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Show 298 Part~3. or A CHRISTIAN 0541,42. this he did wining]; (though they were {0 prefented to him by Jofeph, as he was forced in doing it to fireteh out his arms acrdlE) to defign towhom he intended the greater bleiiino. So alfo in the {sacrificing of the Burnt offering, Aaron is commanded [Exod.29. 10.]to Lay bis Hand: on the bead qftb: bit/lock, and [ver.15.]to Lay 5/; Hand on ti}: beadaf t/tcr/tmmc. The fame is n him to Gods fervice,[Numb. 27. 2 3.] Laid In: Hand: upon him, g": alfo {aid again, Le-vit. 1.4.. 8: 8. 14. Likewife Mofes when he ordainedjofliua to be Captain ofthe Ifraelites, that is, confecrated and gave In»: his C/mrge, deiigning, and rendring certain, who it was they were to obey in war. And in the cont'ecration of the Levites [ZN/7725.8. 10.] God commanded that t/J: Children of Ifmcl [bait/d Put t/Jeierdr 11pm t1}: Lee/i135. And in the condemnation of him that had blafphemed the Lord [Lea/it. 24. 14.) God commanded that all that beard bimflimla' Lay their Hand; on his lmd, and 1/24: all the Congrrgatz'm flmzlzt' flow 11/772. And why ihould they only that heard him, Lay their Hands upon him, and not rather aPriefi, Levite, or other Minifier of Juitice, but that none elie were able to defign, and demoni‘trate to the eyes of the Congre- gation, whoit was that had blafphemed, and ought to die? And to defign aman, or any other thing, by the Hand to the Eye, is lcfle fubje€t to miflake , than when it is done to the Eare by a Name. _m ' AAMM" a" a!" , "g" ,Q‘ - A "J ".4 tE 3.1» V And (0 much was this ceremony obierved, thatin bleiling the whole Congregation at once , which cannot be done by Laying Part 3; C OMMON-WEAL TH." 6641)."; ‘mediarely before, verfe 3.) but to defign them to that Office. And after Philip the Deacon had converted certain perfons in Samaria Peter and john went down [ Ac? 8. 17. ] andLaz'd their Hands 0;: tlmn, malt/Jay received the H01} G/mfl. And not only an Apofile,but a Presbyter had this power: For S.Paul advifeth Timothy[ 1 Tm. 5.22.] Lay Harm's [uddmly on no 7mm, thAt is, defigne no man rafhly to the Office of a Paflor. The whole Presbytery Laid their Hands on Timorhy,as we read I Tim. 4. 14. but this is to be un- derfiood, as that fome did it by the appointmentof the Presbytery, and moft likely their Wes", or i'rolocutor, which it may be was St. Paul himfelf. For in his a Epifl. toT1m. ver. 6. he faith to him, Stirre up the gift of God mint/7 p'; in the, 6} 111:: Laying on of my Handy: where note by the way, that by the Holy Ghofl, is not meant the third Pcrlon in the Trinity, but the Gifts necef- fary to the Paftorall Office. We read alto, that St. Paul had Im- poiition of Hands twice, once from Ananias at Damalctis [Aflr 9. i7, 18.] at the time or his Baptiiine; and again[/1c7r13. 3.] at Antioch,when he was firit lent out to Preach. The ufe then of this ceremony coniidered in the Ordination of Paitors, was to de- fign the Perlon to whom they gave their l'ower. But if there had been then any Chriilian,that had had the Power of Teaching before; the Baptizing of him, that is, the making him a (, hriiiian, had given him no new Power, ,but had onely carried him to preach true Doctrine, that is, to uie his l'owcraright, and therefore the ImpoiitionofHands had been unneceilitry; Baptilmc it {elie had on of Hands, yet Aaron [Levin 9.22. ] dm' 1/ [HP bit? Hal/'2' Iowardr the people rp/am lie bit/jed them. And we read alfo oi‘tlie like ceremony of Confecration of Temples amongit the Heathen, been iiifiicient. But every Soveraign,betore (,hriilianity,hadthe power of 'I‘eachinggnd Ordaining Teachers-,and therefore Chrif'ti- as that the Prieit laid his Hands on tomepofi OlelC Temple , all of t'eavchin;v Truth~,and conlequtntly they needed no Impoiition of the while he was uttering the words of Conzecration. So naturall itis to defign any individuallthing, rather by the Hand , to allure the Eyes, than by Words toinform the Eare in matters or (sods Publique fervice. This ceremony was nOt therefore new in our Saviours time. For Jairus [Mark 5. 2 3.] whole daughter was lick, befought our Saviour (not to heal her,but ) to 4y ht; Ham's "pen her , Z/Id! flier wig/It be: [lea/rd. And [ Matt/.1. 19. 13. ] zlzry [rat/gr"! mm; lirm little children, t/Mt In: flM/l/d Put /)l:‘ Hit/id; (in 1/2072, M1, Pray. According to this ancient Rite, the Apoftlesgnd Preshvtc‘ the Presbytery it i-elf, Laid Hands on them whom Illc)"01Lli Paflors,and withall prayed {or them thatthey might recur;- t 38 Holy (:hofl, and that noronly once, but loii‘ietime; oitner,r9h;11 i new occafion was prefented: but the end was iiillthe tame , 1131sz 41 punétuall,and religious deiignation ot‘thc pt rlon,ordained €11ch I" the Paflorall Charge in general,or to a particui;1rM:flion. 11>[.1.~663"! Apofl/et Phl)'€d',di7dL41dlll€/T1/;17/615011 the {even Deacons; Which Was done, not to give-them the Holy Gliofimi‘orthcy \VCFC fullor the HOW Ghofl before they were choltn, as appeared; Im' t:__::t.}' anitygave them nont‘w Right, butonlydirected them in the wav Hands rbelidts that which is done in l'iaptiline ) to authorize them to exerciii- any pat-tot'the lr‘aitorall l'uuctronas namely,to Baptize, and (Vmificrate. And in the Old 'l‘ell'ament, though the Prieit only [and right to Confecrate,duringthe time thattheSoveraignty was in .he riislil'rit*li; yet it was not [1) when the Sovcrugnty wasin the King: Forw'e read [1 1x'1ngi8.] That Solomon blL'ilL'tl the People, Conttcrared the Temple , and pronounced that Publique l'raitr , which is the pattern now for Conlecration of all Chriflian Churches, and Chappels : whereby it appears, he had not only the right of Eccleliaflicall Uovernment, but .illo ot‘exerciling hCClClidllltlll Functions. Fromthis coniolidation of the Right POlltich, and Ecclefiav Thy Ci‘ui/l fliquein Ciitiflian Soveraigns, it is evident, theyhave all manner Mame?" {f of Pout-rover their Sulnzt‘ts,that can be given to man , for the "ff";"lfiff‘w government of men» externall actions, both in l'()l1Cy,:1ntl Religion; (‘22,?!) Hf," and may make iuch Laws,asthemieli'es Ihalljudge fitted, for the 0;," mm," government of their own Subjects, both as they are the Common- W, wealth, and as thcgyare theChurch : for bothbtate , and Church are the fame men, it |