hood consists in offering up sacrifice to God for the sins of the people, according to that, “every high priest... is appointed, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins," Heb. v. 1. To others they communicated only the powers of preaching and baptising, and of assisting the priest at the altar, when offering up the holy sacrifice; and these are called Deacons, or servants, from this last branch of their office. Others they employed in preparing the matter for the sacrifice, and having the charge of all the things about the altar, keeping them clean and in proper condition, to be assistance to the Deacon when serving at the áltar, and to sing the epistle at Mass, when it is celebrated with all its solemnities, and these are the Subdeacons. All these degrees are called holy orders; because, when a person once enters into them, he is dedi-cated entirely to the service of God and his Church, and can never more return to the world. Besides these, there are also the four minor orders, which are employed about the inferior offices and service of the Church, not so immediately connected with the sacrifice, and are called minor or lesser orders; because those who enter into them have it still in their option to leave the service of the Church, and return to the world. These four are called the acolyte, the exorcist, the lector, and the doorkeeper.

Q. 4. Why are all these called orders?

A. Because it is plain that they are all so many -different steps or degrees laid down in a regular order, by which the sacred powers of the priesthood are gradually communicated to those who enter into the ecclesiastical state. For he must first begin with the lowest, or door-keeper, and so gradually ascend to the higher degrees, or to a more ample share in these sacred powers, after having spent a competent time in the exercise of the lower or

ders, and by his good behaviour there giving proof of his deserving to be advanced to those that are higher.

Q. 5. How does it appear that bishops are the chief pastors of the Church, and superior to the priests in authority and jurisdiction, as well as in order?

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A. That the bishops are superior to the priests,. and hold the first rank in the sacred hierarchy of the Church, is an article of divine faith, declared as such by the Church of Christ in the Council of Trent, and is founded on the following testimonies of the holy Scripture: (1.) It is evident that the apostles were raised by Jesus Christ to a much higher rank and dignity than the other disciples; for, he called to him his disciples, and he chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles,' Luke vi. 13. He kept them always in his own company; he instructed them in particular " in all the things he had heard from his Father, as his particular friends," John xv. 15. After his resurrection he said to them only, as my Father hath sent me, I also send you; whose sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins ye shall retain, they are retained," John xx. 20. To them in particular be said, "Go ye unto the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark xvi. 15.. All which shews that they were constituted by him to be the chief pastors of his Church. When their number was diminished by the infidelity of Judas, St. Peter, calling all the brethren, said, "The Scripture must needs be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost spoke before, by the mouth of David, concerning Judas....who was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.... for it is written, and his bishopric let another take. Wherefore of those men who have companied with us,

all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us....one of these must be made a witness of his resurrection," Acts i. 16. Accordingly, two were appointed, and "praying, they said, Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas hath fallen....and they gave them lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles," verse 24. All this shews evidently the superior order of the apostles, and that St. Matthias, by being numbered among them, was raised to a higher dignity, and to a superior station than what he had before, while only one of the disciples. Now, the bishops are the successors of the apostles, and inherit the plenitude of the priestly powers which Christ communicated to them; whereas the priests are only the successors of the seventy-two disciples, and receive these powers only in part. (2.) St. Paul, speaking to the bishops of the Church, says, "Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the Church of God," Acts xx. 28. To the bishops, then, the supreme power of ruling the Church is committed by the Holy Ghost. (3.) The same apostle, writing to Timothy, whom he had appointed bishop of Ephesus, to preserve the purity of the doctrine there, 1 Tim. i. 3, he says, "against a priest receive not an accusation, but under two or three witnesses," 1 Tim. v. 19. ; which proves to a demonstration, that St. Timothy had authority and jurisdiction over the priests in in receiving accusations against them, and consequently, in judging them and correcting them. (4.) In like manner, writing to Titus, he says, for this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou

shouldst set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldst ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee," Tit. i. 5. Where we see the supreme authority that Titus had of making regulations in the Church of Crete, and of constituting priests under him in the different cities of that island. (5.) The same truth is manifest, from the constant and uninterrupted practice of the Church of Christ, and from the condemnation of Aerius as a heretic, in the fourth age, for denying this doctrine.

Q. 6. How does the superiority of bishops appear from the practice of the Church?

A. From several considerations: (1.) Because, from the earliest ages, whenever a bishop was consecrated, a certain portion of the faithful was assigned to him for his particular charge as their pastor; and the place where this charge was given him was called his diocese; thus Titus was ordained by St. Paul to be bishop of Crete, and Timothy to be bishop of Ephesus. In these dicceses they exercised the full pastoral authority, both in preaching the word, administering the sacraments, and making such laws and regulations as they judged proper for the good of their people; and this they did by their own proper authority, independent of any other: whereas the priests were always considered only as their vicars or helpers, subject to their laws, and who had no authority, even to administer the sacraments, but only as far as they were empowered by their bishop to do so, by receiving faculties from them; and these faculties the bishops could give in what measure and proportion they judged fitting, or refuse them entirely,, if they saw cause; and this has been the constant practice of the Church to this day. (2.) To the bishops alone, as the chief pastors, it belongs to.. meet in council, and make such laws and constitu

tions for the good and regulation both of the whole Church, when the council was general, for particular portions of the Church, when the council was not general, as they judged necessary for the good of religion. (3.) To the bishops alone it belongs to meet in general councils, and there, as the only judges of doctrine, to declare and decide concerning the truths of our holy faith, and to condemn all false and heretical tenets. (4.) Because the holy Fathers, from the earliest ages, speak in the strongest terms on the obedience and respect which all owe to the episcopal authority. Thus, St. Ignatius, the martyr, disciple of the apostles, and successor of St. Peter in the see of Antioch, says, "Reverence your bishop as Christ himself, like as the blessed apostles have commanded us ....for, who is the bishop, but he who has all power and principality over all?" Epist. ad Trall. "It becomes you to obey your bishop, and in nothing to resist him--for, as our Lord does nothing without his Father, so neither ought you without your bishop, whether you be priest, deacon, or laic," Epist. ad Magnes. St. Cyprian says, that heresies and schisms rise from no other cause but disobedience to the chief pastors, Epist. 55; and Tertullian writes thus: "The bishop, indeed, has the right to give baptism, and next the priests and deacons, but not without the authority of the bishop," Lib. de Bapt. c. 17.

Q. 7. What is meant by the sacrament of holy

orders?

A. It is the actual conferring these sacred powers of the priesthood upon the person who receives them.

Q. 8. Is this a true and real sacrament ?

A. It is, because it has all the three things required to make it one.