Edwardine Ordinals (original) (raw)

The Edwardine Ordinals are two ordinals primarily written by Thomas Cranmer as influenced by Martin Bucer and first published under Edward VI, the first in 1550 and the second in 1552, for the Church of England. Both liturgical books were intended to replace the ordination liturgies contained within medieval pontificals in use before the English Reformation. The 1550 ordinal was authorized following the introduction of the first Book of Common Prayer a year prior and the 1552 ordinal's introduction coincided with the second Book of Common Prayer–both also largely prepared by Cranmer. The ordinals provided the basis for most Anglican ordination rites until the 20th century and helped effect the development of the Anglican priesthood from "sacerdotal" and "intercessory" into a "preaching, ca