THE FORM AND MANNER OF 
MAKING OF DEACONS 

When the day appointed by the bishop is come, there shall be a sermon or exhortation, 
declaring the duty and office of  such as come to be admitted deacons; how necessary that 
order is in the Church of  Christ; and also, how the people ought to esteem them in their 
office. 

When the sermon is ended, the archdeacon, or in his absence, one appointed in his 
stead, shall present unto the bishop (sitting in his chair, near to the holy table) such as 
desire to be ordained deacons (each of  them being decently habited), saying these words: 
Bishop, I present unto you these persons present, to be admitted 
Deacons. 

The bishop 
Take heed that the persons, whom ye present unto us, be apt and 
meet,  for  their  learning  and  godly  conversation,  to  exercise  their 
ministry duly, to the honour of God, and the edifying of his Church. 

The archdeacon shall answer 
I have enquired of them, and also examined them, and think them so 
to be. 

Then the bishop shall say unto the people 
Brethren, if there be any of you who knoweth any impediment, or 
notable  crime  in  any  of  these  persons  presented  to  be  ordered 
Deacons, for the which he ought not to be admitted to that office, let 
him come forth in the Name of God, and show what the crime or 
impediment is. 

And if  any great crime or impediment be objected, the bishop shall surcease from order- 
ing that person, until such time as the party accused shall be found clear of  that crime. 

Then the bishop (commending such as shall be found meet to be ordered to the 
prayers of  the congregation) shall, with the clergy and people present, sing or say 
the Litany, as followeth: 

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 THE LITANY 
O God the Father, of heaven: have mercy upon us miserable sinners. 
O God the Father, of heaven: have mercy upon us miserable sinners. 

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world: have mercy upon us miserable 
sinners. 
O God the Son, Redeemer of  the world: have mercy upon us miserable 
sinners. 

O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son: have 
mercy upon us miserable sinners. 
O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son: have 
mercy upon us miserable sinners. 

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God: have 
mercy upon us miserable sinners. 
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God: have 
mercy upon us miserable sinners. 

Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers; 
neither take thou vengeance of our sins: spare us, good Lord, spare thy 
people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be 
not angry with us for ever. 
Spare us, good Lord. 

From all blindness of heart; from pride, vain-glory, and hypocrisy; from 
envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness, 
Good Lord, deliver us. 

From all sedition, privy conspiracy, and rebellion; from all false doctrine, 
heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word 
and Commandment, 
Good Lord, deliver us. 

By  the  mystery  of  thy  holy  Incarnation;  by  thy  holy  Nativity  and 
Circumcision; by thy Baptism, Fasting and Temptation, 
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 Good Lord, deliver us. 
By thine Agony and bloody Sweat; by thy Cross and Passion; by thy pre- 
cious Death and Burial; by thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension; 
and by the coming of the Holy Ghost, 
Good Lord, deliver us. 

We sinners do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord God: and that it may please 
thee to rule and govern thy holy Church universal in the right way; 
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to illuminate all bishops, priests, and deacons, 
with true knowledge and understanding of thy Word; and that both by 
their preaching and living they may set it forth and show it accordingly; 
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to bless these thy servants, now to be admitted to 
the order of deacons, and to pour thy grace upon them; that they may 
duly execute their office, to the edifying of thy Church, and the glory of 
thy holy Name; 
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to further the work of the Church in all the 
world, and to send forth labourers into thy harvest; 
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of grace, to hear 
meekly thy Word, and to receive it with pure affection, and to bring forth 
the fruits of the Spirit; 
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have 
erred, and are deceived; 
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to strengthen such as do stand; and to comfort 
and help the weak-hearted; and to raise up them that fall; and finally to 
beat down Satan under our feet; 
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 We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slander- 
ers, and to turn their hearts; 
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to give us true repentance; to forgive us all our 
sins, negligences, and ignorances; and to endue us with the grace of thy 
Holy Spirit, to amend our lives according to thy holy Word; 
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

Son of God: we beseech thee to hear us. 
Son of God: we beseech thee to hear us. 

O Lamb of God: that takest away the sins of the world; 
Grant us thy peace. 

O Lamb of God: that takest away the sins of the world; 
Have mercy upon us. 

O Christ, hear us. 
O Christ, hear us. 

Lord, have mercy upon us. 
Lord, have mercy upon us. 
Christ, have mercy upon us. 
Christ, have mercy upon us. 
Lord, have mercy upon us. 
Lord, have mercy upon us. 

Then shall be sung or said the Service for the Communion, with the Collect, Epistle, and 
Gospel, as followeth: 
THE COLLECT 
Almighty God, who by thy divine providence hast appointed divers orders 
of ministers in thy Church, and didst inspire thine apostles to choose into 
the order of deacons the first martyr Saint Stephen, with others; Mercifully 
behold these thy servants now called to the like office and administra- 
tion; replenish them so with the truth of thy doctrine, and adorn them 
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 with innocency of life, that, both by word and good example, they may faith- 
fully serve thee in this office, to the glory of thy Name, and the edification of 
thy Church; through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth and 
reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and for ever. Amen. 

THE EPISTLE 
1 Timothy 3: 8-13 
Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to 
much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in 
a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use 
the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives 
be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be 
the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses 
well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to 
themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in 
Christ Jesus. 
Or else this, out of  the sixth chapter of  the Acts of  the Apostles: 
Acts 6: 2-7 
Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and 
said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve 
tables.  Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of hon- 
est report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint 
over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and 
to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: 
and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and 
Philip,  and  Prochorus,  and  Nicanor,  and  Timon,  and  Parmenas,  and 
Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch, whom they set before the apostles: and 
when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of 
God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem 
greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. 

And before the Gospel, the bishop, sitting in his chair, shall examine every one of 
them that are to be ordered, in the presence of  the people, after this manner fol- 
lowing: 
Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take 
upon you this Office and Ministration, to serve God for the promoting of 
his glory, and the edifying of his people? 
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 Answer  I trust so. 

The bishop 
Do you think that you are truly called, to this Office and Ministration, 
according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the due order of this 
Church? 
Answer  I think so. 

The bishop 
Do you unfeignedly believe all the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and 
New Testament? 
Answer  I do believe them. 

The bishop 
Will  you  diligently  read  the  same  unto  the  people  assembled  in  the 
church where you shall be appointed to serve? 
Answer  I will. 

The bishop 
It appertaineth to the office of a deacon, in the church where he shall be 
appointed to serve, to assist the priest in Divine Service, and specially 
when he ministereth the Holy Communion, and to help him in the dis- 
tribution thereof, and to read holy scriptures and homilies in the church; 
and to instruct the youth in the Catechism; in the absence of the priest to 
baptize infants; and to preach, if he be admitted thereto by the bishop. 
And furthermore, it is his office, where provision is so made, to search 
for the sick, poor, and impotent people of the parish, to intimate their 
estates, names, and places where they dwell, unto the curate, that by his 
exhortation they may be relieved with the alms of the parishioners, or 
others. Will you do this gladly and willingly? 
Answer  I will so do, by the help of God. 

The bishop 
Will you apply all your diligence to frame and fashion your own lives, 
and the lives of your families, according to the doctrine of Christ; and to 
make both yourselves and them, as much as in you lieth, wholesome 
examples of the flock of Christ? 
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 Answer  I will so do, the Lord being my helper. 

The bishop 
Will  you  reverently  obey  your  Ordinary,  and  other  ministers  of  the 
Church,  and  them  to  whom  the  charge  and  government  over  you  is 
committed, followingwithagladmindandwilltheirgodlyadmonitions? 
Answer  I will endeavour myself, the Lord being my helper. 

Then the bishop, laying his hands severally upon the head of  every one of  them, humbly 
kneeling before him, shall say 
Take thou authority to execute the Office of a Deacon in the Church of 
God committed unto thee; In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 
Then shall the bishop deliver to every one of  them the New Testament, saying 
Take thou authority to read the Gospel in the Church of God, and to 
preach the same, if thou be thereto licensed by the Bishop himself. 

Then one of  them, appointed by the bishop, shall read 
THE GOSPEL 
Luke 12: 35-38 
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye your- 
selves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from 
the wedding; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto 
him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he 
cometh shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird him- 
self, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve 
them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third 
watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 

Then shall the bishop proceed in the Communion: and all that are ordered shall tarry, and 
receive the Holy Communion the same day with the bishop. 

Immediately before the Benediction shall be said these collects following: 
Almighty God, giver of all good things, 
who of thy great goodness hast vouchsafed to accept 
and take these thy servants unto the office of deacons in thy Church; 
Make them, we beseech thee, O Lord, to be modest, humble, 
and constant in their ministration; 

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 to have a ready will to observe all spiritual discipline; 
that they, having always the testimony of a good conscience, 
may continue stable and strong in this ministry; 
through thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, 
to whom be glory and honour, world without end. Amen. 

Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings 
with thy most gracious favour, 
and further us with thy continual help; 
that in all our works, begun, continued, and ended in thee, 
we may glorify thy holy Name, 
and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, 
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, 
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: 
And the blessing of God almighty, 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, 
be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen. 
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