The Practice of Piety, Treatise · Part 38 – Part 39
The sick Person ought now to send for some godly and religious Pastor.
IN any wise remember (if conveniently it may be) to send for some godly and religious Pastor: not only to pray for thee at thy death (for God in such a ca…e hath promised to hear the prayers of the righteous dGen. 20. 7. Jer. 18. …0. and 15. 1. 1 Sam. 12. 19, 23.Prophets, and eJam. 5. 14, 15, 16.Elders of the Church) but also upon thy confession and unfeigned Repentance to absolve thee of thy sins. For as Christ hath given him a calling tofMark 1. 4. Acts 19. 4. baptize thee unto repentance for the remission of thy sins: so hath he likewise given him a calling, andg1 Cor. 5. 4. power, and h2 Cor. 10 8authority (upon repentance) to absolve thee from the sins. *Mat. 16. 19.I will give thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. And again,iMat. 18. 18. Verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye l…ose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. And again, Receive ye the holy Ghost: whose soevever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them, Joh. 20. 2…. 23.and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. This Doctrine was as ancient in the Church of God as Job, for Elihu tells him,Job 33. 19, 22, 23, 24. That when God strikes a man with mal…dy on his bed, so that his soul draweth near the grace, and his life to the burie…: if there be any messenger with him, or an interpreter, one of a thousand, to declare unto man his righteousness, then will …e have mercy upon him, &c. and answerable hereunto (saith St. James)James 5. 15. if the sick have committed sins (upon his repentance, and the Prayers of the Elders) they shall be forgiven him. Rev. 11. 6.These have power to shut Heaven, and to*1 Cor …5. 5. deliver (the scandalous impenitent sinner) to Satan: For,b2 Cor. 10. 4, &c. the weapons of their warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through God, to cast down, &c. and to have vengeance in readiness against all disobedience. They have thecMat. 16. 19 Ministri p…cca…a …emittunt …on foreign, sed foreign. key of loosing, therefore the power of absolving.
The Bishops and Pastors of the Church, do not forgive sin by anyd1 Cor. 5. 4. absolute power of their own (for so only Christ the…r Master forgive▪ …) bute1 Cor 4. 1, 2. ministerially, as the se…vants of Christ, and St…wards, to whose fidelity their Lord and Master …ath committed his Keys,Act. 13. 38. and that is, when they do declare and pronounce, either publickly, or privately, by the Word of God, what bindeth, what looseth, and the me…cie… of God to penitent sinners, or his Judgments to impenitent and obstinate persons,To this end …ith Pas…l▪ i… …sc. c. 13. Ch…istus omn…bus Pasto…bes & De…o…ibus … foreign … quòd omnes ex aequo ligant & solv…nt, ut Pet…s. Papists dare not deny this. Quilibet s…ce…dos …quantum est ex virtute clavium) habet potestat…m indiffer…nter in omnes. In supplement. Thom… 4. 6. … 10. and so do apply the general promises or threatnings to the penitent or impenitent. For Christ from Heaven doth by them (as by his Ministers on Earth) declare whom he remitteth and bindeth, and to whom he will open the gates of heaven, and against whom he will shut them. And therefore it is not said, Whose sins ye signifie to be remitted, but whose sins ye remit. They then do remit sins, because Christ by their Ministry remitteth sins, as Christ by his Disciples loosed Lazar…s, Joh. 11. 44. And as no water could wash away Naaman's Leprosie, but the waters of Jordan, (tho' other Rivers were as clear) because the promise was annexed unto the water of Jordan, and not of other Rivers: so tho' another Man may pronounce the same words, yet have they not the like efficacy and power to work on the conscience, as when they are pronounced from the Mouth of Christ's Ministers, because the *Joh. 20. 22, 23.promise is annexed to the Word of God in their mouths: for them hath heaAct. 1. 24. chosen, bActs 13. 2.separated, andcRom. 1. 1. s…t apart for this work, and to them he hath committed the d2 Cor. 5. 18, 19.ministry and word of reconciliation: by their holyeAct. 13. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 1. Heb. 5. 4. calling andfTit. 1. 5. ordination they have received thegJoh. 20. 22, 2…. holy Ghost, and the ministerial power of binding and loosing. They are sent forth of thehAct. 13. 2, 4. holy Ghost for this work, whereunto he hath called them. And Christ gives his Ministers power to forgive sins to the penitent in the *foreign, Jo…. …0. …3. foreign.same words that he teacheth us in the Lord's Prayer, to desire God to forgive us our sins: to assure all penitent sinners, that God by his Minister's absolution doth fully, through the merits of Christ's Blood, forgive them all their sins. So that what Christ decreeth in heaven, in …oro ju …icii, the same he declareth on earth by his reconciling Ministers, in foro poenitentie: so …hat as God hath reconciled the world to himself by Jesus Christ: 2 Cor. 5. 18.so hath he (saith the Apostle) given unto us the ministry of this reconciliation.
He that sent them to baptize, saying, Go and teach all nations, baptizing them, Joh. 20. 21, 23.&c. sent them also to remit sins, saying, As my Father sent me, so send I you: whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, &c. As therefore none can baptize, (tho' he use the same water and words) but only the lawful Minister, which Christ hath called and authorized to this Divine and Ministerial Function: so tho' others may comfort with good words; yet none can*2 Cor. 2. 7, 10. absolve from sin,Heb. 5. 41. but only those, to whom Christ …ath committed the holy†2 Cor. 5. 18, 19. Ministry and Word of reconciliation: and of their absolution Christ speaketh,Luk. 10. 16. He that heareth you, heareth me. In a doubtful Title thou wilt ask the Counsel of a skilful Lawyer; In peril of sickness thou wilt know the Advice of the learned Physician: and is there no danger in dread of damnation, for a sinner to be his own Judge?
Judicious Calvin teacheth this point of Doctrine most plainly; …ib. 3. Instit. cap. 4. S…t. 12.Etsi omnes mutuo …s debeamus consolari, &c. Altho (saith he) …e ought to comfort and confirm one another …n the confidence of God's Mercy; yet we see that the Ministers are appointed as witnesses and sureties to ascertain our Consciences of the …emission of sins: insomuch, as they are said tyremit sins, and to loose souls. Let every faithful man therefore remember, that it is his duty (if inwardly he be vexed and afflicted with the sense of his sins) not to neglect that remedy which is offered unto him by the Lord, to wit, that (for the easing of his conscience) he make private confession of his sins unto his Pastor; and that he desire his private endeavour for the application of some comfort unto his soul: whose office it is (both publickly and privately) to administer Evangelical Consolation to God's People.
Beza highly*In Antith. P…p…tus & Christi nismi vol. 1. fol. 66. commendeth this practice: and†Luther tom. …. fol. 109. & … ▪ Luther saith, That he had rather lose a thousand worlds than su…er private confession to be thrust out of the Church. Our Church hath ever mostaWitness … being able to speak, kissed the hand …herewith he was …. soundly maintained the truth of this Doctrine; but most justly abolished the Tyrannous and Antichristian abuse of Popish Auricular Confession; which they thrust upon the souls of Christians, as an expiatory Sacrifice, and a meritorious satisfaction for sin: racking their Consciences to confess, when they feel no distress, and to enumerate all their sins, which is impos…ible: That by this means they might dive into the secrets of all Men, which ofttimes hath proved pernicious, not only to private Persons, but also to publick Estates. But the truth of God's Word is, that no person having received Orders in the Church of Rome, can truly absolve a sinner: for the Keys of Absolution are Two; the one is the Key of Authority, and that only *Rev. 3. 7.Christ hath;Mar. 2. 7. the other is the Key of Ministry, Luk. 5. 21.and this heaMat. 16. 19. gives to his Ministers who are therefore called, the b1 Cor. 4. 1.Ministers of Christ, the Stewards of God's Mysteries, the c2 Cor. 5. 20▪Ambassadors of Reconciliation, Ministerii clavis duplex est, un…scientia discernendi, (1 Cor. 12. 10 1 Joh 4. 1.) Alia est potestas li gandi & absolvendi.Bishops, Pastors, Elders, &c. But Christ never ordained in the new Testament any order of sacrificing Priests: neither is the name of foreign, which properly signifieth Sacerdos, or sacrificing Priest, given to any officer of Christ, in all the New Testament: Neither do we read in all the new Testament, of any, who confessed himself to a Priest, Joh. 20. 23.butdMat. 27. 4. Judas. Neither is there any real Priest in the New Testament, but only eHeb. …. 24, 27, 28.Christ. Neither is there any part of his Priesthood to be now accomplished onfHeb. 8. 4. Earth, but that which he fulfilleth in Heaven, Heb. 7. 15.by making intercession for us. Seeing therefore Christ never ordained any order of sacrificing Priest, and that Popish Priests scorn the name of Ministers of the Gospel, to whom only Christ committed his Keys: it necessarily followeth, that no Popish Priest can truly either excommunicate or absolve any sinner, or have any lawful right to meddle with Christ's Keys. But the Antichristian abuse of this Divine Ordinance should not abolish the lawful …se thereof betwixt Christians and their Pastors in cases of distress of conscience, for which it was chiefly ordained.
And verily, there is not any means more excellent to humble a proud heart, nor …o raise up an humble spirit, than this spiritual conference betwixt the Pastors and the People committed to their charge. If any sin therefore troubleth thy Conscience, confess it to God's Minister, ask his counsel, and if thou dost truly repent, receive his absolution. And then doubt not in foro Conscientiae, but thy sins be as verily forgiven on earth, as if thou didst hear Christ himself in foro judicii, pronouncing them to be forgiven in heaven.Luk. 10 16. Qui vos audit, me audit; he that heareth you, heareth me. Try this, and tell me whether thou shalt not …ind more ease in thy Conscience than can be expressed in words. Did prophane Men consider the dignity of this Divine Calling, they would the more honour the Calling, and reverence the Persons.
The sick Man (having thus eased his Conscience, and received his absolution) may do well (having a convenient number of faithful Christians joyned with him to receive the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; to encourage him in his Faith and to discourage the Devil in his assaults. In this respect the Council of Nice termeth this Sacrament,Concil. Nic. Can. 12. Viaticum, the Soul's pro…ision for her journey. And albeit the Lord's Supper be an Ecclesiastical action, yet forasmuch as our Lord (the first instituter) celebrated it in abMat. 26. 18. Luk. 22. 12. private house, and that cRom. 16. 5. Phil…m. v. 2.St. Paul termeth the houses of Christians, the Churches of Christ, and thatdMat. 18. 2… Christ himself hath promised to be in the midst of the faithful, where but two or three are gathered together in his Name: I see no reason, but if Christians desire it (when they are not, through sickness, able to come to the Church) but that they should receive, and Pastors ought to administer unto them the Sacrament at home. He sheweth more simplicity than knowledge, who thinks that this savours of a Private Mass. For a Mass is called private, not because it is said in a private house, but because (as Bishop aJewel against Harding Artic. 1. of private Mass. fol. 4.Jewel teacheth out ofbIn missis privatis sufficit si unus sit praesens, scilicet Minister, qui populi totius personam gerit. Aquin. part. 3 q. 38 art. 5. Aquinas) the Priest reciveth the Sacrament himself alone, without distribution made unto others, and then it is private although the whole Parish be present and look upon him. There is as much difference between such a Communion, and the Antichristian Idol of a private Mass, as there is betwixt Heaven and Hell. For at a Communion in a private Family upon such an extraordinary occasion, Christ his Institution is observed. Many faithful Brethren meet together, and tarry one for another. Christ his Death is remembred and shewed, and the Minister together with the faithful, and the sick party to communicate. Mr. Calvin *De coenae administratione ita sentio, libenter ad…itt…ndum esse. hunc morem ut apud aegro…os celebretur communio, cum ita res & opportunitas …eret Ep. 51.saith, That he doth very willingly admit administring of the Communion to them that are sick, when the case and opportunity so requireth. And in*Cur coena… aeg…otis …eg…nd m…sse non arbitrer, mult…e & g…aves … me imp…llunt. Ep. 31. 1. another place he saith, That he hath many weighty reasons to compel him not to deny the Lord's Supper unto the sick. Yet, I would wish all Christians to use to receive often (in their health) especially once every Month with the whole Church; for then they shall not need so much to assemble their friends upon such an occasion, nor so much to be troubled themselves for want of the Sacrament. For as M. Perkins saith very well,Perkins his right way to dying well The fruit a…d efficacy of the Sacrament is not to be restrained to the time of receiving; but it extends it self to the whole time of man's life afterwards: the efficacy whereof, did men throughly understand, they should not need to be so often exhorted to receive it.
Pastores omnes hic exoratos vellem, ut in hujus controversiae stat…m penitiùs introspiciant; Admonitio ad Pastores.nec fideles ex hac vita migrantes, & panem vitae petentes, viatico suo fraudari sin…nt, nè lugubris ista in iis adimpleatur lamentatio: Parvuli panem petunt, Lam▪ 4. 4.& non sit qui f…ngat eis. As therefore when a wicked liver dieth, he may say to death, as Ahab said to Elijah, 1 Kin. 21. 20.Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? So on the other side, wh… it is told a penitent sinner, that Dea… knocks at the door, and begins to look him in the face, he may s… of Death, as David said of Ahimaaz, Let him come and welcome, for he is a good man, and cometh with good tidings: 2 Sam. 18. …7. Ut mo…i…e pius, vivere disce pi….he is the messeng… of Christ, and bringeth unto me the joyful … of eternal life. And, as the Red Sea was a gulf to drown the Eg…ptians to destruction; but a passage to the Israelites, to convey them to Canaan's possession: so death to the wicked is a sink to hell and condemnation; but to the godly, the gate to everlasting life and salvation. And one day of a *Summum hominis bonum, bonus ex h…c vitâ exitus.blessed death will make amends for all the sorrows of a bitter life.
When therefore thou perceivest thy soul departing from thy body, pray with thy Tongue if thou canst, else pray in thy heart and mind, these words, fixing the eyes of thy soul upon Jesus Christ thy Saviour.
A Prayer at the yielding up of the Ghost.
O Lamb of God, which by thy blood hast taken away the sins of the world:John 1. 29. have mercy upon me a sinner, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit. Luk. 18. 13.Amen.
When the sick party is departing, let the faithful that are present kneel down and commend his soul to God, in these or the like words.
O Gracious God, and merciful Father, who art our refuge and strength, Psal. 46. 1.and a very present help in trouble; lift up the light of thy favourable countenance at this Instant upon thy servant,Psal. 4. 6. that now cometh to appear in thy presence: wash away, good Lord,1 John 1. 7. all his sins, by the merits of Christ Jesus's blood, that they may never be laid to his charge. Increase his faith, preserve and keep safe his soul from the danger of the Devil and his Wicked Angels. Comfort him with thy Holy Spirit, cause him now to feel that thou art his loving Father, and that he is thy child by Adoption and Grace. Save, O Christ, the price of thine own blood; and suffer him not to be lost, whom thou hast bought so dearly. Receive his soul, as thou didst the penitent thief, into thy heavenly Paradise. Let thy blessed Angels conduct him thither, as they carried the soul of La…arus; and grant unto him a joyful resurrection at the last day. O Father, hear us for him, and hear thine own Son, our only Mediator, that sits at thy right hand, Rom. 8. 31.for him and us all; even for the merits of that bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for us. In confidence whereof, we now recommend his soul into thy fatherly hands, in that blessed Prayer, which our Saviour hath taught us in all times of our troubles to say unto thee: Our Father, &c.Sanguis martyrum semen Ecclesiae. Martyres acc…perunt, non dederunt coron…s. Leo. Martyrio … usually.
Thus far of the Practice of Piety in dying in the Lord.