3. The office of a deacon is instituted in the church by the Lord Jesus; sometimes they are called helps. The scripture telleth us how they should be qualified, "Grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not given to filthy lucre." They must first be proved, and then use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. The office and work of a deacon, is to receive the offerings of the church, gifts given to the church, and to keep the treasury of the church, and therewith to serve the tables which the church is to provide for; as the Lord's table, the table of the ministers, and of such as are in necessity, to whom they are to distribute in simplicity. Acts, vi. 3, 6. Phil. i. 1. 1 Tim. iii. 8. 1 Cor. xii, 28. Acts, iv, 35, and vi. 2, 3. Rom. xii. 8. 4. The office therefore being limited unto the care of the temporal good things of the church, it extends not to the attendance upon, and administration of the spiritual things thereof, as the word and sacraments, or the like,

1 Tim. iii. 8, 9.

1 Cor. vii. 17.

5. The ordinance of the apostle, and practice of the church, commends the Lord's day as a fit time for the contribution of the saints.

1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2, 3.

6. The instituting of all these officers in the church, is the work of God himself, of the

preacher and did not administer baptism or the Lord's Supper. Such an officer as a ruling elder has not been known any congregational church for several generations past, except as a matter of history. B.

* Heads of Agreement, Ch. V. B.

Lord Jesus Christ, of the Holy Ghost; and therefore such officers as he hath not appointed, are altogether unlawful either to be placed in the church, or to be retained therein, and are to be looked at as human creatures, mere invensions and appointments of man, to the great dishonor of Christ Jesus, the Lord of his house, the king of his church, whether popes, patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, lord-bishops, arch-deacons, officials, commissaries, and the like. These and the rest of that hierarchy and retinue, not being plants of the Lord's planting, shall all be certainly rooted out and cast forth. 1 Cor. xii. 28. Eph. iv. 8, 11. Acts, xx. 28. Matt. xv. 13. 7. The Lord hath appointed ancient widows, where they may be had, to minister in the church, in giving attendance to the sick, and to give succor unto them, and others in the like necessity.

1 Tim. v. 9, 10.

་ ་ ་

CHAP. VIII.

Of the election of church officers.

1. No man may take the honor of a church officer unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

Heb. v. 4.

2. Calling unto office is either immediate,

by Christ himself, such was the call of the apostles and prophets, this manner of calling ended with them, as hath been said: or mediate, by the church.

Gal. i. 1. Acts, xiv. 23, and vi. 3.

3. It is meet that before any be ordained or chosen officers, they should first be tried and proved, because hands are not suddenly to be laid upon any, and both elders and deacons must be of honest and good report,*

1 Tim. v. 22, and vii. 10. Acts. xvi. 2, and vi. 3.

4. The things in respect of which they are to be tried, are those gifts and virtues which the scripture requireth in men that are to be elected into such places, viz. that elders must be blameless, sober, apt to teach, and endued with such other qualifications as are laid down, 1 Tim. iii. 2. Tit. i. 6 to 9. Deacons to be fitted as is directed, Acts. vi. 3. 1 Tim. iii. 8 to 11.

5. Officers are to be called by such churches whereunto they are to minister. Of such moment is the preservation of this power, that the churches exercised it in the presence of the apostles.†

Acts, xiv. 23, and i. 23, and vi. 3, 4, 5.

6. A church being free, cannot become subject to any, but by a free election; yet when such a people do choose any to be over them

* Heads of Agreement, Chap. II. Sec. 7. B.

+ Ibid. Chap. I. Sec. 6. B.

in the Lord, then do they become subject, and most willingly submit to their ministry in the Lord, whom they have so chosen.

Gal. v. 13. Heb. xiii. 17.

7. And if the church have power to choose their officers and ministers, then in case of manifest unworthiness and delinquency, they have power also to depose them; for, to open and shut, to choose and refuse, to constitute in office and remove from office, are acts belonging to the same power.

Rom. xvi. 17.

8. We judge it much conducing to the well being and communion of churches, that where it may conveniently be done, neighbor churches be advised withal, and their help be made use of in the trial of church officers, in order to their choice.*

Cant. viii. 8, 9.

9. The choice of such church officers belongeth not to the civil magistrates, as such, or diocesan bishops, or patrons; for of these, or any such like, the scripture is wholly silent, as having any power therein.

* Heads of Agreement, Chap. II. Sec. 4.

CHAP. IX.

Of ordination, and imposition of hands.

1. CHURCH officers are not only to be chosen by the church, but also to be ordained by imposition of hands and prayer, with which, at the ordination of elders, fasting is also to be joined.

Acts, xiii. 3, and, xiv. 23. Tim, v. 22.

2. This ordination we account nothing else, but the solemn putting a man into his place and office in the church, whereunto he had right before by election; being like the installing of a magistrate in the commonwealth. Ordination therefore is not to go before, but to follow election. The essence and substance of the outward calling of an ordinary officer in the church, doth not consist in his ordination, but in his voluntary and free election by the church, and his accepting of that election; whereupon is founded that relation between pastor and flock, between such a minister and such a people. Ordination doth not constitute an officer, nor give him the essentials of his office. The apostles were elders without imposition of hands by men; Paul and Barnabas were officers before the imposition of hands, Acts, xiii. 3. The posterity of Levi were priests and Levites, before hands were laid on them by the children of Israel.

Numb. viii. 10. Acts, vi. 5, 6, and xiii. 2, 3, and xiv. 23.