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.

XX.

In publick offences, that is to say, committed in effect, and known to a great many of the People, the restoring of the sinner shall be made by the publick acknowledging his fault, tho he had been punished by order of the Magistrate.

CONFORMITY.

In the Primitive Church the restoring of a Scandalous Sinner was not done but in presence of all the People, by the Imposition of Hands, which was accompanied with Prayer; and the better to understand the nature of this Discipline, it is to be observed, that three sorts of Imposition of Hands was used to Sinners, whose Sins were punished according to the Laws of publick Pe∣nance; by the former they were admitted to do Penance after having demanded it: Let the Penitents (saith the Council of Agde in the year 506. * 1.1 Can. 15.) receive the Imposition of Hands, at the time that they desire to do Pe∣nance. The second was not practised one time only, as

the first, but often, during the whole time of Penance; for as often as the Church assembled to attend the Exercises of Piety and Religion, they were made go out, as well as the Cathechumeny, before the celebrating of Divine Mysteries; but after, the Bishop imposed his Hands, and Prayed on the one and the others separately; so it is we find it by the 19th Canon of the Synod of Laodicea: * 1.2 It is re∣quisite, saith he, after the Homilies, or Sermons, the Bi∣shops make Prayers separately; first on the Catechumeny; and these being gone forth, Prayer must be made on those which are under Penance; and after the Penitents have been under the hands of the Bishop, and that they are withdrawn, the three Prayers of Believers must be made: The last was destin'd for the publick reconciliation of Sinners, after they had accomplished all the time of their Penance, and that they had passed through all its divers degrees: Therefore the 3d Canon of the 1st Council of Orange, in the year 441. calls this Imposition of Hands, * 1.3 The impo∣sing of reconciliatory hands, because God was beseeched that he would pardon these Penitent Sinners, and that he would reconcile them to God and his Church. The 78th Canon of the 4th Council of Carthage, calls it sim∣ply, The Imposition of Hands, * 1.4 without which it will not so much as have sick Penitents to be Absolv'd, in case they recover, although they had receiv'd the Sacrament du∣ring their Sickness. Pope Leo I. calls it the Door of Reconciliation, in his 41st Epistle to Theodorus.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tom. Conc. Gall. p. 164.
• * 1.2

  See 4 Conc. of Carth. Can. 80. Tom. 1. Conc. Tole∣tan. 3. c. 11. Tom. 4. p. 504. An. 589.
• * 1.3

  Tom. 1. Conc. Gall. p. 71.
• * 1.4

  Tom. 1. Concil. p. 730.