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CHAP. VI. What is the Office of a Deacon.
THE Office what it was, receives the greatest Illustration from his Name, which signifies a Minister, a Servant to the Ecclesiastical Officers, Bishops or Presbyters; so that as when a man is known to be a Minister or Servant to another, he is by that made apparent to do such things as Conduce to the assistance of him who is his Superiour or Prelate in his Office, so do these in respect of their Superiours, Bishops and Presby∣ters. I do not find one word in Scripture setting down what their Office was, we can therefore have no knowledge of it, but from the History of the Church, from which we receive, that their Office was to Baptize, to assist at the Communion with delivering the Cup, and sometimes the Body; but not to Consecrate: so likewise to assist in the Divine Service; some other things we find various, according to the Customs of Chur∣ches, but all these are subordinate and ministerial Offices; like∣wise they had power to preach upon particular occasions▪ and licenses given, to wit, by that Order they had a qualification to receive a License; these things I can particularly give an Account to be the sense of the Ancient Church, if any man re∣quire it, but am loath also to lose Time about it; only I will now undertake Mr. Hooker.