The Badges of Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 21
Chap. 21. That extreame vnction is no Sacrament.
THe last faigned Sacrament is the last annoynting (as they call it) performed by the priest in extreamety, where by they teach that aBollar. lib. 1, de extr. vnct. cap. 2.God assureth forgiuenesse of sinnes, and promiseth ease of bodily disease, if it be so exped ent: if not, the saluation of the soule in the life to come. They vse this forme of words, By this holy anoynting and his most holy mercy, God doth forgiue thee whatsoeuer that hast offended, by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching.
This vnction cannot be a sacrament for bExtreame vnction can be no sacramentsundry causes. First, themselues confesse, that it hath not his institution from Christ. For the Rhem'stes in their heretical, cRhem. testam.Annotations vponupon Mar. 6 confesse, that there is onelyonly a preparation vntounto it. And Peter Lumbard saith, dsentent. lib. 4. …. 23. cap. 2It was instituted by the Apostle Iames. By this doctrine, Christ should onelyonly be a preparer of sacraments, not an appointer: a beginner, not a finisher of them. Now, these men are all accursed by the Conuenticle of Trent, eConcil. Trid. sess. 7 can. 1 & 2.If any man shad say that the sacraments of the new law were not all instituted by Iesus christ, let him be accursed. Again, the place of the Apostle Iames, maketh nothing for this sorged sacrament: for there is a great difference & contrariety betweene the anoynting that Iames speaketh off, and the popish anealing. Their priestes hauehave not the miraculous guist of healing, whereof this … was an outward signe in the primitiue church, which custome afterward ceased when the … of healing ceased: being for a time granted to the church for the credit of the Gospell. As then the guist was temporall and for a reason, so must the signe bee of the same standing and continuance: and the gift being taken from the church, if the signe should remaine in vse and practise, it should be but a lieng signe. For by the same reason, fIoh. 5. 4, & 9 6, 7the brooke of Siloam, the poole Bethesda, the clay and … which were sometimes vsed in healing the diseased, might be accounted sacramēts as wel as this, being all signes of healing for a certaine season, as also annoynting with oyle was for the first times of the church while it was in planting. Thirdly, the Apostle would hauehave al sick persons anoynted: these do anoynt with their greazy oile, onelyonly such bodies as are in manner halfe dead, euen while they lie in extremity, and the life is striuing to come forth. The Apostle would hauehave all the elders called: but one Masle-priest only with them bringeth the box, and annoynteth the sickman. The Apostle assureth health to gIam. 5. 14. 15 Mar. 6, 13all that are thus annoynted, as I am. 5. The prayer of faith shall saue him that is suke, and the Lord shal raise him vp. So also Mark. 6. They cast out many deuels, and they anointed many that were sicke with oyle, and healed them: whereby we see, that restoring and recouering of health was certainely promised to folow the anointing. But not one among many receiueth health after their popish anealing. The Apostle speaketh of bodily health, of the guift of miracles, and of common oyle: they prattle of forgiuenes of sins, of a common and continuall gift, of charmed and consecrate oyle, and balme (whereof notwithstanding can none be found) of bowing their knees and saluting it, saving, Hailholy oyle, haile holie oyntment, haile holy balme, nay which is more blasphemous, their oyle they call The oyle of saluation, which is to renounce saluation by Christ, and to deny the holy spirit to sanctifie the people of God. Furthermore, eueryevery sacrament must hauehave a word of institution: but the wordes which they vse in anealing are a strange saluation of a dumbe and deafe creature, not warranted nor founde in scripture, as the words of consecration in the true sacraments are: and therefore we cannot receiue it for a sacrament, but must account it an apish imitation and a popish tradition. Moreouer, we hauehave proued before chap. 8. that the element is consecrated when the sacrament is ministred, by praying, thanksgiuing, eating and drinking, deliuering and receiuing, breaking and pouring out, blessing and reciting the institution: therfore the oyle halowed long before by the Byshop, heated with breathing vponupon it, charmed with much murmuring, saluted with bowing of the knee, and other like trumperies, that hallowing I say is fond, superfluous, and superstitious. Lastly, the effect and vertue of a Sacrament is spirituall grace in Christ: but extreame vnction hath no spirituall grace in Christ sealed vp: for the Apostle ascribeth hIam. 5, 16not the forgiuenes of …, to the annointing with oyle, but to the prayer of faith. Acknoledge (saith he) your faults one to another, and pray one for another that ye may be healed, for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent. And again, The praier of faith shal saue the sick, and the lord shal raise him vp, and if he hauehave committed sins, they shalbe forgiuen him. Wher we see, that the effect of pardon is ascribed to the force of prayer: therfore extream vnction is no sacra. and so this greazing, houseling, & annointing is to be abandoned of the people of God.
What then, wil some say, do you leaue the sick without al comfort and consolation? No, iHow the sick are to be annointed.we visit the sick among vsus: and although we do not housse and annoint them with material oyle, wee annoint them with the precious oyle of the mercy of god, we instruct them how to prepare themselues to leaue the world, to depart this mortall life, and to strengthen themselues in the assured hope of euerlasting life. Wee say, dear brother, God sendeth his messenger death to summon, and arrest you to come into his presence. kGen. 3, 19 Iob. 14, 1, 2Al the children of Adam are dust, and to dust they must return. Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance, and full of trouble, he shooteth forth like a Flower and is cut downe, he vanisheth also as a shadow and continueth not. Death is common lPsal. 89, 48, Heb 9, 27to all flesh, it is appointed to all men once to …. It is the gate throgh which we must enter into heauen. If we would liue for euer, we must die: for the way to liue eternally, is … to die. Though the time be vncettaine, where, or how we shall dy: yet nothing so certain as that we must dy, we know not how soone. This must not seeme strange vntounto you, for the whole life of a Christian should be nothing but a meditation of death, being the end of all flesh: we should make account of eueryevery day of our life as if it wer the instant day of our death You must consider that nothing befalleth vsus by chance or fortune, al things are ruled and guided by the soueraigne prouidence of almighty God: all the hairs of our head are numbred: not one sparrow falleth to the grounde without the wil of your heauenly father: humble your selfe therfore vnderunder his mighty hand, mHeb. 12, 5, 6he conecteth eueryevery child whom he loueth, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lorde, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him; for whom the L. loueth. he chasteneth: and he scourgeth eueryevery son whom he receiueth. Heerby then God tryeth and proueth your obedience, patience, and faith nIam. 5, 11 Iob 13. 15.as we see in the example of Iob, who praised the name of God in all his miseries: and if the Lord woulde kill him, he would not cease to put his trust in him.
We exhort them to set their houses in order before they dy, thereby to cutte off hatred and contention, and to staye quarrels and suites after their departure, whereby oftentimes more is spent then was left: then, to forget the world and the things of the world, and wholly to giuegive themselues to the meditation of the life to come, where this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shal put on imortality, o1 cor. 15, …according to the exhortation of christ and his Apostles in many places, as Mat. 6. Seeke ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse, and all thinges shall be ministred vntounto you. And 1, Cor, 7. This I say brethren because the time is snort, heereafter that both they which hauehave Wiues be as though they had none: and they which weep, as thogh they wept not: & they that reioyce as tho they reioysed not, and they that buy, as though they possessed not: and they that vse this world, as though they vsed it not: for the fashion of this world goeth away. And pPhil 3. 20;the same Apostle. Our conuersation is in heauen, from whence also we looke for a sauiour, euen the Lords Iesus Christ, who shall change our vile …, that it may be fashioned like vntounto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able to subdue all things vntounto himselfe. So 2. Cor 4. &c. Therefore we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed daily. For our light affiction which is but for a moment, causeth vntounto us a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glorie: while we looke not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not … for the thinges which are seene are temporall, but the things which are not seene are eternall. For we know that if our earthlie house of this tabernacle be destroyed, we hauehave a building giuen of God, that is, an house not made with hands, but eternall in the heauens: for therefore wee sigh, desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen, because if we be cloathed, we shal not be found naked. And the qEccl. 1. 2. 14wiseman Eccle. 1. Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher, vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie: I hauehave considered al the works that are don vnderunder the sun, & behold al is vanitie and vexation of spirit. So 1. Ioh. 2. LoueLove not this world, r1 Iohn. 2. 15. 16 17.neither the things that are in this world. If any man louelove this worlde, the louelove of the father is not in him: for al that is in this world (as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eies, and the pride of life) is not of the father, but is of this world: and this world passeth away and the lust thereof: but he that fulfilleth the wil of God, abideth euer. And the same in his reue lations, I heard a voice from heauen, saying, write the dead which die in the Lord are fully blessed: euen so saith the spirit, for they rest from their labors, and their workes follow them. They shal hunger no more, neither thirst anie more, … shal the Sunne light on them, neither anie heat, for the lambe which is in the midst of the throne shal gouern them, and shal lead them vntounto the liuelie fountaines of Waters, and God shal wipe awaie al teares from their eies.
Moreouer, we put them in minde to examine themselues and their liues passed, how they hauehave offended God and their brethren, and admonish them to make an humble and harty confession of their sinnes to God, that that they hauehave not liued as they ought to doe, to be sorry and greeued for the same, and to promise ammendement of life if they recouer. Thus the faithfull sPsa 51. 1 2. 3 4, 5 & 32, 3, 4. & 38, 3, 4,hauehave done, as we see in Dauid. Psalm, 51. HaueHave merciemercy vponupon me O God according to thy louing kindnes, according to the multitude of thy compassions putte away mine iniquities. I know mine iniquities and my sinne is euer before me: against thee, against thee hauehave I sinned and done euill in thy sight, that thou maiest be iust when thou speakest, and pure when thou iudgest. Behold, I was borne in iniquity, and in sinne hath my mother conceiued mee. And psal, 38. There is nothing sound in my flesh, because of thine anger, neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne: for mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head, and as a weighty burden they are too heauy for me. This practise we see also in Daniell, in Nehemia, in Ezra, in Manasses, and in many others. We mooue tDan. 9, 7 Ezr 9, 6 Nehe. 9, 16them to labour to be at one with God, to be reconciled to their brethren, and to remember the poore. Especially we stirre them vp to prayer, in regard of their present necessities, and of the mercifull promises of God, resting themselues on the perfect and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ. Gratious uPsa. 145, 18and precious are the promises that God hath made to al that come to the throne of his mercy, as p. al. 145. The Lorde is neere to all that call vponupon him, yea to all that call vponupon him in truth: he will fulfill the desire of them that feare him, he will also heare their cry, and wil saue them. And psal, 50. Call vponupon me in the daye of trouble, so wil I deliuer thee, and thou shalt glorifie me. And our sauiour Math, 7. Aske and it shall be giuen you: seeke, and ye shall find: knocke, and it shal be opened vntounto you: for whosoeuer asketh, receiueth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shalbe opened, So the Apo. Iames. The praier of faith shal saue the sicke, and the Lorde shall raise him vp: and if he hauehave committed sinnes, they shall bee forgiuen him: acknowledge your faults one to another, that ye may be healed: for the praier of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Now when they are sufficiently humbled for their sinnes, wee moue them to hunger and thirst after the merits of Christ, a1 Cor. 1, 30.who of God is made vntounto vsus wisedome, righteousnes, sanctification, and redemption. We alledge vntounto them bMat. 11, 28 29.these and such like comfortable places of Scripture, Come vntounto me 1 Tim. 1, 15all ye that are wearie and heauie laden, and I will ease yon. This is a a true saying, and by all meanes woorthy to be receiued, that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners, of whom I am chiefe. These things write I vntounto you that ye sinne not: if any man sinne, we hauehave an aduocate with the father, Iesus Christ the iust, whose blood clenseth vsus from all sinne: he is the … for our sinnes, and not for ours onelyonly, but also for the sinnes of the whole world. He is euermore about those that are his, he maketh their bed in all their sicknesse, d…. 8, 3 Rom. 14, 7, 8his left hand vnderunder their heads, and with his right hand he doth imbrace them: so that whether they liue, they liue vntounto the Lord, or whether they die, they dye vntounto the Lord: whether they liue or dye they are the Lords. This is true happines.
Furthermore, we raise them vp with sweet comforts and consolations of the word of god against c1 cor. 15. 54 55, 56, 57alterror and feare of death, Death is swallowed vp in victory. ô death where is thy sting? ô graue, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sinne, and the strength of sinne is the law: but thankes be vntounto God which hath Rom. 8, 1, 38 39.giuen vsus victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. And Rom. 8. Ther is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus, which Phil. 1, 12 Iob. 11, 25walke not after the flesh, but after the spirit: I am perswaded Tim. 4, 7, 8that neither death nor life, nor Angels, principalities, powers, nor things present, nor things to come, neither any creature shall be able to separate vsus from the louelove of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Christ is to vsus aduantage, whether in life or in death. Such as beleeue in him, yea though they were dead, shall liue. Death is to vsus as a sleepe, and the graue as a bed of rest. A crowne of righteousnesse is laid vp for vsus, which the righteous iudge shall giuegive vntounto vsus: so that an euill death can neuer follow, where a good life hath gone before, forasmuch as he cannot possible die ill, who hath liued wel. Death indeede is a Scorpion or serpent: but his sting is pulled out, he may wel hisse, but he cannot hurt: he may wel threaten, but he cannot destroy, for Christ hath quelled and conquered him.
Now, fHow sicke persons may put away the tediousnes & paines of sicknes.to put away the griefe and tediousnes of sicknes, we wil and wish them to meditate on the things they hauehave heard and learned by the ministry of the word from time to time in their health: to consider with themselues how God sometimes suffereth the wicked to prosper for a time, and florish like a greene gPsal. 37, 39 36, 37, 38bay tree, and how he punisheth them in the … wrath and iudgement for them: how he blesseth or correcteth his children in this life: how he hath prepared eternall torments for the wicked, and vnspeakeable glory for the Godly: but aboue all the workes of God, h1 cor. 2, 7 8, 9we teach them deepely to thinke vponupon the glorious and gratious work of our redemption, (wherein the infinite mercy and iustice of God do meete together and kisse Psal. 85, 10 11each other) taking delight and comfort therein withall thanksgiuing. Wherefore, we perswade them to beare the paines and griefes of sicknes with patience & constant perseuerance, because all sicknes is Gods hand, who being the god of the spirits of al flesh, i1 Sam. 2, 6, 7killeth & maketh aliue, bringeth down to the graue, and raiseth vp again. There by we are indeed chastened for our sins, but they are nothing in comparison of that anguish and agony which Christ suffered for vsus, neither are they worthy of the exceeding glory which shalbe shewed vntounto vsus. God hath predestinated vsus k2 Tim. 2, 11, 12.to be like the image of his son: so that the deeper we sinke downe in sorrowes, the more perfectly we resemble christ: it is the great mercy of God we are not vtterly consumed, and that his louing kindnes is not at an end toward vsus. The sicknes of the body is physick for the soule, for the striking of the one is the healing of the other: by the Crosse wee must enter the kingdome of heauen, and learne to loath the pleasures and profits of this present life. If they fall to dispaire and doubting l… against doubting and dispaire.of Gods fauour and louelove toward them in Christ, m…. 34, 4we labour to strengthen the weake, and bind vp the broken hearted; we are ready to leaue ninety and nine in the wildernes, and seeke that lost one. We bring them to God that hath striken them and made the wound, Luk. 19. 10considering that the sonne of man is come To seeke and to saue that which is lost. God is mercifull and his mercy endureth for euer, hee desireth not the death of a sinner, but that hee turne vntounto him. His mercy is ouer all the workes of his hands, it is like the Ocean-sea, wher no bottom can be found or founded. It is the expresse commaundement of God, n1 Ioh. 3. 23that we should beleeue in Christ who hath tryumphed gloriously against sinne, against Satan, against hel, against death, against damnation, against desperation. The promises of the Gospell exclude no man, oEsay 55, 1. 2 Matth. 11, 28vnlesse we exclude our selues. Infidelity, doubtfulnes, and despaire are very grieuous sinnes, and strike at the very hart of God. We must vnderunder hope beleeue aboue hope with faithfull Abraham. The mercies of God and the merits of Christs obedience are infinite, pEsay 54, 10higher then the heauens, deeper then the earth, broader then the sea, stronger then the lawe, mightier then the Deuill, and greater then all the sinnes of the world.
Besides, God doth measure the obedience due to him, qRom. 7, 20rather by the affection then by the action, rather by the desire to obey, then by the outwarde performance of it. Moreouer, when one sinne is forgiuen, all the rest are likewise forgiuen: euen as … of one sinne, bringeth with it repentance of all knowne sinnes, rRom. 11, 29For the giftes and calling of God are without repontance. Last of al, we admonish them to consider, that grace and faith (howsoeuer they may be smothered) are neuer wholly taken away by sinnes of infirmity, 5Rom. 5, 20but thereby are manifested and magnified.
Touching their families, we say vntounto them, call them before you, exhort them to cleaue tHow sicke persons are to behaue them selues in respect of their families.vntounto god with full purpose of heart, to louelove him, to walke before him in feare and reuerence, and to serue him in righteousnes all the daies of their life: gyue them charge to learne, beleeue, and obey the true religion and doctrine of saluation set downe in the writinges of the Prophets and Apostles. God commended Abraham for this, sayinge, uGen. 18, 19I knowe him that he will commaund his sonnes and houshold after him, that they keepe the way of the Lorde to doe righteousnes and iudgement, that the Lord may bring vponupon Abraham that he hath spoken vntounto him. Dauid gaue Salomon his sonne a notable and right noble charge before he died, a1 chr 28. 9speaking thus to him standing before him and before the princes and peeres of the kingdome, Thou Salomon my sonne, know thou the God of thy fathers, and serue him with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth al harts, and … al the imaginations of boughts, if thou seeke him, he will be found of thee, but if thou for … him he will cast thee off for euer. I each them that child-hoode and youth are vanity, bEccl. 1, 13teach them to remember … creator in the daies of their youth: teach them to read the scripture, and to practile in their liues and conuersations what they hauehave read and learned. Instruct them to auoide idlenes, to eschew euill company, to giuegive themselues to prayer, and hearing the preaching of the word. Warne thy children to louelove God, to reuerence their mother, and to louelove one another. Warn them to speake euill of no man, and beware of taking Gods name in vaine. Put them in minde that God is their father, their creator, their preseruer, their redeemer, their sanctiher, yea, their iudge that shall come to iudge the quick and the dead, and reward eueryevery man according to his workes We must all appeare before the iudgement seat c2 Cor. 5, …of Christ, that eueryevery one may receiue the things which are done in his bodye, whether good or euill. Put them in remembraunce, not to oppresse or defraud any man, dPsal. 41. …for the Lorde is an auenger of all such thinges, who will not blesse euil-gotten goodes, but send his cursse vponupon them, and they shall not prosper. Admonish them to shew forth their faith by good workes, and to shew mercy accordinge to their powers: Lastly, to honour their princes, parents, maisters, and all superiors.
Thus we instruct men to liue and to die, that dying they may liue with God in his kingdome. Thus we annoint the sicke with precious balme that e1 Thes. 4. …shall not breake their head, and with the inward and inuisible oyle of Gods grace and mercy. Thus we warne them to prepare the oyle of faith in their lampes, and to keepe a good conscience toward God and man, that they may with ioy and comfort depart in peace, render vp their soules into the hands of god, cheerefullie meeting the bride-groome, and entring with him into his kingdome. So then the people loose nothing by … of the materiall oyle, the want thereof being supplyed with exhortations, admonitions, reproofes, consolations, prayers and supplications, more desired of the sicke, and more auaileable for the sicke. And thus much of extream vnction and the other forged Sacraments, whereof some wanting the outward signe, some the spirituall grace signified, some the word of institution, some the promise annexed, and all of them the commandement of Christ, and testimony of the scripture: we cannot admit them for any Sacramentes; and so we conclude, that there are only two Sacraments of the Church vnderunder the Gospell, which are, Baptisme, and the Supper of the Lorde.
The ende of the first Booke.