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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61900	Of confirmation a sermon preach'd at St. Benedict Grace-Church, March 14th, 1693, the day on which the Right Reverend Father in God, Henry, Lord Bishop of London, confirmed there / by Philip Stubs ...	Stubs, Philip, 1665-1738.	1693 (1693)	Wing S6078; ESTC R14889	15,679	42

any Office of the Church by some outward Gift for the Conversion or Edification of others had only some outward shew passed upon them for the greater Evidence of the inward Gifts of the Spirit of Grace Gratiae gratum facientis This in short then I take to be the Sence of our Church in this Matter That the Holy Ghost is given us in this Ordinance not to make us able to prophesie to speak with Tongues or the like But to know the Word and to do the Will of God as well as we can To which Purpose that I may conclude this Head hear what St. Austin said long ago against the Donatists De Bapt. contra Donatist lib. 3. cap. 16. Neque enim temporalibus sensibilibus miraculis per Manus Impositionem c. The Spirit which is now given by Imposition of Hands is not attested by temporal and sensible Miracles as it was at first for the Commendation of our Faith while 't was young and to enlarge the Beginnings of the Church For who expects now That those on whom Hands are laid for receiving the Holy Ghost should presently begin to speak with Tongues But yet the Divine Love is understood to be secretly and invisibly inspired into their Hearts by the Bond of Peace which enables them to say The Love of God is spread abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Spirit that is given us The Consequence of which will be That we ought not any of us to despise Confirmation because 't is not attended with miraculous Gifts which have ceased above 1200 Years ago since though it imparts no Gifts to us now yet it may be the means of communicating such Graces as may enable us to perform our Duty and practise it to the obtaining of Eternal Life which is far better As for those therefore who would have Confirmation now wholly laid aside as not according to the Example of the Apostles because in the Infancy of the Church the Holy Ghost was in some Cases miraculously bestowed by such Imposition of Hands which ought not for good Reasons to be expected now See Falkner 's Libertas Ecclesiastica Book II. Chap. 4. §. 2. They may as well 't is thought assert that the Imposition of Hands for Ordination is not continued in the Church from the Example of the Apostles because then the Holy Ghost was sometimes extraordinarily given thereby or that our Praying and Preaching is not a doing that for which we have the Apostles for an Example because we cannot by them expect we do not any where find amongst those that pretend chiefly to the Spirit such wonderful Gifts as sometimes were conferred under the Apostles Doctrine and by their Prayer But 2dly If the Rite of Imposition of Hands in Confirmation is to be perpetual Our next Enquiry must be where or with whom the Power of thus Laying on the Hands is lodg'd The Presbyterians all say With the Priests We of the Church of England unanimously With the Bishops and that for this Reason amongst others Because the Dignity of their Office chiefly gives Authority to bless according to that Rule of the Apostle without all contradiction The Less is blessed of the Greater Heb. 7.7 Which Reason as it was back'd by that early notable Example of St. Peter's and St. John's Mission from Jerusalem to Samaria to confirm those whom St. Philip had baptiz'd but could not confirm made this Custom so prevail in the Church L'Estrange his Alliance of Divine Offices chap. 9. p. 258. That we are told there cannot be produc'd any authentick Testimony out of Ecclesiastical History where a mere Presbyter presumed to exercise the Office of confirming which was ever in the Primitive Church reserved to the Bishop alone This I might largely prove out of Antiquity particularly that known Place of St. Cyprian Cypr. Ep. ad Jubaianum de Bapt. haereticis Qui in Ecclesia Baptizantur Praepositis Ecclesiae offeruntur c. Those that are Baptized in the Church are presented to the Bishops to be confirmed Vt per nostram orationem ac manus Impositionem Spiritum sanctum consequantur That by our Prayers and Imposition of Hands they may receive the Holy Ghost But I must hasten to my Third Head remarking this by the Way That whether the Power of Confirmation be lodg'd with Bishop or Priest we of this Church are certainly in the right which our Dissenting Brethren may not be For if those only can Confirm who are called to the Office of a Bishop as the Primitive Writers generally affirm conformable to the Practice of the Catholick Church we have such Bishops amongst us whilst they confessedly have not If Priests may do it our Bishops are by the Confession of them all Lawful Priests in the Church of God So that the Case stands thus betwixt us If Priests may confirm we have such as well as they by their own Concession If Bishops only as most but themselves hold we have them whilst they have not But now in pleading for Confirmation by Bishops only I would not be thought as some slanderously insinuate we of the Church do endeavour to make it a Sacrament nay set it above either of the Sacraments instituted by our Blessed Saviour because we allow a Deacon to officiate in the Lord's Supper and a Priest to Baptize but only a Bishop forsooth can confirm No in this we only follow the Institution and Practice of the Catholick Church which reserv'd Solemn Benedictions as Acts of Paternal Authority to the Bishops alone but are so far from holding Confirmation a Sacrament That we expressly say Art 25th of the Church of England Those Five commonly called Sacraments in the Church of Rome viz. Confirmation Penance Orders Extream Unction and Matrimony are not such for that they have not any outward visible sign or Ceremony ordained of God as Tokens of inward and spiritual Grace thereby conferred And the Papists must suffer us to beg their Pardon if we reject the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or anointing Oyl made use of by them in Confirmation as an outward visible Sign c. which yet we confess was anciently used in Baptism and in Confirmation too as a Ceremony only together with the Box on the Ear which the Bishop gives the confirmed Party the Binding of the Forehead for Seven Days after and Abundance other Legerdemain Tricks foolishly and superstitiously brought into this Religious Performance by them till we have as express Warrant from Scripture or Reason for them as we have for Imposition of Hands which they have irreverently I may say Sacrilegiously thrown out of this Office but we have restor'd since the Reformation to its Primitive Vsage Nor do we allow this Imposition of Hands to be a sacramental Sign of pardoning and satisfying Grace as Water Bread and Wine are in the Sacraments properly so called and which are Means of conveying that Grace unto us But we look upon that Ceremony here used only V.

Printing of our Common-Prayer Book they have prohibited the Administration of it to all under Seven at least Minori septennio Confirmationis Sacramentum nemini praebeatur Conc. Mediol I. Cap. Quae pertinent ad Sacramenti Confirmat administrationem I am glad I confess to see a Church that boasts so much of her Antiquity doth not think her self yet too old to learn Quare si duodecimus annus non expectandus videatur usque ad septimum certe annum differre maxime convenit Catechism ad Paroechos Cap. de Confirmatione But she has not reached the Prudence of our Constitution for all that There being some at Seven nay at Twelve which is thought early enough by some what through difference of Education want of natural Parts and other the like Impediments are as uncapable of answering the End and Design of Confirmation as others are at Five Our Church therefore by requiring that Persons to be confirm'd should be of a competent Age leaves it to the Care of Ministers Parents God-fathers Masters or other Trustees That they recommend none to the Bishop but such as are of Years of Discretion enough be they older or younger to make a Renunciation of the Devil the Pomps and Vanities of the World with all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and can give a tolerable account of the Creed the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments and the Sacraments Those therefore who bring or send any to Confirmation who can only say their Catechism by Rote and are not duly qualified as has been said though they mean well in the main I don't doubt yet they must be look'd upon as such who grossly abuse their Charge and expose this Holy Institution to the just Scoffs of the Enemy who will be sure to brand it upon this Account as a ridiculous useless Ceremony 2dly As Persons desirous of Confirmation must be of a competent Age so be they never so old they should not be confirmed twice 'T is a pious Errour I verily believe in a great many who thinking they can't have the Blessing of a Holy Man too often follow the Bishop almost wheresoever he goes But such are to be acquainted since 't is hardly possible to avoid the Impracticableness of its Reiteration in populous Cities that there is no more need of a Second Confirmation than there is of a Second Baptism 3dly The last Qualification of Persons to be confirmed is That they come with Devotion and Reverence not for Fashion's Sake or Company 's Sake only as I fear is the Case of too many They who come to Confirmation should be as much in earnest as if they were going to the Holy Sacrament or were even upon their Death-Beds See the Interrogation and Answer in the Office of Confirmation For when they answer all I do to the Bishop's Question who asks them Whether they will now release their God-fathers and God-mothers from the Vow they took in their Names and take it now in Person They solemnly promise the utmost Diligence and endeavour in their Christian Warefare the Breach of which he will most grievously punish in the negligent but to the rest will afford such Strengthening Grace as may enable them to overcome the Powers of Darkness and gain that immortal Prize the Crown of Glory which he has laid up for all them who shall fight a good Fight and finish their Course by continuing faithful to the End Having thus explain'd to you at large the Nature of Confirmation told you who only has Authority to confirm set down the Benefits of it and hinted at the Qualifications of such as are desirous of them Give me leave before I dismiss you to present you in Miniature with an exact Representation of the whole according to the exactest Model of the Excellent Erasmus Who in his Wishes for a more useful Confirmation than that in the Church of Rome many Years ago seems methinks prophetically as it were to describe what we shall see perform'd here this Afternoon His Words are to this Purpose in his larger Preface to his Annotations on the new Testament Aguntur nunc in Templis quibusdam Comediae de Christo resurgente c. Erasm Roterodam Pio Lect. You shall see saith he now Comedies acted in some Churches meaning those under the Papal Jurisdiction of the Resurrection of Christ of his Ascension to Heaven of his sending the Holy Ghost and the like But how magnificent would this Spectacle be To hear the Voice of many Youths dedicating themselves to Jesus Christ of many Striplings taking their Oath of Allegiance to him at the Hands of the Bishop To see these new Christians that carry their General 's Mark in their Foreheads which they received at the sacred Laver renouncing the World which all lies in Wickedness abjuring and hissing at the Devil with all his Pomps Pleasures and Works and to hear the Voice of the rest of the Multitude applauding and wishing well to these young Soldiers of Christ And let us who have been already confirm'd so heartily wish well to them all that we may at the same time look well to our selves who are every one of us equally concern'd in the Business of the Day Our Church having appointed Confirmation as well as Baptism to be administred Publickly that her several Members may have frequent opportunities of being put in mind of those Vows which God knows the best of us are too prone to forget That we may then all of us improve this favourable one to our great Advantage Let me conclude the whole Discourse with a Word of Advice to every one of you here present As well to you who are already confirmed as you who shall be by and by in the incomparable Exhortation of the Greek Church to her Catechumens when they promise to become Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 factà a Pariarchâ congregatis Catchumenis in Euchol Graecorum Edit Goar p. 342. The Bonds are now seal'd and Christ has receiv'd them who is in Heaven Mind your Promises and fulfil your Engagements which will be openly produc'd at the Day of Judgment Take heed ye blush not at Christ's dreadful Tribunal where all the Powers of Heaven tremble and all Mankind stands to be judg'd Where the Devil will be present to accuse you saying Lord this Wretch in word renounced me at thy Altar before the Bishop other thy Ministers and the whole Congregation but in Deed was my Servant Then Angels shall sigh and Holy Men bewail their Misery But Father nor Mother cannot help you Brethren and Friends will not own you but every Man shall be naked and destitute Consider therefore and provide for your own Safeties in this Life that ye may be all happy in the Next Which God of his infinite Mercy grant c. To whom with the Son and the Holy Ghost Trinity in Vnity and Vnity in Trinity be ascribed by the whole World all possible Adoration Honour and Glory As it was in the Beginning is now and ever shall be World without End Amen FINIS Books Printed for Henry Bonwicke at the Red-Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard THE General History of the Reformation of the Church written in Latin by John Sleidan faithfully Englished To which is added a Continuation to the End of the Council of Trent by E. Bohun Esquire in Folio Two Useful Cases resolved 1. Whether a Certainty of being in a State of Salvation be attainable 2. What is the Rule by which this Certainty is to be attain'd 4º A Sermon Preached at the Funeral of the Reverend Mr. John Culme Vicar of Knowstone and Molland in Devon By Lewis Southcomb Rector of Rose-Ash Of Publick Baptism A Sermon Preached before the Lord Mayor c. at Guild-Hall-Chapel Nov. 20th 1692. By Philip Stubs A. M. A Discourse proving from Scripture and Reason that the Life of Man is not limited by any absoute Decree of God By the Author of the Duty of Man c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or Hope and Peace In a Letter to a Person troubled in Mind who though a Vertuous Lady yet laboured under the great Scrupulosities Doubts and Fears and some uneasie Degrees of Desparation By a Divine of the Church of England 12o. The Art of Catechising or the Compleat Catechist in Four Parts 1. The Church-Catechism resolved into easie Questions 2. An Exposition of it in a continued full and plain Discourse 3. The Church-Catechism resolved into Scripture-Proofs 4. The Whole Duty of Man fitted for the meanest Capacities the weakest Memories the plainest Teachers and the most Uninstructed Learners