Tomline on Article XXXVI: Of Consecration of Bishops and Ministers

VVE treated of the different ordejrs of ministers in the antient church, and in our own, under the twenty-third article : this article is confined to the mode of ” Consecration of Bishops and Ministers,” as directed by our church.

Though

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544 ExposUion of the [part hi.

Though bishops, priests, and deacons are all expressly mentioned in the New Testament, yet we have no particular account of the forms by which they were appointed to their respective offices, except that it was done by imposition of hands, accompanied with prayers (a); nor are any directions given upon this subject to be observed in succeeding ages : the church there- fore is left to prescribe such forms as it may judge most suitable and convenient.

The book of consecration of archbi- shops and bishops, ANDORDERINGOFPRIESTS

TO SUCH CONSECRATION AND ORDERING ; NEI- SUPERSTITIOUS OR UNGODLY. This book (b)

not only contains every thing which is neces- sary for the appointment of persons to the se- veral ministerial functions, without being liable

in

(a) Acts, c. 6. V. 6.

(b) When the Liturgy was revised immediately ifter the Restoration, some alterations were made in the forms of consecrating bishops, and ordaining priests and deacons ; but these alterations were but few, and of no great importance ; and therefore I consider this part of the Article as referring to oar present forms.

ART. XXXVI.] Thirty-nine Afiicles. 545

in any one respect to the imputation of super- stition or ungodliness ; but whoever reads it, will be convinced that it is drawn up with th« utmost caution, and with every possible at- tention to propriety : it guards against the admission of unworthy persons into the order of deacons and priests, by enjoining previous examination into their moral (c) and literary

character,

1(c) I cannot omit this opportunity of expressing a most earnest wish, that both parochial clergymen and the governing part of colleges in our miiversities, would be more correct upon the subject of signing testimonials, than it is to be feared they are at present. They should reflect, that the interests of religion are deeply concerned in the moral character of its minis- ters ; that for the moral conduct of the candidates for orders, bishops must necessarily depend upon the testimony of others ; and that whoever recommends for ordination an unworthy young man, makes him- self responsible for all the mischief of which he may be the cause when invested with Holy Orders. A greater degree of strictness upon this point would^ I am convinced, be productive of very extensive benefit; and colleges in particular would quickly experience a material difference in the behaviour of those who are designed for our holy profession. Young men would naturally become more diligent, more regular, more virtuous in every respect, if they knew that they should fail in the main object of their education, that all the hopes and expectations of themselves and their friends would be disappointed, unless by their positive good conduct they merited that recommendation to the

VOL. II. N N bishop,

54C Exposition of the [part iir.

characteri and also into their religious know- ledge and principles : it requires, at the time both of ordination’ and consecration, an ei^plicit declaration and solemn promise, relative to the great points of faith and practice : the pray«:s are devout and appropriate, and all the ceremo- nial parts of these offices are simple and grave, and admirably adapted to their respective occar sions. The service for the ordination of priests is indeed so solemn and impressive, and con- tains such an excellent summary of the duties of ministers of the Gospel, and such earnest exhortations to the discharge of those duties, that every clergyman, whatever may be his age or his station in the church, would do well to read it carefully and attentively at least once in every year.

And therefore whosoever are conse- crated OR ORDAINED ACCORDING TO THE

TIME,

bishop, which now they trust, and in most cases I fear with too much reason, that they shall certainly obtain, unless they be guilty of some gross immo- rality. I say not this from any want of respect for the Universities, but from a real regard for their best interests, and from a conviction that the discipline which they observe is of great importance to the cause of religion, and to the welfare of the kingdom at large.

[…]

TIM£,OR HEREAFTER SHALL BE CONSECRATED OR ORDERED ACCORDING TO THE SAME RITES ;^

ORDERED. This litter part of the Article has a retrospective view, and the reason of adding it was this : a new form of ordination was com- posed by the bishops, and approved by King £dward the Sixth, in the third year of his rdgn ; and two years afterwards it was confirmed by Act of Parliament, together with the Book of Common Prayer, of which the form of ordina- tion was declared to be a part. In queen Mary’^ reign this Act was repealed, and the Book of Common Prayer, and the Book of Ordination, were by name condemned. When Elizabeth came to the throne, queen Mary’s Act was repealed, and King Edward’s Prayer Book was again authorized ; but the book of Ordination was not expressly named, because it had been a part of the Common Prayer Book ; and there* fore it was no more thought necessary to specify the office of ordination, than any other office of the Common Prayer Book. But bishop Bonner contended, that as the Book of Ordina* tion had been by name condemned in queen Mary’s rdlgn, and had not been since revived by name, that it was still condemned in law ;

K N 2 and

548 Exposition of the f p art hi,

and consequendy, that all ordinations, confi^red according to that form, were illegal and invalid. To obviate this objection, it was declared in a subsequent session of parliament, that the office of ordination was considered as a part of the Common Prayer Book; and it was fieuther declared, that all ordinations, which had been performed according to that office, were valid; and upon the same principle a similar clause was inserted in this article.

With respect to those who are now conse- crated OR ORDERED, ACCORDING TO THE

RITES OF THAT BOOK, as these rites are pre- scribed by just and proper authority, aijd are conformable to the practice of the Apostles, as far as it is known, it follows that such persons ark

It appears from a variety of authorities, that in the early ages of Christianity, the ordination of priests and deacons was performed by bishops. The second of the apostolical canons directs that a presbyter should be ordained by one bishop. In the first Council of Constantinople it was decreed, that all ordinations performed by Maxi- mus were invalid, because he himself was not a lawful bishop, having been consecrated by presbyters only. The Council of Sardis, and

also

AET. XXXVI.] Thirty-mne Articles. 549

also a council held at Alexandria, decreed the same thing concerning Ischyras. ” How came Ischyras,” says Athanasius, in his Second Apology ” to be so much as a presbyter ? Who ordained him? Did CoUuthus? This is all that can be pretended. But as Colluthus died a presbyter, all ordinations by his hands were invalid, and all persons ordained by him are still laics.” And even Jerome, at a moment when he was endea- vouring to lower episcopacy, asked, ” What does a bishop do, except ordaining, which a pres- byter may not do ?”

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