1 Pet. 5. 14. C. 20. 1. C. 2. G. nother's House. Next the Unction is recommended but by one Apostle, on- T. p. 347. ly St. James; but the Kifs is folemnly enjoin'd by two, by St. Paul again and Rom. 16. 16. again, and by St. Peter, who rightly calls it a Kifs of Charity or Chriftian love; &c. and by Tertullian, communicatio Pacis, the communication of Peace, and what Bellarmine faith for the Authority of St. James, is much more prevalent De Prefeript. for St. Paul and St. Peter, as much as two witnesses are more credible then one. St. James, faith he, would never fo conftantly and abfolutely have Mat. 18. 16. promifed help to the Sick thus Anointed, unless the Lord had Inftituted. and Commanded it. So I may more fafely fay, both these Apostles, would not have fo plainly and fo often appointed the Sacrament of the Holy Kifs, unless Chrift had Inftituted and Commanded it to them and to all the reft. Then for the other Scholaftick Ingredients or Terms of a Sacrament, we have them all here precisely; the outward Sign or Matter, the mutual Kifs; the inward Grace, or thing fignified, mutual Charity; the Form, Chrift is Risen, Mat. 28. 6. or the Lord is Rifen indeed. I will now pass on to the Greeks and fee whether they have this Mystery or Sacrament of Extream Unction amongst them; and I thall examine their Practice by St. James his Prescription and compare it with the Latins, and then I fhall humbly offer to the Reader my thoughts concerning the whole matter. The Greeks have feveral Offices and Prayers, and with fome of them they use Anointing with Oyl for feveral Diftempers, and Infirmities and other occafions as by and by will appear; it is wonderfull to fee how Bellarmine and all the late Reconcilers of the two Churches, Allatius, Goar, Arcudius, and others, labour and stretch their Wits to make them fully agree in this Point. Both the Latins and Dofitheus his Synod, as all other Latinized Greeks, have jointly pitched upon one peculiar Office which they think will come nearest to accommodate this Matter; I fhall therefore first give a fhort account of it. The Grecks call it ayor λay, Holy Oyl, and 'Euxiλatov, which (though our English Tongue is not fo capable of Compounding words as the Greek is) I fhall call, word for word, Prayer-Oyl, that is, Oyl Sanctified by Prayer. T. p. 348. Luk. 24. 34° The Title is, the Office of the Holy Oyl to be Sung by feven Priests gathered together in a Church or in a Houfe, and it is plain that it was com- Rub.428.429. monly (as it is now) performed in the Evening, or beginning of the Night. I must first take notice of what Goar faith of it; That amongst many Manu- p. 428. a fcript Copies which he procured of it, he could scarce find one that was any thing entire; 1 muft fay the fame, and of those which I have compar'd not any two of them agreed, but had fometimes moft ftrange defects and varieties; which feems to me as if there was not one fettled Office for them, but every one ufed fome of the chief parts of it, leaving out, or adding as they thought good. I have fome by me; one, I think, is as fair as any I ever faw; It is written about Leo the Philofopher's time, if not before, as may be plainly made out by Goar; a remarkable Paffage, which was made about that time, being in his Copy, but not in mine; and the hand speaks. it to be about the ninth Age. P.412.436.20. After feveral common Preliminary Suffrages, follows a kind of an Addrefs Goar. 408. chiefly to the Virgin Mary, and Chrift, which they call a Canon, confisting of fhort fupplications, chiefly for him that procures the Office to be perfomed; but often alfo for all those that shall then be partakers. This Canon is not old; at the highest that Goar out of Baronius can stretch it, it was made p. 434. 10. in the ninth Century; and it is manifeftly there interpolated and patcht, as I have already hinted; and it is otherwife plain from the Various Readings in the feveral Copies which I have compared with Goar. About the end of the ninth Century this Canon was not performed or fung in a House, bur ev Ta vay, in a Church, as appears evidently by one little Suffrage there. After this Canon is over, the common, cuvant, collection of Suffrages (which is ufed every day in their Liturgies) follow. Then Oyl and Wine are put p. 413. into a large Capacious Lamp (which where it is to be had, commonly hangs Tt before P. 412. 20. T. p. 348. before our Saviour's Picture) or meon Theffalonicenfis his tim ε. σπη. 27. P. 428. Goar Euch. 428 833. 848. 8. T. P. 349. P. 413. ε. σπη. 35. 4. 202. b. Jac. 5. 10. Luk. 10. 25. ato fome other Holy Veffel, as it was in Si; and feven Lamps, or feven feveral Wicks were Lighted, reprefentig the feven Priests and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost; and fo it is defcribed in Goar's fe E. Is the lower part of the Wick which lies under the Oyl D F. Are four Things or Wires by which you may place and faflen it, or fet it with others, in a row or otherwife as you pleafe. But the Oyl being always in great quantity, it is put into fome large open Bafon or Holy Veffel, and every Prieft hath his Wick lighted and floating in it; which is made after this manner, where every Pricft is faid to have Lighted his Wick, whilst he faid (in his turn,) the Prayer of Confecration following. And the Turks have the fame contrivance in making and fixing of their Lamps upon their Mofchs, and elfewhere at their great Feftivals, and every private Greek, who hath a Lamp burning in their Houfe before the Virgin Mary's Picture, contrive the Wick of it thus in a little flat glafs of Oyl. Then the first Pricft confecrates the Oyl, faying, xúgie & Ev Tw exée, O Lord κύριε ἐν ἐλέει, who in thy Mercy do thou O Lord fanctify this Oyl, that it may be to thofe who are Anointed with it, or out of it, for the healing and driving away of every Distemper, of every Defilement of Flesh and Spirit, and of all Evil; and that, in this, thy All-boly name may be Glorified. Simeon hath the fame. This Prayer all the feven Priefs lay in their turns; and afterwards each of them adds another, which Simeon there calls, Anal, Initiatory, or Confummatory. Then follow fome Supplications to Chrift; to St. James; and to fome other peculiar Greek Saints (mention'd together in a prayer afterwards) for all thofe there prefent, and fome particularly for him who procured the Office. Nothing of any of thefe are in my Copy; which makes me fufpect that they have been inferted afterwards. Then is read the first Epistle, and the Golpel, Here I cannot omit this fhort Note; the first Epiftle here read is taken out of James 5. 10. which Epiftle might even in his time, as it was made, fo it might also have been published by him and well known; but for the reft of the Epiftles and Gofpels here following, there may be made fome doubt whether they were then fo publickly known. For the whole Canon of Scripture was not fo compleat and generally received fo foon; which to me feems plainly to prove, that this whole Office of the Prayer-Oyl cannot be fo Primitive or fo early in ufe, as the Greeks have made it. Then follows this Prayer, (being the firft Pricft's fecond) "Avage, addoxe, dye aviar, Othou who art without Beginning and without Succeffion, O Holy of Holy's fend down thy Holy Spirit and Sanctify this Oyl, and make it to this thy Servant, (who is to be Anointed,) for his perfect deliverance from his c. G. 119 12. Sius, and for his Inheriting of the Kingdom of Heaven. In Simeon's times, as the first Priest faid the other Prayer, and this Prayer he Croffed the Oyl, and all T. p.349 all the other Priest's did fo likewife. And the Oyl (which one would think was fufficiently Confecrated before, by the first Prayer above, O Lord who in thy Mercy, &c. is Confecrated here again by a fecond, or double Prayer, which he there fays was moft proper to do it; öτws ndn nyiajμérov, and thus the Oyl, faith he, is Sanctified; both thefe Prayers are therefore called, 203. 25. Tλena, Initiatory or Conlummatory. -- Then in Goar follows a long Prayer, which fome, he faith, join on to this p. 416. laft as one, continuing it to the end. It is a farther Confecrating of the Oyl; Σὺ γὰρ εἶ ὁ Θεὸς ὁ μέγας κ θαύματος, for thou art a great and wonderfull God, Let this Oyl, O Lord, be made, an Oyl of Gladness, an Oyl of SanEtification that they who are Anointed in it, or with it, may by the Oyl of Regeneration be made Terrible to their Aduerfaries and Shine, &c. And hence this Oyl, thus Blessed, is thought by them effectual to all that are Anointed, with it, as well as to him who is at the expence to procure it. 202. 33. This additional part of the foregoing Prayer is neither mentioned by Simeon, nor is in any of my Copies, though he mentions fome other Prayer as fol- 203. 36. lowing there, which was called, eux devσews, papéσews, a Prayer of Supplication for Forgiveness. The Epiftle and Golpel in him follows the Prayer, in Goar they go before it. The Gospel is laid and read upon the Head of him who procures the Office. Then the first Priest anoints, the Procurer, faying, máte äyie, izrge Täv Luxor, O boly Father, thou Phyfitian of Souls and Bodies Heal alfo thy Servant, N.N. from the Infirmity of Body and Soul which now afflicts him, and Quicken him by the Grace of thy Chrift; And mentioning the Interceffions of the Virgin Mary and feveral of their peculiar Saints, he concludes, for thou O Chrift, our God, art the Fountain of all Cures. Simeon faith, he p. 204. 1. 4. laid his Hand upon the Head μeTavovt, of the Penitent, (for fo he calls him, juftly, as I fhall fay by and by) whilst he said this Prayer; and at the end of it, be Anointed his Forehead, and Face, and Hands croff wife; and the prefent Greeks Anoint no more parts now. I have seen it publickly performed twice; but never faw the Breaft or Feet Anointed, as Arcudius fay 1. 5. c. 7. b. they are; neither can I conceive how this can conveniently be done in a Church T. p. 350. to a Man standing with his Cloaths and his Shakshares and Shoes on; I will not fay but that this may have been done to one Sick in his naked Bed, for he proves that of old the Sick were Anointed all over, which exactly agrees with my Conjectures abovelaid. Every one of the Priests, when he hath faid his Gospel and his proper Prayer, faith this Prayer, O Holy Father, and then Anoints the Penitent. One thing is remarkable; Simeon faith that, every p. 204. 7° Prieft as he Anointed Croff wife every one of these parts above named, faid upon every one of them ή Βοήθεια ἡμῶν ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίε, our help is in the name of the Lord; testifying, faith he, thereby that our Help is from no other, then from the only Mercifull God alone; why fhould this be the Form of this pretended Sacrament, rather then a whole Prayer or two as Goar makes them; I am fure it is more conformable to St. James's prefcription, and contains his very words, who bad his Converted Jews to Anoint with Oyl in the name of the Lord; this gives fome Authority to the Greek Form, our help is in the name of the Lord; whereas the Latins Form is purely human Invention. P. 461. b. P: 437. 29. Luk. 19. Then follows the fecond Epiftle and Gospel and the first Prayer of the fe- Goar. 417. cond Prieft, eòs o μéyas y fiços, O great and most high God; but another Rom. 15. Prayer and not that is in my Copy; then comes the third Epiftle and Gofpel. Cor. 12. 27. Then the third Prieft's firft Prayer, Δέσποτα παντοκράτορ, ἅγες βασιλέυ, Ο Lord Mat. 10. 1. Almighty, O holy King; neither is this Prayer in my Copy but another. Then 2 Cor. 6. 16. comes the fourth Epiftle and Gospel and the firft Prayer of the fourth Pricft. Mat. 8. 14. ̓Αγαθὲ καὶ φιλάνθρωπε, ευσπλαγχνε και πολυέλεε κύριε, ο Good and O thou Lover of Men, O Compaffionate and all Mercifull Lord. This Prayer is in my Copy. Next comes the fifth Epistle and Gospel and the fifth Prieft's first Prayer, xúgie P. A. 208. Tt2 2 Cor. 1. 8. eds Mat. 25. 1. Δ. 760 T. p. 350. Oeds nμar, o mαidérer & már lauer, O Lord our God who chaftifeth and then A. p. 209. b. again healeft. This is alfo in my Copy. Then you have the fixth Epiftle and ad. c. 6. 2. Gofpel, and the fixth Pricft's first Prayer, 'Euxague σo núgie o els nμar, we thank thee O Lord our God. This I alfo have. At laft comes the feventh E1 Thef. 5 14. piftle and Gofpel, and the feventh Prieft's first Prayer, Aozora xúgi: ¦ ☺eds nμær large fuxar, O Lord, O Lord our God thou Phyfitian of Souls. Every Pricft Sym. Theff. c. faid their first Confummatory Prayer aloud; but their fecond, άteg ävle, Mat. 15. 21. 28. A. 212. ad 23. 38. . p. 203. 37. Holy Father, for the Anointing, foftly to himself; till he come to those words for thou O Christ our God art the Fountain of all Cures, and those he pronounces aloud. 66 66 ་་ 66 66 After all the feven Priests have thus feverally faid their refpective Prayers and Goar 427,418. at the last Prayer Anointed the Penitent, "He comes into the middle of them, and the first Priest lays the Gospel upon his Head, and all of them lay their Hands upon him; then the Pricft with a loud Voice pronounces, The eux συγχωρήσεως, the Prayer of Forgivenes; Βασιλευ ἅγει, ευσπλαγχνε, Ο haly King, O Mercifull Lord Jefus Chrift, do thou by thy accustomed Love to Mankind receive this thy Servaut, who Repents him of his Sins, paffing by all his Offences; for thou art our God who haft commanded that Sinners who have fallen feverely feven times fhould be Forgiven; for as is thy Greatnefs, fo is thy Mercy. Then the Penitent Kiffes the Gospel, and at last bowing himself, faith thrice, O Holy Fathers Blefs and Pardon me a Sinner, and receiving their Bleffing and Pardon he departs and gives thanks to "God. Simeon faith that the Penitent likewife Kift the right Hand of every Prieft that Anointed him. And it is alfo now the Cuftom of every one that receives 'Avτídwgav, Andit hero, the vicarious Euchariftical Bread, to Kifs the right Hand of him who delivers it to him; and I have many a time feen an Infirm Man come to a Pricft in the Church, who lays the Gofpel upon his Head and reads fome peculiar, region, Portion of it, and fays a Prayer at the same time over him, and Croffes him (as you fhall fee more of it prelently) the Infirm Man, when all is done, bows to him and Kiffing the Book and his right Hand, departs. Simeon faith alfo that the Penitent in his time, fell down before all the Priests thrice, and begg'd their Pardon, which he received from all of them, Teπλngopogμér Éçiv, and was most fully affured that he had received Forgiveness. P. 204. 26. T. p. 351. 204. 34. All the feven Priefts in his time did feverally exactly perform every particular Rite; a Deacon read the Epifile; (whether they ufed feven feveral ones or no, I cannot fay, nor indeed remember how it was;) the Priest read the Gospel. 4. p. 217. b. My Copy hath the last Prayer of Forgiveness but with fome variation, and inmediately after it follows this Admonition, (which I fuppofe was given to the Penitent by the firft Prieft, ) Βλέπε, "Αδελφε, τὸ ὑπόλοιπον της ζωής σε μηκέτι, προσκρέσις τῷ Θεῷ, ἀλλ ̓ ἀπὸ τῶ ν, fee Brother, that for the remaining part of your Life you may never more offend God; but from this moment frive to keep his Commandments; for thy former Sins are Forgiven by the Prayers of us his unprofitable Servants, ev xg, in, or through, Christ Jesus our Lord; now and for ever and to Ages of Ages, Amen. P. 199. 37. Jof. 6. 4. 1 have thus far fet down the Practice of the Greeks; first they are pofitively for a Plurality of Pricfts. Symeon faith, It is only a Custom, but apxaior, a very antient one, that there should be feven Priefts; and faith that it did arife from that mystical Number, which hath been obferved in working many wonderful Effects recorded in Scripture. Yet by reafon fometimes of a fear2 Reg. 4. 35. city of Priests, only Three (yet ftill a Plurality) are allow'd in Honour and Confeffion of the Holy Trinity. But he faith, That one Prieft is exprefly against St. James, let him call for, geobuтégus, the Elders; in the Plural, not TW TREσCUTÉgw, two Elders, in the Duai Number, as Arcudius explains him; therefore Three is the least Number according to St. James; yet the more they are, the more honourable is the Action. He falls fiartly upon the Latins, for using 1 Reg. 18,43. &c. 444. 2. And this Ceremony only to dying Perfons. This Performance, faith he, is not de- Tp. 351! C. σπε. 28. 201. 28. 30. 316 22: And this still confirms me in my Opinion, That the primitive Vifitation was plain and fincere, converfing one with another, when Sick; and confeffing and confidering one anothers Condition, and praying for one another whilst they were capable of mutual Help and Affiftance. But both Greeks and Latins have chang❜d it, and turn'd it to other Purposes, as fhall be more clearly fhewn by and by. Thus juft a little before he gives us the very prefent Practice of the Greeks; έτεροι τῇ εὐλαβετέρων ἀνδρῶν, fome of the more pious Men (Laymen) whilst they are yet living, make the Mystery of the Prayer Oil for the Propitiation, or Reconciling, of themselves, and for the laft Remiffion of their Sins; and if they are at the point of Death, fome of it is kept, and their Relations anoint them when they are dead for a moft facred Seal, or Mark, and Honour, and Hallowing of the Holy Reliques of the Deceased. This is done in Honour of the Body only, and in no Refpect to the future State of the Soul. Thus they pour the Oil of their 202. 10. burning Lamps upon the Corps of their dead Monks, and the Ashes of the Coals on which their Incenfe hath been burnt, upon Laymen, (both this Oil and Afbes having been fanctified by having been fed before the Lord, only in Honour of them as dying in the Lord; as they light Candles and burn In-na cenfe at their Sepulchres. T. p. 352. Ven. 295. There are amongst the Greeks, befides the Prayer Oil, feveral Unctions and Prayers for Infirm People, or for fuch as are any ways Indifpofed. There is a peculiar Prayer to be used, es wãoar appwciar, for any Infirmity or Distem per, Δέσποτα παντοκράτος, Almighty Lord In thy Mercy look upon our Goar. 690. Brother, N. N. who is now Infirm; ftretch out thine Arm full of Medicine and Remedy; and raising him from his Bed and his Diftemper, cùre him; Rebuke the Spirit of Infirmity, And if there be in him any Offence or Iniquity, aves, apes, release, remit, pardon it for thy Love to Mankind; Yea, O Lord, fave thy Creature. They look upon Difeafes and Infirmities as wrought by Evil Spirits; and this Prayer is after St. James his Prescription, xav åμaptias, if he hath committed Sin, faith he, fo here, If there be in him any Ofence. Goar adds two more Prayers, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ τὰ χρόνια, Ο 690, 691. Lord our God, who only by thy word haft cured long and grievous Dif eafes-Cure this thy Servant from the Scourge which doth afflict him. Raife him from the Bed of Griefs, and the Couch of Evils. The next is to be faid by the Patient himself, Atoro, Kugie oulade, O Lord, Lord of Sabaoth, Receive me approching to thy Goodness, and abhor me not as being a Sinner. Nay, that Prayer above, άπ an, O Holy Father, Phy- p.249. fitian of Souls, which the Latins would make the Greeks Form of the Sacra ment, is order'd in Beffarion's Eucholog as a Prayer for common ufe; as is Goar. 863. also that other above for Confecrating the Oil in the Prayer Oil, Kugieo Taf p. 249. Exéd, O Lord, who in thy Mercy; and alfo a third which is only to be found there. O es duraro's & éxénμcor, O God, powerful and merciful Look upon thy Servant, N. N. calling upon the Name of thy Chrift, and heal all bis |