 Thus, although the Church of England was regarded in the sixteenth century as a church of the Reformation, it nonetheless maintained the historic church structure including the maintenance of the threefold order of the ministry, with bishops, consecrated in apostolic succession, ordaining deacons and priests.Thus, Anglican ordained ministry resembles that found in churches of the Catholic tradition (see "Minister (Catholic Church)").While the Puritan ascendency in England briefly introduced a parallel presbyterian polity, Anglicanism worldwide is defined in part by the historic structure, although outside the British Isles it has no supreme governor.