Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	holy_a	scripture_n	truth_n	3,293	5	5.4239	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41581	Of laying on of hands Heb. 6. 2. Or, a discourse containing these 4. chapters. 1. Of the several ends of laying on of hands, in the New Testament. 2. What laying on of hands, is not, and cannot be meant. Heb. 6. 2. 3. What laying on of hands, is and must be meant there. 4. That the laying on of hands, practised by some in these days, on all baptized believers, was never instituted, commanded, nor practised at all, by Jesus Christ, or his apostles in all the New Testament.	Gosnold, John, 1625?-1678.	1656 (1656)	Wing G1311B; ESTC R223702	12,054	16

are found besides Heb. 6. viz. Acts 8. Act. 19. with which they have raised such a dust that hath indeed blinded the eys of some honest well-minded people and by good words and fair speeches have deceived the hearts of the simple But to lay this dust which they have raised and to discover the but pretences they have made We shall first consider their fore-mentioned Allegations in the General and then view them more particularly First neither any one nor all of these places have the least word of Institution or Command in them Nor one syllable of proof brought from them that this should be done to all Baptized persons Besides the Ends of Laying on of Hands in these days is a different thing from the Ends in these Texts all which will more appear in the particular view of them which is the second thing propounded to speak to And first for Heb. 6. 2. Neither the Subjects nor the Ends are particularly mentioned and expressed in this place and therefore we must go to other Scriptures to find out what Laying on of Hands is most agreeable to this Text as we do in the case of Baptism in the same place The Text neither telling us who should have Hands laid on them not to what End neither is the word All in it as was before noted we have already proved 〈◊〉 from other Texts and clear Arguments that this Laying on of Hands is to another End See Chap. 3. The two other places they bring we put them both together because they are of the same nature are Acts 8. 14. 17. where Peter and John Laid their Hands on them at Samaria and Acts 19. 6. where Paul Laid his Hands on the twelve at Ephesus That the Laying on of Hands in these Texts was for the giving of the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Spirit we have already proved Chap. 1. There is not one word of Command here requiring us to do as they have done They Laying on their Hands as moved thereunto by the Holy Spirit having received power to minister the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit as appears because those Gifts did immediatly follow their Laying on of Hands We have also before proved that the power of giving these Gifts being ceased the Rite and Ceremony as to this End ought to cease also and cannot but presumptuously be practised at this day the gifts never following much lesse reckoned for a principle in Religion But these gifts did both times immediatly follow in the Acts. The gifts now being neither found in the Minister norfollowing the Administration Have we not as good ground to adventure the Laying on of Hands miraculously to heale the sick having I am sure as good a warrant and may hope to speed as successfully Besides these two places they have not another to pretend to where the words are found As for that place Act. 9. 17. where Paul had Hands Laid on him from their own confession this will not serve their turne for it was before his Baptisme verse 18. and it was for the receiving of his sight as well as for his being filled with the holy Spirit if not principally for the recovering of his sight see ver. 12. Only we will note in generall that this Laying on of Hands to extraordinary or miraculous ends had not at all respect to Baptisme for it was as well before Baptisme as after it as in this case before us Nor do we think it needfull to make answer to those Texts brought in by some of them for number but not for weight as Eph. 2 20. we are built upon the Foundation c and Heb. 3. 14. we are made pertakers of Christ if we hold the beginning c And 2 Epist. of John 9 10. whosoever transgre●●●th and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ c and such like Texts as these are where they can find the word beginning Doctrine or Foundation We cannot but judge the very recitall of these Texts a sufficient confutation to any man that hath his reason in his head And wish with all our hearts they might not incurre that severe censure of the Apostle of Handling the word of God deceitfully 2 Cor. 2. 17. and 4. 2. And thus we doubt not but all unprejudiced and unbiassed people considering what we have said will see they have no footing in the Scripture which must be our Rule and Directory for our whole worship for this their Laying on of Hands much lesse to make it a principle of Religion and so as they do a Boundary of Communion The truth is they themselves are so much at a losse in this matter that they agree not about the end They make more Ends of their one Laying on of Hands then of the several kinds of Layings on of Hands in the New-Testament Some for one end and some for another and so proceed to a third and a fourth end as if God indeed had sent among them the confusion of Tongues instead of speaking with Tongues and the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit Some would have Hands Laid on for the obtaining of the extraordinary gifts of the holy Spirit in imitation of Act. 8. and Act. 19. to this we have once and againe spoken Some would have Laying on of Hands for Confirmation as they call it and though they shrowd themselves under the forementioned Scriptures yet to speak truth their best argument is the Common Prayer book and some of them have beene so ingenuous to confesse as much and have very much boasted and gloried in this one inartificiall unconcluding Argument for the Scripture owns them not all in this case Doctor Gouge on Heb. 6. saith that though Laying on of Hands were anciently practised by the Fathers to this end yet it is not expresly set down in Scripture But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord we have beene better taught in these last daies then to own any thing in the worship of Christ from their Tradition or Authority unlesse also grounded on the word of God What is this practice then but setting our posts by Gods posts and bringing in a Tradition of men instead of an Appointment of Christ A third sort there are who practise this Laying on of Hands as a meanes to receive more of the Holy Spirit and that in the ordinary measures of it I confesse here they say well if they could make the least proofe of such an End from the Holy Scriptures This fair Pretext to obtaine more of the Spirit hath beguiled many a poore weake unstable soul We professe our selves so farre one with them in this thing that we cannot Judge him a Christian nor worthy to be accounted Christs Disciple that would not use all meanes appointed by God to obtaine more of the Holy Spirit we are so sensible of the daily need of more of the supplies of the Spirit and could they but shew one place where ever Laying on of Hands was practised upon all Baptized