Holy Ghoft to the Gentiles, the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch laid hands on them, thus folemnly feparating or fetting them apart for the work, Acts xiii. 3. &c. This was not ordination in the fenfe in which that word is now commonly used, the miniftry, nor a rite whereby the gifts of the Holy Ghost were communicated. Paul had been filled with the Holy Ghoft long before, Acts ix. 17. and there was no other apoftle, properly fo called, with the church. From the time of his converfion, he had been engaged in preaching the gospel, Acts ix. 22. 29. xi. 26. Gal. i. 17. and previous to the laying on of hands, he is reckoned among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch, A&ts xiii. 1. This then was merely a folemn defignation to a particular work which they fulfilled, Acts xiv. 26. When the deacons were appointed, the apoftles prayed and laid hands on them, A&ts vi. 6. thus ordaining or appointing them to the office *. We have no exprefs example for laying hands on the elders, but there is no doubt that it was practifed. The apoftle directs Timothy to lay hands fuddenly on no man, 1 Tim. v. 22. and as he had just been speaking of elders, it is plain he is alluding to their appointment..

There is certainly no good reason why, in the churches of the faints in our days, we should ordain

*The laying on of hands was not, it would appear, to communicate the Holy Ghoft. The deacons were to be men previ ously full of the Holy Ghoft, Acts vi. 3.

CHAPTER VIII.

OF ORDINATION.

WE have already noticed the unfcriptural

and pernicious distinction which has prevailed between clergy and laity. To preferve this diftinction, the term ordination, frequently used in Scripture, has been much mifapplied. In the word of God, to ordain means in general to appoint. We find in the New Teftament it was common to lay hands on a person appointed to a particular office or work. This was probably derived from the Old Teftament. Mofes laid his hand on Joshua, his fucceffor. Laying on of hands was not however confined to appointing to an office. It was obferved alfo in healing the fick, Acts xxviii. 8. and in communicating the Holy Ghoft by the apoftles*:

When Paul and Barnabas were fent by the

* It should feem that laying on hands was an ancient practice, not only among the Hebrews, but alfo in Greece, when bleffings were pronounced, or prayers offered respecting the perfons on whom hands were laid. Xenophon fays that Abradates, λίγων αυτης της κεφαλης, touching or laying his hands on the head of Panthea, his wife, and looking up to heaven, prayed, O great Jupiter, grant me to appear worthy of such a wife, and of fuch a friend as Cyrus.' Cyri Inftitut. edit. Hutchinson,

Holy Ghoft to the Gentiles, the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch laid hands on them, thus folemnly feparating or fetting them apart for the work, A&ts xiii. 3. &c. This was not ordination in the fenfe in which that word is now commonly used, the miniftry, nor a rite whereby the gifts of the Holy Ghost were communicated. Paul had been filled with the Holy Ghost long before, Acts ix. 17. and there was no other apoftle, properly fo called, with the church. From the time of his converfion, he had been engaged in preaching the gofpel, Acts ix. 22. 29. xi. 26. Gal. i. 17. and previous to the laying on of hands, he is reckoned among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch, A&ts xiii. 1. This then was merely a folemn defignation to a particular work which they fulfilled, Acts xiv. 26. When the deacons were appointed, the apoftles prayed and laid hands on them, Acts vi. 6. thus ordaining or appointing them to the office *. We have no exprefs example for laying hands on the elders, but there is no doubt that it was practifed. The apoftle directs Timothy to lay hands fuddenly on no man, 1 Tim. v. 22. and as he had just been speaking of elders, it is plain he is alluding to their appointment..

There is certainly no good reason why, in the churches of the faints in our days, we fhould ordain.

*The laying on of hands was not, it would appear, to communicate the Holy Ghoft. The deacons were to be men previ→→ ously full of the Holy Ghoft, Acts vi. 3.

elders by laying on of hands, and not ordain deacons in the fame way. Laying hands on one, and not on the other, fofters the common prejudice that elders are ordained men, and deacons not fo; whereas, in fact, there is no difference between them, except in the offices to which they are appointed.

Some would fet afide laying on of hands altogether, as being connected with the communication of the Holy Ghoft; but this was only communicated by the laying on of the apoftles' hands.. Yet the prefbytery laid hands on Timothy *. It is evident that laying on of hands was used in feparating men to the miniftry in the primitive apoftolic churches. It was not confined to occafions on which the Holy Ghoft was conferred. It was used in ordaining elders and deacons, whorequired only the ordinary gifts. There is nothing in the word of God fetting afide this usage..

* His charge was committed to him according to the prophecies that went before of him, Tim. i. 1S. Hence the gift is faid to be bestowed on him by prophecy, ch. iv. 14. Paul laid his hands on him, and communicated to him the gift neceffary for the work in which he was to be engaged, 2 Tim. i. 6, and he was befides fet apart to his office by the laying on of the hands of the prefbytery, 1 Tim. iv. 14. It is not faid that the gift of the Spirit was conferred on him dia by or through the inftrumentali ty of the laying on the hands of the prefbytery, as he affirms was the cafe in laying his own hands on him, 2 Tim. i. 6. but it was given him by prophecy. μera, with the laying on the hands of the prefbytery. The impofition of their hands in fetting him apart to the miniftry, accompanied, or was added to the impofi

It ought therefore to be observed, where this can be done, according to the example given us in Scripture.

Laying on of hands appears a folemn and proper mode of defignation. The act itself may be indifferent, fo is kneeling in prayer; but there are many bodily acts which, from cuftom, obtain a fignificant meaning, and it seems improper to change them when fanctioned by the word of God. The laying on of hands with prayer, is a fcripture usage in the cafe of bleffing and of devoting, or fetting things or perfons apart to any service or work of God to which he appoints or calls them, and can therefore be used after revelation is perfected, and after the extraordinary gifts and figns are ceased. But it is wholly without foundation in Scripture, to make the being of church officers, or of a Chriftian church, to depend upon fuch a declarative ceremony. All that can be faid of fuch an usage is, that it ought not to be neglected where it can be done, as we ought to pray standing, or kneeling, or proftrate on the ground, and lifting up our hands; but it would be odd to say that a Christian cannot, and must not pray at all, when he is not able to put him felf in fuch postures *.

Ordination is at this day confidered by many as conferring an indelible character †. Although,

* Glas.

Wickliffe rejected this indelibility. Vide Dial. lib. IV.