Western Church as late as the eighth, in the Eastern as the twelfth century. When the Waldenses and the Bohemian and Moravian Brothers began to arise out of the night of the middle ages, we find in these communities, founded after the model of the apostolical institutions, the office of deaconesses, who were called presbyters, established in 1457. In the sixteenth century it is well known how Robert von der Mark, Prince of Sedan in the Netherlands, revived the institution of Protestant Sisters of Charity, and, instead of appropriating the revenues of the suppressed monasteries in his domains, devoted them to this purpose. In the first General Synod of the Evangelical Church of the Lower Rhine and the Netherlands, at Wesel, 1568, we find the office of deaconesses recommended, and in the Classical Synod of 1580, expressly established. In England they were not wanting. Among the Nonconformists, under Elizabeth, 1578, deaconesses were instituted during Divine service, and received amidst the general prayer of the community. The Pilgrim Fathers of 1602—1625, who were driven first to Amsterdam and Leyden, then to North America, carried their deaconesses with them. It thus appears that, long previous to the establishment of the orders of Sisters of Mercy by St. Vincent de Paul in 1633, the importance of the office of deaconess had been recognised by all divisions of Christians, and they accordingly existed free from vows or cloistered cells.
"So many believe this to be an institution borrowed from the Roman Catholic Church exclusively, and on that account are prejudiced against it, that we wish we had space to give the numerous other proofs of the existence of the office at different times, among all Churches, and earliest in those of the Protestant faith."
The following reason why the institution did not spread and flourish further in those days may equally account for the fact at the present day:—"There were no nursery grounds, preparatory schools for deaconesses, so that fitness for their office was, so to speak, accidental." The want has long been supplied in Protestant countries abroad; we trust we may soon be able to say that England has followed their example. The essentially Protestant title of "deaconess" has not been adopted here, though from its having belonged to the early primitive Church, as well as to the simple Protestants of later times, it would seem to he very unobjectionable. And there is much in the system carried out by these Protestant societies that would be well worthy of our imitation. The simple but solemn consecration of the deaconess to her work,[1] involving no vows and no compulsion, gives a sanction and a degree of sanctity to it and to the labourer in the eyes of others, that it would be very desirable to cast around those who are exposed to so many temptations as the nurses in our public hospitals. It would be very desirable to have such respect shewn to them in the
- ↑ The beautiful service for Ordination is given in the Appendix to Kaiserswerth Deaconesses, and we earnestly recommend it to the attention of our readers.
