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 followeth,

The Litany and Suffrages.
GOD the Father, of heav
GOD the Father, of heaven: have mercy

O God the Father, of heaven upon us miserable sinners.

have mercy

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers; neither take thou

way;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to keep and strengthen in the true worshipping of thee, in righteousness and holiness of life, thy Servant VICTORIA, our most gracious Queen and Governor ;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to rule her heart in thy faith, fear, and love, and that she may evermore have affiance in thee, and ever seek thy honour and glory;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to be her defender, and keeper, giving her the victory over all her enemies:

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to bless and preserve Albert Edward Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all the Royal Family;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

una cum archipresbyteris (al. presbyteris) qui eos repræsentare debent; et tunc episcopus a latere suo eligere debet sacerdotes et alios prudentes viros gnaros divinæ legis et exercitatos in ecclesiasticis sanctionibus; qui ordinandorum vitam, genus, patriam, ætatem, institutionem, (i.e. titulum) locum ubi educati sunt, si sint bene literati, si instructi in lege Domini, diligenter investigent. Ipsi autem quibus hoc committitur cavere debent, ne aut favoris gratia aut cujuscunque muneris cupiditate illati, a vero devient, ut indignum et minus idoneum ad sacros gradus suscipiendos episcopi manibus applicent. Igitur per tres continuos dies diligenter examinentur; et sic sabbato qui probati inventi sunt, episcopo repræsententur.'

The times of Ordination prescribed in Canon Law are the 'jejunia quatuor temporum,' viz. the Ember Weeks. In the primitive ages men were ordained as they were required for the service of the Church. It is not certain that the appointment of the Ember Weeks had at first anything to do with Ordination. As however this solemnity was, according to Apostolic example, accompanied with fasting and prayer, and as it was convenient, when the Church's demand for Ministers increased, to appoint certain times of Ordination, these four seasons were appropriately chosen. According to Stephens the Ember Weeks became the settled times of Ordination about the 4th or 5th century, and being gradually received by several Churches, were established as the rule of the Church of England in the constitutions of Egbert, archbishop of York, c. 750. In the Convocation of 1662 the president made a special order to enforce the ancient law.

By the 3rd Council of Carthage, A.D. 397, at the instance of Augustine, who had been ignorant of one of the canons of the Nicene Council, it was ordered that the canons of the church should be read at every man's nomination before Ordination. A profession of obedience to these was required by a law of Justinian.

The 2nd rubric of 1549 orders that 'the Archdeacon or his Deputy shall present such as come to the Bishop: every one of them, that are presented, having upon him a plain Alb.' This notice of the Deacon's habit was omitted in 1552. In 1662 the words, 'each of them being decently habited,' were inserted. The notice respecting the Bishop's position was inserted at the same time.

The deacons themselves were deemed in a special manner ministers of the bishop. Hence there is a peculiar propriety in the selection of the Archdeacon for the office here assigned to him. He is styled in our law 'oculus episcopi ;' the examination be

longs to him 'de jure communi.' In the Greek and Roman churches likewise this duty is assigned to him. In the Roman church the orders of Subdeacon, Deacon, and Priest are reckoned 'ordines majores:' candidates are ordained at the same time. A general address is given to all who are to be ordained; subsequently they are addressed separately. The presentation to the Bishop and his caution are much as in the Roman Ordinal. The presentation has the terms, 'postulat sancta mater Ecclesia Catholica.'

In both Greek and Roman churches the Deacons are taken from the Subdeacons.

The Archdeacon's answer in the Roman Ordinal is 'quantum humana fragilitas nosse sinit, &c.'

The enquiry is similar. It is as old as the time of Gelasius, A.D. 494. After a little pause the Bishop addresses the candidates for the Diaconate on the duties of their office: they prostrate themselves, and the Litany is said.

In the Exeter pontifical we have the following insertion in the Litany: 'Ut electos istos bene + dicere digneris Te rogamus.

'Ut electos istos bene + dicere et sancti +ficare digneris.

Te rogamus. 'Ut electos istos bene+ dicere sancti +ficare et consecrare digneris. Te rogamus.'

In the Roman Ordinal the Bishop at the close of the Litany commends the candidates to the prayers of the clergy and people; he then recites a collect, at the conclusion of which he chants a prayer invoking grace for ministers generally, and for the candidates specially the grace of the Diaconate. He then lays his hand upon the head of each, and afterwards continues the chant.

He gives the stole and dalmatic with a prayer on the delivery of these vestments; and also a copy of the Gospels. One of the newly ordained reads the Gospel.

In the Greek church the candidate is brought to the sanctuary, and the hymn Holy Martyrs' sung; the Deacon elect then rests his forehead against the Holy Table and bends his right knee. The Bishop lays his hand upon the head of the candidate and says:

"The divine grace, which continually strengthens those things that are weak and supplies those that are lacking, chooses the most pious Subdeacon V. to the office of Deacon. Let us therefore pray for him that the grace of the all-holy Spirit may come upon him.'

The choir sings 'Kyrie eleeson.' The Bishop, keeping his hand on the head of

That it may please thee to illuminate all Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, with true knowledge and understanding of thy Word; and that both by their preaching and living they may set it forth, and shew it accordingly;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.

say the Lord's Prayer.

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to endue the Lords of the Council, and all the Nobility, with grace, wisdom, and understanding;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to bless and keep the Magistrates, giving them grace to execute justice, and to maintain truth;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to bless and keep all thy people;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to give to all nations unity, peace, and concord;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to give us an heart to love and dread thee, and diligently to live after thy commandments;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of grace to hear meekly thy Word, and to receive it with pure affection, and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have erred, and are deceived; We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to strengthen such as do stand; and to comfort and help the weakhearted; and to raise up them that fall; and finally to beat down Satan under our feet;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to succour, help, and comfort, all that are in danger, necessity, and tribulation;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to preserve all that travel by land or by water, all women labouring of child, all sick persons, and young children: and to shew thy pity upon all prisoners and captives;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to defend, and provide for, the fatherless children and widows, and all that are desolate and oppressed;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to have mercy upon all

men;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth, so as in due time we may enjoy them;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. That it may please thee to give us true repentance; to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances; and to endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy Word;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. Son of God: we beseech thee to hear us. Son of God: we beseech thee to hear us. O Lamb of God: that takest away the sins of the world;

Grant us thy peace.

UR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed

will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Priest. O Lord, deal not with us after our sins. Answer. Neither reward us after our iniquities,

Let us pray.

GOD, merciful Father, that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as be sorrowful; Mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress us; and graciously hear us, that those evils, which the craft and subtilty of the devil or man worketh against us, be brought to nought; and by the providence of thy goodness they may be dispersed; that we thy servants, being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thy Name's sake.

GOD, we have heard with our ears, and ol fathers have declared unto us, the noble works that thou didst in their days, and in the old time before them.

O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thine honour.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

Amen.

Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. From our enemies defend us, O Christ. Graciously look upon our afflictions. Pitifully behold the sorrows of our hearts. Mercifully forgive the sins of thy people. Favourably with mercy hear our prayers. O Son of David, have mercy upon us. Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us, O Christ.

Graciously hear us, O Christ; graciously hear us, O Lord Christ.

Priest. O Lord, let thy mercy be shewed upon us;

Answer. As we do put our trust in thee.
Let us pray.

Whily look upon our infirmities; and E humbly beseech thee, O Father, merfor the glory of thy Naine turn from us all those evils that we most righteously have deserved; and grant, that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honour and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, who by thy Divine Pro

Ministers in thy Church, and didst inspire thine Apostles to choose into the Order of Deacons the first Martyr Saint Stephen, with others; Mercifully behold these thy servants now called

the one to be ordained, prays that he may have grace to execute his ministry faithfully after the example of Stephen the protomartyr.

The Archdeacon recites a short Litany containing the special petitions:

'For the servant of God, N., who is now chosen for the office of Deacon, and for his preservation, let us beseech the Lord.

"That our merciful God may grant him a Diaconate spotless and unblemished, let us beseech the Lord.'

The Bishop keeps his hand on the head of the candidate, (the service contemplates throughout only one), prays for him, and gives him the stole and fan. On delivering these he says, 'Worthy' ("Agios), to which the choir respond, 'Worthy' ("Agios). The newly ordained Deacon takes precedence in receiving the Holy Communion; he then reads the thanksgiving.

The concluding prayer of the Greek ordination is noteworthy. It runs thus: 'O Godour Saviour, who by thine unerring voice didst ordain the rule of the Diaconate to thy apostles, and didst choose to the office thy first martyr Stephen, and gavest him priority in the fulfilment of his office of Deacon according to the precept of the holy Gospel: whosoever among you will be first, let him be your minister (Deacon); Do thou, O Lord of all things, fill this thy servant, whom thou hast vouchsafed to admit to the ministry of the Diaconate, with all faith, and love, and power, and holiness by the indwelling of thy Holy lifegiving Spirit: for not by the imposition of my hands, but by the bestowal of thy bounteous mercies, is grace given to thy chosen ones: that thus he, being kept from all sin, may stand blameless before thee in the terrible day of judgement, and receive the unfailing reward which thou hast promised. For thou art our God; to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we ascribe glory now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen.'

The ordination of the Deacon takes place after the consecration of the elements, between the recitation of the Diptychs and actual participation.

By the 36th Canon it is ordered that no person shall be received into the ministry nor admitted to any ecclesiastical function except after subscription to the oath of the king's supremacy. The oath of supremacy is not now administered during the service (see p. 13); nor is its form that heretofore used (see p. 9). The present oath omits the abjuration. Subscription to the oaths of allegiance and

supremacy had been prescribed in 1 Eliz. c. ; subscription to all the articles of religion agreed upon in Convocation in 1562, but which only concern the confession of the true Christian faith and the doctrine of the Sacraments, was prescribed in 13 Eliz. c. 12. s. 5.

The examination of the candidate seems to be peculiar to our Ordinal.

In a canon of the Council of Vaison, A. D. 529, we have, 'Si presbyter, aliqua infirmitate prohibente, per seipsum non potuerit prædicare, sanctorum patrum homiliæ a diaconibus recitentur.'

In the Council of Eliberis, A. D. 305, and in the Roman pontifical, we have, ‘Si quis diaconus regens plebem sine episcopo vel presbytero aliquos baptizaverit, episcopus eos per benedictionem perficere debebit. Diaconum oportet ministrare ad altare, baptizare et prædicare.'

In the Roman Ordinal the form is, 'Accipe Spiritum Sanctum ad robur et ad resistendum diabolo et tentationibus ejus. In nomine Domini.'

In delivering the Gospels the form is,

'Accipite potestatem legendi Evangelium in Ecclesia Dei tam pro vivis quam pro defunctis. In nomine Domini. R. Amen.' This ceremony was observed at the ordination of a reader in the Church of Carthage, A. D. 398.

In 1549 the rubric respecting the reading of the Gospel by the newly-made deacon was, "Then one of them appointed by the Bishop, putting on a tunicle, shall read the Gospel of that day.' The notice of the habit was omitted in 1552.

In the Roman Ordinal the latter portion of the Bishop's prayer chanted over the head of the Deacons is, 'Emitte in eos quæsumus, Domine, Spiritum Sanctum, quo in opus ministerii tui fideliter exequendi septiformis gratiæ tuæ munere roborentur. Abundet in eis totius forma virtutis, auctoritas modesta, pudor constans, innocentiæ puritas et spiritualis observatio disciplinæ. In moribus eorum præcepta tua fulgeant, ut suæ castitatis exemplo imitationem sanctam plebs acquirat, et bonæ conscientiæ testimonium præferentes in Christo firmi et stabiles perseverent; dignisque suc cessibus ab inferiori gradu per gratiam tuam capere potiora mereantur.'

The age of a Deacon being 25 and that of a Priest not less than 30, according to ancient canons, it is evident that originally he, who entered the Diaconate at 25, must have remained 5 years a Deacon; the same period is prescribed in these canons for continuance in the office to others also.

to the like Office and Administration; 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 Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and for ever. Amen.

The Epistle. 1 Tim. iii. 8.

TIKEWISE must the Deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the Of fice of & Deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the Office of a Deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The Bishop.

Tappertaineth to the Office of a Deacon, in the Church where he shall be appointed to serve, to assist the Priest in Divine Service, and specially when he ministereth the holy Communion, and to help him in the distribution thereof, and to read holy Scriptures and Homilies in the Church; and to instruct the youth in the Catechism; in the absence of the Priest to baptize infants, and to preach, if he be admitted thereto by the Bishop. And furthermore, it is his Office, where provision is so inade, to search for the sick, poor, and impotent people of the Parish, to intimate their estates, names, and places where they dwell, unto the Curate, that by his exhortation they may be relieved with the alms of the Parishioners, or others. Will you do this gladly and willingly? Answer. I will so do, by the help of God.

The Bishop.

Apostles. Acts vi. 2.

THEN HEN the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look

ye out among you seven men of honest report,

full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch; whom they set before the Apostles; and, when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the Word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith.

And before the Gospel, the Bishop, sitting in his chair, shall examine every one of them that are to be Ordered, in the presence of the people, after this manner following.

Dby the Holy Ghost to take upon you this

O you trust that you are inwardly moved

Office and Ministration, to serve God for the promoting of his glory, and the edifying of his people?

Answer. I trust so.

The Bishop.

Do you think that you are truly called, ac

cording to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ,

as much as in you lieth, wholesome examples of the flock of Christ?

Answer. I will so do, the Lord being my helper.

The Bishop.

WILL the Chief Ministers of the Church, and them to whom the charge and government over you is committed, following with a glad mind and will their godly admonitions?

you reverently obey your Ordinary,

being my helper. Answer. I will endeavour myself, the Lord

Then the Bishop laying his Hands severally upon the Head of every one of them, humbly kneeling before him, shall say,

TAKE to Authorhurch of God committe unto thee; In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

AKE thou Authority to execute the Office of

Then shall the Bishop deliver to every one of

them the New Testament, saying,

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.

Then one of them, appointed by the Bishop, shall read the Gospel.

St. Luke xii. 35.

Llights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding: that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

Then shall the Bishop proceed in the Communion, and all that are Ordered shall tarry, and receive the holy Communion the same day with the Bishop.