The care of making provision for the poor being made in the
' It is difficult to explain this estimate by our author of the value of three hundred denarii. Accoi'ding to the received valuation of Roman money, the sum could not have exceeded £9, 7s. Cd, of our money. — Ed,
OF DEACONS. 145
church an iustitution of Christ, was naturally incumbent on them who were the first, only officers of the church; that is, the apostles. This is plain from the occasion of the institution of the office of the deacons, Acts vi. 1-6. The whole work and care of the church being in their hands, it was impossible that they should attend unto the whole, and all the parts of it in any manner. Whereas, therefore, they gave themselves, according to their duty, mostly unto those parts of their work which were incomparably more excellent and necessary than the other, — namely, preaching of the word and prayer, — 'there was such a defect in this other part, of ministration unto the poor, as must unavoida]>ly accompany the actings of human nature, not able to apply itself constantly unto things of diverse natures at the same time. And hereon those who were concerned quickly, as the man- ner of all is, expressed their resentment of a neglect in somewhat an undue order ; there was " a murmuring" about it, vei'se 1. The apostles hereon declared that the princii^al part of the work of the ministry in the church, namely, the word and prayer, was sufficient for them constantly to attend unto. Afterward, indeed, men began to think that they could do all in the church themselves; but it was when they began to do nothing in a due manner. And whereas the apostles chose as their duty the work of prayer aud-^ preaching, as that which they would and ought entirely to give up themselves unto, and for the sake of that work would deposit the care of other things in other hands, the}^ are a strange kiud of successors unto them who lay aside that work, which they determined to belong unto them principally and in the first place, to apply themselves unto any thing- else whatever.
Yet did not the apostles hereon utterly forego the care of pro- viding for the poor, which being originally committed unto them by Jesus Christ, they would not divest themselves wholly of it; but, by the direction of the Holy Ghost, they provided such assistance in the work as that for the future it might require no more of their time or pains but what they should spare from their principal employment. And the same care is still incumbent on the ordinary pastors and elders of the churches, so far as the execution of it doth not inter- fere with their principal work and duty ; from which those who un- derstand it aright can spare but little of their time and strength.
Hereon the apostles, by the authority of Christ and direction of tlie Holy Spirit, under whose infallible guidance they were in all the general concernments of the church, instituted the office of deacons, for the discharge of this necessary and important duty in the church, which they could not attend unto themselves. And whereas the Lord Christ had in an especial manner committed the care of the poor unto the disciples, there was now a declaration of his mind and will in what way and by what means he would have them provided for.
VOL. XVI. 10
1 4C TRUE NATURE OF A GOSPEL CHURCH.
And it was the institution of a new office, and not a present sup- ply in a work of business, which they designed ; for the hmitation of an especial ecclesiastical work, with the designation of persons unto that work, with authority for the discharge of it, set over this busi- ness, with a separation unto it, do completely constitute an ofl&ce, nor is there any thing more required thereunto.
But whereas there are three things that concur and are required unto the ministration unto the poor of the church, — 1. The love, charity, bounty, and benevolence of the members of the church, in contribution unto that ministration ; 2. The care and oversight of the discharge of it; and, 3. The actual exercise and application of it, — the last only belongs unto the office of the deacons, and neither of the first is discharged by the institution of it: for the first is both a duty of the light and law of nature, and in its moral part enforced by many especial commands of Christ, so as that nothing can absolve men from their obligation thereunto. The office and work of the deacons is to excite, direct, and help them, in the exercise of that grace and discharge of the duty therein incumbent on them. Nor is any man, by the intrusting a due proportion of his good things in the hands of the deacons for its distribution, absolved thereby from his own personal discharge of it also ; for it being a moral duty, required in the law of nature, it receiveth peculiar obligations unto a present exercise by such circumstances as nature and providence do suggest. The care also of the whole work is, as was said, still incumbent on the pastors and elders of the church; only the ordinary execution is committed unto the deacons.