The True Form of Church Government, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
THere ought to be in every congregation certaine Deacons, endued with those qualities, which the word of God describeth; whose office is onelyonly in receiving the liberty of the Saints, and destributing it unto the needy, T. C. 1 booke, pag. 190. Discip. Eccles. fol. 119.The first proposition.
This assertion hath two branches, which both are gaine said by our adversaries, the first whereof is this. The office of the Deacon, consisteth onelyonly in receiving and distributing unto the poore, the liberality of the Saints, which they deny Whitgift pag. 582. The booke of ordering, &c. that maketh … a degree of the Ministrie: but the proposition being proved true, maketh their opinion and practise appeare false, which is thu….
1. That wherein Stephen and the rest were imployed, is the office of a Deacon: for the first institution of them by the Apostles, is in that example: But they were onelyonly to attend upon the provision for the poore, Acts 6.4 &c. Therefore the office of the Deacon, is onelyonly to attend upon the distributing the poore, from the libe…alli…y of the Saints.
2. That which the Apostle maketh an ordinary and distinct office from others in the Church, must be attended upon by them, that are in the same office▪ and not bee mingled with any other; but the Apostle Rom. 12.8. maketh destributing in simplicity, such an office as it is expounded by M. Calvin, Beza, Bucer, Martyr. &c. Therefore the Deacons office must bee attended upon, and consequently, it consisteth onelyonly in dist… buting, &c.
3 That which the Apostles found themselves insufficient for, that can no man now discharge in any tollerable measure, for they were more adorned with gifts, then any be now: but they found themselves insufficient for the Ministrie of the word, and destributing unto the poore also, Acts. 6.2. Therefore no man can in any tollerable measure, discha…ge the office of a Minister and Deacon also, and consequently, the Deacon is to attend upon distributing onelyonly.
4. If the Ministeries of the word bee perfect, without the Deacon, then may …ee not meddle in the same, for how may one lawfully labour, in that wherein there is no neede of him: But such is the ministery of the word, where the severall Ministers thereof are named, Ephes. 4.11. wherein the Deacon is not contained, as Whitgift c…nfesseth, pag. 308. & 309. Therefore the Deacon may not meddle with the Ministry of the word, and consequently must be implyed onelyonly in destributing &c.
5. If there be no qualitie required in the perfect description of the Deacon, which is proper to the Ministery of the word, then is not be to medle with the same: But the former is true, as appeareth, 1 Tim. 3.8. Therefore the latter is true a so, and consequently, hee must attend onelyonly upon distributing, &c.
6. If it belong to the Deacons office, to meddle with the Minestery of the word and Sacraments, then it is greater, then that of the pastor, for that the doing of both, requireth greater gifts then the one: But it is not a greater, but inferiour office to the pastor, as appeareth by all those places, wherein they are described, that the Deacon is described after the Bishop: therefore his office is not to meddle with both, and consequently hee must attend upon distributing, &c.
6. Council. constant. cap. 16. 2. Council. vasens. Can. 4. Chrisost. upon Acts. 6.7. Deacons are Ministers of tables, and not of holy things.
8. In the Ministers sicknesse, the Deacons shall roade the Homilies of the Fathers.
9. The Deacons have neede of great wisedome, although the preaching of the word bee not committed unto them: and further, it is absurd that they should doe both the office of Preaching, and caring for the poore, concidering that they bee not able to doe both thorowly.
10. Although the (goods of the CHVRCH increasing) there were besides the Deacons,Pulling▪ decard …. Ser. 2. subdeacons and Archdeacons, and yet the Deacons remained still in their charge for the poore, and were not as yet mingled with the Bishoppes or Priests, and with the order of them which taught.
11. The Office of Deaconshippe, was religiously kept in the CHVRCH,Bu…er de reg. Christ▪ 14. untill it was driven out by Antichrist.
The same de reg. &c. and upon Ephes. 4.12. This Office must of necessitie bee restored as it is described, Acts the Sxth, if England (for hee speaketh it in the behalfe of our Church) will receive the Discipline of Christ.
P. Mart. rem. 1213. Speaking of these Deacons, lamenteth that this order, is so fallen out of the Church that the name doth scarse remaine.
Calvin Insti. lib. 4. cap. 3. sect. 9.14. Describing the Deacons of the Apostles time, saith, that wee after their example, ought to have the like.
15. The office of distributing the goods of the Church, is an ordinary function in a CHVRCH lawfully constituted;Beza Confes. cap. 5. sect. 23. the which Section thirty, hee calleth the Deaconship.
Therefore if Stephen and the rest were imployed,The Conclusion. onelyonly in distributing the goods of the Church; if the Apostle maketh the Deacons office, an ordinary and distinct office from all others in the Church; if the Apostles were not sufficient for the ministery of the word, and distributing; if the ministeries of the word be perfect without the Deacon; if in the description of the Deacon, no qualitie be required, that is proper to a Minister of the word; if to deal in both would make the Deacon a g…eater officer then the Pastor; if the Councels, ancient writers, and the sound writers of latter times, do declare that the Deacons were to be wholly imployed in the distributing of the goods of the Church; then must it needs follow, that his office is not to meddle with any part of the Ministery of the Word and Sacraments, but to attend onelyonly upon the distributing of the liberalitie of the Church, unto them that stand in need thereof.
Their objections hereunto, be these two that follow.
1 Objection. Philip one of the seven Deacons did preach, Act. 8.8. therefore Deacons may preach the Word.
Answer. Philip was a Deacon of the Church at Jerusalem, while they abode together, but now he was not any more so, but an Evangelist, as he is ever tearmed after, by vertue of which office he did preach.
2 Object. Steven, being a Deacon, preached, Act. 7.2.
Answ. He preached not; for all that is there, was but his Apology at the seat of judgement, which every man in the like case may do, and which many of the Martyrs have done.
So that the former proposition being true, upon the grounds alledged, notwithstanding these objections, we are to proceed to the second, which is this.
There ought to be such Deacons (as are described in the former proposition) in every congregation,The 2. proposition. which is thus proved.
1 That office which every congregation hath need of, ought to be in every congregation: But every congregation hath need of the Deacons office, which appeareth by this, that they have poore to provide for (or else they must regard the necessitie of others) and the liberalitie of others to distribute: Therefore Deacons ought to be in every congregation.
2 That which is indefinitely appointed for the good of the Church, belongeth unto every congregation, as well as to any one: But such is the appointment of the Deacons. 1. Tim. 3.8. Therefore there must be Deacons in every congregation.
Ign…t. ad Philadelp.3 Every Church ought to have their office of Deaconship.
4 All the reasons (or the most of them) that are alledged, chap. 10. for a Bishop in every congregation, and chap. 12. for Elders in every congregation; are forcible hereunto.
Therefore, if there be the like need of Deacons in one congregation,The Conclusion. that is in another; if they be appointed indefinitely for the good of the Church; if every Church must have their office of Deaconship, and L…tly, if there be like reasons to prove them belong to every Church, that be for Bishops and Elders: then must it needs follow, that there ought to be Deacons in every congregation.