Laying on of Hands, Title page
A TREATISE OF Laying on of Hands, With the HISTORY THEREOF, Both from the Scripture and Antiquity. Wherein an Account is given how it hath been practiſed in all Ages ſince Chriſt, the miſtakes about it rectified and the ſence of Heb. 6.2. cleared.
By H. D'ANVERS.
Iſa. 57.14.
Take up the ſtumbling-block out of the way of my People.
LONDON, Printed for Fran. Smith, at the Elephant and Caſtle near the Royal Exchange in Cornhil. 1674.
A TREATISE OF Laying on of Hands.
HAving given you an Account both from Scripture and Antiquity of the buſineſs of Baptiſm in its Inſtitution, Subject, Manner, End, The Introduction.&c. It may neither be unneceſsary nor unprofitable to give you here ſome Account of that of Laying on of Hands, not only becauſe it immediately followes that of Baptiſms, Heb. 6.1, 2. but more eſpecially, becauſe for Confirmation, as it hath been called, it hath been next after Baptiſm, ſo ſolemnly aſſerted, practiſed, and enjoined both in former and latter times, as an Ordinance of Chriſt and Eſſentially neceſſary to Church-Communion. But what this laying on of Hands is, and how that of Confirmation is founded upon the Word of God, we ſhall here conſider and examine, and recommend to the judgment of all diſcerning and impartial Chriſtians.
The Method obſerved.The Method I ſhall obſerve herein, ſhall be, firſt to give you an Account what we find of this Rite in the New Teſtament. Secondly, How aſserted and Practiſed by the Ancients, with the Opinions of the Fathers and Decrees of Councils upon it. Thirdly, How Practiſed and enjoyned by the Church of Rome. Fourthly, How by the Church of England. Fifthly, How aſſerted by ſome of the Presbyterian and Independent perſwaſion. Sixthly, And how practiſed and enjoyned by ſeveral of the Baptiſed Churches in this Nation, with ſome remarks upon each of them for the better diſcovery of Truth.1. How uſed in the New Teſtament.
1. How laying on of Hands is uſed in the New Teſtament.
1. Benediction.Firſt, in Benediction, Mark 10.16. He took the young Children up in his Arms, put his Hands upon them, and bleſſed them.
Miraculous healings.Secondly, In the Cure of Diſeaſes and healing the ſick Mark 6.5. And he could there do no mighty work, ſave that he laid his Hands upon a few ſick folks and healed them: And c. 16.17, 18. In my Name they ſhall caſt out Devils they ſhall ſpeak with New Tongues, they ſhall take up Serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it ſhall not hurt them; They ſhall lay Hands on the ſick and they ſhall recover, Acts 28.8. And it came to paſs, that the Father of Publius lay ſick of a Feaver and of a Bloody Flux, to whom Paul entred in and prayed, and laid his Hands on him and healed him.
3. For extraordinary Gifts 1. Before Baptiſm.Thirdly, For the conferring the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit. viz.
1. Before Baptiſm, Act. 9.17. And Ananias went his way and entred into the Houſe, and putting his Hands on him ſaid, brother Saul, the Lord even Jeſus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou cameſt, hath ſent me that thou might'ſt receive thy ſight, and be filled with the Holy Ghoſt, and immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been Scales, and he received ſight forthwith and aroſe and was Baptiſed.
2. After Baptiſm, 2. After Baptiſm.Acts 8.14, 15., &c. Now when the Apoſtles which were at Jeruſalem, heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they ſent unto them Peter and John, who when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghoſt, for as yet he was faln upon none of them, only they were Baptiſed in the Name of the Lord Jeſus. Then laid they their Hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghoſt. And when Simon ſaw that through laying on of the Apoſtles Hands the Holy Ghoſt was given, he offered them mony, ſaying, give me alſo this Power that on whomſoever I lay Hands they may receive the Holy Ghoſt, but Peter ſaid, thy Mony periſh with thee, becauſe thou haſt thought that the gift of God may be purchaſed with mony, &c.
Fourthly,4. Ordination. 1. Deacons In Ordination or ſetting apart to Office, viz. Acts 6.6. whom they ſet before the Apoſtles (viz. the ſeven Deacons the Church had choſen) and when they had prayed and laid their hands on them, and the Word of God encreaſed, &c.
1. Tim. 4.14. Neglect not the Gift which is in thee that was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of Hands of the Presbytery. 2.2. Elders. Tim. 1.6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou ſtir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands. 1 Tim. 5.22. Lay hands ſuddenly on no Man, neither be partaker of other mens ſins, keep thy ſelf pure.
3 Meſſengers.Acts 13.3. And when they (viz. the Elders or Teachers of Antioch; had Faſted and Prayed, and laid their hands on them [viz. Paul and Barnabas] they ſent them away.
In which Scriptures ſpeaking of this Rite, we may take notice of theſe things.
1. Firſt, the ſeveral kinds of it, viz. For Benediction, Healing, Ordination, and giving of the Spirit.
2. Secondly, what called, viz. Laying on of Hands.
3. Thirdly, the Subjects, viz. Little Children, Sick Perſons, and ſuch upon whom the Spirit had not faln, and Church-Officers.
4. Fourthly, the Adminiſtrators, viz. Chriſt Jeſus himſelf, any gifted Believer, the Elders, or Presbyters, The gifted Apoſtles.
5. Fifthly, the end, to Bleſs little Children, to give Miraculous healing. And for Extraordinary gifts of the Spirit to confirm the Goſpel. And for Ordination of Church-Officers.
2 How by the Ancients.Secondly, How aſſerted by the Ancients, and by the Canons and Decrees of ſeveral Councils.
Dionyſius Dionyſius.the Areopagite Pauls Convert at Athens ſuppoſed to be the firſt Writer about the year 70. in his Eccleſiaſtical Hierarchy cap. de Bapt. ſaith, After Baptiſm let the Sacrament of Confirmation be adjoined with Ʋnction, then let the Euchariſt be given, Contemp. 3. Serm. 8.
Pope Clement P. Clementin his fourth Epiſtle, ſaith, Let them be Baptized, and then Conſigned by the Biſhop for the Holy Spirit, for without Confirmation no perfection. Joſeph, Vice comes De Bapt. Ritibus p. 369. c. 18.
Juſtin Martyrs Reſponſes 137. Queſt. ſaith,Juſtin Martyr. after Baptiſm we are to anoint with Holy Chryſm for Spiritual benefit, Vice com. ch. 28. p. 369.
Pope Hyginus P. Hyginus.in his Decree, as ſaith Gratian L. Oſiand. Cent. 2. l. 2. c. 5. ſaith, in Catechiſm, Baptiſm, and Confirmation, let there be a Goſſip if neceſſity require.
Pope Calixtus, P. CalixtusAnno. 218. Ordained Confirmation to be performed with Chriſm, Flores Temporum confeſ. Fabo. c. 7.
Pope Ʋrban P. Ʋrban.in, his decretal Epiſtle enjoins, that the Sacrament of Confirmation be immediately given after Baptiſm, and that all the faithful are to wait for the Spirit by the impoſition of the Hands of the Biſhop, Vice co. c. 38. p. 370.
Pope Melchiades, P. Melchiades.or Meltiades about 310. ordained Impoſition of hands as neceſſary to perfect Baptiſm. And in his Ʋniverſal Decretal Epiſtle, anſwering the Queſtion, which of the Sacraments Baptiſm or Confirmation was of greater Efficacy and Vertue, ſaith, they are to be joined together, there being ſuch Affinity betwixt them, that one is not to be done without the other; neither of them being perfect alone, Vice comes p.
Pope Euſebius P. Euſebius.in his Decretal Epiſtle calls Impoſition of hands a Sacrament which was not Lawful to be adminiſtred but by the Biſhop. Magd. Cent. 4. p. 478. Alſo in his Epiſtle to the Biſhop of Tuſca, prefers laying on of hands or Confirmation before Baptiſm, Mag. Cen. 4. c. 7. p. 581.
Cyprian Cyprian.in his 73 Epiſtle to Jubajan ſaith, that Baptiſm is conſummated by the Sacrament of Confirmation. And again in Ep. 72. lev. 1. Perſons are fully ſanctified, and may be ſons of God if they be born of both Sacraments, viz. Baptiſm and Confirmation, Vice. com. p. 370.
Ambroſe Ambroſe.after the Font or Baptiſm, let there be perfection or Confirmation, for ſo he calls impoſition of hands, Lib. 2. c. 7.
Jerom Jerom.advers. Lucif. Contending for the Rites of the Church, ſaith, And do not you know that it is the Cuſtom of the Church, that upon the Baptiſed, hands ſhould be impoſed, Mag. Cen. 4. p. 420.
Auguſtin; Auguſtin.That Impoſition of Hands after Baptiſm, was neceſſary for the gifts of the Spirit. And that if Ignorant Infants be brought to be Baptiſed, let them Anſwer for them that brought them, and being Baptiſed let them be Confirmed and Anointed with holy Chryſme, and ſo let them receive the Euchariſt, Lib. de Eccleſ. Dogm. Vice comes, c. 28. p. 371.
Pope Innocent P. Innocent.in his firſt Ep. 22. Macedon. c. 5, Shews how impious and Sacrilegious it is to repeat the Baptiſm of Infants or Adult, and how requiſite to lay hands on the Baptiſed after the Example of Peter and John, Acts 8.17. and Paul 19.6. Vice comes c. 3…. p. 376.
Iſidore Iſidore.ſaith, that Impoſition of hands did belong not to the Biſhops Vicars, but to the Biſhops themſelves; And the Reaſon he renders is, becauſe that none of the 70 Diſciples who Repreſented the Apoſtles, had power by laying on of hands to give the Spirit, Magdeburg. Cent. 6. p. 675.
Haimo upon Hebrews 6. ſaith,Hſtimo. Impoſition of hands is called Confirmation, which by the Spirit is received, and after Baptiſm confirms the Ʋnity of the Church, and that Children as well as Adult were to partake thereof, Mag. Cen. 9.
Rabanus Rabanus.Maurus Lib. 1. Inſt. Cler. c. 30. ſaith, that there are two laying on of hands, one by the Prieſt in Baptiſm, the other by the Biſhop in Confirmation, as Chriſt gave the Spirit by blowing upon them before the Reſurrection and after upon the day of Pentecoſt.