26 4 CHRISTIAN CHURCH. especially to one who loves the same God also x 1 John iii. 17, 18. Now that this provision for the poor may be managed with regularity, prudence, and success, the light of nature teaches us, that one or more persons of the society should he chosen, to collect such charitable contributions from the assembly, and to distribute it with equity, prudence and goodness, for the support of the poor. And does not the New Testament give a plain command, when the care of the poor of the church at Jerusalem was toa burdensome for the apostles, or ministers of that congregation, to chuse out persons for this purpose, who were afterwards called deacons? Acts vi. 1-6. When some of the widows were neglected in the daily ministrations, orcharitable supply, then the twelve apostles said to the multitude of the disciples, it is not rea- son that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look you out among youmen of honest report, full of the holy Ghost and of wisdom*, whom we may appoint over this business. And when they had chosen them, they set them before the apostles ; and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. There are also particular direc- tions given, what sort of persons should be chosen to this office pf deacons ; their characters are written down at large ; 1 Tim. iii. 8-13. Because it was designed to he a standing office in the christian church through all ages. As the deacons are persons appointed by the New Testa- ment, to take care of the money collected by the church for the supply of the table of the poor, so the sasse persons are very naturally and properly employed in christian churches, to take care also of all other contributions of the society, for the sup- ply of the table of the minister, and of the Lord's-table at the holy communion. With them also are entrusted other necessary expences and outward accommodations that belong to public worship. X. I add yet further, the light of nature and reason teach us, that all the management of religious 'affairs in a society * It is granted that the deacons then chosenat Jerusalem had extraordinary gifts. Stephen was a noble speaker, and might occasionally teach the gospel Philip also was either a preacher then, or might use the office of a deacon well, and so grow up to an evangelist; -Ants vi. 3, 8. and viii. 5-13. 26-36. and thus have power to baptize, verse 38. as is intimated in I Tim. iii. 13. But these powers or ,if:s did not arise from their office as deacons. Some of them had these gifts before, in common with multitudes of converts in the primitive times r. And these gifts might perhaps fit them the better to discern, who were proper, persons to be suppprted out of the churches' stock, and to give a word in season occasionally to the poor, of whom they had the care. But the mereoffice of dea- cons, which consists in assisting the ministers to take care of feeding the poor, and of laying not the public money continues, when these extraordinary gifts are ceased, sod the characters of persons, fit to be chosen do not necessarily include public preaching. Nor rio we find ddaa16a20 or ' aptness to teach,' mentioned among the chataeters of a deacon.
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