The word minister in the original,diakonos,signifieth one that voluntarily doth the business of another man,and differeth from a servant only in this,that servants are obliged by their condition to what is commanded them;whereas ministers are obliged only by their undertaking,and bound therefore to no more than that they have undertaken:so that both they that teach the word of God and they that administer the secular affairs of the Church are both ministers,but they are ministers of different persons.For the pastors of the Church,called "the ministers of the word,"are ministers of Christ,whose word it is:but the ministry of a deacon,which is called "serving of tables,"is a service done to the church or congregation:so that neither any one man nor the whole Church could ever of their pastor say he was their minister;but of a deacon,whether the charge he undertook were to serve tables or distribute maintenance to the Christians when they lived in each city on a common stock,or upon collections,as in the first times,or to take a care of the house of prayer,or of the revenue,or other worldly business of the Church,the whole congregation might properly call him their minister.
For their employment as deacons was to serve the congregation,though upon occasion they omitted not to preach the Gospel,and maintain the doctrine of Christ,every one according to his gifts,as St.Stephen did;and both to preach and baptize,as Philip did:for that Philip,which preached the Gospel at Samaria,and baptized the eunuch,was Philip the Deacon,not Philip the Apostle.For it is manifest that when Philip preached in Samaria,the Apostles were at Jerusalem,and "when they heard that Samaria had received the word of God,sent Peter and John to them";by imposition of whose hands they that were baptized received (which before by the baptism of Philip they had not received)the Holy Ghost.For it was necessary for the conferring of the Holy Ghost that their baptism should be administered or confirmed by a minister of the word,not by a minister of the Church.And therefore to confirm the baptism of those that Philip the Deacon had baptized,the Apostles sent out of their own number from Jerusalem to Samaria,Peter and John,who conferred on them that before were but baptized,those graces that were signs of the Holy Spirit,which at that time did accompany all true believers;which what they were may be understood by that which St.
Mark saith,"These signs follow them that believe in my name;they shall cast out devils;they shall speak with new tongues;they shall take up serpents;and if they drink any deadly thing,it shall not hurt them;they shall lay hands on the sick,and they shall recover."This to do was it that Philip could not give,but the Apostles could and,as appears by this place,effectually did to every man that truly believed,and was by a minister of Christ himself baptized:which power either Christ's ministers in this age cannot confer,or else there are very few true believers,or Christ hath very few ministers.
That the first deacons were chosen,not by the Apostles,but by a congregation of the disciples;that is,of Christian men of all sorts,is manifest out of Acts,6,where we read that the Twelve,after the number of disciples was multiplied,called them together,and having told them that it was not fit that the Apostles should leave the word of God,and serve tables,said unto them,"Brethren look you out among you seven men of honest report,full of the Holy Ghost,and of wisdom,whom we may appoint over this business."Here it is manifest that though the Apostles declared them elected,yet the congregation chose them;which also is more expressly said where it is written that "the saying pleased the whole multitude,and they seven,"etc.
Under the Old Testament,the tribe of Levi were only capable of the priesthood and other inferior offices of the Church.The land was divided amongst the other tribes,Levi excepted,which by the subdivision of the tribe of Joseph into Ephraim and Manasseh were still twelve.To the tribe of Levi were assigned certain cities for their habitation,with the suburbs for their cattle;but for their portion they were to have the tenth of the fruits of the land of their brethren.Again,the priests for their maintenance had the tenth of that tenth,together with part of the oblations and sacrifices.For God had said to Aaron,"Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land,neither shalt thou have any part amongst them;I am thy part and thine inheritance amongst the children of Israel."For God being then King,and having constituted the tribe of Levi to be His public ministers,He allowed them for their maintenance the public revenue,that is to say,the part that God had reserved to Himself;which were tithes and offerings:and that is it which is meant where God saith,"I am thine inheritance."And therefore to the Levites might not unfitly be attributed the name of clergy,from Kleros,which signifieth lot or inheritance;not that they were heirs of the kingdom of God,more than other;but that God's inheritance was their maintenance.Now seeing in this time God Himself was their King,and Moses,Aaron,and the succeeding high priests were His lieutenants;it is manifest that the right of tithes and offerings was constituted by the civil power.
After their rejection of God in the demanding of a king,they enjoyed still the same revenue;but the right thereof was derived from that,that the kings did never take it from them:for the public revenue was at the disposing of him that was the public person;and that,till the Captivity,was the king.And again,after the return from the Captivity,they paid their tithes as before to the priest.
Hitherto therefore Church livings were determined by the civil sovereign.
