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Extreme Unction. Ch. XX. 307 own intereft fo to confefs and pray, that each Perfon to whom God will grant the favor, may enjoy the bleffings of health and forgiveness. Then he inforces this Argument by affuring them in the very next words, that the effectual fervent Prayer of the Righteous availeth much. And this, faies he, the holy Men of Old have ever found true for Elias was a Man Subject to like paffions as we are, and he pray'd earnestly that it might not Rain; and it rained not on the Earth by the space of three years and fix months. And he pray'd again, and the bea ven gave Rain, and the Earth brought forth ber fruit. By which he informs them of the great power of Prayer, and encourages them to make ufe of fo powerful a means of procuring God's Favor.

Thus then I have fairly confidered the Reasons for our own interpretation of St. James's words, and for that of our Adverfaries alfo and upon the whole Matter, I think we may juftly conclude, that the Anointing mentioned by that Apostle, was only an outward ceremony perform'd upon the bodies of thofe, who were to be reftor'd to their health by the Miraculous power beftowed upon fome of the firft Chriftians.

Now this being granted, I cannot perceive, how our Adverfaries will be able to prove from hence, that Extreme Unction was inftituted by Chrift for a. perpetual practice in his Church, Certainly they will not fay thus; Gad did once befton a Miraculous gift of healing upon bis Church, and St. James did then advife the Chriftians to make use of it, together with the usual ceremony of Anointing an nexed to it, for the recovery of their health; and therefore we are obliged (so we can shew no command for it) to anoint fick Perfons, now that the

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gift

gift is cealed, and we have no hopes of healing them by it. If our Adverfaries wou'd prove their point 1 from this Text, they ought to fhew, either, 1. That this Miraculous power of healing DiseaTes i now remaining in the Church; or, 2. That, tho this Miraculous power is not now remaining, yet we are obliged to andint the fick, as thofe Primitive Chriftians die vel pof with whom it was an ordinary thing? As to the Fir of thefe, I am perfuaded they will not pretend to it; nothing in the World being more certain, than that their Extreme Unction is not attended, with fuch fupernatural effects. And as to the Second particular, 'tis plain, that when the reafon is utterly loft and gon the advice ceafes to oblige us. Nor can we imaging that St James, who directed thofe Men, to fuch a practice for fuch an end,, do's alfo direct us to the fame practice, when the end cannot be obtained by it. to notierint nwo

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They tell us indeed, that thofe other particu-, lars which St. James peaks of in this Chapter, are fuch as do perpetually oblige the Church; and therefore we must suppose, that this anointing of the fick is of the fame nature, and was defign'd for a standing Ordinance to the end of the World.. But to this I answer, that tho St. James's directions are generally fuch as belong to the whole Church in all fucceeding Ages; yet there may be others, which were peculiar to the firft Age of it. Juft as it is ufual with St. Paul to intermix his Epiftles, and deliver Temporary. Precepts to-1 gether with fuch as are perpetual. Thus the Precepts concerning long hair, 1 Cor. 1. and concerning Prophecy, Cor. 14. and his order to bring the Cloak, Books and Parchments, 2 Tim. 4. 13. are not laffing junctions, tho they are Sda and went to of ( penna

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penn'd in the fame Epiftles and Pages with the moft Effential Rules and Commands of the Chriftian Religion. Wherefore it will by no means follow, that the Anointing in St. James is to be continu'd in the Church, because the other particulars mention'd by St. James, muft forever be obferv'd.

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Well then; fince the Anointing mention'd Mark 6. 14. and fames 5. 14. was peculiar to thofe times, and do's not in any wife belong to us; and fince we have no command or reafon to práctife it; therefore thofe Texts do not oblige us to anoint the fick. And fince thofe Texts do not oblige us to anoint the fick, and no other Texts can be urg'd in favor of it; therefore we are not at all obliged by the holy Scriptures to anomt the fick. And fince the holy Scriptures do not oblige us to anoint the fick, 'tis plain, that the anointing of fick Perfons was not inftituted by our Bleed Lord for a perpetual practice in his Church.

SECONDLY, 'I am now to fhew, that Extreme Unction do's not not confer grace. Our Adververfaries pretend that Extreme Unction is available for the pardon of fins; and if this were true, then grace wou'd certainly be conferr'd by it; but we maintain, that it is not available for the pardon of fins; and this we affert for the following Reason. None can forgive fins, but God alone; and therefore he alone can appoint a Sacrament for the forgiveness of them. Now fince I have already prov'd, that God has not Inftituted Extreme Unction; therefore Extreme Untion cannot be a Sacrament for the forgiveness of fins. Nay, 'tis an inftance of the higheft and moft impardonable prefumption for any mortal Man to pretend, that a rite of Human invention can difpofe of God's

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Favors;

Favors; and therefore 'tis a great wickedness for any Perfon to fay, that Extreme Unction (which because it was not Inftituted by God as a standing Ordinance, is with refpect to us and to the modern practice, no more than a bare human invention) is available for the pardon of our fins.

Now fince I have fhewn, First, that Extreme Unction was never Inftituted by Chrift; and Secondly, as a confequence of the former, that it do's not confer grace; it muft of neceffity follow that it is no Sacrament, because it wants thefe effential properties of a Sacrament. And fince Extreme Unction is not a Sacrament, therefore the Popish Doctrine in the 15th Article of their Creed which makes it a true and proper Sacrament, is a groundless Doctrine which cannot be prov'd from Scripture.

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CHAP. XXI.

Of the Popes Supremacy.

HE 234 Article of the Popish Creed runs thus, I do alfo acknowledge the Holy, Catholic, and Apoftolic Church of Rome, the Mother and Mistress of all Churches; and I do Promife and Swear true Obedience to the Bishop of Rome, the Succeffor of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles, and the Vicar of Jefus Chrift. From hence it is evident, that the Popes Supremacy is an Article of Faith, which our Adver faries impofe as neceffary to Salvation,

Now the Pope of Rome claims a Supremacy over the whole Chriftian Church, becaufe 'tis pretended that our Savior made St. Peter the Su

preme

preme Head or Governor of all the Apostles, and that this Right is deriv'd upon his Succeffors the Bishops of Rome. Here then I might launch into many difputes. For,

1. It has been queftioned, whether St. Peter was ever Bishop of Rome, or no. And if he never was Bishop there; I pray, how came thé Popes of Rome to be his Succeffors? However, 'tis generally acknowledged, that St. Paul was Bishop of Rome; and if St. Peter was Supreme over all the Apostles, then St. Peter was St. Paul's Governor. But then our Adverfaries ought to be cautious how they affert St. Peter's Supremacy; because, unless it be certain (as perhaps it will never be) that St. Peter was Bifhop of Rome, it follows upon their own principles, that the Bifhops of Rome as Succeffors of St. Paul, do Subjection to the Bishops of Antioch, as of St. Peter who had the Supremacy. For 'tis granted by our Adverfaries, that St. Peter was BiThop of Antioch; and that, even before he was Bifhop of Rome.

2. Let it be granted that St. Peter was Bifhop of Rome; yet fince our Adverfaries acknowledge that he was Bishop of Antioch, before he was Bifhop of Rome, I wou'd fain know, why the Supremacy fhou'd be deriv'd upon the Bishops of Rome, and not upon the Bishops of Antioch. Tis certain, that the Scriptures do not determine this point. We do not learn from thence, that the prerogatives of St. Peter do belong to that See which he was laft poffeffed of. And if reafon muft decide the Matter, 'tis fit that the Succeffors in the former See fhou'd be preferr'd to those in the latter. Nay, if St. Peter's bare filling a See gives it the preeminence over all others; and that preemi

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