in certain Courses, may properly be faid to be Ember Days, because Fafts in Courfe.

Q. Wherein confifts the Piety of inftituting thefe Days?

A. The Ordination of fit Perfons to ferve in the facred Miniftry of God's Church being of that vaft Importance to the Welfare of it, as well as to the Salvation of thofe Souls that are Members of that Body; it is very neceffary and fitting that all Chriftians, who are so much concerned in the Confequences of it, should use their best Endeavours to make it fuccessful and efficacious; which cannot be better done than by the united Prayers and Faftings of Chriftians, which have always been efteemed an admirable Method to procure God's Favour and Bleffing upon fuch Occafions. Befides, the Time of Ordinations being publickly ftated, the People have the Advantage and Liberty of making their Objections, if they have any thing material to offer against the Candidates for Holy Orders; a Privilege which the ancient Church always allowed, and is very much encouraged by the Form of Church of England, who gives free leave to every Confecr. Man to declare, if he knoweth any Impediment or Crime in any Perfons prefented to be ordained, and calls upon them to come forth and shew the Crimes alledged.

Q. What Officers are established in the Chriftian Church?

A. The Church being a regular Society founded by Chrift, diftinct from, and independent of all other worldly Societies, muft naturally make us Preface to fuppofe that he inftituted fome Officers for the Form of Government of it. And it is evident to all Men, Confecr. diligently reading holy Scripture, and ancient du

thors,

thors, that from the Apostles Time there have been thefe Orders of Minifters in Christ's Church, Bifhops, Priefts, and Deacons; which Offices were evermore had in fuch reverent Estimation, that no Man by his own private Authority might prefume to execute any of them, except he were firft called, tried, and examined, and known to have fuck Qualities, as were requifite for the fame, and alfo by publick Prayers with Impofition of Hands approved and admitted thereunto. Thefe Orders have all fome fpiritual Powers annexed to their Office, though fome in a greater Degree, and others in a lefs.

Q. What is the Office of a Deacon?

A." It pertaineth to the Office of a Deacon, Form of "in the Church where he fhall be appointed, to Confecr. "affift the Prieft in Divine Service, and efpeci

ally when he miniftreth the Holy Communion, "and to help him in the Diftribution thereof, "and to read the Holy Scriptures and Homilies "in the Congregation, and to inftruct the Youth "in the Catechifm; to baptize and to preach, "if he be admitted thereto by the Bishop. And "farthermore it is his Office, where Provision "is fo made, to fearch for the fick, poor, and

impotent People of the Parish, to intimate "their Eftates, Names, and Places where they "dwell, unto the Curate, that by his Exhor"tation they may be relieved by the Parish, or "other convenient Alms."

Q. Upon what Occafion was this Order inftituted in the Church?

A. This Office had its Original from the Acts 6. Murmuring of the Grecians, who were probably Profelytes, Jews by Religion, and Gentiles by Defcent, against the Hebrews, who were Jews both

Hh 4

Can. A

both by Religion and Defcent, that their Widows
were neglected in the daily Miniftration, when
Believers bad all Things in common, and were
fupplied out of one Treasury. To prevent any
Mifmanagement for the future, the Apostles
appointed feven Men of boneft Report, full of the
Holy Ghoft, and of Wisdom, to fuperintend the
Neceffities of the Poor, and to ferve Tables, who
were called Deacons.

Q. Doth this ferving of Tables only imply their
Care of the Poor?

A. Befides the Care of the Poor, by their
ferving of Tables was implied their peculiar
Attendance at the Lord's Table. It being the
Custom of Chriftians in thofe Times to meet
every Day at the Lord's Table, where they made
their Offerings for the Poor, and when Poor
and Rich had their Meals together; confequent-
ly it was their Office to deliver the Sacramental
Elements, when confecrated, to the People,
They had alfo Authority to preach and baptize,
as appears from the Example of Philip, one of
the Seven; but they all along in the Primitive
Church retained fo much of the chief Design of
their Inftitution, that they took Care of the
Church's Revenues under the Bishops, and dif-
tributed them as the Bishop and his College of
Prefbyters appointed.

Q. Was not this Office exercifed, as fome pretend, by Laymen?

A. The Solemnity that was ufed in fetting Deacons apart for this Service, by Prayer and Impofition of Hands, and the Qualifications that St. Paul requires in a Deacon, almoft the very fame with thofe for a Prieft, fufficiently prove this Degree to be an Ecclefiaftical Office;

nor

1

nor would the Primitive Church have forbidden Deacons, as it certainly did, to have followed fecular Employments, if they had been mere Laymen.

Q. How long is it required that a Perfon fhall remain in the Degree of a Deacon?

A. It is enjoined by the Church, "That a Can. 31, "Deacon fhall continue in that Office the Space "of a whole Year at the leaft, (except for rea"fonable Caufes it be otherwife feen to his Or

dinary) to the Intent he may be perfect and "well expert in the Things pertaining to the "Ecclefiaftical Administration: In executing "whereof if he be found faithful and diligent, "he may be admitted by his Diocesan to the Or"der of Priesthood." And it is to be wifhed that this Rule was more particularly observed, that those who afpire to the Priesthood might give fufficient Proof of their Fitness for that high Calling.

Q. What Qualifications are required in a Deacon?

A. Chiefly that he be a Man of a fober and godly Converfation, edifying by his Example thofe Chriftians where he officiates; and that he be endowed with fuch Measures of Learning as to be able at least to render an Account of his Faith in Latin, and confirm it with Teftimonies out of the holy Scripture: Efpecially he must be very converfant in those holy Books, which are the perfect Rule of Faith and Manners, neceffary for the governing of his own. Life, the Inftruction of others, and the confuting of Gainfayers. The Bishop ought to have a moral Affurance, partly by his own Knowledge, and partly by the Teftimonials of credi

ble

Can. 34

Hieron. Ep. ad

Evag.

ble Hands, that the Perfon prefented is fo qualified; and his Arch-deacon, after Trial and Examination, profeffes, that he believes the Candidate fo prepared.

Q. What do you mean by an Arch-deacon?

4. In great Churches, where the Bishops had many Deacons, one among them had the Title of Arch-deacon; who was a Sort of Governor over all the reft; to whom the Bishop committed fome Authority to admonish and censure, as it fhould be found expedient, ftill reserving an Appeal to himself. The original Jurifdiction, which of Right belonged to the Bishop, by Degrees and mutual Confent, was in part committed to the Arch-deacon; whofe Jurifdiction is founded on immemorial Cuftom, in Subordination to the Bishop; and though for fome time he was only of the Order of Deacons, yet afterwards it became common for fuch as were Priests to be chofen to that Office, which confifts in the infpecting the Lives and Behaviour of the Clergy, and in taking Care the Churches and Chancels be kept in good Repair, and that the Poffeffions, and all other Things belonging to God's Houfe, be not imbezzled or damnified; particularly to try and examine those who shall be Candidates for holy Orders. The Inftitution of Arch-deacons is very ancient, and their Authority very confiderable; and the due Execution of the Office contributes very much to the good Government of the Church.

Q. What is the Office of a Prieft or Prefbyter? A. To teach and inftruct the People, committed to his Charge by the Bishop of the Diocefe, in the whole Doctrine of Chriftianity, as contained in the Holy Scriptures. To adminifter

4

the