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cal order. And as to Philip, when we read a few chapters onward in the same book (Acts xxi. 8.) we find him spoken of as " Philip the Evangelist, which was one of the seven." Here, then, we find precisely the same title given to this man that was afterwards given to Timothy, 2 Timothy iv. 5. From which we may confidently infer that, having "used the office of a deacon well," 1 Tim. iii. 13, in the church of Jerusalem, and being found a man "full of the Holy Ghost. and of wisdom," when he and his brethren were driven from that city, and were all "scattered abroad in consequence of the persecution which arose about Stephen," he was invested with a new office, and sent forth to minister in various parts of the country as an " evangelist." At any rate, nothing is plainer than that "the ministry of the word" made no part of the deacon's office, as laid down by the apostles; and as Philip is soon afterwards introduced to us as bearing the office of an "evangelist," the appropriate function of which, we know, was preaching the gospel, we are warranted in concluding that he was set apart to the latter office before he went forth to engage in public preaching. In short, until it can be proved that Philip preached and baptized as a deacon, and not as an evangelist, which we are very sure never can be proved, the allegation that the apostolic deacons were preachers, is perfectly destitute of scriptural support; or rather directly opposed to the scriptural account of the institution of their office.

Accordingly, when, in the subsequent parts of the New Testament, there is a reference to the proper qualifications of the deacon's office, no inti nation is given that, in the candidates for that office, the gifts requisite for public instruction were needed. We are

told concerning the bishop or pastor, who is spoken of before, that it is necessary he should be "apt to teach;" but no such qualification is represented as necessary in a deacon. It was required of him that he should be sober, grave, temperate, faithful in all things, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience, ruling his children and his household well, &c., but not a word is said of those accomplishments which are indispensable to him who ministers in "the word and doctrine.”

It is plain, then, that "the order of deacons," as one of the "three orders of clergy," for which our Episcopal brethren contend, cannot stand the test of Scripture. It must undoubtedly be given up, if we would be governed by the word of God. Deacons there unquestionably were in the apostolic church; but they were evidently curators of the poor, and attendants on the money-tables of the church, precisely such as were found in the Jewish synagogue, before the coming of Christ; and such as are found in all completely organized Presbyterian churches at the present day. And this continued to be the nature of the office for more than two hundred years after the apostolic age. But when a spirit of carnal ambition gained ground in the church, and led ecclesiastical men to aspire and encroach, deacons invaded the province of preachers, and committed to "sub-deacons" the burden of their primitive duties.

*

Thus it is evident that one of the "three orders of clergy," so called by the advocates of Episcopacy, finds no authority in Scripture. This testimony accords with that of the early fathers, which will be considered in the next chapter.

* This will be shown when we come to speak of the fathers in a future chapter.

II. It is evident that Christ gave but one commission for the office of the gospel ministry, and that this office is, of course, but one.

The commission which our Lord gave to his apostles, and in them to his ministers in every age, is expressed in the following words-"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."* This is the grand commission under which the apostles acted after their Master's ascension to heaven. They had before this been called and set apart to his service; but that was under the old economy, and their ministry was expressly confined to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But now the time had come for setting up the New Testament dispensation. In this New Testament church, therefore, they now received a commission unlimited both as to time and place. It was to extend to all nations, and to the end of the world.

This commission, it is confessed on all hands, was originally given to one order of ministers only, viz. the eleven apostles. The seventy disciples had been employed on a temporary service, and that, strictly speaking, under the Jewish dispensation. For as the Christian church did not receive its distinct constitution till after the resurrection of Christ; as the apostles were made fixed officers of the church, by virtue of this new commission, and not of any former appointment; and as no such new commission was *Matth. xxviii. 18-20.

given to the seventy disciples, it is manifest that they are not to be considered as ministers of the New Testament dispensation at all. The Saviour, then, in this last solemn interview, addressed the eleven only. To then he committed the whole ministerial authority in his kingdom. The commission, therefore, when it was first delivered, certainly constituted no more than one order of gospel ministers.

That this commission embraces the highest and fullest ecclesiastical power, that has been, is, or can be possessed by any of the ministers of Christ, all Protestants allow. And that it conveys a right to preach the word, to administer sacraments, and to ordain other men to the work of the ministry, Episcopalians, as well as others, grant. Now this commission either expired with the apostles, to whom it was originally delivered, or it did not. If it did expire with them, then no ministers of the gospel, since their day, have had any commission, for there is no other left on record. But if it did not expire with them, then it is directed equally to their successors in all ages. But who are these successors? Demonstrably all those who are authorized to perform those functions which this commission recognizes, that is, to preach, and to administer the sealing ordinances of the church. Every minister of the gospel, therefore, who has these powers, is a successor of the apostles; is authorized by this commission, and stands on a footing of official equality with those to whom it was originally delivered, so far as their office was ordinary and perpetual.

It is remarkable, that, in this commission, dispensing the word of life, and administering sacraments, are held forth as the most prominent, important, and

of

solemn duties of Christian ministers. The power ordaining others is not expressly mentioned at all; and we only infer that it is included, because the commission recognizes the continuance of the office and duties of ministers to the end of the world. Must we not infer then, that all who have a right to preach and administer the Christian sacraments, have a right, of course, to ordain? Does it comport with the spirit of this commission, to represent the former functions, which are mentioned with so much distinctness and solemnity, as pertaining to the lowest order in the church; and the latter, which is only included by inference, as reserved for a higher order? Those who are confessed to have the most important and distinguished powers conveyed by a commission, must be considered as possessing the whole. What God

hath joined together, let not man put asunder. The soundness of this conclusion is expressly recognized by Bishop Burnet, who declares-" As for the notion of the distinct offices of bishop and presbyter, I confess it is not so clear to me; and, therefore, since I look upon the sacramental actions, as the highest of sacred performances, I cannot but acknowledge that those who are empowered for them, must be of the highest office in the church.”*

It has been said by some, that if the apostles, on their departure from the church, left no higher class of officers in commission than presbyters, they were really chargeable with altering the form of ecclesiastical polity left by the Saviour. Not at all. The apostles themselves were presbyters or elders; but they were elders endowed, for special purposes, and for a season, with inspiration, with miraculous

* Vindication of the Church and State of Scotland, p. 310.