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…

But Master Doctor heareth with his left ear / and readeth with his left eye / as though his right eye were pulled out / or his right care cut of. For otherwise the other words which they have touching this matter / might easily have been expounded by the argument & matter which they handle. Of ministering of the sacraments in private places & by women / I have spoken before / there remaineth therefore only in this section / to speak of the deacons / that they ought not to minister the sacrament. Which although I have done partly before / & partly afterward will do / when I shall show that it appertaineth not to them to minister the word / and therefore not the sacraments (being things the ministry whereof ought not to be severed) yet I will in a word answer those arguments that M. Doctor bringeth for to prove that they may minister the sacraments. Whereof the first is / that Phillip in the. 8. of the Acts baptised. There is great doubt amongst writers / which Phillip that was that S. Luke mentioneth in ¹the eight chapter of the Acts of the Apostles: But I grant him to be y• Phillip / that was the deacon & answer that he was no deacon then. For the church of Jerusalem whereof he was deacon / being scattered / he could be no more deacon of it / or distribute the money that was collected for the poor of the church. And further I answer that he was afterward an Evangelist / and therefore preached not by virtue of his deaconship (whose calling is not to preach) but by that he was an Evangelist / whose office put upon him a necessity of preaching. After you say that deacons are not permitted with us to celebrate the Lords supper / and why then should they be suffered to minister baptism? as if the one sacrament were not as precious as the other. This is a miserable rending a sunder of those things / which God hath joined together / not only to separate the ministry of the sacraments from the word / but also the ministry of one sacrament from an other.

But Mayster Doctor heareth with hys left eare / and readeth with hys left eye / as though hys right eye were pulled out / or hys ryght care cut of. For otherwyse the other wordes which they haue touching thys matter / myght easely haue bene expoūded by the argumēt & matter which they handle. Of mynistring of the sacramentes in priuate places & by women / I haue spoken before / there remayneth therefore only in thys section / to speake of the deacons / that they ought not to minister the sacramēt. Which although I haue done partly before / & partly afterward will do / when I shall shew that it appertayneth not to them to minister the worde / and therefore not the sacramentes (being things the mynistery whereof ought not to be seuered) yet I will in a worde answere those arguments that M. Doctor bryngeth for to proue that they may mynister the sacramentes. Whereof the fyrst is / that Phillip in the. 8. of the Acts baptysed. There is great doubt amongst wryters / which Phillip that was that S. Luke mentioneth in