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9 That they may be avenged of them, as is written : Such honour have all his saints.

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PSALM 150. Laudate Dominum.

PRAISE God

in his holiness: praise him in

the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him in his noble acts: praise him

according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him in the sound of the trumpet: praise him upon the lute and harp.

4 Praise him in the cymbals and dances: praise him upon the strings and pipe.

5 Praise him upon the well-tuned cymbals: praise him upon the loud cymbals.

6 Let every thing that hath breath: praise the LORD.

THE END OF THE PSALAER

509

THE FORM AND MANNER OF

MAKING, ORDAINING, AND CONSECRATING BISHOPS, PRIESTS, AND DEACONS;

ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS ESTABLISHED BY THE BISHOPS, THE CLERGY, AND LAITY OF SAID CHURCH, IN GENERAL CONVENTION. IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, A. D. 1792.

T is

IT

THE PREFACE.

evident unto all men, diligently reading Holy Scripture and ancient Authors, that from the Apostles' time there have been these Orders of Ministers in Christ's Church, -Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. Which Offices were evermore had in such reverend estimation, that no man might presume to execute any of them, except he were first called, tried, examined, and known to have such qualities as are requisite for the same; and also by public Prayer, with Imposition of Hands, were approved and admitted thereunto by lawful Authority. And therefore, to the intent that these Orders may be continued, and reverently used and esteemed in this Church, no man shall be accounted or taken to be a lawful Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, in this Church, or suffered to execute any of the said Functions, except he be called, tried, examined, and admitted thereunto, according to the Form hereafter following, or hath had Episcopal Conseeration or Ordination.

And none shall be admitted a Deacon, Priest, or Bishop, except he be of the age which the Canon in that case provided may require.

And the Bishop, knowing either by himself, or by soffiotent testimony, any Person to be a man of virtuous conversation, and without crime; and, after examination and trial, finding him suficiently instructed in the Holy Scripture, and otherwise learned as the Canons require, may, at the times appointed, or else, on urgent occasion, upon some other day, in the face of the Church, admit him a Deacon, in such manner and form as followeth.

THE FORM AND MANNER OF
MAKING DEACONS.

When the day appointed by the Bishop is come, after Morning Prayer is ended, there shall be a Sermon, or Exhortation, declar ing the Duty and Office of such as come to be admitted Deacons; how necessary that Order is in the Church of Christ, and also, how ought to esteem them in their Office.

A Priest shall present unto the Bishop, sitting in his chair near to the Holy Table, such as desire to be ordained Deacons, each of them being decently habited, saying these words,

R

EVEREND Father in God, I present unto you these persons present, to be admitted Deacons.

The Bishop.

TAKE heed that the person who presentous, be apt and meet, for their learning and godly conver

sation, to exercise their Ministry duly, to the honour of

God, and the edifying of his Church.

The Priest shall answer,

I HAVE inquired thecerning the

HAVE inquired concerning them, and also examined

Then the Bishop shall say unto the People,

BRETHREN

if there be any of you who knoweth any Impediment, or notable Crime, in any of these persons presented to be ordered Deacons, for the which he ought not to be admitted to that Office, let him come forth in the Name of God, and show what the Crime or Impediment is.

And if any great Crime or Impediment be objected, the Bishop shall cease from Ordering that person, until such time as the party accused shall be found clear of that Crime.

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, say the Litany.

Then shall be said the Service for the Communion, with the Col lect, Epistle, and Gospel, as followeth.

The Collect.

A LMIGHTY God, who by thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders of 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 to the ike Office and Administration: so replenish them 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.

L IKEWISE must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, 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 office of a 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.

Or else this, out of the sixth Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
Acts vi. 2.

THEN the twelve called the multitude of the disciples

unto them, and said, It 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.

Then shall the Bishop examine every one of those who are to be Ordered, in the presence of the People, after this manner following.

D

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?

Answer. I trust so.

D

The Bishop.

O you think that you are truly called, according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, and according to the Canons of this Church, to the Ministry of the same? Answer. I think so.

D

The Bishop.

O you unfeignedly believe all the Canonical Scrip

tures of the Old and New Testament?

Answer. I do believe them.

The Bishop.

WILL you diligently read the same unto the people

pointed to serve? Answer. I will.

IT Cappertaineth

The Bishop.

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 made, 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 exhorta tion 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.

WILL you apply all your diligence

to frame and fash

ion your own lives, and the lives of your families, according to the Doctrine of Christ; and to make both yourselves 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.

W

TILL you reverently obey your Bishop, and other chief
Ministers, who, according to the Canons of the

Church, may havethechargeandgovernmentoveryou; following with a gladmind and will their godly admonitions? Answer. I will endeavour so to do, the Lord being my helper.

Then the Bishop, laying his Hands severally upon the Head of every one of them, humbly kneeling before him, shall say, ΠΑΚΕ thou Authority to execute the Office of a Deacon

Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 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 thereto licensed by the Bishop himself.

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