Hobbes - Leviathan.pdf

maintain the doctrine of Christ, every one according to his gifts,
as St. Stephen did; and both to preach and baptize, as Philip did: for
that Philip, which preached the Gospel at Samaria,* and baptized the
eunuch,*(2) was Philip the Deacon, not Philip the Apostle. For it is
manifest that when Philip preached in Samaria, the Apostles were at
Jerusalem,*(3) and "when they heard that Samaria had received the word
of God, sent Peter and John to them";*(4) by imposition of whose hands
they that were baptized received (which before by the baptism of
Philip they had not received) the Holy Ghost.*(5) For it was necessary
for the conferring of the Holy Ghost that their baptism should be
administered or confirmed by a minister of the word, not by a minister
of the Church. And therefore to confirm the baptism of those that
Philip the Deacon had baptized, the Apostles sent out of their own
number from Jerusalem to Samaria, Peter and John, who conferred on
them that before were but baptized, those graces that were signs of
the Holy Spirit, which at that time did accompany all true
believers; which what they were may be understood by that which St.
Mark saith, "These signs follow them that believe in my name; they
shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall
take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover."*(6) This to do was it that Philip could not give, but the
Apostles could and, as appears by this place, effectually did to every
man that truly believed, and was by a minister of Christ himself
baptized: which power either Christ's ministers in this age cannot
confer, or else there are very few true believers, or Christ hath very
few ministers.
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* Acts, 8. 5
*(2) Ibid., 8. 38
*(3) Ibid., 8. 1
*(4) Ibid., 8. 14
*(5) Ibid., 8. 15
*(6) Mark, 16. 17
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That the first deacons were chosen, not by the Apostles, but by a
congregation of the disciples; that is, of Christian men of all sorts,
is manifest out of Acts, 6, where we read that the Twelve, after the
number of disciples was multiplied, called them together, and having
told them that it was not fit that the Apostles should leave the
word of God, and serve tables, said unto them, "Brethren look you
out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost,
and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business."* Here it is
manifest that though the Apostles declared them elected, yet the
congregation chose them; which also is more expressly said where it is
written that "the saying pleased the whole multitude, and they seven,"
etc.*(2)
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* Acts, 6. 3
*(2) Ibid., 6. 5
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Under the Old Testament, the tribe of Levi were only capable of
the priesthood and other inferior offices of the Church. The land
was divided amongst the other tribes, Levi excepted, which by the
subdivision of the tribe of Joseph into Ephraim and Manasseh were
still twelve. To the tribe of Levi were assigned certain cities for
their habitation, with the suburbs for their cattle; but for their