G.A. Jacob (#9): Ecclesiastical Polity in the New Testament: Apostolic S...

Appendix D: Apostolic Succession (432-438). Rev. Jacob discussed the struggles of the early English Reformers and pointed out that the "magic hands" view of "sacerdotal juicing" is not the doctrine of the Church of England. This is evident from the fact that it was not included in the Articles and BCP. According to Article 23, “it is not lawful for anyone to take on the office of public preaching or ministering the Sacraments in the Congregation before he is lawfully called and sent to execute the same. And those who are called to this work should be chosen and called by men who have public authority given to them in the Congregation, to call and send Ministers into the Lord's vineyard.” No mention of the juice-em-up view. Secondly, Elizabeth's Statute (1570, Anno iii, Reginae Elizabethae c. 12) allows those ordained elsewhere (non-episcopal) to be received provided they subscribe to the Thirty-Nine Articles. Objections to presbyterial ordinations did not require reordination. This was held throughout the first 100 years after the English Reformation was started. In 1662, a payback was made and reordination of Presbyterians was required. Thirdly, Hooker held the same point of view as mentioned above in number two (Eccl. Polity, vii, 14). Episcopacy was a form of government, perhaps desirable and ancient, but not as a necessary channel of divine grace. A former Old-High-Churchman- turned-Romanist writer (name not given) does not think that "apostolic succession" belongs to the Church of England, specifically sacerdotalist views of magic hands.