The word “minister,” in the original Διάκονος , signifieth one that voluntarily doth the business of another man, and differeth from a servant only in this, that servants are obliged by their condition to do what is commanded them; whereas ministers are obliged only by their undertaking, and bound therefore to no more than that they have undertaken; so that both they that teach the word of God, and they that administer the secular affairs of the Church, are both ministers, but they are ministers of different persons. For the pastors of the Church called (Acts 6:4) “the ministers of the word,” are ministers of Christ, whose word it is; but the ministry of a deacon, which is called (verse 2 of the same chapter) “serving of tables,” is a service done to the Church or congregation: so that neither any one man, nor the whole Church, could ever of their pastor say, he was their minister: but of a deacon, whether the charge he undertook were to serve tables, or distribute maintenance to the Christians, when they lived in each city on a common stock or upon collections, as in the first times, or to take a care of the house of prayer, or of the revenue, or other worldly business of the Church, the whole congregation might properly call him their minister.