glory through our only mediator and advocate Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, Which hast given us grace at this time. with one accord, to make our common supplications unto thee, and dost promise that when two or three be gathered in Thy name, Thou wilt grant their requests: fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of Thy servants, as may be most expedient for them, granting us in this world knowledge of Thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, Which by Thy divine providence hast appointed diverse orders of ministers in the church: and didst inspire Thine holy Apostles to choose unto this order of Deacons the first Martyr Saint Stephin, with other mercifully behold these Thy servants, now called to the like office and administration: replenish them so with the truth of Thy doctrine, and 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 profit of the congregation, through the merits of our Saviour Jesu Christ: Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

Then shall be sung or said the Communion of the day, saving the Epistle shall be read out of Timothe, as followeth :

LIKEWISE must Thine Ministers be honest, not double tongued, not given unto much wine, neither greedy of filthy lucre, but holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. And let them first be proved, and then let them minister, so that no man be able to reprove them. Even so must their wives be honest, not evil speakers, but sober and faithful in all things. Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife, and such as rule their children well, and their own households. For they that minister well, get themselves a good degree, and a great liberty in the faith, which is in Christ Jesu.

These things write I unto thee, trusting to come shortly unto thee: but and if I tarry long, that then thou mayest yet have knowledge, how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the congregation of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth. And without doubt, great is that mystery of godliness. God was shewed in the flesh, was justified in the Spirit, was seen among the Angels, was

preached unto the Gentiles, was believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

Or else this out of the vi. of the Acts.

THEN the twelve called the multitude of the disciples together, and said, It is not meet that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, and full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom, to whom we may commit this business: but we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the administration of the word. And that saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephin, a man full of faith, and full of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Procorus, and Nichanor, and Timon, and Permenas, and Nicholas, a convert of Antioch. These 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 unto the faith.

¶ And before the Gospel, the Bishop, sitting in a chair, shall cause the Oath of the King's supremacy, and against the usurped* power and authority of the Bishop of Rome,† to be ministered unto every of them that are to be ordered.

¶ The Oath of the King's Sovereignty.‡

I from henceforth shall utterly renounce, refuse, relinquish, and forsake the Bishop of Rome, and his authority, power, and jurisdiction. And I shall never consent nor agree that the Bishop of Rome shall practise, exercise, or have any manner

* "Usurped" omitted in 1559.

"All foreign potentates," 1559.

The following is the form of the Oath taken in 1559 :-"I, A. B., do utterly testify and declare in my conscience that the Queen's highness is the only supreme governour of this realm, and all other her highness' dominions and countries, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes, as temporal; and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state, or potentate, hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm : and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign jurisdictions, powers, superiorities and authorities, and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true allegiance to the Queen's highness, her heirs and lawful successors, and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions, privileges, pre-eminences, and authorities granted or belonging to the Queen's highness, her heirs and successors, or united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm, so help me God, and the contents of this book."

of authority, jurisdiction or power within this realm, or any other the King's dominions, but shall resist the same at all times to the uttermost of my power. And I from henceforth will accept, requite, and take the King's majesty to be the only supreme head in earth of the Church of England: and to my cunning, wit, and uttermost of my power, without guile, fraud, or other undue mean, I will observe, keep, maintain, and defend the whole effects and contents of all and singular acts and statutes made and to be made within this realm, in derogation, extirpation, and extinguishment of the Bishop of Rome, and his authority; and all other acts and statutes made or to be made, in confirmation and corroboration of the King's power, of the supreme head in earth of the Church of England. And this I will do against all manner of persons, of what estate, dignity, or degree, or condition they may be; and in no wise do, nor attempt, nor to my power suffer to be done or attempted, directly or indirectly, any thing or things, privily or assertly, to the let, hindrance, damage or derogation thereof, or any part thereof, by any manner of means, or for any manner of pretence. And in case any other be made, or hath been made by me, to any person or persons, in maintenance, defence, or favour of the Bishop of Rome, or his authority, jurisdiction, or power, I refute the same as vain and annihilate. So help me God, through Jesus Christ.

Then shall the Bishop examine every one of them that are to be ordered, in the presence of the people, after this manner following.* Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost, to take upon you this Office and ministration, to serve God, for the promoting of his glory, and the edifying of his people?

These interrogations are, in some respects, a novelty. There is, however, a short form of examination in an Ordinal of the eleventh century, printed by Martene, Rit. Eccl., ii., p. 146:

Episc. Est dignus? Resp. Dignus est.

Episc. Est justus. Resp. Justus est.

Episc. Faciat illum Deus semper in suo servitio dignuus et justum

manere.

Deinde interrogat Episcopus presbyterum hic verbis Vis presbyteri gradum in Nomine Domini accipere. R. Volo, etc.

Answer. I trust so.

The Bishop. Do ye think that ye truly be called, according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the due order of this realm, to the ministry of the Church?

Answer. I think so.

The Bishop. Do ye unfeignedly believe all the Canonical scriptures of the old and new Testament?

Answer. I do believe.

The Bishop. Will you diligently read the same unto the people assembled in the Church, where you shall be appointed to serve ?

Answer. I will.

The Bishop. It pertaineth to the office of a Deacon in the church where he shall be appointed, to assist the Priest in divine service, and specially when he ministereth the holy communion, and to help him in distribution thereof, and to read holy scriptures and Homilies in the congregation, and to instruct the youth in the Catechism, to Baptize and to preach,* if he be commanded by the Bishop. And furthermore, it is his office [where provision is so made, 1559] to search for the sick, poor, and impotent people of the parish, and to intimate the estates, names, and places where they dwell, to the Curate, that by his exhortation they may be relieved by the parish, or other convenient alms: will you do this gladly and willingly?

Answer. I will so do by the help of God.

The Bishop. Will you apply all your diligence to frame and fashion your own lives, and the lives of all your family, according to the doctrine of Christ, and to make both your selves and them, 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 you reverently obey your ordinary, and other chief Ministers of the church, and them to whom the

* Episcopus dicet eis sive nota, sedendo: Diaconum oportet ministrare ad altare, Evangelium legere, baptizare et prædicare.-Sarum Ordinal, in loco.

"Admitted thereto," 1559.

"Their," 1559.

government and charge is committed over you, following with a glad mind and will their godly admonitions?

Answer. I will thus endeavour my self, the Lord being my helper.

Then the Bishop, laying his hands severally upon the head of every of them, shall say.

Take thou authority to execute the Office of a Deacon in the Church of God committed unto thee: In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

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 thereunto ordinarily commanded.

Then one of them appointed by the Bishop, putting on a tunicle, ‡ shall read the Gospel of that day.

Then shall the Bishop proceed to the Communion, and all that be ordered shall tarry and receive the Holy Communion the same day with the Bishop. The Communion ended, after the last Collect, and immediately before the benediction, shall be said this collect following.

ALMIGHTY God giver of all good things, which of thy great goodness hast vouchsafed to accept and take these thy servants unto the office of Deacons in thy church: make them we beseech thee (O LORD) to be modest, humble, and constant in their ministration, to have a ready will to observe all spiritual discipline, that they having always the testimony of a good conscience, and continuing ever stable, and strong in

* In the Winton Pontifical, an English MS., the words "Accipe Spiritum Sanctum," which are found in the Sarum, Rouen, Exeter, and Bangor forms, do not occur. "Hi cum ordinantur," runs the Winton MS., "solus episcopus qui eos benedicit manum super capita eorum ponat: quia non ad sacerdotium, sed ad ministerium consecrantur, dicens, oremus, dilectissimi, etc."

† Post hæc tradat eis Librum Evangelorium, dicens, In Nomine Sanctæ Trinitatis, accipe potestatem legendi evangelium in ecclesia Dei, tam pro vivis, quam pro defunctis, in Nomine Domini. Amen.-Sarum Ordinal in loco.

"Putting on a tunicle was omitted in 1559.