Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A32800
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Of Episcopal confirmation in two discourses / by B. Camfield.
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Camfield, Benjamin, 1638-1693.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing C381; ESTC R14520
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52,623
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130
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the Church the Metropolitical or Mother-Church which was at Jerusalem as it follows verse 22. they sent forth Barnabas one of their own Number to help assist and confirm them in these good Beginnings And how he demeaned himself among them the Text acquaints us Who when he was come and had seen the Grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of Heart they would cleave unto the Lord. You see then the Occasion of the Words and the Persons concerned in them The Speaker St. Barnabas the Apostle A good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith as we have his Character verse 24. And the Hearers the Neophites or young Converts at Antioch unto whom he was sent from the Church at Jerusalem to confirm them in their Christianity And then you cannot but observe 1. How he was affected upon the joyful sight of their hopeful Beginning And 2. How he endeavored to strenthen and encourage them unto an answerable perseverance according to the same First How he was affected upon the very sight of their hopeful Beginnings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who when he was come and had seen the Grace of God was glad When he was come and had seen the Grace of God The Grace of God he means in calling them by his Gospel and adding them to his Church The Grace of God conspicuous in their believing and turning unto the Lord turning from Idols and Lusts to serve the Living and true God This was that which affected our Apostle with great Joy to behold so many partakers of the Word of God's Grace and devoting themselves upon it to the Profession and Practice of Christianity For otherwise than in Profession and Practice Grace is a thing invisible and not to be seen by any Now this is the longing and delight of all good Men especially of the Faithful Ministers of Christ Their Love to him their Master and their Love to Souls the purchase of his Blood makes this sight pleasant and transporting to them St. Paul therefore calls the Philippians His dearly beloved his Joy and Crown ch 4.1 And tells the Collossians that though he was absent in Body yet he was with them in Spirit joying and beholding their Order and the stedfastness of their Faith in Christ ch 2.5 And St. John writes unto the Elect Lady That He rejoyced greatly that he found her Children walking in the Truth 2 Ep. verse 4. And to his Host Gaius 3 Ep. verse 3 and 4. That he rejoyced greatly when the Brethren came and testified of the Truth that was in him and that he had no greater Joy than to hear that his Children meaning his Disciples and followers walked in the Truth that is according to the Gospel which is call'd both Grace and Truth Here we may borrow the Psalmist's Exclamation Ecce quam bonum quam jucundum Behold how good and how joyful a thing it is Psal 133. To see a Society of Regular Christians combined together in the Bonds of Faith and Amity and walking orderly in the Fear of God and Love unto all men but more especially each unto other thus holding forth the Beauty of the word of Life in their Conversations and maintaining the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace How ravishing a Shew this is Erasmus in his Preface before his Paraphrase on St. Matthew having recommended unto Novices the solemn Renewal of their Baptismal Covenant by an open and publick Profession thereof which is the thing we do at Confirmation adds upon it Quam verò magnificum esset hoc Spectaculum c. How magnificent and glorious a Spectacle would this be to hear the Voice of so many Young ones dedicating themselves to Jesus Christ of so many Beginners engaging themselves by Oath of Fidelity to him swearing into his Words to believe and obey them renouncing the World which lieth all in Wickedness abjuring and hissing in a manner at the Devil with all his Pomps and Pleasures and Works To see these new Christians bearing the Sign of their Emperor the Captain of their Salvation on their Foreheads To behold the goodly Company of these Canditates coming up from the Holy Laver and to hear the Voice of the Multitude of Adult Christians congratulating and wishing well to them And Oh that we had continual Matter and Occasion for such Divine Joy as this And not rather of having our Souls grieved and vexed with Righteous Lot's by the graceless and wicked Behaviour of those among whom we live 2 St. Pet. 2.7 8. Or of Lamenting with Holy David because men keep not God's Laws Paul 119.136 because of such whom St. Paul speaks of to the Philippians with Tears in his Eyes ch 3.18 19. The Enemies of the Cross of Chris◠whose End is Destruction whose God is their Belly whose Glory is their Shame who mind Earthly things May we all with Barnabas see more of the Grace of God in our People that we also may rejoyce and be glad in and for it And now that this Joy of his might be prolonged he proceeds Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Exhort them all with purpose of Heart to cleave unto the Lord which is the principle thing I have my Eyes at present upon He encouraged them to hold on as they had begun to abide by their own Choice and as they had received Christ Jesus the Lord so to walk in him Collos 2.6.7 rooted and built up and established in the Faith persevereingly Perseverantèr adhaerere Domino Erasm Annot. ex animo liberâ voluntate Id. propenso corde Vatab. firmo proposito Grot. non frididè nec simulatè sed sincero ardenti studio Beza to adhere to that Lord and Religion which they had embraced and this heartily and with a free will with a ready mind with a firm and steddy purpose not coldly or feignedly but with Sincerity and Fervor of Endeavor with Deliberation and Resolution of Heart that is as the Hebrews are wont to express it with the whole Heart or with all the Heart and Soul and so the Syriac and Arabic Interpreters here phrase it In a word cordially and stedfastly to hold fast unto Christ Three points I design by God's Help to speak briefly unto in the handling of these words 1. What is included in the Duty it self here press'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cleave unto the Lord. 2 What farther in the manner of performance recommended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with purpose of Heart And then 3. What Arguments or Motives we may suppose the Apostle to have made use of to enforce this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Exhortation of his to them all That with purpose of Heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Of which now in Order And First of the General Expression of the Duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cleave unto the Lord. The Greek word signifies to abide by or continue with that is to hold on and persevere the Disciples and
Apostles So in the necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian man p. 42. For as much as it hath been a solemn ancient and laudable custom in the Church of God continued from the Apostles time So in King James's Canons Can. 60. I have purposely omitted to instance further in S. Paul and Barnabas and others visiting several Churches and confirming the Souls of the Disciples in them exhorting them to continue in the Faith and with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord Acts 11.23 14.22 15.32 Because we have not the like express mention there of any imposition of hands though it may be we might with probability enough suppose it These Instances now of Apostolical Practice do give light unto Heb. 6. and receive further light from what we have before us in the Text where after the mention of the doctrine of Baptisms we find Laying on of hands Nempe Episcoporum in confirmatione Neophytorum saith Anselm viz. of Bishops in the confirmation of new Disciples Imposition of hands saith S. Chrysostom whereby they received the Holy Ghost And Theophylact in like manner referring particularly to the story of S. Paul's laying on his hands upon them at Ephesus Acts 19. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 9. in Ep. ad Hebr. By Imposition of hands saith S. Ambrose it is believed that the Spirit may be received which is wont to be done after Baptism by the Bishop for the Confirmation of Unty in the Church Whereunto may be anâ—â—â—ed the 38th Caâ—ranze â—â—â—ma â—â—bert â—oncil and 77th Canâ—â— of the Council of Eliberis or Elvira about the time of Pope Sylvester the first * 〈◊〉 Aâ—â— 316. which require the Bishop should persect or confirm by his Benediction those who had not been baptized in his presence â—irca A.D. 200. And Tertullian long before having spoken of Baptism adds Dehinc manus imponitur per benedictionem De Baptismo c. 6. 8 advocans invitans Spiritum Sanctum Then afterwards the hand is laid on by way of Benediction Id de Resurrect Carn c. 8. calling to and inviting down the Holy Spirit And again saith he in another place The Flesh is washed that the Soul may be without spot the Flesh is anointed that the Soul may be consecrated the Flesh is signed that the Soul also may be defended the Flesh is overshadowed by the Imposition of hands that the Soul also may be illuminated by the Spirit c. And the same way the generality of modern Interpreters whatever have been their practice still inclines I will instance in some of greatest name and eminence among the Reformed and Protestant Churches the rather because this Rite of Confirmation hath been unhappily decried and declamed against as a Relique of Popish Superstition to be abandoned and rejected by us The Apostle saith Calvin on the place calls the solemn Rites or stated days of Baptizing by the name of Baptisms and he joyns Imposition of hands with Baptism because as there were two Orders of Catechumens so there was a double ceremony For those without the Church did not come to Baptism before they had made Confession of their Faith in these therefore Catechism was wont to precede But the children of the faithful because adopted from the womb and by right of promise belonging to the Church were baptized Infants but their Infancy being past after they were instructed in the Faith they did also offer themselves to Catechism which was in them after Baptism but then another symbol was added namely Imposition of hands This one place therefore saith he doth abundantly testifie ☜ that the original of this Ceremony flowed from the Apostles though afterwards it was turned into Superstition as the World doth commonly degenerate from the best Institutions to Corruptions Let us therefore know saith he that it was instituted by the first Authors to be a solemn Rite of Prayer as S. De Baptismo l. 3. c. 16. Augustine also calls it They designed indeed by this symbol to approve the Confession of Faith made by Youth but thought of nothing less than to rend asunder the force of Baptism Wherefore the pure Institution is this day to be retained but the Superstition to be corrected And this place thus understood makes for the approbation of Infant Baptism For why saith he should that Doctrine be called in some the Doctrine of Baptisms and in others of Laying on of hands but that these later were instructed in the Faith after Baptism so that nothing else was remaining but to lay hands upon them And again in his Book of Institutions This was the custom of old saith he that the children of Christians Lib. 4. c. 19. § 4. after they were grown up were presented before the Bishop to fulfill that Office which was required of the Adult at their Baptism for these sate among the Catechumens till being duly instructed in the mysteries of Faith they were able to make a Confession of the same before the Bishop and People They were examined by the Bishop according to a certain and common form of Catechism which they then had ☞ and that this action which otherwise deservedly ought to be grave and holy might have the more reverence and honour the Ceremony of Imposition of hands was also added And thus the Child by his Faith being approved was dismiss'd with a solemn benediction Of this custom saith he the Ancients do often make mention Such an Imposition of hands therefore saith he as is done barely in the room of Benediction I commend and would this day restored to a pure use And then again § 5 c. after a passionate Invective against the Corruptions of the Romanists who had defaced the substance of the thing and instead of a true Confirmation introduced a feigned Sacrament he concludes with most earnest desires for the restitution of the primitive Right in such words as these But I would to God that we retained the custom which I intimated to have been among the Ancients § 13. before this Abortive Counterfeit of a Sacrament was brought forth Thus far Mr. Calvin The Apostle saith Beza numbers up five heads of Catechism viz. the profession of amendment of Life i.e. repentance from dead works the summ of faith concerning God the compendious explication of Doctrine that was wont to be delivered to the unlearned especially at Baptism and the Imposition of hands i. e. saith he when they met together to baptize Infants or Adult persons and also when they came together to impose hands upon any the Head of the resurrection of the dead and of the future judgment And in his shorter notes he calls them The Heads of Catechism which contain indeed the chief matters of all Evangelical Doctrine but were delivered in few words and summarily to the unlearned viz. the profession of repentance and faith towards God The Articles of which Doctrine as they are called were indeed required