ADDRESS TO A BISHOP ON CONSECRATION. 263 hierarchy, as yet unsubjugated to Rome. The oath we give first: THE ANCIENT OATH OF CONSECRATION. "I, N., called to be bishop of the church of N., promise in the sight of Almighty God, and of the whole church, that from this time henceforth, I shall be faithful and obedient according to the constant custom of my predecessors, to the blessed N., metropolitan of the holy Church of N., and to you, my Lord N., by the grace of God, archbishop of the same church, and to your successors, instituted as appointed by the holy fathers, and the ecclesiastical authority of the Roman pontiff. I will not by counsel, or consent, or by deed, be of those that will destroy your life or limb, or lay hands on you in any evil way. The counsel which you entrust to me, I will not knowingly disclose to any one to your loss. Called to the synod I shall come, unless prevented by some canonical hinderance. You, and your messengers, and the church, whom I shall certainly know to be such, I will treat honourably, both on going, abiding, and returning; and I will assist them in their necessities. I will not sell the goods belonging to the table of my episcopacy, nor will I give them away, nor will I pledge them, or in any way alienate them contrary to the right and custom of my church, without consulting you or your successors." This is very different from the oath at the consecration of a bishop now in use. There, the pope alone is named, both in the oath and the interrogations, indicating the era of this oath to have been the era of national hierarchies, when bishops were almost independent in their several sees, owning only subjection to their national primate and national councils. The very sufferance of such a form in the Pontifical indicates that the ultra-montane party had not been wholly triumphant in Rome when the Pontifical was last revised; and that the bishops would not willingly have the original independence of national churches, and of their bishops, wholly forgotten. The following address to the bishop elect by his metropolitan, marks also a higher Christian spirit. The metropolitan delivers to the newly consecrated a discourse of the following tenor:— ADDRESS TO THE CONSECRATED. "To our beloved brother and fellow. bishop N., eternal salvation in the Lord. "As we believe, thou hast, by Divine call, been chosen unanimously by the chapter of N. as their rector, and they have brought you to be consecrated as bishop. Therefore, with the assistance of God, agreeing with them as to thy conscientiousness, and for the advantage of the church, we have, by the imposi tion of our hands, consecrated thee a bishop. From this time forward, most dear brother, thou knowest the great weight of labour thou hast undertaken, the burden of the government of souls, to serve for the advantage of many, to become the least, yea, the servant of all that for the talent entrusted to thee in the day of trial and judgment, thou mayest render an account. For if our Saviour said, I come not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and gave his life for his sheep; how much more should we unprofitable servants of the Father of all, serve with all diligence the Lord's sheep assigned to us by the great Shepherd, bringing them, through Divine grace, free from disease or spot to the Lord's fold! Therefore, we admonish you in love, that the faith which, in the beginning of thy consecration, thou didst shortly and clearly set forth, you may preserve unspotted and inviolable, because faith is the foundation of all virtue. We know, that from infancy thou hast been skilled in sacred letters, and taught in the canonical institutions; yet it is our duty briefly to discourse to you of these things. When thou shalt hold ordinations, let them be at the appointed seasons, according to the canons and apostolic church- -on the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth of the month. Lay hands suddenly on no man, nor be partaker of other men's sin. By no means promote bigamists or curiales, or the slave of any one to the sacred order, nor a novice, lest, according to the saying of the apostle, being lifted up by pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil; but study to ordain those in the holy church, who are of mature age, and have and will study to live faithfully with God and man. Especially eschew avarice as deadly poison; let it not steal on thy heart; that you may never lay hands on any man for a reward, nor fall headlong into the Simoniacal heresy which our Saviour in every way abhors. Remember that which freely thou hast received, thou dost also freely give; for according to the saying of the prophet, He who casts from him covetousness, and shakes 1 his hands free from every bribe, he shall dwell on high, the munitions of rocks shall be his, his bread shall be given to him, and his water shall be sure, his eyes shall behold the King in his beauty. Thou shalt keep thyself gentle and pure. In thy dwelling, rarely or never let a woman enter. The young women, and virgins of Christ, either calmly ignore or calmly love, nor trust to thy past chastity, for thou art neither stronger than Sampson, nor holier than David, nor wiser than Solomon. But when, for the sake of their souls, thou hast occasion to visit their society, or to go within the enclosure of the handmaids of God, enter not alone, but take such associates with thee, as will, by their company, preserve thee from calumny; because it is necessary that a bishop be irreproachable, and have a good testimony from all men, lest he should be a stumblingblock to any; for we know what censure is passed by the Lord upon those offending one of these little ones. Be constant in preaching; cease not to preach to the people committed to thee the Word of God copiously, sweetly, and clearly, so thou shalt be enriched with the dew of heaven. Read oftener the Divine writings; nay, as far as possible, let the holy text (lectio) be ever in thy hands, above all, in thy heart; and let prayer interrupt the reading, and let thy soul look into it diligently as into a mirror, that it may correct what is wrong, or add some new grace to what is lovely. Learn, that you may wisely instruct others, laying hold of that which is according to sound doctrine and faithful speech; that you may be able to confirm others in sound doctrine, and to convince those that are opposed. Continue in those things 1 The curiales, we presume, were the Pagan priests who performed the sacred rites of a curia, in each of the thirty wards into which ancient Rome was divided. This is evidently a prohibition against making the transition too easy from the Pagan to the Christian priesthood-a prohibition which might have been wisely extended to the entire ceremonial of Paganism. ADDRESS TO A BISHOP ON CONSECRATION. 265 which thou hast learned, and in the words of the Divine dispensation entrusted to you. Be ready always to give an answer. Nor let your actions put your discourse to shame, lest when you shall speak in the church, any one reply, Why then does he not do as he exhorts ? See what a large belly the master carries about who preaches to me of fasting? Robbers may abhor thefts and perjuries, and the covetous avarice. Let thy life, therefore, be irreproachable. In it, let thy sons (filii) see their rule; from it, correct what in them is less upright; from it, see what they should love, and know what they should hasten to imitate; that after thy example, all may be compelled to live with care. Have a praiseworthy care over those subject to thee. Let discipline be mingled with mercy, correction with discretion. Let gentleness soften thine anger, and zeal sharpen thy gentleness, that the one may temper the other; that neither excessive severity, beyond what is needful, should be imposed; nor, on the other hand, relaxation of discipline should break the rod of the ruler. Let the good experience thy sweetness; the evil, thy severe reproof; in which, let them see that thou lovest the persons, and hatest only their faults; lest, if otherwise, correction pass into cruelty, and thou destroyest by thine unmerciful anger, those whom by discretion you ought to amend. Let wounds be so probed, that they may not make sore that which seems to be sound, nor hasten to use the iron beyond what the occasion requires, and may be of advantage. Yet we are far from saying, that you are not to show thyself a punisher of transgression, and to permit offences to grow by impunity; but we admonish thee ever to mingle mercy in judgment, that thou mayest say in faith with the prophet, O Lord, I will sing to thee of mercy and judgment. May the mercy of a pastor be thine; and loveable sweetness, and according to the canonical rules, may severe discipline, that thou mayest gently comfort those living inno cently, and by smiting, restrain the restless from wickedness. Regard no man's face in judgment; let not his power raise the rich in thy esteem, nor let thy roughness make the poor more depressed on account of their poverty. The substance of the church which thou hast received in order to dispense, do not cease faithfully and discreetly to expend. Thou knowest that thou art the dispenser of that which belongs to another, that in thee the Lord's saying may be fulfilled, A faithful and wise servant whom the Lord hath appointed over his household, who will give them their meat in due season. Follow hospitality. Show compassion to the poor, as power is given thee; for he that hardens his ear to their cry, that they should not hear, he shall cry and shall not be heard. Let widows, orphans, and minors, rejoice to have in thee a most gentle pastor and tutor. Be a defence to the weak. To them that oppress, do thou vigorously oppose thyself, that the raging wolf and his followers, raging hither and thither, and desiring to tear the souls of the innocent, may not have in the fold of the Lord admission to devour the souls of the innocent. Let no favour lift thee up; let no adversity crush thee; let not thine heart in prosperity be elevated, nor in adversity dejected; but in all things, and at all times, act cautiously and with discretion, that without blame you may be approved by all. May the Holy Trinity guard the society under thy protection, that from the burden of the government of our God which thou hast undertaken, you may pass into the day of eternal retribution, and deserve to hear him saying, 'Well done, good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I have appointed thee over many things, enter into the joy of thy Lord.' Which may he vouchsafe to bestow on thee, who lives with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and reigns God, for ever and ever, Amen." The absence of those minute directions which are met with in the synodical address, converting episcopal duties into a routine of bodily services-the mention of the bishop's children (filii)—above all, the recommendation of frequent preaching and reading of the Word, all betoken an earlier Christian era ; and that this address belongs not to the times of the Papal Church. THE SHAVING OF THE BEARD has even a ceremonial in a clerk when he comes of age. He appears before the bishop, who receives him seated, with his mitre on his head, the antiphony being chanted: "As the dew on Hermon which descended on the mountains of Sion, so let the blessing of God descend upon thee." After reciting the Psalm, Lo how good, &c. Ps. cxxxiii., with a Glory to the Father, the bishop rises, and standing, prays, PRAYER BEFORE SHAVING THE BEARD. "O God, by whose providence every creature, in its maturity, rejoices in its increase of strength, hearken to our prayers for this thy servant. May he rejoice in the grace of his juvenile age, when about for the first time to be shaven; that defended at all times by the aid of thy power, and now advanced to a maturer age, he may receive the heavenly blessing, and rejoice in thy protection in the life that now is, and in that which is to come. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with thee in the unity of the same." THE TONSURE. This is called, making a clerk. The tonsure may be received by any one that is confirmed. An attestation of baptism is required previous to confession, a long tunic, and a robe called a superpellex. If it take place during the solemnities of mass, a candle is also taken in the hand. The other articles are a pair of scissors, and a bag to receive the hair. The bishop is the operator. Having recited Psalms xvi. and xxiv., and sundry antiphonies and short prayers, he takes the forceps, cuts the extremities of his hair in four places—in the forehead, hind head, at each ear, and on the middle of the head; putting the locks into the bag, saying, "The Lord is the lot of my inheritance, and of my cup. Thou art He that will restore my inheritance to me." The bishop admonishes him that he is from that day admitted to the privilege of a clerk. The seven penitential Psalms are recited, with the Litany, verses, and prayers. THE GOSPEL WAY OF FORGIVENESS. 267 CHAPTER XIV. THE CONCLUSION. The gospel way of forgiveness-Gradually disclosed-In our Lord's parables—In his last discourses—In the apostolic Epistles.-Its difference from other ways of justification expressed by the two words, Go and Come.-Franklin's way of perfection. Romanism teaches the same gospel, and yet another.-Martin Booz.The Jansenists.-Bishop Gardiner. The enchantments of Rome.-Scripture the only safety.-Effects of controversy and philosophy on Scriptural teaching.— Growing freedom and fulness of Scriptural teaching.-Protestantism defective in Christian enterprize.-The modern revivals and missions of Protestant churches. -Scottish Christianity.-Its characteristic. If there be anything more plainly written in the New Testament than another, it is that the forgiveness of sin is, on the part of God, an act of pure sovereign mercy, exercised in a way of holiness, because solely on account of the service and sacrifice which Christ has rendered to Divine justice. The nature of the thing admits as little of addition as of diminution. After an act of sovereign mercy on the part of the Judge, and a sacrifice of love divine on the part of the Saviour, all mention of other atonements and mediators can appear only a solemn mockery. The New Testament does not, any more than the Old Testament, at once disclose this free forgiveness, and the manner thereof; but naturally, and part by part, as the facts of the gospel on which it rests were accomplished. In one parable, our Lord introduces an unfortunate bankrupt, under the inexorable debtor and creditor law of ancient times, about to be sold into slavery with his wife and children, to pay his debts.1 The debtor falls down before him, crying, "Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all!" No one can doubt the sincerity of such a prayer, that it is a cry of the heart, nor of a promise 1 Matt. xviii. 24-27. |