Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	government_n	worship_n	3,428	5	7.3798	4	false

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

by this Pen-man to put and reckon it amongst such Principles of the Christian Religion as Repentance Faith Baptisme the Resurrection and eternall Judgment and these granted by all under the least profession of Christianity to be Foundation-Doctrines This being premised we notwithstanding deny that it is either laying on of Hands for Healing the sick or for giving the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit much lesse the laying on of Hands practised by some in these days as you may further see in Chap. 4. I. Here cannot be meant laying on of Hands for healing or recovering the sick and that for these reasons 1. Because the gift or power of healing by laying on of Hands is ceased Now that cannot be a Principle c which is not in force in all ages nor any man capable to practise it At the first promise of giving this power it was accompanied only with miraculous gifts Mar. 16. 17 18. In my name shall they cast out Devills they shall speake with new Tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay Hands on the sick and they shall recover Now how dangerous and destructive a principle is this that miracles should be of the essence of Religion as Principles are and yet no power to practise them 2. As it is necessary a foundation-Principle should continue and be in force in all ages so it is necessary also it should concerne the whole Church and every member thereof as a Foundation doth the whole and every part of the Building to support and uphold it Admit then this power were now in force how would the healing of any one particular member concerne the whole body as a principle c. Therefore we conclude that Laying on of Hands for recovering the sick cannot be that Principle c Heb. 6. II. The Laying on of Hands for giving the extraordinary gifts of the holy Spirit cannot be meant here and that for these reasons 1. Because as before this power of giving the extraordinary gifts of the holy Spirit is now ceased As appears by the practice of it at this day for although so many have had hands laid upon them to this end yet these extraordinary gifts have never followed to any one of them but both they and the administrators are and remaine as other men Yet to call this a Principle c what were this but to grant that one of the Foundation-stones of the Christian Building were now lost And if but a part of the Foundation faile how tortering must the whole building stand and will soone decay and come to nothing And it is well known that a principle in all Arts and sciences is of constant and standing Use 2. That this laying on of Hands cannot be the principle Heb. 6. because this Laying on of Hands is there called a Doctrine Ver. 1 2. But that laying on of Hands to give the holy Spirit was never once taught in all the New Testament no not by them that practised it 3. If this laying on of Hands were the principle Then this very Church of the Hebrews the first constituted Church in the New Testament after Christs Ascension this Church being the same with that Act. 1 2 had wanted a principle in Religion which were very absurd to imagine for they themselves had not Laying on of Hands to this end Act. 8. being the first place that ever it was practised and sure in all matters about worship the written word must be our Rule and to the Scriptures silence we must give consent according to that Proverb Where God hath not a mouth to speake we must not have an Ear to hear Besides that they had not Laying on of Hands to this end is evident because they received the extraordinary gifts of the holy Spirit without it Act. 2. Vers 1 2 3 4 5 c. Therefore we conclude that neither of these two Layings on of Hands can be meant in Heb. 6. 9. CHAP. III. What Laying on of Hands is and must be meant Heb. 6. 2. FOr the better resolving this Question we must take notice that it is Laying on of Hands here in the singular number {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c therefore can be but one Laying on of Hands that is called here a Principle c and not more as some would have it for then it should be Layings on of Hands in the plural number As in the same place when the Apostle would understand more Baptisms then one he saith The doctrine of Baptisms in the plurall number This being considered we must remember what went before that it is neither Laying on of Hands for healing the sick nor for giving the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit Then it must be Laying on of Hands for ordaining of Officers Which will more clearly appeare by this Argument It must be Laying on of Hands either for healing the sick or for giving the extraordinary gifts of the holy Spirit or for Ordaining of Officers But neither for healing the sick nor for giving the extraordinary gifts of the holy Spirit Therefore for ordaining of Officers For the first Proposition That it must be for one of these three Ends because there is no other Laying on of Hands upon any other account in all the New Testament For the second Proposition that it is neither for healing the sick nor for giving the holy Spirit hath beene already proved Chap. 2. Therefore it follows it must be Laying on of Hands for appointing of Officers And this shall suffice for the first Argument 2. That Laying on of Hands for Officers is here meant will further appeare because this Laying on of Hands is called a Doctrine ver. 1. and therefore must be a Laying on of Hands which is some-where else taught But the other Layings on of Hands were never once taught But this Laying on of Hands was taught viz. by the Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 5 22. Lay Hands suddenly on no man that is Admit none rashly or too hastily into office and that this concernes Officers see before Chap. 1. In this verse there are two things taught one expressed the other necessarily implied that which is expressed is that Timothy should not suddenly Lay Hands on any man that which is implyed is that it was to be done if advisedly If not to be done at all it were frivolous to say it should not be done suddenly Thus you see the Apostle Paul teacheth this Laying on of Hands which in Heb. 6. he calls a Doctrine Now lest any should say that this laying on of Hands concernes all Baptized believers we therefore shall enmind them that from their own principle and practice this cannot be because they Lay Hands on all their disciples immediately upon their Baptisme and therefore leave no roome for this word suddenly in the Apostles exhortation and it is sore against their wills if they may not Lay their Hands suddenly upon

Baptisme and in their own sence there is none fit for Baptisme that is not thereupon fitly qualified for this their imposition nor do they ever stay till they are further qualified for this ceremony and therefore the Apostles would in vaine have exhorted them to Lay Hands suddenly on no man But that this was for Officers the most amongst themselves that I have wet withall do confesse We might yet further adde if need were that this Laying on of Hands for office was injoyned and commanded by the holy Spirit Act. 13. 2 3. but now they cannot shew where the other Layings on of Hands was in the least enjoyned commanded by the Holy Spirit Therefore we conclude againe it must be Laying on of Hands for Officers which the Apostle here calls a Doctrine 3. Againe this Laying on of Hands this Church of the Hebrews had practised amongst them Act. 6. 6. they Laid their Hands upon the Deacons to assigne them to their office But none of the other Layings on of Hands was practised amongst them as we find Now it cannot rationally be supposed that the Apostle writing to the Hebrews should call that a principle c. which they were not acquainted with but rather that Laying on of Hands which they were under the practice of and therefore it must be this Laying on of Hands for Officers Heb. 6. 2. 4. Besides this Laying on of Hands only remains in force the other two not capable to be practised nor have been for many hundred years It must therefore necessarily follow to be this Laying on of Hands which is still in force because called a part of the Foundation Heb. 6. 1. Now a Foundation must always be the same of constant standing use to the whole building 5. This Laying on of Hands only concerns the whole Church which is necessary a Principle should do We have already shewed you how the other do not concern the whole but this does in regard every member is bound to live under the Government of the Church and to be obedient to their Officers to whom the Rule and care of the whole Church is committed And therefore this must be the Principle c. Heb. 6. 2. Having thus sufficiently proved what Laying on of Hands is here meant Heb. 6. 2. We shall now further shew you what is here meant by this phrase of Laying on of Hands that is to say The Government of the Church which was put into the Hands of men appointed thereunto by this Ceremony of Laying on of Hands The very Order of the Principles as they are laid down Heb. 6. 1 2. further confirm this Therefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ or the beginning words of Christ let us go on unto perfection not laying again the Foundation of Repentance from dead works and of Faith towards God of the Doctrine of Baptisms and of Laying on of Hands and of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal Judgement For as the next thing to be done after Faith and Repentance is to be Baptized so the next thing after baptism is to be added to the Church Act. 2. 38. 41 42. 47. the Officers whereof were always appointed by the Laying on of Hands And this was the constant practice of the Primitive times And as in these six Principles the two first viz. Repentance and Faith and the two last viz. the Resurrection and eternal Judgement are absolutely necessary unto salvation So the two middlemost viz. Baptism and Laying on of Hands are necessary to a right and orderly Church constitution and progression Baptism to admit into the Church and this Ceremony of Laying on of Hands noting the Ministery and Government of the Church when come in We take leave yet to add that this is the Judgment of most moderne and later writers on the Text that we have met with We shall instance only some few in English Wilsons Christian Dictionary Dr. Gouge in his late large comment on this Epistle Trap upon the place saith That by this phrase of Laying on of Hands is meant the Ministery and Government of the Church And Cartwright upon the Rhemist-Testament on this Text and else where in his Harmony saith That he which denies Church Government denies a Principle of the Christian Religion Now that there might be Government and order in the Church Officers were appointed thereunto by Laying on of Hands The very light of Nature and common Experience teacheth that Government is a principle in all Constitutions whether of Nation Family or the like without which all would suddenly be out of order for Anarchy hath alwaies been the fore-runner of confusion if not of utter dissolution So of a house without a Foundation there can be no building Hence the Metaphor in the Text Not laying again the Foundation Implying that as a Foundation is to the building to support and uphold it so necessary is Government in the Church Hence it is that the Apostles alwaies appointed Elders in every Church in every City Acts 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. and these Elders were ordained by Laying on of Hands as before CHAP. IIII. That the Laying on of Hands practised by some in these days on all Baptized Believers was never Instituted Commanded or Practised by Christ or his Apostles in all the New Testament HEre indeed lies the stress of the Controversy which chiefly occasioned me to write these few Lines that we might undeceive and reduce such as are already under the vanity of this practise and to prevent others from owning of and submitting to such a Scripture-less thing as this is which some who know not what they say nor whereof they affirm call an Ordinance of Christ though without any the least word or warrant for it in all the New Testament of our Lord Certainly this hath been a received Principle we have of late years taken up and must continue to go by if Christs Disciples That we must introduce nothing into the worship of Christ but what we have an express Word for from that great Prophet in his New Testament See Acts 3. 22 23. For this very cause we have all along separated from the Bishops the Church of England and shall we now return again God forbid Now that which hath not one word of Institution or command for it in all the New Testament is no Ordinance of Christ but Will-worship and Superstition Superstition signifying something more then appointed But this Laying on of Hands on all Baptized Persons hath not one word of Institution or command for it in all the New Testament Therefore no Ordinance of Christ but Will-worship and Superstition That there is no Institution or Command for it in all the New Testament appears because the greatest Contenders and sticklers for this practice did never yet alledge any one place that does in the least prove any such thing if there had been any certainly they would have produced them They themselves instance but two places where the words