Anxious that the saints to whom he ministered should grow in the knowledge of God, and should not stand still merely rehearsing the first and practice principles of the Gospel, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Hebrews as follows: "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands." It is very interesting to note that Paul lists here as one of the first four principles the ordinance of the laying on of hands. But what use did Paul make of the ordinance? It happened once that Paul, in his missionary travels, came, to the city of Ephesus, and found there certain disciples who had been baptized, apparently, by the followers of John the Baptist. Paul asked of these disciples, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, {139} Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied." This use, then, did Paul make of the ordinance of the laying on of hands: Upon those who had been baptized unto Jesus, Paul laid his hands, and he confirmed them, and the Holy Ghost then came upon them, endowing them with spiritual gifts. Moreover, this practice was not limited to the missionary labors of Paul alone; all the apostles likewise confirmed those who had been baptized and conferred thus the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them. [Sidenote: The practice of the apostles.]