Reflections of Eusebius and Chrysostom. 63 gested, but only a recent report brought into LECT. IV. Africa by the soldiers who had just lately been engaged in an expedition in the East. XV. There is, therefore, nothing which can be refuted in this story; and, since Tertullian was an author so weighty, so ancient, so well acquainted with Roman affairs, it is much safer to hold that Tiberius did thus make a proposal to the Senate concerning the deification of Christ. But God did not suffer that the divinity of His Son should be sanctioned by a decree of the Senate; for, as Eusebius says, 'the saving Euseb. Ecc. doctrine of the divine Gospel wanted not confirmation and recommendation from men.' 'And this,' says says Chrysostom, 'was arranged even Chrys. 2 Cor. against their will, so that the Godhead of Christ might not be proclaimed by the votes of men, nor He be regarded as one of the many gods that were elected by them.' Hist. II. 2. Hom. XXVI. LECTURE V. ACTS VIII. 5 To IX. 2. $26. LECT. V. I. AMONG those who came to Samaria was Philip, one of the seven deacons, and also an evangelist, (Acts xxi. 8.) He went down into the city of Samaria, and preached Christ there. And the people gave heed unto the things which he preached. Also, for the confirmation of his doctrine he did many miracles; for unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them, and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed; and there was great joy in that city.... And many were baptized, both men and women. II. But there was a certain man among them called Simon especially worthy of note, whom Justin Martyr, himself also by birth a Samaritan, Just. I. Ap. calls a certain Simon, a Samaritan, from a village called Gittha.' But Gitta, according to Stephanus, was a city of Palestine. Epiphanius says, 'He came from Gittha, a city of Samaria, but now a village' as it also was in the time of Justin. Now, before Philip came to Samaria, Simon had been practising magic arts in that city, and Epiphan. Peter and John sent into Samaria. 65 astonishing the people of Samaria, saying that LECT. V. he was some great person: so that all gave heed unto him, and said, "This man is the great power of God.' But seeing that by the doctrine and miracles of Philip the Samaritans were converted to the faith, then Simon also himself believed; and when he had been baptized continued with Philip. And beholding that great signs and miracles were done he looked on with wonder; so that he who had before by his own wicked arts made the people of Samaria to wonder, being overcome by the discourses and miracles of Philip, was now himself seized with an equal wonderment. III. While these things were going on in the city of Samaria, which was distant one day's journey from Jerusalem, the Apostles, who were at Jerusalem, forthwith heard that Samaria had received the word of God. The Apostles, therefore, to whom the charge of, and chief authority in, the Church was committed by Christ, chose two of their body, Peter and John, and sent them to the Samaritans. IV. And these, when they had come to the Samaritans and perceived that the Holy Ghost was not yet come upon them, inasmuch as they only were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost; and, after they had prayed, F LECT. V. they laid hands upon them; whereupon they received that Holy Ghost for which these Apostles had prayed. Two Apostles presented themselves to the baptized Samaritans; they first prayed, and then laid hands upon them; but, while they were praying and laying on their hands, God shed the Holy Ghost on the baptized persons. V. And it has here been observed by the ancients that the deacon and evangelist Philip, although he did many miracles, could not confer the Holy Ghost, or for that end lay hands on those that had been baptized; that the Apostles alone were able, or rather authorized, to admiChrys. Acts. nister in that matter. Chrysostom remarks on the passage to that effect. Epiphanius says, 'Philip, being a deacon, had not the power of laying on of hands thereby to confer the Holy Ghost.' Whence, also, they collected that this office afterwards in the Church belonged only to the bishops, the successors of the Apostles. Hom. XVIII. Epiphan. Lib. 1. Tom.2. Cypr. Ep. 73. S. Cyprian writes concerning these Samaritans, And therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained lawful and ecclesiastical baptism, it was not necessary that they should be further baptized; but that, which only was wanting, was done by Peter and John; viz. that with prayer and laying on of hands the Holy Ghost should be invoked and shed upon them: which is also Laying on of Hands in Confirmation. 67 now the practice with us; those who are baptized LECT. V. in the Church are presented to us that are set over the Church, and through our prayer and the laying on of our hands they obtain the Holy Ghost, and receive completely the Lord's seal. The same Cyprian writes, 'One is not born when Cypr. Ep. 74. by the laying on of hands he receives the Holy Spirit; but he is born in baptism, that, being born, he may be in a state to receive the Spirit.' Ursinus', or some other African writer after the times of Cyprian, in a treatise on the 'Baptism of Heretics,' writes, For when the Holy Ghost is given to any believer through the laying on of the hand of the bishop; after the manner of the Apostles with regard to the Samaritans, who followed up Philip's baptism by laying hands on it2, and thus conferred on them the Holy Spirit; and, in order to this being done, themselves prayed for them,' &c. S. Jerome writes, Are Jerome adv. you not aware that it is the custom of the churches that hands should afterwards be laid on those who have been baptized, and the Holy 1 This tract, opposing Cyprian's view on the Baptism of Heretics, was found at Rheims, in a very old MS. of Cyprian, appended to Ep. 74, and was first printed by Rigalt in his Observations on that Epistle, Ed. 1648. Ursinus was a monk, who, according to Gennadius, wrote on that side of the question, near the end of the fifth century. 2 The reading'ei' has been changed to 'eis' in the editions of Pearson; I am at a loss to conjecture the reason. Lucifer. c. 8. |