3. Temperate.-Not given to much wine.

4. Free from avarice.-Not greedy of filthy lucre.

5. Acquainted with the doctrines of the Gospel.-Holding the mystery of the faith, that is, the Gospel.

6. Honestly attached to the doctrines of the Gospel.-Holding the mystery of the faith in, or with, a pure conscience.

7. Of a fair Christian reputation.-Brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report: pagrugspevɣs, well reported of, or having an unblemished character: being found blameless; aveyxλnra VTES, being unaccused, or irreproachable.

8. They ought to be proved, antecedently to their introduction into office. And let these also first be proved.

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An ancient, perhaps the original, mode of proof was this. The name of the candidate was published in a Christian assembly; that, if those, who belonged to it, had any thing to object to his character, they might have an opportunity of declaring it to the Church. But as no mode is prescribed by the Apostle; and as the end of the trial is a thorough knowledge of the candidate's character; whatever will accomplish this end in a satisfactory manner is undoubtedly sufficient. The accomplishment of the end is, however, always to be insisted on.

9. They are required to be husbands of one wife.

In an age, when Polygamy was so common, this direction was important.

10. They ought to be such, as rule well their own families.-Ruling their children, and their own houses, well.

III. The purposes, for which this office was established, are the following.

1. They were, I apprehend, intended, in various respects, to be assistants to Ministers.

I have given this as an opinion; and am well aware, that it has been, and probably will hereafter be, disputed. My reasons for it, are the following.

First. I derive it from the directions, given by St. Paul concerning the character of the officer.

It must have struck every person, who has read attentively the character of Deacons, insisted on by St. Paul, that it strongly resembles that of a Bishop, or Minister, presented to us in the

same chapter, and also in the first of the Epistle to Titus, so as in most particulars to be the same. All that, which is required in the character of a Deacon, is, together with some important additions, also required in that of a Bishop. So far as the character in both cases is the same, it is fairly presumed to be necessary to the same ends.

Particularly, I see no reason, why Deacons should be required to be such, as hold the mystery of the faith, a direction, given concerning Bishops, Tit. i. 9, unless this qualification was to be employed in some manner, and degree, for the same ends. In a Bishop this qualification is required, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort, and to convince gainsayers. There is undoubtedly no warrant given to Deacons in the Scriptures to preach. But there are a multitude of religious instructions, of very great importance, which are to be given to many persons, and on many occasions, and which still are remote from preaching. Of these the most formal is that class of instructions, which are appropriately styled catechetical. Another class is made up of the teaching, immediately given in private religious assemblies. Another still may be sufficiently described by the word occasional. In all these it would seem, that Deacons might with great propriety act: and, unless they were to act in these, or some other similar modes, it seems difficult to explain why they should be required to possess skill and soundness in the Gospel; or how the Church should know, that they sustained this character.

Secondly. I argue the same thing from the nature of their office.

Men of such a character, as Deacons, are required to possess, and acting continually as Ecclesiastical officers, cannot fail of obtaining a considerable influence in the Church. Influence is one of the principal means of doing good in the present world. This influence can be exerted in no manner, which is more natural or of better efficacy, than that which has been mentioned.

Thirdly. I argue the same thing from Ecclesiastical history. Ancient Ecclesiastical writers style Deacons ministers of the Mysteries of Christ, of the Episcopate, and of the Church. They

attended the Presbyters in the sacramental service, received the offerings of the people, and presented them to the Presbyter; and in some Churches read the Gospel both before, and after, the Communion service; and in some cases administered Baptism. In all these, and in a variety of other services, which they performed, they evidently sustained the character of assistants to the Minister. It is immaterial to the present purpose, whether these were the most proper services for Deacons to perform; the general character of assistants being the only thing, at which I here aim. This being admitted, the nature of the case may sufficiently explain the kind of assistance, from time to time, to be furnished. It may not, however, be improperly observed, that there are many occasions, some in public, and more in private, religious assemblies, on which Deacons may profitably, as well as becomingly, act as assistants to the Minister, by praying with those who are assembled; especially when he is absent or infirm. They may greatly aid him, also, by learning, and communicating to him, as they did in ancient times, the state of his congregation; particularly, their errors, dangers, wants, and distresses.

2. Deacons, in the absence of the Minister, and of Ruling Elders, where such Officers exist, are by their office, moderators of the Church.

3. It is their proper business to distribute the Sacramental elements to the communicants.

This they have done in all ages of the Church. Anciently, they not only distributed the elements to the communicants present, but carried them, also, to those who were ab

sent.

4. The great duty of this office is the distribution of the alms of the Church to its suffering members.

The Scriptures abound in directions to Christians to provide liberally for the relief of their fellow-christians; although most of these directions have been unfortunately misunderstood to enjoin only the distribution of common charity. This mistake, one would suppose, would be easily rectified by a single passage. As we have opportunity, says St. Paul, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Gal. vi.

10. To the same purpose we have a more particular direction, given in 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2, Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.

Of this injunction, I remark,

First. That it appears to have been a general direction; so far at least, as the contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem was concerned. The Apostle, with respect to this contribution, had before given the same order to the churches of Galatia: and the churches of Macedonia, and Achaia, had embarked in the same design; as we are informed Romans xv. 26. The same thing seems to have been finally adopted, as a matter of system, by the Apostles Peter, James, and John, in conjunction with St. Paul, when he was at Jerusalem, the second time after his conversion. They would, said St. Paul, that we should remember the poor; the same, which I was always forward to do.

But, if we had no other directions concerning this subject in the sacred volume, the history, contained in the text, would be amply sufficient. The very purpose, for which the office was instituted in the Christian Church, was the distribution of its alms: an employment highly honourable and evangelical. That this employment was to be universal in the Church, and that its poor members were always to receive the benefit of it, is clearly taught, in the 5th chapter of the first Epistle to Timothy, by the directions, given concerning the reception of widows into the number of the poor, supported by the Church.

This duty of Deacons is also enjoined in Rom. xii. 8, He that giveth; μsradides, distributeth; let him do it with simplicity, that is, with disinterestedness and impartiality; or perhaps, as in the margin, liberally, and he that sheweth mercy, that is, relieves the sick, the afflicted, the widow, and the fatherless, let him do it with cheerfulness. The business of distributing, and of showing mercy, was especially the business of this office. Private bounty was to be given to the necessitous by the authors of it, at their own pleasure but the bounty of the Church was to flow through its Deacons, as its own proper almoners.

The primitive Christians obeyed the injunctions, requiring

this duty, in a manner becoming their profession. They received their fellow-christians, when travelling, into their houses; and made them welcome to such accommodations, as their circumstances permitted. They continually made feasts of charity, to which every Christian present was of course invited; raised weekly contributions, and conveyed them to their necessitous brethren by officers, whose especial business it was to see, that all were impartially, and effectually, relieved. With a similar care, and benevolence, they administered relief to sufferers in every other situation.

This conduct, being a novelty in the world, and no less honourable than beneficial, strongly attracted the attention of the Heathen; and extorted from them this high proverbial commendation:"See, how these Christians love one another." The emperor Julian, an apostate from Christianity, and therefore a bitter enemy to it, acknowledges the fact in terms, extremely honourable to the cause, which he so earnestly laboured to destroy.

"If," said he," Hellenism," that is, the religion of the Heathen," does not prosper according to our wish, it is the fault of those who profess it. Why do we not look to that, which has been the principal cause of the augmentation of impiety;" that is, the Christian Religion; "humanity to strangers, care in burying the dead, and that sanctity of life, of which they make such a show? It is a shame, that, when the impious Galileans,” that is, Christians," relieve not only their own people, but ours also, our poor should be neglected by us."

Again he says, "It having so happened, as I suppose, that the poor were neglected by our Priests, the impious Galileans, observing this, have addicted themselves to this kind of humanity; and by the show of such good offices have recommended the worst of things:" that is, the Christian Religion. "For beginning with their love feasts, and the ministry of tables, as they call it, (for not only the name, but the thing, is common among them,) they have drawn away the faithful to impiety :" that is, Heathens to Christianity.

We have here the strongest evidence, that the ancient Christians, down to the days of Julian, maintained the charity of the