figures; for the habit of that earlier priesthood was advanced for the service of our mind, and the glory of the High Priesthood is commended to us, not by honourable garments, but by the splendour of souls; for the things which then pleased the carnal wisdom required rather that which was to be understood by them. Therefore upon this Thy servant [N] whom thou hast chosen to the ministry of the High Priesthood, we beseech Thee, O Lord, largely bestow this grace, that whatsoever those garments signified by the brightness of gold, and splendour of jewels, and variety of all sorts of work, the same may shine in his conversation and actions. Complete in Thy priest the chief of Thy ministry, and sanctify him with the dew of heavenly ointment, when furnished with the ornaments of complete glorification. O Lord, let this abundantly flow upon his head. Let it run down to the lower parts of the face; let it descend to the extremities of the whole body,* that the power of Thy Holy Spirit may fill him inwardly and clothe him outwardly. Let constant faith, pure affection, and sincere peace abound in him let his feet be beautiful to publish the word of good tidings, not in persuasive words of man's wisdom, but in manifestation of the spirit and power. O Lord, we beseech Thee, give unto him the keys of the kingdom of heaven, that whatsoever he shall bind on earth may be bound in heaven, and whatsoever he may loose on earth may be loosed in heaven; and whosesoever sins he shall retain they may be retained; and whosesoever sins he shall remit, do Thou, O Lord, deign to remit. Grant unto him true humility, perfect patience, that he may not call evil good, nor good evil; nor put darkness for light, nor light for darkness. Give unto him the episcopal chair, and to govern Thy Church and universal people. Be Thou his authority, his power, his strength; multiply upon him Thy blessing and Thy grace, that by Thy gifts he may be apt at all times Psalm cxxxiii. 2. t "Ecclesiam Tuam et plebem universam." to implore Thy mercy, and may obtain grace to be devout. Through Jesus Christ Thine only Son our Lord. Amen. These forms, as will be seen, are as remarkable for their simplicity as for their antiquity. The rubrical directions, in all cases, seem to be imperfect. No doubt, however, tradition and custom supplied what was lacking in the actual codex.* Vide Bonacina. Disputationes, tom. 1, De Ordinatione. Durandus, Rationale, lib. ii. cap. 11, § vi. CHAPTER X. MEDIEVAL FORMS FOR CONSECRATION AND N° one can deny that, in the West, from the of renowned Latin writers to the manner in which additions were made to the most ancient Forms for conferring Holy Orders. eleventh to the fifteenth century the various ancient forms for consecration and ordination reThe testimony ceived many additions. Old rites lost their ancient simplicity: ceremonial actions, not previously prescribed by authority and set forth in the earliest MS. forms, were introduced with the reasonable and laudable intention of rendering more impressive and pointed those external actions and public services by which the grace of Holy Orders was conferred. To those forms which have been set forth on a previous page were made additions, at once appropriate and beautiful in themselves, which were intended to make manifest to the faithful who witnessed the public service the true nature of the respective offices conferred, as well as the dignity and importance of the character imparted. This was the case, amongst other particulars, with unction, the blessing and giving of the episcopal ring, the delivery of the Eucharistic instruments, i.e. the chalice and paten, &c., the clothing with a chasuble, the induing with a stole, and such like appropriate ceremonies. As Amalarius* points out, and as other Western writers allow, these additions were made first in one diocese and then in another. A * De Officiis Ecclesiasticis, cap. ii. 15. religious order introduced one ceremonial act, which had been traditionally practised previously, into its MS. Pontifical; while in another case, as Clericatus maintains, a diocesan or provincial synod sanctioned the introduction of some other.* All this is likewise admitted and pointed out by Morinus,-the documents in whose learned volume abundantly suffice to prove his facts and establish his theories. The learned Martene, in the second volume of his treatise On the ancient Rites of the Church, makes a long and most exhaustive dissertation on the subject of ordination in general. There were originally nine orders, he maintains, amongst the most certain facts ancient churches, but now there are and principles accepted by Morinus, Mar tene, and gard to Ordina only admitted and seven, so regarded, amongst the Latins, and five amongst the Greeks. As to the others, with resubjects for ordination and their fitness, tion. the ancient principles laid down by him on sufficient and great authority appear to be in substantial if not exact identity with the principles adopted and acted upon during the last three centuries in the Church of England. While abbots, chorepiscopi,t and ordinary presbyters are held by Martene and his authorities competent to give minor orders, a bishop alone can confer the priesthood-a principle and practice in complete accordance both with Anglican law and custom. He shows at some length that anciently the bishops and clergy were elected by the people, or at all events that the people had a voice Vide Arcudius, De Sacr. Ord., Disp. xx. et seq. Coninck, De Ordine., Disp. xx. resp. 58. And, as regards the ceremonial acts, Georgius, De Ceremoniis, cap. x. 33. Amalarius, De Ecclesiasticis Officiis, cap. v. et ix. ↑ Of course chorepiscopi had the episcopal character, and were competent to confer holy orders. Glossa Balsamonis, pars iii. § 67-73. in their election, and a veto on their consecration or ordination. His dissertation on the antiquity of the clerical tonsure, its form in general, as well as its varying shape in East and West, with the rites for conferring it, may be passed over, as not directly bearing on the main subject under consideration. So, too, may the forms for bestowing the minor orders.* customs, and forms, in the Ordination of a deacon. 1. In the Ordination of a Deacon it is clear that the most ancient rites varied greatly in details, though the express words of the fourth canon of the Fourth Council of Carthage appear to have been mainly followed in all. In several, the bishop alone was directed to place his hand on the head of the Prayers, rites, subject for the diaconate, and to bless him contemporaneously, with an appointed and specific form of words. In others, of considerable antiquity, the priests present and assisting are ordered to touch the head of the person being ordained deacon, at the same time that the bishop blesses him. One ancient prayer of blessing was, Emitte in eos quæsumus Spiritum Sanctum; another Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus Altissimi sine peccato custodiet te in Nomine Domini; a third, Accipe Spiritum Sanctum; while in some forms there was a double imposition of hands, in the first instance with a blessing, in the second with a prayer for grace. The stole was placed over the left shoulder of the deacon, according to certain rites, and hung pendant. In others the delivery of the stole did not occur at all, *De Ant. Eccl. Rit., lib. I. cap. viii. art. 8, pp. 17-20. † In the thirteenth century it began to be usually fastened under the right arm. |