Cheirothesia, or, A confirmation of the apostolicall confirmation of children setting forth the divine ground, end, and use of that too much neglected institvtion, and now published as an excellent expedient to truth and peace / by Jos. Hall ...

Sect. 12

To the carefull ideavour whereof, though I might urge many motives, yet I shall take up with these following; not more few in number, then con∣siderable in weight.

The First shall be the agree∣ment and contesseration, both in judgement and practice with the Primitive Church: to whose example, doubtlesse, the nearer we draw, the more we shall approach towards purity and perfection.

Now by the confession of all Divines, both Romish and Reformed, there was a Confir∣mation by imposition of hands in all the first ages of the Church, and that the manner of performing it was the true pattern of ours, I appeal to the witnesse of those Protestant Authors, which I have former∣ly cited, and am ready if need

were, to second it with many more: And why, my dear Bre∣thren, should we think it fit or safe to leave so gratious an ex∣ample, and to walk alone in our own wayes, untracked, un∣troden with the holy feet of our first and surest guides? where the practice began sensi∣bly to degenerate, in adultera∣ting the Ordinance with Super∣stitious additions, both of rites and opinions, there we have justly declined it, and do with the zealousest professors cry down the grosse abuse of that godly institution to the pit of hell, whence certainly it came: But shall we upon this pretence cast off that gratious act of Re∣ligion which was sent us from Heaven by the hands of the A∣postles? What if we cannot second our Imposition of hands with sensible wonders as

the Apostles did? (else, as Oe∣cumenius well observes, Simon Magus could not have seen that the Holy Ghost was given by them) though we cannot work miracles, yet we can pray; and our prayers have the same Spirituall effects with theirs; neither did the ordinary Pastors that succeeded those blessed Apostles expect any o∣ther issue of their hands impo∣sed, yet still imposed their hands; and whether should we affect to be like them, in acting and approving the laying on of hands, or to some hesternall teachers that refuse and disal∣low of it? The common plea of those gain-sayers is the cessati∣on of those miraculous gifts which were in the Apostolick times by their onely hands be∣stowed; (others in great num∣bers had the Holy Ghost, none

gave it but they) whereupon they argue, as they think strongly, that the effect ceasing the cause is uselesse; whom I send to our learned Fulk for satisfaction: There is (saith he) another kind of imposition of hands (besides that miraculous one) mentioned Hebr. 6. 2. whereof there may be perpetu∣all use in the Church; which is the same which Saint Austin cals nothing else but prayer o∣ver a man; and whereof he speaks Tract. 6. on the first E∣pistle of John &c. and soon af∣ter: We acknowledge imposi∣tion of hands with prayer, that they which were so taught and instructed, might receive strength of Gods Spirit, so to continue; so he. This is that onely which we professe and glory to imitate, as being well assured that the faithfull pray∣ers

of godly Pastors and Christian Congregations can never either be out of date, or acceptation.