one of the three sacred orders of the Christian church.

As to the office of deacons, the most common and ordinary was to be attendant on the bishops and presbyters in the service of the altar, to take care of the holy table and all the ornaments and utensils belonging to it; and, in the next place, to receive the offerings of the people, and to present them to the priest; at the same time reciting the names of those that offered. In some churches, though not in all, the deacons read the gospel both before and at the communion-service; but their most peculiar office was to assist the bishop and presbyters in the administration of the eucharist, at which their business was to distribute the elements to the people who were present, and carry them to those who were absent. That they were never allowed to consecrate them at the altar, appears from the testimonies of Hilary, Jerom, and the author of the constitutions. They were permitted, however, to administer solely the sacrament of baptism in some cases. Another part of the office of deacons, was to be a sort of monitors and directors to the people in the exercise of their public devotions in the church; for which purpose they made use of certain known forms of words, to give notice when each part of the service began. Whence they are sometimes called [leirokerukes], the holy cryers of the church.

Deacons had, by licence and authority from the bishop, a power to preach, to reconcile penitents and grant them absolution, and to represent their bishops in general councils. Their office out of the church was to take care of the necessitous, such as orphans, widows, prisoners, and all the poor and sick who had any title to be maintained out of the public revenues of the church; to inquire into the morals and conversation of the people, and to make their report thereof to the bishop. Whence, on account of the variety of business, it was usual to have several deacons in the same church.

In the Roman church, it is the deacon's office to incense the officiating priest or prelate; to lay the corporal on the altar; to receive the paten or cup from the subdeacon, and present them to the person officiating; to incense the choir; to receive the pax from the officiating prelate, and carry it to the subdeacon; and at the pontifical mass, when the bishop gives the blessing, to put the mitre on his head, and to take off the archbishop's pall, and lay it on the altar. In England, the form of ordaining deacons declares that it is their office to assist the priest in the distribution of the holy communion; in which, agreeably to the practice of the ancient church, they are confined to the administering the wine to the communicants. A deacon, with us, is not capable of any ecclesiastical promotion, yet he may be a chaplain to a family, curate to a beneficed clergyman, or lecturer to a parish church. He may be ordained at twenty-three years of age, anno currente; but it is expressly provided, that the bishop shall not ordain the same person a priest and deacon in the same day. Deacons according to St Paul, should be chaste, sincere, and blameless; neither great drinkers, nor given to filthy lucre; they should hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience, and should be well approved before they are admitted to the ministry.