TIME, OR HEREAFTER SHALL BE CONSECRATED OR ORDERED ACCORDING TO THE SAME RITES; WE DECREE ALL SUCH TO BE RIGHTLY, ORDERLY, AND LAWFULLY CONSECRATED AND ORDERED. This latter part of the Article has a retrospective view, and the reason of adding it was this a new form of ordination was composed by the bishops, and approved by King Edward the Sixth, in the third year of his reign; and two years afterwards it was confirmed by Act of Parliament, together with the Book of Common Prayer, of which the form of ordination was declared to be a part.

In queen

Mary's reign this Act was repealed, and the Book of Common Prayer, and the Book of Ordination, were by name condemned. When Elizabeth came to the throne, queen Mary's Act was repealed, and King Edward's Prayer Book was again authorized; but the book of Ordination was not expressly named, because it had been a part of the Common Prayer Book; and therefore it was no more thought necessary to specify the office of ordination, than any other office of the Common Prayer Book. But bishop

Bonner contended, that as the Book of Ordination had been by name condemned in queen Mary's reign, and had not been since revived by name, that it was still condemned in law; and

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and consequently, that all ordinations, conferred according to that form, were illegal and invalid. To obviate this objection, it was declared in a subsequent session of parliament, that the office of ordination was considered as a part of the Common Prayer Book; and it was farther declared, that all ordinations, which had been performed according to that office, were valid; and upon the same principle a similar clause was inserted in this article.

With respect to those who are NOW CONSE

CRATED OR ORDERED, ACCORDING TO THE RITES OF THAT BOOK, as these rites are prescribed by just and proper authority, and are conformable to the practice of the Apostles, as far as it is known, it follows that such persons ARE RIGHTLY, ORDERLY, AND LAWFULLY, CONSECRATED AND ORDERED.

It appears from a variety of authorities, that in the early ages of Christianity, the ordination of priests and deacons was performed by bishops. The second of the apostolical canons directs that a presbyter should be ordained by one bishop. In the first Council of Constantinople it was decreed, that all ordinations performed by Maximus were invalid, because he himself was not a lawful bishop, having been consecrated by presbyters only. The Council of Sardis, and

also

also a council held at Alexandria, decreed the same thing concerning Ischyras. "How came Ischyras," says Athanasius, in his Second Apology, "to be so much as a presbyter? Who ordained him? Did Colluthus? This is all that can be pretended. But as Colluthus died a presbyter, all ordinations by his hands were invalid, and all persons ordained by him are still laics." And even Jerome, at a moment when he was endeavouring to lower episcopacy, asked, “What does a bishop do, except ordaining, which a presbyter may not do ?"

ARTICLE THE THIRTY-SEVENTH.

Of the Civil Magistrates.

THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY HATH THE CHIEF POWER IN THIS REALM OF ENGLAND, AND OTHER HER DOMINIONS, UNTO WHOM THE CHIEF GOVERNMENT OF ALL ESTATES OF THIS REALM, WHETHER THEY BE ECCLESIASTICAL OR CIVIL, IN ALL CAUSES, DOTH APPERTAIN; AND IS NOT, NOR OUGHT TO BE, SUBJECT TO ANY FOREIGN JURISDICTION.

WHERE WE ATTRIBUTE TO THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY THE CHIEF GOVERNMENT, (BY WHICH

TITLES WE UNDERSTAND THE MINDS OF SOME

SLANDEROUS FOLKS TO BE OFFENDED;) WE

GIVE NOT TO OUR PRINCES THE MINISTER

ING EITHER OF GOD'S WORD, OR OF THE SACRAMENTS; THE WHICH THING THE INJUNCTIONS ALSO LATELY SET FORTH BY ELIZABETH OUR QUEEN, DO MOST PLAINLY TESTIFY; BUT THAT ONLY PREROGATIVE WHICH WE SEE TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN ALWAYS TO ALL GODLY PRINCES IN HOLY SCRIPTURES BY GOD HIMSELF; THAT IS, THAT THEY SHOULD RULE ALL ESTATES AND DEGREES COMMITTED ΤΟ THEIR CHARGE BY GOD, WHETHER THEY BE ECCLESIASTICAL

CLESIASTICAL OR TEMPORAL, AND RESTRAIN WITH THE CIVIL SWORD THE STUBBORN AND EVIL DOERS.

THE BISHOP OF ROME HATH NO JURISDICTION

IN THIS REALM OF ENGLAND.

THE LAWS OF THE REALM MAY

PUNISH

CHRISTIAN MEN WITH DEATH, FOR HEI-
NOUS AND GRIEVOUS OFFENCES.

IT IS LAWFUL FOR CHRISTIAN MEN, AT THE
COMMANDMENT OF THE MAGISTRATE, TO
WEAR WEAPONS, AND SERVE IN THE WARS.

THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY HATH THE CHIEF

POWER IN THIS REALM OF ENGLAND, AND OTHER HER DOMINIONS, UNTO WHOM THE CHIEF GOVERNMENT OF ALL ESTATES OF THIS REALM, WHETHER THEY BE ECCLESIASTICAL OR CIVIL, IN ALL CAUSES, DOTH APPERTAIN, AND IS NOT, NOR OUGHT TO BE, SUBJECT TO

ANY FOREIGN JURISDICTION. The authority here declared to belong to the sovereign of these realms, is given to him by the laws of our country; and a little inquiry will convince us, that this authority is properly vested in him with respect to ecclesiastical subjects, which is the point to be principally attended to in the exposition of this Article.

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