"Because baptismal character is eternal the sacramental intesification of that character in ordination is equally as permanent." [Quote p. 26]
"The orders of deacons priests and bishops exist in relationship to the whole church from within and have no life of their own apart from the church. ... [They] have their own integrity but ... such integrity is based ... upon a clarity of function from within the church." [Quote p 25 abbreviated to clarify a tangle of double negatives]
"When two priests are at the disposal of the assembly one should preside and the other should serve as the deacon being careful to respect the specific roles that tradition has assigned to each order." [Quote p. 28]
Alexander outlines the history of the diaconate from the earliest times and attacks the 'cursus honorem' the proposition that orders of ministry are rungs on a ladder. He would like to see -"a change in the canons of the Episcopal Church that would relieve the prerequisite for all persons ordained priest to be ordained deacon first ... but because it appears to be a far greater departure from tradition than it may in fact be there is no reason to expect that such a change will ever be legislated." [Quote p 29]