The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-09-22

clple. We have 10 tDe New Testament
class of cffice. bearers, concerning whom VI
are expressly told that they were appointed
to take charge of financial matters. They
have no other duty. Concerning no Other
Office have we any intimation of appointment
for such work. We read, it is true, in
Acts XII, of collections made at Antioch fol
the suffering brethren at Jerusalem, being
sent up to the elders there. But, without
stopping TO question how far the action Of
these uninspired Christians at Antioch fur
nishes precedent, it is evident that such a
fund must have been placed in the hands Of
the deacons who had been appointed about
ten years before in this church for this very
',business." The elders may have been a
presbytery, presiding over many congrega-
tions in Jerusalem For these ten years had
witnessed the conversion Of many thousands
to Christ, and tits impossible to suppose that
they attempted worsAipping together. No
hall could have contained them-no voice
could have reached them in the narrow
streets. The funds we're probably sent to
the body of elders who had the oversight of
the several congregations in the city, in
order that they might be distributed equit
ably among the various congregations.
1t has been supposed, in opposition to the
views of the eminent scholars cited by Prof
Wilson, that, at the time Of the appointment
of deacons, there were elders in charge OF
such funds as were not expressly given to
the newly ordained otfceas. And from this
it is inferred that the church session ought
now to control all funds except those intend
ed for the poor. But to this it is sufficient
to reply, that proof is wanted for the pre-
sence of any such ordinary officers at the
time of the appointmen of deacons. 1t was
only few months after Pentecost, and it
would seem likely that the apostles and the
seventy evangelists sufficed for the spiritual
control of the body of disciples. So far as
we can see, the deacon was needed before
the ordinary prcsbyter, and so was first ap-
pointed The brief sketch of apostolic his
tory gives no notice of the first appointment
of elders; but they seem to have made their
appearance at some time between the estab-
lishment of the daconase and the year of
Paul's carrying up aims to the needy saints
at Jerusalem, which was about ten years
after.
The conclusiveness of this argument is not
materially affected if, with DR.. Arnold W.
Miller and many others, We understand that
Acts vi: 1-6, gives US hasty notice of the
appointment of the first Grecian deacons,
while implying that Hebrew deacens had,
from the beginning, charge of this business
"Many pcrsons,' aayssthe Doctor in his
papers on the Deacons, without sufficient
examination, entertain the opinion that this
Office was for the first time introduced into
the Church of God on the occasion recorded
in the sixth chapter of Acts. This is to over
look the fact which has been abundantly
proved by learned Jewish and Christian
writer's, Maimmonides, Vitringa, Lightfoot,
Harmon, Adam Clarke, Neapder, Mosheim,
Burnet, Olshausen, and others, that the office
of deacon existed in the Church long before
the days of Christ and his apostles.
"In the ] swish Church, the Synagogue,
there were not only elders, but deacons.-
The ofi,e of the Deacon says the learned
Lightfoot, was translated from the Jewish
60 the Christian Church. There were in
every synagogue at least three deacons, to
whom the care of the poor was intrusted.
{ The synagogue deacon, says another learn
ed scholar, collected money for the mainte-
nance of the poor and for the general sup
port of the synagogue, including the stipends
of the Office bearers. Many learned Jewish
theoloeians affirmed that the Office belonged
to the synagogue This testimony is deci
sive of the point that the Presbyterian Church
of the New Testament is identical with the
Presbyterian Church of the Old Testament,
equally with respect to the deaconship as to
the eldership; and that, in the language OF
Archbishop Whately, Wherever Jewish
synagogue existed, that was brought to en-
brace the gospel, the apostles did not SO much
form q Christian church or congregation,
as make an existing congregation Christian,
by introducing the Christian sacraments and
worship, but leaving the machinery of gov
ernment unchanged, the officers being al
ready provided in the existing institutions.
"A synagogue became Christian church as
soon as its members acknowledged Jesus as
the Messiah.
"Thus the Old Testament Church natu
rally glided into the New. The deacons Of
the converted synagogue became the deaconi
of the Christian Church. This is the rea
son why no record exists of the original in
stitusion of this office by TIE apostles. Fol
the narrative in Acts vi. implies that the
seven chosen and ordained on that occasion
were added to the number already existing
The Office is not mentioned in that narrative
only the duties of the Office are incidentally
alluded to, which would imply that the Office
| was already in existence. There were He
brew deacons before this; deacons in every
converted synagogue. Besides this, th
New Testament Church must have had SOM
dispensers of its bounty before this; AM
therefore either the apostles oficiated as dea
cons in the distribution of the money whicl
E was laid at their feet, derived from the sal
, of lands and houses, or else these officers al
ready existed and discharged this duty. l
the former, then, as the matter was in tn
: apostles hands, it would seem that the 'mur
J. muring' of the GrecianS should properly hav
9 been against them, and not against the lie
D brews. Complaint of neg lect should hav
, been to the apostles, against Themselves