[A notable discourse, plainelye and truely discussing, who are the right ministers of the Catholike Church written against Calvin and his disciples, ... with an offer made by a Catholike to be a learned Protestant ... .]

¶The .12. Chapter.

AS touching the rest, you haue ac∣customed in your ministerie, to vse

the imposition, or laying on of hands, and you saye, that it is an auncient and honest Ceremonie,* 1.1 In this you say y^e truth. For as we reade, of great antiquitie this Cerimonie hath beene vsed, aswell in the olde lawe, as in the lawe of grace. And vnto that did re∣dounde the imposition of handes laid vpon the Wether that was brought to the immolation of the Sacrifice of Moyses lawe:* 1.2 to declare,* 1.3 that those that are ordeined vnto the seruice of God, and vnto the ministerie of the Church, ought to retaine the like Ce∣remonie: & so the Israelites did laye their handes vppon the Leuites, and Moyses likewise did laye his handes vpon Iosua, whē he was made a cap∣tain of the Israelites, who did repre∣sent y^e Church of Christ. The apostles haue vsed y^e like, as we find, wher we read,* 1.4 that S. Peter and S. Iohn did lay their handes vpon the Christiā people of Samaria, & S. Paule vpon the Ephesi∣ans,

and likewise the Apostles vpon y^e seuen Deacons, & vpon S. Paule and Barnabas.* 1.5 S. Paule doeth admonishe Timothe, not to despise the grace that he had receued by y^e impositiō of han∣des, & that he should set forth the gifte of God that he had receiued with the imposition of the handes of S. Paul vpō him.* 1.6 He doth likewise cōmaunde him, not to vse this impositiō of hāds w^tout discretiō, to y^e end that he do not cōmunicat w^t y^e sin of another. Caluin according to these authorities in his institutiō booke (Ar. 8. ca. 50.) of faith doth cōmaund y^e like to be vsed in his Churche. It doth appere (saith he) that the Apostles haue vsed no other Cere∣monie in the vocation to the ministery but this imposition of handes. Now I thinke, y^t thei tooke this custom of the Iewes, who did present vnto god by y^e imposition of hands that, that they wold blesse & cōsecrate. After this sort Iacob (Gen. 48.) whē he would blesse

Ephraim and Manasses, he laide his handes vpon their heades. Our Sa∣uiour did the like vppon the litle chil∣dren, when he did praye. Math. 19. And as I thinke, it was all to one ende ordeined in the lawe: and there∣fore, the Apostles, by the imposition of handes, did signifye, that they did of∣fer vnto God him, that they did re∣ceaue into the ministerie, althoughe they did vse it likewise with those, vnto whom they did distribute the visible giftes of the holy Ghost. How so euer it be, they haue vsed this so∣lemnitie as many times, as they did ordeyne any body to the ministerie of the Churche, as we see by example, aswell touching the Pastours and doctours, as the Deacons. Now, al∣though there be no special commaun∣dement, as touching the imposition of handes: yet notwithstanding, see∣ing that we reade, that the Apostles did vse it continuallye, that which

they did vse so diligently ought to be vnto vs as a precept. And surely, it is a profitable thing, to set forth to the people the dignitie of the Ministerie by suche a Ceremonie, and to make him know, that is thus ordeyned mi∣nister, that he apperteyneth no more to himselfe, but that he is dedicated to the Seruice of God and of his Churche. &c. Thus, seing that Caluin doth confesse the imposition of han∣des to be so necessary for the ministe∣rie of the Churche, and that it is ap∣proued, aswell by the lawe of nature, as by the lawe of Moyses or of the Gospell, Answere vs then, who was he, that laide his handes vpon Cal∣uin, to safe conduct the charge of his conscience? You will aunswere me, Zuinglius, or Oecolampadius, or the o∣thers of his time. And if by chaunce one would be so curious, as to pursue this demaund, mounting a litle high∣er: I meane, to know of whom these

abouenamed haue receued their bles∣sing and imposition of handes, I thinke you will not name the Apo∣stles, if you will not haue euery man to laughe at your follye: for there is none so simple, but doeth knowe, that they died aboue. 1500. yeres agone. And seing that your patriarch hath made vs so goodly an oration, as tou∣ching this imposition of handes, affir∣ming it to be necessarye, both by the lawe of Nature, the lawe of Moyses, and the lawe of Grace howe doeth it come to passe, that Zuinglius hath not vsed it, to confirme his ministerie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Exod. 29.
• * 1.2

  Leuit. 4.
• * 1.3

  Num. 8. &. 17.
• * 1.4

  Act. 8. 19. &. 13.
• * 1.5

  Tim. ••.
• * 1.6

  A &. 7.