e be no
difference in persons? shall women also be priests? Answer. If thou
desirest to behold Christians, so must thou see no differences, and must
not say, That is a man or a woman, that is a servant or a lord, old or
young. They are all one, simply Christian people. Therefore are they all
priests. They may all publish God's word, save that women shall not
speak in the church, but shall let men preach. But where there are no
men, but women only, as in the nuns' cloisters, there might a woman be
chosen who should preach to them. This is the true priesthood, in which
are the three elements of spiritual offerings, prayer, and preaching for
the Church. _Whoever does this is a priest. You are all bound to preach
the Word, to pray for the Church, and to offer yourself to God._"[22]

There is no mention in Luther's writings, however, of the diaconate of
women. It would be more natural that he should have tried to adjust the
lives of the monks and nuns as he knew of them to the new relations
arising from the Reformation rather than to bring to life an office of
which he had no personal knowledge. This was what he did when he wrote
to the burghers of Herford in Westphalia. In their new zeal they wanted
to drive the inmates from the religious houses, although the latter had
been the means of teaching them the reformed doctrines. In his letter
of January 31, 1532, Luther says: "If the brothers and sisters who are
by you truly teach and hold the true word it is my friendly wish that
you will not allow them to be disturbed or experience bitterness in this
matter. Let them retain their religious dress and their accustomed
habits which are not opposed to the Gospel."[23]

Certainly Luther would have seen no harm in allowing deaconesses the
protection of a special garb.

Passing to another great reformer, Calvin, we find not only references
to deaconesses as filling a "most honorable and most holy function in
the Church," but in the Church ordinances of Geneva, which were drawn up
by him, there is mention of the diaconate as one of the four ordinances
indispensable to the organization of the Church.

In the Netherlands several attempts were made to revive the ancient
office. The General Synod of the Reformed Church at Wesel, in 1568,
first considered the question. A later synod, in 1579, expressly
occupied itself with the work and office of the deaconess, but the
measures taken were not adapted to advance the interests of the caus