other fables and trinkets, which our Adverfaries make Merchandize of?

But I cannot enlarge. A Doctrine like this ftrikes a Man with horror and I had rather spend my time in Prayer to God to open our Adver faries eyes, than proceed to a more particular Confutation of it.

Well then; I have fhewn that Indulgence can fignify but three things. If it fignifies only a remiffion of Church-cenfures, we agree with our Adverfaries. If it fignifies a remiffion of the Eternal guilt of our fins, 'tis abhorr'd by our Adverfaries. If it fignifies a remiffion of the Temporal guilt of fin, 'tis unreasonable and groundless. The only queftion therefore is, what it must fignify in the 22d Article of the Popish Creed: and this cannot be known, but by examining the Indulgences themselves. For fince the Council of Trent has not fixed the meaning of the word; 'tis certain, that it muft fignify fuch Indulgences as are commonly granted.

I fhall not fearch into all the filly, fuperftitious and fcandalous Indulgences. Those that have leifure and patience enough for fuch a task, have too too much matter prepared for them. 'Tis fufficient to obferve. (what I have already fhewn) that the word cannot alwaies fignify (nay, it do's not generally fignify) a remiffion of Church-cen, fures. And therefore thofe Indulgences which every Papift is obliged to think the Church has a power of granting, and which he is alfo to believe very helpful to Chriftian People, are very often fuch as import a remiffion, either of the Temporal or the Eternal guilt of fin. The firft fort is abfurd, and the fecond is impious; and confequently we ought not to acknowledge either of them..

(.

But

But yet I think our Adverfaries ought very feriously to confider, to which of these forts the following inftances do belong. Boniface the 8th in the year of Jubilee, granted (c) not only a full and more large than ordinary, but a most full pardon of all the fins of the pilgrims. And Clement the 8th granted upon feveral other occafions (d) a plenary pardon of fins. And the fame Pope at a Jubilee granted (e) a most full Indulgence, remifFron and pardon of all fins. What do they think of thefe and numberlefs other Indulgences in the fame ftrain? Do's the full, more large than ordinary, and most full, Indulgence, Remiffion and Pardon of all fins, import nothing more than a remiffion of fome Temporal punishment? Are not the People grofly cheated by these pompous and fwelfing expreffions, if they contain nothing extraordinary in them? 'Tis too plain, that in thefe and fuch-like Bulls the Pope pretends to forgive the Eternal guilt, or remit the Eternal punishment, But if I am miftaken in this Matter, I most earneftly with, that not only my felf, but those poor People alfo, who buy up Indulgences at fo dear and fcandalous a rate might be convinc'd of our error by our Adverfaries fixing the fenfe of thofe expreffions, which are generally us'd in their Bulls of Indulgence. For I am fully perfuaded, that did the Papifts conceive no more virtue to be lodged

(c) Non folum plenam & largiorem, imo pleniffimam ompium fuorum concedemus & concedimus veniam peccatorum. Cherub. Bullar. Tom. I. p. 145.

(d) Plenariam peccatorum fuorum Indulgentiam. Ibid. Tom, 3 P. 7. & P. 23. & p. 43.

Pleniffimam omnium peccatorum fuorum Indulgentiam, remiffionen ac veniam. Ibid. Tom. 3. p. 75.

in Indulgences, than our Adverfaries are willing to own, when they are pinched with the Proteftant Arguments against Indulgences; 'twoud foon lower the price of fuch Commodities, and deaden the Market at Rome. Nay farther, 'twou'd not only fave a great deal of Money, which might be spent to much better purpose: but also prevail upon Men to make true Provifion for their Eternal intereft by a speedy amendment of their lives, and bringing forth fruits meet for Repentance.

TH

CHAP. XX.

Of Extreme Unction.

HE next inftance of a Doctrine which has no ground in Scripture, is that of the Sacra ment of Extreme Unction. By Extreme Unction our Adverfaries mean the anointing of fick Perfons in Several parts of their bodies for the Pardon of their fins and this Practice they call a true and proper Sacrament in the 15th Article of their Creed. Now 'tis granted by our Adverfaries, that every Sacrament must have been inftituted by our Savior Chrift for a perpetual Practice in his Church; and that it muft alfo confer grace. Wherefore if I make it appear, that Extreme Unction was never Inftituted by our Savior Chrift for a perpetual Pra ctice in his Church, and that it do's not confer grace; then it plainly follows upon our Adver faries own principles, and by their own confeffion, that Extreme Unction is not a Sacrament.

FIRST then, I fhall fhew, that Extreme Untion was never Inftituted by our Savior Chrift for

a per

a perpetual Practice in his Church. And this will appear by examining thofe Texts, by which sour Adverfaries hope to prove it. And,

I. They produce Mark 6. 13. where we read that the Difciples whom our Savior fent forth verfe the feventh, caft out many Devils, and anointe ed with Oil many that were fick and bealed themi But this anointing was a Ceremony which atten ded the Miraculous power of Curing Difeafes; which when our Savior beftowed upon his Difci ples, he did not design (as our experience proves) that it fhou'd continue forever in the Church. Nay, the circumftances of the thing and the whole context do not only not imply any intention of Making it a lafting Solemnity; but give us the jufteft reason to believe the contrary. For

1. Let our Adverfaries prove, if they can, that the fick Perfons who receive Extreme Unction, are ever reftor'd to life by their Balfamic Oil. 'Tis notorious, that fcarce any, but those whofe re covery is utterly defpaired of, have it Adminiftred to them. But this anointing of the Difciples was wholly in order to the anointed Perfon's Cure. 'Tis faid, they anointed with Oil many that were ficky and healed them. The Oil indeed did not work the effect by it's own natural force; but 'twas an outward circumftance of a Miracle, and alwaies attended with/a restoration of health to the fick Perfon.

2. If we are commanded in this Text to anoint the fick with Oil, then we are much more commanded to heal the fick. For certainly we are more ftrongly obliged to practise the action, than the bare circumftance of the action, fuch as the anointing was. Now 'tis abfurd to say, that we are commanded to heal the fick; fince that Miraculous

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culous power is ceafed, and (as I have faid already) our Adverfaries cannot pretend to it.

Now fince every inftitution that was to remain in the Church, muft without all doubt preferve it's effect, as the Sacraments of Baptifin and the Lord's Supper do now beftow the fame Bleffings as at the first inftitution of them; and fince no institution is to remain, but what our Savior has commanded us to practife; and fince by fuppofing our felves obliged to practife this anointing, we muft much more fuppofe our felves obliged to: work Miracles in healing the fick, which fuppo-i fition is contrary to experience, and abominably: abfurd; therefore it is plain, that the anointing in this Text was not defign'd for a perpetual practice in the Church of Chrift.

II. They urge James 5. 14, 15. Is any fick among you? Let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with Oil in the Name of the Lord. And the Prayer of Faith Shall fave the fick, and the Lord shall raise him up ; and if he have committed fins, they shall be forgiven him. But I answer, that this anointing mention'd by St. James, refpects the Body, which was frequently reftor'd to health by that Miraculous gift of healing, which God was pleas'd to beftow upon the Church in the first beginnings of it. And this interpretation, will appear to be not only Natural, but also Neceffary, if we confider the import of the Original. The word

uvola, which we tranflate fick, do's plainly imply a bodily Disease: and the word e do's plainly imply a recovery from it. So that without doing the utmoft violence to the Apoftle's expreffions, we cannot explain them otherwife.