And whereas Master Doctor sayth that the office of the Deacons is not onely to prouide for the poore, but also to preach and minister the Sacraments, I haue shewed before that it both not apperteync vnto them, to doe eyther the one or the other. For the proofe whereof, this place of the Romaines, quoted by the Admonition, is verie fitte and most proper. For S. Paule speaketh there agaynst those which not contenting themselues with their owne vocations, did breake into that which apperteyned vnto others, as it the hande shoulde take vpon it the office of the eye, or of some other member of the bodie, and therefore Saint Paule doth (as it were) bounde and poynt the lymittes of euerie office in the Church, and so placeth the Deacons office onely in the prouision for the poore. This one thing I will adde to that matter, that if the Apostles whiche had such excellent and passing gyftes, did finde themselues (preaching of the worde, and attending to prayer) not able to prouide for the poore, but thought it necessarie to discharge themselues of that office, to the ende they might doe the other effectually, and frutefully, he that shall doe both nowe, must eyther do none well and profitably, or else he must haue greater giftes than the Apostles had.
I haue proued before manifestly that it perteyned to the office of a Deacon to* 1.1 preach, and to minister the Sacrament of Baptisme, and to helpe in other businesse perteyning to the Church: I haue alledged both manifest examples out of the scrip∣ture to iustifie the same, and the practise of the primitiue Church togither with the testimonies both of the auncient and late wryters: and vndoubtedly you are dryuen to a great streight when you are inforced to vse this place of the. 12. to the Romaines to proue the contrary, for though it were ment of Deacons, yet doth it not proue in any respect your purpose: neyther can you frame any argument of it to that ende. Neither Steuen nor Philip, when they being Deacons preached, and the one mini∣stred the Sacrament of Baptisme also, did breake into that whiche apperteyned not vnto them, being incident to their office when they be therevnto called.
The Apostles were occupied in planting Churches, in going from place to place, to spreade abrode the worde of God, and therefore they coulde not: so conueniently prouide for the posre: but the Deacons hauing no such occasion of traveling and re∣mouing from place to place, might very well both preach the Gospell and prouide for the poore. Neither can I conceiue any reason to the contrarie: for I thinke they spent no greate tyme in turning ouer manie volumes, to prouide for their Sermons, bicause God gaue to them extraordinarie gyftes of knowledge, vtterance, and suche lyke, necessarie for their function. And if you speake of Deacons nowe, I