Laying on of hands upon baptized believers, as such, proved an ordinance of Christ…

4. It cannot be meant here, because all the Church of the Hebrews, as well as that in Samaria, Acts 8. (and consequently all other Churches) had laid, or come under this Principle, as they ⟨p. 62⟩had laid Repentance, Faith, and Baptism, when they were Babes: Now, who can reasonably imagine, either that the whole Church of the Hebrews were Officers, or that Officers are Babes in Christ? That this is the Laying on of hands on baptized Believers, is easy to understand: 1. Because taught to Babes, Heb. 5.12. 2. Babes are capable, or meet subjects thereof. 3. Babes have need of it, as Children of Milk. 4. Babes we read were in the practice thereof, Acts 8. and 19.5. Because it belongs to them as such, and were at first taught it, Heb. 5. and 6.1, 2. this cannot be said of any other sort. I shall say no more, only add something out of Dr. Jer. Taylor, of Confirm. p. 45—48. full to our purpose, which considering the learning and worthiness of the Author, I judg may be useful; what he minds, take as followeth, speaking of Laying on of hands, called Confirmation: We have seen (saith he) the Original from Christ, the practice and exercise of it in the Apostles, and the first Converts in Christianity: what I shall now remark is, That this is established and passed into a Christian Doctrine; the Warranty for what I say, is Heb. 6.1. where the holy Rite of Confirmation, so called from the effects of this Administration, and expressed by the ritual part of it, Imposition of hands, is reckoned a fundamental Point; and here are six fundamental points of St. Paul's Catechism, which he laid as the Foundation, or beginning of the Institution of the Christian Church; and therefore they who deny it, dig up Foundations. Now that this Imposition of hands is what the Apostle used in confirming the Baptized, and invocating the Holy Spirit upon them, ⟨p. 63⟩