The due right of presbyteries, or, A peaceable plea for the government of the…

Name: The due right of presbyteries, or, A peaceable plea for the government of the…
Author: Samuel Rutherford

The due right of presbyteries, or, A peaceable plea for the government of the Church of Scotland ... by Samuel Rutherfurd ...

Samuel Rutherford 1600?–1661London: printed by E. Griffin for Richard Whittaker and Andrew Crook, 1644

[24], 468 [i.e. 768] p. · 318k words · Wing R2378 · ESTC R12822

Title page typeset from the transcription.

[figure] › Chapter 7 › Of Deacons. › Objection 2: Object. 2. It is evident from the Text that these Deacons were not of divine institutio…

Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.

[ Earlier:709–723 of 2,256

:709p. 160

Object. 2. It is evident from the Text that these Deacons were not of divine institution, but of a mere temporary erection, for the present necessity of the Church. First, it is said they were appointed, Acts 6. 1. [Greek or Hebrew]. Secondly, they were erected upon occasion of the multiplying of the disciples. Thirdly, upon occasion of the poverty of widows, and therefore when there be no poor, there is no need of Deacons, and so it is but an office of a temporary standing in the Church.

Object. 2. It is evident from the Text that these Deacons were not of divine institution, but of a meere temporary erection, for the present necessity of the Church. First, it is said they were appointed, Acts 6. 1. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Secondly, they were erected upon occasion of the multiplying of the disciples. Thirdly, upon occasion of the poverty of widows, and therefore when there be no poore, there is no need of Deacons, and so it is but an office of a temporary standing in the Church.

:710p. 160–161

Answ. These words (in those days) are not so much referred to the institution of Deacons, as to the order of the history. Secondly, to Satan's malice, who raised a schism in the Church, when the number of Disciples grew. And thirdly, are referred to the murmuring of the widows; and they do no more prove that Deacons are a temporary institution, and brought in, by the Church, in a prudential way for the Church's present necessity, then the Lords Supper is concluded to be but a temporary and prudential institution of the Church, because it is said, In the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread, &c. Secondly, the occasion of the multiplying of Disciples & the neglecting of the widows, doth not prove that Deacons are a prudential and temporary institution: for here I distinguish betwixt an occasion ⟨p. 161⟩and a motive and cause; divers Ordinances of God have both these. As the occasion of writing the Epistle to Philemon, was the flight of Onesmus a fugitive servant from his master, and his willing mind to return to him again, and upon that occasion Paul did write to Philemon; but that will not prove that the Epistle to Philemon is but a prudential Letter, and obliging for a time, because the motive and cause why the holy Ghost would have it written, was, that it should be a part of Canonical Scripture, obliging to the second coming of Christ. The like I say of the Epistle to the Galatians, written upon occasion of seducing Teachers, who had bewitched the Galatians, and made them believe, they must be circumcised and keep the Law, if they would be justified in Christ: Yet hence is not proved, that the Epistle to the Galatians is but a prudential Letter, and not of divine and perpetual institution; for the cause and motive of writing was, that it might be a part of the Canon of faith. So also the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel was made upon this occasion, by reason that the first Covenant could not save us,

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The due right of presbyteries, or, A peaceable plea for the government of the…

Object. 5. But if there were a community of goods, and no man lacked any thing, Act. 5. 34. there were no poor at all, and so no need of Deacons.

Object. 5. But if there were a community of goods, and no man lacked any thing, Act. 5. 34. there were no poore at all, and so no need of Deacons.

Object. 6. Distribution of earthly goods is not such a thing, at requireth a spiritual Office; for money given by a Church-officer hath no spiritual influence on the poor's necessity, more then money given by the Magistrate, or one who hath no Church-office.

Object. 6. Distribution of earthly goods is not such a thing, at requireth a spirituall Office; for money given by a Church-officer hath no spirituall influence on the poores necessity, more then money given by the Magistrate, or one who hath no Church-office.

Object. 7. The Office of a Deacon is not mentioned in the Word, and what should be his charge is scarcely holden forth in Scripture.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

Object. 5. But if there were a community of goods, and no man lacked any thing, Act. 5. 34. there were no poor at all, and so no need of Deacons.

Object. 5. But if there were a community of goods, and no man lacked any thing, Act. 5. 34. there were no poore at all, and so no need of Deacons.

Object. 6. Distribution of earthly goods is not such a thing, at requireth a spiritual Office; for money given by a Church-officer hath no spiritual influence on the poor's necessity, more then money given by the Magistrate, or one who hath no Church-office.

Object. 6. Distribution of earthly goods is not such a thing, at requireth a spirituall Office; for money given by a Church-officer hath no spirituall influence on the poores necessity, more then money given by the Magistrate, or one who hath no Church-office.

Object. 7. The Office of a Deacon is not mentioned in the Word, and what should be his charge is scarcely holden forth in Scripture.