Untitled - Rore Sanctifica

Introductory Essay.
Lxxv
Bishop in- N. diocese, and I put upon thy
breast this emblem of JESUS CHRIST [the
cross]
thou
to be a perpetual
shalt preach
His
remembrance that
precious word of
reconciliation and holily keep the same ; and
I also deliver unto thee this staff, as a sign
of thy right and a remembrance of thy duty,
to guide and govern that flock which is
committed unto thee. And this I do in the
name of the FATHER, &c."* After thisf "the
consecrator and his assistants take the cope,
and array the new Bishop therein, after which
they lay their hands on his head,J
the con
secrator saying the LORD S prayer." How this
is to be a valid consecration of a Bishop I know
not. I cannot but agree with the reviewer ;
"the above forms of ordination will necessarily,
we imagine, destroy whatever interest any
*
In Christ. Bern., xiii. 432.
+ Ib. 435.
I Luther first declaimed against the Eoman ordination.
"
His own unvarying statement was :
"We are all together
consecrated as priests by baptism. Whatever has crawled
out of baptism may glory that it is already consecrated Priest,
Bishop and Pope, although it baseems not every one to
exercise that office"
(x. 302 sqq. in Daniel Cod. Lit. ii. 517).
" Daniel says, that when Luther saw what confusion of
every thing arose, he brought back ordination with many
other institutions of the Church, yet changed and accom
modated to the new genius of the Church." But Luther
"
guarded himself as to the laying on of hands," that it was
" no spiritual act. We lay our hands on the servants of
the Word, and at the same time make our prayer to GOD ;
but it is to this end, that we thereby testify that it is GOD S
ordinance." ii. 1972 in Daniel ib.