by ministers and laity, the Bishop declares will, if truly sought, be sent down by the Divine Head of the Church upon these His ministers, for He has promised to "give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." Next, authority to pronounce the Absolution and Benediction, or withhold the same in cases of flagrant sin and obstinate impenitence. Thirdly, Dispensation of the Word and Sacraments, which only those may minister, who having " used the office of a deacon well, purchase to themselves a good degree, and greater boldness in the faith." This charge, as before, is given, not by the authority of the Bishop as such, but as the minister of God, “in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

It is noticeable, that in this rite, all the priests who are present are permitted to take part in laying on their hands after the Bishop in accordance with the primitive usage, when the Bishop was but Head of the other Presbyters, before the establishment of the episcopate.

The Commission is a repetition of the latter part of the charge, and therefore, an advance on that delivered to the Diaconate.

The Consecration of Bishops necessarily differs somewhat from the ordination ceremonies, as may be seen in the order of service which here begins with the Communion, the Litany being inserted just before the actual Consecration. Nevertheless, a careful investigation will show that there is far more simil

arity between this and the Ordering of Priests, than between the latter and the Ordering of Deacons. The reason for this is that as before stated, the episcopate was developed from the presbyterate, to which latter order indeed, the title Bishop belonged in Apostolic times.

This service is performed by an Archbishop, with other Bishops to assist; this last, however, though the usual practice, is not essential. It arose from the ancient rule that at least three Bishops concur and consent to the Consecration. The presentation of the Candidate by two Bishops is also a custom of highest antiquity. On the presentation before the Archbishop, the Queen's mandate is read,—a recognition by the Church of the rights and prerogative of the Crown, which is followed by the "oath of Canonical obedience" to the Archbishop as the Metropolitan in whose province the diocese of the new Bishop is situated.

The questions put are substantially the same as in the Ordination of Priests, as also the first part of the words of imposition, which, however, after the charge given in the name of the Trinity, has a farther exhortation as given by the Bishop himself to his newly elected brother, following almost verbally St. Paul's address to Timothy (2 Tim. i. 6, 7).

The Commission is an exhortation to study, examine, and lay to heart, the truths contained in the Bible which on receiving ordination, he had authority given him to read and preach; to take heed to

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"doctrine" twice repeated, as an essential point to one whom the Holy Ghost has made overseer of the flock of God; to feed that flock faithfully and wisely, following the example of the great "Shepherd and Bishop," the true Head of the Church, in seeking and saving that which is lost; that when He shall appear to take account of His servants, and "give unto every man as his work shall be," His servant may receive that " crown of glory that fadeth not away," which St. Paul, having fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith, knew was laid up for him as one of the Apostles of Christ, and not for him only, but for all them who faithfully fulfil their ministry here, looking to Him their Master for counsel and strength; for it is only they who will "love His appearing" hereafter.

Such, then, are the Services provided in our Ordinal for the due qualifying of Christ's servants for the sacred ministry of His Church. Are they not sufficient for this their work? In what essential practised by the Apostolic Church are they wanting? What "superstitious or ungodly" ceremony have they retained? By their repeated demand for acceptance of, and obedience to Holy Scripture; their invocations of the Holy Spirit as the one true requisite for qualification for the ministry; their earnest admonitions to watch and labour for their flock; and their exhortations to soundness of doctrine and faith; by all these, and more, these our Ordination and Consecration Services are surely consistent

with, and worthy the use of that our Reformed yet Catholic Church, which, while she rejects all superstitious and unedifying forms, keeps closely to all essentials of Church order and government as laid down in the Word of God, and practised by the Apostolic Church.

ARTICLE XXXVII.-" Of the Civil Magistrates."

The three concluding Articles are of much less importance than the preceding ones, as they treat more of civil matters than ecclesiastical, or rather we should perhaps say, spiritual.

They however, have weight and interest as regards the outward organisation of the Church, especially when it is remembered she is a State Church, and therefore liable under certain limits, to its interference and control. It is needful she should define those limits, and declare the mutual relations existing between herself and the State; which definition and declaration as set forth in the following Articles, inasmuch as these latter are legalised and authorised by the State, it is bound to regard and honour.

The present Article, then, is of most importance as it asserts while it limits the Royal Supremacy over the Established Church, which in the sixteenth century was co-extensive with the State, all who were born into the one being baptised into the other.

The Sovereign-who must still be a member of the

Established Church,—is its representative, and acts in all cases concerning it by ecclesiastical law. As the Sovereign is ruler over this realm and her other dominions, so it obviously follows, she must be supreme over that organisation which is supposed to include all, and does the majority of her subjects.

Church and State are as yet united; who rules over the State must therefore in a sense, rule over the Church. The Church herself fully recognises and submits to this.* She sets it forth in these Articles for subscription from her clergy, and also by the Oath of Supremacy required to be taken by them on their Ordination. This oath has been considerably altered from its original form of 1552, which contained a repudiation of the Pope's claim over our Church, and accepted the King as "Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England." This was changed in 1662, to a rejection of any "foreign prince, person, prelate, state, or potentate," accepting the Sovereign as the "Supreme Governor of this realm in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes as well as temporal." This was again altered in 1689, to a declaration that "I do from my heart abhor, detest, and abjure, as impious and heretical, that damnable doctrine, and position, that princes excommunicated, or deprived by the Pope, or any authority of the See of Rome, may be deposed or murdered by their subjects, or

*

In 1538, two years after the final break with Rome, eight Bishops with Cranmer at their head, signed a declaration recognising the jurisdiction of Christian Princes in matters Ecclesiastical.