The Form of
Ordering Priests

When the exhortation is ended, then shall follow the Communion. And the Epistle shall be read out of the twentieth Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles as followeth.

From Miletus Paul sent messengers to Ephesus, and called the Elders of the congregation; which when they were come to him, he said unto them. Ye know, that from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humbleness of mind, and with many tears and temptations which happened unto me by the lying in wait of the Jews, because I would keep back nothing that was profitable unto you, but to show you and teach you openly throughout every house: witnessing both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, the repentance that is toward God, and the faith which is toward our Lord Jesus. And now behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall come on me there; but that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bands and trouble abide me. But none of these things move me, neither is my life dear unto myself, that I might fulfill my course with joy and the ministration of the word which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. And now behold, I am sure that henceforth ye all (through whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God) shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have spared no labor, but have showed you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock among whom the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to rule the congregation of God, which he hath purchased with his blood. For I am sure of this, that after my departing, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Moreover, of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw disciples after them. Therefore awake, and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one of you night and day, with tears.
And now brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build further, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have desired no man's silver, gold or vesture. Yea, you know yourselves, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to receive the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how that he said; it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Or else this third Chapter, of the first Epistle to Timothy.

This is a true saying; if any man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth an honest work. A Bishop therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, discrete, a keeper of hospitality, apt to teach, not given to over much wine, no fighter, nor greedy of filthy lucre; but gentle, abhorring fighting, abhorring covetousness; one that ruleth well his own house, one that hath children in subjection with all reverence. For if a man cannot rule his own house, how shall he care for the congregation of God? He may not be a young scholar, lest he swell, and fall into the Judgment of the evil speaker. He must also have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into rebuke, and snare of the evil speaker.
Likewise must the Ministers be honest, not double-tongued, not given unto much wine, neither greedy of filthy lucre; but holding the mystery of the faith, with a pure conscience; and let them first be proved, and then let them minister so that no man be able to reprove them.
Even so must their wives be honest, not evil-speakers; but sober and faithful in all things. Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife, and such as rule their children well, and their own households, for they that minister well get themselves a good degree, and great liberty in the faith which is in Christ Jesu.
These things write I unto thee, trusting to come shortly unto thee; but and if I tarry long, that then thou mayst have yet knowledge, how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the congregation of the living God, the Pillar and ground of truth. And without doubt, great is that mystery of godliness: God was showed in the flesh, was justified in the spirit, was seen among the Angels, was preached unto the Gentiles, was believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

After this shall be read for the Gospel a piece of the last Chapter of Matthew, as followeth.

Jesus came and spake unto them, saying: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you alway, even until the end of the world.

Or else this that followeth, of the tenth Chapter of John.

VERILY, verily, I say unto you; He that entereth not in by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a murderer. But he that entereth in by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep, to him the porter openeth, and the sheep heareth his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he hath sent forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. This proverb spake Jesus unto them, but they understood not what things they were, which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again: verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All (even as many as come before me) are thieves and murderers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be safe, and go in and out, and find pasture. A thief cometh not but for to steal, kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: a good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. An hired servant, and he which is not the shepherd (neither the sheep are his own) seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth and scattereth the sheep. The hired servant fleeth, because he is an hired servant, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As my Father knoweth me, even so know I also my Father. And I give my life for the sheep, and other sheep I have, which are not of this fold. Them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.

Or else this, of the xx Chapter of John.

THE same day at night, which was the first day of the Sabbaths, when the doors were shut (where the Disciples were assembled together, for fear of the Jews) came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them; peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus unto them again, peace be unto you. As my Father sent me, even so send I you also. And when he had said those words, he breathed on them and said unto them, receive ye the Holy Ghost: whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.

When the Gospel is ended, then shall be said or sung:

Come, Holy Ghost, eternal God, proceeding from above,
Both from the Father and the Son, the God of peace and love:
Visit our minds, and into us, Thy heavenly grace inspire;
That in all truth and godliness, we may have true desire.
Thou art the very Comforter, in all woe and distress:
The heavenly gift of God most high, which no tongue can express.
The fountain and the lively spring, of joy celestial:
The fire so bright, the love so clear, and Unction spiritual.
Thou in Thy gifts art manifold, whereby Christ’s Church doth stand:
In faithful hearts writing Thy law, the finger of God’s hand.
According to Thy promise made, Thou givest speech of grace;
That through Thy help, the praise of God, may sound in every place.
O Holy Ghost, into our wits, send down Thy heavenly light;
Kindle our hearts with fervent love, to serve God day and night.
Strength and establish all our weakness, so feeble and so frail:
That neither flesh, the world, nor devil, against us do prevail.
Put back our enemy far from us, and grant us to obtain:
Peace in our hearts with God and man, without grudge or disdain.
And grant, O Lord, that Thou being, our leader and our guide;
We may eschew the snares of sin, and from thee never slide.
To us such plenty of Thy grace, good Lord grant, we thee pray;
That Thou mayst be our Comforter, at the last dreadful day.
Of all strife and dissension, O Lord, dissolve the bonds;
And make the knots of peace and love, throughout all Christian lands.
Grant us, O Lord, through thee to know the Father most of might;
That of His dear beloved Son, we may attain the sight.
And that with perfect faith also, we may acknowledge thee,
The Spirit of them both alway, one God in persons three.
Laud and praise be to the Father, and to the Son equal;
And to the Holy Spirit also, one God coeternal.
And pray we that the only Son, vouchsafe His Spirit to send,
To all that do profess His name, unto the world's end. Amen.

And then the Archdeacon shall present unto the Bishop, all them that shall receive the order of Priesthood that day, every one of them having upon him a plain Albe. The Archdeacon saying.

Reverend Father in God, I present unto you, these persons present, to be admitted to the order of Priesthood, Cum interrogatione et responsione, ut in ordine Diaconatus.

And then the Bishop shall say to the people.

Good people, these be they whom we purpose God willing, to receive this day, unto the holy office of Priesthood. For after due examination, we find not the contrary but that they be lawfully called to their function and ministry, and that they be persons meet for the same: but yet if there be any of you which knoweth any impediment, or notable crime in any of them, for the which he ought not to be received into this holy ministry, now in the name of God declare the same.

And if any great crime or impediment be objected, &c. Ut supra in Ordine Diaconatus usque ad finem Litanie cum hac Collecta.

Almighty God, giver of all good things, which by thy holy spirit has appointed diverse orders of Ministers in thy church, mercifully behold these thy servants, now called to the Office of Priesthood, and replenish them so with the truth of thy doctrine, and innocence of life, that both by word and good example, they may faithfully serve thee in this office, to the glory of thy name, and profit of the congregation, through the merits of our savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth, with thee and the holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

Then the Bishop shall minister unto every one of them the oath, concerning the King's Supremacy, as it is set out in the order of Deacons. And that done, he shall say unto them, which are appointed to receive the said Office, as hereafter followeth.

You have heard brethren, as well in your private examination, as in the exhortation, and in the holy lessons taken out of the Gospel, and of the writings of the Apostles, of what dignity, and of how great importance this office is, (whereunto ye be called). And now we exhort you, in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, to have in remembrance, into how high a dignity, and to how chargeable an office ye be called, that is to say, to be the messengers, the watchmen, the Pastors, and the stewards of the LORD to teach, to premonish, to feed, and provide for the Lord's family: to seek for Christ's sheep that be dispersed abroad, and for his children which be in the midst of this naughty world, to be saved through Christ for ever. Have always therefore printed in your remembrance, how great a treasure is committed to your charge, for they be the sheep of Christ, which he bought with his death, and for whom he shed his blood. The church and congregation whom you must some, is his spouse and his body. And if it shall chance the same church, or any member thereof, to take any hurt or hindrance, by reason of your negligence, ye know the greatness of the fault, and also of the horrible punishment which will ensue. Wherefore, consider with yourselves the end of your ministry, towards the children of God, towards the spouse and body of Christ, and see that ye never cease your labour, your care and diligence, until you have done all that lieth in you, according to your bounden duty, to bring all such as are, or shall be committed to your charge, unto that agreement in faith, and knowledge of God, and to that ripeness, and perfection of age in Christ, that there be no place left among them, either for error in Religion, or for viciousness in life.
Then, forasmuch as your office is both of so great excellency, and of so great difficulty, ye see with how great care and study ye ought to apply yourselves, as well that you may show yourselves kind to that Lord, who hath placed you in so high a dignity, as also to beware, that neither you yourselves offend, neither be occasion that others offend. Howbeit, ye cannot have a mind and a will thereto of yourselves, for that power and ability is given of God alone. Therefore ye see how ye ought and have need, earnestly to pray for his holy spirit. And seeing that ye cannot by any other means compass the doing of so weighty a work pertaining to the salvation of man, but with doctrine and exhortation, taken out of holy scripture and with a life agreeable unto the same. Ye perceive how studious ye ought to be in reading and learning the holy scriptures, and in framing the manners, both of yourselves, and of them that specially pertain unto you, according to the rule of the same scriptures. And for this selfsame cause, ye see how you ought to forsake and set aside (as much as you may) all worldly cares and studies.
We have a good hope, that you have well weighed and pondered these things with yourselves, long before this time, and that you have clearly determined, by God's grace, to give yourselves wholly to this vocation, whereunto it hath pleased God to call you, so that (as much as lieth in you) you apply yourselves wholly to this one thing, and draw all your cares and studies this way, and to this end. And that you will continually pray for the heavenly assistance of the holy ghost, from God the father, by the mediation of our only mediator and savior Jesus Christ, that by daily reading and weighing of the scriptures, ye may wax riper and stronger in your ministry. And that ye may so endeavour yourselves from time to time to sanctify the lives of you and yours, and to fashion them after the rule and doctrine of Christ. And that ye may be wholesome and godly examples and patterns, for the rest of the congregation to follow. And that this present congregation of Christ here assembled, may also understand your minds and wills, in these things: And that this your promise, shall more move you to do your duties, ye shall answer plainly to these things, which we in the name of the congregation shall demand of you, touching the same.

Do you think in your heart, that you be truly called according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the order of this Church of England, to the ministry of Priesthood?
Answer. I think it.
The Bishop. Be you persuaded that the holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all doctrine required of necessity for eternal salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ? And are you determined with the said scriptures, to instruct the people committed to your charge, and to teach nothing, as required of necessity, to eternal salvation, but that you shall be persuaded may be concluded, and proved by the scripture?
Answer. I am so persuaded, and have so determined by God's grace.
The Bishop. Will you then give your faithful diligence always, so to minister the doctrine and Sacraments, and the discipline of Christ, as the lord hath commanded, and as this realm hath received the same, according to the commandments of God, so that you may teach the people committed to your cure and charge, with all diligence to keep and observe the same?
Answer. I will so do, by the help of the Lord.
The Bishop. Will you be ready with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines, contrary to God's word, and to use both public and private monitions and exhortations, as well to the sick as to the whole, within your cures, as need shall require and occasion be given?
Answer. I will, the Lord being my helper.
The Bishop. Will you be diligent in prayers, and in reading of the holy scriptures, and in such studies as help to the knowledge of the same, laying aside the study of the world and the flesh?
Answer. I will endeavour myself so to do, the Lord being my helper.
The Bishop. Will you be diligent to frame and fashion your own selves, and your families, according to the doctrine of Christ, and to make both yourselves and them (as much as in you lieth) wholesome examples and spectacles to the flock of Christ?
Answer. I will so apply myself, the Lord being my helper.
The Bishop. Will you maintain and set forward (as much as lieth in you) quietness, peace, and love among all Christian people, and specially among them that are, or shall be committed to your charge?
Answer. I will so do, the Lord being my helper.
The Bishop. Will you reverently obey your Ordinary, and other chief ministers, unto whom the government and charge is committed over you, following with a glad mind and will, their godly admonition, and submitting yourselves to their godly judgments?
Answer. I will so do, the Lord being my helper.

Then shall the Bishop say.

Almighty God, who hath given you this will to do all these things, grant also unto you strength and power to perform the same, that he may accomplish his work which he hath begun in you, until the time he shall come at the latter day, to judge the quick and the dead.

After this, the congregation shall be desired, secretly in their prayers, to make humble supplications to God for the foresaid things; for the which prayers, there shall be a certain space kept in silence.

That done, the Bishop shall pray in this wise.

Let us pray.
Almighty God and heavenly Father, which of thy infinite love and goodness towards us, hast given to us thy only and most dear beloved Son Jesus Christ, to be our redeemer and author of everlasting life: who after he had made perfect our redemption by his death, and was ascended into heaven, sent abroad into the world his Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Doctors and Pastors, by whose labour and ministry, he gathered together a great flock in all the parts of the world, to set forth the eternal praise of thy holy name. For these so great benefits of thy eternal goodness, and for that thou hast vouchsafed to call these thy servants here present, to the same office and ministry of the salvation of mankind; we render unto thee most hearty thanks, we worship and praise thee, and we humbly beseech thee by the same thy Son, to grant unto all us which either here, or elsewhere call upon thy name, that we may show ourselves thankful to thee for these and all other thy benefits, and that we may daily increase and go forward, in the knowledge and faith of thee, and thy Son, by the holy spirit. So that as well by these thy ministers, as by them to whom they shall be appointed ministers, thy holy name may be always glorified, and thy blessed kingdom enlarged, through the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ; which liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same holy spirit, world without end. Amen.

When this prayer is done, the Bishop with the priests present, shall lay their hands severally upon the head of every one that receiveth orders. The receivers humbly kneeling upon their knees, and the Bishop saying.

Receive the holy ghost, whose sins thou doest forgive, they are forgiven: and whose sins thou doest retain, they are retained: and be thou a faithful dispenser of the word of God, and of his holy Sacraments. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

The Bishop shall deliver to every one of them, the Bible in his hand, saying.

Take thou authority to preach the word of God, and to minister the holy Sacraments in this congregation, where thou shalt be so appointed.

When this is done, the Congregation shall sing the Creed, and also they shall go to the Communion which they that receive orders shall take together, and remain in the same place where the hands were laid upon them, until such time as they have received the Communion.

The Communion being done, after the last Collect, and immediately before the benediction, shall be said this Collect.

Most merciful Father, we beseech thee so to send upon these thy servants thy heavenly blessing, that they may be clad about with all justice, and that thy word spoken by their mouths may have such success, that it may never be spoken in vain. Grant also that we may have grace to hear, and receive the same as thy most holy word and the mean of our salvation, that in all our words and deeds we may seek thy glory, and the increase of thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If the orders of Deacon and Priesthood, be given both upon one day, then shall [the Psalm for the Introit and other] things at the holy Communion, be used as they are appointed at the ordering of Priests. Saving that for the Epistle, the whole third Chapter of the first to Timothy shall be read, as it is set out before in the order of Priests. And immediately after the Epistle, the Deacons shall be ordered. And it shall suffice, the Litany to be said once.

📕 The Scriptural BCP