as in the exhortation, and in the holy lessons taken out of the Gospel, and of the writings of the Apostles, of what dignity and of how great importance this office is (whereunto ye be called). And now we exhort you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to have in remembrance into how high a dignity, and to how chargeable an office ye be called, that is to say, to be the messengers, the watchmen, the pastors, and the stewards of the Lord; to teach, to premonish, to feed, and provide for the Lord's family; to seek for Christ's sheep that be dispersed abroad, and for his children which be in the midst of this naughty world, to be saved through Christ for ever. Have always, therefore, printed in your remembrance how great a treasure is committed to your charge; for they be the sheep of Christ which be 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 chance the same church, or any member thereof, to take any hurt or hinderance, by reason of your negligence, ye know the greatness of the fault, and also of the horrible punishment which will ensue. Wherefore consider with yourselves the end of your ministry towards the children of God, toward 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 faith, and knowledge of God, and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ, that there be no place left among them, either for error in religion or for viciousness in life. : Then, forasmuch as your office is both of so great excellency and of so great difficulty, ye see with how great care and study ye ought to apply yourselves, as well that you may shew yourselves kind to that Lord, who hath placed you in so high a dignity, as also to beware that neither you yourselves offend, neither be occasion that other offend. Howbeit ye cannot have a mind and a will thereto of yourselves; for that power and ability is given of God alone. Therefore ye see how ye ought and have need earnestly to pray for his Holy Spirit. And seeing that you cannot by any other means compass the doing of so weighty a work pertaining to the salvation of man, but with doctrine and exhortation taken out of holy scripture, and with a life agreeable unto the same; ye perceive how studious ye ought to be in read ing and in learning the holy scriptures, and in framing the manners both of yourselves and of them that specially pertain unto you, according to the rule of the same scriptures. And for this selfsame cause ye see how you ought to forsake andset aside (as much as you may) all worldly cares and studies. We have a 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 vocation, whereunto it hath pleased God to call you, so that (as much as lieth in you) you apply yourselves wholly to this one thing, and draw all your cares and studies this way, and to this end; and that you will continually pray for the heavenly assistance of the Holy Ghost, from God the Father, by the mediation of our only Mediator and Saviour Jesus Christ, that by daily reading and weighing of the scriptures ye may wax riper and stronger in your ministry; and that ye may so endeavour yourselves, from time to time, to sanctify the lives of you and yours, and to fashion them after the rule and doctrine of Christ; and that ye may be wholesome and godly examples and patterns for the rest of the congregation to follow; and that this present congregation of Christ, here assembled, may also understand your minds and wills in these things; and that this your promise shall more move you to do your duties, ye shall answer plainly to these things, which we, in the name of the congregation, shall demand of you, touching the same. Do you think in your heart that you be truly called, according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the order of this church of England, to the ministry of priesthood? Answer. I think it. The Bishop. Be you persuaded that the holy scriptures contain sufficiently all doctrine required of necessity for eternal salvation, through faith in Jesu Christ? And are you determined, with the said scriptures, to instruct the people committed to your charge, and to teach nothing (as required of necessity to eternal salvation) but that 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. The Bishop. Will you then give your faithful diligence always so to minister the doctrine, and sacraments, and the discipline of Christ, as the Lord hath commanded, and as this realm hath received the same, according to the commandments of God, so that you may teach the people committed to your cure and charge with all diligence to keep and observe the same? Answer. I will so do, by the help of the Lord. The Bishop. Will you be ready, with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines, contrary to God's word, and to use both public and private monitions and exhortations, as well to the sick as to the whole, within your cures, as need shall require and occasion be given? Answer. I will, the Lord being my helper. The Bishop. Will you be diligent in prayers, and in reading of the holy scriptures, and in such studies as help to the knowledge of the same, laying aside the study of the world and the flesh? Answer. I will endeavour myself so to do, the Lord being my helper. The Bishop. Will you be diligent to frame and fashion your own selves and your families according to the doctrine of Christ, and to make both yourselves and them (as much as in you lieth) wholesome examples and spectacles to the flock of Christ? Answer. I will so apply myself, the Lord being my helper. The Bishop. Will you maintain and set forwards (as much as lieth in you) quietness, peace, and love amongst all Christian people, and specially among them that are, or shall be, committed to your charge? Answer. I will so do, the Lord being my helper. The Bishop. Will you reverently obey your Ordinary, and other chief ministers, unto whom the government and charge is committed over you, following with a glad mind and will their godly admonition, and submitting yourselves to their godly judgments? Answer. I will so do, the Lord being my helper. Then shall the Bishop say, ALMIGHTY God, who hath given you this will to do all these things; Grant also unto you strength and power to perform the same, that he may accomplish his work which he hath begun in you, until the time he shall come at the latter day to judge the quick and the dead. After this, the congregation shall be desired, secretly in their prayers, to make humble supplications to God for the foresaid things: for the which prayers there shall be a certain space kept in silence. That done, the Bishop shall pray in this wise. Let us pray. ALMIGHTY God and heavenly Father, which of thy infinite love and goodness towards us, hast given to us thy only and most dear beloved Son Jesus Christ, to be our Redeemer and Author of everlasting life; who, after he had made perfect our redemption by his death, and was ascended into heaven, sent abroad into the world his apostles, prophets, evangelists, doctors, and pastors; by whose labour and ministry he gathered together a great flock in all the parts of the world, to set forth the eternal praise of thy holy name. For these so great benefits of thy eternal goodness, and for that thou hast vouchsafed to call these thy servants here present to the same office and ministry of the salvation of mankind, we render unto thee most hearty thanks, we worship and praise thee; and we humbly beseech thee, by the same thy Son, to grant unto all us, which either here or elsewhere call upon thy name, that we may shew ourselves thankful to thee for these and all other the benefits, and that we may daily increase and go forwards in the knowledge and faith of thee, and thy Son, by the Holy Spirit. So that as well by these thy ministers, as by them to whom they shall be appointed ministers, thy holy name may be always glorified, and thy blessed kingdom enlarged; through the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, which liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen. ¶ When this prayer is done, the Bishop, with the Priests present, shall lay their hands severally upon the head of every one that receiveth orders; the receivers humbly kneeling upon their knees, and the Bishop saying, RECEIVE the Holy Ghost: whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins thou dost retain, they are retained. And be thou a faithful dispenser of the word of God, and of his holy sacraments: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. ¶The Bishop shall deliver to every one of them the Bible in his hand, saying, TAKE thou authority to preach the word of God, and to minister the holy sacraments, in this congregation, where thou shalt be so appointed. ¶ When this is done, the congregation shall sing the Creed, and also they shall go to the communion; which all they that receive orders shall take together, and remain in the same place where the hands were laid upon them, until such time as they have received the communion. ¶The communion being done, after the last Collect, and immediately before the benediction, shall be said this Collect: Most merciful Father, we beseech thee so to send upon these thy servants thy heavenly blessing, that they may be clad about with all justice, and that thy word spoken by their mouths may have such success, that it may never be spoken in vain. Grant also that we may have grace to hear and receive the same as thy most holy word, and the mean of our salvation, that in all our words and deeds we may seek thy glory, and the increase of thy kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ¶ And if the orders of Deacon and Priesthood be given both upon one day, then shall all things at the holy communion be used as they are appointed at the Ordering of Priests; saving that for the Epistle the whole third chapter of the first to Timothy shall be read as it is set out before in the Order of Priests. And immediately after the Epistle the Deacons shall be ordered. And it shall suffice, the Litany to be said once. ¶ The Form of Consecrating of an Archbishop or Bishop. At the Communion. The Epistle. THIS is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth an honest work. A bishop therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, diligent, sober, discreet, a keeper of hospitality, apt to teach; not given to overmuch wine, no fighter, not greedy of filthy lucre; but gentle, abhorring fighting, abhorring covetousness; one that ruleth well his own house; one that hath children in subjection with all reverence; for if a man cannot rule his own house, how shall he care for the congregation of God? He may not be a young scholar, lest he swell, and fall into the judgment of the evil speaker. He must also have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into rebuke and snare of the evil speaker. Ее |