THE ORDERING OF PRIESTS.
Then the Bishop, sitting in his chair, shall say unto them as hereafter foltoweth.
YOU YOU have heard, Brethren, as well in your private examination, as in the exhortation which was now made to you, and in the holy Lessons taken out of the Gospel, and the writings of the Apostles, of what dignity, and of how great importance this Office is, whereunto ye are called. And now again we exliort you, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you have in remembrance, into how high a Dignity, and to how weighty an Office and Charge ye are called: that is to say, to be Messengers, Watchmen, and Stewards of the Lord; to teach, and to premonish, to feed and provide for the Lord's family; to seek for Christ's sheep that are dispersed abroad, and for his children who are in the midst of this naughty world, that they may be saved through Christ for ever
Have always therefore printed in your remembrance, how great a treasure is committed to your charge. For they are the sheep of Christ, which he bought with his death, and for whom he shed his blood The Church and Congregation whom you must serve, is his Spouse, and his Body And if it shall happen the same Church, or any Member thereof, to take any hurt or hindrance by reason of your negligence, ye know the great ness of the fault, and also the horrible punishment that will ensue Wherefore consider with yourselves the end of your Mmistry towards the children of God, towards the Spouse and Body of Christ; and see that you never cease your labour, your care and diligence, until you have done all that lieth in you, according to your bounden duty, to bring all such as are or shall be committed to your
charge, unto that agreement in the faith and knowledge of God, and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ, that there be no place left among you, either for error in religion, or for vicious ness in life.
Forasmuch then as your Office is both of so great excellency, and of so great di ficulty, ye see with how great care and study ye ought to apply yourselves, as
that ye may shew yourselves dutiful and thankful unto that Lord, who hath placed you in so high a Dignity; as also to beware, that neither you your selves offend, nor be occasion that others offend. Howbeit, ye cannot have a mind and will thereto of yourselves; for that will and ability is given of God alone: therefore ye ought, and have need, to pray earnestly for his Holy Spirit. And seeing that you cannot by any other
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a work, pertaining to the salvation of means compass the doing of so weighty man, but with doctrine and exhortation taken out of the holy Scriptures, and with a life agreeable to the same; consider how studious ye ought to be in reading and learning the Scriptures, and in framing the manners both of your unto you, according to the rule of the selves, and of them that specially pertain same Scriptures: and for this self- same cause, how ye ought to forsake and set aside( as much as you may) all worldly cares and studies
We have good hope that you have well weighed and pondered these things with yourselves long before this time; and that you have clearly determined, by God's grace, to give yourselves wholly to this Office, whereunto it hath pleased God to call you: so that, as much as lieth in you, you will apply yourselves wholly to this one thing, and draw all your cares and studies this way, and that you by the Mediation of our only Saviour will continually pray to God the Father, Jesus Christ, for the heavenly assistance and weighing of the Scriptures, ye may of the Holy Ghost; that, by daily reading and that ye may so endeavour yourselves, wax riper and stronger in your Ministry; from time to time, to sanctify the lives of the Rule and Doctrine of Christ, that ye you and yours, and to fashion them after patterns for the people to follow may be wholesome and godly examples and
And now, that this present Congregation of Christ here assembled may also understand your minds and wills in these things, and that this your promise may the more move you to do your duties, which we, in the Name of God, and of ye shall answer plainly to these things, his Church, shall demand of you touching
the same
that
De truly called, according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the order of this Church of England, to the Order and Ministry of Priesthood? Answer I think it.
The Bishop
A Scriptures contain sufficiently all ARE you persuaded that the holy Doctrine required of necessity for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and are you determined, out of the said Scriptures to instruct the people committed to your charge, and to teach nothing, as required of necessity to eternal salvation, but that which you shall be persuaded may be concluded and proved by the Scripture?
Answer I am so persuaded, and have so determined by God's grace.