duties given to the offices of ministry in the 1662 Ordinal

Clipped from: https://substack.com/@reformedconformist/note/c-252211061
By Steven Wedgeworth

Various duties given to the offices of ministry in the 1662 Ordinal:

• Deacons- Assist the priest, especially in the liturgy; read Scripture and homilies; instruct the youth in the catechism; baptize (if the priest is unavailable). If the bishop gives further license, a deacon may preach. In addition to this, the deacon is to visit the sick, poor, and destitute, and then to inform the parish rector so that he can direct alms to them.

• Priests- Minister the doctrine, sacraments, and discipline, and teach the people. ("Teaching and “forewarning” is mentioned in the homily.)
  After the laying on of hands, the Spirit is given for the work of forgiving sins. This is explained as, “a faithful dispenser of the word of God and of his holy sacraments.” The concluding blessing says: “Take thou authority to preach the word of God, and to minister the holy sacraments in the congregation.”
  So we can conclude that the priesthood is a “word and sacrament” ministry, for the goal of the forgiveness of sins.

• Bishops- Banishing and driving away false doctrine, and ordaining are mentioned in the vows. In the concluding exhortation the bishop is instructed to “reading ,exhortation, and doctrine.” Preaching is also mentioned in the prayer.

While the work done by the offices overlaps at points, we can see what is distinct about each office. We can also see the kind of work which was deemed appropriate for the ordained ministry: