1. Of the order of priests and deacons in the church.

I.

deacon.

ΤΗ HE word prief is nearly the fame in all the chrif- Origin of the tian languages: the Saxon is preoft, the German words prieft and prifter, the Belgic priester, the Swedish preft, the Gallic, preftre, the Italian prete, the Spanish prefle; all evidently enough taken from the Greek weerBulegos. Jun. Etym.

In like manner, the word deacon, with little variation, runneth through all the fame languages; deduced from the Greek diaxovos. id.

crament.

2. Art. 35. Orders are not to be accounted for a fa- Orders not a fan crament of the gospel; as not having the like nature of facraments with baptifm and the Lord's fupper; for that they have not any vifible fign or ceremony ordained of God.

Antiquity of priefs and dea

cons in the

3. It is evident unto all men diligently reading the holy feripture and ancient authors, that from the apostles time there have been these orders of minifters in Chrift's church; bishops, church. priests and deacons. Which offices were evermore had in fuch reverend estimation, that no man might prefume to execute any of them, except he were firft called, tried and examined, and known to have fuch qualities as are requifite for the fame; and also by public prayer with impofition of hands, were approved and admitted thereunto by lawful authority. Preface to the forms of confecration and ordination.

Bifhops, priests, and deacons] Befides thefe, the church of Rome hath five others; viz. fubdeacons, acolyths, exorcift, readers, and oftiaries. 1. The fubdeacon, is he who delivereth the veffels to the deacon, and affifteth him in the adminiftration of the facrament of the Lord's fupper. 2. The acolyth, is he who bears the lighted candle whilft the gospel is in reading, or whilft the priest confecraţeth the hoft. 3. The exorcift, is he who abjureth evil fpirits. in the name of Almighty God to go out of perfons troubled therewith. 4. The reader, is he who readeth in the church of God, being alfo ordained to this, that he may preach the word of God to the people. 5. The oftiary, is he who keepeth the doors of the church, and tolleth the bell. Thefe, tho' fome of them ancient, were human in stitutions, and fuch as come not under the limitation which immediately precedes, [from the apostles time]; for which reafon, and because they were evidently inftituted for convenience only, and were not immediately concerned in the facred offices of the church, they were laid afide by our firft reformers, Gibf. 99.

That

Form eftablished

That no man might prcfume to execute any of them] And to this purpose, the rule laid down in the canon law is, that if any perfon, not being ordained, fhall baptize, or exercife any divine office, he fhall for his rafhness be caft out of the church, and never be ordained. Gibf. 138.

Except he were first called] Accordingly in the feveral offices, the perfon to be admitted is firft examined by the archbishop or bishop, whether he thinks or is perfuaded that he is truly called thereunto, according to the will of Chrift, and the due order of this realm.

Tried, examined, and known] By the office of ordination, when the archdeacon or his deputy prefenteth unto the bihop the perfons to be ordained, the bishop fays, "Take

beed that the perfons whom you prefent unto us, be apt "and meet for their learning and godly converfation, to "exercise their miniftry duly to the honour of God and "the edifying of his church." To which he answereth, "I have enquired of them, and also examined them, and "think them fo to be."

Impofition of hands] This was always a diftinction between the three fuperior, and the five forementioned inferior orders; that the first were given by impofition of hands, and the fecond were not. Gibf. 99.

II. Of the form of ordaining priests and deacons, annexed to the book of common prayer.

1. In the liturgy eftablished in the fecond year of king in the a Ed. 6. Edward the fixth, there was alfo a form of confecrating and ordaining of bishops, priefts and deacons; not much differing from the prefent form.

All other forms abolished.

Form annexed to the book of common prayer.

Etablished by the 39 articles.

2. Afterwards, by the 3 & 4 Ed. 6. c. 10. it was enacted, that all books heretofore used for fervice of the church, other than fuch as fhall be fet forth by the king's majefty, fhall be clearly abolisbed. f. 1.

3. And by the 5 & 6 Ed. 6. c. 1. it is thus enacted: The king, with the affent of the lords and commons in parliament, hath annexed the book of common prayer to this prefent: ftatute; adding also a form and manner of making and confecrating of archbishops, bishops, priefts, and deacons, to be of like force and authority as the book of common prayer. 5 & 6 Ed. 6. c. 1. f. 5.8 El. c. 1.

4. And by Art. 36. The book of confecration of archbishops and bifhops and ordering of priefts and deacons,

lately

Jately fet forth in the time of Edward the fixth, and confirmed at the fame time by authority of parliament, doth contain all things neceffary to fuch confecration and ordering; neither hath it any thing, that of itself is fuperftitious and ungodly. And therefore whosoever are confecrated or ordered according to the rites of that book, fince the fecond year of the forenamed king Edward unto this time, or hereafter shall be confecrated or ordered according to the fame rites; we declare all fuch to be rightly, orderly, and lawfully confecrated and ordered.

5. And by Can. 8. Whofoever shall affirm or teach, By canon. that the form and manner of making and confecrating bishops, priests and deacons, containeth any thing that is repugnant to the word of God; or that they who are made bifhops, priefts, or deacons in that form, are not lawfully made, nor ought to be accounted either by themselves or others to be truly either bishops, priefts, or deacons, until they have fome other calling to thofe divine offices; let him be excommunicated ipfo facto, not to be restored, until he repent, and publickly revoke fuch his wicked errors. 6. And by the act of uniformity of the 13 14 C. 2. By act of parlias c. 4. it is enacted as followeth: All minifters in every place of publick worship fball be bound to use the morning and evening prayer, administration of the facraments, and all other the publick and common prayer, in such order and form as is mentioned in the book annexed to this prefent alt, and intituled, The book of common prayer and administration of the facraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the church of England; together with the pfalter or pfalms of David, pointed as they are to be fung or faid in churches; and the form or manner of making ordaining and confecrating of bifhops, priests and deacons. f. 2.

And all fubfcriptions to be made to the thirty-nine articles fhall be conftrued to extend (touching the faid thirty-fixth article above recited) to the book containing the form and manner of making ordaining and confecrating of bishops, priefs, and deacons in this act mentioned, as the fame did heretofore extend unto the book fet forth in the time of king Edward the fixth. f. 30, 31.

III. Of the time and place for ordination.

ment.

1. By Can. 31. Forafmuch as the ancient fathers of the Time, church, led by example of the apoftles, appointed prayers and fafts to be used at the folemn ordering of ministers; and to that purpose allotted certain times, in which only

facred

Place

Age.

facred orders might be given or conferred: we, following their holy and religious example, do conftitute and decree, that no deacons or minifters be made and ordained, but only upon the fundays, immediately following jejunia quatuor temporum, commonly called ember-weeks, appointed in ancient time for prayer and fafting (purposely for this cause at the first inftitution), and fo continued at this day in the church of England.

And by the preface to the forms of confecration and ordination, it is prescribed, that the bishop may at the times appointed in the canon, or elfe upon urgent occafion on fome other funday or holiday in the face of the church, admit deacons and priefts.

But this might not be done, at other times than is directed by the canon, at the fole difcretion of the bishop; but he was to have the archbishop's difpenfation or licence, as the practice was: and this was understood to be a fpecial prerogative of the fee of Rome in the times of popery. But as the rubrick made in the time of king Edward the fixth, and continued in the laft revifal of the common prayer, feems to leave it to the judgment of the bishop, without any direction to have recourse to the archbishop; it may be a queftion, whether such dispensation be now neceffary. Gibf. 139.

2. And this to be done in the cathedral, or parish church where the bishop refideth. Can. 31.

So that the bishop's jurifdiction as to conferring of orders is not confined to one certain place, but he may ordain at the parish church where he shall refide; and the Irish bishops do fometimes ordain in England: but, regularly, leave ought to be obtained of the bishop, within whofe diocefe the ordination is performed. Johns. 34.

.

And this is agreeable to the rule of the ancient canon law; which directeth, that a bishop shall not ordain within the diocese of another, without the licence of fuch other bishop. Gibf. 139. (8)

IV. Of the qualification and examination of perfons to be ordained.

1. By Can. 34. No bifhop fhall admit any person into facred orders, except he, defiring to be a deacon, is three

and twenty years old; and to be a priest, four and twenty years compleat.

And by the preface to the form of ordination: None fhall be admitted a deacon, except he be twenty-three years of age, unless he have a faculty; and every man which is to be admitted a priest, fhall be full four and twenty years old.

Unless he have a faculty] So that a faculty or difpenfation is allowed, for perfons of extraordinary abilities, to be admitted deacons fooner. Gib. 145.

Which faculty, (as it feemeth) must be obtained from the archbishop of Canterbury.

And by the ftatute of the 13 El. c, 12. None fhall be made minifter, being under the age of four and twenty years. And in this cafe there is no difpenfation. Gibf. 146.

Note, here it may be proper to obferve once for all, the equivocal fignification of the word minister, both in our ftatutes, canons, and rubrick in the book of common prayer. Oftentimes it is made to exprefs the perfon officiating in general, whether prieft or deacon; at other times it de noteth the priest alone, as contra-diftinguished from the deacon, as particularly here in this ftatute, and in Can. 31. aforegoing. And in such cases, the determination thereof can only be ascertained from the connexion and circumftances.

E. 1 Jac. 2, Roberts and Pain. A perfon being prefented to the parifh-church of Chrift-church in Bristol, was li belled againft, because he was not twenty-three years of age when made deacon, nor twenty-four when made prieft. A prohibition was prayed, upon this fuggeftion, that if the matter was true, a temporal lofs, to wit, deprivation, would follow; and that therefore it was triable in the temporal court: But it was denied, because so it is alfo in the cafe of drunkenness and other vices, which are ufually punished in the ecclefiaftical courts, tho' temporal lofs may enfue. 3 Mod. 67.

2. Ótho. Seeing it is dangerous to ordain any without Title. a certain and true title; we do establish that before the conferring of orders by the bishop, a diligent fearch and enquiry be made thereof. Ath. 16.

Can. 33. It bath been long fince provided, by many decrees of the ancient fathers that none bould be admitted either deacon or prieft, who bad not first fome certain place where he might use his function: According to which examples we do erdain, that henceforth no perfon fhall be admitted into facred

orders,