abundant spiritual life which seems to exist around us external to the Apostolic stream, but this can, and must be done without interpolating some impossible Presbyterian system, which, if once founded with any view to its permanence, never would have disappeared so utterly from early Christendom. If I am asked "on what principle I can recognise this life," I answer-On the principle contained in the very words of Christ, "Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us" (Luke ix. 50). If this was said of one who followed not the twelve, with Jesus personally amongst them, we must surely say it with far more emphasis with respect to those who follow not the successors of the twelve. No one of the Apostolic band upheld the unity of the mystical body as St. Paul did, and he also could say, and let us say it with him, Notwithstanding, every way, Christ is preached, and 1 therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice."

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CHAPTER VIII.

CONFIRMATION.

In addition to Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, and Ordination, another rite of the Church was practised by the Apostles. This was the "Laying of hands" upon the baptized, with a view to their receiving a further gift of God's Holy Spirit.

We read in the book of the Acts, that after Philip had converted and baptized certain Samaritans, the Apostles sent Peter and John, who laid their hands upon them that they "might receive the Holy Ghost." (Acts viii. 14-17.)

It is not said that the Apostles did this in order to confer only the miraculous gifts of the Spirit; though from the fact that Simon saw that "through laying on of hands the Holy Ghost was given," we surmise that some gifts were bestowed of a more visible nature than the internal strengthening of the soul.

Again (Acts xix. 1-8), we read of St. Paul laying his hands on certain men in order to their receiving the Holy Ghost, and the sign that they had received the Spirit was that they "spake with tongues and prophesied."

In Hebrews vi. 1-4 this "laying on of hands is reckoned among the principles or foundations of the doctrine of Christ.

As all the other five "foundations here enumerated have to do with matters with which each individual soul in the Church is personally and immediately concerned, we can hardly doubt but that this "laying on of hands" refers primarily to a means of grace which belongs to each

individual Christian, and so can be nothing else than what we call "Confirmation," which is the only "laying on of hands" in which all the baptized partake.

These are all the references to it in the New Testament. It seems to have been a revival of a rite belonging to the primitive patriarchal religion, and so far resembles Justification by Faith, which St. Paul takes some pains to prove to have belonged to the religion of Abraham, to have been in abeyance under the Law, and to have been restored under the Gospel. (Gal. iii.)

In the only two instances recorded, this "laying on of hands" was administered by the heads of the Church.

Now the continuance of this rite in the Church depends upon, and is witness to, the perpetuity of the Apostolic fellowship and ministry.

For what are the facts?

In the book of the Acts God has been pleased to give to us a history of the foundation of His Church by His Apostles, and of this only.

The one inspired book of Church history breaks off very abruptly in the middle of the period of Apostolic rule, ten years before the martyrdom of the Apostles Peter and Paul. During this time the Apostles administered this rite, and God was pleased to accompany it with the gift of His Spirit.

From within a hundred years after the time of the Apostles to the present time, we have the evidence of a succession of writers to its prevalence in the Church in their days.'

1 Tertullian (A. D. 190), after describing the ceremonies in use at Baptism, proceeds to say, "Next to this the hand is laid upon us, calling upon and inviting the Holy Spirit through the blessing."Translated in Lib. of Fathers, p. 264.

Cyprian (A. D. 250), “Which custom has also descended to us,

But in the ages after the Apostolic it was given with a view to conferring the ordinary rather than the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Is the Church right in thus requiring her chief ministers to lay hands on the baptized after the example of the Apostles? Evidently she is, if she believes in the perpetuity of the New Testament ministry, and if she takes as her guide the books of the New Testament.

For we find this "laying on of hands" mentioned incidentally in the New Testament as if it were a rite uniformly administered to the baptized. We find it even classed amongst such first principles as Repentance, and Faith, and Judgment (Heb. vi. 2); and we have not one word intimating that it was to cease with the Apostolic age. To ascertain whether this rite was administered by the heads of the Church after the decease of the Apostles, we have to refer to ecclesiastical writers, inasmuch as New Testament history does not reach to the termination of the Apostolic Period. We have to refer to the same writers to ascertain the Canon of the New Testament.

Two writers of a very early date allude to it as in constant use in their days.

From all these things we cannot but assume that it was according to the will of God that this rite should continue in the Church, for if its continuance had been contrary to His will, He would have inspired His Apostles to forbid it, and so it would have fallen into disuse.

Again, the Theory of the New Testament is in its favour, for the Theory of the New Covenant is, that God gives grace to man, largely, freely, and according to lis

that they who are baptized may be brought to the rulers of the Church, and by our prayer, and by the laying on of hands, may obtain the Holy Ghost, and be consummated with the Lord's signature."-Epist. lxxiii.

needs. Now the grace of the Holy Spirit appears in the New Testament associated with certain miraculous powers. even faith appears in connexion with these miraculous powers; for we read, "These signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils," &c. (Mark xvi. 17, 18).

These miraculous powers were soon to cease, for the early followers of Jesus were empowered to work miracles simply in order that the heathen might know that the Gospel of the despised and persecuted Christians was from God. When the need for the exercise of such gifts was over, the power to work them was withdrawn. But as we know that the obligation to believe was not withdrawn, though belief was no longer followed by supernatural signs, so the "laying on of hands" was not discontinued when its miraculous accompaniments ceased.

After the deaths of the Apostles, it was left to their immediate successors either to abolish Confirmation, because the extraordinary gifts with which it was first accompanied were ceasing rapidly, or to continue the use of it in the hope (or rather in the faith) that God, Who for wise reasons was withdrawing the extraordinary gifts, would still accompany it, when faithfully and devoutly used, with gifts suited to the wants of the individual, or the times of the Church.