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…

To the sections beginning in the. 118. page / and holding on until the. 123. page.

To the sections beginning in the. 118. page / and holding on vntill the. 123. page.

It was before showed that of the governors of the church / there were some ⟨p. 190⟩whose charge pertained unto the whole church / of the which we have spoken: some other / whose charges extend but to a part of the church / that is unto the poor / and these are the deacons. And as in the former part I showed there were two kinds / so in this latter part the same is to be noted / that of those whose charge was over the poor / some had charge over all the poor of the church (as those which are called deacons) some had charge over the poor strangers / and those poor which were sick only / and those S. Paul calleth in one place Deaconesses / and in an other place widows. For the deacons did distribute unto the necessities as well of the poor strangers and the sick poor / as unto the other ¹poor of the church. And the widows did employ their labours to the washing of the feet of the strangers / and attending upon the poor which were sick / and had no friends to keep them. First I will speak of the deacons / & whereas M. Doctor crieth out of dallying with the scriptures / for alleging the. 8. verse of the twelfth unto the Romans / to prove deacons / affirming that there is no word of them: Truly I can find no words to set forth this so gross ignorance. And had it not been enough for M. Doctor to have uttered this ignorance / but he must also with an outcry proclaim it / and as it were spread the banner of it? What do these words note (he that distributeth in simplicity) but the office of the deaconship. For in that place S. Paul reckoneth up all the ordinary and perpetual offices of the church / as the office of the doctor / of the pastor / of the deacon / of the elder / and leaveth not out so much as the widow / which he comprehendeth in these words (showing mercy). If the authors of the Admonition do daily with the scriptures in this place / surely Master Calvin / M / Beza / M. Bucer / Peter Martyr. &c. do dally with them. And shall all these be esteemed to play with the scriptures / and M. Doctor only to handle them seriously? And as M. Doctors ignorance appeareth in this place / so his mind not desirous of the truth / but seeking to cavil / doth as manifestly show it self.