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The hymn Veni Creator, which immediately follows, has been already noticed in the ordination of bishops. We find it to have been used at the ordination of priests in some churches of France seven hundred years ago, as manuscripts of that date, which contain it, are still in existence".

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The prayers and rites by which the ordination is actually perfected, now come before our view; but it is not my design to enter on the interesting field of discussion which they open. The validity of these forms has been satisfactorily proved; and it is impossible to examine ancient rites, without coming to the conclusion of Martene, Morinus, and all the most learned and judicious divines, that the imposition of hands, and prayers or benedictions, are the only essentials of valid ordination. Other rites have been added by different churches in the course of ages; but every church is at liberty to act for itself in this respect, provided nothing is done inconsistently with edification and Christian piety.

The prayer of ordination is not, as far as I perceive, so immediately derived from ancient formularies as some other parts of the service. It does not resemble that which is found in the sacramentary of Gelasius, nor in that of Gregory; and the similarity between it and that of the church of Constantinople is not so striking as to induce me to copy the latter. Perhaps it bears more affinity to the prayers used on this occasion in the rituals of the Egyptian and Syrian churches; yet it is not necessary to occupy space in transcribing them, for the

u Martene, tom. ii. P. 396. ▾ Rituale Copt. Martene, tom. ii. p. 590; Syror. Asse

mani Codex, tom. ix. p. 123, &c.; Nestorianorum, Martene, P. 570.

resemblance is not striking. In fact, every one of these formularies differs very much from the rest in ideas and expressions, though they are all intended for the same object.

The rubric directs those priests who are present to lay their hands, along with the bishop, upon the heads of those who receive ordination. This practice is peculiar to the western church, for in the east none but the bishop has ever laid hands on persons to be ordained. With us, however, the custom is ancient and canonical; for the fourth council of Carthage, which has been adopted generally in the west, gives particular directions on the point, which deserve comparison with our present rubric.

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The rest of the service does not seem to require any particular notice; and I may refer the reader for further information on the ordination of priests and deacons to the Supplement of Nicholls's Commentary on the Common Prayer, where the similarity between our ordination service, and the ancient rites and customs of the church, is traced with much learning.

APPENDIX.

ON ECCLESIASTICAL VESTURES.

SECTION I.

THE rubric of the English ritual which immediately precedes the office for morning prayer, contains the following words relative to the ornaments of the church and ministers: "And here it is to be noted, that such ornaments of the church, and of the ministers thereof, at all times of their ministration, shall be retained, and be in use, as were in this church of England, by authority of parliament, in the second year of the reign of king Edward the Sixth." This refers to the Act of Uniformity, passed in that year, authorizing the "Book of Common Prayer," &c. And that book contains the following directions relative to the subject; which, for the sake of clearness, I shall compare with the version of Alessea, who translated the English ritual into Latin immediately after it was published in 1549.

RITUAL OF 1549.

And whensoever the bishop shall celebrate the holy communion in the church, or execute any other public ministration, he shall have upon him, beside his rochette, a surpless or albe, and a cope

ALESSE'S VERSION.

Episcopus in celebratione cœnæ, et administratione sacramentorum, induat lineam aut albam, et cappam vel casulam, et habeat baculum pastoralem. P. 455.

a Inter Buceri Scripta Anglicana, p. 379, &c. Basil. 1577.

or vestmente, and also his pastoral staffe in his hande, or else borne or holden by his chaplain.

¶ Upon the day and at the time appointed for the ministration of the holy communion, the priest that shall execute the holy ministry shall put upon him the vesture appointed for that ministration; that is to say, a white albe, plain, with a vestment or cope. And when there be many priests or deacons, then so many shall be ready to help the priest in the ministration as shall be requisite; and shall have upon them likewise the vestures appointed for their ministry, that is to say, albes, with tunicles.

Upon Wednesdays and Fridays, the English Litany shall be said or sung in all places, after such form as is appointed by the king's majesty's Injunctions. And though there be none to communicate with the priest, yet these days (after the Litany ended) the priest shall put upon him a plain albe or surpless, with a cope, and say all things at the altar, (appointed to be said at the celebration of the Lord's supper,) until after the offertory.

In the saying or singing of matins and evensong, bap

Die destinato ad celebrationem cœnæ Domini, sacerdos indutus alba, casula, vel cappa, astabit altari; et in locis ubi sunt plures sacerdotes et diaconi, tot ex his juvabunt pastorem quot opus haberint, induti vestibus destinatis ad eorum ministerium, hoc est albis et tunicis. P. 422.

Diebus Mercurii et Veneris, litania Anglica cantatur, vel dicatur omnibus locis, sicut a serenissimo rege est præscriptum. Cum autem non adsunt communicantes, tamen diebus dictis, post litaniam sacerdos indutus alba aut linea, cum cappa, recitabit ea, quæ in cœna Domini recitari solent, usque dum perveniat ad offertorium. P. 431.

In matutinis et vesperis, baptismo, sepultura, etc. in paro

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