The Badges of Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 17
Chap. 17. That confirmation is not a sacrament,
THe Apostles as the maister-builders of the churches, planted the Gospell where the name of Christ had not bin heard. Nowe because many seducers arose that trobled the peace of the church, and the faith of many beleeuers began to wauer: the Apostles agreede together to goe againe to the churches wher they had laid a1. cor. 3. 12.a golden foundation (howsoeuer other had builded hay and stubble thereon:) to see how they bact, 11. 22. 23. and 15. 36.increased or decreased, as Act. 11. and they confirmed theyr heartes and established them in the faith which they hadde taught. And Chap 15. Paule said vntounto Barnabas, Let vsus returne and visit our brethren in eueryevery Citty where we hauehave preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And we doubt not, but when the Gospell was reueiled, the Apostles by laying on hands gaue the giftes of the Holy-ghost to the beleeuers in Christ. This practise of the Apostles we finde, this we confesse, this we approue and allow. But of any sacrament of confirmation we read not, and therefore allow not. Againe, it was a laudable custome (in the primitiue church) of christian parents, to bring their children to the Bishop, who examined them in the principles and fundamentall points of religion, cHeb. 6. 1.he asked them a reason of their faith, he instructed them farther in the misteries of godlines: and that this action might hauehave the more reuerence and dignity, they laid their hands vponupon them, and prayed vntounto God for them, that he would increase and continue the good things that he had begun in them. This dconfirmation is no sacrament.imposition of handes, with prayer to be strengthened in the Holy-ghost, and to hauehave increase of grace, corrupted with annointings, depraued with crossings, and defiled with sundry superstitions, is no sacrament. First, eueryevery sacrament should hauehave warant and appointment from Christ: but this hath none. Secondly, it hath no word of institution in the scripture, nor commaundement to continue the vse of it vntill the comming of Christ and end of the world, and therfore no sacrament. For the word must be added to the element, and so it is made a sacrament. True it is, they vse a forged and counterfeit forme in their confirmation, I signe thee with the signe of the holie crosse, and I confirme thee with the oile of saluation, in the name of the father, and the son, and of the holi-ghost. These indeed are wordes, but no worde of God: they shew an intollerable presumption, and not to be excused. But indeed a counterfeit Sacrament, and there is a good agreement when both writing and seale are sutable, that is, both forged. Thirdly, it wanteth an outward signe instituted by Christ. We read oftentimes that the Apostles vsed laying on of hands, but we read of no oyle or chrisme. Besides, we know they gaue thereby, the miraculous gifts of the holy ghost which now are ceased, as Act. 8. where we see, when Samaria was conuerted to the faith by preaching of Phillip, and baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus, the Apostles sent thither Peter & Iohn, who praied for them, eact. 8, 5, 14. 15, 16, 17.That they might receiu the Holy-ghost (for as yet he was fallen down on none of thē) then laid they their hands on them, and they receiued the Holy-ghost. This confirmation thus vsed, had then a profitable vse in the church of God. But as the brasen Serpent commaunded by fNumb 21. 89God, and set vp by Moyses for good purpose, was afterward abused and g2 king. 18. 4incense offered vntounto it, and lastly was by that good king Hezekiah destroyed and demolished: so popish confirmation hith many intolerable abuses mingled with it, it is ministred in a strange tongue that none vnderstand what is spoken and ment: they call the oyle, the oyle of saluation: they acount him no perfect Christian that is not anointed by the Bishop: they prefer it before baptisme, because hCensur. colon dial. 11. pag. 326. 327.any of their piiests may baptize, nay priuate men, nay women in their supposed time of necessity, but confirmation may be giuen among them onelyonly by the hands of a byshop: and lastly, they blow and halow their oyle, that it may be made a spirituall oyntment to purifie soule and body. These errors are so grosse, that of eueryevery one they may be seene: they are so palpable, that they may bee felt. Wherfore, seeing their confirmation is wrought by anoynting, seeing it hath no word of God but a word of their own, seeing they hauehave no commaundement for it, nor promise of the presence of the Holy-ghost, and last of all seeing it hath many abuses ioyned with it; wee hauehave very iust causes to thrust it out of this place and ranke of the sacraments, and throw it downe from that high seate which … hath long vsurped.