3. What were the special duties of the deacon's office ? On this head want of information pre cludes our arriving at any very satisfactory conclu sion. It is easy to say that the duty of the deacon was to manage the temporal affairs of the church, whilst its spiritual affairs were in the hands of the Apostles and presbyters ; but when some evidence of this is asked, none can be presented that pos sesses the least weight. When it is considered that the qualifications required for a deacon, ac cording to the Apostle's specification, are almost as high as those required for a bishop (I Tim. iii.), we can hardly believe that the duties of the former were confined to, or chiefly occupied with, mere temporal affairs ; while the latter had the spiri tual wholly for his sphere. It may be asked also, if the deacon's office were conversant solely with the temporal affairs of the church, how was he, in conducting it, especially to acquire ' great boldness in the faith?' Is this at all a consequence of keep ing a church's accounts correctly, or dispensing a church's charity wisely ? 4. But if the office of the deacon was spiritual, we must ask, In what respect did it differ from that of the presbyter ? That the deacon and pres byter were different follows necessarily from the identification of the latter with the bishop [BISHOP], from whom the deacon is expressly distinguished in both the passages where his office is mentioned. It seems also clear that the office of deacon was a subordinate one, and constituted the lowest step in the official gradation ; for if it were not so, what force would there be in the Apostle's statement, that they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase for themselves a good degree (134.1hv naMv 7reporotavrat, gradurn ab humilitate diaconix ad majora munera in ecclesia,' Bengel) ?* It is evident also that their office did not require them to be public teachers of the church ; for, whilst the bishop is required to be StSanrocbs, all that is required of the deacon in respect of Chris tian doctrine is, that he should ' hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.' Beyond this the N. T. does not enable us to go ; but we learn from authentic sources what the duties of the dea con in the post-apostolic church were. He had to assist the presbyter or bishop in the administration of the Lord's Supper by conveying the eucharistic elements to the communicants (Justin Mart.,
Apol. I., sec. 65, ed. Otto) ; to receive the offer ings of the people, and announce the names of those who offered (Cyprian, Ep. xvi. [al. ix., x., xiv.], sec. 2 ; Jerome, Comment. in Ezek. xviii., p. 537); to take care of the utensils of the altar (Augustin, Quart. V. et N. T.); in some churches, though not in all, the deacons read the Gospel (Jerome, Ep. lvii. ad Sabin.) ; in some they were permitted to baptise (Tertull. De Bap., c. xvii. ; Jerome, Dial. cont. Luelf 6. 4), and in later times other functions were allotted to them (See Bingham ,4ntity. Bk. II., ch. xx.) Whether the deacon was allowed to preach in the church is a doubtful point ; it is probable that bishops might and did occasionally grant permission for this, but that, as a rule, it was not permitted. If we reflect on the Apostolic age the light thus derived from the ages following it, we shall be led to regard the deacon as a spiritual officer subordinate to the presbyter, appointed to assist him in several of his duties, and having a general care of the outward conduct of the service ; eligible to the dignity of presbyter, but only in case of his so commending himself in the office of deacon as to procure for himself such ad vancement.
5. The qualifications required for the office of deacon are specified by the Apostle in r Tim. iii. 8-12. It is enacted that deacons shall be grave, venerable, respected in all the relations of life ; not Mb-you, not thinking one thing and saying another, saying one thing to one man, and another to another, but sincere, truthful, and oncfold ; not addicted to wine ; not alcrxpovepaeis, which some interpret ' getting their livelihood by unlawful means,' but which rather signifies, ' using their office or influence for the sake of gain,' as did those of whom Titus writes (i. r I) ; holding the mystery of the faith (the truth of God revealed to and braced by faith) in a pure conscience ; men who had been proved, and whose character was blished as that of men without reproach ; the bands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. These qualifications evidently are such as fit their possessor for the highest offices in the Church.—W. L. A.