PAPERS FOR PRIEST'S ORDERS.

THE NECESSARY PAPERS for Priest's Orders are of a precisely similar character to those required for the Ordination of Deacons : viz.—

1. The 'SI QUIS.'

2. LETTERS TESTIMONIAL from three Beneficed

Clergymen.

Sometimes 3. The NOMINATION, or TITLE.

4. The LETTERS OF DEACON'S ORDERS.

5. A CERTIFICATE OF BAPTISM.

The Paper No. 3. will be required when a fresh Licence is necessary; and Nos 4, and 5, are wanted in addition only when the Candidate for the Priesthood has been ordained into Deacon's Orders by the Bishop of another Diocese.

I. The 'SI QUIS,' as in the case of Deacon's Orders, is the notice publicly given in the Church of your Parish of your intention to offer yourself a Candidate for Priest's Orders at the next Ordination of the Bishop. It must be accompanied with a CERTIFICATE, signed by the Officiating Minister, and one or both of the Churchwardens, attesting its due publication. Should you yourself officiate, the language must be altered from the third person to the first: thus

THE SI QUIS.

FORM OF THE 'Si Quis'.

'NOTICE is hereby given, that (I) C⚫ 'D**, B.A., (or other degree) of 'College, Cambridge, (or Oxford), and now resi'dent in this Parish, intends (intend) to offer him'self (myself) a Candidate for the holy office of a Priest at the ensuing Ordination of the Lord Bishop of : if any person knows any just 'cause or impediment for which he (I) ought not 'to be admitted into Priest's Orders, he is now to ' declare the same, or to signify the same by letter 'forthwith to the Lord Bishop of

(Here follows the Certificate).

'We do hereby certify, that the above Notice 'was publicly read by the undersigned C

•D County of

'vice, on Sunday the day of instant

'(or last), and no impediment was alleged.'

'Witness our hands this
in the year of our Lord, 18-.'

day of

67

'G*** H***

The Si Quis' should be read from the Desk at the conclusion of 'Morning Prayer;' and if any impediment be alleged, the Officiating Minister is bound to communicate the particulars immediately to the Bishop.

E

II. LETTERS TESTIMONIAL.-This is a document bearing evidence of your sound doctrine, and good life and behaviour, since your admission into Deacon's Orders. It must be signed by three beneficed Clergymen, of whom, the Incumbent conferring your Nomination should not be

one.

Should any of these Clergymen be beneficed in another Diocese than that in which you are about to be ordained, their signatures must be countersigned by their respective Bishops. The Form is similar to that used for Deacon's Orders, (see page 34), and is as follows:

Form of Letters Testimonial of three Beneficed Clergymen.

'To the Right Reverend A***, Lord Bishop of

Whereas, our well-beloved in Christ, C *
'D***, B.A. (or other degree), of
Ꭰ

*

College,

'Cambridge, (or Oxford), hath declared to us his 'intention of offering himself a Candidate for the 'sacred office of a Priest, and for that end hath

requested of us Letters Testimonial of his good

'life and conversation; We therefore whose names

are hereunto subscribed, do testify that the said D*, having been personally months (or

" C

***

known to us for the space of

' years) last past; that we have had opportunities ' of observing his conduct; that during the whole ' of that time we verily believe that he lived

LETTERS TESTIMONIAL.

'piously, soberly, and honestly; nor have we at any 'time heard anything to the contrary thereof: nor 'hath he at any time, so far as we know or believe, 'held, written, or taught, anything contrary to 'the doctrine or discipline of the United Church ' of England and Ireland; and moreover, we 'believe him, in our consciences, to be, as to his 'moral conduct, a person worthy to be admitted to 'the sacred order of Priests.'

'In witness whereof we have hereunto sub'scribed our names, this

day of

in

'the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred,

' and fifty ·

Should neither of the three attesting Clergymen have convenient opportunity within the time this document is required, to copy out this 'Form' (which is the one usually adopted), you may with their permission write it out yourself, taking care to leave blank spaces where it is necessary their handwriting should appear; and then present it for their perusal, and assenting signatures.

III. A NOMINATION, or TITLE for Priest's Orders, is only required when a removal to another Curacy renders a fresh Licence necessary. This

may arise from some sudden change in the Incumbency, or other cause. Should you not be led by such circumstance to quit the Diocese in which you obtained Deacon's Orders, there will probably be no difficulty in the case (see page 60). The NOMINATION is as follows:

(a) FORM OF NOMINATION For a Title,
(where the Incumbent is Resident).

'To the Right Reverend A * * *, Lord Bishop of

'These are to certify your Lordship, that

'I, A*** B*, Vicar, (Rector, or Perpetual Curate, as the case may be), of in the 'County of, and in your Lordship's Diocese ' of -, do hereby nominate, and appoint C*** 'D***, Bachelor of Arts (or other degree), of College, Cambridge (or Oxford, &c.,) to 'perform the office of Curate in my Church of '-, aforesaid; and do promise to allow him 'the yearly stipend of pounds, to be paid

·

'by equal quarterly payments, for his mainte

nance in the same, and I do hereby state that 'the said C*** D*** intends to reside in the 'said Parish, (if not, say where), in a house, Street, (or, as the case may be),

'situate in

'distant from my Church about

mile and

'that the said C*** D*** does not serve, nor

As required by 1 & 2 Vict. c. 106. s. 76.