Produced by Barbara Tozier, David Wilson, Bill Tozier and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net DEACONESSES IN EUROPE AND THEIR LESSONS FOR AMERICA BY JANE M. BANCROFT, Ph.D WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY EDWARD G. ANDREWS, D.D., LL.D. _Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church_ "No life Can be pure in its purpose and strong in its strife, And all life not be purer and stronger thereby." _NEW YORK: HUNT & EATON_ _CINCINNATI: CRANSTON & STOWE_ 1890 IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION, TO THE EARNEST AND DEVOTED WOMEN WHO, AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON DEACONESS WORK OF THE WOMAN'S HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY, HAVE AIDED IN EXTENDING THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIACONATE OF WOMEN, THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY Dedicated BY THE AUTHOR. AUTHOR'S NOTE. The Author has aimed to present an accurate and concise statement of the deaconess cause as it exists at the present time. In all cases where it was possible, original sources of information have been consulted. Many friends, both in Europe and America, have given invaluable aid, for which words of thanks are an inadequate recognition. The excellent Index at the close of the volume was kindly prepared by the Rev. J. C. Thomas. Acknowledgments are also due to Mr. Gillett, Librarian of the Union Theological Seminary, and to Mr. C. H. A. Bjerregaard, of the Astor Library, for putting not only the facilities of the library, but their personal assistance, at the service of the writer. JANE M. BANCROFT. NEW YORK CITY, _June 5, 1889_. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE DIACONATE. Compassion a Christian virtue--Brotherhood of all men in Christ--Foreign Missions--Home Missions--Service of ministering compassion gives rise to the diaconate--Diaconate of women--Its qualities--Field of labor Page 9 CHAPTER II. DEACONESSES IN THE EARLY CHURCH. Little knowledge of early Church--Pliny's letter--Apostolic Constitutions--Deaconesses, widows, and virgins--Duties of the deaconess--Chrysostom, Olympias--Deaconesses in Western Church--Decline in importance--Extinction--Influences that led to decay 18 CHAPTER III. DEACONESSES FROM THE TWELFTH TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURIES.