But if every Christian sovereign be the supreme pastor of his own subjects,it seemeth that he hath also the authority,not only to preach,which perhaps no man will deny,but also to baptize,and to administer sacrament of administer the sacrament of the Lord's Supper and to consecrate both temples and pastors to God's service;which most men deny,partly because they use not to do it,and partly because the administration of sacraments,and consecration of persons and places to holy uses,requireth the imposition of such men's hands as by the like imposition successively from the time of the Apostles have been ordained to the like ministry.For proof therefore that Christian kings have power to baptize and to consecrate,I am to render a reason both why they use not to do it,and how,without the ordinary ceremony of imposition of hands,they are made capable of doing it when they will.
There is no doubt but any king,in case he were skilful in the sciences,might by the same right of his office read lectures of them himself by which he authorizeth others to read them in the universities.Nevertheless,because the care of the sum of the business of the Commonwealth taketh up his whole time,it were not convenient for him to apply himself in person to that particular.Aking may also,if he please,sit in judgement to hear and determine all manner of causes,as well as give others authority to do it in his name;but that the charge that lieth upon him of command and government constrain him to be continually at the helm,and to commit the ministerial offices to others under him.In the like manner our Saviour,who surely had power to baptize,baptized none himself,but sent his Apostles and Disciples to baptize.So also St.Paul,by the necessity of preaching in diverse and far distant places,baptized few:amongst all the Corinthians he baptized only Crispus,Gaius,and Stephanas;and the reason was because his principal charge was to preach.Whereby it is manifest that the greater charge,such as is the government of the Church,is a dispensation for the less.The reason therefore why Christian kings use not to baptize is evident,and the same for which at this day there are few baptized by bishops,and by the Pope fewer.
And as concerning imposition of hands,whether it be needful for the authorizing of a king to baptize and consecrate,we may consider thus.
Imposition of hands was a most ancient public ceremony amongst the Jews,by which was designed,and made certain,the person or other thing intended in a man's prayer,blessing,sacrifice,consecration,condemnation,or other speech.So Jacob,in blessing the children of Joseph,"Laid his right hand on Ephraim the younger,and his left hand on Manasseh the firstborn";and this he did wittingly (though they were so presented to him by Joseph as he was forced in doing it to stretch out his arms across)to design to whom he whom he intended the greater blessing.So also in the sacrificing of the burnt offering,Aaron is commanded "to lay his hands on the head of the bullock";and "to lay his hand on the head of the ram."The same is also said again,Leviticus,1.4,and 8.14.Likewise Moses when he ordained Joshua to be captain of the Israelites,that is,consecrated him to God's service,"laid his hands upon him,and gave him his charge,"designing and rendering certain who it was they were to obey in war.And in the consecration of the Levites God commanded that "the children of Israel should put their hands the Levites."And in the condemnation of him that had blasphemed the Lord,God commanded that "all that heard him should lay their hands on his head,and that all the congregation should stone him."And why should they only that heard him lay their hands upon him,and not rather a priest,Levite,or other minister of justice,but that none else were able to design and demonstrate to the eyes of the congregation who it was that had blasphemed and ought to die?And to design a man,or any other thing,by the hand to the eye is less subject to mistake than when it is done to the ear by a name.
And so much was this ceremony observed that in blessing the whole congregation at once,which cannot be done by laying on of hands,yet Aaron "did lift up his hand towards the people when he blessed them."And we read also of the like ceremony of consecration of temples amongst the heathen,as that the priest laid his hands on some post of the temple,all the while he was uttering the words of consecration.So natural it is to design any individual thing rather by the hand,to assure the eyes,than by words to inform the ear,in matters of God's public service.
This ceremony was not therefore new in our Saviour's time.For Jairus,whose daughter was sick,besought our Saviour not to heal her,but "to lay his hands upon her,that she might be healed."And "they brought unto him little children,that he should put his hands on them,and pray."