The Apostolical Succession essential to the Va- 21, 69, 93, 125 The Form of Ordaining Priests in the Church of The Form of Ordaining a Bishop in the Church of Rome quoted. 102, 131 The View High Churchmen take of its Declara- The Recognition of the Validity of Rome's Orders perplexes Senators, and causes great Mischief The Views of High Churchmen inimical to the ROME'S ORDERS NOT VALID IN ENGLAND'S CHURCH. WHEN priests of the Church of Rome renounce their heretical faith by publicly or privately reading a recantation, it is generally held, and certainly practically maintained, that they become by that deed eligible, without re-ordination, for any ecclesiastical preferment in the United Church of England and Ireland. Presbyters of the Reformed Churches must, if they wish for the like preferment, be re-ordained! Though the Church of England, as now authoritatively established, is thoroughly protestant against Rome, and in her ecclesiastical structure entirely isolated from all Churches, whether true or false, yet does this most marvellous practice of thus acknowledging the validity of Rome's orders, and Rome's alone, B stand out to our view an indisputable, visible fact. This practice, I contend, is irreconcileable with Scripture, reason, and our ecclesiastical and civil laws. The following letter and document from the excellent and zealous Secretary of the Reformed Romanist Priests' Protection Society, the Rev. Thomas Scott, who is familiarly conversant with the whole modus operandi which takes place when a priest of the Church of Rome is converted into a presbyter of the Church of England, will both sufficiently reveal the formal part of the process, as well as establish the fact of the existence of the practice which I have asserted is pursued towards priests of the Church of Rome alone. It was in answer to some inquiries I made regarding this practice that Mr. Scott thus obligingly replied: "When converts converts from Romanism, lay or clerical, are convinced of the errors of Popery, I make them publicly or privately abjure them according to the enclosed prescribed form. (Given below.) "I do not know of any instance of the reordination of a reformed priest before his admission to a cure of souls in our Church. A thorough acquaintance with Divine truth and with the formularies of our Church, with sufficient time for probation, are considered adequate preparation for our ministry. When the bishop is convinced that the convert possesses these qualifications he then signs the articles of the Thirty-sixth English Canon, and is consequently ipso facto in Holy Orders in our Church." The document alluded to is as follows: "FORM OF ABJURATION USED WITH ROMANISTS ON RENOUNCING THEIR APOSTATE CREED. "I [A. B.] do sincerely promise and swear, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Victoria. "I [A. B.] do utterly testify and declare in my conscience, that the Queen's Highness is the only supreme governor of this realm, and of all other her Highness's dominions and countries, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal, and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state, or potentate, hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, preeminence, or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm. And therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign jurisdictions, powers, superiorities, and authorities, and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faithful and true allegiance to the Queen's Highness, her heirs, and lawful successors, and to the utmost of my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions, privileges, pre-eminences, and authorities, granted or belonging to the Queen's Highness, her heirs and successors, or united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. So help me God. "I [A. B.] do swear, that I 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 any other whatsoever. And I do declare that no foreign prince, prelate, person, state, or potentate, hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence, or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm. So help me God. "I [A. B.] do solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, that I do believe that, in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, there is not any transubstantiation of the elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, at or after the |