The Searchers for Schism Searched, Treatise · Answer 23 – Question 24
Anſwer.
1. Never put an if to it, for we do ſay, laying on of hands, mentioned Heb. 6. is one Principle of the firſt Oracles of God, and of the Doctrine of Chriſt, one of the firſt Rudiments …f Chriſtianity, &c. You then demand, How …om this Text, Heb. 6. we can infallibly infer …ur practice? Conſidering Dr. Hamond, as …earned and Judicious as any in the Church of England, and as well read in the Cuſtoms of the …rimitive Times, tells us in his Annotations …on that place That the laying on of hands there …ken of, is underſtood for a laying on of hands up… ſuch as had fallen after Baptiſm.
2. It's notably done, and well thought on, ſeeing help fails you from the Scriptures, to ſee whether the learned judicious and well-read Doctors in Myſtery Babylon, can lend you any▪ But pray doth not this learned, judicious, and well-read Doctor, tell you no where, in no place of his Annotations, That the baptiſing of Infants was a primitive Practice, or that it came in near thoſe Times by good, authentick, Orthodox Authority? If he doth, pray do you conſider how you can infallibly infer from Mat. 28.19. the Baptiſm of Believers, as you practiſe it, ſince ſo learned a judicious and well-read Doctor was in his Judgement and Practice for ſprinkling of Babes; and no doubt but he (ſo learned and wiſe) hath ſomething to ſay for his Practice.
3. But this (ſay you) he further proves fro… Paul's advice to Timothy, 1 Tim. 5.2. where he … not ſpeaking of any other thing but Church-Cenſures. Look again the whole Chapter thorow, i… that a Church-Cenſure? v. 18, 19. if not, the… that, v. 22. may not be a laying on of hands ſuddenly upon any that had been cenſured by th… Church▪ And this will appear more plain, … comparing the third Chapter with this; the… may it be as fairly and as wiſely conclude… That this laying on of hands which Timothy m… not be ſudden in, was for Ordination of Biſhop and Deacons, rather than a laying on of han… upon ſuch as had fallen after Baptiſm: for where read you of ſuch a laying on of hands in all the Scripture, either taught or practiſed by any; the deep ſilence thereof, makes us we can neither credit the Doctor nor you in this matter, though he be learned, judicious, and well read in the Primitive Cuſtoms. But if what he ſaith were true, yet will it do you no ſervice; becauſe if ſuch a laying on of hands were then practiſed, neither you nor Dr. Hamond to help you, (nay, take Victor, and the third Council of Carthage with you alſo) can prove ſuch a laying on of hands to be that menti…ed Heb. 6. which is there ſaid to be a Principle of the Doctrine of Chriſt, a Foundation-Principle. But no more in this place to ſuch a Scriptureleſs-notion.
4. To your ſecond conſideration, we ſhall ſay no more yet, than what we have already ſaid in anſwer to your former printed Queſtions, where this is ſtated, and by us anſwered. See Gods Oracle and Chriſts Doctrine, p. 39, 40. But we grant,
You do read of a laying on of hands on the Sick, but how delivered in the Commiſſion, we ſhall hereafter examine: And you do read of laying on of hands to ordain Officers, and of laying on of hands by which men received the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit: But why do you not make up juſt half a dozen, but leave out that now, you brought in with the reſt in your printed Queſtions before; mentioned Luk. 21.12. But the fifth (you ſay) is that laying on of hands which was afterwards call'd Confirmation▪ becauſe by the Gifts of the holy Ghoſt, the Chriſtians were confirmed in the truth of the Goſpel: and though thoſe Gifts ceaſed, yet they continued the practice of it in the Church of Rome, and many other Proteſtant Churches to this day.
5. Here you confeſs that the laying on of hands mentioned in Act. 18.17. & 19.6. is practiſed by the Church of Rome, and many Proteſtant Churches, down from the primitive times to this day. May we not think it ſtr…ge, if it be ſo, that you ſhould oppoſe and refuſe to practiſe that which ſo many learned, judicious and well-read Doctors as have been all along in the Church of Rome, and many Proteſtant Churches, do practiſe; but rather againſt many, take the private opinion of ſome few, who by their opinion (if true) do not contradict nor oppoſe that laying on of hands mentioned by you in the fifth of your numerations; conſidering withall, that the Doctors in Rome, and in many Proteſtant Churches, do not conſent to ſuch a practice as laying on of hands, when they receive any that are fallen after Baptiſm, at this day.
6. In your next, you ſeem to thruſt in by head and ſhoulders, another ſort of laying on of hands; or if not, another ground the Apo…les and primitive Churches had to practiſe the former you numerate, than the Authority of Chriſts Doctrine, when you ſay, It was practiſed by them, by way of accomodation to the Jewiſh Cuſtoms; as (you ſay) appears in Moſes laying his hands upon Joſhua, Numb. 18.19, 22, 23. Deut. 34.9. and ſo Jacob bleſſed the Children of Joſeph, by laying his hands upon them. Doth it appear from thoſe places and paſſages you quote, that the Apoſtles and primitive Churches did practiſe laying on of hands by way of Accommodation to the Jewiſh Cuſtoms? We think when you conſider better what you ſay, you will not be of that mind: For, may it not is well be concluded, That the Apoſtles practiſed the Baptiſm of Water by way of Accommodation to the Jewiſh Cuſtoms, as appears, becauſe the Jews among their Cuſtoms had divers waſhings, Heb. 9.10. And is not this as good a proof of the one, as yours is of the other?
7. And what though the people brought their Children to Chriſt for him to bleſs, Mat. 19.13. in obſervation of a Jewiſh Cuſtom, and the Ruler of the Synagogue did the like? Mark 5.23. And what if it ſhould be granted that Chriſt did lay his hands on them to confer Bleſſings on the one, and to heal the other, by way of Accommodation to the Jewiſh Cuſtoms? Will it follow therefore that his Apoſtles after his paſſion… when he had blotted out the hand-writing o… Ordinances, nailing them to his Croſs, Col. 2… 14. Epheſ. 2.15. and after his Reſurrection, when he had given them their Commiſſion, Mat. 28.19, 20. yea, and after he was aſcended, and had ſent them, according to his Promiſe, the Spirit of Truth, which ſhould guide them into all Truth, ſhould practiſe laying on of hands by way of Accommodation to the Jewiſh Cuſtoms, and call it a Principle of Chriſts Doctrine, Heb. 6.1. Surely no man in his right mind, will ſo conclude. But leaving this too, as a Scriptureleſs-notion, we will proceed.
8. You then demand, Which of all theſe layings on of hands is intended Heb. 6. and is that which we call a Doctrine of Christ?
You have been told long ſince, which laying on of hands is intended Heb. 6. that it is that practiſed by the Apoſtles, Act. 8.17. & 19.6. for which let the Reader conſult Gods Oracle, and Chriſts Doctrine, from page 41. to page 54. where this Queſtion is ſtated by you, and anſwered, yea, and clearly proved to be that laying on of hands on baptiſed Believers as ſuch, and no other.
9. But then you enquire, Whether it be not more ſafe to understand it for that Doctrine which Chriſt preached and practiſed, and his Apoſtles afterwards practiſed in healing the Sick, than that Chriſt never taught nor practiſed, nor his Apoſtles …either, in conformity to a Command, but by way of accommodation to the laudable Custom of the …ews, as they did in divers other Caſes.
We confeſs, it is more ſafe, of the two, to underſtand it to be for healing the Sick, than …hat which Chriſt never taught nor practis'd, …or his Apoſtles neither, in conformity to a Command, if any ſuch laying on of hands there is; which if there be, we know of none, …cept it be that laying on of hands mentioned Luk. 21.12. which not they, but the wicked practiſed.
But 'tis obſervable how rarely well you beg …e Queſtion, when you conclude that the Apoſtles did in divers caſes practiſe laying on of …nds by way of Accommodation to the laudable Cuſtom of the Jews: Pray where is that written? There is not the leaſt ſyllable in the Scripture that intimates ſuch a thing, much leſs that affirms it.
10. And whereas you require us, if they did practiſe that laying on of hands, Act. 8.17. & 19. in obedience to a Command, to ſhew it. We ſay it hath been already ſhewed. Let the Reader peruſe Gods Oracle and Chriſts Doctrine, from page 79. to page 84. And as for our practice of laying on of hands on all we baptiſe, both Men and Women, that hath been ſhewed and proved alſo: Let the Reader ſee Gods Oracle and Christs Doctrine, page 47, 48, 49. Read an… weigh well what is there ſaid, without partiality, laying aſide all prejudicate Opinions an… byaſſed Reſolutions, and he will be ſatisfied i… both.
11. But you further ſay, Since divers men an… differently perſwaded concerning that in Heb. 6. y… and ſuch men whoſe interest leads them to think o… it as we do, and yet they cannot reaſonably ſo understand it; you demand whether this is not a ſufficient ground for you to doubt whether the layin… on of hands practiſed by us, be inſtitued … God?
Truly we think it ſo far from being a ſufficient ground for you to doubt, becauſe Dr. H… mond, or any other learned judicious Doct… doth, that we think it is not any ground at … for you to doubt alſo: We have abler (an… more approved) Doctors for our practice, tha… Dr. Hamond, or Victor, or Carthage's Councils▪ And therefore we ſay it can be both reaſonabl… and infallibly inferred, and more than an inf… rence it is from Heb. 6. comparing this Te… with ſome other, that the laying on of hands … practiſe, is inſtituted by the Lord, as a Found… tion-Principle of Chriſts Doctrine; ans is … preſumption to judge you incommunicable that come not up to us in a matter not dubin… ble, but clear and plain.
Queſt. 24.
And whereas you ſay thoſe Doctrines are call'd beginning Doctrines, Heb. 6. and therefore laying …n of hands muſt be ſo call'd:
We demand, Why the Wonders which the Apoſtles did, & the Cures they wrought by laying on of hands upon ſuch as they healed, being that which Christ …aught, and himſelf and Apoſtles practiſed, might not rather be esteemed a beginning of the Doctrine of Chriſt, than that which you practiſe, for which …u have at beſt but a doubtful example? And …hough this of healing was practicable upon none but …pon the Sick, yet was it teaching to all, to ſee and …ear the Sick were raiſed and cured; as appears Luk. 13.47. Act. 28.8, 9. and ſo it was a practice …at was introductive to the beginnings of Chriſtianity in thoſe times.