Chap. IX. the miniftration of the holy Spirit. And indeed, all that came to St. John to be baptized were referred to a future Baptifm of the Holy Ghost for their completion and perfection. I indeed, faith he, baptize you with Water unto Repentance: but he that cometh after me fhall baptize you with the Holy Ghoft and with Fire 32. And this was fo neceffary to confirm and establish them in the Gofpeldifpenfation, that our Saviour, juft before his Afcenfion, leaves a charge to his Apoftles, who had before received the Baptifm of Water, that they should not depart from Jerufalem, till they had received the Baptifm of the Spirit, and were endued with Power from on high 3 33 For John truly, faith he, baptized with Water: but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghoft not many days hence. Accordingly on the day of Pentecoft, they were all vifibly confirmed and filled with the Holy Ghoft, who defcended from heaven, and fat upon each of them under the appearance of cloven tongues like as of fire 35. Of Apoftolial prac tice. §. 2. Hence then we fee, that the Institution of this rite was holy and divine. As to the Practice of it, we may obferve, that the Apostles, having received the Spirit, as is above mentioned, immediately knew to what use it was given them, viz. not to be confined to their own perfons or college, but to be imparted by them to the whole church of God. For the Spirit itself was to teach them all things, and to bring all things to their remembrance. And therefore to be fure it taught and reminded them, that the gifts and graces, which they themfelves received by it, were equally neceffary to all Chriftians whatever. Accordingly as foon as they heard that the Samaritans had been converted and baptized by Philip, they fent two of their number, Peter and John, to lay their hands on them, that they might receive the Holy Ghoft: a plain argument, that neither Baptism alone, nor the perfon that adminiftered it, was able to convey the Holy Ghoft: fince if either the Holy Ghoft were a confequence of Baptifm, or if Philip had power to communicate him by any other miniftration, the Apostles would not have come from Jerufalem on purpose to have confirmed them. The fame may be argued from a like occurrence to the difciples at Ephefus: upon whom, after they had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jefus, the Apoftle St. Paul laid his hands, and then the Holy Ghoft 32 Matt. iii. ir. 33 Luke xxiv. 49. A&3 i. 4 35 A&s ii. 1-5. 36 John xiv. 16. came came on them 38: which fhews, that the receiving of the Introduct. Holy Ghoft was not the confequence of their being baptized, but of the Apoftle's laying on his hands; and that laying on of hands was neceffary to perfect and complete the Ephefians, even after they had received the Sacrament of Baptifm. firft with that it was §. 3. It is true, the miniftration of this rite at firft was Its being frequently attended with Miraculous Powers. But fo alfo attended at we read was Prayer and Preaching, which yet no one ever miraculous thought to be only temporary ordinances. To fancy there- powers, no fore that the Invocation of the holy Spirit, with impofition argument of hands, was to ceafe, when the extraordinary effects of it defigned failed, is too groundlefs a fuppofition to be put in the ba- only for a lance against the weight of fo facred and pofitive an infti- temporary tution. In the infancy of the church thefe vifible effects ordinance. upon thofe that believed were neceffary to bring over others to the faith: but when whole nations turned Chrif tian, this occafion ceased; and therefore the Holy Ghost does not now continue to empower us to work them. But fill the ordinary gifts and graces, which are useful and neceffary to complete a Chriftian, are nevertheless the fruits and effects of this holy rite. And these are by much the more valuable benefits. To caft out the devil of luft, or to throw down the pride of Lucifer; to beat down Satan under our feet, or to triumph over our spiritual enemies; to cure a difeafed foul, or to keep unharmed from the affaults of a temptation, or the infection of an ill example, is much more advantageous and beneficial to us, than the power of working the greatest miracles. Apostles, ordinary, as Though neither are we to believe that these extraordi- Adminifternary effects did always attend even those upon whom the ed by the Apostles laid their hands: All did not fpeak with tongues, nor not fomuch all work miracles; though, as far as we can learn, all were for the fake confirmed. Nor did the Apoftles minifter this rite fo of its extramuch for the fake of imparting miraculous powers, as to of its ordithe end that their converts might be endued with fuch nary effects, aid from the Holy Ghoft, as might enable them to perfevere in their Chriftian profeffion. This may be gathered from those several texts, in which St. Paul intimates that all Chriftians in general have been thus confirmed; but in which he implies at the fame time, that graces and not miracles were the end of their Confirmation. Thus he fuppofes both the Corinthians and Ephefians to have been all partakers of this holy rite, and plainly intimates, that Chap. IX. the happy effects of it were being ftablished in Chrift, being anointed and fealed with the holy Spirit of promife, and having an earnest of their inheritance, and an earnest of the Spirit in their hearts 39. And that all these expreffions refer to Confirmation is evident, as well from comparing them together, as from the concurring teftimonies of feveral ancient fathers 4°. Defigned ing and per dinance. But what has been efteemed the cleareft evidence, that for a ftand- the rite of Confirmation was a perpetual inftitution of petual or equal use and fervice in all ages of the church, is that paffage of St. Paul in his Epiftle to the Hebrews*, where he mentions the doctrine of Laying on of Hands, as well as the doctrine of Baptifm, among the fundamentals of religion. Which words have been conftantly interpreted by writers of all ages, of that impofition or laying on of hands, which was used by the Apoftles in confirming the baptized. Infomuch that this fingle text of St. Paul is, even in Calvin's opinion +2, abundantly fufficient to prove Confirmation to be of apoftolical inftitution. Though I think what has been faid proves it of a higher derivation. And indeed, from these very words of the Apoftle, it not only appears to be a lafting miniftry, (becaufe no part of the Chriftian doctrine can be changed or abolished,) but hence alfo we may infer it to be of divine inftitution: fince if it were not, St. Paul would feem guilty of teaching for doctrines the commandments of men: which not being to be fuppofed, it muft follow that this doctrine of impofition of hands is holy and divine, Practifed by §. 4. The Scripture then, by these evidences of its usethe church fulness to all Chriftians in general, proves that this rite in all ages. had a farther view than the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghoft. And the hiftory of the church, by teftifying the continuance of it in all times and places, after these gifts of the Spirit ceased, fhews that it has ever been received and used as a perpetual and standing ordinance of Chriftianity. I think I need not produce my authorities for this; becaufe, I believe, no one doubts of the universality of the practice. However, becaufe fome may have a mind to be convinced by their own fearches, I have, for their readier fatisfaction, pointed out fome places in the margin43; which will foon convince thofe that have leisure 39 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. Eph. i. 13. and chap. iv. 30. 40 See the old Commentators upon the feveral texts. 41 Heb. vi. 3. 42 Calvin in locum. 43 Theoph. Antioch. p. 33. Tertul. de Bapt. c. 8. p. 226. D. de Re furrect. and opportunity to turn to them, that the ancient fathers Introduct. were fo far from thinking Confirmation an obfolete folemnity, that they esteemed it a neceffary means of falvation, which none that were advanced to years of discretion could neglect without the utmost hazard to their fouls. : and benefit. §. 5. For though they juftly allowed, that Baptifm Of what ufe alone was fufficient to fave a perfon that died immediately after it yet thofe that lived, they affirmed, had need of farther grace, which Confirmation was neceffary to convey. Agreeably whereunto, when our own church declares that Baptifm is fufficient to falvation, the speaks only of Children that die before they commit actual fin, or (as it was worded in the first book of King Edward) depart out of this life in their infancy. To fuch indeed (as all our former Common Prayer-Books affirm) no man may think that any detriment fhall come by deferring of their Confirmation. But when Children come to that age, that partly by the frailty of their own flesh, partly by the affaults of the world and the Devil, they begin to be in danger to fall into fundry kinds of fin, they declare, that it is most meet that Confirmation be ministered to those that be baptized, that, by impofition of hands and prayer, they may receive ftrength and defence against all temptations to fin, and the affaults of the world and the Devil. For though the Baptifm of Water wafhes away our former guilt, yet that alone cannot prevent the return of fin. It is true indeed, by the Sacrament of Baptifm, we are made heirs of God, and admitted and received into the inheritance of fons: but ftill till we receive the rite of Confirmation, we are but Babes in Chrift in the literal fenfe; we are merely infants, that can do nothing, not able to refift the leaft violence or oppofition, but lie exposed to every affault, and in danger of being foiled by every temptation. Baptifin conveys the Holy Ghoft only as the spirit or principle of life; it is by Confirmation he becomes to us the fpirit of ftrength, and enables us to ftir and move ourselves. When we are baptized, we are only lifted under the banner of Chrift, furrect. Carn. c. 8. p. 330. C. Clem. ftag. 3. Greg. Naz. Adhortat. ad S. Chap. IX. marked for his foldiers, and fworn to be faithful; and not till Confirmation equipped for the battle, or furnished with arms to withstand the enemy. It is then alfo that we are fealed with the Lord's fignature, marked, as it were, for God's fheep, and fo fecured from being stolen by robbers. Not ren ing of the Eucharift. This was the language of the primitive fathers, which they fupported by the example both of our Saviour and his Apostles. Our Lord himself, they observe, did not enter into the wilderness, the place of temptation, before he was prepared for it by the descent of the Spirit. And the Apostles, though endued with baptifmal grace, and though cheered and encouraged with their Master's prefence, were timorous and fearful, not daring to stand the leaft fhock or trial, till ftrengthened and confirmed by the Holy Ghoft: but from that inftant we find they were fearless and undaunted, not to be moved or fhaken from their faith by any apprehenfions either of prisons or death. §. 6. From this inftance of the Apostles we may alfo dered un- infer, that the want of the rite, of which we are now difneceffary by receiv- courfing, is by no means fupplied, as fome have imagined, by the miniftry of the holy Eucharift. This had been given to the Apostles by our Lord himself: and yet we fee their Confirmation was not afterwards the lefs neceffary, It is true, by the miniftry of the holy Eucharift, the Spirit of ghoftly strength is conveyed; and therefore in the times of primitive devotion, this bleffed Sacrament was daily administered, that those who would be fafe against their fpiritual enemies, might from hence be armed with fresh fupplies of the divine afliftance. But ftill we must remember, that the principal design of the holy Eucharift is to renew the work of preceding rites, to repair the breaches that the enemy has made, and to fupply fresh forces where the old ones fail. For this reafon the Sacrament of the Eucharift is to be often repeated, whereas Baptism and Confirmation are but once administered. But now this fhews that Confirmation (in the regular and ordinary adminiftration of it) is as much required to go before the Eucharift, as Baptifm is to precede either that or Confirmation. Upon which account (as I have already obferved 44) our church admits none to the Communion before Confirmation, unless neceffity requires it. And indeed it may as well be imagined, that because the Eucharift conveys re 44 Page 264. miffion |