Julian Period, 4745. Vulgar Æra, 32. among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles Jerusalem. forth a little space; 35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. 36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. 38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought": 39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. 40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. SECTION XVIII. The appointment of seven Deacons. ACTS Vi. 1-6. 1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples Old died, the honour of the law failed, and purity and Phari- They tell us that Rabban Gamaliel the Old died eighteen (a) The Talmudists say, he succeeded his father, and was president of the council.-See Biscoe on the Acts, vol. ii. p. 220. כל עצה שהא לשם,It was a common saying among the Jews 29 D`phab 910 Dw, omne consilium, quod ad gloriam Dei sus- p. 424. Jalian Pe- was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians Jerusalem. riod, 4745. against the Hebrews, because their widows were negVulgar Era, 32. lected in the daily ministration. 2 Then 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. 3 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 30. 30 We now read the first account of the election of any order of men in the Christian Church, from among its own members. The Apostles and the Seventy had been ordained to their sacred work by their divine Master himself. The increased number of converts now made additional assistance necessary, and the manner in which the seven were set apart deserves both the attention and imitation of every Society united together in the name of Christ. It is the misfortune of the Christian Church, that every, even the most minute point, has been made the subject of controversy; we must begin therefore our inquiry into the nature of the office to which the Seven were appointed, by endeavouring to ascertain from what body of men they were selected, before they were set apart by the apostles. It has been questioned whether they were of the seventy-of the hundred and eight, who, together with the apostles, composed the number of the hundred and twenty upon whom the Spirit fell at the day of Pentecost-or, of the general mass of converts, now added to the Church. Lightfoot (a) supposes them to have been of the hundred and twenty. These he observes were they that were of Christ's constant retinue, and "companied with him all the time that he went in and out among them ;" and who, being constant witnesses of his actions, and auditors of his doctrine, were appointed by him for the ministry. These are they that the story meaneth all along in these passages, "They were all together"-" They went to their company"-" Look ye out among yourselves"-" They were all scattered abroad, except the apostles"-" They which were scattered abroad, preached," &c. The Jews say, "Ezra's great synagogue was of a hundred and twenty men." And their canons allow not the setting up of a Sanhedrim of three and twenty judges in any city, but where there were a hundred and twenty men fit some for one office and employment, some for another (b). If we may give credit to Epiphanus, the seven deacons were of the number of the Seventy. If this was the case, and if they had been made partakers of the miraculous gifts, they were already invested with the power both of preaching and administering the sacraments. No imposition of hands therefore was necessary to set them apart for this office. The fact seems to be, that the difficulties and embarrassments arising from the incipient disputes between the widows of the Hellenists and of the Hebrews, might have increased so much, and excited so much dissension and unkindness, that it became necessary to select some of the next rank to the apostles, and appoint them for this express purpose. The general opinion however is, that the deacons were chosen from among the general mass of believers. The second and the following verses are thus paraphrased by Hammond-And the twelve apostles calling the Church together, said unto them, we have resolved, or decrced, that it is no Julian Pe 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and Jerusalem. riod, 4745. to the ministry of the word: Vulgar Era, 32. way fit or reasonable, that we should neglect the preaching of Therefore do you nominate to us seven men, faithful and And by that means we shall be less disturbed, or interrupted, in our daily employment of praying and preaching the Gospel. The general opinion, as it is here expressed by Hammond, certainly is, that the deacons were selected from among the mass of believers ; and that the Greek words το πλῆθος τῶν μαθητῶν, here rendered the multitude of the disciples, refers to the community or society of Christians, called sometimes Távres, the All, (1 Tim. v. 20.) πλɛïoves, the many, (2 Cor. ii. 6.) and sometimes xpisiávo, Christians, or followers of Christ; and also Matt. xviii. 17. επiríμia vño návтwv πλɛióvwv, before the Church. From whatever body of men the deacons were selected, the narrative before us informs us of two important facts. The utmost caution was used on the part of the apostles, to prevent the admission of inferior or unworthy men into the offices of the Christian Church. The apostles, the heads of the Church, prescribed the qualifications for the office, the people chose the persons who were thus worthy, and the apostles ordained them to the appointed office. Every Church we infer, therefore, is entitled, and is bound to follow this plan of conduct. Its ecclesiastical heads are the sole judges and directors of the qualifications required for the fulfilment of any sacred office; the persons who are to fill those offices must be taken from the general mass of the people, and they are then, when thus known and approved, to be set apart by prayer, and laying on of the hands of those to whom that power is rightly committed. Till they are thus set apart, their own qualifications, and the general approbation of the people, do not constitute their right of admission to the offices of the Christian Church. If Scripture is to be our guide in matters which concern Christian societies, as well as in those which interest us as individuals, these are the directions it has for ever given to the Churches of Christ, in every nation, wherever its sacred pages have been imparted. The apostles alone called the Church together, and gave them directions to look out from among them seven men of good report, specifying at the same time their necessary endowments and numbers; and reserving to themselves the power of appointing them to the sacred office. And when we consider that the gifts of the Holy Ghost were one indispensable qualification, and may be regarded as the præelection to some sacred function; no possible authority can be derived from this portion of Scripture to sanction the laity in taking upon themselves the choice and appointmeut of their respective ministers. The same rules which were on the present occasion prescribed, we have reason to suppose, were observed likewise in the nomination of bishops and deacons in other Churches. For in St. Paul's Epistle to Timothy and Titus, we read he desires the bishop who ordains, to inquire most parti Jalian Period, 4745. Valgar Era, 32. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and Jerusalem. cularly into the character of those who were admitted into the We are now to inquire into the nature and extent of the dea- The evidence of the Fathers is no less clear; their writings Julian Pe- they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Jerusalem. riod, 4745. Vulgar Æra, 32. sages of Scripture, which relate the opinion or practice in ques- In answer to those who consider that the order of deacons is Many other similar references might be given; but it is only Mosheim has endeavoured to shew that the seven deacons |