Prieftly Order, according to their Doctrine, being collated in the Inftitution of the laft Supper) for fear that it fhou'd be thought that this Untion might be adminiftred by him that was no Prieft, they blotted out the word [inftituted] and put in its flead [infinuated] this Sacrament, and that it was publish'd by St. James. So it is in their Doctrine: And yet in their Anathematisms they curfe all them that shall deny it to have been [inftituted] by Chrift. Iball lay no more Prejudice against it, or the weak Arts of them that maintain it, but add this only, that there being but Two Places of Scripture pretended for this Ceremony, fome ehief Men of their own Side have proclaimed thofe Two invalid as to the Inftitution of it: For Suarez fays, That the Unition used by the Apoftles, in St. Mark 6. 13. is not the fame with what is used in the Church of Rome; and that it cannot be plainly gather'd from the Epistle of St. James, Cajetan affirms, and that it did belong to the miraculous Gift of Healing, not to a Sacrament. The fick Man's Exercife of Grace formerly acquired, his perfecting Repentance begun in the Days of Health, the Prayers and Counfels of the Holy Man that minifters, the giving the Holy Sacrament, the Miniftry and Affiftance of Angels, and the Mercies of God, the Peace of Confcience, and the Peace of the Church, are all the Affiftances and Preparatives that can help to dress his Lamp. But if a Man fhou'd go to buy Oyl when the Bridegroom comes, if his Lamp be not first furnish'd and then trimm'd, that in this Life, this upon his Death-bed, his Station shall be Without-doors, his Portion with Unbelievers, and the Unction of the dying Man fhall no more strengthen his Soul than it cures his Body, and the Prayers for him after his Death fhall be of the Jame Force as if they shou'd pray that he shou'd return to Life again the next Day, and live as long as Lazarus in his return. But I confider, that it is not well that Men fhou'd pretend any thing will do a Man good when he dies; and yet the fame Ministries and ten times more Affift ances ances are found for forty or fifty Years together to be ineffectual. Can extreme Unction at laft cure what the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharift all his Life-time cou'd not do? Can Prayers for a dead Man do him more good than when he was alive? If all his Days the Man belong'd to Death and the Dominion of Sin, and from thence cou'd not be recover'd by Sermons, and Counfels, and perpetual Precepts, and frequent Sacraments, by Confeffions and Absolutions, by Prayers and Advocations, by external Miniftries and internal Acts; it is but too certain, that his Lamp cannot then be furnished: His extreme Unction is only then of use, when it is made by the Oyl that burned in his Lamp in all the Days of his Expectation and waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom. Neither can any Supply be made in this Cafe by their Practice of Praying for the Dead: Tho' they pretend for this the fairest Precedents of the Church, and of the whole World. The Heathens, they fay, did it, and the Jews did it, and the Chriftians did it: Some were baptized for the Dead in the Days of the Apostles, and very many were communicated for the Dead for fo many Ages after. 'Tis true, they were Jo, and did fo: The Hea thens t prayed for an eafie Grave, and a perpetual Spring,that Saffron would Tertul. de Monog. S. Cyprian. L. 1. Ep.9. S. Athan. Q.33. S. Cyril. Myft. Haref. c. 33. Concil. Carth. 3. c. 29. Dii majorum umbris tenuem & fine pondere terram, Spirantéfque crocos, & in urnâ perpetuum ver. Juven. Sat. 7. . 207. rife from their Beds of Grass. The Jews prayed that the Souls of their Dead might be in the Garden of Eden, that they might have their Part in Paradife, and in the World to come; and that they might hear the Peace of the Fathers of their Generation, fleeping in Hebron. And the Chriftians prayed for a joyful Refurrection, for Mercy at the Day of Judgment, for haftening of the coming of Chrift, and the Kingdom of God; and they named all forts of Perfons in their Prayers, all I mean but wicked Perfons all but them that lived evil Lives; they named Apostles, Saints Saints and Martyrs. And all this is fo nothing to their Purpofe, or fo much against it, that the Prayers for the Dead ufed in the Church of Rome are most plainly condemned, because they are against the Doctrine and PraEtices of all the World, in other Forms, to other Purposes, relying upon diftinct Doctrines, until new Opinions began to rife about St. Auguftin's Time, and change the Face of the Propofition. Concerning Prayer for the Dead, the Church hath received no Commandment from the Lord: And therefore concerning it we can have no Rules nor Proportions, but from those imperfect Revelations of the State of departed Souls, and the Measures of Charity, which can relate only to the Imperfection of their present Condition, and the Terrors of the Day of Judgment; but to think that any Suppletory to an evil Life can be taken from fuch Devotions, after the Sinners are dead, may encourage a bad Man to fin, but cannot relieve him when he hath. But of all things in the World, methinks, Men fhou'd be most careful not to abufe dying People; not only because their Condition is pitiable, but because they shall foon be difcovered, and in the fecret Regions of Souls there fhall be an evil Report concerning thofe Men who have deceived them: And if we believe we shall go to that Place where fuch Reports are made, we may fear the Shame and the Amazement of being accounted Impoftors in the Prefence of Angels, and all the wife holy Men of the World. To be erring and innocent is hugely pitiable, and incident to Mortality; that we cannot help: But to deceive or to deftroy fo great an Intereft as is that of a Soul, or to lessen its Advantages, by giving it trifling and falfe Confidences, is injurious and intolerable. And therefore it were very well if all the Churches of the World wou'd be extremely curious concerning their Offices and Minifteries of the Vifitation of the Sick: That their Minifters they fend be holy and prudent; that their Inftructions be fevere and fafe; that their Sentences be merciful and reasonable; that their Offices be fufficient and devout; that their Atten Attendencies be frequent and long; that their Deputations be Special and peculiar; that the Doctrines upon which they ground their Offices be true, material and holy; that their Ceremonies be few; and their Advices wary; that their Separation be full of caution, their Judgments not remifs, their Remiffions not loofe and diffolute; and that all the whole Miniftration be made by Perfons of Experience and Charity. For it is a fad thing to fee our Dead go out of our Heads: They live incuriously, and die without regard; and the laft Scene of their Life, which shou'd be dreffed with all fpiritual Advantages, is abused by Flattery and eafie Propofitions, and let go with Careleffness and Folly. My Lord, I have endeavour'd to cure fome Part of the Evil as well as I could, being willing to relieve the Needs of indigent People in fuch Ways as I can; and therefore have defcribed the Duties which every fick Man may do alone, and fuch in which he can be affifted by the Minister : And am the more confident that thefe my Endeavours will be the better entertain'd, because they are the firft entire Body of Directions for fick and dying People, that I remember to have been publish'd in the Church of England. In the Church of Rome there have been many; but they are dreffed with fuch Doctrines which are fometimes useLefs, fometimes hurtful; and their whole Defign of Affiftance, which they commonly yield, is at the beft imperfect, and the Reprefentment is too careless and loofe for fo Severe an Employment. So that in this Affair I was almoft orced to walk alone; only that I drew the Rules and Advices from the Fountains of Scripture, and the purest hanels of the Primitive Church, and was helped by fome Experience in the Cure of Souls. I shall measure the Sucfs of my Labours, not by popular Noifes, or the Sennces of curious Perfons, but by the Advantage which od People may receive. My Work here is not to please Speculative Part of Men, but to minifter to Practice, t preach to the Weary, to comfort the Sick, to affift the knitent, to reprove the Confident, to strengthen weak Hands Hands and feeble Knees, having fearce any other Poffibilities left me of doing Alms, or exercifing that Charity by which we shall be judged at Doom's-day. It is enough for me to be an under-builder in the House of God, and I glory in the Employment. I labour in the Foundations; and therefore the Work needs no Apology for being plain, fo it be strong and well laid. But, (my Lord,) as mean as it is, I must give God thanks for the Defires and the Strength And next to him, to you, for that Opportu nity and little Portion of Leifure which I had to do it in: For I must acknowledge it publickly (and befides my Prayers, it is all the Recompence I can make you) my being quiet I owe to your Intereft, much of my Support to your Bounty, and many other collateral Comforts I derive from your Favour and Noblenefs. My Lord, because I much bonour you, and because I would do honour to my felf, I have written your Name in the Entrance of my Book: I am fure you will entertain it, because the Defign related to your Lady, and because it may minister to your Spirit in the Day of Vifitation, when God fhall call for you to receive your Reward for your Charity and your noble Piety, by which you have not only endeared very many Perfons, but in great Degrees have obliged me to be, (My Noble LORD,) Your Lordship's most Thankful, and moft humble Servant, JER. TAYLOR |