The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-10-06
From the Southern Presbyterian Review.
THE DEACON'S OFFICE IN THE CHURCH
OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
CONCLUDED J

CONCLUDED
Two questions remain, to which we shal
give brief replies The first is, Should tn
deacons distribute the bread and wine at tn
Lords table? We shall present our repl,
to this query in the words of Dr.. Arnold W
Miller
"The principal business of deaconS is tt
ssrue tables. The old distinction. current fol
ages past, refers the term tables to three
departments: the table of the Lord, TIT
table of the pastor, and the table of tht
poor. All coguate duties, all duties of the
same class, are embraced in the comprehen
sive definition Of table-service- the table o.
the Lord including not only the furnishing
and distribution of the elements of the com
munion table, but also the care of the sane
tuary vessels, aud entire furniture of the
Lords house, and the providing every thing
necessary to the proper celebration of divine
worship, and Of all the services for the 80
cial and public duties of religion. As the
office of deacon had for so long time
through the culpable negligence of the
Church, fallen into disuse, its duties had to
be discharged by the elder, who, in turn,
neglected, to great extent, his own appro-
pirate work, and came to be known chiefly
to the Church as the officer who served in
the distribution of the sacramental elements
on communion occasions. And to this ser.
vice some of this class cling; for, were il
taken away, their occupation would be gone.
But this is not their business. Visiting the
lock, oversight, and government, are as
signed to them. Table. service is no part Of
government, but belongs to those appointed
by Christ to 'serve tables literally, to
deaconise tables viz, deacons. Some have
objected that this is too sacred service to
be discharged by the deacons. But if the
communicates may distribute the elements,
when received from the minister, among
themselves, as'the Scotch Directory for Wor-
ship prescribes, then the deacons may per-
form the same office for them without en-
croaching upon too sacred service. 'Be-
sides, the scriptural qualifications of deacon
are spiritual, as we'll as those Of the ruling
elder; they must be full of the Holy Ghost,
and of wisdom, 'holdipg the mystery of the
faith in pure Conscience. This objection
comes with better grace from Papist or
Rtualist than from Presbyterian.
"Oshers have objected, that the office of
deacon is contingent, dependent upon Cir
cumstances, if not unnecessary and as the
inferior Office is comprehended in the supe-
rior, may be dispensed with, his duties being
discharged by the ruling elder. This con-
tradicts our Book, which teaches that 8 the
offices of ruling elder and deacon are per-
petual, and cannot be laid aside at pleasure.
If the greater part includes the less, if the
inferior be comprebended in the superior,
then may not only the duties of deacons be
assumed by ruling elders, and the Office of
the former expire, but also the duties of the
ruling elders may be assumed by ministers,
and the office of the former expire! And
this some have even dared to teach Then
all power may be absorbed by the ministry
the monarchical principle against which
Presbyterianism has ever deemed it to be its
vocation and its glory to protest and to re.
sist, be fully enthroned in the Church and
abominable Prelacy or Popery install the
man of sin over the house of God !
off the greater office includes the less,
then the greater officer must possess, not only
all the qualifications, but all the opportuni
ties, too, of all the lesser-otherwis the
Head of the Church has made very imper
feet provision for his Church.
"Others, again, have objected, that Gus
tom now sanctions the discharge of this ser
vice by the elder. But was it the custom o.
the primitive Church? The custom of al
lowing the deaconship to fall into disule, il
many churches, and Of transferring it's dutie
to the elder, is an old custom. And so, tn,
custom of elders distributing the eelements a
the Lords table, and neglecting their OWL
work, may be as old, and as unwarrsntable
too. Abundant testimonies prove that tn
distribution of the elements at the Lord
table pertained to the deacons in the primi
tive Church. The frat witness we adduc'
is Justin Martyr, who wrote his two Apollo
gies for the Christians within fifty years o
the Apostle John. His writings form an i'm
pregnabe bulwark of Presbyterianism, an
furnish a complete refutation of Prelacy, a
they show US but two officers in the Chris
tian Church of his day-presbyters and dea
cons. Describing the administration of tn
Lords Supper, he says: There is the
brought to that one of the brethren who pre-
sides bread and cup of wine mixed wit
water, and he taking them, gives praise an
glory to the Father of the universe, throug
the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghos
and offers thanks at a considerable. lengt
for our being counted worthy to receiv
these things at His hands. And when b
has concluded the prayers and thanksgiving
all the people present express their asser
by saying, Amen. And when he who pr'
sides has given thanks, and all the peopl
, have expressed their assent, those who al
called by US deacons, give to each of thos
present to partake of the bread and wine
and to those who are absent, they carr
? away portion
"Ths one testimony is sufficient to sett
the question, and has been deemed decisiy
, by multitude of learned writers, in varior
5 ages of the Church.
r bingham, in his Antiquities, says; :.
! belonged to the deacons to take care of th
, holy table, and all the ornaments and utel
sils pertaining thereto, and to distribute q
elements to the people, Poole says: 4
the deacons was committed the serving
a tables, the Lords table, and the poors, ct
Annot on Phil. l. John Brown of Haddini
ton, whom DR.. Samuel Miller (of Princeton
terms one of the most decisive, consisten
and devoted Presbyterians that ever lived
: thus speaks The business of the deacon
d is to serve in distributing the elements at Il
e Lords table, and to provide and duly distr
e butte provision to ministers and to the poo
Their work is to manage the temporal atfai
. of the congregation relative to the table OF Il