The Ordinal from the 1549, 1552 and 1559 Books of Common Prayer: Priests · The 1549 Book of Common Prayer: Preface

The Book of Common Prayer

	The Ordinal
	from the 1549, 1552 and 1559 Books of Common
	Prayer

THE FOURME OF
ORDERING PRIESTES.
1550:	1552,	In
	59:	the 1550 Ordinal, the Psalms are printed out at length.
When the
exhortacion is ended, then shall be song, for the introyte to the Communion,	When the
this psalme -- Expectans	exhortacion is ended, then shal folowe the Communion. And for the Epistle
expectavi Dominum, Psal. xl. Or els this psalme -- Memento Domine	shalbe red out of the twentieth Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles
David, Psalm cxxxii. Or els this Psalme -- Laudate nomen Domini,	as foloweth.
Psalm cxxxv.
Then
shalbe reed for the Epistle this out of the twentieth Chapter of the
Actes of the Apostles.
FROM	[Acts
Mileto Paule sent messengers to Ephesus, and called the Elders of the	20:17-35]
congregacion; which when they were come to him, he sayde unto them.
Ye know, that from the first day that I came into Asia, after what maner
I have been wyth you at al seasons, servynge the Lord wyth al humblenes
of mynde, and wyth many teares and temptacions which happened unto me
by the layinges awayte of the Jewes, because I would kepe backe nothinge
that was profitable unto you, but to shewe you and teache you openly
throughout every house: witnessing bothe to the Jewes, and also to the
Grekes, the repentaunce that is towarde God, and the fayth whiche is
towarde oure Lorde Jesus. And now behold, I goe bound in the spyryte
unto Jerusalem, not knowing the thinges that shall come on me there;
but that the holy ghost witnesseth in every citie, saying that bandes
[=imprisonment]
and trouble abyde me. But none of these thynges move me, nether is my
lyfe deare unto myselfe, that I might fulfyll my course with joye and
the ministracion of the worde whiche I have receyved of the Lord Jesu
to testifye the Gospell of the grace of God. And now behold, I am sure
that henceforth ye al (through whom I have gone preaching the kingdom
of God) shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to recorde thys
daye, that I am pure from the bloud of all men. For I have spared no
labor, but have shewed you all the counsayle of God. Take hede therefore
unto yourselves, and to all the flocke amonge whom the holy ghost hath
made you overseers to rule the congregacion of God, whiche he hathe
purchased wyth hys bloud. For I am sure of this, that after my departing,
shal grevous wolves entre in among you, not sparing the flocke. Moreover,
of your owne selves shall men aryse, speaking perverse thinges, to drawe
disciples after them. Therefore awake, and remembre that by the space
of three yeares I ceassed not to warne every one of you nyght and daye,
wyth teares.
And now brethren, I commende you to God and to the
woorde of his grace, whiche is able to buylde further, and to gyve you
an inheritaunce among al them which are sanctified. I have desyred no
mans sylver, golde or vesture. Yea, you knowe youre selves, that these
handes have ministred unto my necessities, and to them that were wyth
me. I have shewed you all thynges, howe that so labouring ye oughte
to receyve the weake, and to remembre the wordes of the Lorde Jesu,
howe that he sayd; it is more blessed to geve than to receyve.
Or
els thys thyrde Chapter, of the fyrst Epistle to Timothe.
THYS	1. Tim.
is a true sayinge; yf any man desyre the offyce of a Bisshoppe, he desyreth	3.
an honeste worke. A Bisshop therfore must be blamelesse, the husband
of one wyfe, vigilant, sobre, discrete, a keper of hospitalitie, apte	This when Deacons and Priests are made both in one day.
to teache, not geven to over much wyne, no fyghter, nor gredye of filthye
lucre; but gentle, abhorring fyghting, abhorringe covetousnes; one that	[This note
ruleth wel his owne house, one that hath children in subjection with	in a 1634 printing.]
al reverence. For yf a man cannot rule hys owne house, how shall he	[1
care for the congregacion of God? He may not be a yong scholer, leste	Tim. 3:1-16]
he swell, and fall into the Judgement of the evyl speaker. He must also
have a good reporte of them whiche are without; leste he fall into rebuke,
and snare of the evyll speaker.
Likewise must the Ministers be honest, not double-tongued,
not geven unto muche wyne, nether gredy of filthie lucre; But holding
the mistery of the fayth, 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 wyves be honest, not evil-speakers;
but sobre and faithful in al thinges. Let the Deacons be the husbandes
of one wyfe, and such as rule their chyldren wel, and theyr owne housholdes,
For they that minister wel get themselves a good degre, and great libertie
in the fayth which is in Christe Jesu.
These thinges wryte I unto thee, trusting to come
shortly unto thee; but and yf I tary longe, that then thou mayst have
yet knowledge, howe thou oughtest to behave thy self in the house of
God, which is the congregacion of the livinge God, the Piller and ground
of trueth. And without doubt, greate is that misterie of Godlynes: God
was shewed in the flesh, was Justified in the spirite, was seen among
the Angelles, was Preached unto the Gentyles, was beleved on in the
worlde, and receyved up in glory.
After
thys shalbe read for the Gospel a pece of the laste Chapter of Mathew,
as foloweth.
JESUS	[Matthew 28:18-20]
came and spake unto them, saying: All power is geven unto me in heaven
and in earth. Goe ye therefore and teache all nacions, baptising them
in the name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy gost. Teachyng
them to observe all thinges, whatsoever I have commaunded you. And lo,
I am with you alway, even untill the end of the worlde.
Or els this that foloweth, of the
tenth Chapter of John.
VERELY, verely,	[John 10:1-16]
I saye unto you; He that entreth not in by the dore into the sheepe
folde, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thefe and a murtherer.
But he that entereth in by the doore, is the shepeheard of the shepe,
to hym the Porter openeth, and the Shepe heareth hys voyce, and he calleth
hys owne shepe by name, and leadeth them out. And when he hath sente
forth his owne shepe, he goeth before them, and the shepe folowe hym,
for they knowe his voyce. A straunger wyll they not folow, but wyll
flee from hym, for they knowe not the voyce of straungers. Thys Proverbe
spake Jesus unto them, but they understoode not what thynges they were,
whyche he spake unto them. Then sayde Jesus unto them agayne: verely,
verely, I saye unto you, I am the doore of the shepe. All (even as manye
as come before me) are theves and murtherers: but the shepe dyd not
heare them. I am the doore, by me yf any man entre in, he shall be safe,
and goe in and out, and fynde pasture. A thefe cometh not but for to
steale, kyll and to destroye. I am come that they myght have lyfe, and
that they myghte have it more aboundauntlye. I am the good shepeheard:
a good shepehearde geveth his lyfe for the shepe. An hired servaunt,
and he whiche is not the shepeheard (neyther the shepe are hys owne)
seeth the wolfe comming, and leaveth the shepe and fleeth, and the wolfe
catcheth and scattereth the shepe. The hyred servaunt fleeth, because
he is an hyred servaunte, and careth not for the shepe. I am the good
shepeherd and knowe my shepe, and am knowen of myne. As my father knoweth
me, even so know I also my father. And I geve my lyfe for the shepe,
and other shepe I have, which are not of this folde. Them also must
I bring, and they shall heare my voyce, and there shall be one folde
and one shepehearde.
Or els thys, of the xx. Chapter of	[John 20:19-23]
John.
THE same daye
at night, which was the fyrst daye of the Sabbothes, when the doores
were shutte (where the Disciples were assembled together, for feare
of the Jewes) came Jesus and stode in the middes [midst], and sayde unto them; peace
be unto you. And when he had so sayd, he shewed unto them hys handes
and his syde. Then were the disciples glad, when they sawe the Lord.
Then sayd Jesus unto them agayne, peace bee unto you. As my father sent
me, even so send I you also. And when he had sayd those wordes, he breathed
on them and said unto them, receyve ye the holy ghost: whosoevers synnes
ye remytte, they are remytted unto them: and whosoevers synnes ye retayne,
they are retayned.
When the Gospel is ended, then shalbe
sayd or songe.
COME holy ghost	[Veni creator spiritus]
eternall God procedinge from above,
Both from the father and the sonne, the God of peace
and love:
Vysyte oure myndes, and into us, thy heavenly grace
inspyre;
That in all trueth and godlynesse, we maye have true
desyre.
Thou art the very comforter, in al woe and distresse:
The heavenly gyfte of God moste highe, whych no tongue
can expresse.
The fountayne and the lively springe, of joye celestiall:
The fyre so brighte, the love so clere, and Unction
spirituall.
Thou in thy gyftes arte manifolde, whereby Christes
Churche doeth stande:
In faythfull heartes wrytinge thy lawe, the fynger
of Goddes hande.
According to thy promes made, thou gevest speache
of grace;
That throughe thy helpe, the prayse of God, may sounde
in every place.
O holy ghoste, into oure wittes, sende downe thyne
heavenly lyght;
Kyndle our heartes wyth fervent love, to serve God
daye and nyght.
Strength and stablishe all oure weakenes, so feble
and so frayle:
That neyther fleshe, the worlde, nor devyl, agaynste
us do prevayle.
Put backe oure enemie farre from us, and graunte
us to obtayne:
Peace in our heartes with God and man, withoute grudge
or disdayne.
And graunt O Lorde that thou beyng, oure leader and
oure guyde;
We may eschewe the snares of synne, and from thee
never slyde.
To us such plentie of thy grace, good Lord graunt
we thee praye:
That thou mayest bee oure comforter, at the laste
dreadfull daye.
Of all stryfe and dissencion, O Lorde, dissolve the
bandes:
And make the knottes of peace and love, throughoute
all Christien landes.
Graunte us O Lorde, throughe thee to knowe the father
most of myght;
That of hys deare beloved sonne we may attayne the
syght.
And that wyth perfect fayth also, we may acknowledge
thee;
The Spirite of them both alwaye, one God in persones
three.
Laude and prayse be to the father, and to the sonne
equall:
And to the holy spyryte also, one God coeternall.
And praye we that the onely sonne, vouchesafe hys
spyryte to sende;
To all that do professe hys name, unto the worldes
ende. Amen.
	*
	1550 only.
And then the Archedeacon shalt present unto the Bisshop, all them that
shall receyve the order of Priesthode that daye[,
every of them having upon hym a playne Albe ]*. The Archedeacon
sayinge.
REVERENDE Father in GOD, I presente
unto you, these persones presente, to bee admitted to the ordre of Priesthode,
Cum interrogatione et responsione, ut in ordine Diaconatus.
And then the Bisshop shal saye to
the people.
GOOD people, these
bee they whome we purpose God wyllyng, to receyve this daye, unto the
holye offyce of Priesthode. For after due examinacion, we fynd not the
contrary but that they be lawfully called to theyr function and ministery,
and that they be persones mete for the same: but yet yf there be any
of you whyche knoweth any impediment, or notable cryme in any of them,
for the whyche he oughte not to bee receyved into this holy ministery,
nowe in the name of God declare the same.
¶
And yf any great cryme or impediment be objected, &c. Ut
supra in Ordine Diaconatus usque ad finem Litanie cum hac Collecta.
ALMYGHTIE
GOD, gever of all good thinges, which by thy holy spirit has appoynted
dyverse orders of Ministers in thy church, mercifully behold these thy
servantes, now called to the Office of Priesthode, and replenish them
so wyth the trueth of thy doctryne, and innocencie of lyfe, that both
by worde and good example, they may faythfully serve thee in thys office,
to the glorye of thy name, and profyte of the congregacion, through
the merites of oure saviour Jesu Christ, who lyveth and reygneth, wyth
thee and the holy Ghoste, worlde wythout ende. Amen.
¶
Then the Bisshop shal minister unto every of them the othe, concerning
the Kinges Supremacie, as it is set oute in the ordre of Deacons. And
that done, he shall saye unto them, which are appoynted to receyve the
sayde Office, as hereafter fotoweth.
YOU
have hearde brethren, as well in youre private examinacion, as in the
exhortacion, and in the holy lessons taken out of the Gospel, and of
the writinges of the Apostles, of what dignitie, and of how great importaunce
thys offyce is, (whereunto ye be called). And nowe we exhorte you, in
the name of oure LORDE Jesus Christe, to have in remembraunce, into
howe hyghe a dignitie, and to howe chargeable an offyce ye bee called,
that is to saye, to be the messengers, the watchemen, the Pastours,
and the stewardes of the LORDE to teache, to premonisshe
[=warn],
to feede, and provyde for the Lordes famylye: to seeke for Christes
shepe that be dispersed abrode, and for hys children whiche bee in the
myddest of thys naughtye worlde, to be saved through Christe for ever.
Have alwayes therfore printed in your remembraunce, howe great a treasure
is committed to your charge, for they be the shepe of Chryste, whiche
he boughte with hys death, and for whom he shed his bloud. The churche
and congregacion whom you must some, is his spouse and his body. And
if it shall chaunce the same churche, or any membre therof, to take
any hurt or hinderaunce, by reason of youre negligence, ye knowe the
greatnesse of the faulte, and also of the horrible punishment which
will ensue. Wherfore, consider with yourselves the end of your ministery,
towardes the chyldren of God, towarde the spouse and body of Christ,
and see that ye never cease your laboure, your care and dilygence, untill
you have doen all that lieth in you, accordynge to your bounden dutie,
to bryng all suche as are, or shalbe commytted to youre charge, unto
that agremente in faith, and knowledge of God, and to that ripenes,
and perfectnesse of age in Christe, that there be no place left emong
them, either for errour in Religion, or for viciousnesse in lyfe.
Then, forasmuche as your office is both of so greate
excellencye, and of so great difficultie, ye se with howe greate care
and study ye oughte to apply yourselves, as well that you maye shewe
yourselves kinde to that Lorde, who hath placed you in so high a dignitie,
as also to beware, that neyther you yourselves offende, neither be occasion
that other offende. Howbeit, ye cannot have a mynde and a wyll thereto
of yourselves, for that power and abilitie is geven of God alone. Therfore
ye se how ye ought and have nede, earnestly to praye for hys holy spirit.
And seyng that ye cannot by any other meanes compasse the doyng of so
weightie a woorke perteining to the salvacion of man, but with doctryne
and exhortacion, taken out of holy scripture and with a life agreable
unto the same. Ye perceyve how studyous ye oughte to be in readyng and
learnyng the holy scriptures, and in framyng the maners, both of yourselves,
and of them that specially partein unto you, accordyng to the rule of
the same scriptures. And for this selfesame cause, ye see how you oughte
to forsake and set aside (as much as you maye) all worldly cares and
studyes.
We have a good hope, that you have well weighed and
pondred these thynges with yourselves, long before thys tyme, and that
you have clerely determyned, by goddes grace, to geve yourselves wholy
to this vocacyon, wherunto it hath pleased God to call you, so that
(as muche as lieth in you) you apply youreselves wholy to this one thing,
and drawe al your cares and studies this way, and to thys ende. And
that you wyll continually praye for the heavenly assistaunce of the
holy goste, from God the father, by the mediacion of our only mediatour
and saviour Jesus Chryste, that by dayly readyng and weighing of the
scriptures, ye may waxe riper and stronger in your ministerie. And that
ye may so endevour yourselfes from time to time to sanctifie the lives
of you and yours, and to fashion them after the rule and doctrine of
Christ. And that ye maye be wholesome and godly examples and paternes,
for the reste of the congregacyon to folowe. And that this present congregacion
of Christ here assembled, may also understande youre myndes and wylles,
in these thynges: And that this your promes, shall more move you to
doe your dueties, ye shal answer plainly to these thinges, whiche we
in the name of the congregacyon shal demaunde of you, touchyng the same.
Doe you thynke in your heart, that you be truly called
accordyng to the will of our Lorde Jesus Chyrste, and the ordre of this
Churche of Englande, to the ministerie of Priesthode?
Aunswere. I thinke it.
The Bishoppe. Be you perswaded that the holy
Scriptures contein sufficiently al doctrine required of necessitie for
eternal salvacion, throughe faith in Jesu Christe? And are you determined
with the saied scriptures, to enstructe the people committed to your
charge, and to teache nothyng, as required of necessitie, to eternal
salvacion, but that you shalbe perswaded may be concluded, and proved
by the scripture?
Aunswere. I am so perswaded, and have so determyned
by Gods grace.
The Bishoppe. Will you then geve your faythfull
dylygence alwayes, so to mynister the doctryne and Sacramentes, and
the discipline of Christ, as the lord hath commaunded, and as thys realme
hath received the same, accordyng to the commaunde mentes of God, so
that you may teache the people committed to youre cure and charge, with
al diligence to kepe and observe the same?
Aunswere. I wil so doe, by the helpe of the
Lord.
The Bishoppe. Wil you be ready with al faithful
diligence, to banishe and drive away al erronious and straunge doctrines,
contrarye to gods worde, and to use both publyke and private monycyons
[=warnings]
and exhortacyons, as well to the sicke as to the whole, within youre
cures, as nede shall require and occasion be geven?
Aunswere. I wyll, the Lorde beyng my helper.
The Bisshoppe. Wil you be diligent in praiers,
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
fleshe?
Aunswere. I wyll endevour myself so to doe,
the Lord beyng my helper.
The Bisshoppe. Wil you be diligent to frame
and fashion youre own selves, and your families, according to the doctrine
of Christe, and to make bothe youreselves and them (as muche as in you
lieth) wholsome examples and spectacles to the flocke of Chryst?
Aunswere. I wyll so apply myselfe, the lorde
beyng my helper.
The Bisshoppe. Wil you maintein and set forwardes
(as much as lieth in you) quietnes, peace, and love emonges al christian
people, and specially emong them that are, or shalbe committed to your
charge?
Aunswere. I will so do, the Lorde being my
helper.
The Bisshoppe. Will you reverentlye obeye
your Ordinarie, and other chiefe ministers, unto whom the governement
and charge is commytted over you, folowing with a glad mynde and will,
their godly admonicion, and submyttyng youreselves to theyr godlye judgementes?
Aunswere. I wyll so doe, the Lorde beyng my
helper.
	*
¶	omitted in 1552, 59.
Then shal the Bisshoppe saye.
ALMIGHTIE
god, who hath geven you this wyl to doe al these thynges, graunt also
unto you strength and power to performe the same, that he may accomplishe
his worke which he hath begon in you, until the tyme he shal come at
the latter day, to judge the quicke and the dead.
¶
After this, the congregacion shalbe desired, secretly in their praiers,
to make humble supplicacions to God for the foresaied thinges ; for
the whiche praiers, there shalbe a certaine space kept in silence.
That
doen, the Bisihoppe shall praye in this wyse.
[THE
Lorde be with you.
Aunswere. And with thy spirite.]*
¶ Let us praye.
ALMIGHTIE
god and heavenly father, which of thy infinite love and goodnes towardes
us, hast geven to us thy onely and moste deare beloved sonne Jesus Christe,
to be our redemer and aucthour of everlasting life: who after he had
made perfecte our redempcion by hys death, and was ascended into heaven,
sent abrode into the worlde hys Apostles, Prophetes, Evangelistes, Doctours
and Pastours, by whose labour and ministere [ministry],
he gathered together a greate flocke in al the partes of the worlde,
to set furth the eternal praise of thy holy name. For these so greate
benefites of thy eternal goodnes, and for that thou hast vouchsafed
to cal these thy servauntes here present, to the same office and ministerie
of the salvacion of mankynde; we render unto thee moste hartie thankes,
we worship and praise thee, and we humbly beseche thee by the same thy
sonne, to graunt unto al us which either here, or elswhere cal upon
thy name, that we maye shewe ourselves thankefull to thee for these
and all other thy benefites, and that we maye daily encrease and goe
forwardes, in the knowledge and faith of thee, and thy sonne, by the
holy spirite. So that as well by these thy ministers, as by them to
whom thei shalbe appointed ministers, thy holy name may be alwaies glorified,
and thy blessed kyngdom enlarged, throughe the same thy sonne our Lorde
Jesus Christe; which liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unitie of
the same holy spirite, world without ende. Amen.
¶
When this praier is done, the Bisshoppe with the priestes present,
shal lay theyr handes severally upon the head of every one that receiveth
orders. The receivers humbly knelyng upon their knees, and the Bisshop
saying.
RECEIVE
the holy goste, whose synnes thou doest forgeve, they are forgeven:
and whose sinnes thou doest retaine, thei are retained: and be thou
a faithful despensor of the word of god, and of his holy Sacramentes.
In the name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy gost. Amen.
1550:	1552:,	Corresponding
	59	pages from this section of the the 1550 and 1552 Ordinals are shown at
The Bisshop		left. Click on the images to see larger (100K) readable versions of these
shall deliver to every one of them, the Bible in the one hande, and	The Bisshop	images.
the Chalice or cuppe with the breade, in the other hande, and saying.	shall deliver to every one of them, the Bible in his hande, saying.
TAKE
thou aucthoritie to preache the word of god, and to minister the holy	*
Sacramentes in thys congregacion[, where thou shalt be so appointed]*.	added 1552.
¶
When thys is doen, the Congregacyon shall syng the Crede, and also
they shal goe to the Communion which at they that receive orders shal
take together, and remaine in the same place where the handes were layd
upon them, untyl suche time as thei have received the Communion.
¶
The Communion beyng doen, after the last Collecte, and immediatly
before the benediccion, shalbe sayed thys Collecte.
MOST
mercifull father, we beseche thee so to sende upon these thy servauntes
thy heavenly blessyng, that they maye be cladde about with all justice,
and that thy worde spoken by theyr mouthes may have such successe, that
it may never be spoken in vain. Graunt also that we may have grace to
heare, and receive the same as thy moste holy worde and the meane of
our salvacion, that in all our wordes and dedes we may seke thy glory,
and the encrease of thy kingdom, thorow Jesus Christ our lord. Amen.
¶
If the orders of Deacon and Priesthood, be geven both upon one day,
then shal [the Psalme for the Introyte and other]* thinges
at the holy Communion, be used as they are appointed at the orderyng
of Priestes. Saving that for the Epistle, the whole thirde Chapiter
of the first to Timothe shalbe read, as it is sette out before in the
order of Priestes. And immediatly after the Epistle, the Deacons shalbe
ordered. And it shall suffice, the Letany to be sayed once.
*
Replaced by "al"
in 1552.

Return to 1549, 1552, 1559 Book of Common Prayer

Web author: Charles	U.
Wohlers	S. •
	England • Scotland
	• Ireland • Wales
	• Canada • World