? " ,' ",, '' ","■ '" "'" Church of England and demands an explication of his faith, desiring him now
nt Episcopal Church, the bishops alone toexpls' "
am his views on the subjects of the Incarnation, of the Substance of the Son and Word of God, and how i many Natures there are in Christ. After his replv he era ana autms of the bishops of the Methodist Episco- receives the benediction, the consecrator savin- "Gra- t Huron ore those of a general itinerant superin- tia S. Spiritus per meam medioeritatem promovet te ndency, including ordination, appointment of minis- Deo amantissimum Sacerdotem et electron N. . . . in
have the power to ordain and to confirm, and their au
»-is confined to their proper dioceses. The pow
ters to their fields of lal
lapor, etc., and are fully defined Episcopum a Deo custodita civitatis N,
in the Methodist " Discipline," pt ii, ch. ii, § 13. i. Election of Bishops*— The right of election to
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then led to the altar, and there, in front of the table, kneels before the bishops, the eldest of whom lays the
BISHOP
823
BISHOP
Gospels on his head, the other bishops at the same time holding it. The consecrator declares him to be bish- op, and, while the others continue to hold the Gospels, makes three crosses on his head, blessing him in the name of the Holy Trinity; then, laying his hand (all the other bishops doing the same) on him, he prays : "0 Lord God, who rulest over all, who by Thy holy apostle Paul hast ratiiicd the series of orders and de- grees appointed for those who wait at Thy holy altar and minister in Thy spotless and venerable im'steries, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers : do Thou, O Lord of all, by the presence, the power, and the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, confirm him who has been elected and counted worthy to receive the evan- gelical yoke and pontifical dignity at the hand of me a sinner, and those of the ministers and bishops who stand with me, as Thou didst strengthen the holy apos- tles and prophets, as Thou didst anoint the kings, and as Thou didst consecrate the priests. Exhibit in him a blameless pontificate ; and, adorning him with every virtue, grant to him such holiness that he may be worthy to ask of Thee whatsoever the salvation of his people requireth, and to receive it from Thee." This form differs little from the order of consecrating arch- bishops and bishops in use in the Russian Church, ac- cording to the form printed at St. Petersburg in 1725.
(3.) In the Protestant churches the form of consecra- tion is simple. That of the Methodist Episcopal Church may be found in the Discipline, (pt. iv, ch. vi) ; that of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Prayer-book. As both these forms are modifications of that of the Church of England, we give the latter (omitting the Scripture lessons, collects, etc.).
When all things are duly prepared in the church and set in order, after morniny prayer is aided, the archbishop (or some other bishop appointed) shall bey in the. Communion service, in lohich this shall be the collect [here the collect is said]. And another bishop shall read the epistle, 1 Tim. iii, 1 ; or Acta xx, 17. Then another bixhoji shall rend the gospel, John xxi, 15 ; or John xx, 19 ; or Matt, xxviii, IS.
After the gospel, and the S ie -nc Creed, and the sermon are ended, the elected bishop (nested with his rochet) shall be pre- sented by tiro bishops unto the archbishop of that province (or to some other bishop appointed by lawful commission), the arehhislm/i sitting in his chair near the holy table, and the bishops that present him saying: "Must reverend father in God, we present unto you this godly and well-learned man to be ordained and consecrated bishop."
Then shall the archbishop demand the queen's mandate for the consecration and cause it to be read; and the oath touch- ing the acknowledgment of the queen's supremacy shall be ministered to the persons electa/, as it is set down before in the form for the ordering of deacons; and then shall also be ministered unto them the oath of due obedience to the arch- bishop, asfolloweth : " In the name of God, Amen. I, N., cho- sen bishop of the church and see of .V., do profess and promise all due reverence and obedience to the archbishop and to the metropolitan church of ,V. and to their successors : so help me God, through Jesus Christ." This oath shall not be made at the consecration of an archbishop.
Then the archbishop shad move the congregation present to pray, saying tints to them [here the address]." A nd then shall be said the Litany, as before in the ordering of deacons, save only that after the place, "That it may please thee to illumi- nate all bishops," etc., the proper suffrage there following shall he omitted, and this inserted instead of it : " That it may please thee to bless this brother elected, and to send thy grace upon him, that he may duly execute the office whereunto he is called, to the edifying of thy Church, and to the honor, praise, and gb.ry of thy name. Answer. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord." Then shall be said this prayer follow- ing [hen- the prayer].