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HE B. VI. 2.

Laying on of Hands.

THIS Impofition of Hands was made Use

of,

I. In the Old Teftament.

1. In Benediction, Gen. xlviii. 14, 15.

2. In Confecration, Numb. xxvii. 18. Deut. xxxiv. 9.

II. In the New.

1. In Benediction, Mark x. 16.
2. In Abfolution.

1. From Bodily Diseases, Mark vi. 5. Mark
xvi. 18. Acts xxviii. 8.

2. From Sin. Hence in the Primitive Church all Penitents or Converts from Sin and Herefy were received into the Church by Impofition of Hands. 3. In Confecration of Perfons to Ecclefiaftical Offices, Acts vi. 6. c. xiii. 3. 1 Tim.iv. 14. 2 Tim. i. 6.

4. In Confirmation, or Strengthening Perfons baptized with the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost, Acts viii, 14, 15, 17. cap. xix. 5, 6.

And although in the Text, Laying on of Hands, may be understood in general of that Rite ufed upon all thefe Accounts; yet it is acknowledged

by

by moft, to be understood here of Confirmation, because it is put after Baptism.

1. This is a Cuftom that was always retained in the Church.

Caro alluitur, ut Anima emaculetur; Caro fignatur, ut Anima miniatür; Caro Manus impofitione adumbratur, ut Anima Spiritu illuminetur. Tertull.

Ut ad eos qui longe in minoribus Urbibus per Presbyteros & Diaconos baptizati funt, Epifcopus ad Invocationem Spiritus Sancti Manus impofiturus excurrat. Hieron.

Δεν φωτιζομένες μετὰ τὸ βάπλισμα χρἴεπαι χρίσματι Tevi. They who are baptized, ought after Baptifm to be confirmed, Syn. Laod. c. 48. For Confirmation in thofe Days was ordinarily called Unction

2. All Churches in the World agree in the Subftance of it; Papifts, Proteftants, Presbyterians's Independents, Huguenots, Greek, Latin.

3. None ought to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper till he be confirmed, and fo ftand upon his own Bottom; it being by this, that they were always believed to receive the Holy Ghoft, by which alone they are made compleat Chriftians, capable of all the Privi leges of the Gospel.

USE.

I. To all that have been Godfathers or God mothers: Bring the Children to Confirmation, that fo you may be discharged of your Truft.

H. To

II. To thofe that have not been confirmed: Fit your felves for it.

III. To those that are confirmed: Live as those who are no longer Babes, but Men, in Christ.

1. Firm in your Faith, Eph. iv. 14. 1 Cor.

xiv. 20.

2. Conftant in your Obedience, I Cor. xvi. 13. Eph. vi. 10.

Јони

O HN XIV. I.

•Te believe in God.

HE Creed is General, Matt. xxviii. 19.

TH

I Believe in God.

This runs through the whole Creed, We believe every Article of it.

Quelt. 1. What is it to believe?

Πιες ἐςὶν ἑκέσθ ς ψυχῆς συγκατάθεσις. Theodoret.

It is the Affenting fully to a Truth as attested by another.

We affent to fome Things:

1. Because we perceive them to be fo by our Sense; as, Snow white, Ice cold, Fire hot. This is Experience.

2. Because evident of it felf to our Underftanding; as, that totum eft majus fuâ Partes 3. Be

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3.

Becaufe demonftrated by Reafon. And is properly Science, Scire eft per Caufas

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fuas fcire. Arift.

4. Because it is attefted by another. This is properly Faith; which is,

1. Humane, relying upon an humane Teftimony; by which we believe many Things which we never faw. John iv. 39.

But this is fallible.

2. A divine Faith, grounded upon the infallible Teftimony of God himself, 1 John V. 9. Rom. iii. 4.

This is more certain than what we affent unto from Senfe and Reafon. For God is fo wife, that he cannot be deceived; and fo holy, that he cannot deceive, Tit. i. 2.

Hence Faith is a full Perfwasion of the Truths afferted by God.

Пéлнσμ, Rom. viii. 38.

Πεποιθώς αυ]ό τόπο, Phil. i. 6.

Hence called Пiss.

To this agrees St. Paul's Defcription, 'Es Πιες ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόςασις πραγμάτων ἔλεγχθ ε βλεπο ivov. Heb. xi. i.

Queft. 2. What is it to believe in God?

The Latins diftinguish between Credere Deo and

in Deum.

Quid eft credere in Deum? Credendo amare, credendo deligere. Aug.

Ille credit in Chriftum, qui & fperat in Chriftum, diligit Chriftum. Id.

But the Greeks make no Difference; for St. Bafil explains Пsdouer is

by Πισομεν καὶ ὁμολογέμων ἀγαθὸν Θεὸν.

or, in the Nicene Creed, ένα μόνον ἀληθινὸν καὶ

And

And they fay, Eis uiav dziar, redoxin x STO 50

λικὴν Εκκλησίαν.

להאמינו ביהוה

האמינו בנביאיו

2 Chron. XX. 20.

To believe in God here implieth,

1. Our Perfwafion and full Affurance of God's Exiftence and Glory, Heb. xi. 6: And fo of the Truth of every Article.

2. Our publick Profeffion of it to the World, Rom. x. 8, 9.

This Confeffion is neceffary.

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1. Becaufe commanded, 1 Pet. iii. 15. And it is commanded, because it advances God's Glory.

2. There are Promifes made to it, Matt. x. 32, 33. Luke ix. 26.

3. The frequent Confeffion of our Faith, is an excellent Means to confirm both our felves and others in it.

Hence it hath been the conftant Practice of the Church in all Ages to repeat the Creed in publick Devotions.

Queft. 3. What Neceffity is there of our believing of this Article, That there is a God?

1. It is the Foundation of all our Faith; for
unless we believe in God, we can have no
divine Faith; that being grounded upon
the Teftimony of God.

2. It is the Foundation of all our Religion;
God being the only Object of all our Ser-
vices and Devotions. 1 Cor. XV. 17.
3. A firm Belief of this Article is the strongest
Check againft Sin, Gen. xxxix. 9. Pfal.
xxxix. 6, 7.

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4. It

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