The Paedobaptists Apology for the Baptized Churches, Postscript
A POST-SCRIPT. Taken out of the Works of Dr. Jer. Taylor, in defence of laying on of Hands, as a never-failing Miniſtery.
WE have ſeen the Original [of laying on of hands] from Chriſt the practice and exerciſe of it in the Apoſtles, and the firſt converts in Chriſtianity, that which I ſhall now remark is, that this is eſtabliſhed and paſſed into a Chriſtian Doctrine. The Waranty for what I ſay is the words of St. Paul where the holy Rite of confirmation, ſo called from the effect of this Miniſtration, and expreſſed by the Ritual part of it, impoſition of hands is reckoned a Foundamental point foreign not laying again the foundation of Repentance from Deas works, and of faith towards God, of the Doctrine of baptiſm, and of laying on of hands, of Reſurrection from the dead and of Eternal Judgement; Here are ſix foundamental points of St. Pauls Catechiſm which he ſaid as t…e foundation or beginning of the inſtitution of the Chriſtian Church, and amongſt theſe impoſition of hands is reckoned as a p…rt of the foundation and therefore they who deny it, dig up foundations. Now that this impoſition of hands is that which the Apoſtles uſed in confirming the baptized and invocating the Holy G…oſt upon them rem…ins to be pro….—Abſolution of penitents cannot be meant here, not only b…cauſe we never read that the Apoſtles did uſe that Ceremony in their abſolutions, but becauſe the Apoſt…e ſpeaking of the foundation in which baptiſm is.—There need…d no abſolution but bap…iſmal; for they and we believi…g gone baptiſm for the rem…ſſion of ſins, this is al the abſolution that can be at the firſt and in the foundation. The *Me…ning that laying on of hands uſed by ſome at the abſolving penetents.other was ſecunda poſt … frag…m tabula. … me in after when men had m…de Shipwrack of their good Conſcienſcience and were as St. Peter ſaith—unmindful of the former cleanſing.
2. It cannot be meant of Ordination and this is alſo evident. 1. Becauſe the Apoſtle ſaves he would thence forth leave to ſpeak of the foundation and go on to perfection, that is to higher miſteries. Now in Ri…uals of which he ſpeaks, there is none higher then Ordination. 2. The Apoſtle ſaying he would ſpeak no more of laying on of hands goes preſentl… to diſcourſe, of the miſteriouſneſs of the Evangelical Prieſt-hood, and the honor of that vocation, by which it is evident he ſpake nothing of Ordination in the Catechiſm, or Narrative of Foundamentals. 3. This alſo appears from t…e context, not only becauſe laying on of hands is Immediately ſet after baptiſm but alſo becauſe in the very next words of this diſcourſe, he does enumerate and apportion to baptiſm, and [imp…ſition of hands] their proper and proportioned effects. To b…ptiſm il…umira…ion,—And to Confirma…ion he reckons taſting the Heavenly gift and being made par…akers of the Holy Ghoſt▪ By the thing ſig…ified declaring the ſign, and by …he miſte…y the … ▪
Upon theſe words …t Chriſoſtom… diſcourſing ſayes, That all theſe are foundamental Articles: that it that …e ought to repent from dead works; to be baptized … to the Faith of Chriſt, and be made worthy of the gift of the ſpirit, who is given by impoſition of hands and we are to be taught the miſteries of the Reſurrection and Eternal Judgement. This Catechiſm (ſayes he) is perfect, ſo that if any Man have Faith in God, and being baptized is alſo confirmed and ſo taſts the Heavenly gift, and partakes of the Holy Ghoſt, by hope of the reſurrection taſts of the good things of the World to come, if he falls away from this ſtate—digging down and turning up theſe foundations he ſhall never be built again, he can never be baptized again—Confirmed again. God will not begin again, &c. He cannot be made a Chriſtian twice.—This is the full explication of this excellent place, and any other ways it cannot be reaſonably exp…icated.—I ſhall obſerve one thing more out of this Teſtimony of St. Paul He cal…s it the Doctrine of baptiſm and laying on of hands, by which it does not only appear to be a laſting Miniſtry, becauſe no part of the Chriſtian Doctrine could change or be aboliſhed but hence alſo it appears to be divine Inſtitution. For it were not St. Paul had been guilty of that which our bleſſed Savior reproves in the Scribes and Phariſes, and ſhould have taught for doctrines the Commandements of Men. Which becauſe it cannot be ſuppoſed, it muſt follow that this doctrine of confirmation, or impoſition of hands is Apoſtolicall and divine. The argument is clear, and not eaſily to be reproved.
Yea but what is this to us? it belong'd to the days of wonder and extraordinary. The Holy Ghoſt breathed upon the Apoſtle… and Apoſtolicall men, but then he breath'd his laſt; vecendente gratiae receſſit diſiplina; when the grace departed we had no further need of the cerimony.
In Anſwer to this I ſhall foreign by divers particulars evince plainly, that this Miniſtry—was not temporary and relative only to the Acts of the Apoſtles, but was to deſcend to the Church for ever. This indeed is done already in the proceeding Sect in which it is clearly manifeſted, that Chriſt himſelf made the baptiſm of the ſpirit neceſſary to the Church▪ He declar'd the fruits of this baptiſm, and did particularly relate it to the deſcent of the holy ſpirit upon the Church at and after that glorious Pe…tie…ſt. He ſa…ctified it and commended it b… hi… example; juſt as he ſanctified the flood Jordan, and all other waters to the miſticall waſhing away of ſin, viz. by his great example, and fulfi…ling this righteouſneſs alſo. This doctrine the Apoſtles firſt found in their own perſons, and experience, and practiſed to all their Converts, by a ſolemn, and externall rite; And all this p…ſſed into an Evangelicall, doct…ine the whole miſtery being ſignified by the externall rite in the words of the Apoſtle, as before it was by Chriſt expreſſing only the internall. So that there needs n… more ſtrength to this argument. But that there may be wanting no moments to this t…uth which the holy ſcripture affords, I ſhall add more weight to it; And,
1. The perpetuity of this rite appears, becauſe this great gift of the Holy Ghoſt was promiſed to abide with the Chu…ches for ever. And when the Je…s hea…d the Apoſtles ſpeak with tongues at the firſt and miraculous d…ſ…ent of the ſpirit in Pen…c…ſt, to take of the ſtra…ge…eſs of the wond…r, and the envy of the power. St. Pe…er at that very time tells them plainly. Re…nt and be baptiz…d eve…y one of you—and … ſhall rece…e the gift of the Holy Ghoſt foreign not the meaneſt perſon among you all, but ſhall receive this great thing, which ye obſerve us to have received and not only you, but your Children too, not of this …eneration only, ſed nati natorum et q…i n…centur ab illis, but your Children for ever. For the promiſe is to you and to your Children and to all that are affar off, even to as many as the Lord your God ſhall call▪ now then let it be conſidered.
1. This gift is by promiſe, by a promiſe not made to the Apoſtles alone, but to all; to all for ever.
2. Conſider here at the very firſt as there is a verbum, a word of promiſe, ſo there is a ſacramentum too I uſe the word——in a large ſence only, and according to the ſtile of the primitive Church) It is a rite partly morall; and partly cerimoniall, the firſt is prayer, the other is laying on of the hands: and to an effect that is but tranſient and extraordinary, and of a little abode, it is not eaſily to be ſuppoſed that ſuch a ſolemnity ſhould be appointed. I ſay ſuch a ſolemnity; that is, it not imaginable that a ſolemn rite, annexed to a perpetuall promiſe ſhould be tranſient and temporary for by the nature of relatives they may be of equall abode, the cerimony or rite was anexed to the promiſe, and therefore alſo muſt be for ever.*[I think this wi…l abide tryall, ſith we may not expect a change of the diſpenſation we are under; otherwiſe the promiſe might continue under ſome other rite or elce without it]
3: This is atteſted by St. Paul who reduces this argument to this miſtery ſaying, In home after that you believed—ye were ſealed with the holy ſpirit of promiſe. He ſpake it to the Epheſians who well underſtood his meaning, by remembring what was done to themſelves by the Apoſtle, Act. 19. 6. But a while before, who after he had baptiſed them did lay his hands upon them, and ſo they received the holy ſpirit of promiſe; for here the very matter of fact is the cleareſt comentary on St. Pauls words——But fourthly.
What hinders any man from a quick conſent at the firſt repreſentation of theſe plain reaſonings and authorityes? is it becauſe there were extraordinary effects accompanying this miniſtration, and becauſe now there are not, that we will ſuppoſe the whole oeconomy muſt ceaſe? if this be it, and indeed this is all that can be pretended in oppoſition to it, it is infinitely vain.
1. Becauſe theſe ex…raordinary effect, did continue even after the death of all the Apoſtles. St. Frenoeus ſaies they did continue even to his time, even the greateſt inſtance of miraculous power. et infraternitate, ſap…ſſimc propter aliquid neceſſarium, &c. When God ſaw it neceſſary, and the Church prayed and faſted much, they did miraculous things, even of reducing the Spirit to a dead Man.
2. In the days of the Ap…ſtles the ſpirit did produce miraculous effects, but neither always, nor at all in all men, are all workers of miracles, &c. No, the ſpirit bloweth where it liſteth, and as he liſteth he gives gifts to all, but to ſome after this manner, and ſome after that.
3. Theſe gifts were not neceſſary at, all times any more then to all perſons, but the promiſe did belong to all and was made to all, and was performed to all.—And therefore if the grace be given to all, there is no reaſon that the ritual miniſtration of that grace ſhould ceaſe upon pretence that the ſpirit is not given extraordinarily.
Other arguments he hath (many) to the ſame purpoſe, and a… I conceive well worthy the conſideration of all Chriſtians *Who know how to read men without being ſcandi ized if they meet with phraiſes, and ſome nothing which are doubtful as its the caſe of moſt that write.ſpecially thoſe that are doubtfull in this principle of religion but I ſhall ſh…t up all with a few of his citations out of the works of antient writers, in behalf of this point of faith. And firſt noteing How that originally it came from the Apoſtles.
In the ſecond Century he brings Thophilus, Antiochenus and …ertullian, the latter ſaith thus, D… hinc manus imponitur, &c. After baptiſm the hand is impoſed by bleſſing, calling, and inviting the holy ſpirit.—Being cleanſed by baptiſmal water, we are diſpos'd for the holy ſpirit under the hand of the Angel of the Church, and to this effect the reſt, &c. For the third Century he brings Origen, Cyprian, Dionis, and Euſebius, The firſt Teſtimony ſet down is out of Cyprian who Writing upon the paſſage in Acts 8. 14. ſaith, which cuſtome is alſo deſcended to us, that they who are baptized might be brought by the rulers of the Church and by prayer and impoſition of hands receive the Lords ſignature, &c.
For the Fourth hundred he brings Melchiades, Optatus, Civil, and others ſpeaking very highly of the uſe of this miniſtration and then brings Urba… the firſt, as more plainly ſetting down what the reſt delivered more ſiguratively, in theſe words Omnes Fideles, &c. All faithful people ought to receive the holy ſpirit by impoſition of the Biſhops hands after baptiſm. And having added yet more witneſſes of this kind, he alleadges ſix Counſells, to evince the ſame thing, … Con. Arles. c. 8.viz. That this Ordinance of prayer, laying on of hands were received together with the other principles by Chriſtians generally. The decree of one of theſe Counſels (concerning ſuch as had received baptiſm in a regular form) is in theſe words manus …antum eiis imponatur ut accipiant ſpiritum ſanctum. Let there be impoſition of hands that they may receive the Holy Ghoſt. Afterwards the Dr. concludes thus.
So many Fathers teſtifying the practice of the Church and teaching this Doctrine, and ſo many more Fathers as it were aſſembled in ſix Councells, all giving witneſs to this holy Rite AND THAT IN PURSUANCE OF SCRIPTURE are too great a blood of witneſſes to be deſpiſed by any man that calls himſelf a Chriſtian.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Grantham, The Paedobaptists Apology for the Baptized Churches (1671)