of dying when. For thef tr(i Saint lames faith, bar9'ficheF-t;,orlyott?let hìr calIforthe Terns.ìg: Elders ofthe Church. Whereby are meant notonelyyApofllesand all mini- hers ofthegofpel, but othersalfo (as I take it) which weremen ancient for yearesindued with the Ipiri ofvndcr1Inding and praier, and had withall, the gift ofworking miracles and ofhealing the ficke For in thePrimitiuc Ttrtultdetor,. Church thisgift was for a time foplentifullybellowed on them that belee- nantálit. tap. :_ tied inChrifi, that foldiers cati outdciiils, and parents wrought miracles on &deldo1..ta their children. Hence we may !caree,that howfoeuer it be the dutie of the Mini(Iers of the word principally tovifit and comfort the fickes yct is knot their dude alone, for it belongs to them anwhich haue knowledge Of Gods word,and thegift of praier. Exhort oneanother(faith the holy Ghofl) Heb.3 r3 Whileit is called todate. And Againe, Admonifh them that aredifrdered,ard t.Thcf.f.rr.rq comfort thofcthat arerre4e. And indeede in equitie it fhouldbe the dudeof euery ChriPcianman to comfort his brother in ficknes. Here wemu(} needs take knowledge ofthccommon fault oftnen and women when theyconic to vi ht their neighboursand friends they can not fpeake a word ofintiru&ti- on andcomfort,but fpend the time in filence,gazing,and lookingon ; or in uttering words to little or no purpofe,fayingto thefickepartie,that theyare folic to teehim in that: cafe , that they would haue him to be ofgood com- fort,but whereinand by what meanes theycannot tell:that they doubt not but that he fhall recouerhis health and line with them flill,andbemetricas informer time:thattheywill pray for him; whereas all their praiersare no- thingels but the Apoales Creede, or the ten commaundements, and the 'Lords praier vattedwithout vnderflanding. And this is thecommon c(5. fort thatficke men get at the handes of their-neighbours when they come vnto them: and all this cornes either becaufe men flue in ignoranceofGods word,or becaufe they fàlfly thinke that the whole burthenofthisdulie lies vpon the fhoulders ofthe minifter. The fecond circurnflance is,when the fichepartie muff fend for theElders to inflruóhim and pray for him. And that is in the very fiai place ofall be foreany other helpe be fought for. Where theDiuine ends, there the Phy- fidaia muti begin: and it is a veryprepoficrous courte that the chine fhould therebegin where the phyrtian makesan elide. For till helpe be had for the foule, and finne which is the rooteoffelines be cured, phyficke forthe bodie is nothing. Therefore it is a thingmuch to bedifliked, that in all pia- ces almofl,thephytitian is farti fera for, a.ndcomes in the beginningofthe fcknes,and theMinifier comes whena man is baffe dead, and is then lent for oftentirnes,whé the ficke partie lies drawing on and gafping for breath, as though Miniflers ofthe Gofpell in there däies were able tovvorke mi- racles. The feconddude ofthe (kite party is toconfeffel is finnes,as Saint Iames faith,C'ovfe eyourlitotes one to anothcr,ardprey orge Jar another.]t will be. laid, an' that this is to bring in againePopifhThrift. .:f: Conne lionofourfinnes, and that vnto men was neuer denied ofany the queflion onely is of the manier
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=