far apart in time. § 94. Ordination. J. MoRiNTJS (R. 0.) : Comment, hist, ac dogm. de sacris eccles. ordinationi- bus. Par. 1655, etc. Fe. Halieeius (R. 0.) : De sacris electionibus et ordinationibus. Rom. 1749. 3 vols. fol. G. L. Hahn: 1. c. p. 96 and p. 354 ff. Oomp. the relevant sections in the archaeological works of Bingham, Augusti, Binteeim, etc. The ordination of clergymen' was as early as the fourth or fifth century admitted into the number of sacraments. Augus- tine first calls it a sacrament, but with the remark that in his time the church unanimously acknowledged the sacramental character of this usage.^ Ordination is the solemn consecration to the special priest- hood, as baptism is the introduction to the universal priest- hood ; and it is the medium of communicating the gifts for the ministerial ofiice. * It confers the capacity and authority of ad- ministering the sacraments and governing the body of beKev- ers, and secures to the church order, care, and steady growth to the end of time. A ruling power is as necessary in the church as in the state. In the Jewish church there was a hereditary priestly caste ; in the Christian this is exchanged for an un- broken succession of voluntary priests from all classes, but mostly from the middle and lower classes of the people. Like baptism and confirmation, ordination imparts, according to the later scholastic doctrine, a character indelebilis, and cannot therefore be repeated.^ But this of course does not exclude the possibility of suspension and excommunication in case of gross ' XetpoToj/ta, Kadiepffis, ordinaiio, and in the case of bishops, consecrat'io. - De bono conjug. c. 18 (torn. vi. p. 242), c. 24 (p. 247); Contr. Epist. Parmen. 1. ii. c. 12 (torn. ix. pp. 29, 30). Comp. Leo M. Epist. xii. c. 9 ; Gregor. M. Expos. in i. Regg. 1. vi. c. 3. These and other passages in Hahn, p. 97. ' Already intimated by Augustine, De bapt. c. Donat. ii. 2 ; " Sicut baptizatus, si ab unitate recesserit, sacramentum dandi non amittit, sic etiam ordinatus, si ab unitate recesserit, sacramentum dandi baptismum [i. e., ordination] non amittit." 490 THIBD PERIOD. A.D. 311-590. immorality or gross error. The council of Nice, in 325, ac- knowledged even the validity of the ordination of the schism- atic Novatians. Corresponding to the three ordines majores there were three ordinations : to the diaconate, to the presbyterate, and to the episcopate.' Many of the most eminent bishops, however, like Cyprian and Ambrose, received the three rites in quick succession, and officiated only as bishops. Different from ordination is installation, or induction into a particular congregation or diocese, which may be repeated as often as the minister is transferred. Ordination was performed by laying on of hands and pray- er, closing with the communion. To these were gradually add- ed other preparatory and attendant practices ; such as the tonsure,^ the anointing with the chrism (only in the