THE

FORM AND MANNER

OF

ORDERING OF PRIESTS.

When the day appointed by the Bishop is come, after Morning Prayer is ended, there shall be a Sermon or Exhortation, declaring the Duty and Office of such as come to be admitted Priests; how necessary that Order is in the Church of Christ, and also how the people ought to esteem them in their Office.

First, the Archdeacon, or, in his ab­sence, one appointed in his stead, shall present unto the Bishop( sitting in his chair near to the holy Table) all them that shall receive the Order of Priest­hood that day( each of them being de­cently habited) and say,

REVEREND Father in God, I

present unto you these persons present, to be admitted to the Order of Priesthood.

The Bishop.

that the

whom ye present unto us, be apt and meet, for their learning and god­ly conversation, to exercise their Mi­nistry duly, to the honour of God, and the edifying of his Church,

The Archdeacon shall answer, HAVE enquired of them, and also examined them, and think them so to be.

I

Then the Bishop shall say unto the people; whom

Gwe purpose, God willing, to re­ceive this day unto the holy Office of Priesthood: For after due examina­tion we find not to the contrary, but that they be lawfully called to their Function and Ministry, and that they be persons meet for the same. But yet if there be any of you, who knoweth any Impediment, or nota­ble Crime, in any of them, for the which he ought not to be received into this holy Ministry, let him come forth in the Name of God, and shew what the Crime or Impediment is.

And if any great Crime or Impediment be objected, the Bishop shall surcease from Ordering that person, until such time as the party accused shall be found clear of that Crime.

513

Then the Bishop( commending such as shall be found meet to be Ordered to the Prayers of the congregation) shall, with the Clergy and people present, sing or say the Litany, with the Prayers, as is before appointed in the Form of Order­ing Deacons; save only, that, in the proper Suffrage there added, the word [ Deacons] shall be omitted, and the word [ Priests] inserted instead of it.

Then shall be sung or said the Service for the Communion, with the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, as followeth.

The Collect.

good things, who by thy Holy Spirit hast appointed divers Orders of Ministers in the Church; Merci­fully behold these thy servants now called to the Office of Priesthood; and replenish them so with the truth of thy doctrine, and adorn them with innocency of life, that, both by word and good example, they may faith­fully serve thee in this Office, to the glory of thy Name, and the edifi­cation of thy Church; through the

merits of our reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle. Ephes. iv. 7.

N NTO every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.( Now that he ascend­ed, what is it but that he also de­scended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended, is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evan­gelists, and some Pastors and Teach­

R