Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…

The Pastor hereupon calls upon some of the chief Brethren to count the Votes; and from the the Report which they give him, he then declares whom they find the Major Vote fallen upon. If they be any of them (which rarely if ever happens) Persons against whom he hath an Objection that cannot easily be removed, he advises them to another Choice. But if he hath nothing to object, he applies himself unto the Persons chosen, with this Request, That they would so far accept the Call of the Church, as to do the Work ⟨p. 131⟩expected from the Deacons, until such Time, as the Church may proceed, unto the full Observation of the Apostolical Direction, Let the Deacons first be proved; then let them use the Office of a Deacon.

It has been observed, That because in our Translation, it is enumerated among the Qualifications of a Deacon. [1 Tim. III. 2.] Even so must their Wives be grave, not Slanderers, sober, faithful in all things: And the French Churches therefore make it an Article of their Discipline, That as much as possible may be avoided, there should not be elected Elders and Deacons of the Church, those which had Wives contrary to the true Religion: When Deacons are chosen in the Churches, 'tis often enquired, Whether their Wives are qualified as has been directed? But this has been from a common Mistake about the Meaning of the Text; which does not say a Word about the Deacons Wife, any more than the Pastors, but only says, Let the Women [ΓΥΝΑΙΚΕΣ] be Grave. — Which Women are the Deaconesses; Officers not hitherto employed in the Churches of New-England.

The Deacons Elect, when they have in a Laudable Behaviour, for some time given Demonstration of their Ability, and Fidelity, do in some of the Churches become Deacons Ordained with Imposition of Hands. Though in many of these Churches, This Rite of their Confirmation, is fallen into such a Desuetude, as it is in other Churches of the Reformation. One Reason for this Omission, has been because in many of our Churches, the Deacons do little other Work, than