The Sick Mans Catechism, Chapter 15
The fifteenth Chapter. Of the seuerall duties and branches of particular preparation.
Question. IN what and in how many things doth particular preparation consist?
Ans. According to their thréefold obiect they are thus distinguished, they concerne either God him-selfe, or our owne person, or our neighbour.
Q. When we are sicke what duty are we to performe towards God?
Ans. We must dayly seeke to be reconciled to God in Christ, other-wise all other duties are of small or nons effect.
Quest. How must this reconciliation be sought and obtained?
Ans. By renewing our former faith and repentance, and by repayring the de…s of it.
Quest. What mouing cause hauehave we to … vsus vp to performe this duty?
An. Because ordinarily, and for the most part, sickenesses and diseases are sent of God in his iustice for the punishment and chasti…ment of sinne. Lam, 3. 39. Math. 9. 2. Ioh. 5. 74.
Quest. In renewing our faith and repentance what particular duties must we performe?
An. Three especially, first wee must make a new examination of our hearts and liues. Lam. 3. 40. Psa. 119. 11,
Secondly when God sendeth new corrections wee must make new confessions of our particular sinnes. Psa. 32. 10.
Thirdly we must make new and earnest prayers to God for pardon of sinne, and for reconciliation with GOD in Christ. Psa. 6. 4. 5, 2. Chr. 34, 12, 13.
Que. What vse is to bee made hereof?
Ans. First, hereby are iusily taxed and checked those that spend the whole space of their life in the Church, and that many yeares, and at lenght when their best and most daies are spent, begin to enquire what faith and repentance should be, and how their soules should be sau…, as though it were so easie a matter to know and obtaine it.
Secondly we must in sicknesse especially practise and put in vre these duties of examination, confession, prayer and of renewing our faith and repentance; other-wise, qui minus est hodi… eras minus aptus erit.
Que. But what if the sicke person, is not able of him-selfe to renue his faith and repentance?
Ans. He must séeke for helpe and direction Luk. 5▪ 19.of his fellow members, who must like them that bare the man sicke of the palsie to Christ helpe and assist him by their counsaile, aduice and prayers.
Que. What are the particul… …uties that are herein to be performed?
Ans. They bee of two sorts according to their obiects, for they concerne either the sicke them-selues, or their help…rs.
Q. What is the duty that concerneth …e si…ke man?
Ans. To send for helpers, namely the elders and ancients of the Church, who in Saint Iames time and after-wards were endewed with the gifts of healing and of miracles.
Q. Doth not this duty of comforting the sicke be long to the minister onelyonly?
Obi. If a man sicke of the plague or p…stilence send for his pastor, is he bound in conscience to go to him in his owne person.
Ans. No except it may so be ordered that the Minister bee in no danger of infection.
Secondly, the Pastor or Minister may and must not for the comfort of one particular person …ndanger his owne life, and so bercaue the whole congregation of their guide and teacher; more regard is to be had of the good of the whole then of one par… of it.
Thirdly, as the leprous person by Leu. 13. 45 46.reason of the contagion of the disease might not be resorted vntounto, so it fareth with him that is visited with the plague.
Fourthly if the pastor and preache… should in person visite eueryevery man thus visited, he must separate himselfe from his owne family and neglect them, and his people and congregation would shun his company.
Lastly, the visited persons friendes and kinsfolke, are to supply this dutie.
Obiect. But Isaias visited Ezechias who was thought verily to hauehave the pestilence. ergo ministers must now do the like?
Answ. The argument followeth no… For first Isaias had an expresse commandement from God so to do, and therefore could not be infected.
Secondly, hee might for ought any man can obiect to the contrary, stand aloofe off in some conuenient place.
Obiect. But the plague commeth now by Gods immediate hand, as it did in Dauids time, and therefore a man may bee as secure with infected persons and infected places, as any where else.
An. The plague in these dayes (as experience verifieth) commeth not immediatly by the immediate striking of Gods elect Angell, as in Dauids daies. For then no man might auoid the infected, and the reason is, they that are hundred of myles off from any place of infection might be as soone tainted as any other, which to affirme is most absurd and crosseth all experience.
Secondly, none is now infected but he that is in company with the infected, or receiueth their clothes, or some thing about them.
Lastly, albéeit the pestilence infecteth not eueryevery man that is outwardly in dangers, yet this proueth not that it is not in it owne nature contagious, but that all persons were not capable of it, and that God in his mercy preserueth some from infect…, whom it pleaseth him, as is to bee séene in all other infectious places whatsoeuer.
Ques. But why are the elders who are no Pastors and Ministers of the Word, to visite the sicke?
An. First, because they are fitted herevnto, beeing indued with the gift of knowledge and prayer.
Secondly, it is a dutie of charity, and therefore not proper to any one man.
Thirdly, and principally, that they may hereby ease the Pastors or Ministers heauy and difficult burden and charge.
Q What vse is to bée made héereof?
An. It condemneth the silence and ignorance of most friendes and neighbours, who either speake neuer a word, or to small or no purpose, beeing not able to instruct and comfort him, and yet they promise to pray for him, when GOD knoweth they cannot pray for themselues.
Ques. When must the sicke send for the Elders to instruct and pray for him?
Ans. In the first place, before any physicke, medicine, or restoratiue For where the diuine leaueth, there must the physitian begin.
Qu. What vse is to be made of this point?
Answ. It reprooueth their madnesse and folly, who neuer send for the Minister vntill he be halfe dead, or lieth gasping as though the presence of the minister before that time were not necessarie, or as though Ministers could worke mirackles.
The second section.
Qu. What is the second duetie of the sicke?
Ans. To confesse his sinnes, those especially which disquiet and trouble the conscience, either to the Minister, or to any other Christian brother that is both able and willing to informe and comfort the sicke. Iames 5. ver. 16.
Qu. Is this duety simply necessary to saluation?
Answ. No, but only conueniently profitable.
Que. What is the duty of the helpers?
Answ. To pray ouer him, that is with him and for him, and in their prayers, to commend his whole person and state to God. 2. Kings, Act. 32. Act. 20. 4.
Q. Why must the visiters thus pray for the sicke?
A. The better hereby to stirre vp their affection in prayer, and to declare their charity and compassion to the sicke person.
Q. What if those that visite the sicke person find him impatient and full of griefe and wrath, what must they then doe?
A. They must beare with humaine infirmities, for being them-selues quiet with God, they must learne to bee quiet with men. Secondly they must shew vntounto them how all things fall out by Gods prouidence, and exhort him to wait vponupon God by faith, vntill he either take away or diminish the paine, or at least a…e to his strength and patience.
Qu. What other duty besides the seeking of reconciliation, oweth the sicke to God?
An. He must praise God for his former mercies, and declare this thankefulnesse▪ euen for crosses and corrections, for the Lord according to the proportion of our thankefulnesse will shew mercy vponupon vsus, more or lesse.
And thus much of the duties which the sick person oweth vntounto God.