I am persuaded, amply repaid every member of the audience; so that the benevolence rests solely with the first promoters of the project. On this showing, then, no one has the slightest ground to the plea, "O, I went out of charity." No, I should say; you went for the music, and because the multitude went; for you might have given to the charity without going. O that men should deceive themselves with such paltry pretences! The managers and amateurs will consider that you got your money's worth; and so no doubt will you yourselves, when you consider the length, variety, and talent of the performance. Where, then, is the surplus to be set down to charity? It is a mighty nothing. Vox et præterea nihil. Should an appeal be made to your benevolence in a less exceptionable way, I am persuaded those among you who conscientiously disapprove of such entertainments will prove that they fully recognize and faithfully observe the laws of charity, and hold themselves bound to remember "the poor, who will never cease out of the land."

To draw these plain remarks to a close.

You must not consider me personal in what I have said, for this simple reason, that I do not know of our communicants having given to this questionable entertainment their countenance.

I cannot but surmise, however, that many of the class just named, and to whom alone I address these observations, must have been present, from the circumstance of so large a sum having been raised. But I have studiously abstained from the inquiry where the answer would in all probability have given me pain, and have avoided all conversation upon a topic where I should have felt myself bound to condemn. Nothing but the most constraining conviction that my views are correct leads me thus publicly to call attention to the question. As a humble believer (but most unworthy) in Christ, I could not myself have gone to the recent concert. I should abstain

for two reasons;-the wound which my feelings would receive from the juxta position of things sacred and profane-the medley of inspired and operatic song-the words of the Holy Ghost-and the chimes of the ballad-monger. I had rather by far go to a concert wholly profane, than to one of this party-coloured character; rather by far go to the opera house, and think it less improper, than to the oratorio, though performed within the consecrated walls of some venerable cathedral itself.

And I should abstain for example's sake.

The only reason worth a jot in favour of the total abstinence principle, viz. our influence upon others, would lead me to put a constraint upon inclination here, and remain away from the concert. To any one of musical tastes and sensibilities this would be a sacrifice, and a sacrifice in proportion to the strength of the liking; but the greater the sacrifice, the greater the true philanthropism of the individual, and the greater its acceptance on high with Him "who knoweth our frame." This argument of example has greater weight with me, because of my position as a minister of Christ, and by my profession, a light of the world. I expect to be watched, and in some measure copied. Now, I am satisfied you, my beloved fellow Christians, the members of this church of a crucified Lord,

would not have liked to have seen me there; and I am sure I should not have liked to have seen you there: yet I had an opportunity of going, had I so pleased, without expense; and had I felt at liberty to go, the charge, which was unusually low, should not have stood in the way. But "come out from among them" forbade the indulgence of my pleasure; and my religious tastes led me rather to say of the Zion of God, "all my springs are in thee!"

Let me add a not unnecessary caution before I close.

It is very possible to remain away from places of public amusement from motives as improper as those which induce some to frequent them, although those improprieties may be of another order. A man may cherish such a spirit of pride and pharisaism as may destroy the acceptableness of his self-denial. Avoiding the Scylla of a too great laxity and accommodation to the world, he may fall into the Charybdis of asceticism and censoriousness. This act of abstinence, therefore, is only valuable as it corresponds with the feelings of the individual's soul, and as it expresses his respect for the commandments of God, a distrust of self, a disconformity to the world, and a desire to be conformed to a purer model, and to partake of more spiritual pleasures. While, therefore, we uncompromisingly cling to our principle of segregation, and are "ready to give to every man who asketh us,' a reason for our not sharing in amusements of this nature, let it be done in "meekness and fear." Let us not uncharitably condemn our brother man "who followeth not with us." "To his own master he standeth or falleth." Let us not plume the pinions of our pride, and say, in the language of unholy self-gratulation, "Stand by, for I am holier than thou!"

66

"Who sees the heart 'tis IIe alone
Decidedly can try us;

He knows each chord, its various tone,
Each spring its various bias."

"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsel of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God." 1 Cor. iv. 5.

In conclusion, I must express the gratification I feel in reasoning with those who are willing to be convinced, and of laying down the principles of truth before those who receive them with the meekness which has ever been the characteristic of wisdom. "That which I see not teach Thou me!" Job xxxiv. 32. Since these observations were delivered in another shape, it has been my happiness to hear that they have answered their designed end, which was not so much a reproof of an unintentional lapse, as an exposure of fallacies, and an exposition of principles for future guidance. I would, indeed, that the occasion had not arisen, or, having arisen, that I had known of some popular treatise on the subject, to which I could have referred you for advice. But I know of none except the tract of the Religious Tract Society, entitled, "Oratorios Displayed, in a Letter to a Friend." The zealous opposition of the excellent Vicar of Cheltenham, the Rev. Francis Close, A. M., to this species of entertainments, is well known, and would be humbly imitated by your minister

in a very different sphere. Had I known of any thing from his pen upon this subject, a simple reference to it would in all probability have been deemed sufficient for your instruction, and for my release from the task, which an imperative sense of duty has imposed upon myself.

To place on permanent record my concern "that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called," Eph. iv. 1, and to give a wider circulation to the principles here unfolded, which the writer deems of some importance in their application to the subject of this epistle, your pastor adopts the present mode of addressing you, in preference to the separate publication, which has been expected. To the Editor of the Congregational Magazine he would tender his thanks for the urbanity with which its pages have been thrown open to him for this purpose; and to you, my beloved flock, for the candour, attention, and indulgence with which the substance of this address was received, when made the basis of a sermon.

I am, yours, in the Lord Jesus,

PASTOR, Sussex.

ON THE OFFICE AND QUALIFICATIONS OF DEACONS.

CHRISTIAN offices, as every believer in the New Testament must admit, require to be filled according to the mind of Christ. Deviation from the apostolic rule, or violations of the primitive institutions, cannot be allowed without manifest injury to the church, and offence against the sovereign authority of our blessed Lord.

"Bishops and deacons," we assume, are the only officers in the churches of Christ, constituted by the direction of our Divine Master; and these require, especially at the present period, if not the most shining, yet the declared scriptural qualifications. Our present design, however, contemplates only DEACONS, on whom evidently depends no small measure of the order, peace, and prosperity of our churches. And although, with many of our readers, it may be needless to go into the subject, yet for the sake of others it may be proper, in this place, to establish the position, that no other ordinary or permanent officers, besides the two already mentioned, have been constituted in the church, by the authority of the only Lord and King of Zion.

"Bishops and Deacons" are the only church officers mentioned by the apostles as appointed for the churches of Christ. Phil. i. 1; 1 Tim. iii. 12; Tit. i. 5-9. Interested divines have laboured to explain away the obvious meaning of these testimonies of the word of Christ: but their labour has been fruitless, except to heap upon the text their own speculations and hypotheses. Bishops, as the christian pastors were frequently called, denoting their office, and signifying overseers, were called elders, or presbyters, on account of their age, or to indicate their experience, gravity, and wisdom. (See Acts xx. 17-28.) Impressed with this fact, Dr. Whitby, on Phil i. 1, says, "Then the names were common to both orders, the bishops being called presbyters, and the presbyters bishops. And

this, saith Theodoret, is manifest in this place, because he adds here deacons to the bishops, making no mention of their presbyters."

Mr. Scott, who, as Mr. Daniel Wilson, before his appointment to a prelacy in India, remarked, "may be regarded as the commentator of this age," though of the episcopal church, says, on this important text," Hence we learn that the distinction between bishops and presbyters was not then generally established, but that the pastors of the church were distinguished from the deacons, who manage the secular matters and charities of the church. Much labour and learning have indeed been employed to set aside this conclusion, but with little sucess, even by the allowance of decided episcopalians.

Mr. Milner, in the first volume of his "Church History," though an interested advocate of the prelatical episcopacy, is constrained to make the following acknowledgment in relation to the primitive Christians :-" At first, or for some time, church governors were only of two ranks, presbyters and deacons; at least, this appears to have been the case in particular instances, as at Philippi [Phil. i. 1,] and at Ephesus, [Acts xx. 17-28;] and the term bishop was confounded with that of presbyter. The church of Corinth continued long in this state, so far as one may judge by Clement's Epistle."

Clement's Epistle, referred to by Mr. Milner, contains the following paragraph relating to christian ministers; it will be seen to differ somewhat from the "Acts of the Apostles," but it has been justly considered the most beautiful in the whole of that most ancient uninspired writing of christian antiquity: "The apostles have preached to us from our Lord Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ from God. Christ, therefore, was sent by God, the apostles by Christ; so both were only sent according to the will of God. For having received their command, and being thoroughly assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and convinced by the Word of God, with the fulness of the Holy Spirit, they went abroad, publishing that the kingdom of God was at hand. And thus, preaching through countries and cities, they appointed the first fruits of their conversions to be bishops and ministers [deacons] over such as should afterwards believe, having first proved them by the Spirit. Nor was this any new thing, seeing that long before it was written concerning bishops and deacons. For thus saith the Scripture, I will appoint their overseers [bishops] in righteousness, and their ministers [deacons] in faith. Isa. Ix. 17.

Deacons form a class of christian officers, whose rank in the church, it is deplored, is but imperfectly understood by those who are peculiarly interested in the subject; the consideration of it, therefore, is the more important at the present time. The Greek word for deacon is diakovos, which properly signifies an official servant or minister; hence, in the New Testament, the word is rendered minister, and used in a very extensive sense, being employed to denote any one who ministers in the service of God, or even in any appointed business of life, as in the following passages:--Matt. xx. 26, "Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;" xxii. 13, "Then said the king to the servants;" Mark ix. 35, If

66

any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." Speaking of the civil magistrate, the apostle Paul says, "He is the minister of God to thee for good." Rom. xiii. 4. False teachers, as well as the servants of Christ, are thus designated— 2 Cor. xi. 15, "It is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness." The apostles call themselves also by this title, 1 Cor. iii. 5, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed?" And even our blessed Lord is called a deacon. Rom. xv. 8, "Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God."

From the use of the word in these passages, in all of which, the Greek word is deacon, or deacons, it is obvious that it is of a general signification, denoting a person who is employed to perform the duties of any office, whether public or private. In reference, however, to a class of christian ministers, the word is properly used to denote those officers in our churches, who are appointed to manage their temporal affairs, that while the bishops or pastors attend to the ministry of the Word of God and prayer, the service of the deacons relates to the secular business of the christian community, providing for the necessities of the pastor, but especially ministering to the wants of the poor, from the means supplied by the charity of the churches.

Timothy, the evangelist, in performing his extraordinary office, assisting the ambassadors of Christ in the founding and organizing of the primitive churches, was thus instructed by the inspired apostle Paul, as to the law of our reigning Lord, relating to deacons :"Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well, purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith, which is in Christ Jesus.' 1 Tim. iii. 8-13.

Ecclesiastical authority of no mean name has given an exposition of the law of Christ in the "Table of the Offices and Conditions of Men," commonly appended to the authorized version of the Bible, in the following words :-" DEACONS. Officers chosen by the apostles to take care of the poor." This is only in part correct, as they were chosen by the disciples, and their care regarded only the poor of the churches.

Dr. Mosheim gives the following perspicuous account of the election and duties of the apostolic deacons in the church at Jerusalem: The church was, undoubtedly, provided from the beginning, with inferior ministers or deacons. And it appears not only probable, but evident, that the young men who carried away the dead bodies of Ananias and Sapphira, were the subordinate ministers or deacons of the church at Jerusalem, who attended the apostles to