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 CHAPTER XIV. ST. STEPHEN AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. ACTS vi. 5, 6; 8-11. The Seven were Scriptural--Origin of Diaconate--Bishop Lightfoot's View--Influence of the Synagogue upon the Church--Illustrated by Marcionites--And by Pilgrim Fathers in New England--Constitution of Synagogues-- Jewish Almoners or Deacons--Evidence to Diaconate of Apostolic Fathers--Of Pliny--Of Irenæus--Connection of Community of Goods with the Eucharist--Poor Law among Jews--And Christians--Testimony of Lucian-- Christianity Viewed from the Outside--Difference between Ancient and Modern Office--Life-long Diaconate in Ancient Celtic Church--St. Patrick's Father--Election of Deacons in the Synagogues-- Imposition of Hands and Ordination--Names of Deacons and Nicolas of Antioch--St. Stephen and the Charge of Blasphemy--Every True Teacher must expect Misrepresentation 268-292 CHAPTER XV. ST. STEPHEN'S DEFENCE AND THE DOCTRINE OF INSPIRATION. ACTS vi. 12-14; vii. 1, 2. Derivation and Meaning of Name "Stephen"--Libertine Assailants of St. Stephen--United with Cilicians--St. Paul and the Sanhedrin--Selden on Sanhedrin--Use of Shorthand among the Ancients--The _Acts_ of the Martyrs and Investigations of M. le Blant--Effective Character of Stephen's _Apology_--Analysis of it--Naturally Irritating to Jewish Officialism--Charity towards Persecutors--Reverence towards the Past--A Good Thing, but may be Pressed too far--Lessons for our Age--Science and Religion--Mistakes in the Martyr's Speech--Natural--Useful, too, as Testifying to Honesty of Report--And Teaching True Doctrine of Inspiration--Dr. Vaughan on St. Stephen's Mistakes--St. Stephen and Freedom of Church Worship--Christian Universalism not Inconsistent with Sacred and Consecrated Buildings 293-321 CHAPTER XVI. THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTYRDOM.