The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-09-22
From the Southern Presbyterian Review.
THE DEACON'S OFFICE IN THE CHURCH
OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
(coNTINUED.)

We are prepared, therefore, to examine
such considerations as may be adduced to
move our church sessions or other courts to
put this clause of the Constitution into opera
ton, without waiting for the adoption of the
New Book, or other needed reforms.
l. And the first reason-the controlling
consideration, in fact witk us all, as holding
to Presbyterian Church Government, eStab-
lshed "ji1rs diuinO' is that such manage
ment of church funds is fairly implied in
the transaction recorded in Acts vi, 1-6:
{" And in those days, wnen the number of
the disciples was multiplied, there arose
murmuring of the Grecians against the He
brews, because their widows were neglected
in the daily ministration. 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 ia
bles. Therefore, brethren, look ye out from
among you seven men of honest report, full
of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom, whom we
may appoint over this business. But we will
give ourselves continually to prayer, and to
the ministry of the word. And the saying
pleased the whole multitude, and they chose
Stephen, man full of faith and the Holy
Ghost, and Philip, and ProchOrus, and Nj
canor, and TimOn, and Parmenas, and Mic
olas proselyte of Antioch; whom they set
before the apostles; and when they had
prayed, they laid their hands on them. =
We shall quote Professor Wilson's expOsi-
ton of this leading proOf-text:
"This passage contains the history of the
appointment of the first deacOns of the New
Testament Church. That we may have a
complete view of this transaction, We must
20 back little, and ascertain what was the
} daily ministration' of verse l., the serving
of tables, of verse H., and the business Of
verse iii. This we learn from chap. Ii. A,
45: And all that believed were together,
and had all things common and sold their
possessions and goods, and parted them to all
men. as every man had need And chap.
iv. 32-37: And the multitude of them that
believed were of one heart and of one soul /:
neither said any of them that aught of the
things which he possessed was his own but
they had all things common. And with
great power gave the apostles witness OF the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great
grace was upon them all. Neither was there
apy among them that lacked: for as many as
were possessors of lands or houses sold them,
and brought the prices of the things that
were sold, and laid them down at the apos-
tles feet and distribution was made unto
every man according as he had need, etc
From these passages it appears that the
{. daily ministration' was the management, for
public purposes, of common fund, created
by the contributions of the disciples; that
fron this stock all the ecclesiastical expenses
were betrayed, and, likewise, the poor, il
there were any, supported. The apostles
and other ministers were supported from this
fund, and the other charges land there must
have been some, attendant upon the dispen'
sation of the Lord Supper, and other ordi'
nances, were, uuquestionably, betrayed out
of il. for there was no other source whence
they could be drawn. 1t is plainly impOs
sible that there could have been any fund al
that time distinct from this common stock
or another fund under the control of distinct
officers, such as the trustees or committees o.
modern times. Such officers could not have
existed. The funds required for the promo
tion of the good of the whole body, and tt
meet all demands upon the Church, were
thrown together at the apostles feet
Indeed, the very circumstance that il
sometimes relied upon as favoring the view
that the widows we're chiefly concerned il
this ministration, namely, that when the.
we're neglected, the deacons were appoint
ed, is, of itself, enough to show that thi
business was not merely attending to tn
, poor. For then it would follow that tn
apostles had altogether neglected to atten
to the very object for which the contribu
tions were thrown at their feet This
1T is not properly within the scope of this pape
to warn the reader against the of mistaking tn
purport of this record as to community of good;
2 There is not word here or elsewhere In the Me-
Testament epjoining such course. Every wher
> we ind the apostle slluding to matters under tn
notion of private property and discussing the dutie
entailed upon its possessors. And even in the Cal
ryng out of this spontaneous resolve of the zealou
- brethren, the apostles record the acknowledgement
of the rights Of ivste property, as VIII n Peter,
}, Acts " 4: ''Whiles it remained, was it not thin
own and after it sold, was it not IN thine ow
. powerP" The Communism of the Roman CathoG
q orders aud OF the Quakers ind precedent here.