde hathe not béene committed.