[This is another as-of-yet until now republished article by Elder Samuel Trott - ed]
NUMBER 1
Remarks on the subject of the laying on of hands occasioned by the recent ordination in the Ebenezer Baptist Church at Utica, New York
In the 13th number of the Signs, we have the encouraging information that several of the poor of the flock have been gathered into a visible fold in Utica, New York. Notwithstanding the treading down of the pasture, and fowling of the waters by the heat goats in that vicinity. Though old school brethren, I am not convinced that the mode adopted by them and their help in ordinating Brother Hill is correct.
The subject of laying on of hands is one about which in its different bearings, brethren have been much divided In opinion. As the subject has been thus presented before us it may not be unprofitable to examine it and try to obtain a scriptural and uniform understanding of it. I have for some time thought the signs might be additionally profitable where a portion of them occupied with a calm discussion of these points, about which we know there is an honest difference of opinion among brethren, with a view to eliciting light on the subject. Hence I have once or twice introduced such views of my own as I suppose my brother might some of them differ with me, and solicited a discussion of them. They have not however been noticed. If the understanding is that we're in we differ, we must and will continue to differ; Then such points should be kept out of the signs.
The difference among brethren on the subject of laying on of hands, whether in receiving persons into church relation or in setting apart to office has not appeared to be a sufficient ground for a separation in feeling or in church fellowship. Hence I have not been disposed of bear and forebear on this point. Still, I cannot conceive that anything established by Apostolic example, as gospel order ought to be treated as an indifferent thing, or that about which we should be careless of obtaining a correct understanding, or of practicing as given in the pattern.
It is true then in the case before us, Brother Beebe in his editorial remarks, page 206-207, has used an expression which if designed as a preliminary to a discussion on this subject, and an accepted, would prevent me and I think most of us from entering upon it. Whatever the secret disposition of my heart may be, I do not wish to indulge in the feeling that would prompt me to say to my brother, I am taught of God, in the thing wherein you and I differ, and therefore I am certainly right, and you wrong. What I want to know is, whether these brethren or myself have the mind of Christ in this thing; and I know of no better way to come at this than to compare our different views with the scriptures. I, therefore, proceed to the proposed examination, without laying a claim Brother Beebe’s You work with it in the case if he intended it as such, where he says, “may those who are instructed of God on this subject, let their light so shine.” However he may have used the expression with a view to a different application than I at first sight supposed, I now come to the subject at hand.
Our first inquiry is into the use or design of laying on of hands, as we find the practice delivered to us in the scriptures. Brother Salmon, seems to think it quite certain, that the laying on of hands, was a prerogative only of the Apostolic office; And that its use was to confer gifts; That the apostles had such to bestow. And this he infers from the passages he quotes from the 1st and 2nd epistle to Timothy. Where these are the only passages in which we find this ceremony mentioned; And were not the scripture so explicit as to gifts, we might conclude there was some ground for his conclusion. But I think I shall be able to show that his quotation of these texts was altogether irrelevant to the subject to which he applies them.
We may if possible clear the ground as we pass, we will first notice what the scriptures teach us, asked to do the communication of gifts.
1st about those gifts more properly belonging to the work of the ministry. We read of Christ that when he ascended on high leading captivity captive, he received gifts for men, yea for the rebellious that the Lord God might dwell among them. Vide. Psalm 68.18. The apostle referring to this says, he gave gifts; “he gave some, apostle; And some prophets; And some evangelists; Some pastors and teachers.” And the use of them, “for the perfecting of the Saints; For the work of the ministry.” And for how long? “Till we all come in the unity of the faith,” Ephesians 4.8, 13. Hence if I understand this matter: till the fullness of Christ, or the last member of the body of Christ is brought in Christ has gifts for the rebellious that the Lord God may dwell among them, and he has them in his own hands to give. Hence he did not tell his disciples to see to it, that they thrust plenty of laborers into his vineyard, as would have been proper if he had committed those gifts unto their hands, as apostles to distribute; But he tells them, “pray you the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9.39. Brother Salmon says he has thought that gifts and miracles ceased with the apostles. If I thought so, then I should think with the Campbellites, then it is as much the duty of one disciple to preach as another; Of course setting particular persons apart for the work would be altogether an arbitrary thing period, or rather with the above text from Ephesians in view I should conclude that there was no further use for the ministry. For I must believe that so long as the work of the ministry is of any use Christ will continue to bestow gifts on the church suitable for it. Brother Salmon, I am inclined to believe, think so too; and that he did not exactly say what he meant. I think that special miracles and certain gifts ceased in the church with the apostles. If ministerial gifts then were to be continued, they could not have been committed into the hands of the apostles to distribute, seeing that they did not continue, nor have they left any successors in their peculiar office.
2nd the more extraordinary gifts. Paul Speaking of these in First Corinthians 13.3 enumerates them severally and points out particularly their source. He says, verse 8, 11, “for one is given by the spirit (not by the apostles) the word of wisdom; to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, the gifts of healing by the same spirit; to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy; To another discerning of spirits; To another divers kind of tongues; To another the interpretation of tongues: but all these work that one and a self-same spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” Not giving out in a lump for the apostles to divide; neither dividing according to their own will; but dividing to every man severally as He will. What could be more pointed than the apostles' language here in ascribing the whole, of the imparting of gifts to the sovereign act and will of the Holy Spirit. I wonder if Brother Salmon could have been reflecting on this passage, when he wrote this sentence, “I understand that the apostles possessed gifts to bestow.” If he did come I entreat him to do us the favor to point us to the text, where the gift of giving gifts is mentioned as possessed by any; Or if possessed by any human being, I wish him to explain why this gift is never mentioned, seeing it was so important a one.
3rd the baptism or descent of the Holy Ghost, in the gift of tongues This peculiar coming of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples, was as I understand the subject, a special testimony from heaven of the acceptance of Christ as the intercessor of his people, and consequently a confirmation of the fact that he had come as the true Messiah. Hence John gives this as a decisive testimony of his being the one of whom he was the forerunner, that he shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. It must have been his peculiar act to administer this baptism. Hence Peter says (acts 2.33) in reference to the descent of the Holy Ghost, on the day of Pentecost, Speaking of Jesus, “therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the father the promise of the Holy Ghost he has shed forth this which you now see and hear.” And also Speaking of the Holy Ghost coming upon Cornelius and his household, he says, “for as much then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto thus who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I that I could withstand God.” Does this look as though the Holy Ghost in this special communication of him, was something which the apostles had in her hands to communicate? It is true that Simon of Samaria thought, from what he saw, as many do to this day, that Peter and John had the power to communicate the Holy Ghost by delaying on of their hands; He therefore wished to purchase of them this power with money. But Peter in reproving him not only points out the sin of offering money for a religious privilege, but also that of supposing, that what was peculiarly the gift of God, was a power that men possessed. The idea that the apostles had the Holy Ghost in their hands at their disposal, is so much like that degrading view in which the fashionable religionists represent him to this day; That I cannot away with it.
We will notice the instances in which the descent or baptism of the Holy Ghost is connected with the laying on of hands. The first is Acts 8. The apostles at Jerusalem hearing at Samaria had received the word of God sent unto them Peter and John. Who when they were come down, proceeded to confer the Holy Ghost upon these disciples? No, of this, they had no idea of possessing the power to do. But they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. Then laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost. Now it is possible that the Holy Ghost directed them to act in connection with his coming upon these disciples, in order to honor them as the apostles of Christ. But I think it far more consistent with the view given of the baptism of the Holy Ghost in the preceding cases, to suppose that they laid their hands on them, to set them apart to walk together in church relation, or in our common language to constitute them into a church, and the Holy Ghost came upon them at this time to sanction and confirm this act. So in the other case acts 19, Paul coming to Ephesus found certain disciples who had been baptized into John's baptism. That is evidently by some disciples of John after Christ had been manifested as the Messiah. Hence on a false profession, of faith in him who shall come after, when Christ had come. When they were instructed by Paul and baptized in the correct profession. Paul laid his hands on them which constituted them into a church. And the Holy Ghost came upon them sanctioning the act. The very expression used, I should think was calculated to guard us against a notion of Paul's bestowing on them the Holy Ghost. It reads thus, verse 6: And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them. Then surely Paul's hands did not put him on them. There was the commencement of the church at Ephesus. I must defer all the remarks to another number.
S. Trott
Fairfax CH Va, July 10, 1835
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