It was before shewed that of the gouernors of the Church, there were some whose charge perteyned vnto the whole Church, of the which we haue spoken: some other whose charges ex∣tend but to a part of the Church, that is vnto the poore, and these are the Deacons. And as in the former part I shewed there were two kindes, so in this latter part the same is to be noted, that of those whose charge was ouer the poore, some had charge ouer all the poore of the Church (as those which are called Deacons) some had charge ouer the poore straungers, and those poore which were sicke onely, and those S. Paule calleth in one place Diaconisses and in an other place widowes.* 1.1 For the Deacons did distribute vnto the necessities as wel of the poore strangers, & the sick poore,* 1.2 as vnto the other poore of the Church. And the widowes did imploy their labors to she washing of the feete of ye strangers, & attending vpon the poore which were sick, & had no friends to keepe thē.
There is no great matter in all this, sauing only that I would gladly learne where the office of widowes & Diaconesses is restreyned to poore straungers onely, and such as be sicke: féeing that the other poore, that be neyther straungers nor sicke, may néede their helpe in sundrie things as well as they: and séeing also that neyther in the. 16. to the Rom. nor in the. 1. Tim. 5. (which you quoted in the margent) there is any such restraynt made, or to be gathered, but the contrarie almost in expresse wordes.