438 SXTaS?r? uwc?ow. [Booz II. fait?ul whleh were not min?tem bad the gift of hea?n.?, as appears from the following passage: "These things shall follow mere that be- lieve, &c., They shall lay their hands upon the sick and they shall m- cover," Mark xvi, 18. So Innocent I. taught, that it was lawful for laymen and all Christians to use this anointing. His words am, "The holy oil of chrism, made by the bishop, it is lawful not only for priests, but for all Chris? to use by anointing, in their or their friends' necessity."* 3. As to the e.?'ects of this supposed sacrament, they are ea/d to be at least re, as we have already seen But it be shown that these are mostly supersttttous virtues which are ascribed to this unction, or they are effects which are produced by other means and in a different manner. The popish anointing cannot ha/t? &ody, as we ?ee by daily expe- rience, for more die than live after their anointing: and tho?e who do recover, can, w/th more reason, ascribe their recovery to other means than this.. Wherefore, this unction is unlike that used by the apostles, which was followed by the restoration of health. Hem, however, ther are divided among themselves. Some think that the health of the bod?- is the proper end of this sacrament; others believe that the health of the soul is particularly intended, and the health of the body condition- ally, and so far as the health of the soul is concerned. The confusion arising from these jarring sentiments naturally tends to infidelity among the thinking; and with the superstitious and ignorant, unction may be viewed as a charm or sjoe//or incantation, to relieve soul or body, or both. as their necessities call for. To ascribe remission of sins to this is trnly unscriptural. The apos- Ile saith, .that the prayer of faith, not the oil, will save the sick. The Scripture, also, elsewhere ascribes remission of sins tofaitA, and no? to any external rit?. And here again the popish divines are placed in a considerable dilemma. Some say venial sins, others mortal sins, others the remains of sins, are pardoned, while a fourth class affirm that the sacrament remits sins of every description. Thus nothing but per- plexity attends us in almost every step in popish divinity. According to Scripture, when the sin is pardoned there is no condemnation, and peace of conscience follows. "Being justlied by faith, we have peace with God,"Rom. v, 1. "Them is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesulf Rom. viii, 1. 4. The Romish sacrament of extreme unction was not instituted by Christ. In proof of this we present the following exposition and arguments: (1.) It must be allowed that there is something in the sound of the words used by St. James that seems to give countenance to the popish practice; and hence it is, that some ill-taught Protestants have been imposed upon and persuaded to submit, in their dying hour?, to have themselves anointed, under a sort of half persuasion that the thing c? do no harm and matt do some good. But we ought to remember, that it is not the sound of certain words, taken out of their connection, by which we are to judge of the sense of Scripture. It is the meaningof the words, taken in connection with the whole of what may be said on
- Sancto oleo chrlsmatis ab episcopo confecto, non solurn sacordot?us, sed et am.
nilms uti Christianis iicet, in sua ant suorum necessitate inunguendo.---?p/?t. 1, c. 8. l 1'2
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