A reply to an answer made of M. Doctor Whitgifte Against the admonition to…A replye to an ansvvere made of M. Doctor VVhitgifte Against the admonition to…

In deed upon this point whether he be a good or an evil minister it dependeth not / but on this point / whether he be a minister or no / dependeth not only the dignity / but also the being of the sacrament: so that I take the baptism of women / to be no more the holy sacrament of baptism / then I take any other daily or ordinary washing of the child. Neither let any man think / that I have at unawares slipped into this asseveration / or that I have forgotten / that soon after the times of the Apostles / it was the use of certain churches / that deacons should baptise in the time of necessity (as they call it.) For as for the baptism of deacons / I hold it to be lawful / for because although (as it is with us) they give him the name of deacon / yet in deed he is / as he then was in the elder times a minister / and not a deacon. And although he did then provide for the poor / and so had two functions (which was not meet) yet his office ought to be esteemed of the principal part of his function / which was preaching and ministering of the Sacraments / in certain cases. And as for the baptising by lay men / considering that it is not only against the word of God / but also founded upon a false ground / and upon an imagined necessity (which is none in deed) it moveth me nothing at all / although it be very ancient / for so much as the substance of the sacrament depended chiefly of the institution and word of God / which is the form / and as it were the life of the Sacrament / of which institution this is one / and of the chief parts / that it should be celebrated by a minister. For although part of the institution / in that the name of the holy Trinity is called upon / be observed: yet if the whole institution be not / it is no more a Sacrament / then the papists communion was / which celebrating in one kind / took a part of the institution / and left the other. And for so much as S. Paul sayeth / ¹that a man can not preach which is not sent / no not although he speak the words ⟨p. 145⟩of the scripture and interpret them: so I can not see / how a man can baptise / unless that he be sent to that end / although he pour water and rehearse the words which are to be rehearsed in the ministry of baptism.

In deede vpon thys poynt whether he be a good or an euill mynister it dependeth not / but on thys poynt / whether he be a mynister or no / dependeth not only the dignitie / but also ye being of the sacrament: so that I take the baptisme of women / to be no more the holy sacrament of baptisme / then I take any other daily or ordinary washing of the childe. Neyther lette any man thincke / that I haue at vnwares slipped into thys asseueration / or that I haue forgotten / that sone after the times of the Apostles / it was the vse of certayne churches / that deacons should baptise in the tyme of necessitie (as they call it.) For as for the baptisme of deacons / I holde it to be lawfull / for because although (as it is wyth vs) they geue hym the name of deacon / yet in deede he is / as he then was in the elder tymes a mynister / and not a deacon. And although he dyd then prouide for the poore / and so had two functions (which was not meete) yet hys office ought to be esteemed of the principall part of hys function / which was preaching and mynistring of the Sacramentes / in certen cases. And as for the baptysing by lay men / consydering that it is not only agaynst the word of God / but also founded vpon a false grounde / and vpon an imagined necessitie (which is none in deede) it moueth me nothing at all / although it be very auncient / for so much as the substance of the sacrament depended cheefely of the institution and worde of God / which is the forme / and as it were the life of the Sacrament / of which institution thys is one / and of the cheefe partes / that it should be celebrated by a mynister. For although part of the institution / in that the name of the holy Trinitie is called vpon / be obserued: yet if the whole institution be not / it is no more a Sacrament / then the papistes communion was / which celebrating in one kynde / tooke a part of the institution / and left the other. And for so much as S. Paule sayeth /