The officers that have to deal in this charge [ecclesiastical discipline] are chiefly three, ministers, preachers or pastors, of whom before; Seniors or Elders;[16] and Deacons. Concerning Seniors, not only their office but their name also is out of this English church utterly removed. Their office was to govern the church with the rest of the ministers.... Instead of these Seniors in every church, the pope hath brought in and we yet maintain the Lordship of one man over many churches, yea, over sundry shires.... Touching Deacons, though their names be remaining, yet is the office foully perverted and turned upside down; for their duty in the primitive church was to gather the alms diligently, and to distribute it faithfully.... Now it is the first step to the ministry, nay rather a mere order of priesthood.... To these three jointly, that is the Ministers, Seniors and Deacons, is the whole regiment of the church to be committed.... Not that we mean to take away the authority of the civil Magistrate and chief Governor, to whom we wish all blessedness, and for the increase of whose godliness we daily pray: but that, Christ being restored into his kingdom, to rule in the same by the sceptre of his word and severe discipline, the Prince may be better obeyed.... Amend therefore these horrible abuses and reform God’s church, and the Lord is on your right hand.... Is a reformation good for France? and can it be evil for England? Is discipline meet for Scotland? and is it unprofitable for this realm? Surely God hath set these examples before your eyes, to encourage you to go forward to a thorough and a speedy reformation. You may not do as heretofore you have done, patch and piece, nay rather go backward and never labour or contend to perfection. But altogether remove whole Antichrist, both head, body and branch, and perfectly plant that purity of the word, that simplicity of the sacraments, and severity of discipline, which Christ hath commended and commanded to His church. THE ANGLICAN POSITION (1572). =Source.=--John Whitgift: _An Answere to a certen Libel intituled, An Admonition to the Parliament_, 1572. Pp. 34, etc.