CHAPTER XIII

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PRIMITIVE DISSENSIONS AND APOSTOLIC PRECAUTIONS.

ACTS vi. 1-4.

The Election of the Seven a Crisis in Church History--Date of St. Stephen's Martyrdom--Occasion of it--Primal Relation of Judaism to Christianity--Not Mutually Exclusive--Illustrated by those of First Methodists to Church of England--Tyranny and Deposition of Pilate--Multiplication of Christians led to Murmuring and thence to Choice of Seven--Showing Benefits and Drawbacks of Prosperity--Imperfections of Apostolic Church--Fallacy of Roman _à priori_ Argument for Infallibility--Reciprocal Influence of Church and World--Various Meanings of Term "World"--Murmuring arose from Racial and Linguistic Differences--Hebrews and Hellenists--Modern Analogies--Diversity of Functions in Church--Serving of Tables Differs from Ministry of Word--Which Demands Study, Meditation, and Prayer-- Weakness of Modern Pulpit Accounted for--Election of Deacons and Number--The Diaconate and Cardinalate 246-267

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