In general, the number of deaoona vaik4i^^ wants of a particulaT church. Seaoinea(vii,19,pl4 informs us that the Chordi of Rome, alter thftifi'* model, never had more than seven deaoons. ft^ not till the dose of the third oentmy tfaatdeMBi** forbidden to marry. The Conncil d Aarm,i& 844, in its 10th Can., ordains that if a dsseoa it^ at the time of his ordination that he wodd wttnM should not be deprived of his fdnction if he4id a^ but Uat if he married withont having aadi mAi declaration, " he must fell into the rank of bio.'
The quoMfieaHont required in deacons fay tte^ itive Church were the same that were reqairediib<^ ops and presbyters; and the charactBriitki di *> con, given by St. Paul in his Second Efiitklili* thy, were the rule by whidi a canrtidafif vtf j^M fit for such an office. The second CooadlqfOJti^ 4th Can., forbids the ordination of a deacsebiAiii^ age of twenty-five ; and both the Civil and GbaI'^ as may be seen in Justinian, No9eB, 138, c. U.i^ his age to the same period.
The Council of Laodicea, A.D. 881, fatHki^^ to sit in the presence of a presbyter, and the VAO^ of the first Council of Caithage regelates Ite i^* of judges at ecclesiastical trials— three Ikktft f» a deacon, six upon a presbyter, and tmtn if*' bishop. This would ma^ the rank of each «fdil^ ties. Originally the deaoons had been the la)f«* the presiding dder of a given district. Wkat^* names of the hitter title were divided and tbi M {resided, whether as pfimm mkrparm, sr wA*^ absolute authority over many elders, the daseatt pear to have been dependent directly ea hiai^* on the presbyters, ud, as beiag hb aiaii^*
DEACON
lOfl
DEACONESS
tfl and ears of the bishop'' (Const. Apost, ii, 44), tempted to set themselves up against the elders. :e the necessity of laws like those of Cane. Nic. c. ?<mc. Carih^ iy, c. 87, enjoining greater humility, hence probably the strong language of Ignatina the reverence doe to deacons {£p. ad TrcJl. c. 8 ; mjfTfs. c. 8^.
I. In the Modem Church deacons are found as a act order of the clergy.
the Momem Catholic Church there are subdeacons ell as deacons, both in orders. The subdeacon^s w are ** to prepare the altar-linen, the sacred yes- the bread and wine necessary for the holy sacrL- -to minister -water to the priest or bishop at the ling of the hands at mass— to read the epistle— to t at mass in the capacity of a witness, and see the priest be not disturbed by any one during its t>ration." To the deacon **it belongs constantly M^ompany the bishop, to attend him when preach- to assist him and the priest also during the cele- ion of the holy mysteries, and at the administra- of the sacraments, and to read the Gospel at the ifice of the mass." .... *^Tothedeaoonalso,as agent of the bishop, it belongs to inquire and as- ain who within his diocese lead liyes of piety and ica^n, and who do not; who attend the holy sac- ie of the mass and the instructions of their pastors, who do not — that thus the bishop, made acquaint- >y hhn irith these matters, may be enabled to ad- iiish each offender privately, or, should he deem it re condadye to their reformation, to rebuke and rect them publicly. He also calls oyer the names atechnmens, and presents to the bishops those who to be promoted to orders. In the absence of the tM>p and priest, he is also authorized to expound the Bpel to the people, not, howeyer, from an eleyated ce, to make it understood that this is not one of his linary functions" (Council of Trent, sess. xziii, ch.
There are eighteen cardinal-deacons in Rome, who re the charge of the temporal interests and the renues of the church. A person, to be consecrated icon, must be twenty-three years of age (Council of enty sess. xxiii, c. 1^.
In the Church o/Enffland and in the Episcopal com- mions in Scotland and North America, a deacon re- tyes ordination by the imposition of hands of a bish- ; in consequence of which he can preach, assist in d sacrament of t)ie Lord's Supper, and, generally, ly perform any sacred office except consecrating the nnents and pronouncing absolution. By the statute George III, c. 48, it is enacted that no person shall I admitted until he shall haye attained the age of renty-three years complete; but this act is declared >t to affect the right of granting facilities, exercised r the archbishops of Omterbuiy and Arma^ re- ectiyely, yiz. to admit at earlier ages ; and by 69 eorge III, c. 60, sec. 1, the two archbishops of the elm, or the biBlu>p of London, br any bishop author- ed by any or ^ther of them, may OTdain as deacons ly persons whom he or they shall deem duly qualified, ipedally for the purpose of officiating in his mi^es- fi colonies or fbreign possessions. But no person > ordained can afterwards hold any liying or oth- r benefice in the United Kingdom without the pre- ious consent in writing, under hand and seal of the iBbop in wliose diocese such benefice, etc. shall be lo- ^y situated ; nor without like consent of the arch- ^hop or Inshop by whose consent he was originally i^dained, or of the successor of such archbishop or bish- p» in case of his demise or translation ; nor without irodacing a testimony of his good behayior during his 'Whence abroad from the bishop in whose diocese he iss officiated, or (if there be not any such bishop) from '^ goyearnor in council of the colony wherein he may lare resided, or from the colonial secretary of state yc- 2). At the time when the liturgy of the Church n England was composed, it was the deacon's office,