Conformity of the ecclesiastical discipline of the Reformed churches of France with that of the primitive Christians written by M. La Rocque ... ; render'd into English by Jos. Walker.

CONFORMITY.

What I have said of the Office of Deacons, doth highly justifie the Prohibition here made them of Preaching the Word of God, and administring the Sa∣craments, because they were not thereunto appointed; as Oecumenius has observed on Chap. 6. of the Acts of the Apostles; the words whereof we have alledged, in examining the precedent Article. I know very well, that Philip, one of the Seven Deacons established by the Apostles, Preached the Gospel; but I say it was not in quality of a meer Deacon that he Preached, but by vertue of a particular vocation, whereby God made him a Herald of his Grace, and a dispencer of his My∣steries;

therefore he is qualified with the Title of Evan∣gelist, in the 21. Chap. ver. 8. of the Acts; * 1.1 I do not here mention his Preaching Christ at Samaria after the great Persecution raised against the Church of Jerusalem up∣on the death of St. Stephen, because he did nothing there∣in but what the others which were scattered abroad did elsewhere, by vertue of a general vocation which each Believer has right to exercise at certain times, and in certain places. As for Baptizing and instructing the Queen of Aethiopia's Eunuch, * 1.2 the Sacred History in∣forms us, that Philip had an express command by the Ministry of an Angel to do it. In the Primitive Church a Deacon was not permitted to Preach the Word whilst they were Deacons, they must at the least pass from the Order of Deacon, to that of Priesthood, to be qualified to Preach; I said at the least; for if in the East, Priests were suffered to Preach, it was otherwise in the West, where Bishops only performed that function for several Ages. The first Priest that Preached publickly in Africa, was St. Austin, by the power granted to him by Vale∣rius his Bishop, who was by Birth a Grecian, which was found to be irregular, because 'twas contrary to the use and practice of the Churches of Africa, as is obser∣ved by Possidonius in the Life of St. Austin. If amongst us there's found a Deacon that was capable, and had a desire to exercise the Ministry, he was made to pass from one degree to another, and then might Preach the Word, and administer the Sacraments; whereas Dea∣cons were not instituted at first to do the one nor the other.

In effect, if their first Institution permitted them not to Preach, neither did it suffer them to administer the Sacraments, for these two commonly go together; so that if prohibiting them Preaching, they were after∣wards

in process of time suffered to administer the Sa∣craments; besides that things which were joyned toge∣ther were separated, they passed beyond the bounds of their Vocation. Thence it is that Oecumenius, a Writer of the tenth or eleventh Century, which I already have cited several times, * 1.3 confesses that the Deacons of his time were quite different from those established by the Apostles, and an Order quite another thing than the first. In the days of Justin Martyr, * 1.4 that is to say, in the second Century, the Deacons distributed the Bread and Wine of the Sacrament after being Consecrated by the Pastor; which in all likelihood proceeded from a false Interpre∣tation given of these Tables, for the service of which, Deacons were appointed; for they were not Eucharisti∣cal Tables, but common Tables, where distribution was made of things necessary for the Maintenance of Wi∣dows, and Orphans, and other poor People, and where perhaps Christians made their Feasts of Charity, which for a time was practised in the Church. Tertullian, something later than Justin Martyr, * 1.5 testifies, the Eu∣charist was received only from the hand of those which presided, that is, of Bishops and Pastors; in all likelihood 'twas at that time the practice of the Churches of Afri∣ca, and a custom which was not observed in all places. The third Canon of the Council of Ancyra, in the year 314, suffers Deacons which have done nothing unwor∣thy their degree, to distribute both the Symbols. But in the same year, the Council of Arles prohibits them in the 15th. * 1.6 Canon by that term to offer, which he emplies, is taken to administer, according to the Explication which is given it by the 15th. Canon of the second Council of Nice on the same place. The year 462, the great Coun∣cil of Nice forbids them simply to give the Eucharist to Priests. * 1.7 The 25th. Canon of that of Laodicea seems to

forbid them absolutely to distribute the Bread and the Cup; It ought not to be, that Ministers, saith the Council, should distribute the Bread, nor that they should bless the Cup. At that time the term of Ministers implied commonly the name of Deacons; but in the Canons of this Council it denotes a more inferior Order, viz. Subdeacons. In con∣clusion, it must be granted, that we have innovated no∣thing in the Deaconship; and that our Deacons have always kept within the just bounds of their first Institu∣tion, which was to serve at Tables, and to take care of Widows, as St. Jerome observes in his 85 Epistle.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Act. 21.8.
• * 1.2

  Ibid.
• * 1.3

  Ubi supra.
• * 1.4

  Apolog. 2.
• * 1.5

  De Coron. c 3 p. 102.
• * 1.6

  Tom. 1. Conc. Gall. Ibid.
• * 1.7

  Can. 18.