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 40J otDus. !Jooi IL and drying the hands, to remind him that he is to serve the deacon. These ceremonies the bishop accompanies with this oolenm admsui- tion,' See w/t sO of 'mm/ztr / oo,,fu/ed to : I ads/h  tiere/ore, :o to t yo,o',ds  to b  is tb iglt of Gi.' Additional prayers are then recited; and when, finally, the bishop has clothed the sub-deacon with the sacred vestments, on putting on each of which he makes use of appropriate WOldS and ceremonies, he then "The duties of the sub-deacon are, to prepare the altar linen, the sacred vessels, the bread and wine for the eucharist, to minister water to the priest or bishop at the washing of hands at nma, to read the epistle, to assist at mass, in the capacity of a witness, and see that the priest be not disturbed by any one during its celebration.*' There is a great variety of opinion respecting the matter of the sub- deaconship. Some assign the matter to the delivery of the empty and paten. Others add the tunic, delivered by the bishop. Othem assert that all the rites prescribed in the Pontifical belong to im mailer. While others contend that the matter consists principally in the deli- vering of the book of the gospel. 2. T/ dacon. The deaconship is defined to be a sacred order to which power is conferred of immediately assisting the priest, and of singing the gospel. The prayers used at the ordination of a deacon are more numerous and solemn than at that of a sub-deacon. He is also invested with the stole, receives imposition of hands from the bishop, and the book of the gospel is handed to him, with these words, "Receive power to read the gospel in the church of God, as well for the living as the dead, in the name of the Lord." There are as many as five opinions of the divines respecting the matter of this sacrament. The first, which is that of Bonaventura, Durand, Scotus, Marinus, Martenius, Jueninus, and many others, places it in the imposition of hands only. The second,in the deliver)* of the gospel alone. The third, which is the opinion of Aquinas, unites both the former. The 'ourth adds the stole. And the fifth, the dalmatic. The Greeks obaen'e the imposition of hands sad prayer only in ordaining deacons. It will be seen th,t the various ceremonies of the Latin Church, added to imposition of hands and prayer, receive no countenance from the word of God, or the institution of deacons, recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, chap. vi. The offices or duties of a deacon, according to the Roman Pontifical, are three, viz., to minister at te altar, to baptize, and to He ministers at tke altar. He assists the priest at saying mass, pre- pares the breed and wine, and when the laity received the cup, he was the minister who gave it to them. He is also the extraordinary admi- nistrator of the eucharist, in case of necessity, but in the absence of bishop, or priest, and by special commission from them. To the deacon it also belongs to accompany the bishop, attend him while prehing; and "to the deacon also, as the eye of the bishop, it belongs' to inquire end ascertain who within his dioceas lead lives of piety 1
 * Catechism, pegs 291.  Idare.

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