The thyrd poynte in this Deaconshyp is, whether it be a necessary office in the churche or for a tyme only, which controuersie should not haue bene, if M. Doctors Englyshe tongue had bene a∣greable with his latine. For in a certayne latine pamphlet of his, wherof I spake before, he maketh the Deaconship a necessary office and such as ought not to be takē out of the church: here he * 1.1 sin∣geth an other song, there, because he thought the necessitie of the Deacon made for hym, hee woulde needes haue Deacons: here, because it maketh against him, he sayth there is no neede of thē, wher∣by appeareth howe small cause there is that M. Doctor should vpbrayde the authors of the Admo∣nition with mutabilitie and discorde with them selues. But that this office is durable & perpetual, it may appeare by that which I haue alledged before out of the fixt of Timothie, for the necessitie of Elders, for the argumentes serue to proue the necessitie of those orders which are there set forthe, whereof the Deacon is one.
The onely thing that is spoken in that latin booke, touching the continuance of Deacons in the Churche, is this, that they are not mentioned in the fourth to the Ephe∣sians, and yet they may not be taken out of the Churche. In my Answere to the Admo∣nition, I saye that this parte of the office of a Deacon which consisteth in prouiding for the poore, is not so necessary nowe as it was in the Apostles tyme. My englyshe tongue agreeth very well with my latine tongue, for any sig∣nification of dissention that is here vttered. I am fully perswaded that the office of a Deacon is to be reteyned in the churche, for it is a degrée to the ministerie, which con∣sisteth in Preaching, Baptizing, and helping the ministers in other functions of the churche, as I haue shewed. But yet I saye that this parte of the office, whiche consi∣steth in prouiding for the poore, is not so necessary vnder a Christian prince, when better prouision is made, as it is vnder a Tyrant and in time of persecution. Ther∣fore I sing one and the selfe same song, but you would gladly espye out the contrary if it were possible.
To your allegation out of the sixte of Timothie, I haue answered fully: it is but a conceyte of yours whiche your selfe wyll mislike when you be better aduised.