Conformity of the ecclesiastical discipline of the Reformed churches of France with that of the primitive Christians written by M. La Rocque ... ; render'd into English by Jos. Walker.

CONFORMITY.

There are several Considerations to be made on this Article, and on the form which is above recited. In the first place, the Minister to whom it belongs to Preach, ought in his Sermon, to treat of the Institution and ex∣cellency of the Ministry, and of the duties of this weigh∣ty Office; whereupon we find a great many excellent passages in the Writings of the Ancient Fathers of the Church, and several holy reflections capable to infuse in∣to Pastors an ardent zeal, and a sincere affection, in per∣forming the several Duties of their Office. Not to speak of Gregory the First, having compos'd an intire Treatise to explain the Functions of this Excellent Office; and it is very probable that in the time of Ordination it was sig∣nify'd to those which were to receive it, whereunto the

conduct of souls which God committed to their charge, obliged them: The first Canon of the fourth Council of Carthage, insinuates it thus, having touched all the seve∣ral things about which he will have him examin'd which is to be establish'd in the Ministry, * 1.1 he adds, When he has receiv'd the Episcopacy in the Name of Jesus Christ, let him not follow his pleasures, nor the inclinations of his mind, but let him submit and acquiesce to these Decrees of the Fathers. And I make no doubt but what was practic'd in Africa in the time of this Council in the Ordination of Bishops, did tacitly warn them of their Duty; for we find in the second Canon, that two Bishops laid on his head the Book of the New Testament, and held it there during the whole action; we read almost the same thing in the Constituti∣ons under the Apostles Names, and in the Roman Pontifi∣cial, and in the XI. Chap. of the second Book of Duran∣dus his Rational, St. Chrysostom, or rather some one else in his name, teaches in the Homily, that there is but one Legislator of the Old and New Testament; he teaches, I say, that the reason wherefore this Ceremony was pra∣ctis'd in the Ordination of Bishops, was to mind them, that to be Rulers over others, they were subject never∣theless themselves to these Divine Laws, and oblig'd to ob∣serve its Commands. Moreover, it appears by all I have said, that the Author of the Book of Divine Offices, which is falsly attributed to Alcuin Tutor to Charlemaign, and to Amalarius Fortunatus, who liv'd in the time of Lewis le De∣bonair, it appears they were deceiv'd, when they said the former in the 37th. Chap. and the other in Chap. 14. of the Book of Fcclesiastical Offices, that this Ceremony which I have touched, was not countenanc'd by the au∣thority of the Ancients.

The second Consideration regards the Imposition of hands which the Apostles used in Establishing of Dea∣cons,

Acts 6.6. and in that of Pastors and Ministers un∣der the name of Elders, Acts 14.23. for the Greek word, which may be referr'd to the suffrages of the people, does commonly signifie the Imposition of Hands, whereof ex∣press mention is made, 1 Tim. 4.14. & 5.22. a Ceremony which the ancient Christians always practis'd in these Occasions: I should be over-tedious should I cite all the passages which confirm this truth; wherefore I shall on∣ly instance some places of Antiquity where mention is made of this imposition of hands. St. Cyprian makes mention of it in his 68 Epist. the last Edition; Cornelius Bishop of Rome in the same. St. Cyprian, Ep. 46. Euse∣in the 8, 23, and 43. of the sixth Book of his Ecclesia∣stical History, and in the 32. and 7. Book. St. Basil in the first Canon of his first Canonical Epistle to Amphilo∣kius, and in the 192. to the Priests of Nicopolis. The Great Council of Nice in the ninth Canon; that of An∣tioch in the 10. and 17. and the fourth of Carthage in the second. I pass in silence a great number of other passa∣ges, which favour the use of this Holy Ceremony, to observe, That in the very time when they added a great many other things to this Imposition of hands, yet it was nevertheless consider'd, as the chief of all the rest. In∣somuch that in the Theses that were maintain'd at Pa∣ris in the year 1633, June 7. it was taught, That in Or∣ders where Imposition of hands was us'd, it suffic'd, * 1.2 Ad valorem firmitatun{que} Sacramenti, which also is the judg∣ment of many Learned Divines, saith the Jesuit Sirniond; We are indeed of another opinion, for we do not believe that Orders is a Sacrament; but I have alledged this Ex∣ample to shew, that those it self which have accompa∣nied the Ordination of Pastors with several Ceremonies, which are not of the first nor purest Antiquity, do ne∣vertheless

give the chiefest place to the Imposition of hands.

The third thing observable is, That Prayer was joyn'd to the laying on of Hands; as appears by the passages in the Holy Scriptures cited in the foregoing Section, which was Religiously practis'd by those which succee∣ded those first Ministers of Jesus Christ; the second Ca∣non of the fourth Council of Carthage, represents to us one of its Bishops imploring the Blessing of God upon him on whom they laid their hands; St. Basil in his Morals saith, * 1.3 That that ought to be done, with Prayer and Supplications. St. Ambrose saith the same in his Book of the Dignity of Priesthood, and in the 60 Epist. Thence it is that the Deacon Hilary in the third Tome of the Works of the same St. Ambrose, expounding the 14 verse of the 4th. Chap. of the 1st to Tim. he looks on the Im∣position of hands, as so many mystical words, whereby him that is Ordain'd, is confirm'd for the work of the Ministry. * 1.4 St. Jerome saith positively on the 58th. Chap. of Isaiah, That Ordination is compleated not only by Prayer, but also by the laying on of hands. Theodoret in the 19th. Chap. of his Religious History, in the third Volume of his Works, Printed at Paris Anno 1642, Theodoret joyns these two actions together, to wit, Imposition of Hands, and Prayer; as things which should not be separated in the Ordination of Pastors. Twenty five years ago the Letters of Photius Patriarch of Constantinople- in the Ele∣venth Century, were Printed at London, and at the end of these Letters, five more of this same Patriarch were subjoyn'd, which were taken out of an ancient Ea∣stern Manuscript, in the fourth of which Letters, he declares that Hands were not impos'd on a Bishop, But to implore the Grace of the Holy Spirit which is needful for

a Minister. * 1.5 It is doubtless upon this account that the Council of Sarragosa in the year 592, Can. 9 calls this the Benediction; as also the fourth of Carthage, and the first of Barcelona, in the year 599. Can. 3. The Blessing of Consecration. The first of Orleans, Anno 511. Can. 10. speaks of the Benediction of the laying on of hands.

This third Consideration opens the way to us for a fourth, which regards the posture of him which is Con∣secrated, and of him which Consecrates. It may easily be observ'd from what has been said, that him which Consecrates is standing, and him which is Consecrated kneeling, otherwise it had been hard and almost impos∣sible to lay his hands on him, and to pray to God, holding them on his head, to the end he would be pleas'd libe∣rally to bestow on him the Gifts and Graces necessary, duly to discharge the Office wherewith he is honour'd. But were it so that the truth of this practice, which is very just, could not be gather'd from this Discourse, Theodoret gives us no cause to doubt of it; for he observes in the 15th. Chap. of the fourth Book of his Ecclesiasti∣cal History, that when there was need of appointing a Successor to Eusebius Bishop of Samosatia, the Synod of the Province cast their Eye on Antiochus his Nephew, and that after his Election he was led towards the Com∣munion Table, and there he was made to kneel down to receive the Imposition of Hands.

It remains now to say something of the Number of the Pastors which are to be present at this Holy Cere∣mony: The 4th Canon of the 1st Council of Nice, ap∣points this should be done by all the Bishops of the Pro∣vince; or if that cannot be, that there should be three at the least; the others, by their Letters, approving of the Ordination. The 19th of that of Antioch prescribes partly the same thing, that is to say, it declares, That

'twere to be wished that all the Bishops of the Province could be present; but when there is any hindrance, it doth not specify, as that of Nice, the number of those which ought to be present; it only saith, That 'tis requi∣site there should several be assisting, or that should con∣sent by their Letters. The 1st of the Canons attributed to the Apostles, requires, That a Bishop should be esta∣blish'd by two or three Bishops. Thence it is, that though according to the direction of most part of the Canons, Three Bishops were usually employed for the Ordaining a Pastor; nevertheless Examples are found different from this Custom.

Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria was Ordain'd by two Bishops; * 1.6 nevertheless the Fathers of the Council of Calcedon acknowledg'd him for a Legitimate Bishop before his being depos'd, and frequently term'd him, the Most Reverend Bishop. * 1.7 Theodoret Writes, that Evagrius was Consecrated Bishop of Antioch by Paulin only, and by this means chose him his Successor before his death; yet this did not hinder, but Siricius, and Inno∣cent, * 1.8 the 1st Bishops of Rome, and almost all those of the West, esteemed him as a Lawful Minister. Anatolius, as Eusebius writes in his Ecclesiastical History, received the Imposition of Hands by Theoteckna Bishop of Caesaria, in Pal••stine, and in making him Bishop, made him also his Coadjutor, by reason of his great Age, it not appear∣ing that any other Bishop was present at this Ceremony, although it had been easie to have called others to it; it's true this hapned before the 1st Council of Nice; but besides that the other Examples we have alledged are after this Council, it needs only to read the 4th Chapter of the 5th Book of Theodoret's Ecclesiastical Hi∣story, where will be seen sundry. Instances, of Bishops being Ordain'd by laying on of Hands of one Minister,

to which may be added the 19th Chapter of his Religious History, and the 19th of the 8th Book of Zozomen's History, which makes mention of two several Ordina∣tions made, or ready to be done, without any great necessity, by one sole Bishop, a great while after this Council of Nice. It is not then to be thought strange, if our Discipline mentions but two, seeing also these two do represent the Synod or Colloque which deputed them, and that they do nothing but by virtue of the Power and Authority wherewith those Bodies has invest∣ed them; and that moreover one alone may suffice for a due Ordination, as we have just now proved. But before ending this matter, one difficulty which offers must be resolv'd, to wit, if Hands may be laid on two Ministers at once; for it sometimes happens in our Churches, that two are called together, and some are in doubt, and desire to know if one Minister can give them both Ordination at the same moment. To which I answer, That if one consider the Original of this Ce∣remony, and the Nature of the thing it self, one may safely agree to lay hands on two Ministers at once. As for the Original, and the Ceremony, every body knows it comes from Jesus Christ, or rather from the Patri∣archs, which practised it before their Children were Masters of Judea; and 'tis not to be doubted, but Jesus Christ and the Apostles derived this Custom thence when they us'd it. If it appears then that any of the Patriarchs blessed two persons at once, in putting one hand on the head of the one, and the other hand on the head of the other, it seems to me one is sufficiently Au∣thoris'd to give Imposition of Hands to two Ministers at the same time. Now to know if the Patriarchs did so, you need only read Genesis 48. where Jacob blessed the two Sons of Joseph purposely, setting his right hand on

the head of Ephraim which was the younger, and his lest on the head of Manasseh, which was the elder Bro∣ther.

But to remove all doubt and scruple, it needs only cast an eye, on the nature of the thing it self, that's to say, on the Prayer, which is indeed what is the essential part of these kind of Actions, the imposing of the hand or hands being only a bare exterior gesture, to design those for whom the Blessing of God is implor'd, that it may rest upon them, as one may so speak, much after the same way as the hands do stay on their heads; now no body does question, but that one may pray for two as well as for one; thence it is, that in Eusebius his Hi∣story there is mention made, * 1.9 to receive Prayers by the hand, to signifie, to receive the Blessing of God by Prayer, and the laying on of Hands; so that in effect, 'tis as if he had said, To receive the Blessing of God by Prayer, and the imposition of Hands, as he speaks in Chap. 1. Book 2. To conclude, The Ancients called this Ceremony, which they practised on sundry occa∣sions, * 1.10 I say, they called it, Prayers by the hand, or Prayers of the hand, or hands. Or as St. Austin explains him∣self in some of his Writings, The Prayer of Imposition of Hands.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tom. 1. Concil. p. 727.
• * 1.2

  Antir. 2. Part 2. c. 8. p. 72. Paris 1634.
• * 1.3

  To. 2. Reg. 70. C. 1. p. 476. To. 4. pag. 383. T. 5. p. 326. Pa∣ris 1632.
• * 1.4

  Tom. 4. p. 192. Paris 1623.
• * 1.5

  Tom. 4. Conc. 525 Ibid. pag. 531 To 1. Conc. Gal.
• * 1.6

  Tom. 3. Concil. p. 539.
• * 1.7

  Hist. Ec∣cles. l. 5. c. 23.
• * 1.8

  L. 7. c. 32. p. 288.
• * 1.9

  L. 1. c. 13. p. 34.
• * 1.10

  Tom. 7. l. 2. c. 26. de pecc. mor. & rem.