insinuated by St. Mark and published by St. James to confer grace and take away sins But it has been shewn that they give us no manner of good reason to believe any such thing either out of St. Mark or St. James but that there is very good reason to believe the contrary from both those Authorities And so much for their pretended Arguments out of Scripture OF EXTREME UNCTION PART II. That it is a late Innovation and has no ground in Antiquity SECT I. What anointings were used in the Antient Church SInce there are no Sacraments properly so called but those the Institution whereof is delivered to us in the Holy Scriptures we need not be sollicitous concerning the Testimony of the Antient Church after the Age of the Apostles Not so much at least for the sake of Truth as for the Honour of the Antient Christians from whom our Adversaries pretend to have received this their Sacrament of Extreme Unction But if any there be who conceive the Truth not to be so evident but that it will bear an Addition of light and strength from Antient Testimony we are far from envying them this means of satisfaction Whereas therefore (a) De Extr. Unct. cap. iv Bellarmin appeals to the Tradition of the Ancients I make no question but it will appear that this pretended Sacrament was unknown to the Church for above a thousand years that his instances to the Contrary are far from being proofs and that some of them in which he places his greatest confidence are against him But for more clear proceeding In the first place we make no difficulty to grant That there were several Anointings used in the Ancient Church and those too as so many Religious Rites But withal we say that the Unction of the sick now in fashion amongst the pretended Catholics was none of them Anciently they anointed the (b) Constit Apost lib. iii. c. 16. lib. vii c. 42 44. Catechumens that were ready for Baptism and this with simple Oil and (c) Tertull. de Bapt. c. x. Cypr. Ep. 70. Oxon. Syn. Arausic l. Can. 2. Resp ad Orthod Qu. 137. Hieron Tom. iv Com. in Lam. c. 11. Dionys Areop de Eccl. Hier. c. vii §. 8. Vide etiam Cotelerii notas in Patr. Apost p. 214. after Baptism they anointed them with Chrism or a compounded Oil which custom was very plentifully attested by Ecclesiastical Writers as every one knows that is in any degree conversant with them Some plain Testimonies to this purpose I have referred to in the Margin and that because I shall ere-long have occasion to remember That this usage tho it was the matter of no Divine Precept was frequently remembred by the Ancients They also anointed (d) Resp ad Orthod Qu. 14. in Just M. those who had been baptized by Hereticks when they came over to the Communion of the Catholicks and this with holy Ointment Such Unctions as these were all of them far enough from this Anointing Mystery of the Roman Church because they were not so much as Unctions of the sick And yet I grant that in the Ancient Church they did sometimes anoint the sick and infirm also But then the instances of that Unction are by no means favourable to the pretended Sacrament of Extreme Unction because altho they were sick persons who were anointed yet it was not a Sacramental Unction to prepare the sick for their passage out of this World but a Rite of the Gift of Healing the Gift of Healing I say which it pleased God to continue in the Church for some Ages after the Apostles Thus (e) Ad Scapulam cap. 4. Tertullian tells us that Proculus a Christian the Procurator of one * Euodus Euhoida was kindly entertained by Severus the Emperour to the day of his Death because he had once Cured him with Oil. (f) De Vitâ Hilarionis Tom. 1. p. 9. Colon. St. Hierom also reports that many Husbandmen and Shepherds stung with Serpents and venomous Beasts ran to Hilarion and were cured with holy Oil And that the same Hilarion saved the Lives of Constantia's Son-in-Law and her Daughter by anointing them with Oil. The like is affirmed by (g) Vit. Mart. c. 15. Sulpitius Severus of Martin Bishop of Tours that he Cured a Paralytick Maid by earnest Prayer and by Oil. And (h) De Civit. D. lib. 22. c. 8. St. Austin speaks of a Maid of Hippo that was dispossessed of a Devil by the Prayers of a Presbyter and by anointing her self with Oil into which he had let fall his tears Several instances of this kind are to be met with in (i) Vitae Patrum p. 211 343 451 c. Rosweid which I pass over to avoid tediousness I shall only add that the seventh Age was not without the Gift of Healing and that the use of Unction which referred to it was till then continued as appears by what (k) Vitae Cuthb c. 30. Bede reports of Cuthbert Bishop of Fern-Isle who died when Bede was about twenty years old Vide Dallaeum de Ext. Unctione p 85 86 87. Baron A C. 63. n. iv He tells us of a Holy Woman that was vexed with an intolerable pain in her Head and in one of her Sides whom Cuthbert after the Physicians had given her over anointed with holy Oil that from that time she mended and in a few days was perfectly well Now it must be granted that so long as the supernatural Gift of Healing lasted there was as much reason to use the common Ceremony of such Healing as there was at first And as we confess this practice of anointing the sick to have been frequent in the first Ages of the Church so we grant it to have been an Apostolical Tradition For we find it agreeing with the practice of the Apostles in St. Mark and with the Custom of the Primitive Presbyters in St. James But then altho this was the Unction of the sick yet it was not Extreme Unction nor the Sacrament of the Dying For the direct end for which it was administred was That those who were anointed might not die but recover their health by the supernatural Gift of God And as I shall shew presently this practice proves Antiquity to be as much against the Roman Sacrament as St. Mark and St. James shew the Scripture to be so In the mean time I must observe That there was yet another Unction in the Ancient Church which seems to me to have been no otherwise a Religious Rite than that it becomes Christians especially who believe the Resurrection of the Body to interr their dead decently and honourably For it seems they Anointed the Dead So (l) Paedag. l. 11. c. 8. p. 176. Par. Clemens Alexandrinus tells us Nor was this to be wondered at in particular since the Jews had used this Rite before and the Christians were remarkable for this That they spared no cost to adorn the Funerals of those who died in
set a most sure Guard about Christians to make good the end of their Life For what reason therefore does the same Council tell us that the sick Person having been anointed does sometimes when it is expedient for the welfare of the Soul obtain the Recovery of his Bodily Health Why I say do they in the Doctrine of this their Sacrament mention an accident so impertinent to the Nature and Design of it as the Recovery of Bodily Health I answer because they are driven to it by an extreme necessity of feigning some resemblance between the use of their Vnction and of that in St. James For 't is so plain that St. James promises bodily Health upon what he prescribes to be done that the Wit of Man is not able to disguise it And therefore it was absolutely necessary to give some hint of the same thing in their Doctrine about Extreme Vnction tho he must either have no Eyes or wink hard who sees not that 't is thrust in most impertinently and against the whole tenour of their Doctrine and Practice which plainly shew that 't is not administred by them for the prolonging of Life but for the Assistence of the Soul at the Hour of Death Which these Men are so sensible of that they dare not venture their Cause upon this weak Attempt of bending their Sacrament to the Text by pretending some regard in their Unction to the Recovery of Bodily Health but find themselves obliged also to bend the Text as unreasonably to their Sacrament by pretending that St. James does not speak of restoring Health only in those Words of saving the Sick and raising him up but of cleansing and strengthning the Soul too as Bellarmin and Estius would make us believe By which Artifice they have not done their Cause so much Service as they have discovered good will to it since we cannot but observe that themselves were conscious how impossible it is to make the Text and their Sacrament meet without forcing both the one and the other by an unnatural Representation And yet even thus much violence will never bring them together so long as 't is manifest that to the use of this Rite of Anointing in St. James as it is by him required the Recovery of Bodily Health is absolutely promised which they can with no Face pretend to be the constant or even frequent effect of their Extreme Unction since their Doctrine and Practice proclaim it to be the Sacrament of the Dying As for the forgiveness of Sins mentioned in the following Words of St. James it was promised upon a supposition that the sick Person had committed Sins And if he had committed Sins they shall be forgiven him Which plainly seems to be the supposition of a Case that was not common to all that were healed upon receiving the Vnction mentioned by the Apostle And that even this Promise does not afford the least ground for the Vnction of the Roman Church will appear when I come to explain the several Expressions in the Text. In the mean time to shew that the Power of Truth does sometimes prevail upon Men of the best note in the Church of Rome I shall close this Point with the Confession of no meaner a Man than Cardinal Cajetan who determines thus upon this place of St. James It neither appears by the Words nor by the Effect that he speaks of the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction but rather of that Vnction which our Lord appointed in the Gospel to be used upon sick Persons by his Disciples For the Text does not say Is any Man sick unto Death but absolutely Is any Man sick And it makes the effect to be the recovery of the Sick and speaks but conditionally of the forgiveness of Sins Whereas Extreme Vnction is not given but when a Man is almost at the point of Death and as the Form of Words then used sufficiently shews it tends directly to the forgiveness of Sins This was said like an honest Man and if all Men of sense would say what they think this Controversy with many more would soon be at an end §. 3. The true Interpretation of St. James 's Words THO what hath been said is enough to deprive the Roman Vnction of all relief and support from this place of Scripture yet for the benefit of those who possibly have not well considered the Text of which we have been speaking I shall first offter the plain meaning of it and shew for what end and purpose anointing with Oil was prescribed by St. James and then confirm the Interpretation by those Arguments that led me to it and by such Answers as may be sufficient to remove our Adversaries Objections against it We say then that several extraordinary Gifts were by the Spirit dispersed amongst the first Believers for the establishing of Christianity in the World and that one kind of these were the (g) 1 Cor. xii 9 28 30. Gifts of Healing That they who had this Power were directed by the Impulse of the Spirit when or upon what Persons to exert it That being thus directed they called upon the Name of the Lord with assurance of the Event and the Sick were accordingly restored to their Health That sometimes they did in this manner heal the Sick upon whom Diseases had been inflicted as a Punishment for some Sins they had been guilty of That in this Direction of St. James Is any Man sick c. he refers to these extraordinary Gifts of Healing and that he prescribes Anointing the sick Person with Oil in that case only when the Elders knew by the Spirit that the Gift of Healing was to be shewn and that the Lord would raise him up So that in case of Sickness St. James directs the sick Person to send for the Elders of the Church and adds a particular motive so to do from the Gift of Healing which then flourished in the Church viz. that if it seemed good to God which the Elders would assuredly know by the Instruction of the Spirit he should by their praying over him be restored to his Health In which case to signify the Supernatural Gift of God in raising him up they were accordsng to Custom to anoint him with Oil. Whereupon the Event would shew that their Prayer was not the Prayer of vain Confidence but of Faith and that they had not in vain anointed the Sick with Oil in testimony of their assurance of his Recovery for as he says the Prayer of Faith shall save the Sick and the Lord shall raise him up And to advise the sick Man more effectually to take this Religious Course he adds another Motive that if that Sickness were sent to punish him for some Sins that he had committed even that should not hinder his Recovery any more than if it had been inflicted only for the trial of his Faith and Patience for his Sins should be forgiven him In which Interpretation the main point of Controversy that remains between us and
the Lord as (m) Apolog. c. 42. Tertullian told the Heathens The Counterfeit (n) De Hier. Eccles cap. vii Dionysius speaks of it as of a general practice he tells us how the Priest having received the dead Body from the nearest Relations does all holy Rites that are Customary about those that die in the Lord that at length he salutes him that is dead and that after him the rest do so too that then he pours Oil upon him and after Prayers for All that the Body is buried But this I think makes nothing at all for the Roman Sacrament though we should take in that signification or instruction by which the last named Writer made this Unction of the Dead a kind of a Mystery (o) Ibid. §. 8. Remember says he in the holy Regeneration by which one is Born of God that before the Divine Baptism the first participation of that Holy Rite viz. the anointing with Oil is given to him that is initiated after he has quite put off his former garment But now at the end of all he that is departed this Life is anointed with Oil. Then indeed before Baptism the anointing with Oil called forth him that was initiated to a Holy Warfare but now that he is dead the Oil that is poured upon him shews him that is departed out of this life to have fought in this warfare to the end Now I grant this to be Extreme Unction but then 't is neither the Unction of the Dying nor of the Sick but of the Dead And if the pretended Catholicks will conform to the Custom of the Church in this Writers time their Unction will not be so much as Extreme Unction because this is to come after it And Bellarmin's reason why their Unction is called Extreme because 't is the last of all Unctions will be quite out of Doors since the Unction of the Dead and not of the Dying must be last of all 'T is true that this Dionysius mentions one Unction before Death but 't is as wide from the business of the Roman Sacrament as that after it for the Roman Sacrament is administred only to Baptized Persons but the Unction he speaks of which goes before death goes before Baptism too and is that which we have spoken of already So much for the Antient Unctions of the Church what they were and that they do not make for our Adversaries Let us consider a little whether some of them do not favour us SECT II. That the Vnction of the sick in the Antient Church confirms our Interpretation of St. Mark and St. James THE first which I shall resume is the Antient practice of anointing the sick in the Ages next after the Apostles which seems to be a Good Evidence of the Truth of that Interpretation of St. James which makes his Unction of the Sick a Rite of miraculous Healing For this practice does of it self shew That in all probability the ancient Christians thus understood it because they applied Unction to the sick in order to the recovery of their health by supernatural means For the forsaid Cures are all of them related as miraculous Cures And therefore Chemnitius had reason to say That the progress of this Vnction clearly shews it to be no Sacrament For first says he the Apostles anointed the sick with common Oil to heal them then others began to add Benediction and to Consecrate the Oil but yet they used it to the same end for which the Apostles used it before viz. To Cure the sick miraculously as it appears by the Miracles said to be done with holy Oil by St. Martin and many others c. But when at length Miracles were quite ceased the Ceremony of anointing still went on In short he makes the Sacrament of Extreme Unction to have grown from the continuance of the Rite after the reason of it was at an end and miraculous Cures were no longer done For which conclusion we shall see a great deal of reason hereafter But in the mean time we will consider Bellarmin's notable conjecture on the other side concerning the miraculous Cures that were done with Oil. (p) De Extr. Unct. cap. 6. §. Quod vero c. But says he That the Ceremony of anointing the sick in the way of a Sacrament arose out of that Vnction which operated in the way of a Miracle Chemnitius proves no otherwise than that himself so thinks But we on the contrary do conjecture that this progress of Oil came about another way that is to say because in the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction it often happen'd that people were healed some holy men began upon that occasion to use Oil out of the Sacrament not that Oil which was blessed by the Bishop in order to a Sacrament but Oil sanctified by themselves simply with the sign of the Cross to heal Diseases Thus the Cardinal argues Now if his conjecture be a good one then by his own Confession those frequent Relations which we meet with in the Ancients of miraculous Cures by Oil do acquaint us with an Unction very different from Bellarmin's Sacramental Unction as of necessity it must be if the Sacramental Unction was the Mother of that And by consequence unless they can produce other testimonies from Antiquity for their Sacrament they must not think to find it in the instances of those that were miraculously healed by Oil since these are not instances of Extreme Unction nor will any Man say they are unless he be furnished with as bold a Face as * Not. in Iren. lib. 1. c. 18. Fevardentius had who without any scruple makes Hilarion's Unctions to be Extreme and the Miracles reported to follow thereupon to be the effects of Extreme Unction and like an honest Man tells us That St. Hierom says so But for Bellarmin's conjecture it self which he opposes to that of Chemnitius 't is no better than excess of confidence opposed to plain reason For this was Chemnitius's ground that all the Unction of the sick which we meet with in the Antients was for bodily Cures and that Extreme Unction was never heard of till of late which if it be true makes it highly reasonable to conclude That Extreme Unction grew out of the miraculous one and very absurd to say that this grew from that unless we could fansy the Daughter to be born before the Mother As for the like Case which Bellarmin produces in favour of his Conjecture I can hardly grant him what he seems to allow to Chemnitius that he thought himself to be in the right After this manner says he we see it was done in Water Ibid. Because in Baptism men were sometimes healed of their Bodily Infirmities as Augustin testifies and gives some Examples of the same From thence many began to use water blessed out of Baptism for the Cure of Diseases Now indeed if there had been as frequent and as early mention of this Extreme Unction in the Writings of the Antient
at all the word Sacrament at which elsewhere he is so ready to take advantage being not so much as here mentioned Moreover that Unction of which this Synod spake was for healing the distempers of the Body and therefore very different from the Roman Unction which is principally for those that are drawing on to the last gasp And as for the diseases of the Soul which it was said to heal too there is no reason that the Synod should be interpreted otherwise than according to the Text which they cited where 't is said If he hath committed sins they shall be forgiven him that is to say that the first and constant intention in Unction of the Sick was to relieve their Bodies and in some cases it would also be beneficial to their Souls But by this time I grant there was a certain custom of anointing the Sick slipt into the Church something different from the judgment and practice of more antient times but withal a great deal more different from the modern doctrine and practice of the Church of Rome This I shall shew more particularly in its proper place and that although thus much Antiquity comes too late to conclude us in points wherein it was singular yet it does effectually condemn the Roman Church in points wherein it was not so because it shews the lateness of their Innovations As for the Synod of Worms held in the year 868 which he next mentions he confesses that the Canon he refers to renews the Decree of Innocentius The truth is that Canon does word for word repeat all that passage in the Epistle of Innocentius Can. 72. which we have considered before and this without the least Preface to it or Note upon it This therefore instead of being a Testimony to Extreme Unction is a good Argument that those Fathers knew no more of it than the Bishops of Rome and Eugubium did above 400 years before He cites also a Canon of a Synod at Meaux out of Burchardus commanding that upon Good-Friday Eve the Rectors of Parishes should receive a Glass of holy Oyl from the Bishop for the anointing of the Sick according to Apostolical Tradition Now whether there ever was such a Canon made at Meaux or not 't is all one to us for that it was now the custom to anoint all Sick persons we readily grant but that it was either Extreme or Sacramental Unction we flatly deny nor is there a word to that purpose in the Canon now cited The next is the second Synod of Aken (e) Aquisgr 2. Cap. 2. §. 1. Can. 8. which requires that once a Year the Bishops in all Cities do not neglect the Benediction of Holy Oil †In quo salvatio infirmorum creditur wherein the relief of sick Persons is believed to be What says Bellarmin upon this The Canon says he requires that this Sacrament be not neglected in which the Salvation of the Sick is contained But does it speak of Extreme Vnction or of Sacramental Vnction Yes they will say for it speaks of that Vnction in which the Salvation of the Sick is contained But the Canon does not say as Bellarmin does but that the Health or Salvation of the Sick is believed to be in that Unction which is as much as to say that their Unction was believed to be very profitable towards the recovery of a sick Mans Health And that this was the meaning of the Fathers appears from their instructions to the Presbyters concerning the care they ought to have of the Sick which is expressed in these words (f) Ibid. §. 2â— Can. 5. But if he his Parishioner be grieved with Sickness let him not by his the Presbyters negligence want Confession and the Prayer of the Priest or the Anointing of holy Oil. Lastly If he perceives his end approaching let him commend the Christian Soul as a Priest should do to the Lord his God with the reception of the Holy Communion and his Body to be buried in a Christian manner By which you see there are two states of the sick Person considered one when he is deprest by sickness the other when he is drawing to his end And that the Anointing with Oil is prescribed as proper to the former viz. while good hope of life lasted not to the latter as 't is now in the Church of Rome when he seemed to be near his end For in that case they prescribed the Administration of the Communion Which shews that by believing the Salvation or Health of the Sick to be in Unction which they had observed not long before they meant the common belief of the profitableness of Unction to raise up the Sick and to restore him to Health For if they had taken Unction to be the Sacrament of the dying according to the new Divinity of the Trent-Synod they also would have prescribed Unction in that case wherein 't is plain they did not prescribe it viz. * Si finem urgentem perspexerit when it was perceived that Death was at hand To conclude whereas the Cardinal affirms That the Council of Mentz under Rabanus affirms like things I do acknowledge that in this he says the truth for they require (g) Mog I. Can. 26. that according to the decrees of the Fathers the Sick should be heartned with Prayers Consolations and holy Vnction and refreshed with the Communion where 't is again observable that the Unction is to go before and then the Communion to follow which later that they required in case of such a prospect of death as the Synod of Aken speaks of is plain from their calling the Communion the Viaticum or * Communione Viatici reficiantur the Food for their passage out of this into the other World But if they had dreamt of the Extreme Vnction of the Church of Rome that and not the Eucharist had been prescribed in the last place to fortifie the Soul in her last conflicts And now the summ of his Testimonies for Extreme Vnction out of Ancient Councils comes to this That he has not one genuine Canon of a Council to pretend till the Ninth Age and there is not one that he appeals to in that Age neither but all things considered it rather makâ—â—gainst him than for him And so much for Ancient Councils SECT V. That Extreme Unction has not the Testimony of any Ancient Father HE pretends that they (h) Ubi supra §. Jam vero ex patribus c. have two kinds of Testimonies from the Fathers One of those who indeed do not expresly say that this is one of the Sacraments but yet they expresly say That the words of S. James belong to us and that the Presbyters ought now and in all times to do that which S. James describes Now if he had such Testimonies as these to produce they would not in the least affect our Cause since we also say that this place of S. James belongs to us as I have already
of Anointing the Sick in that Church as the Ritual it self speaks in these words (t) Ibid. p. 412. Regard favourably our prayers who meet in thy holy Temple this day to anoint thy infirm persons with holy Oyl This goes before the Consecration of the Oyl But after that (u) Ibid. p. 417. the Priest takes the holy Oil and anoints him that is to receive the Vnction and is to be prayed for saying the following Prayer Holy Father the Physician of Souls and Bodies who didst send thy only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ healing every disease and redeeming us from death heal this thy servant of his bodily and spiritual disease which has laid hold upon him and revive him through the Grace of thine Anointed by the Intercessions of our Holy Lady the Mother of God c. By the Protection of the Heavenly Incorporeal Powers by the virtue of the precious and life-giving Cross of John the Baptist the Apostles the Martyrs and our Godlike Fathers the Holy Physicians that received no Fees Cosmas and Damian Cyrus and John Pantaleon and Hermolaus c. In this Prayer indeed here is a great deal of wretched stuff of another kind but not a word that looks towards Extreme Vnction the whole relating to the intention of the Antient Unction which was to recover the Sick and therefore the Priest pleads in particular the Intercession of those Saints that were said to have been particularly famous for the cure of Diseases And that which is remarkable in the case is this that the Rubrick requires every one of the other six Priests when he anoints the Sick to use this very Prayer which plainly shews that every one of them anoints for the same end and purpose Neither is it any advantage towards the Roman pretence that the Priest prays also for the cure of the spiritual infirmity which holds the sick person it being evident as Simeon Thessalonicensis observes that the disease of the body being inflicted for the sin of the soul the cause is to be removed that the effect may cease Nor indeed is it fit that we should pray for any blessing of this life without imploring Gods pardon of those sins which make us unworthy of it At length the second Priest prays (w) Ibid. pag. 418. O God great and high who art adored by every creature c. look upon and hearken unto us thy unworthy servants and when in thy name we bring forth this Oyl do thou send forth the medicines of thy free gift and the pardon of sins and according to the multitude of thy mercies heal these persons c. Then the Third Priest to the same purpose * Ib. p 420. Almighty Lord Holy King who dost chastise and not deliver to death who supportest those that fall and settest straight those that are broken and repairest the bodily infirmities of men we beseech thee O our God to send forth thy Mercy upon this Oyl and upon those that are anointed with it in thy Name that it may become to them the healing both of Soul and Body their deliverance from all grief and every disease and malady and lastly from all defilement of Flesh and Spirit So Lord send thou from Heaven thy healing Virtue Do thou touch the Body extinguish the Fever mitigate the pain and expel every hidden Infirmity Be thou the Physitian of this thy Servant raise him up from the Bed of grief and the Couch of sickness Be pleased to restore him safe and every way healthy to thy Church to please thee and to do thy will Of the same nature are the Prayers of the following Priests this being repeated after every Gospel in each administration We still pray for Mercy Life Peace Health and Deliverance I shall only add the beginning of the Prayer offer'd by the Fourth Priest because it shews how that Church understands the place of St. James so often mentioned (x) Ib. p. 421. Lord who art Good and the lover of Mankind the God of tender Compassion and great Mercy c. who by thy Holy Apostles hast given us Authority to undertake the cure of the Infirmities of thy People do thou also cause this Oyl to be a means of Healing all those that are to be anointed with it to be a remedy against every disease and every malady and a deliverance from evils to those that expect Health from thee c. For by this it appears that the Greeks as the Antients did understand St. James's Unction to be the same with that of the Apostles in St. Mark and consequently refer it to bodily cures And that they ground their Authority to anoint the sick in order to bodily Health upon these places of Scripture so understood And now I shall make bold to say That there is nothing in their whole Office of Holy Oyl that does in the least favour Extreme Vnction but take it all together 't is in effect a flat contradiction to it And therefore to make it look a little Roman like the Latin Translator Father Goar by name has falsified the Rubrick before the Prayer that is to be repeated by every Priest and with very convenient impudence rendered it thus (y) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So is the Greek Rubric but Goar renders it Et post Orationem accipit Sacerdos Sanctum Oleum extremam unctionem suscipientem ungit sequentem orationem dicens p. 417. And after the Prayer of Consecration the Priest taketh the Holy Oyl and anointeth him that receiveth EXTREME VNCTION saying the following Prayer Whereas he ought to have translated it thus and Anointeth him that waiteth there for Vnction and Prayer Not that receiveth Extreme Vnction as the false Translator would have it (z) Orat. Tert. Sac. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated Qui Corporeas hominum infirmitates in utilitatem eorum disponis whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies here afflicta reparans as is translated above Other Prevarications of less moment I have observed whereby he has shewn a good will to bend the Office by Translation even where he could get next to nothing by it But if Testimonies are not to be had and yet men will not be content without them there is no help for it but they must be made And now I may leave any one to judg betwen Simeon and Arcudius who is the True and who the false Greek and likewise between Bellarmin and me whether the Testimony of the Greek Church be for or against Extreme Vnction The truth is tho' the Greek Church hath in some things innovated no less than the Roman yet in others she has kept to ancient Tradition where the Roman has not and of this their Unction is one notable instance which is apparently that Unction which began to take place in the Seventh Age after Christ But the Roman Unction is so far from having Primitive Tradition that 't is not so much as an ancient Innovation as the Unction of the
assist by a Sacrament there is I am sure nothing in the nature of the thing to hinder but that he may assist by the reception of the Eucharist at the hour of death though it be not a Sacrament proper to the Dying And if this be true there is nothing in the Argument why God must needs have appointed Extreme Vnction for the Dying but that the Number Three ought go round for the pleasing of their Imaginations who are entertained to their liking more with regular Figures and Analogies than with substantial and useful Truth I confess I am not very much concerned to see men take these pretty congruities and make them reasons for what they do themselves provided they will rest there and not make them Rules for what God Almighty does When (h) Arcud ubi supra cap. 3 Simeon Thessalonicensis tells us why in the Greek Church there are Seven Priests to anoint the Sick viz. because of all the Sevens that he could readily think of I am very well content for it being indifferent whether there were Seven Priests or not an indifferent reason I thought would serve the turn one way or other But it is not to be endured to put these petty Arguings upon the Infinite Wisdom of God by obliging him to appoint Sacraments for the sake of fanciful and neat Analogies 2. To make this Analogy hold the Cardinal did not think fit to mention some of the Sacraments of his Church some of those I mean that are for the aiding of us in our progress after Baptism as they hold for in this whole Chapter he mentions none of these but the Eucharist Now with them there are Seven in all i. e. Five between the first and the last from which Five indeed he might well have excepted Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders because according to them these two can never meet to the assistance of the same persons in their progress through the World and because they are not necessary to all But the Sacraments of Confirmation and Penance being added to the Eucharist do certainly make Three for our progress in the Church Nor can I imagin why those two were not remembred but for fear of spoiling the handsomeness of the Analogy and of raising an expectation of more than one Sacrament proper for us in our Egress out of the Militant Church especially since our dangers are said to be then greater and our strength to encounter them less than in the whole course of our life besides The truth is if the Institution of Sacraments must be thought to go by such Congruities as these it would be impossible for men to agree about the number and the use of Sacraments till they all agree in the same Phansies of Congruity And yet nothing in the World seems to have greater variety than Phansy has 3. If there were some colour of Agrument in a handsom Congruity yet in one that is strain'd and forced there is none at all For such is the congruity of being furnish'd with a Sacrament for our going out as we are with a Sacrament for our entring into the Church If the opposition had been natural either Baptism must have received us into the life of this World as Extreme Vnction is intended so secure our passage out of it or Extreme Vnction must send us out of the Church as Baptism does enter us into it No man will say the former nor Bellarmin the latter and therefore he was fain to add the consideration of the Churches Militancy in this life to save himself from the absurdity of making Extreme Vnction the Sacrament of our going out of the Church as Baptism is the Sacrament of our entrance into it But then this spoils the congruity of the opposition for he that is baptized does thereby become a Member of that Church part whereof is in Heaven but he that is anointed with Extreme Vnction does not thereby no not when he dies cease to be a member of that Church part whereof is upon Earth if he dies in the Lord. And therefore it cannot be said that he goes out of the Church by death as he entred into it by Baptism For by death it self he makes a farther progress in it Besides the effect of Baptism is this That thereby we were actually admitted into the Church But is it the effect of Extreme Vnction to pass us out of the Militant Church 'T is the Sacrament of the Dying they say but what effect has it if the sick person happens to recover after anointing Did his anointing assist him in his passage out of this World though he tarried in it still Or is it only a Sacrament that confers the Grace proper to it and is good for its end if there be occasion for it Or a Sacrament by it self that when it happens to do no good will be sure to do no harm It is a dangerous thing to lay any great weight upon these slender congruities And therefore dismissing the Analogy of Extreme Vnction to Baptism and the Eucharist and the congruity of providing a Sacrament for our Egress to answer the Sacraments of Ingress and Progress we have nothing to consider but the single congruity of providing sufficent assistance for the Faithful in so dangerous an hour as the hour of death But to this also I have spoken already and shall now add 1. That we do not in the least doubt but as God is present with his faithful Servants in all conditions of life to deliver them out of Temptation so he will not forsake them in the hour of death nor then suffer them to be tempted above what they are able but we say that this does not infer any the least need or even congruity that he should therefore institute a Sacrament proper for the comfort and assistance of the Dying since if he is pleased upon our Prayer to give the assistance of his Holy Spirit in that case without such a Sacrament our needs in that time of danger are as effectually supplied as if such a Sacrament had been added And therefore Chemnitius did well to say That other guards and defences are not to be sought for the dying than those that are provided for the living viz. the Word of God the remembrance of Baptism and the reception of the Eucharist which are all profitable to the dying And (h) Ubi supra Cap. V. Bellarmin did very ill to answer that at this rate there would be no need of the Eucharist after Baptism For in order to the receiving of Divine Grace we must observe Divine Institutions God was not bound to institute Sacraments for us and I think no man will deny but if he had pleased he could have saved us without them but when he has once instituted them we are bound to observe them if we expect Grace to help us in the time of our need 2. If it were true that a sufficient aid could not be provided in the dangerous hour of death but by
that purpose But at length none but Priests must do it and as Customs that are meerly of human Original do commonly begin with a rude and light draught and in process of time are filled up with artificial and regular Forms so this Innovation which was at first begotten by Questions concerning the use of Chrism in the time of Innocentius grew in two or three Ages more into all its shapes and became a setled mystery But though in respect of us it be indeed an Antient Innovation yet an Innovation it was and a late one too in respect of the truly Primitive Church 2. It was never Vniversally practised for besides the Christians of St. Thomas in East-India who had no use of Oyl at all in their Holy things the Aethiopian Church useth no Unction of the sick tho they have their (r) Ludolf Lib. III. Cap. 6. N. 31. Holy Oyl wherewith they anoint persons to be Baptized and so when the Missionaries from Rome came thither they found these Christians (s) Ibid. Cap. V. N. 44. utterly ignorant of Extreme Vnction which by the way is a good evidence if there were no other that even the Unction which was not Extreme was an Innovation For (t) Ibid. Cap. VI. N. 14 15. no people are more tenacious than they of Antient Customs insomuch that the most Antient Ceremonies of the Old Church that are obsolete elsewhere and now hardly known are seen to continue amongst them so that their Rites being well considered in Baptism the Eucharist Love-Feasts c. one would think he saw a kind of Image of the Primitive Church as we are told in the best account that was ever yet given of the state of that Church 3. They that began this kind of Unction had no good Reason for what they did and it is much easier to defend our selves in refusing to follow that example than them for setting it It may indeed be excused by a Pious intention of seeking Health this way from God and refering it all to him but thus may many other things be excused which yet ought not to be imitated Here was inded the Primitive Rite of Unction used and that also for the same general end for which it was used in the Primitive Church viz. The Raising up of the Sick but it was far from having the same ground and reason because it could be of no effect the Gift of healing being discontinued Which in truth made it look as untowardly as if to recover any one to hearing and speech they had ordered the Priest to put his Finger into the Ears and to touch the Tongue of the Patient because (u) Mark vii our Lord did with such signs recover one that was deaf and had an impediment in his Speech or that when the Priest could not himself go to pray over a sick person he should send him a Handkerchief or an Apron from his Body because (w) Acts xx 12. such things being carried to the sick from the Body of St. Paul their Diseases departed from them For the reason of the thing seems to be much the same in all the three cases It is not very discreet nor for the Honour of Religion to make any shew of a Miracle when none is like to follow nor to use a Religious Rite for healing the Sick which promises extraordinary matters and yet People die as they did before which experience was in all probability the reason of changing the middle Age Vnction into Extreme Vnction they were ashamed and weary of anointing for the Body and so fell to anoint for the Soul The Greek Church indeed still retains that Unction for Health but how unable she is to defend it may be observed from (x) De Extr. U. Lib. V. p. 466 c. Arcudius who brings in Simeon Thessalonicensis pleading against the Unction of the Latins himself doing what he can to defend it against the Greeks The case in short is this That they are both right one against the other as it must needs be when Two notable Antagonists do each of them maintaintain a different error Simeon as well he might condemn'd the Latins for anointing dying persons contrary to St. James Arcudius as well he may does almost laugh at Simeon and his Greeks for their anointing in order to bodily Health as if they thought to make men Immortal and not suffer death to reign amongst them any more Our Church is to be praised for not being led away by a colour of Antiquity to expose her self in this Fashion And it is the glory of a Church that she is able to defend not only the bare lawfulness but the prudence and expedience also of her Constitutions In short the Unction of the middle Ages has neither Authority great enough nor reason good enough to recommend it And the Church of England is therefore by no means to blame for not taking up that Unction when she laid down the other that is incomparably worse SECT VI. An Address to the Laity of the Roman Communion AND now in the Close of all I would fain address my self to the Gentlemen of the Church of Rome in such manner as might incline them to consider what has been said As for those of them that are in Orders it belongs to them particularly to consider it and I have no other application to make to them but that if I have gone upon mistakes they would imploy some charitable hand to shew me where they lye But in the mean time I hope the following Address to the Laity of that Communion will not be thought unreasonable Brethren we are sensible at what disadvantage we endeavour to lay the Truth before you we know that the prejudices which have been infused into you against all that we can say are very great but we would fain hope that they are not invincible What is it I beseech you in those Guides you follow to make you depend altogether upon their Authority What is it in us that should make every thing we say suspected and slighted We do not love to enter into comparison but we can see no good reason for so great a difference If you say that they can teach nothing but truth in delivering the Doctrine of your Church certainly it ought to be a very strong Reason that can support such a perswasion a perswasion that whatsoever they say against us is True in General against a terrible evidence that 't is all False in the Particulars Especially when we produce such Evidence from those Authorities upon which the General perswasion is said to be built i.e. from Scripture and Antiquity For Antiquity many of you at least must rely upon the skill and fidelity of others and for our parts we desire to be trusted but as we deserve We think the clearness of the Testimonies we produce the manner of our citing Authors and the connexion with which we take their periods may induce a prudent person who himself is unacquainted with the Fathers to believe that we are fair Representers of Antiquity For Scripture that indeed is a Rule which you may but will not use for let us produce places of Holy Writ never so many or so clear you refer the Interpretation of them to those Guides against whom they are produced So that still they are believed upon their own Testimony Is it because you take their Skill and Learning to be greater than ours But how can you be sure of that without examining the different appearance which that difference would make in the management of these Controversies Or do you believe us to be Hypocrites and that sincerity is to be met with no where but in the Guides of your Communion We are Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God no less than they and we know that it is requir'd of Stewards that a man be found faithful Consider us Brethren that neither our Doctrine nor our Conversation in the World carry the marks of Hypocrisy Had we any other Interest to serve but that of Truth we also should contend for Mysteries by which the People get Ease and Liberty and the Priest Power We tax not your Priests of Insincerity nor enquire why they teach certain Doctrines and administer those Sacraments which they do and which we do not administer We leave them to give an account of their ends and motives at the Day of Judgment when the secrets of all Hearts shall be disclosed But for our selves we must needs say That if we were disposed to bend Religion to Worldly Interest we should maintain another part than what we are now concern'd for To make the most of our Orders we are very sure that you ought to depend upon us for forgiveness of your sins while you live and when you are dying and yet not so to be forgiven but that there should be a reckoning of Temporal punishment behind which would make us necessary for you when you are dead Though you still purpose Reformation of Life without performance we would have Sacraments to save you from Hell but a life of strict Piety and Virtue tho' crowned with Extreme Vnction should not excuse you from Purgatory without a farther favour of the Church that should not be easily obtained neither You cannot conclude that we are Insincere but at the same time you must take us for the veryest Fools alive to stand as we do in our own Light and to prefer a Heresie that does us no manner of Service before that Truth which would bring all to depend upon us Think upon this and consider at least that you have no Reason to suspect us of not believing our selves what we profess or of consulting our secular Interest when we intreat you for the love of God and for the sake of your own Souls to weigh impartially what we say which if you would do we doubt not in the least but you would find our Cause to be as good as our meaning Only let not prejudice extinguish the very desire of knowing better things nor an †Pontif Rom. Ordo ad Reconc Apost c. Oath to yield to no manner of Argument prevail against that Obligation to follow God and Truth which all the Oaths in the World can never dissolve THE END