A47585:279
Laying on of hands upon baptized believers, as such, proved an ordinance of Christ…
Laying on of hands upon baptized believers, as such, proved an ordinance of Christ in answer to Mr. Danvers's former book entitled, A treatise of laying on of hands : with a brief answer to a late book called, A treatise concerning laying on of hands, written by a nameless author / by B.K. ...Laying on of hands upon baptized believers, as such, proved an ordinance of Christ in answer to Mr. Danvers's former book intituled, A treatise of laying on of hands : with a brief answer to a late book called, A treatise concerning laying on of hands, written by a nameless author / by B.K. ...
London : Printed, are to be sold by Benj. Harris ..., 1698
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Laying on of Hands UPON BAPTIZED BELIEVERS, As such, Proved both fr… › Chapter 7
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
As to the point of Antiquity, tho 'tis granted the Ancients, and their Followers ever since, have erred not only in the Subject, but in divers Circumstances ⟨p. 93⟩about this Rite of Imposition of hands, yet in-as-much as there has been all along such a witness born to the thing it self, it makes for its Apostolicalness, and confirms our Practice therein. Now take his Answer to it: It doth not appear (saith he) that such a Witness hath been born all along thereto for Mr. Baxter ingenuously acknowledges that Justin Martyr, Ireneus, and others in those times are silent about it, &c. And those Authorities that are pretended to assert the same in the first Centuries, have been proved to be spurious and supposititious. 2ly. That pretence of ancient Prescription, without the Word of God to warrant it, can never justify the Divine Authority of any Practice.
As to the point of Antiquity, tho 'tis granted the Antients, and their Followers ever since, have erred not only in the Subject, but in divers Circumstances ⟨p. 93⟩about this Rite of Imposition of hands, yet in-as-much as there has been all along such a witness born to the thing it self, it makes for its Apostolicalness, and confirms our Practice therein. Now take his Answer to it: It doth not appear (saith he) that such a Witness hath been born all along thereto for Mr. Baxter ingenuously acknowledges that Justin Martyr, Ireneus, and others in those times are silent about it, &c. And those Authorities that are pretended to assert the same in the first Centuries, have been proved to be spurious and supposititious. 2ly. That pretence of antient Prescription, without the Word of God to warrant it, can never justify the Divine Authority of any Practice.
Answ. 1. We fully agree with him, viz. whatever is found in ancient Prescriptions concerning this, or any Practice, signifies nothing, if God's Word doth not witness to it: But having such evident proof from God's Word to warrant this Precept, we never judged it worth while to search into Authors concerning it; neither should we have cited any now, had we not been forced by our Opposers. And as to what he says concerning Mr. Baxter's ingenuous Confession, that Justin Martyr and Ireneus are both silent about it, it signifies very little; for first, we have nothing but Mr. Baxter's say-so for it, who may be has overlooked some places of these Authors, or probably not met with all their Works. But,