The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-08-11

verts in Samaria, in the name of the
Lord Jesus.
BY this sign they had received the
Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of their
original sin. Thcy had become chill
dren of God simply by adoption.
AS yet they were only Jd6es in Christ.
In order to grow up into the measure
of the stature of the fulness of Christ"
in order to become men-in order to
be like unto Chrlst-and through Him,
Gods children by grace-they must re-
ence of Gods Holy Spirit operating in
their hearts and lives, and feed upon
the strong meat of the word and they
must be admitted to this privilege by
the laying on of hands of those whom
God had appointed. This is plain
case.
SO when the apostles which were at
Jerusalem heard that these Samaritans
had received the word of God by the
preaching of Philip, and had been bap-
tised by him, they sent unto them
Peter and John; who when they were
come down, prayed for them, and laid
their hands on them, and they received
the Holy Ghost"
Scriptures as Gods word, and our in
fallible guide, and they tell us that our
Savior taught His disciples concerning
all things pertaining to His Church
during the forty days lie sojourned
| with them previous to His ascension:
Since we believe the apostles they re-
| quired of and practiced with, their con-
Verts only those things for which Christ
gave them authority, because God has
recorded it for our example and guild
ance:
And since Confirmation, or the clay
ing on of hands," is one OF those things
mentioned as being required by them
as means whereby to receive special
grace for special purpose:
| May we not reasonably conclude that
Confirmation is as much required of us
as going to church, meeting for prayer,
reading the Bible, private prayer and
meditation, which are such grateful
sources of refreshment to the soul,
though they be not absolutely necessary
to salvation?
Must we not make use of all the
means of grace? Verify yes. We must
dig the wells, and If there is rocky gran
itc even, we must bore it.
If the well has ever so small bore,
the water will flow. God has told us
what wells we need to dig, and we
must dig them. Though it is not the
wells themselves remember that will be
the reward, but the water which by
their means flows to us.
God has told us too that we must sail
through the sea of His mercy and love
to the heaven of our happiness; and
though we cant command the winds to
carry us, we must set the sails.
But the Scriptures have been so tam
pered with, and Interpreted by men OF
reprobate minds, who are driven about
by every wind of doctrine, that the
world is full of that sort of people
"irhich creep into houses, and ieud cap
tire sWy aCOmen laden acih sins, ieG
avay tciM dicers lusts "Erer learning
and neuer able to come TO the knOWledg,
Of the truth," and that apostolic prac
tices are lost sight of in the dingy array
of modern novelties, which have sprung
!, up with modern organizations.
The men of these times are so prom
. to pin their faith to the opinions of tn,
bold declaimers who care more for thei
own glory than they do for the cause o
- Christ, that thegospel as interpreted b.
them is considered as full of inspiration
). as if Peter, or Paul, or John, had me
them in the way and told them tn,
mind of the Lord had changed since
4 the New Testament was first written
and they had been sent to revise it.
And so, Notwithstanding the scripture
is claimed to be an infallible guide anC
i has settled the question for US out o
|, respect to the various theories of differ
, ent systems conceived and brought fortl
more for the sake ofopposition to ROM
: than anything else, we must not onl,
4 bring to the rescue the historians O
I primitive ages, but the popular leader
!, Of more modern times.
| hot 10 A..
Confirmation we have heard what tn
+ Tertullian, who lived less than eight.
4 years after the apostle John, says:
~ after baptism, then he laying on Of hand
e ,giM benediction, inroking and calling upon n
Fifty years later, Cyprian traces bacl
v Confirmation to the apostles, and refer
q ring to the case of the Samaritans whicl
# we have cited in the text, says:
"IHiS is still tie custom anlO ng as
They who are baptized in the church
u are presented to the presiding officer
;. of the church, that by our prayers am
the laying on Of hands, they may receiv
l. the Holy Ghost, and be perfected wit
u the seal of the Lord" Aud near tn
It same time, jerome says: "This is th
custom of the churches; in the case c
: such as are baptized afar off in the lesse
a towns by the priests and deacons, III
!, Bishop tracelS out TO item TO lag hama
d upon them for the inroking Of the Hoi
Spirit" And it is a We'll establishe
!, fact, my friends, that for fifteen hunare
}. years, this was the VI form custom {
Vt The church, which is, of itself, a sufi
o cient argument to many minds in fave
IL of its authority and utility.
But We have other witnesses to sun
e. mon, by whom we expect to prove [
e you that it is not, as some so ignorant
ly assert, form gotten up by the Pro
: testant Episcopal Church to distinguis
Il its way of making church member
from that of others or even as othel
d say with equal ignorance, and am sorr
n to say intended unkindness too, that
was borrowed from the Roman Cath,
n lie Church, as if the Roman were IL
oi only apostolic Church. and ererpttii
U apostolic were too corrupt for prote
tants. John Calvin, the father of I'll
u Presbyterian system, says:
e 1t was an ancient custom i'm the church for Il
children OF christians, alter they were come
years ofdiscretion, tob presented TO the Bisht
/ persons who were baptized ut adult age,n al
,f adds tnat he highly approved OF the laying op
~ hands.
A committee of the Presbyteris
v general assembly, in this country, a
ir pointed to draw up a plan for the bett
ne instruction and discipline of baptizt
's children mention in their report, tn
the rite of Confirmation was in Il
Sc early days of the church administers
H. to baptized children, when arrived
10 competent years, and previously /
structed and prepared for it, shown
ne clearly that the Primitive Church
lis her purest days, exercised authori
st over her baptized children.
nd prominent congregational preach
re remarks in an able sermon that I
Is. confession of the name of Christ, is
at ter all very lame, and ioW be so, till I
ly discipline which Christ ordained be
ed stored, and the rite of Confirmation
recovered to its full use and solemn
of The Baptist association which met
Ill Philadelphia in l742, adopted this St
BILE article:
rd 1--WE believe that laying on of hands "
prayer upon baptized believers as such Is an
Al, dinance of Christ, and ought TO be submit
W unto by all such persons that are admitle cd
NUT sNft tla.I H.. Co..