XXXVI. Of Consecration of Bishops and Ministers.

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THE Book of Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops, and Ordering of Priests and d Deacons, lately set forth in the time of Edward

It is evident unto all men diligently reading holy Scripture and ancient authors, that from the Apostles' time there hath been these orders of ministers in Christ's Church, bishops, priests, and deacons which offices were evermore had in such reverend estimation, that no man by his own private authority might presume to execute any of them, except he were first called, tried, examined, and known to have such qualities as were requisite for the same, and also for public prayer, with imposition of hands, approved and admitted thereunto. And therefore, to the intent these orders should be continued and reverently used and esteemed in the Church of England, it is requisite that no man (not being at this present bishop, priest, or deacon) shall execute any of them, except he be called, tried, examined, and admitted, according to the form hereafter following. And none shall be admitted a deacon, except he shall be twenty-one years of age at the least. And every man which is to be admitted a priest shall be full four and twenty years old. And every man which is to be consecrated a bishop shall be full thirty years of age. And the bishop knowing, either by himself or by sufficient testimony, any person to be a man of virtuous conversation, and without crime, and, after examination and trial, finding him learned in the Latin tongue, and sufficiently instructed in holy Scripture, may upon a Sunday or holyday, in the face of the Church, admit him a deacon in such manner and form as hereafter followeth. Preface to the Offices.

b Ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 1 Pet. ii. 25. As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John xx. 21. His bishopric let another take. Acts i. 20. Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers (iricxorovs), to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Acts xx. 28. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are

wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. Tit. i. 5.

Against an elder receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses. 1 Tim. v. 19. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 1 Tim. v. 17.

d Likewise must the deacons be graveholding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a

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the Sixth, and confirmed at the same time by authority of Parliament, doth contain all things necessary to such Consecration and Ordering; neither hath it any thing that of itself is superstitious and ungodly. And therefore whosoever are consecrated or ordered according to the rites

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'There was a new form of ordinations agreed on by the bishops in the third year of King Edward; and when the Book of Common Prayer, with the last corrections of it, was authorized by Act of Parliament in the fifth year of that reign, the new Book of Ordinations was also enacted, and was appointed to be a part of the Common Prayer Book. In Queen Mary's time these acts were repealed, and those books were condemned by name. When Queen Elizabeth came to the crown, King Edward's Common Prayer Book was of new enacted, and Queen Mary's Act was repealed. But the Book of Ordination was not expressly named, it being considered as a part of the Common Prayer Book, as it had been made in King Edward's time, so it was thought no more necessary to mention that office by name than to mention all the other offices that are in the book. Bishop Bonner set on foot a nicety, that since the Book of Ordinations was by name condemned in Queen Mary's time, and was not by name received in Queen Elizabeth's time, that therefore it was still condemned by law, and that by consequence ordinations performed according to this book were not legal. But it is visible, that whatsoever might be made out of this, according to the niceties of our law, it has no relation to the validity of ordinations, as they are sacred performances, but only as they are

deacon, being found blameless. 1 Tim. iii. 8-10.

e Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. Numb. xxvii. 18, 19. Thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together: and thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering of the children of Israel,

that they may execute the service of the Lord. Numb. viii. 9, 10, 11. Whom they set before the Apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. Acts vi. 6. Lay hands suddenly on no man. 1 Tim. v. 22. As my Father hath sent me, so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. John xx. 21, 22. The Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. Acts xx. 28. The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. They being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed. Acts xiii. 2, 4.

of that book, since the second year of the forenamed King Edward, unto this 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.

legal actions, with relation to our constitution. Therefore a declaration was made in a subsequent Parliament, that the Book of Ordination was considered as a part of the Book of Common Prayer and to clear all scruples or doubts that might arise upon that matter, they by a retrospect declared them to be good: and from that retrospect in the Act of Parliament, the like clause was put in the Article, Burnet.

XXXVII. Of the Civil Magistrates. THE King's Majesty hath the chief power in this realm of England, and other his dominions, unto whom the chief government of all estates

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Let us learn of St. Paul, the chosen vessel of God, that all persons having souls, (he excepteth none, nor exempteth none, neither priest, apostle, nor prophet, saith St. Chrysostom,) do owe of bounden duty, and even in conscience, submission and subjection to the higher powers which be set in authority by God" forasmuch as they be God's lieutenants, God's presidents, God's officers, God's commissioners, God's judges, ordained of God himself; of whom only they have all their power, and all their authority. And the same St. Paul threateneth no less pain than "everlasting damnation to all disobedient persons," to all resisters against this general and common authority, forasmuch as they resist not man, but God; not man's device and invention, but God's wisdom, God's order, power, and authority. Hom. x. 6.

"Submit yourselves, and be subject," saith St. Peter, " unto kings, as unto the chief heads, and unto rulers, as unto them that are sent of him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well; for so is the will of God.” 1 Pet. ii. 13-15. I need not to expound these words, they be so plain of themselves. St. Peter doth not say, Submit yourselves unto me as supreme head of the Church: neither saith he, Submit yourselves from time to time to my successors in Rome : but he saith, Submit yourselves unto your king, your supreme head, and unto those that he appointeth in authority under him; for that you shall so shew your obedience, it is the will of God; God will that you be in subjection to your head and king. This is God's ordinance, God's commandment, and God's holy will, that the whole body of every realm, and all the members and parts of the same, shall be subject to their head, their king; and that, as St. Peter writeth, "for the Lord's sake;" and, as St. Paul writeth, "for conscience sake, and not for fear only." 1 Pet. ii. 13. Rom. xiii. 5. Hom. x. 3.

From thence (the holy decree of the laws of God) they all, whether they be parents, princes, magistrates, or other superiors,

a Submitting yourselves- -to the king as supreme. 1 Pet. ii. 13. Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers. Is. xlix. 23. Saul was made head of the tribes of Israel. 1 Sam.

XV. 17. They departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures. 2 Chron. viii. 15.

in 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.

whatsoever they be, have all their power and authority; because by these it has pleased God to rule and govern the world. Nowell, p. 20.

b Verily we grant no further liberty to our magistrates than that we know hath both been given them by the word of God, and also been confirmed by the examples of the very best governed commonwealths. For besides that a Christian prince hath the charge of both tables committed to him by God, to the end he may understand, that not temporal matters only, but also religious and ecclesiastical causes, pertain to his office.- -Besides all these things, we see by histories and by examples of the best times that good princes ever took the administration of ecclesiastical matters to pertain to their duty. Exod. xii. 2 Chron. xiii. 1 Kings viii. 2 Chron. xxix. xvii. 2 Kings x. Jewell.

We see them have authority over bishops, receive from God commandments concerning religion, bring home again the ark of God, make holy hymns, oversee the priests, build the temple, make orations touching divine service, cleanse the temples, destroy the hill-altars, burn the idol-groves, teach the priests their duties, write them out precepts how they should live, kill the wicked prophets, displace the high-priests, summon together holy councils, sit together with the bishops instructing them what they ought to do; examine, condemn, and punish heretics, be made acquainted with matters of religion, subscribe and give

b They withstood Uzziah the king, and said to him, It appertain eth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine bonour from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy rose up in his forehead; and they thrust him out from thence, yea himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. 2 Chron. xxvi. 18-20. David's care of the ark of God. 2 Sam. vi. 2. He divides the priests into courses. 1 Chron. xxiii. 6. Solomon built the house

of God. 1 Kings vi. 14. He appoints the courses of the priests. 2 Chron. viii. 14. Asa reforms abuses in religion. 2 Chron. xiv. 2,

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He farther reforms the nation, and takes an oath of the people to reform, and seek the Lord. 2 Chron. xv. 8-14. Jehosaphat enjoins the princes and the Levites to teach the law of the Lord. 2 Chron. xvii, 7-9. He reforms abuses, and gives a religious charge to the judges. xix. 4-11. He appoints a fast. xx. 6. Hezekiah took counsel with the princes, to celebrate the passover, which had been long neglected. 2 Chron. xxx. 2. Writes letters and makes proclamation to assemble the people. 5-7. Ezra and Nehemiah reform abuses in religion. Ezra ix. 6. Neh. v. 6-9.