Of Laying on of Hands, Chapter 1
OF Laying on of Hands. Heb. 6. 2. OR, A DISCOURSE Containing theſe 4. Chapters.
1. Of the ſeveral Ends of Laying on of Hands, in the New Teſtament.
2. What Laying on of Hands, is not, and cannot be meant. Heb. 6. 2.
3. What Laying on of Hands, is and muſt be meant there.
4. That the Laying on of Hands, practiſed by ſome in theſe days, on all Baptized Believers, was never Inſtituted, Commanded, nor practiſed at all, by Jeſus Chriſt, or his Apoſtles in all the New Teſtament.
Mark. 7. 7, 8, 9.
In vain do they worſhip me, teaching for Doctrines the Commandements of men.
For, laying aſide the Commandment of God, ye hold the Tradition of men.
Ye reject the Commandment of God, that ye may keep your own Traditions.
Col. 2. 8.
Beware leſt any man ſpoil you, through vain deceit, after the Tradition of men, and not after Chriſt.
LONDON, Printed by John Streater, 1656.
CHAP. I. Of the ſeveral Ends of Laying on of Hands, in the New Teſtament.
FOr the better underſtanding of this great Controverſy, of late raiſed, about Laying on of Hands;
We ſhall firſt conſider the ſeveral Ends, of Laying on of Hands, practiſed in the New Teſtament.
Upon ſearch we finde, this Rice or Ceremony was uſed, upon a threefold Account, or to a threefold End.
1. For Healing or recovering the ſick.
2. For miniſtring or giving the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit.
3. For Ordaining and appointing of Officers.
1. For Healing or recovering the ſick. Mark 16. 18. They ſhall Lay Hands on the ſick, and they ſhall recover.
Acts. 28. 8. The father of Publius lay ſick, &c. and Paul laid his Hands on him, and healed him.
2. For miniſtring, or giving the Holy Spirit. To this end Peter and John Laid their Hands on them at Samaria. Acts 8. 17, 18, 19. Then laid they their Hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon ſaw, that through Laying on of the Apoſtles Hands, the Holy Spirit was given, &c.
And that hereby is meant the extraordinary Gifts of the holy ly Spirit, nothing is more evident. For,
Verſe 12. it is ſaid, they Believed.
Verſe 14. that they had received the Word of God.
Verſe 16. that they were Baptized.
All which could not be, unleſs they had already received the ordinary meaſures of the Spirit.
Further it is yet more evident from the Text it ſelf; for after all this, it is ſaid, They received the Holy Spirit by Laying on of Hands, ver. 17.
And that before this, the Holy Spirit was fallen upon none of them. ver. 15, 16: A phraſe, peculiar to the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Spirit, See Acts 10. 44. and 11. 15.
It is yet further evident, for the Falling of the Holy Spirit on them, was ſo viſible, that Simon ſaw it. ver. 18. And thereupon ver. 19. he ſaith, Give me alſo this power, that on whomſoever I lay Hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.
And that they Laid their Hands to this end, the Text is as expreſſe, ver. 17. They laid their Hands, and they received the Holy Spirit. And (ver. 18.) through Laying on of Hands, the Holy Spirit was given.
So that you ſee clearly, they laid on their Hands, to give the extraordinary or miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit.
But, ſay ſome, the words of Simon ver. 18. 19. are reproved by Peter, ver. 20, 21.
To which we anſwer: Simon is not reproved for what he had aſſerted, that he had ſeen; for, that was true. But, that he would have purchaſed this gift and power, with money; Herein lay his wickedneſs. Becauſe thou haſt thought, that the gift of God may be purchaſed with money, ver. 20.
Upon this account alſo Paul laid his Hands on the twelve men at Epheſus, Act. 19. 6. And when Paul had laid his Hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they ſpake with Tongues, and prophecied.
And, that by the Holy Spirit here, is meant the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, is clear: becauſe ver. 2. it is ſaid, they believed. Now none can believe without the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. 12. 3. But moſt clear in the Text it ſelf; for the Holy Spirit, came ſo on them, that they immediatly thereupon, ſpake with Tongues and propheſied. A phraſe noting the higheſt meaſures of the Spirit, that ever were attained; yea the Baptiſm of the Spirit, Act. 2. 4. and 10. 44, 45, 46.
3. For Ordaining or appointing of Officers.
To this end, Timothy had hands laid on him, by the Presbytery or Elderſhip. 1 Tim. 4. 14. and that this was for the Miniſtry, the whole context proveth, from Ver. 11. to the end. So alſo, 2 Epiſt. 1. 6. is to be underſtood, Paul being one of the Presbytery: and there alſo, about the Text, Miniſteriall gifts are ſpoken of.
If any object from theſe two places, that there is a gift ſpoken of, that Timothy received by laying on of Hands.
To this we Anſwer: that we verily perſwade our ſelves, that none, who rightly come into this office in ſincerity and conſcience to God, and in love and duty to his Church, but may confidently expect the bleſſing of God to the increaſe of their gifts, and experience doth abundantly reſtifie to the truth of this.
We further find upon enquiry, that all the ſtanding Officers in the New Teſtament, were ſet apart unto their Miniſtery, by this Rite or Ceremony.
1. Meſſengers. Thus Paul and Barnabas were ſent out by the Church, Act. 13. 2, 3. As they miniſtred to the Lord, the holy Spirit ſaid, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the worke whereunto I have called them, and when they had faſted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they ſent them away.
Thus you ſee the Meſſengers of the Churches were appointed to their work, by Laying on of Hands.
2. Elders, or over-ſeers. 1 Tim. 5. 22. Lay Hands ſuddenly on no man.
And that this was ſpoken in reference to Elders, the whole context before prooveth, from Ver. 17. where the Apoſtle treats expreſly of Elders, Ver. 17. Let the Elders, &c: Verſ. 19. Againſt an Elder, &c: and then in Ver. 22. Lay hands ſuddenly on no man, viz. Elders, before ſpoken of. That is, ordaine no man an Elder ſuddenly, or raſhly, or too haſtily, without ſome due tryall, and conſideration had of his gifts, fitneſſe, and qualifications, ſet downe 1 Tim. 3. beginning, and Tit. 1. 5, 6. &c.
3. Deacons. Thus the 7 Deacons were appointed to their worke, Act. 6. 3, 5, 6. in expreſſe termes.
Thus you ſee all the New Teſtament-Officers were appointed by Laying on of Hands.
And this ſhall ſuffice for the firſt Chapter, to ſhew the ſeverall. Ends of laying on of Hands in the New Teſtament.