candidate for ordination

An individual who presented himself to a bishop for ordination. Most proceeded to ordination, but a few were rejected for not fulfilling the criteria laid down in the canons of 1604. These specified that a candidate should be of appropriate age (at least 23 to be a deacon, 24 to be a priest), with an ‘entitlement’ or proof of employment, of satisfactory morals and learning, and be willing to take a number of oaths, including the royal supremacy and canonical obedience. For the period 1540-1660 the most common reasons while a candidate did not proceed to ordination was because of inadequate learning or failure to promise full canonical conformity.