DEACONS, literally servants, meant, in apostolic times, properly those officers of a congregation or church that had the charge of collecting and the alms, and of taking care of the poor and the sick. The office, therefore, was nota clerical one, the term deacon or servant may have been at times applied to teachers as was, which has the same meaning. The limitations of the office of deacon to the functions above specified, continued to be recognized as late as the council of Trullanam, 692. The church of Jerusalem chose at first seven deacons, individuals of whom, no doubt, as Philip, also taught and baptized, but only because they were evangelists as well as deacons. The number seven continued to be adhered to in all churches. During the 2d and 3d centuries, the duties falling to the deacons had considerably increased; and since as confidential attendants and helpers of the bishops, they had risen into consequence, it became necessary to divide the various functions among an archdeacon, deacons, amp subdeacons. Deacons might now dispense the bread and wine at the communion, but not consecrate them. They had to receive the offerings and presents for the bishop, to keep the sacred vessels, to chant the introductory formulas of public worship, and to take the oversight of the morals of the congregation; and they were allowed, in many cases, with the leave of the bishop, to preach and baptize, and receive penitents into the communion of the church.
At an early period, the offices of archdeacon and deacon were considered to belong to the higher orders of consecration (ordines majores): this was not the case with that of subdeacon till after the 12th century. At the consecration of a deacon, the sacred vessels are handed to him as symbols of his office. The peculiar robes are the dalmatiea and the stole. In Protestant churches, the position of deacons varies. Among Presbyterians, their place is usually supplied by the elders; but in some Presbyterian churches (e.g., the Free church of Scotland), the offices of elder and deacon are kept distinct. In the church of England. a deacon is a clergyman receiving a special form of ordination, but differing in effect from a regular priest only from not being allowed to consecrate the elements at the communion, or pronounce the absolution or benedic tion. For this, as well as for holding any benefice or church-preferment, priest's orders i are necessary. The office is of little importance, except as affording an interval of bation before to priest's orders. Before *person can be.pppointed deacon in the English church, he must have reached the age of 23, and he usually remains in this office one year at least.