Of God and His Creatures
Of the Distinction of Orders
SINCE the power of Order is principally directed to the consecration of
the Body of Christ, and its administration to the faithful, and the
cleansing of the faithful from sin, there must be some chief Order, the
power of which extends chiefly to these objects; and that is the Order
of Priesthood. There must be other Orders to serve the chief Order by
one way or another preparing its matter; and these are the Orders of
Ministers. The power of Priesthood extending to two objects, the
consecration of the Body of Christ, and the rendering the faithful by
absolution from sin fit to receive the Eucharist, the lower Orders must
serve the Priesthood either in both or in one of these respects. The
lower Orders serve the Priesthood only in preparing the people [for the
Eucharist]. This the Doorkeepers do by shutting out unbelievers from
the company of the faithful: the Lectors by instructing the catechumens
in the rudiments of the faith, -- hence the Scripture of the Old
Testament is committed to their reading: the Exorcists by cleansing
those who are already instructed, if in any way they are hindered by
the devil from the reception of the Sacraments.* The higher Orders serve the priestly Order
both in the preparation of the people and in the consummation of the
Sacrament. Thus the Acolytes have a ministry to exercise over the
vessels, other than sacred, in which the matter of the Sacrament is
prepared: hence the altar-cruets are delivered to them at their
ordination. The Subdeacons have a ministry to exercise over the sacred
vessels, and over the arrangement of the matter not yet consecrated.
The Deacons have a further ministry over the matter already
consecrated, as the deacon administers the Blood of Christ to the
faithful. These three Orders of Priests, Deacons and Subdeacons, are
called Sacred Orders, because they receive a ministry over sacred
things.* The higher Orders also serve for the
preparation of the people: for to Deacons is committed the publishing
of the doctrine of the Gospel to the people: to Subdeacons that of the
Apostles: while Acolytes render to both the attendance which conduces
to solemnity of teaching, by carrying candles and otherwise serving.
4.74 : Of the Sacrament of Order
4.76 : Of the Episcopal Dignity, and that therein one Bishop is Supreme