she has given evidence that she has truly repented of her sin. This evidence will be most effectually given by such a humble and contrite confession of it as will enable the Priest to minister God's Word of absolution after the example of our Lord, when, in a similar case, He said, "Go, and sin no more." CHAPTER XIII The Ordination Services "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."—Acts xiv. 23. THE HE Church of England retained at the Reformation, and still retains, the same general principles which it had previously held respecting the Ministry of the Church; and the alterations made in the Ordination Offices were made chiefly with the purpose of condensing them, lessening the number of ceremonies, and bringing into greater prominence the central rite of Episcopal Imposition of Hands. Many alterations were made in the details of the Ordination Services between 1548 and 1661, but the substance of them is that which was used by the ancient Church. These Services are three in number, the first being for the Ordering of Deacons ; the second for the Ordering of Priests; and the third for the Consecration of Bishops. They are preceded by a PREFACE, supposed to have been written by Archbishop Cranmer; and in this Preface the general principles are stated on which the Services are founded. The statements there made are as follows: 1. There is evidence in Holy Scripture, and in the writings of ancient authors, that there have been Bishops, Priests, and Deacons in the Church of Christ from the time of the Apostles; and this evidence is to be found by those who really study-“all men diligently reading "-the works in which it is contained. 2. None ever undertook these offices until (1) their qualifications for them had been proved to the satisfaction of lawful authority; nor (2) until they had been properly ordained, with prayer and imposition of hands. 3. None shall be accounted a lawful Bishop, Priest, or Deacon in the Church of England, nor allowed to execute any of the functions belonging to those Orders, unless he has been ordained according to the forms of the Prayer Book. 4. Except when he has been previously consecrated or ordained by Bishops, or a Bishop, in some other Church. 5. Every man to be ordained Deacon must be twenty-three years of age; every Deacon to be ordained Priest must be full twenty-four years of age; and every Priest to be consecrated Bishop must be full thirty years of age. 6. Those to be ordained must be persons of good character, "learned in the Latin tongue, and sufficiently instructed in Holy Scripture." 7. Ordinations are to take place at the Ember Seasons, or else, upon some urgent occasion, upon some other Sunday or Holy Day, and in the face of the Church. These general rules are in accordance with the ancient rules of the Church of England, and of the Catholic Church at large. The actual Office for ordaining all three Orders, is made to form a portion of the Communion Service; Deacons being ordained after the Epistle, Priests after the Gospel, and Bishops after the Nicene Creed. In each case, it is to be begun at some time after the ending of Morning Prayer; and is preceded by the Litany, which is said as part of the office. § 1. The Ordination of Deacons. BEFORE the Litany is said, at the Ordination of Deacons, a formal declaration as to their fitness for the office is made in the face of the Church by the Archdeacon, or by the person who has been made responsible for their due examination. Then the Bishop in person speaks to the congregation, and requires that if any persons know of any impediment for which the candidates should not be ordained Deacons, they are to come forth in the name of God, and declare it. A similar notice (called the "Si quis," from its first words, "If any") has been read in the Parish Church of each Candidate on some previous Sunday; so that every opportunity is given to the Laity of stating cases of notorious unfitness to the Bishop. The LITANY is then sung or said, with a special clause, praying for those now to be made Deacons ; and, after the Litany, the COMMUNION OFFICE is said with a Special Collect, Epistle, and Gospel; the Deacons being ordained between the saying of the Epistle and the Gospel. The Candidates are first required by the Bishop to answer several very solemn questions, their answers being given in a form which makes them equivalent to vows or oaths; and hence the name of ORDINATION The Bishop Vows, as in the case of Baptismal Vows. in one of these states what are the duties of the Deacon's office, which may be thus summed up :—(1) “ To assist the Priest in Divine Service, and specially when he ministereth the Holy Communion; and to help him in the distribution thereof." (2) To take part in the other Services of the Church. (3) To instruct the youth of the parish in the Catechism. (4) In the absence of the Priest, to baptize infants. (5) To take a subordinate share in the pastoral work of the parish. He is not qualified to pronounce Absolutions or Benedictions; nor, of course, to celebrate the Holy Communion. He ought not, rightly, to take any part but that of assisting in Divine Service; and it is very desirable, especially, that he should not perform the Marriage Service, but that a Priest should always be required for the purpose by the Laity. As soon as these Vows have been taken, the Candidates kneel down before the Bishop to be changed from Laymen into Deacons. This is effected by the Bishop laying his hands separately on each of their heads, and saying these words : "Take thou authority to execute the office of a Deacon in the Church of God committed unto thee; in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." A New Testament is then put into the hands of each as he is ordained, with the words :— "Take thou authority to read the Gospel in the Church of God, and to preach the same, if thou be thereto licensed by the Bishop himself." And when all are ordained, one of the new-made Deacons reads the Gospel of the day as a proclamation of the new office committed to him and the rest. The |