were well informed of the fact, often announced to them by their Master, that their city was soon to be destroyed, their country overrun, and the nation dispersed, so that their property would be of no further value to them. Besides this, they subjected themselves, by uniting with Christ, not only to persecution and excommunication from the congregation of the Jews, but also to the confiscation of all their earthly possessions. As a measure of economy, precaution, and defence, therefore, by which they could secure the means of life for their own support," All that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men as every man had need."* Thus, and for these reasons, a large common fund was created, the whole of which was placed in the hands of "the twelve." All the disciples, consequently, of every class, were made dependent on the apostles for their necessary sustenance. They were obliged, in addition to all their spiritual duties, to make, daily, an equitable disbursement to each individual at least to every family-to supply the wants of the whole multitude! Some of the dis

* Acts ii. 44, 45.

ciples, doubtless, probably many of them, had, originally, no property, and brought nothing with them into the common stock. Yet, such was the pervading feeling of benevolence, that all were made equal partakers in the benefits of the arrangement. This guardianship devolved upon the apostles, necessarily, a most laborious task. For a season, however, they persevered in its performance. But soon difficulties sprang up. Charges of inattention, and partiality, were preferred against the Hebrews, in which, probably, the apostles felt themselves included. "A murmuring" arose "of the Grecians [Hellenistic Jews] because their widows were neglected in the daily ministrations."* Their cares and toils, before sufficiently arduous, now became insupportable. They instantly saw that they were in danger of sacrificing their influence over the public mind, by assuming to manage the temporal affairs of the Christians. They found also another impediment equally great. A large part of their time, all of which they were sacredly bound to devote to the preaching of the gospel, they were now consuming in mere earthly matters. They

* Acts vi. 1.

determined, therefore, without delay, to change the existing condition of things, and to provide for these newly developed necessities of the church. The measure devised, resulted, under guidance of the Holy Spirit, in the institution of the Deaconship.

"Then" says Luke-" the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said :It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables [Διακονειν τραπέζαις—deacon tables]. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you, seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves, continually, to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multiCude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith, and the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith."*

Acts vi. 2-7.

Such is, briefly, the inspired history of the origin of the Deaconship. We learn from it the incontestible fact that the first deacons were not appointed as ministers of the gospel, nor with any intention of their ever becoming such. If some of them subsequently preached, they did so, not in their character as deacons, but by virtue of authority afterwards conferred upon them as evangelists. To this topic we shall have occasion to recur, and will, therefore, not now pursue it. The deacons were, on the other hand, appointed not simply, as many maintain, to distribute the charities of the church; but expressly and alone, to relieve the apostles of temporal cares, by taking charge of this department of the church's affairsAccordingly we see their duties defined, in the reasons assigned for creating the office, as the opposite of those which they reserved to themselves. If we, said they, continue to “serve tables," we must "leave" preaching "the word of God.” We cannot accomplish both. Let the Deacons serve the "tables" of the people. They can do that, fully as well as we can, probably better. "And we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word"-exclusively to the service of preaching the gospel. The deacons,

therefore, were originally not preachers, nor merely conservators for the poor, but had the administration of the property of the church, which they conducted, as the divinely authorized agents, for the benefit of the whole community.

In these conclusions we are sustained, not only by the word of God, but, also, by the involuntary assent even of those who adopt a practice the opposite of that which we advocate. For example, Burkitt, a deservedly popular commentator of the English church, says: "The deacons were, at first, instituted for the service of the poor; the alms of the church were brought to the altar, the deacons received them, and distributed them among the aged, and impotent, from house to house."* Here he fully confesses that they were not ministers; but he falls into the opposite error. Dr. Dick, in his Theology, remarks, on this subject, "It is true, indeed, that, as the design of the institution was not to divert the attention of the apostles from the ministry of the word, the care of all temporal matters in which the church is concerned, may be considered as belonging to deacons." Why, then, it may be asked, have

* On 1 Tim. iii. 8.

+ Vol. ii. p. 498-9.