Darkness Vanquished, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
…kewing who the Ancients are, and of their credit, and authority, who have born witness to Laying on of hands.
ADmit we grant what Mr. Danvers speaks, Answer. concerning Dyonis. Areopagite, and the De…tal Epistles of the first Popes, to be impious …s, and forgeries, shall we therefore conclude …y are all suborned Witnesses (viz.) the An…nts who have writen concerning Laying on …hands; Surely many of the Fathers, who have …n witness thereunto, are generally received, … their authority approved as the best of hu…ne A. D 200. Tertullian de Bapt. c. 6.Writers; What say you to Tertullian, shall call him a Knight of the Post? take his Testi…ny: Manus imponitur per benedictionem ad…ocans, & invitans Spiritum Sanctum, tunc ille …anctissimus Spiritus super emundata, & bene…icta Corpora libens a Patre descendit: After Baptisme the hand is imposed by blessing and call…ng, and inviting of the Holy Spirit; then that …ost Holy Spirit willingly descends from the Fa…ker, upon the Bodies that are cleansed, and bles…
Moreover he saith: It is the fleshly, or outward act of Baptisme, that we are dipt in w… Tertul. de Bapt. ad Quintil. cap. 8.the spiritual effects, that we are freed fro… Sins: Then follows, Laying on of hands… Dispenser inviting the Spirit of God by Pr… And again being cleansed by Baptismal… ter (saith he) we are disposed for the… Spirit, under the hands of the Angel o… Church; And further speaking concernin… happy state of the Church in his day, he… De Pra Script. cap. 36.she believeth in God; she signs with water… is baptiseth;) she cloaths with the Spirit,… by Imposition of hands;) she feeds with th… charist; and exhorts to Martyrdom; and ag… this Order, or Institution, she receive… Man.
Another suborned Witness that I shall ca… if we must call him so, shall be Eusebius (no… Pope of that name,) but Eusebius Pamphilus▪ lived in the time of Constantinus Magnus… Emperor, about three hundred years… Christ, he certifies fully to our purpose, Euseb. lib. 7. c. 2.the ancient manner of receiving Members… the Church, was with Prayer, and Laying o… hands; Doubtless by calling it the ancient… ner, it must needs refer to the Apostles time…
Again Eusebius declareth, that one No… Euseb. lib. 6. c 26.being sick was baptised, if it may be cal… Baptisme (saith he) which he received, fo… obtained not after his recovery, that whic… should have done by the Canon of the Chu… to wit Confirmation by the hands of the Bis… which having not obtained, how can he be… posed to have received the Holy Spirit?… was about the year 260. 'Tis also to be noted, that in neither of those places, nor any where else in Eusebius, is the least mention made of Crossing, or Chrysme, in the administration of this Ordinance.
Cyprian shall be the next, whom none I suppose A. D. 250. Cyprian his Epist. to Jubar 73.do take for a suborned Witness, having urged that of the Apostles going to Samaria, to impose hands on those that Phillip had baptised (saith he) which custom is also descended to us, that they who are baptised, might be brought by the Rulers of the Church, and by Prayer, and Imposition of hands obtain the Holy Ghost. In his Ep. to Stephen speaking of Heretiks Epist. 72. 210. Origen.Again saith Cyprian: It is of no purpose to lay hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit, unless they receive the Baptisme of the Church. I might produce Origen, in his 7. Homily upon Ezekiel, who speaks concerning it.
Also Hierom, who answers this question, Hierom. Dial. ad a Lucifer.(viz.) why he that is baptised in the Church, doth not receive the Holy Ghost, but by imposition of hands (saith he) This observation for the honour of the Priesthood, did descend from the Scriptures; If you ask me where it is written? 'tis answered, in Actibus Apostolorum: 'tis written in the Acts of the Apostles.
Ambrose is cited by H. Danvers himself; with Ambrose. Augustin. Chrysoft. Theodoret.Augustine, and some others whose authority is not questioned: To which I might add Chrysostom, Theodoret, &c. Several others, yea many might be produced, besides those he calls suborned witness; and yet have we far better Authors, and witnesses, to defend this sacred truth, for we have the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ… 'tis left on record amongst the first principles o… his Doctrine; we have the testimony of the Apostles Peter▪ and John; and one not inferior to… them,) viz.) blessed St. Paul: as hath, and shal… (God assisting) be made further evident: And upon no better authority, I must confess, is thi… sacred Ordinance imposed upon us.
But now to speak more directly to Mr. Danvers, what he insisteth upon in pag. 33. about the rite of Confirmation, as 'tis practised in the Church of Rome, and as corrupted from the pure Institution, we readily grant that it is of no better Authority then Infants Baptisme. And as touching what he speaks of Rivet, that it was Rivet Controv. Tom. 2.neither instituted by Christ, or his Apostles, 'tis spoken with respect of the Popish manner, with Chrysme, and other ridiculous Ceremonies, Exercit. pag. 44.which was before done with Prayer, and Imposition of hands without Chrysme, they did, saith Mr. Baxter, make hast to corrupt it, they quickly introduced the Crosses, and Crysme, but from the beginning it was not so: And as touching what he speaketh concerning Ambrose. Jerom, Augustin, and some others, it is granted, they lived in those times when the Church was adulterated, and the holy appointments of Christ corrupted, and changed from their primitive purity; and this makes no more against the holy Ordinance of Laying on of hands, then it doth against Baptisme, and the Supper of our Lord, &c. as I have already shewed; All that Mr. Danvers hath said hitherto of Tradition, and Fathers, makes only against the Church of Rome, and England, and others who have drunk of the Whores cup; those things which they cry up for Apostolical Traditions, are nought, else sure meer humane innovations, and cursed inventions of corrupt Men. I shall close this with a passage of Doctor Jer. Ta…ler, in his Epistle Dr. Tayler Epist. Dedicat.Dedicatory, treating about Laying on of hands upon baptised Persons as such (saith he) this was ancient, and long before Popery entered into the World, and that this rite hath been more abused by Popery then by any thing. Concerning what Mr. Danvers speaks of the Waldenses; that the true Waldenses were against Imposition of hands; if that be true which he says, yet it must be understood, that it was the Popish Confirmation which they disowned, called a Sacrament, accompanied with Ceremonies; for so I find they express themselves: Such a Confirmation I grant they witness against, as being none of Christs Institution, but introduced by the Devils instigation, 'twas the corruption of it, and not the thing it self. Doubtless they witness against, that they owned not Laying on of hands at all after Baptisme, before admission was granted to the Lords Table; I judge it will be to hard for Mr. Danvers to make appear. But if they should be ignorant of this truth 'tis no marvel, considering the day they lived in.
If it should be objected, they with other Objection Churches, and People he mentions, were much enlightened into the truths of the Gospel. Answer.
That is no good argument, since glorious Reformers, and eminent enlightened Souls, m… notwithstanding lye short of some Institution the Almighty, as appears both in the Old, a… New Testament: What glorious light had D… vid, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, and many othe… of the Godly Kings, and Prophets in Juda? an… yet one thing, which was plainly laid down… the Book of the Law, they were short in; nay,… some judge, they did not see it, (viz▪) sittin… in Booths in the Feast of the seventh MonethMonth of which we read in N…hemiah 8. 13, 14. the found written (saith the Text) in the Law, whic… God commanded by Moses, that the Children… Israel should dwell in Booths, in the Feast of t… seventh MonethMonth; Vers. 15. And all the Congr… gation of them, that were come again out… Captivity, made Booths, and sate under th… Booths; for since the days of Joshua the Son… Nun, unto that day, had not the Children… Israel done so; and there was very great gla… ness, verse 47.